Mehaffeys on the Move

Grey hair

2012-01-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

So my body wants to keep reminding me that I am almost thirty. I have a lone grey hair that has been with me for months now. I decided not to pull it out because it keeps me humble and reminds me of my mortality, which I do need a lot of reminding of. It really is a good spiritual practice for me. Anyway, today was the last straw when I was trying on sunglasses at Target and I look in the mirror and the singular atrocity was standing straight up. "I don't need that much humility," thought I as I attempted to pluck it right there. However, rather than succombing to being pulled out like a weed, the hair decided to curl. So now I have a lone curly gray hair on the top of my head, reminding me of my humility, mortality, and that I will ultimately be defeated by age. Encouraging, right?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T15:05:00.001-08:00

So this is what we've been up to lately:creating a home. Our dear friends Kristina and Sean have spent nearly every weekend with us in the past couple of months working on our house and providing us with company. Walt and Sandra, who we are living with, have done the same. We are overwhelmed by their generosity.

Here Sean is pictured tearing out the subfloor in the the entryway. There was a 10 by 10 foot wood floor when you first walked in and since we are replacing it, Bob thought it would be a quick tear-up job. However, the wood was glued down and proved to be a frustrating problem. They ended up tearing up and replacing the plywood since it was easier.

Below: Okay, so our wood flooring is beautiful. Bob has already installed a ton of it, but for some reason I don't have a good picture. Here is the first strip being laid. I love it and it is going to transform our house. It really is amazing all Bob can do. It is fun for me to watch him work. This is where having a perfectionist for a husband can pay off! This is our dining room.

Below is the pink room being transformed. Today I painted it a very light blue color. Light blue is a stretch for us (as you can see most else is some version of tan), but it is the guest room so we are trying something new and figure if we don't love it, that's fine since we won't really hang out in it. The chair will go in there eventually so we wanted to make sure it matched.
The lovely Sean and Kristina. And the lovely Bob. And the lovely gold chandelier. Right.
Our master bedroom! I love how it turned out. We picked a gray color and we both love it. We painted the bathroom the same.
I changed all the doorknobs from gold to rusted bronze or whatever it is called. That cost a pretty penny. Luckily I had gift cards, but it really has transformed the whole house. It's the details, as any girl knows.
We had our kitchen cabinets painted white and I added knobs since those had been stolen by the people who moved out. Good riddance and thanks, since they were probably gold anyway. It looks like a whole new kitchen. We will probably have to wait a few months to get granite counter tops because we have been spending so much money and can live without them.
Bob added beadboard to the breakfast nook and did such a good job. It transforms the room. Another beautiful gold chandelier.

So those are probably the biggest changes. I am finishing painting the rooms and Bob is working on the wood flooring, then we will add carpet upstairs and will hopefully be in by the end of January. I can't wait to add little details and color since my palate is like a blank slate.

With all this work, it has been hard for us to really prepare for the holidays. Bob wanted to work all weekend, but I told him we HAVE to take Christmas off! We are looking forward to spending some time at church, relaxing, and eating good food with the Devaults. Then off to CA to celebrate my dad's 70th!

Merry Christmas.

On the job

2011-10-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the house after we cut down the forest outside. You can actually see it!

Below: Here is my first mistake (it is a learning process, right?) I was so excited to get in there and started on something that I came over to the house before Bob was off work and started tearing down wall paper in the master bedroom. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Then Bob came in and said, "Oh no, Jamie, that is not wall paper, that is dry wall you are tearing down." Whoops. At that point I didn't even know what dry wall was. Now I do and am a master since I tore it down on purpose in the garage.
Walt, who we live with, and his friend Andy, have been a tremendous help to us in this process. They helped us fix the water heater and cut down trees and fill up the dumpster.
Bob starting to tear out drywall in the garage. We had to wear masks because of the dust and because one of the reasons we were tearing down the dry wall is that a lot of it had mold.
Me tearing down drywall on purpose! The previous owners had turned one of the garages into a room, so we are making it back into a garage. Bob laughs at me because I held the hammer with both hands. Buy me a tool belt, someone, because I am becoming a master at using them!

Process

2011-10-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

We are having fun ripping things out of our house, cleaning it up and making it ours. So far we have torn out all of the dry wall in the basement, including the room they made the second garage into. We have lifted the sagging porch, torn out carpet, torn down some wall paper, cleared out mold, cut down the jungle out front, and have filled 2 dumpsters full of trash.

It is definitely a work in progress and will be a while, but we are having fun and it is ours. Here is a link to all the pictures I have taken so far, if you are interested.

https://picasaweb.google.com/106338896800545130178/OurNewHouseWorkInProgress?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvFt6fkiJunOw

On a funny sidenote, the other day in class with my 5th and 6th graders we were talking about aging and a student said, "I heard everything starts doing downhill after 30." I told her that while that may be true, I am almost 30 so that gives her a picture of what 30 looks like. She quickly changed her mind out of embarrassment and said, "Well, I mean 45. Isn't 45 senior citizen age?" I said, "No, dearest one, that is 65." Blessings to you, my child, for making me laugh so hard and be able to tell this story over and over again.

Guess what we did

2011-09-30T05:06:00.001-07:00

We bought a house! Here is the first of many BEFORE pictures. The Lord blessed us tremendously and gave us most of what we had been waiting for for so long to find in a house. It is a foreclosure, which we had never really planned to buy, but we fell in love with this place and with its potential. Bob and I both joked that of course with the nature of our jobs (him being a counselor and me being a teacher) that we would find a place that we desired to blossom.

The structure of this house is good and while it is very photogenic, it needs a ton of work. It has not been lived in for almost a year and needs nearly everything replaced. We are extremely excited about doing the work together and ourselves and making this into our home. We are truly gifted because as I mentioned before we are living with a couple from church and so we have all the flexibility and freedom to take as long as we want to in fixing it up. There will be many more pictures to come, it was just taking forever to upload. Thank you for all of you who continued to listen to our saga of emotions over this place and all that it involved (and who will continue to do so).

Family: With both of our birthdays and Christmas coming up, if you desire to get us a gift, all we really need/want are gift cards to Home Depot! (I never thought I would say that). Bob of course will use it for tools and manly things, and I will use it for things that a man might deem "unnecessary", like good-looking door handles and hinges, fans that match the house and don't have gold on them, etc.

We virtually welcome you to our new home!

Friends and cupcakes

2011-09-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Since moving, we have been just far enough from our friends that we don't get to see them very often. So Saturday, we planned ahead and got together for dinner. Kelly suggested a place in downtown Roswell, which is a quaint little place with fun restaurants, live music, and lots of people out for the evening. It reminds me a lot of downtown Orange, where we used to live. Bob and I live a lot closer to downtown Roswell now and will probably frequent it for date nights. The shop Kelly took us to is known for their bakery and fun drinks, but they had delicious sandwiches and salads to. I had been craving a cupcake for weeks, so I was so excited when she told us we were going here. The decorations inside were girly and fun (the boys didn't mind too much) and our waiter was absolutely hilarious.

He ended up bringing me a bib because I told him the mark of a good sandwich is that the sauce that is on it starts to drip down your arms (note: Ruby's club with ranch is the BEST