Musings of a ReNewed Girl

Organized Space

2012-01-05T17:16:00.001-06:00

Thought I'd share a little organizing I did recently. My desk/work area has been crowded and cluttered since we moved here...and it's been driving me CRAZY.

I've been looking for a storage bench since we moved here to serve as a place to store all of or our files (I'm sure you've seen the picture on Pinterest) but I could never grab one fast enough off craigslist.
Until...finally I did! :) And it wasn't just any storage bench...

It would also serve as a coat rack which is awesome because we've been using our kitchen chairs. :) Since we can't put nails in the walls (yeah, crazy rental rules!) I couldn't hang any hooks or shelf to hang them on so this worked out perfectly! I LOVE it! And it already had been spray painted black so it matches. Win. Now here is my nice, organized, work area....which I love sitting at now. :)

Here here is a close up of the memo board I made using square pieces of corkboard I already had and some scrapbook paper scrapes. Oh, and buttons. I glued it all together with hot glue. It's been up for a little while now and it's holding strong!

What crafty things have you done lately?

*click here to read our latest foster care post*

Goodbye 2011 - You were good...

2012-01-01T08:54:00.000-06:00

2011 was filled with wonderful friends, old and new

great times with family

and lots of memories and adventure.

Here's to 2012 being more of the same!

2011-12-28T18:46:00.000-06:00

Hope your Christmas was merry and full of cheer! Thought I'd share a quick, super easy, wreath idea with you. Just because Christmas is over doesn't mean you don't need a nice winter wreath on your door. :)

I won't bother showing you the whole process because it's SO easy.
You will need:
-Dollar store wreath
-Clearance tinsel
-Clearance ornaments, bells or figurines
-5mins
(or you can use supplies you already have and it's free!)

Simply wrap the wreath with the tinsel.

Add some ornaments (or bells).

Hang it up and your done!

Easier than pie and pretty cute too. :) Happy decorating!

ps-in case you didn't see, I updated our foster care blog here.

Sunshine for my Soul

2011-12-15T20:37:00.003-06:00

Old Stone Fort State Park, TN

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Middle Tennessee. With a high close to 70...my heart was singing! After several days of cold, wet, gloom, being able to be outside in the sunshine and warmth lifted my spirit in wonderful ways!

Winter and I have serious issues. And it's not just that I hate being cold...my soul and body crash in winter. I suffer from S.A.D....and it sucks. Most days I don't feel like doing anything...and it's not just that I don't want to, it feels like I actually can't. I have absolutely no energy or stamina. I am tired and crabby...my body just doesn't listen to me!

It wasn't until these past couple of years that I began to understand this change in my personality, in my motivation, in my lack of desire to actually DO anything during the winter months. Understanding it has helped so much though...knowing I can take supplements (vitamin D & fish oil) and knowing that even on the days I don't want to (especially on the days I don't want to) I have to spend some time outside.

This year, with the delayed change in weather, the unusual warm Fall and the random warm days of winter, it's struck me rather quick and quite hard. But now that I realize what's going on, I've started to do the things I need to do and as my body slowly starts adapting and leveling out, I'll gladly welcome warm days of sunshine like we had yesterday!

My Count took off work to spend the day at a state park with me. :) Yeah, he's sweet like that. It was beautiful and so refreshing for my tired soul!

Pardon the phone pics...

Love this guy :)

Thankfulness

2011-12-01T13:20:00.001-06:00

Because I never got around to it last month (when most people we're talking about being thankful) I figured I'd chat about it today. Mostly I just want to say, I love my family! Which means I am so thankful for them! I wish with everything in me that we were one of those families who all lived down the road from each other or shared a farm...or something. But we don't. We live states and countries away from each other and to put it bluntly, it sucks. My mom and my sister are two of my best friends...our whole family is CLOSE. And even though sometimes we get on each others nerves, we get along very, very, well. I am so blessed because I know not every family loves to be together or even likes seeing each other...but we sure do! I'm learning to cherish the times I have with them because as we've gotten older and gone our separate ways, they are short and far between. We got to spend Thanksgiving in Oklahoma with my sister and her family. One of my brothers was able to come for a couple days too. The only problem is, we forget to take pictures because we get too busy just being together...ok, it may also be because we're one of those family's that stay in our PJ's all day. :) Despite that I did manage to snap a couple shots of two little girls. Aren't my nieces precious?

Emmy playing with Play-Doh.

Maddie helping crumble bread for the stuffing.

Hope YOUR thanksgiving was full of people you love and good food!

I'm linked to You Capture.

Head over and check out some other sweet shots.

{life}

2011-11-18T12:37:00.001-06:00

Not much to report from here but wanted to say hi...so HI, Friends! And also I wanted to share some pretty fall pictures. :) This season always goes by waaay too fast. I LOVE fall and I LOVE Thanksgiving (I'm not going to rant about how much I dislike that people are already decorating and pretending it's Christmas time though!). My Count and I are headed to my sisters for Thanksgiving next week. I'm so excited to see her and my cute little nieces!! It's been so long!

I got to see Breaking Dawn last night (oh yes, I still love me some Twilight!!). It was my first time going to opening night, first time seeing a mid-night showing of any movie...and it was great fun! My friends husband won tickets on the radio and she called yesterday asking if I wanted to go with her...um, heck yes! In case you are wondering, it was SO good. I think it's the most well done Twilight movies Summit has made. And it was just really intense! I really enjoyed it!! I am SO excited for part 2 to come out. November 12, 2012 is so far away though. BUT we have another great movie series starting in March...The Hunger Games. Believe it or not, I think I am more excited to see those movies! The books are SOO good. If you haven't read them, do! Old or young, male or female, you will like them. And if you don't...well, there might just be something wrong with you. ;)

Welp, I gotta get! I'm heading to our church Women's Retreat this afternoon and I need to pack and get ready for that. And tomorrow night I'm hanging out with my small group gals...which is sure to be a good time. Love those girls! Now some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Pretty horses we saw on a country drive.

Pretty view on another country drive.

Beautiful line of trees I saw down town.

My Count and I on a hike.

And for a little laugh before you go:

.source.

Hope you all have a blessed, fun, weekend!!

FAQ-Our Foster Parenting Journey pt.1

2011-11-11T16:21:00.000-06:00

Hey friends,
I wanted to take some time to answer a few of the questions we've been asked so far about our decision to become foster parents. If you missed it, I announced it on my blog HERE. We are truly blessed with amazing friends and family who have all been so supportive and excited for us. Thank you! I know a lot of times foster care and foster children are looked at in a bad light but thankfully, we haven't had to deal with that kind of response from anyone. Now let's get down to business...


Foster Child(ren) Room a work in progress

Q- Are you going through the State or a private agency?
A- We decided to go with a private Christian agency mostly because they are able to offer more support then the State usually does...and we really want that! The agency we chose is very team oriented and I love the fact that we will be working with others (care workers, counselors, birth parents, etc.) to bring these families back together. The fact that there are people for me to call whenever I need them, that will be actually be there, is just awesome!

Q- What age kids will you have? How many kids will you have?
A- We *hope* to have children 0-3yrs. At least that's who we're preparing a room for. :) I know there is a huge need for foster parents for older children but right now we feel like this is the best age fit for us and where we feel called to minister. We do feel that in the future we'll be open to older children as well but not yet. Whether this is the age we actually get, we'll see! We will be open to sibling groups but of course with the age restrictions, that only allows for so many so there is no way to know how many we'll have.

Q- How will be you able to give them back?!
A- I don't know! :) Many people talk about how they could never do foster care because they wouldn't be able to give the kids back. And that's OK because not everyone is called to foster care. We DO realize there will be a lot of pain and struggles that go along with having these children in our home...but we also know God will be there with us every step of the way and are already praying for God to prepare our hearts. All the children in this specific agency are voluntarily placed which usually results in these parents/guardians also being very committed to getting their lives in order so they can be reunited with their child(ren)...that is what we, and our team, are working towards...knowing that these kids have loving parents who are just facing some struggles has already made us feel more at peace.

Q- When do you finish training? What do you have to do to get ready?
A- We have already finished our training classes (the state of TN uses PATH- Parents As Tender Healers) and we had a medication administration class and last night we had CPR/First Aid training. We've submitted our application and after we come out clean on our background checks and finger printing we will have interviews (separate and together, not sure how many), we have to get physicals and TB tests, they have to talk to our references, we'll have a house visit for them to see our home and make sure it is foster kid friendly/ready. I am still working on setting up our kid room...SO fun! Depending on how long all of that takes (and if we get approved!) will determine when we actually get certified but we're hoping by the end of this year/beginning of next.

Q- When will you get your first kid?
A- After we get certified we'll be waiting for our first call saying they have a child/children waiting...hopefully we won't be waiting too long! Then we will head a little about them and we all determine if the child is a good fit.

Q- What if you have really bad kids?
A- Then we'll have really bad kids, a powerful God and a team who is supporting us and working with us and these children. :) Since these kids are voluntarily placed, they usually do not come with quite as much trauma/hardship as children who have been taken from a home for abuse or neglect. Of course, they will still be hurting and need lots of love and care but we have great resources and really good training.

Alrighty, that's all the questions I remember. Feel free to ask any other ones you have in the comments or on FB (if you came from there). Hope you all have had a great Veterans Day! A BIG thank you to all those who have served and are serving (and to your families)!!!

{life}

2011-11-05T10:33:00.001-05:00

I can't believe how fast fall is passing by. It's my favorite season but I'll admit, the last couple of years I was a little disappointed with fall here in Middle Tennessee. This year it has been beautiful though! Whether that's because I've forgotten how gorgeous North Carolina fall's are or because this fall has just really been beautiful...I don't know but it doesn't matter! I'm enjoying it. It's so crisp outside, slightly colder than I would like, but it smells so crunchy out there and I love it! If you have fall where you live, you know what crunchy smells like. :)

My Count's business has been keeping us very busy lately. New ideas and trying to execute them in the best way possible. I try to go in to the office with him a couple times a week to help out with stuff but I thankfully I can do all the support side of stuff from home.

We're almost done with our foster parent training (the classes part anyway). We have our CPR/first aid class next week and then we start in on the interviews and home study process...which I don't know how long will take! If you missed it, we announced that we're becoming foster parents here. We still have to set up our kid room...which I'm assuming has to be ready for inspection by the time we have our home visit. It has a ways to go...but at least we've been able to keep it pretty much empty since moving in. I do go in there sometimes and wonder what it will be like all set up and then with a child in there...I think I'm going to like it. :) And then sometimes I kinda freak out and think, "God, really? You're sure we're ready for this?"

Halloween went by with only TWO trick-or-treat-ers. I was SO excited that we finally live in a neighborhood and would have kids coming by...boy was I wrong. I guess most of them go to the town square where they have a big to-do every year. NEXT year, I'm going down there with candy.

Guess that's about it. My Count and I are headed to some friends house today to hang with their kids for the afternoon while their parents go to a game. Should be lots of fun...they have some pretty cool kids. :)

Happy weekend!

ps-I'm working on a post answering questions we've been asked about foster care, why we are doing foster care, etc. so if you have any questions you want me to answer you can ask them here in the comments or on FB and I'll answer them in my next post.

The Shaping of My Heart - Part 2

2011-10-19T18:17:00.002-05:00

Back several months ago when I wrote the post The Shaping of My Heart - Part 1 I added the "Part 1" right before I posted it...and I didn't know why. In fact, it bothered me so much that I had intentions to take it off but never got around to. These past few months have been heart shaping also. In a wonderfully new way and I believe God has been working hard my whole life to bring me (and My Count) to where we are right now.

**if you haven't read Part 1, please go read it now and come back**

Through the life of this little blog I've talked off and on about my love for children, my desire to work with orphans, the confusion I've felt about not knowing where God wants me, the inadequacy I feel most days about being able to/not being able to help the hurting children of the world. (You can find some of those posts here, here and here). Like I talked about in Part One, I've struggled with finding my place in it all. Feeling the strong pull to help hurting children but not knowing how that would/should play out now that I'm *happily* married (not that I actually did much besides mission trips when I was single). We aren't in a position to go live in another country to work at an orphanage, we can only offer so much financial support, my husband doesn't have the same pull on his heart that I do (and that's OK)...but I've struggled with where all those experiences and heart pulls leave me now, here, today. Why would God put such deep desires in my heart, have me go through the experiences I did in Nigeria, Ukraine, and Honduras, lead me to the Child Development major I choose, only to bring me here...to a point in life where going to those places isn't really an option?

It's been a long road of questions, tears, and a whole lot of prayers that led us to where we are...but finally, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace in knowing how God wants me to fulfill my calling. I know for sure that I am here to do THIS and that He has been preparing me, and us, for it all along...it's overwhelming and brings me to tears sometimes because I have felt called to help these hurting children for so long and now, finally, I know how...

Benjamin and I are in the process of becoming foster parents! :)

It makes my heart sing and dance a happy little dance that finally our home will have little ones in it...and that though these children may not be orphans in the usual sense of the word, they are hurting and they need love and God sees US fit to provide a little of that for them. It's beautiful looking back and being able to see how everything has led us up to this point, to us feeling called to this, to the people and friends God has put in our lives, being led to where we are...it's beautiful and humbling. I'm so happy and honored to be playing this role in His great story...and that He is allowing us the opportunity to play a role in the lives of these precious children.

I pray that we will be a source of love for each little one who passes through our home and our hearts, that by being with us, for however long, they leave knowing HIS love a little better, and that by being a part of our lives their hearts will be shaped because I know each one will only continue shaping mine!

ps-I am SO happy you all get to come along on this journey with us. And I am also happy I can start talking to y'all about it now!! :)

{Life}

2011-10-18T15:28:00.001-05:00

Hi friends,
Just dropping in to say, isn't fall wonderful?! It's slowly getting cooler here and the leaves are beginning to change. I've already enjoyed some good walks and hikes this season and plan to do a lot more as the season progresses. It's my FAVORITE season!! The crisp air, the crunchy leaves, the bright colors....*sigh* I just love it!

Around here it's just been busy, busy, busy! I can't believe we're already so close to November (and my favorite holiday-Thanksgiving!). I'll fill you in on one big thing that is keeping us busy tomorrow (so come back!)....it's good :)

We're still loving our *newish* house but I will admit, I do miss the country, the quiet, the space at the old place (though I don't actually miss that house!). Did I ever tell y'all about that house?! Oh my! It smelled SO musty. Like a wet basement only there wasn't a basement and I could never find the source of the smell and believe me, I sniffed everything and looked everywhere! And even though I tried so hard to get rid of it I couldn't. Ugh, it was powerful! I could smell it right when I got to the front door and on our clothes when we were out. Hubs could hardly ever smell it but I just knew people dreaded seeing us coming, "Oh no, here come the musty family" I'm just sure that's what people thought. You know you've smelt them before! and I HATED being those people...even if it was just in my head. SO I'm glad to be out of that house. Sometimes, I find something that didn't get washed or was in the one super musty room and the smell attacks me and I am reminded that we used to be the musty family and I think wonderful thoughts of our new place and curse the old place all over again. Well, pardon that rant. *ahem*

Like I said, I'm enjoying fall but staying busy. Things are good here and I'll try to post more pictures of our place soon. :) But for now, FALL!

A state park my bro and I went to on Saturday.


He isn't fall-ish but we saw him the other day while walking. Water Moccasin?


Pretty red leaf.

SO pretty!

Happy Fall!!

Lettuce Wraps = Awesome

2011-10-01T20:57:00.001-05:00


Slice some onion (1/2 med-ish). Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Add 3 Tablespoons soy sauce. (add more for larger families/groups)

Minced garlic.
1 teaspoon/1 clove

Cut chicken breasts into strips/pieces (enough for your family).

Mix it all up.
Cover.
Marinate in fridge for at least an hour.
(I usually do about 3-4)


When you're ready to start cooking fry up the chicken, single layer, in a skillet. I use coconut oil. Use whatever you like. Flip the chicken once during cooking.

Fry up your onion separately. In the same pan, after you finish the chicken.
And then mix them in with the chicken in a dish/bowl.

Sometime during this, wash your Romain lettuce.
Enough for everyone to have several wraps.

Cook up some rice.
Enough that would be a usual side dish for your family/group.


To eat this yummy goodness, get your lettuce, a bed of rice, add some chicken & onions, wrap it up and ENJOY!!

Living Room Sneak Peek

2011-09-21T16:08:00.004-05:00

I realize you've all been dying for a peek of our new place...or maybe not. Either way, you're getting one. :)
I present to you, the living room:

Before we moved anything in. It has great wood floors. :)

Another view. It has two doors both leading to the kitchen.

I decided to accent our blue furniture with orange. I really like how it turned out.

Birds. I love them.

D . . . because that's what our last name starts with ;)

This is the before (top) and after shots of some chairs I bought a while back.

Well, there you have it. A sneak peek of our living room. I'll try to stay on top of adding more of the other rooms and also as I do some more projects around the house. Hope you enjoyed it. :)

I miss you.

2011-09-01T16:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Blog,
I miss you dearly. I know it's a rare thing these days that I chat with you. In a way it seems like so much is going on...but really there isn't much at all (outside my mind anyway).We moved (love our new place!). Summer is almost over (yay, fall!!). I've been on trips (spent time with some of my best pals!). I've had family visit (nothing like it. Love them!). I'm trying to make a home (but I have project ADD something horrible). Despite all of that, I can't really find the words to tell you life's story right now. I think of chatting with you often but it just seems like there is so much to catch you up on that it will take more time and more words than I have the energy to come up with. BUT I hope to make you a priority again soon so please don't give up on me yet....because like I said, I miss you.

{life}

2011-08-18T23:56:00.001-05:00

Hey friends, sorry it's been so long! It's been so busy lately around here! We moved, I went to TX, now I'm back and still trying to get moved in. And I have some decorating projects I'm wanting to do...AND we don't have Internet here yet so yeah, I haven't been blogging but I want to be! I'm on my phone now and its hard to write so much...and who knows if it will actually post!
I got a hair cut last week. You may remember (or not) that I got my long hair chopped off the end of last year...well I thought I'd let it grow out again and it was starting to get long again but then I started wearing it up all the time so I had it chopped off again. I really like it! I'll try to post my before and after shot.
I plan to hit up a coffee shop tomorrow so I can blog and load pictures on FB so maybe you'll get a more interesting post tomorrow. I won't promise anything though.
Hope life is going well for all of you out there! I'm glad it's slowing down for us...at least for a little while. Ok, I'll stop rambling now. Sorry for any typos or sentences that don't make sense.

Well, I can't load a picture bur here is a link to one: http://instagr.am/p/J34mE/

We're Moving On

2011-08-04T12:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA for a while friends. I've been busy packing because we're moving again...yeah, we have problems staying put for too long. :) We're moving for a number of reasons but mainly so we can be closer to My Counts office. We don't live THAT far from town but we just feel like we'll do much better being closer (less gas, more lunches at home, easier commute-2mins, and a better house layout for us). We had been planning to move out the end of August when our lease runs out but, to our surprise, doors opened, plans changed, and we're moving now! SO I've been a little busy lately.

Here's the new place. Completely different from the place we are in now. I'm not a huge fan of brick but the fact that the inside is pretty much completely remodeled...I'll take it :)

I'll be back with before and after pictures of the inside at some point but for now...I've got to get busy moving stuff over because we got the keys today!

Summer Days

2011-07-22T22:42:00.000-05:00

This summer has been full of busy. Good busy. Fun busy. Busy that has made these hot days speed by. Busy days spent with family and friends.

My mom and brother flew in from Honduras (where they're missionaries) so my brother could go to bible camp, visit with friends and so both of them could see family. :) My mom spend a good week and half with me and it was wonderful!

We went to a cookout and firework show to celebrate the 4th. I'm sure most of you saw your own fireworks so I won't bore you with too many shots.

I went to visit two of my best friends in VA. It was so great to spend time with them. Girltalk and sleepovers are still fun even when you're supposed to be "adults." And got to see their babies.

Jen's big boy, Davy, who is already two! How time flies!!

Rachel's baby boy, Jackson. Who I got to meet for the first time!

Jen's second baby boy who I met here. Hasn't he grown!?

We walked around town. Antique shopping and stopping to eat gelato.

Too much cuteness, right? Someone asked if they were twins. hehe

I also went to NC and visited our family there.

Isn't their garden beyond awesome?

My brother fishing.

I got to hold the warms we found. Gross.


Me and my cousins son, Jobey. I wrote about him for the first time here.

So there you have *part* of my summer...the part that is loaded in to my pictures anyway :)

Hope your summer has been awesome so far too!

{Life}

2011-07-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

Hey friends,

Not a whole lot happening here. My mom and brother flew in from Honduras a week ago this past Friday (follow their mission blog HERE) . We hooked up with some good family friends (who we knew when we lived in Charlotte and who now live in Nashville) and my brother went to NC with them for bible camp. My mom has been here with me hanging out since then and it has been SO great to have her here with me :) You can follow her blog HERE, she's a great writer. We've had a lot of fun running around shopping, blogging and just hanging out. There is nothing like having your mom around! I'm gonna miss her so much when she leaves!

We're celebrating the 4th of July with our 20s30s class from church. Cooking out and then going to watch fireworks . . . should be a good time! We're in the midst of baking cookies and cutting up veggies right now . . . and blogging :)

Hope you all enjoy a great day celebrating the many freedoms we have here in the USA. Thank you to all those who have served or are serving now. A special shout out to my best friend, Brittany, and her marine husband, John! Love y'all!!

Two Years

2011-07-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday was our two year anniversary. It seems like I've known My Count forever and at the same time I can't believe it's already been TWO years since that day on the deck of a cabin when we said our vows. Wow.

We've had our share of struggles but these past two years have been wonderful! My Count knows just what to do and say to make me feel beautiful, loved and valued. I don't think I could ask for a more loving husband. He is the best gift God could have ever given me and I am so thankful I'm married to him. Love you my husband!

We went on an early anniversary trip to Savannah, Ga. If you've read my blog much you know I've always wanted to go there. Well, we did and it was beautiful! I won't bore you with anymore words but here are some pictures...

Tybee Island Light House

A REALLY yummy crab place we ate at.

My hot husband.

Some government building...I think.

We took a trolley tour and saw lots of beautiful houses and places

(most do hold historic meaning but I don't remember anything about them)

LOVE the Spanish moss everywhere. One big reason I wanted to go!

We took a riverboat cruise . . . it wasn't that exciting but it was relaxing.

Part of the Riverwalk.

A state park we went to and hiked at.

Pretty trees . . . and see my Count down there?

Critters!

2011-06-29T10:12:00.002-05:00

Have I ever told you we live in the country? :) I wouldn't say we live in the boonies by any means (if you don't know what boonies means...click here) but our driveway is .2 miles long and we're surrounded by woods and (empty) pastures. So I guess it's only natural that along with the forests and fields comes lots of animals to keep us entertained. I have yet to capture all of them but here are just a few...

A Groundhog mama and her four babies live in our shed/barn.

Turkey wander through our yard and in the fields pretty often.

Deer frequent our yard (and perhaps our garden!)

It's rare not to see at least one rabbit when we drive down our driveway.


Mama groundhog checking to see if it's safe.

I've always wondered if opossums really hang upside down to sleep....still don't know.

We also have seen barn cats (a mama and babies who share the shed with the groundhogs), moles, chipmunks, snakes, coyotes, squirrels, a hawk and lots of other birds. Yup, we live in the country!

Garden Update!

2011-06-11T22:26:00.008-05:00

Our garden is doing really well and I wanted to share some pictures from about two weeks ago. We are still having problems with something eating leaves off of a lot of the plants (I don't think it's the groundhogs). If we keep fresh shaved soap around the garden whatever it is stays away...we're just not good about putting more soap out after each rain. :/ Ah well...I'm thinking we'll still have plenty of veggies to keep us happy! Enough talk! On to pictures.

Tomatoes are looking good and there are LOTS of them!

Um, squash..? You can see where one leaf was eaten.
We went out a couple of days ago and almost ALL the leaves are eaten now. Arg!

Snap peas. We ate our first two this week!
They were very yummy!!

The whole garden...yup, we have a lot of tomato plants.

I'll try to get back out there this week and take more pictures. It's coming along nicely! We've got cucumbers that grew from flowers to like five inch cucumbers in just a couple of days and we have beets getting big and tomatoes turning yellow...eek! I'm so excited!

ps-Sorry for the absence again...no reason really. I'm back though and will try to be more regular with my posting. If you don't already, you can follow me on twitter and keep up with me through updates and pictures that way on an *almost* daily bases. :)

Making a House a Home - Seasonal Wreath

2011-05-18T13:56:00.001-05:00

For a quick and cheap way to spice up your door/entryway just buy a basic wreath.
You can get them for super cheap at garage sales or consignment stores. And keep in mind while look that if it has some ugly old flowers or bows they usually come off (just check to see how secure they're fastened, usually you can take them off without much effort at all).

I bought this wreath at a consignment store for $1.99 last fall.

I also bought some old pillowcases for just $1.
Which I cut some circles out of and sewed together some fabric flowers.

Here is the wreath this past February with some hearts I sewed on it (which were from pillowcase fabric as well).

The great thing about a basic wreath is the ability to change out the items on it every season or every holiday.
I had ribbon, snowflakes and bells on it during Christmas/Winter and I hung sparkly eggs on it for the Easter season...which I got a the Dollar Tree for, you guessed it, a dollar (they have pretty great seasonal decor you can spruce up and craft with so if you have one, go!).

So there you have it, an easy, frugal, way to have a pretty door and the ability to change things up.

What's Cookin'? -Sweet Potato Linguine

2011-05-17T09:14:00.001-05:00

I know I promised this recipe forever ago! But better late than never, right? :) Here is a super yummy recipe for *healthy* sweet potatoes.

Cut sweet potato as thin as possible lengthwise.

Then cut linguine like strips.

Melt about two tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Good butter is good for you. Yup, not just ok but good. As a butter lover, I'm so happy about this! :)
(read more here and here)

Saute in pan over medium/high heat until done.
I added salt, pepper and parsley flakes.
You can add whatever spices you and your family like.

Serve up and ENJOY!

**please note all recipes can now be found under the *What's Cookin'?* tag **

{Life}

2011-05-16T12:04:00.012-05:00

A couple weekends ago we went to the TN airshow. It was really fun but SO hot (in the 90's that day...I got a nice tan though!). The only crap part was that you couldn't bring in your own food and drinks and by that I really just mean WATER! Being that hot, we needed drinks almost constantly and we probably spent $25 on water and lemonade in the few hrs we were there. Ridiculous! Isn't there some law that says you have to have free water at these sorts of things!?! If not, there should be cuz not everyone can afford to pay $25 to stay hydrated...imagine what the families with kids spent that day! Goodness. *end of rant*

Anyway, it was really cool. We had never been to an airshow and if you haven't either, you should go sometime because it's super entertaining. Enjoy the pictures (these are a *few* I took that day but they don't capture near how cool it was).

She parachuted in to start the show.

Also that weekend I got to see and hang out with one of my best pals!! I posted about her in THIS post and about her first born in THIS one. It was so great to get to hang out with her (and her family!!) and meet her newest little guy.

Isn't he just too cute?!

Love you, HennyRuth!!

{Life}

2011-04-21T16:30:00.006-05:00

Ugh, I was going to try to update with a recipe for Sweet Potato Linguini but my pictures aren't uploading. Boo. Don't worry, I'll try again later. It's easy and really yummy!

Not much going on here. I'm about to go babysit for my friend so her and her hubs can go out. Their baby is so fun (and easy) to babysit for. Love getting my baby fixes with her :) I'm going to be late if I don't leave soon though so I should get...

The rabbits and/or deer are loving our little veggie plants. Arg. Shredded soap around the garden is working pretty good for now but we had to go buy some plants to replace the eaten and killed ones.

I went dress shopping today because My Count said I could get an Easter dress...after I explained to him that Easter dress didn't mean I would only wear it once on Easter Sunday. :) But I didn't find anything I liked so I'll have to go again. Darn. ;)

Ok, for real this time. Bye friends! Hope everyone is having a great week!

The Shaping of My Heart - Part 1

2011-04-15T10:30:00.022-05:00

It's raining hard outside today. It's supposed to all day long. On a day when my heart isn't feeling it's best...rain seems appropriate. I enjoy rain anyway though because if I close my eyes and listen to the pitter patter of rain hitting the already soaked ground...it takes me back to my girlhood days as a missionary child in Nigeria. A time that, until now, I haven't really talked about on my blog...

It's hard for me to write about life there because as a child of 8-10-ish, I loved it! I wanted to be Nigerian...to cook food over an open fire, to carry babies wrapped on my back, to dig in the dirt for my food, to sleep in a mud hut and go to market to socialize with friends. And then we came back. Back to the USA where life is rushed and the grocery store carries everything you need in nice pre-packaged boxes and bags. And soon my girlhood imaginary games of playing "Nigeria" quickly turned into obsessing over boys and hanging out with the best girlfriends a teenage girl could ask for. And I made myself forgot about the brown faced girl I used to call my best friend, about the adventures I used to have carrying monkeys on my back and about eating FooFoo out of the same dish as friends because really, we were family. And I tucked it all away in my memories as stories I would someday tell my little ones as I kissed them goodnight.

And then when my life truly could not have gotten any better, it happened...
"We're going back to Nigeria," my dad said at a family meeting in our living room one day. "Your Dad left his heart there and we've decided to go back," added my mom.
"Well HE can go back and get his heart and bring it back because I am NOT going back there!" I screamed in horror. My sister and I both stormed off to our rooms, threw every Nigeria trinket we had in our closets and cried hard. The thought of leaving my best friends, my soccer team, our church, my life was so painful for my 14yr old heart. As the final weeks at our home quickly came to an end and the realization sunk in that we were really going, the days were spent mostly crying with friends and promising to stay best friends forever (which thankfully, we have). I was angry at my parents, at God, at the people who supported it...so very, very, angry. And I vowed never to talk to my parents again...especially my Dad who had forgotten to pack his heart when we left last time.

And so we went, moved back into the same house I had loved as a girl, saw many of the same people but it was not the same. I was not the same. I wasn't the happy little girl who had left and people noticed and my childhood friend, I'm sure, wondered what had happened to me...and I didn't care because she was not my best friend anymore. I was angry and did not want to be there and I made sure everyone knew that. I would not like it there and I would not like my parents for bringing me there. I am ashamed to say that I hardly talked to my parents, especially my dad, during those years. I made sure they knew I was MAD and did not like them anymore. Those days and the way I acted are really my most shameful memories and it took a long time to forgive myself for that...I hope that they have.

Even in my resistance though, I made friends. Other missionary kids who really would be my saving grace, the ones that made life worth living during those years, the ones who I would share my memories with, my heart with, and adventures with. Adventures of hiking through the jungle to swim in streams, treks through the mountains bordering Cameroon, motorcycle rides down sandy roads, all night movie watching parties (except for when the power was off, then we would light candles and talk deep). We made sure our younger siblings had the best holiday festivities possible because that was the American/Canadian way. These friends hold a place in my heart that is reserved for the most special of people and though we aren't close now, the closeness we once had will forever be a piece of who I am.

And there were other missionaries and a few Nigerians who made life ok but back then I had to dig down deep to admit it and I sure never did openly. Though I never embraced life while we were there, I knew when we cared for orphans in our home or visited the orphanage or far away villages to show them God's love that it meant something...and a part of me cared.

It's hard to explain life on the mission field because here in America, there is nothing to compare it to. The other missionaries are your family in the deepest sense, the ones who share this love for a foreign land and a foreign people with you, the ones who just know...and even though I never would have dreamed it true then, I shared that love. Because the big eyes looking out of hungry little bodies were slowly making their way into my bitter, closed up, heart and really, I was hooked.

I met up with the mother and daughter of one of those missionary families yesterday. And it was like I was meeting up with family. The Arny's. If ever two families were meant to know each other, it was theirs and ours. They were there when we lived in Nigeria the first time and as two little girls, Mary was the woman my sister and I looked up to and loved being with! By the time we made it back to Nigeria for the second go around they had adopted two children who were my youngest brothers age (who is 11 yrs younger than I). To explain to you the amount of adventure packed into our families friendship would take a nice BIG book. We loaded our two families (10 of us) into their Land Rover type jeep and hit the road several different times. We slept on concrete floors together, ate old certs out of Mary's purse when we couldn't find food, we went on safari's and stood in elephant footprints, we held up cloth so we could pee when there were no bathrooms, we argued machine gun armed men at immigration stops....the list truly could go on and on with every story being more crazy than the last...

On my way to meet them yesterday I remembered a time in Nigeria where I asked Mary if she thought she'd ever move back to the States and bring her kids here. In my ~~innocence~~ ignorance I said to her, "You know, so they can see what it's like in the real world?" to which she responded, "Honey this is the real world." I remember thinking she was crazy...And yet here I sit now in this bubble that America is and I fight hard not to be a part of it and I worry that I will forget the eyes that looked to us in hope of a meal, and the little hands that held mine because they didn't have a mommy's and I struggle to find where my place is in it all. Now. Here. Today. Because even though it took me literally years to realize the shaping that Nigeria, it's people and those we knew there would have on my heart...I see it now and I will be forever grateful to my parents, my Dad, who dragged me back there kicking and screaming as a teenager. I would not be who I am today without those years and even though I'm still figuring it out, I kind of like who I am today.

So thank you Dad and Mom for that life and for putting up with a bitter and hateful girl and for loving me through it and in spite of it. I'm sorry for the pain I know I caused you in it all. I love you for letting God lead you and trusting that He knew what he was doing when He said, "Go!"...especially when so many others said you shouldn't.

{Life}

2011-04-12T15:22:00.008-05:00

Not too much going on around here lately but thought you'd like an update.

I'm reading a really good book, One Thousand Gifts.
And feeling inspired and moved.
I'm going to start my own journal soon.
Which I'm sure I'll share pieces of on here.

A couple weeks ago I went out to CA to visit my best friend and her family.
(who were there for medical reasons)
It was so great to see her and spent time with her family!
But I didn't get ANY pictures of me with any of them.
I'm still kicking myself because of it.

I turned 28 on the 7th of this month.

My Count and I had plans to go to Cheekwood.
But it was closed for the day due to storm damage. *pout*
So we went to Centennial Park and saw those gardens and had snow cones instead.

Then we went and had dinner at the Loveless Cafe.
Where we ran into my birthday twin who was there for her birthday dinner.
We share the same birthday (even the year) AND we're both named Jessica.
I know.

The My Count and I went to The Melting Pot for dessert. YUM.
I was pleasantly surprised by the day because my actual b-day present was the trip to CA to see my best friend.

We spent Sunday working hard getting our garden tilled and everything planted.
It was hard work but very rewarding after it was done. :)
Now we're just watching, watering, and waiting.

I did about 2.5 hours of mowing on Sunday and then 2.5 more yesterday.
We have a push mower and a huge yard.
I am VERY sore.
But if you ever need a reason for new shoes, mow the yard.
Hubs says I can get some new ones now since mine are green.
(I may or may not have planned that)

I had this for lunch today.
Chickpea salad.
It's a common lunch for me. Easy and delish!
Throw whatever veggies in you want.
Add a can of (drained) chickpeas/garbanzo beans.
Plus a little balsamic dressing and you're good to go!
Today I added squash, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, onions, and snap peas (all chopped fine).
You can add whatever you like or have on hand.

That's it for now. Happy Tuesday!

Growing!

2011-03-29T14:24:00.006-05:00

We've been busy here preparing for planting season. :) We're so excited to be living somewhere big enough that we have a garden spot! Our last place didn't even have a balcony for any container gardens but here we have a HUGE yard and a spot that has already held a garden before (which means no grass and few weeds!). A few weeks ago we planted our little seeds to start the growing process inside so they will be ready when warm weather is here to stay.

I didn't realize until we were planting that I got potting mix and not soil...but we went with it anyway. :) These are our first batch of seeds, we ended up buying a bunch more and will be starting them soon.

Mixing the dirt with water.
Sorry it's blurry, hubs is still learning how to take pictures with my camera (that I don't like to use the flash on).

Filling the cells with dirt.

All planted and ready to start growing!

-sweet pepper -hot pepper -cucumbers -peas -sugar peas -broccoli -zucchini
-cantaloupe -beefsteak tomatoes -sweetie cherry tomatoes

Just about two weeks later!
We had seedlings already pushing through in about four days on some of them :)

This was March 16. Yeah, probably more plants then what we need.

And these were all from today when I took them outside for a little while to start getting them acclimated to life outside our house.

Some little guys are still just popping through but most of them have been out for a while.

We are SO excited to be able to produce our own organic veggies this year. I'll miss going to the farmers marker but there is something so great about being able to eat food out of your own garden. :)
Prepare yourself for lots of posts about planting, picking, and preserving over the next few months. And if you live close by and know us personally, prepare for produce being brought to every event because I know we'll have plenty for sharing!
This post is linked here.

WeeBitWednesday

2011-03-09T15:26:00.005-06:00

{one} what color is your kitchen?
Light blue. I stripped wallpaper and painted a textured paint on it when we moved in (we rent but our landlord is cool). It turned out different then what I was going for but I like it!
{two} do you have a good luck charm?
Nope. I don't believe in luck...I believe in God, prayer, and His work. :)
{three} do you prefer to write with a pen or pencil?
Pencil! I mess up too much to write in pen and I write prettier (though still not well!) in pencil.
{four} can you use chopsticks?
Nope. I've tried. Asians have tried to teach me...I just am not coordinated enough!
{five} do you prefer baths or showers?
Baths!!!! I love them so so so much. I used to not but now I take one like everyday (in addition to my morning shower), especially in the winter because they keep me warm.
{six} what is your favorite salad dressing?
I don't know. It changes all the time but right now I'm on a caesar salad kick. Yummy!!
{seven} can you sing the alphabet backwards?
Hmmm, I've never tried but I'm pretty sure I can't.
{eight} do you have any allergies?
Used to have really bad asthma but not anymore, I sometimes get stuffy in the spring but nothing too bad. I totally think I'm allergic to exercise though. :p
{nine} crunchy or creamy peanut butter?
Creamy but I can handle crunchy if I have to.
{ten} have you ever hitch hiked?
Not that I remember so I'll go with no. 'Cuz I'd probably remember hitch hiking, right?

Join in the fun over HERE.

It's here!

2011-03-07T15:32:00.007-06:00

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment."
-Ellis Peters

I drove down our driveway a couple of days ago and squealed when I saw these blooms. SPRING is really trying to make her appearance and I can already tell it's going to be a beautiful one around here! I love a good snow but not as near many as we had this winter! I've been longing for spring and warmer weather for what seems like weeks now. So after what seemed like an especially hard, long, winter, I'm so thankful for this changing season. :)

(this post linked to Lisa's Macro Monday)

Beauty-It's a family thing.

2011-02-22T11:19:00.006-06:00

Spent a week with my sister and nieces last week.

They're beautiful.

That is all.

I miss them already.

Projects

2011-02-09T17:32:00.005-06:00

As promised, here are a few projects I've done since moving in to this house...just a few.
A lot of projects either don't get photographed or are still a work in progress.
Enjoy and feel free to steal ideas and leave me some of yours.

Found this ugly bundle at Goodwill for $1.99 and thought, "I can make something with this!"

And so I bought this vase and these little foam balls at the Dollar Tree and made this.

It now sits on the dresses in our bedroom.

Not really a project but here is my basket wall in the kitchen.
Hubby walked in after I did this and looked at it and said, "what is that?"
I really did get this idea from a decorating magazine
AND my mom always hung her bread baskets
so it's completely normal to me.

Painted fabric curtains I made.
(in a hurry...sloppily sewn on top with stitch glue on bottom).
I still love them though.
Made from a pillow case set from WalMart ($3) and a stencil and fabric paint.
You could even go further with it and buy real curtains and paint them! ;)

They hang at my kitchen window and this is the view while I do dishes. Love it!
Those are clean dishes in the drying rack not piled up dirty ones.
(Yes, I still hand wash my dishes)

Plaque I made that hangs beside the front door.
How did I make it?
-Wood plaque from a craft store
-painted it with blue and white (yup that's dark blue not black)
-stuck scrapbook letters and numbers on
-painted it with Mod Podge Gloss
That's it! Super easy and super cute!

That's all for today. Hope you feel inspired to create!

Blue Skies!

2011-02-08T19:14:00.003-06:00

Today we had cold weather but also blue skies

and sunshine!

Things just aren't settling down around here...which is ok because it means business is growing and work is going well. We're still trying to find the right seating for the reception area of his new office but we've got a setup that is working fine for now. He held his class last week and it ended a success! Not that I ever doubted it would end any other way. :)
We had a busy but very fun weekend with friends. Superbowl was spent with one of our small groups. And I was super stoked the other girls were just as excited as I was to see the Black Eyed Peas perform the halftime show :) That was the only time all the girls were found crowded around the tv all night...which was fine because there were conversations to be had and children to be played with (while the guys were tucked downstairs with the big screen, of course).
My Count and I are off this week for OK and TX.. I'll be hanging with my sister and her family while he goes on to TX for a conference. I'm so excited to get to hang out with my sister again so soon after Christmas! Yay!! I think the weather is supposed to be nice at least part of the time I'm there so I've been looking up things for her and I and the nieces to do outside.
Welp, guess that's it from here. I will post pictures of some of my projects soon, promise!

Moments-Life's Greatest Gift

2011-02-01T10:44:00.004-06:00

I've watched this video over and over.
I long to enjoy life in this way.
To truly live each day.
To enjoy the tiniest of moments.
To breath God in.
To feel Him.
To be able to sleep each night knowing that each day I lived fully.

(visit her website here)

New Look

2011-01-31T12:57:00.003-06:00

*Updated with darker font. Ok now?*

Just spent waaay too long re-designing my blog. What do you think? Is the font ok or too hard to read? I really like it but should I make it bigger? Darker? Give me some feedback.

Life Happens

2011-01-26T14:08:00.009-06:00

For the few of you who may not know, my hubby is a hypnotist (the clinical kind not the stage kind). He has been dreaming of expanding and growing his practice since I first met him...really I guess it has been his goal since first opening his practice about two and a half years ago. Well, I am happy to say this past week we moved him and his practice into a much bigger space, which has a waiting room, four offices and a classroom (where he trains others to be hypnotists and where they will hold group sessions and weekly self-hypnosis classes). He has also hired on three more hypnotists to work under/with him. It's an exciting time for him...for us! I was in charge of decor and just the simple running around getting stuff like trash cans, brooms and toilet paper...and of course I had to make many different trips because we always left something off the list. So that's what we were busy with last week. God is really showering us with blessings and we are so grateful. This week he is teaching one of his hypnosis certification classes (which he holds twice a year) so he's busy this week!

I plan on finally getting out my sewing machine and playing with it this week. I'm so excited to learn and my mother-in-law is going to have some sewing classes with me (probably starting next month because this month is CRAZY busy). I'm so ready to start my project and just excited to learn to sew!

This has been my lunch a lot lately.

-chickpeas
-cherry tomatoes
-avocado
-spinach
-sauteed onion and garlic
-balsamic dressing
Delish!

The past two days we have had beautiful weather! In the 60's and sunny. It's been SO wonderful! I think I might have S.A.D. I have felt so unmotivated, tired and down the past few weeks and the past two days I have noticed a complete turn around in my energy, attitude and desire to DO stuff (even stuff like house cleaning and exercise). I honestly think the weather is to blame. Anyone know if tanning beds help seasonal affective disorder? I've heard they do so I might start going once a week to see if it helps...unless spring wants to come early. I would be totally fine with that too.

Welp, I'm off to do something productive. Hope you all have a wonderful week and are feeling God's hugs and blessings in your life.

Frozen in Time

2011-01-19T15:10:00.004-06:00

My Count and I went for a walk the other day.
Down by the river next to our house.
A river that is fierce and fast during other seasons.
I tried so hard to capture some beauty down there.
Tried to with my eyes and through my lens.

But with the snow half melted and the river water low and still.
Beauty is hard to come by.
You see, it's hard for me in winter...
hard to see the beauty through my frozen breath and despite my cold toes.

It's hard for me to find the beauty in a world that seems to be on hold.
A world where the birds are hardly chirping.
When the air just bites and stings.
A world that seems to be holding out its beauty for the spring.

Productivity

2011-01-17T11:19:00.004-06:00

Today is going to be a very productive day! It's been decided and I will not let myself down...again. After suffering some minor post-Christmas, post-family time blues, I'm ready to live again. I truly have the best family and I have been inwardly sulking about living so far away from them since being back home in TN. But I'm bouncing back...because life goes on and we have phones and emails and facebook and it could be so much worse. I am so blessed...but too many times it is easier to say "poor me" than "thank you". Change is happening though. I'm learning new things and growing and desiring something more and God is working and it is good.

My real reason for this post was just to tell you today will be productive though. I have lots of stuff to do but I'm only putting a doable amount on my to-do list...because I like being able to check them all off :)

For today:
-finish setting up craft room (yeah, it's still a work in progress)
-take down the Christmas tree (yes, it's still up but the time has come *sniff*)
-finish laundry (started yesterday. almost missing the laundry mat cuz I finished it all in two hours)
-finish my "D" crafts (pictures coming soon)
-pay any bills that are due (blah)
-sew something! (because I'll never learn if I don't start)

Hope you all have a happy, productive, day as well!

Doorways- The Barn

2011-01-13T12:12:00.005-06:00

There is a barn out behind our house. It's old and run down.
But I love it.

We're renting and we don't have any animals.
But one day we hope to have our own land.

With a pretty red barn full of animals.

And perhaps will add a little door so the wild critters and stray cats
can enjoy some warmth on cold and snowy days.

Hop over to Beth's blog for more captured doorways.

Wee Bit Wednesday

2011-01-12T21:01:00.004-06:00

I'm linking up with Leigh Ashley. She's the hostess of A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday.

{one} have you ever been on tv?
Not on 'real' tv but when I was younger (maybe 12) I was on a local Domino's Pizza commercial.

{two} what was the best movie you saw last year?
Oh, I have no idea! I don't remember many movies I saw. I'm a twilight fan though so I did enjoying seeing Eclipse and Avatar was pretty good too! Oh and The Book of Eli.

{three} do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

Tucked in but the hubby keeps his side out. I do hang my feet off the bottom or the side of the bed though. Yeah, I'm weird.

{four} do you cut coupons?Not often...I have a hard time finding organic coupons and we eat/buy mostly organic.

{five} do you ever count your steps when you walk?Sometimes when I walk up or down stairs I do.

{six} what sauce do you dip your chicken nuggets in?BBQ sauce or polynesian at Chick-fil-A.

{seven} do you have any magazine subscriptions?Nope but I wouldn't mind getting a magazine in the mail every month....hmmm.

{eight} when was the last time you wrote a letter on paper?Today. Well, it was a card but I LOVE real mail so I send cards
(blank ones that I write in) pretty often.

{nine} what’s your favorite fruit pie?Blackberry or strawberry/rhubarb.

{ten} black olives or green olives?Either. I love them both!

Feel free to join in!

A Walk-Our Winter Wonderland

2011-01-11T13:33:00.008-06:00

I went for a walk this morning and this is what I saw.

Hope you enjoyed.

Snow

2011-01-10T19:00:00.004-06:00

Front yard.

Our home.

The back roads...not cleared too well.

2011-01-09T23:07:00.005-06:00

My hubby was gone all weekend (business stuff) and I was lonely without him but I got a few projects done so that was good! He's back now and the house is normal again...the sounds not scary, the quiet not eerie. I think I will sleep MUCH better tonight with him here. :)

It's supposed to snow tonight and through tomorrow and I'm pretty darn excited! I can't wait to get out in the snow with my camera tomorrow and practice. But in the same paragraph I'll go ahead and admit that I'm totally ready for spring to be here! Though I enjoy a good snow...I am so NOT a fan of being cold. And this winter has been far too cold for this southern girl...who also spent five years in Africa. WAY too cold!

I was inspired by Patrice and went out yesterday and bought the book Radical By David Platt. I read the first chapter last night. It's really good so far and also kind of scary. Scary because it's true and I already feel like there will be some big convictions for me and that will mean (or at least should mean) CHANGE. And well, change is scary but I know it will be good for me...for us. I'm excited to dig into it more and I pray that the spirit will move in me from the lessons I learn from it.

Well, I'm off to look outside for snow and then go to bed for a good nights rest! Goodnight!

Life Update-Goals

2011-01-07T10:02:00.007-06:00

We had a great Christmas with all of the family in NC! Even though almost all 21 of us ended up with the throw-up bug. It was not lovely. Despite that, it was SO great to all be together again and hang out. With that many people, it is so hard to decide on things to do though...wow.

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I've been on a blogging break lately...I'm sure you've realized. Or not. I'm in a slump in a major way. Life has something to do with it. Things I won't/can't delve into here...yeah, some days it just sucks so I guess by not writing about that, I feel like when I just write the happy I'm misleading people and so I don't write anything. There now you *sorta* know. Prayers would be cool. Thanks. I've decided that despite the bumps, I want to really start blogging again...so I am. I miss it and I enjoy it so I'm hoping to make it more of a priority this year.

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I have a big project I'm working on. Well, I'm working on getting it started right now. I am SO excited about it too! It's a dream I'm been playing around with in my head for a while and I can finally start it. :) Sorry, I'm not telling all the details yet because I want to announce it when it's more complete but here's a hint...I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I love thrift stores! :) Any guesses? Yeah, didn't think so.

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I've also decided to start hanging out with my camera more. I have always enjoyed photography and while I don't think I'll ever start a photography business, I love taking pictures and capturing moments, whether it's places or people...so my camera and I are friends again. And I hope to do a lot together this year.

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I am also starting to exercise again. I was doing good walking two miles everyday for about two weeks (minus a day or two) and lost 4lbs! And then it got cold and I stopped...because I pretty much HATE being cold...and then I ate a lot of fudge over the holidays and I gained it back. But I am determined this time! I want/need/have to lose 15 pounds by my birthday (April 7th, if you want to send a gift). Why my birthday? Well, My Count said if I get to my goal weight by then that he will take me to Savannah, GA. And for no real good reason, I am OBSESSED with going there! So I WILL lose the weight I because I am sooo spending my birthday there! Thankyouverymuch.
Besides all that, I want to feel good about myself and I don't right now. Yeah, we eat pretty healthy...with a mini-blizzard from DQ thrown in for good flavor now and then...but I don't feel as healthy as I should and I know it's because I'm not active. So I am doing the Shred again. You may remember last time I did it...it didn't last long, I was SO sore. Which I guess is the point but I just can't stick to exercise stuff if it hurts that bad. Sorry Jillian. So I've made up my own routine of switching days with walking 2-2.5 miles and doing the Shred. So I'll do one every other day until I hit my goal weight and then I'll move on from there.

(why yes, that IS our tree you see in the background...I'm not ready for it to come down yet
even though it's starting to look a little Charlie Brown-ish)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You're job in all of this? Keep me accountable to my photography, blogging and weight loss...if you would. Thanks! I hope everyone is having a great start to 2011! See you soon.

Randomness

2010-12-17T20:32:00.003-06:00

I don't have a whole lot to say but figured I'd give a little update on my life. You're welcome.

-Our Christmas tree is dry and pretty much turns to dust in my hand if I touch it. Ok, ok...it's not that bad but it looks very sad. Can anyone say Charlie Brown?
-I realized that I had not finished my Christmas shopping after all...much to my delight. I LOVE the rush and Christmas crowds so I was happy to go out again today. But not so happy after looking for one particular computer game in every *game selling* store across town and not finding it. Lovely. That is the only request I got and I need it by Sunday.
-This weekend is packed full of fun! Birthday celebrations and Christmas parties. Woohoo!! I'm excited to be continuing our Christmas festivities and starting out the week of Christmas with a bang! It's going to be an awesome holiday season.
-Less then a week now and we will be in NC with all of the family!! Oh! I hope this week goes by fast! I'm so excited to spend time with my family. :) Yes, Gil will be going with us.
-We had chicken and rice soup for supper...homemade. It was delish!
-That is all. We're about to play Battleship...a game we won at our small group Christmas party. Thank you to whoever brought it!

Happy weekend everyone!

almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T15:18:00.004-06:00

Our Christmas tree and presents!
I can't wait to pack up and head to NC for our big family Christmas next week.
Because YES, my parents and brother are coming home for the holidays!!

It has been WAY too cold here lately.
Just sayin'.

I made Cake Balls a couple of weeks ago for one of our small groups.
They were so rich but very tasty.

That is all.
Happy Wednesday friends!!

It's a Boy!

2010-12-14T11:32:00.003-06:00

It didn't take any convincing at all, My Count was happy to take me to find Gil. :) I knew he would be, though I do think he's secretly jealous I named him after a crush.

We headed out on a rainy cold day and after going to one place and not finding him,
we did find him hanging out here.

After searching through an array of fish, there he was, just waiting for us.
We both recognized him when we saw him and knew it was him.
And Gil was happy to be coming home!

He is still chilling in his little home while we get his bigger home ready
(48hrs of water sitting in the open gets rid of the bad stuff that would hurt Gil).

So here he is. Happy to be home. And we're happy he is here.
He gets excited anytime I walk by (because he thinks he's getting fed) and loves to stare at us.
Isn't he too cute?! We just love him!

Tonight's Dinner

2010-12-13T21:48:00.003-06:00

Tonight we had Cauliflower Pasta for dinner and it was pretty good. It was a little mild tasting to me so up the amount of seasonings if you try it and maybe throw in some butter
because butter makes everything a little tastier.

Here is a link to the recipe I used.
The only ways mine was different was that I used whole wheat flax pasta (good stuff!), coconut oil instead of olive oil (way less than the recipe called for) and we used pretty purple, white and green cauliflower. :)

What did you have for dinner?

Feeling Called

2010-12-10T13:40:00.005-06:00

Beware! This is NOT a serious post...I mean it is because I'm telling the truth but it's not about anything deeply serious. Got it? Ok then, let's continue.
Today I have a deep desire...yearning...calling...whatever you call it NEED
to go buy a fish. Yes, a fish. I need a pet my friends.
His name will be Gil. Not because he is a fish and has gills
but after Gilbert Blythe.
*swoon*
Yes, I know...say nothing. He's too much.

So yeah, I just really need a fish named Gil.
We can't have pets here and although a fish is a pet...
it's different then a peeing, pooping four legged friend walking around...right?

I had fish growing up (that lived forever until they froze one winter when we went on vacation and turned the heat off...oops).
And then I had another one in college. Sad story actually...
I put him in a little cup when we were moving from our apartment, set him on the window sill,
and locked him in there as we left for good.

And did not remember him until three days later! I know!! I'm horrible. I felt so bad because it was in the summer. In Arkansas. I know he probably just boiled and died. Ahh, I feel so bad.
Think about the poor people who went in the apartment later.
What a surprise they probably found!
Fish smell anyway but a dead soupy one in a hot apartment? Oh my.

It was probably better that he died though because he was my ex's and my fish.
His name was Physh. Clever, right?
Our relationship also died a smelly death...ahem. Anyway.

So I feel like I should redeem myself and get a new fish...
who I will love dearly because his name will be Gil and he'll be blue. :)

Now if only I can talk My Count into believing that I *need* one also...

Dinner-Blackened Lemon Salmon

2010-12-01T21:26:00.008-06:00

Last night we had salmon for dinner. I am not a fan of fish/seafood (though I do like crab legs) but we're trying to eat more fish...because it's healthy and all. So last night's dinner was blackened lemon salmon, black rice and buttery garlic asparagus.

Here's my blackened lemon salmon recipe (serves 2).

What you'll need...
-1 tablespoon butter, melted
-1 tablespoon lemon juice (you could use more, we could hardly taste the lemon)
-1/2 teaspoon parsley
-1/2 teaspoon paprika
-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/4 teaspoon onion powder
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
-and obviously, salmon :)

What you'll do...
-preheat over to 350
-in small bowl stir together butter, lemon juice, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, onion, salt & pepper
-coat salmon in sauce, leave soaking while you...
-heat oil in an ovenproof skillet until it smokes (med-high heat)
-place salmon in skillet (skin side up) and cook until nicely browned
-place skillet in oven and bake until salmon flakes easily with a fork (about 10-12mins)

ENJOY!...or not :-/

Still Feeling Thankful...

2010-11-29T17:09:00.007-06:00

I hesitated to share this because I don't want to seem like I'm showing off, tooting my own horn, rubbing anything in peoples faces,etc...but after some push from friends I decided, why not? It's my blog, I'll share the happy news right along with the struggles. I'll share because I know friends and family will be happy for us and will want to see pictures. And even if your only happy about not having to read about our cars dying or us not being able to make it somewhere...at least your happy about something! :)

So without further ado...I'm happy to announce, we got a new vehicle this weekend!! I know! It's about time, right? We've been praying about it and working towards it for a while and finally it all worked out and we left our two crappy cars in the hands of a dealership and drove off the lot with huge smiles on our faces and beyond happy about our super *reliable* TRUCK!

Isn't she beautiful?!

Seats five...gotta have room for carseats!
No, we're not announcing THAT but it'll happen...someday.
Thanks for letting me share our happy news with you!

Today I was doing some Christmas shopping and as I driving up to a stop sign before the shopping center (a stop sign where the jeep ALWAYS died on me ) my heart started beating really fast and thoughts of what I needed to do if/when the jeep died started racing through my head...and then I realized I wasn't in the jeep and the truck wasn't going to die on me when I came to a stop. I said a prayer of thanks and breathed a sigh of relief...it was wonderful! And then when I came out of the last store it was pouring down rain and super foggy and I started thinking about what I would tell the cop when he pulled me over for driving our car without lights...and then I saw our red truck, not our red car! So I hopped in, flipped on the lights, smiled and whispered another prayer of thanks. I'm SO thankful we have a reliable truck and don't have to wonder if the jeep will die or worry about being pulled over for no lights or only bright lights!

In other news, we also went and cut our own Christmas tree this weekend. Neither of us had ever done that and it was pretty fun! Good tradition to start. We got little tree again this year. I love little trees! They're way cute AND I can reach the top! hehe.

We found it!

Nope, I didn't actually help cut it but I had to have a picture of me in there too! I'm still decorating it (can't get the little thing to stay standing in the tree stand) but I'll take pictures of it the house all decorated when I'm done.

Thankfulness Week-Friday

2010-11-26T21:30:00.004-06:00

Today I'm thankful for full bellies and food! I realize I'm supposed to say that around Thanksgiving but really, the fact that our kitchen cupboards and fridge always have food in them is a huge blessing that I *try* not to take for granted.

Having lived and been to several countries where I've seen what real hungry is...I try not to ever say *while looking in a fridge full of food*, "there's nothing to eat in here!"

There are so many people who really have NOTHING to eat some days, sometimes a few days in a row. There are mother's and father's who have to listen to their babies bellies rumbling staring into empty cupboards. People who go through trash to find anything that will help take away the hunger pains, if only for a few hours.

As I try to work on being thankful everyday for all the big and small things, I pray that the faces of these hungry kids do stay in my mind, that the people I've seen digging through trash is a vision I see in my head often so that I will not only be reminded to be thankful but also be moved to act (a thing I fail at often).

So today I am thankful for an abundance of food and also the ability to help feed others.

Thankfulness Week-Thursday

2010-11-25T18:54:00.003-06:00

Today I'm thankful for...

...a father-in-law who helps us with our cars all the time. Since dying last week our little car has been sitting in a parking lot. Today (since we're having our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow) my hubby's step-dad came to help us work on the car. After pulling everything out (to get the fuse box out and opened), not finding anything obvious wrong with and putting it all back together...the car decided it would start. All it was doing was nothing except popping the trunk open when we'd turn the key, yeah. So it's home now until we figure out what to do with it.

...dear friends from church who care about us enough to loan us one of their cars to drive for a few days until we either fix one of ours or get a new one.

...the ability to be able to look at new/new-to-us cars and feel confident we can make car payments every month to pay it off. Even though I don't want a car payment...I would really like a running car again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Wee Bit of Me

2010-11-24T17:40:00.000-06:00

I'm joining some fun over here.

{one} what kind of camera do you have?
A Nikon D5000. I'm learning to love it :)

{two} you just won $1000 and you have to spend it on yourself on one item. what do you buy?
Wow, on myself? Ummm...maybe Hancock Fabrics. I know, I'm such an old lady but I want to learn to sew!
So I'd buy a sewing machine and whole LOT of cool material and supplies. :)

{three} if you had to choose, would you rather live with your parents in the same house forever or 5000 miles away?
With them! I love my parents and they live in Honduras now and it is SO far!

{four} is your christmas tree up yet?
No way! Ignore and overshadow my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving? Never.

{five} do you bring reusable bags to the grocery store?
Sometimes but I usually forget them.

{six} which would be worse: listening to the same song on replay for the rest of your life or having to eat the same meal everyday for the rest of your life?
Eating the same meal. I think I could tune out the music...but I love too many different foods!

{seven} name 3 things you are thankful for this season.
My family, my friends, fall colors.

{eight} do you dye/highlight your hair? if so, do you do it yourself or have it done at the salon?
Nope.

{nine} would you rather watch a movie at home or at the theater?
I guess the theater because then my hubby watches the whole thing with me
at home he usually doesn't like what I pick and can leave.

{ten} would you rather win $1000/week for life or $5 million all at once?
$5 million...and I would get debt free and probably give most of the rest away
because I do not want to have that much money!

Thankfulness Week-Wednesday

2010-11-24T13:05:00.008-06:00

Today I'm focusing my thanks on my parents. The two people who have loved me since before I was even born. The two people who have supported me, cautioned me, guided me, shaped me, and been there for me through it all.

I'm thankful for their hearts of service. They're desire to serve God with their lives. Right now on the mission fields of Honduras and years past on other foreign fields and also right here in America in different churches. I'm thankful for the example they've set for me in understanding what it means to trust God and lean on Him.

Even though I struggled sometimes growing up with understanding WHY God would call them somewhere across the ocean to places far away from MY friends...I appreciate wholeheartedly now that I got to experience life and the real world outside of these United States.
I'm thankful to be a child of two parents who could not have loved me any better or deeper. I'm thankful for the desire they instilled in me for the lost and hurting of the world (though I fail often in following those desires to help).
My Mom is the most positive person I know and she has the gift of turning any situation or circumstance into something positive. She finds and shows others the blessing in everything. She is a true example of a loving, submissive (in a beautiful Godly way), caring wife to my Dad. Growing up she taught us not only through homeschooling but in everyday life experiences. She showed us how to care about the world and people around us in a way I can only explain as Christ-like. She is one of my best friends and I'm so thankful God blessed ME with her as my Mom.

My Dad has the biggest heart and desire to reach the lost for Christ. He is gifted with being able to connect with anyone and make them feel at ease...and man, can he make people laugh! Growing up with a Dad who loved us and desired for us kids to know God in a deep personal way was something I admired/admire about him. I am so thankful that he helped show me not only how to fish and cut up a deer but also how to dig into the Word and desire to know it. He is someone I truly believe understands what Christ meant when he said, "Go into all the world." I would be lost in so many ways without him as my Dad and I am beyond thankful for him.

So thank you, God, for my parents and the childhood I had with them! And thank you, Dad and Mom, for the childhood you gave me...the adventures, the lessons, the bedtime stories, the discipline, the love, the encouragement, etc. etc. etc. I'm so very thankful for you.

I love you Dad and Mom!

Thankfullness Week-Tuesday

2010-11-23T11:28:00.005-06:00

Today (as well as everyday!) I'm thankful for my husband.
Really people, I don't think there could be anyone else more perfect for me.
He can read me like a book and knows the right thing to say at just the right time and loves me with a passion that is unbelievable.

He loves me despite my many flaws and really thinks he is the
lucky/blessed one in this relationship (crazy guy).
Despite the ups and downs of marriage, the days that are hard and frustrating and
the times I feel like it's too much work,
he is there loving me and pushing me to be a better person.

Yeah, I love this man!

I'm so thankful God thought me worthy of a life by his side.

Check out what I was thankful for Monday.
Hop over to Perceptive Perspective, Simplicity and Sweet Shot Tuesday
to see what others are thankful for this week!

Thankfulness Week-Monday

2010-11-22T12:52:00.006-06:00

This week I'll be posting everyday about something I'm thankful for. Of course there are far more things then I will be able to post about but I'll list a few. Let's get started...

Today I am thankful for where we live. Down our .2 mile drive you'll find our home surrounded by trees and open pasture/fields all around...an old farm.
It's a beautiful setting.

I love my hammock swing. We just put it up recently and I love to sit and read or just enjoy being outside. The weather lately has been absolutely beautiful!

There is an old rugged fence that surrounds part of our yard. This is the gate you use to get in the pasture. Isn't it cute?

I'm thankful for the birds that *sometimes* visit my bird feeder. It hangs outside my kitchen window. There are lots of birds in all these trees.

Every night I watch a sunset out my kitchen window as I cook or wash dishes.
It's a reminder of God's faithfulness and his awesome power.

What are you thankful for today?

Selfishly Hoping and Praying

2010-11-19T10:01:00.008-06:00

It's been far too long since this bunch has all been together!

This was last Thanksgiving...we won't be together this Thanksgiving.
And we may not even be together this Christmas.

My parents (and my youngest brother) are missionaries in
Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras.
You can follow their journey and work here.
It seems like it's been longer then a year since I've seen these two together.

To sit and talk with these two lovelies, to cook up several meals.
To sip tea and go for cold wintery walks.
To play with this sweet girl.
That is how I'd like to spend my Christmas.

It's been far too long since I've laughed at this man's corny jokes.
Too long since I've been able to pick this wise man's brain.
And I have a lot of things to ask right now.
I'm hoping to spend my Christmas with him.

Life without this crazy kid around is hard.
My baby brother...who isn't so much a baby anymore.
I miss his super goofy ways. The talks and the games.
I'd like to spend Christmas with him this year.

Yes, dear friends.
It's been far too long since this whole family as been together.

Because you see...
these baby girls...
...are now these BIG girls.
And they'd like some family time too.

(This is not all of us. Minus 5 in fact.)

For a girl who moved home after college
and went on to live in the "commune" with a whole bunch of family...
over a year without us all being together is hard to bear.

My sister and I (and our awesome husbands) where able to set aside
*some* money to bring my parents and brother home for Christmas.

We're still praying for the rest.
And we'd love for you to be praying also...
because this big family would love to spend this Christmas together! :)

A Weekend in Gatlinburg

2010-11-17T15:57:00.005-06:00

We spent this past weekend in Gatlinburg, TN. Yeah we like the place...we met there, got engaged there and got married there. :) Nothing out of the ordinary happened this weekend though. We went with our marriage mentors from church (what are marriage mentors? It's a program at our church where "seasoned" married couples are matched with newly married couples to share experiences through a study called 12 Conversations it's pretty neat...even though we didn't really follow the book). ANYWAY, we've gotten to be pretty good friends with them and the two men wanted to go hiking so Saturday the guys hiked in the Smoky Mountains and us girls hang out downtown Gatlinburg. Sunday we all had fun in and around Gatlinburg.

We rode alpine slides.

Some people raced.

And rode the aerial tramway up the mountain.

And the colors were absolutely beautiful!

What did YOU do this past weekend?

Serene

2010-11-11T09:56:00.004-06:00

Like I've said here before, we love going on country drives. I especially love it, always have. We take turns driving and the passenger get's to decide left, right or straight at each road we come to. It's super fun! We've found some pretty neat places. A sure way to waste gas but hey, it keeps us entertained.

This past weekend we took off and ended up at a state park where we enjoyed a nice fall hike. We found some great fall colors...colors that seem to be lacking in our large yard of trees.

Head over to Beth's blog for more serene pictures.

Random-One Month+

2010-11-09T10:45:00.006-06:00

Wow, over a month! That is how long it's been since I've blogged my friends. And really there is no good reason because I think about it almost daily but I just never get around to it. I have a gazillion posts in my head...recipes, projects, life in general....and it's all just waiting to explode onto ~~paper~~ my blog.

I'm still staying busy working on projects around the house. I finally have a lot of it done. I'll post pictures of it all soon, I promise.

I'm learning all the ins and outs and tricks of google adwords and am now *mostly* in charge of the ad campaigns for my husbands site christianhypnosis.org. I also do the support side for all the apps he has on the different phone platforms...it keeps me busy. I don't plan on getting a "real" job anytime soon. He needed help because he was overwhelmed with the amount of work and we both didn't like when I worked outside of the home so me working with/for him works out great. Our spare bedroom is actually a big office/reading room and he does most of his work here everyday (minus seeing clients). We are very blessed to be able to both pretty much work from home and spend lots of time together. AND I can keep doing this when/if we ever have kids...so it works for all involved. :)

We've been enjoying this beautiful fall season! We've found some very pretty spots on our many drives (because, if you've been around here long, you know I love going on drives!). We've also been doing some good hiking.
And ziplining! Which was super fun. I highly recommend it if you get the chance to go.

Guess that about catches you up for now. I'll post some of those recipes and projects soon!

Oh yeah! I also got a haircut.

Prince Charming

2010-10-04T19:18:00.003-05:00

If anyone is looking to kiss a frog...come on over! A few mornings back I woke up, went to the bathroom, then went to lay in bed a while longer (it was just one of those lazy days). My Count gets up and goes to the bathroom...and says, "Um honey, there's a toad in our toilet!". Thinking I could not have heard him right, "a WHAT?!" "A FROG...IN the toilet!" Of course I jumped outta bed to see this frog in the toilet. And yup, there he was.

My dear Count just wanted to flush the guy...I did NOT think that would be a good idea. Kill him and risk him finding his way back up our toilet...no thanks.

So I took him outside, where he belonged. We have NO idea how he got in our bathroom or in our toilet. Our bathroom is pretty far from any doors and we don't keep them open anyway. It was pretty disturbing....especially that this little guy was IN the toilet while I used it!! We check the toilet every time we use it now.

What was even more disturbing was that later that day (or the next day, don't remember) I hear hubby calling again, "Um honey, there's a frog in the hallway!" "Are you kidding me?!" I called back. Nope he was there and here he is after jumping into the kitchen.

I took outside to join his buddy who was out there somewhere. Hopefully these little princes will go find their own castle to dwell in.

Goodbye Little Camper

2010-09-22T22:00:00.005-05:00

After much thought, we decided it would be best to sell our little camper. It was hard to say goodbye to her (so unlike when we said goodbye to this camper)...for me anyway. I'm not sure my Count cared quite as much. But I'll admit, I shed some tears when her new owners pulled her away. They're taking her to the Grand Canyon and the wife is going to use her as her painting studio when they're not traveling...so she's in good hands. :)

We made some great memories with her in tow, spent lots of time in her as our home for over two months. She was a good little Scampy...as we affectionately called her. In her short time here at the house with us, I'd still go out and sit in her. I know, I'm weird but she held so many great memories and sometimes it's hard being back to "normal" life again. I'll admit, I already miss the open road even though it held a lot of unexpected stresses for us.

It was bitter-sweet to say goodbye, we were able to knock out a chunk of debt with money we got for her though so that feels good. I'll miss her but I'm glad she's continuing her adventures with a cool new couple.

Tan Lines

2010-09-21T08:11:00.005-05:00

No friends, those are not tan lines, they are dirt lines. Hiking through mountains and spending time in the great out doors for days on end will do that to ya! We both had been wearing socks and shoes so that's what caused the dirt lines around the ankles.

and then we switched to flip-flops so we've got those dirt lines also.

For those of you who haven't been around to know, my hubby and I recently went out west on a two month road trip. We had a blast! Lots of places we stayed didn't have showers (you would be surprised how many of the National Parks don't!)...so friends, there were times we didn't shower for a few days. I know what you're thinking... Ew. Gross. I could never do that! Well, I'm here to tell you, you would if you didn't have a choice...and then you would realize showers are highly over rated anyway ;)

Hope over here for more feet shots!

Country Visitor

2010-09-16T10:13:00.005-05:00

I walked out on my porch yesterday and this is who I found.
Back when we lived in Nigeria these guys were everywhere...and NOT so friendly.
They chased us and bit hard.

But this guy just chilled while I snapped away. He'd turn his head and watch me but never moved from his stance.
It was like he was trying to show me something.

But I couldn't figure out WHAT he was pointing to ;)

Head over to Beth's blog for more "Your Choice!" shots from this week!
This post is also part of the Razmataz "Closer" photo challenge.
Head over to check out more up close and personal shots!

Stripping...

2010-09-13T15:49:00.003-05:00

...wallpaper that is. Get your heads out of the gutter, people!

I think I would love stripping wallpaper with my nifty wallpaper steamer IF whoever built this place would have painted the drywall before gluing wallpaper to it!! The job is going by pretty fast and the paper peels nicely but the drywall is peeling a little too. Arg. It makes the process a little more annoying for sure.

I've been working on stripping the kitchen wallpaper for a while...I have project ADD I think. It's the same when I clean. I start one thing and get distracted with something else that would be more "fun" or fast. But TODAY, I WILL FINISH STRIPPING THE KITCHEN WALLPAPER! I ready to start the painting!

We talked to a paint man at Home Depot and he said we should prime it and use textured paint to hide the messed up drywall. I plan to prime it and see how it looks because I think we made it sound worse than it actually is. I'm hoping just a coat of paint will smooth it out enough. Hoping. Who knows. I just don't think I want to use textured paint. We'll see though.

Alrighty, I need to get back to work!

Super Easy Ground Beef & Veggie Soup

2010-09-08T09:45:00.003-05:00

Have some ground beef that needs used and don't want spaghetti or hamburgers AGAIN...
try this super yummy recipe!

While your ground beef is browning in a pot cut up some potatoes, carrots, celery and onions.
I used
3 medium potatoes
3 small-ish carrots
2 celery stalks
1/4 of a large onion
(of course, add or subtract depending on how many you're feeding)

add veggies to pot and pour in some water
I used 3cups, add enough til it looks like the pic above...or something.
salt and pepper to your liking

cover and simmer/low boil for about an hour
or longer til your veggies are tender

serve up and enjoy!
I also made biscuits to go along with it.

LABOR Day is Right!

2010-09-06T21:57:00.005-05:00

Today was an exhausting day! Too much labor (the working type, not the birthing type) and not quite enough play. We *finally* found a kitchen table...and drove about 50mins one way to pick it up...but it's pretty so the drive was totally worth it! After looking and looking for a table and 6 chairs...and not finding one I liked (on craigslist or at yard sales...yes, I'm still frugal and hate spending money) I had the brilliant idea that I'd just get one with four chairs and buy a bench to match. I know, I know, I'm a genius :) Check it out...

*bench to be added later*

I spent the day doing some major organizing, cleaning, rearranging of furniture and of rooms...you know the typical settling into a new house stuff. It's been tough getting settled without the furniture we need but I'm picky and ~~cheap~~ frugal so I take a long time to find what I want. Anyway, I'm exhausted now from all the pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, stretching, etc. that I've been doing today. And then to top it off (in a good way)...

My Count's family came over for dinner tonight (some of them anyway). His brother, SIL and step Dad hadn't seen our house yet and we've never had a big enough place to have everyone over so they came and it was fun! I made baked pasta, salad and garlic bread and then this fruit cake dessert that I don't know the name of (Jen?). It was a yummy dinner and was nice to break in the new *to us* table with family. But now, I'm off to bed!

Hope your Labor day was lovely too.

New Home

2010-09-02T21:55:00.004-05:00

Here's a couple shots of our new *rental* house. We're still getting settled in. After living in a 400 sq ft apt for our first year of marriage and then in a little camper for the last two months...we're not quite sure what to do with all this space! It needs some work inside but thankfully the landlord is cool with us painting. I can't wait to get started! Here's one of my favorite rooms...

...the kitchen. Yes, friends it.is.huge! We've been looking and looking for a table to put in there. We haven't found one yet but we're doing some yard selling this weekend and have some people working on it with us so hopefully soon. We plan on striping and painting the walls...can't handle the wallpaper. We plan to do be here a while so we're excited about putting a little work into it and making it "ours" for a little while. Super cute, right?

I'm BAAAACK!!!

2010-08-25T23:56:00.005-05:00

Hey blog buds!!

In case you haven't been following along here, we're back from our trip and I'm back to blogging here now. I've missed it lots! It's been like being away from an old friend. I know it's weird...but it feels so good to be posting here again. Yay!

We drove in to Nashville late Tuesday night. We're staying at My Count's parents house. We went yesterday and looked at houses in M-boro (to rent not buy). After looking all day and not finding anything we really liked, we decided to try one more area on the outskirts of town. Well, we took a wrong turn and ended up out on a country road and saw a for rent sign. Of course we turned down and went down a long gravel driveway and there it was. HOME! We just looked at each other and smiled. We knew it was the one. :)

It's super cute, lots of big shade trees, quiet setting, spacious house, a place for a garden...just perfect. AND after talking with the owner and waiting today to meet with him and for him to check references, etc...we got it!! We move in Friday and we are SO excited!! I can't wait to fix it up and make it home. I'll be sure to share pictures with you when I get some. :) For now though, it's off to bed!

Announcement

2010-07-07T12:59:00.003-05:00

Hey Friends! So our travel/camping blog is live now...still a work in progress but LIVE. If you haven't heard, My Count and I packed up our apartment and his office (in a 10x10 storage unit) and are hitting the road with a camper. Exploring the US, growing together and closer to God. We decided to start a blog dedicated to this chapter of our lives

You can visit our camping blog by clicking HERE. Or type in ourcampingsabbatical.blogspot.com in your browser.

I will no longer be posting to this blog (until after the journey). So this will be the last post for a while. Please head over to our new blog and follow us on our journey though!!

This & That

2010-06-18T23:09:00.007-05:00

Hey Blog Buds,

Not much going on around here besides packing and refreshing searchtempest every time I get internet access in search of THE camper that will be ours. It's tough stuff I tell you! It's kinda like buying a house...except in a much smaller, less expensive, short term kinda way. We hope to go look at some pretty cute ones tomorrow. Small, cute, cozy ones!

One lady who came to look at the camper just kept saying "oh, it just needs a good home, it's so cute. You could really do a lot with it." ...I was totally thinking, "YOU lady, can do whatever you want with it...take it to your home because it is NOT welcome as mine!"...she didn't end up buying it. BUT in case you missed it on twitter, we SOLD that demon camper (as my dear Count liked to call it) and oh! what a burden was lifted when that thing got pulled away...Ok, I wasn't there and my hubby left before the guy pulled it away but whatever. It's a huge sigh of relief to have that off our hands. And for me a huge relief because I no longer have to live in fear of My Count deciding to keep it because through our sitting in it and showing people it he started to *like* it. I know. "Maybe we could handle it with a no-sway bar and breaks."...yes, those would've been smart to have (have I mentioned we're new to the camper thing?) but no, I would never have loved that camper after the torment it was that fateful night. *sigh* Glad it's moved on to it's next chapter.

We ended our internet contract at home so I won't be on here much. Plus it's crazy trying to pack and store things and decide what we need on this trip...and what we can FIT in a jeep and a small camper. I won't lie though, I'm obsessed with Goodwilling things and downsizing. It's so therapeutic to purge belongings and it makes me so thrilled knowing we're fitting all our stuff (our apartment and his office) in a 10x10 storage unit. Ah, the freedom from stuff. It's wonderful!

I'm in the process of setting up our travel blog...debated posting here but we're both going to be posting and decided we needed a blog dedicated just to this trip...and hopefully we'll add to it the trips we take in the future. I'll let you know when it's up and running. I hope you'll all come follow along on the journey! :)

Guess that's about it. Hope life is well with all you blog buddies out there! Happy Father's Day to you dad's!

While we're doing random...here's a picture of a troll from the TN Renaissance Festival we went to a couple weekends ago. Notice the fairy sleeping in the background...she was cute. Him, not so much.

Randomness

2010-06-10T09:25:00.006-05:00

Day 3 of the Shred (which was yesterday) was WAY easier then Day 1 or Day 2...I still had to fight for it but I feel like I'm making progress. It's a good feeling but I'm already putting off doing it today...I will though! Just not sure when. Yesterday I got a cramp in my calf muscle and just kept on going...boy did it hurt!! My Count has been oh so sweet and massaged and stretched my sore muscles every night. He's proud of me and that helps keep me motivated. And I need all the motivation I can get!

We drove up to our camper (which is in storage 1.5hrs away, you can read about that here or below) to show it to some people. No luck with a sale yet although everyone seems to like it a lot. We've got more people coming tomorrow so prayers for a sale would be awesome. Thanks!

I'm heading to Memphis this weekend to meet up with one of my best friends who is back in the US for a visit from Japan (where her marine husband is stationed). I'm SOOO excited to see her because I haven't in almost two years AND I'll get to meet her sweet son who is already almost a year and half old!! AND pat her belly which holds baby boy #2!! :) YAY!

<--Some of us girls, two summers ago!

It's laundry day here so I better get going! Gotta buy more storage bins and get packing again too! Oh and work out. Boo. And think up and make a dessert for small group tonight. Alrighty, y'all have an awesome Thursday!

oh...MY!

2010-06-08T14:50:00.004-05:00

Besides packing, I'm working really hard at getting in shape because 1-we're going to the beach first thing and I am SO not rockin' a beach bod right now, 2-we plan on doing a lot of hiking and I need to get in shape to climb those grizzly infested mountains and 3-it's just good to be healthy and I've been slacking on the exercise part in a major way!

So after consulting with my sister who *likes* to workout, she convinced me the fastest and best route to go would be this....

OH.MY.GOODNESS!!!!!

Yesterday was Day 1 of the 30 Day Shred and I am pretty sure Jillian Michaels is trying to kill me! I wanted to cry yesterday and today I woke up so sore, I put off working out 'til 2...but I'm glad I finally did do it because one look in the mirror tells me I need all of Jillian Michaels I can get before we head out of here on the 28th! I know, it's not 30 days but I'm hoping I'll be loving my healthy body so much I'll hit the trails and beaches running when we get to Savannah!...we'll see.

Day 2 was rough. I won't lie but it felt awesome to get through it and also to feel like I did better today then I did yesterday. Don't get me wrong, I still wanted to smash in my TV and cry like a baby....I'm *really* out of shape, what can I say? I have 5lb weights so I'm using those but oh how I wish I had 2lb ones!!

My goal is to buff up a little and lose some flab...I'll keep you posted. Feel free to drop a line of encouragement OR join me in the 30 Day Shred!! It's only $9 at Target!

I'm off to pack some more boxes, bust open a coconut for dinner (coconut rice and chicken, yum!) and think positive thoughts about working out...

GOODBYE camper!

2010-06-04T08:35:00.005-05:00

Our first adventure with our camper went something like this...

I get a phone call last Tuesday right when I get off work, "Honey! Guess what we're doing?...going to KY to look and probably buy a camper! I found a really great deal!!"...
"We are? um, ok. How far away is it"
"Just about two hours"...I should have seen the trouble brewing here...
We'll be home by midnight *I told myself*..."alright, I'll meet you at your moms and hop in the jeep with you"...

Off we go to KY to look at a camper that we did end up buying. For a rockin' awesome price, lower then we've found and in better condition then we've seen! A 1969 Holiday Rambler. Check it out!

Well we didn't end up having the right adapter for the lights so the guy we bought it from followed us and our big camper to Walmart. We shake the mans hand and off he goes. Buy what we need but for some reason we can't get the adapter and lights to work. GREAT! It's like 9:30 at night now and we have to have tail/brake lights to go home. And I've GOT to be at work the next day!

A nice guy pulls up in a jeep like our own, "Need some help?!"...yes, if you know how to get this lights working! This nice guy hangs with us for about 40mins in the parking lot trying to do everything he can to help. Hooks it up to his and the camper lights work fine. Lovely. It's our jeep. He tells us we could rig something up through a tag light and goes on his merry way...we have no clue WHAT he is talking about.

So no tail lights. It's dark and we can't possibly go down the interstate (2.5hrs) to come home...but decide to anyway. Oh my! We get pulled over by the cops in the parking lot!!! After we had decided to turn around to go back to Walmart to get something to rig up something through the tag light. We didn't end up with a ticket (he pulled us for driving across the parking lot, not having no lights, whatever). The cops did stick around talking wiring with us for a while...they had no clue what they were talking about either. Welcome to the club.

So in to Walmart we go for about the third time...wondering the isle forever, talking to the nighttime Walmart people (who are all kinda *interesting*). We head back out with wire cutters, some sort of wires and get to work. So we get the tag light out, cut wires, try to hook up wires...do a bunch of stuff we really don't know how to do and...TADA!...blow something, burn something, kill something so now the tail lights in the JEEP don't work and the trailer lights still don't work...it's 2am now.

Another cop pulls into the parking lot. We wait outside the doors like stalkers and practically jump him when he walks out the doors. He tells us we're not in the greatest part of town but there's a nicer hotel up the road 2miles. He doesn't want to escort us and our big camper but calls on the radio to let others know we're coming so we don't get pulled over. Thanks.

We get to the hotel at 2:30. Both look down at our new camper from our hotel window, shake our heads while thinking *what are we getting into* and hit the sack. I wake up at 7 to call work and tell them I'm stuck in KY and can't come in...know they're pissed because this is my last week and our lead teacher is out on vacation. Oops. He wakes up and calls to cancel and reschedule his clients and we checkout of the hotel around 10:30...

I head to the jeep while he turns in the keys...I notice the alarm light isn't flashing and think either the jeep is dead or we didn't lock the doors...get in and THE JEEP IS DEAD!!! How can we be so stupid after all that to leave the lights on... and not notice when we looked out at it the night before?!! Lovely.

The nice hotel guy comes out and works with us trying to jump the jeep for over an hour (it was VERY dead!), then leads us to one auto shop, closed and then to another one and then leaves (he was so helpful and nice!). They say the battery is ok that we just need to drive it more to build the charge up but sorry, they can't help us with the lights...the next place is too booked to help us with the lights, we decide to hit the road with no break lights or taillights, whatever! We've gotta get home! So off we go back to the hotel to hook the camper back up...

Oh MY! Our sweet new camper sways and moves and feels like we're gonna flip with every truck that passes and every hill we go down, husband is freaked, I'm freaked...we're gonna hit Nashville at rush hour with no break lights and we can't see in the side mirrors. This is SO not working out like we planned. We (I) decide to find a storage place before Nashville, park it so we can sell it because we do NOT want a camper that big after all and don't want to wreck it in Nashville or get pulled over.

So we find a place and wait for the guy for 40mins to let us in the storage unit. Ahhh. All our cares are over! Or not. As we're backing it in radiator fluid goes EVERYWHERE and there is smoke/steam billowing from the hood of the jeep. Great. We leave our dear camper parked and waiting for another life.

We find an Auto Zone, buy some leak stuff...realize the engine has to cool before we add it so we go find a restaurant and have dinner while the engine cools. Go back out and we realize it might be a leak/overflow instead of it bursting and drive home with no AC. Picked up the other car at his moms around 6:30 and head home, arriving around 7:30. The service engine light comes on in the other car when I pull into onto our street. Suck. Whatever.

So THAT was our first adventure with our camper. We're selling it for something smaller...or a tent...or a pop-up. We don't know yet but I do know we're saying GOODBYE camper!!

Life Happens

2010-06-03T09:48:00.006-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA for a while...life kinda attacked me. I have so much to catch up on now that I don't know where to start...

My job took a lot out of me...being gone 10+ hours a day just wasn't working for us. I was tired all the time, couldn't keep on top of anything, felt like work owned me and I had lost myself. I missed my husband and he missed me...so I quit. Last Friday was my last day and I miss my kiddos terribly but I feel like I'm finding who I am again. It's weird, I feel like I failed in a lot of ways but I feel so blessed to have the option to quit. I think a major part of it had to do with the fact that it was an hour commute and not around the corner...but who knows. I quit for another reason also...

...we're packing up and hitting the road for a while! We've played with the idea of settling down but we both just have a desire to see more before we do. God has blessed us so much with our online business ventures going well and we've decided to take this opportunity to travel for a while. We're wanting to get an RV but still considering a tent...I'll let you know what we decide. We plan to go to Savannah, GA first (I am SO excited!) and then head out west to visit family in AR and CO and then go to Yellow Stone, Yosemite, the Red Woods and anywhere else our journey takes us.
We don't have a time limit, just going 'til we're done or our online businesses go bad (the latter doesn't look likely though). We are so excited and thankful to be able to do this and are looking forward to some serious adventures, life lessons and God time. We're calling it our sabbatical...we'll be keeping another blog documenting our travels and lessons learned on the journey. We hope to be able to stop and do some volunteer work along the way also. I know this is going to be such a great growing time for us, as a couple and individually and I am SO looking forward to it!

Our lease runs out this month so I'm busy packing up...deciding what goes to Goodwill, what goes with us and what goes to storage. It's harder then it sounds! Thankfully we have a small place that I've de-cluttered and minimized several times already! As soon as I find a decent storage place, things will really start happening. Yesterday was my first packing day...it went pretty well. I think I'll be able to knock it all out pretty quickly.

Welp, I guess that about fills you in! I'm happy to be back to blogging again! I'll try to catch up on comments here soon also!

*don't know WHAT is up with the font color...I can not change it no matter what I try. Blah.

New Toy

2010-05-20T06:54:00.004-05:00

I had a birthday not too long ago. My Count did an awesome job wrapping my present, don't ya think? :)

I still can't believe I finally have one! I'm beyond excited about it!!!

I haven't had a lot of time to play with it, boo. But I will soon :) More on that later. For now, it's off to work I go!

ps-I miss blogging and I miss my blog buddies...a lot!!! *sniff*

Wordless Wednesday-Vegas

2010-04-21T06:32:00.003-05:00

Rest

2010-04-13T06:26:00.002-05:00

For the first time in a very long time I woke up feeling rested today. And I woke up at 6. It's a nice feeling. It may have to do with the fact that I took a sick day yesterday...even though my two attempted naps turned into me working really hard to cough up my lungs! I haven't had a cough this bad in awhile but last night I did cough *too* much. We didn't do too much this weekend though so I think that helped my body to relax and that's why I feel so much better this morning then I have in so long....or it may be the antibiotics I'm on. Whatever the case, I feel ready to face the day.
Being able to stay home yesterday made me miss back before I had a job though...back when I spent lots of hours a day with my hubby. He still worked yesterday but we got to hang out in the morning, at lunch AND that evening....I miss that. A lot. I sticking to my job though...for now. I love the kids I work with. I know I'll miss working with kids if I quit AND it's helping us pay off debt faster! Yay!
Spring is in full bloom around here...I have yet to get out there with my camera though. It's beautiful this year! Maybe it's not any different then other years but I think that's the beauty of changing seasons. You get so tired of one...*winter*...and then another one shows up in all it's God made beauty and you think, "wow! Spring is beautiful!" Spring is my second favorite season (Fall being my first!) and no, it's not because my birthday is in spring or because it means summer is coming...it's because it's like nature is waking up from this slumber and showing us God everywhere we turn...I love it.
I love flower gardens and right now I've got God's huge flower garden outside my window.

Birthday Girl :)

2010-04-07T20:11:00.002-05:00

I'm 27 today...which seems so old to me but I don't *feel* old. It's been an alright sorta day. I'm sick...with a sinus infection, I think. Maybe it's just allergies but I don't think so. I also have two canker sores in my mouth which is really weird because I never get them but I have them now. Those two sores and my on fire sore throat are making for a pretty crappy feeling mouth...blah.

I went to work today even though I woke up feeling like I was hit by a truck. The kids were mostly little crabs today...Wednesday's always seem to go that way. Not sure why. Some of them just need some extra snuggles on these days though...

Well, we're off to do laundry. Yes, we're doing my favorite thing on my birthday...lovely :/

I miss blogging but I'm having a hard time keeping up these days! I'll get back to it soon though...hopefully. Hope you all are well and blessed.

escargot anyone?

2010-03-19T06:48:00.003-05:00

So I'm chowing down on some green beans the other day and I am almost done, I look down to make sure I get every last one because they are oh.so.yummy. This is what goes through my head....

whoa, is that a slug?! *push it around on my plate a little, pretending to be scraping up all my green beans* it's a little green, maybe it's just a stem...
nope, looks like a slug. oh gross, I think it is! oh man, I think I'm gonna throw up....
I can't throw-up in front of these people! what do I do? OH my gosh! I just ate all of those green beans! Ew. Ew. Ew. *deep breath*
Even if it IS a slug...and it IS a slug, IN MY GREEN BEANS!...it's ok, it's cooked, the germs are gone...I AM OK!
Oh man, I've got them all on my fork ready for my last bite! wow.why is everyone looking at me? I am SO not eating this bite...*push the green beans around a little more, COVER the slug so I can't see it and adopt a full, satisfied look on my face*
Ugh, I still need to go throw up. Gross. I am never eating canned green beans again.

I've eaten lots of gross things living in other countries but there is a big difference in choosing to eat something and it just appearing in normal food!
I was totally going to put a slug picture up on here...and looking at them made me what to throw up again...so I'll spare you.

So Not Cool

2010-03-17T06:45:00.005-05:00

Yesterday at work the other teachers were talking about how they have dreams about the kids we have in our class. I have not, which is totally ok with me. No need to take my work home like that, haha.
WELL, last night I woke up off and on from a dream of it being a normal day in the classroom with ALL of our kids. Lovely. I kept thinking when I'd wake up, "I've got to stop dreaming about them! Being with them all day isn't enough? They have to fill my dreams too?!" I woke up NOT ready for today...feeling like I just had a day at work.Arg, sleep is supposed to be refreshing.

My hubby had a dream the other night that we had a baby girl. I had just had her and he was seeing her for the first time and he said it was just amazing. No, I'm not preggo but that is SO the dream I would rather be having! Can't wait for those babies! :) Paying off debt, friends. My job is helping us to be debt free faster and *then* we can start a family...gotta keep focused on that!

God, if you have other plans for when we start that family...feel free to do your thing on that one ;)

I'm so ready for some of this! And so over these last few rainy days. Blah.

Hop over to one of my favorite blogs, ZenHabits, to read an article about being a positive person. Just what I needed today. His blog is full of super awesome stuff. I *love* it and get stuck there all the time.

Blessings, friends. I miss you. Gotta go get ready and figure out WHAT I'm taking for lunch.

Attitude Check

2010-03-15T07:43:00.002-05:00

Just want to make this known here...please keep me accountable. I am going into this week with a positive attitude and I plan to end this week the same.
I'm so blessed to have a good job, doing what I love...and I want that to show. I want the kids to know I'm happy to be there and I want their parents to feel good leaving their babies in my care. I want my positive attitude to rub off on those around me...I want our classroom to be a happy place!
I'm sorry I've been a downer lately...God and I have had some good talks and I can see Him really working in our life.
Hope your week is blessed! Stay positive and look for God's work this week.

Today...

2010-03-13T09:16:00.003-06:00

...I am spending time with this amazing guy.

Doing what? Who knows. But whatever it is...it will be great because we're together!! Oh how I miss him!!!

2010-03-10T06:38:00.003-06:00

We're still trying to get into a routine around here with me working. It's not going well. We're both pretty sad that I'm working now...especially because things have taken off with his business stuff and I don't *need* to work. Of course it does help pay off debt faster and that is what I'm keeping my focus on, being debt free!!
We see each other about 3.5 hours a day, I leave before he gets up in the mornings and go to bed by 10:30 (I *need* lots of sleep) so it's a HUGE change from what we've always known. With his business he can choose his schedule and I used to just float along with him. I know we'll find a new normal but it just feels like we never see each other anymore and I hate it. I know I'm being a big baby but I'm not ashamed of the fact that I like being with my husband and I miss him like crazy.
Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I'll try to get back into blogging at some point! I've gotta get going though. I have to go in an hour early today for a insurance meeting or something of the sort. Boo. Second day I've had to go in early this week and I am NOT happy about it. Ah well.

Staying Afloat

2010-02-25T07:22:00.002-06:00

Hey Friends,

Just wanted to pop in and say *hi!* I'm on my third day of work today and so far it's exhausting! I know I'll figure out how to balance everything again but for a girl who needs LOTS of sleep...so far it's been rough. We got back from Vegas (which I'll post about at some point) around midnight on Monday and then I got up early Tuesday for my first day so starting out with a huge lack of sleep wasn't cool.

I'm really liking the place I'm working. Everyone is really nice and the kids are great. I think I'll really enjoy it there! The other teachers in my classroom are going to be fun to work with too. The room atmosphere reminds me of when I was at Bright Horizons...and I miss those girls SO much!

Welp, I gotta finish getting ready. Thanks for the prayers...keep them coming!

I'll leave you with a picture of us from our trip...

How I Roll

2010-02-19T12:45:00.004-06:00

I love having everything in its place. I've found great peace and simplicity in thinking up storage ideas and finding nooks to keep things. I like organization...if it doesn't have a place, it generally will find one at a thrift store.

One of my favorite things in our little 400sq ft home is my rolled basket of towels. I love the colors and I love the compact way all of our towels fit in one space.

What creative ways do you store things around your house? Any nooks you've found that fit something perfectly? Around here, we use all the vacant space we have. It's almost an adventure figuring out where to put things...and I think we're rollin' just fine!

Where I Am

2010-02-16T17:16:00.004-06:00

The past few days have been a whirlwind of emotions. I'm having a hard time pinning down my thoughts about things so it's hard to write. This is one thing going on...it might be jumbled.

After searching on and off for a job for a few months and going back and forth about whether I wanted, should, and needed to get one...we decided that even though business is up and online sales are taking off, my having a job would get us to our debt-free goals much quicker. So I finally stretched my searching ground and landed a job in Nashville (45mins away) at a school that I believe I will truly like working at. It's very similar to the last place I worked (an inclusion preschool). My having a job will also give us a consistent and sure paycheck...which will be a comfortable change from the ups and downs of owning your own business.

I know adjusting to that schedule will be a hard change from the laid back life we're used to. I'm surprised that I find myself unsure of if I'll be able to balance having a job and “running a home”. I've always felt it is my duty/calling/whatever to take care of the family and home God gives me. I know My Count will be a huge help but out of no where I find myself having a hard time, emotionally, knowing I'll have to give up control of how things are done and not feeling like I'm doing what I'm suppose to do in taking care of him. I do the dishes a certain way, I clean a certain way, the clothes must be folded my way...it's going to be hard for me. I've already started praying for the transitions that will happen.

On a happier note though, I also feel like me being on a schedule will help organize and prioritize our life better. I've never been a meal plan type person but I'm working on our meal plan for next week and feel like being able to do that and do grocery shopping every week or two will be great. Not having to look through the cabinets and wonder what's for dinner and if we have everything to make it...yup, that's gonna be awesome.

We've been blessed to be able to spend SO much time together these first months of our marriage and they've been so awesome. Unlike some, we work together fine and get along great. I'll miss seeing him so much but I know it will make the time we do have together even sweeter. I feel like we'll know each other in a new way...a 9 to 5 kinda way. Which is a little weird but I'm sure it'll be an adventure like our relationship has been up to this point. :)

I feel better putting all that in writing. Pray for us as we make this new transition and find our new routine. Pray for me as I get used to working in this setting again. I've met the teachers I'll be working with and I think we'll get along well. I start next week...after we get back from our trip (more on Vegas later!). I'm enjoying this last week before work to relax and enjoy *warm* weather out here!

Sorry my posts have been a little void of substance lately...I have a lot of thoughts swimming around and the words just aren't coming right now.

Thanks for reading and thanks for the prayers.

Wondering...

2010-02-13T14:28:00.003-06:00

exactly how I am going to pack all of these...

into this...

for our Vegas wanderings...
:/

TSO = Awesome

2010-02-10T13:29:00.002-06:00

A little late but...

...we welcomed the New Year with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Which was WAY cool!!

Funny Face Special

2010-02-04T11:32:00.006-06:00

Over at I Should Be Folding Laundry the theme this week is Faces. I decided to go with a few of the crazy face pictures I have of my family. We're pretty spread out now. I miss them lots. When I need a good laugh though, I go looking through my pictures and I crack up every time...especially of the one of my Dad and Mom and the one of my youngest brother and brother-in-law.

Mom & Dad

Bro-in-law & sis

One of the brothers & bro-in-law

One of my niece

My Count & I

Youngest brother again

Head over here to see more faces and join the fun!

Yummy Eggs Recipe

2010-02-03T09:14:00.001-06:00

Like eggs? If so...here's a healthy, easy, yummy, recipe for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Get however many eggs you need...I ate two.

Melt a little butter in a pan, add the eggs, stir them around to break the yolk, salt and pepper to taste, add some fresh spinach...

Then add some cheese. YUM! Stir it around to mix it all up, cook it to your liking...

Serve it up and enjoy!

Saying NO to the Boob Tube

2010-02-02T13:09:00.004-06:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a huge TV fan. We don't have any type of cable and rarely watch movies. I didn't grow up watching a whole lot of it...we hardly ever had cable and while living in other countries we didn't watch anything but movies (mostly old ones we got on the black market...the only place we could get them). I cut TV out awhile back because I felt like it had way too much control of my life. I didn't like planning my life around TV shows and back then they didn't have/I didn't know about DVR, or whatever it's called, and I wanted to focus on other things anyway.

The whole recording things so you can watch them later, I know, has been great for a lot of people and that's great but for me, it's not something I want to do. Having to spend hours catching up on shows is not how I want to spend my days or my life...it has no appeal. For me, I'd rather spend my time working on projects, writing, reading, spending time outside, learning something new...things like that. I feel like those things better shape my soul...who I am, who God wants *me* to be. If TV is something *you* enjoy, a way for you to relax after work, go for it! It's just not my thing.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a trip to the movies, a chick flick with the girls and I like a good show now and then. I'm excited to see the last season of Lost...but I would not be hugely disappointed if I never found out the answers to the questions. It ALMOST pains me to write that...but there you have my point proven. *I* don't want TV, movies, etc., to mean so much to me that I get worked up and stressed out if I don't get to watch it. I guess it's more that my aim is to keep things in perspective...yes, I want to know what happens but no, I don't care if I find out tonight at 6 or 7 (whenever) or if I catch Lost season 6 when I get the flu next year and need something to do while laying around. I *like* going to the movies...but I don't like when I feel like I HAVE to see something immediately.

I found it too easy to get caught up in the world when I watched TV all the time. To easy to get caught up in the I want and I need push of advertising. It was easy for me to judge and compare. Too easy to get caught up in the talk...”did you see who the Bachelorette picked?! Ugh, I'd never pick him!” “Can you believe that Dugger lady is having *another* baby?!” “Did you see on the news about that teacher who got arrested for...”...I don't believe that's what God wants me to be about, what He wants me to fill my mind with. I'm not saying shows can't inspire and I know these people put themselves out there...but it's not for me...but hear this, I'm totally ok if *you * watch TV and love your shows and if I'm hanging at your house, I'll enjoy it with you. But I might made you knead bread or something if you come here. ;) To each his/her ow, right?

I feel like it was a good decision for me. It's been a great change. I feel a lot more freedom now...not knowing or caring about what's going on with all the big shows, commercials, celebrities and in the news. Not having a time constraint when I'm out...I like where I am. Even if it means people thinking I'm weird when I haven't seen a certain commercial or look at me funny when I say we don't watch TV...yep, I'm ok with all that.

...who came up with calling it a Boob Tube anyway? What does that mean?!

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-01T16:16:00.000-06:00

It snowed here this past week. My Count and I spent a lot of time out driving the icy roads, slipping and sliding around. We went to some parks and hiked at a new trail. The snow is melting now and I really hope this is the last of it for the season. I'm ready for spring! Sunshine, flowers, green! Ah yes, I can't wait but until then, we'll enjoy the memories of our first winter together...

The snow turned to ice. I believe this is a statue of the man the library is named for...but I'm not sure. It could just be a random man.

I hate being cold so I bundle up VERY well when I go out.

When everything turned to ice, it looked like glass.
It was beautiful but hardly capture-able on my camera.

Forever and a day...

2010-01-31T22:08:00.004-06:00

Hey friends,
I know it's been *forever* since I've written. No reason really except I haven't felt like blogging. I attempted a trip to a coffee shop last Wednesday or so...I can do some focused blogging there, knocking out all my posts for the week. However after getting my coffee and bagel, I looked around and there was not a seat to be found. Lovely. So I and my computer left and I put off blogging for yet another day.

Not much to report from here. Business is up both for the practice and on the online site where we sell the Christian hypnosis. We are so thankful to have the stress of wondering how the next bill will get paid gone. We feel God's blessings showering us daily. I looked for a job for a while but nothing came of it...I think I might be over qualified for the childcare centers around here. They don't have the high requirements that NC had but who knows. Maybe it was just a God thing. Yeah, I'll go with that. :) Now that business is up, I'm helping My Count a lot more and working on some other stuff too. Anyway, we remained blessed. I'm trying to keep my focus on God because I know my history with losing touch with Him with the going is easy...

We've had snow and a little ice these past few days. No cabin fever here though! My dead husband finds great joy and excitement in driving on these icy roads, slipping and sliding everywhere...with a laugh and sparkling eyes. About scares the pee outta me but hey! he's cute doing it...like a child in a candy store or maybe just a man handling a machine. I'll admit here, but nowhere else, it IS kind of fun.

I'll leave you with some pictures and a promise to get back to blogging this week...hopefully.

Or maybe just a promise. I can't find my camera cord to post pictures. Sorry :/

If You Feed Them, They Will Come...?

2010-01-19T09:56:00.003-06:00

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence.” - Robert Lynd

Remember back when I posted about getting a bird feeder? Yeah well, the birds haven't been huge fans of it. I don't know if it's because they have to work at getting the food off and they're just lazy or if it's because when they do come, I move to the window with my camera and try to snap a bunch of pictures. Whatever the case, they haven't come around much.

That is, not much until this little bit of snow we had lately! *Now* they come and peck away at my bird feeder and just seem to love the thing...fighting over it and squawking at each other. And they *really* love that I put bread on the window sill. I kept telling My Count that they'd be here when they had no where else to go...and they come now, in flocks, and I love it! Take a look at a couple...

They don't even mind me taking their picture now, as long as I go about it quietly. :-)

PLUG-A boy and his pets

2010-01-18T10:17:00.003-06:00

Hey Blog Buds,
This is a quick plug for my younger brother, Jake. My parents are moving to Honduras as missionaries and he'll be going with them. Problem is, it cost a WHOLE lot more then we all thought to ship animals. Gabby, Izzy, and Sadie have been in our family for years, since my brother was about 7 or 8, and right now it doesn't look like they'll be able to take them.
If you have pets, you know how hard this would be. My brother, Jake, has set up a blog and facebook page where people can donate to his mission to take his pets with him to Honduras. If there is anyway you can help make it possible that would be awesome! Thanks.

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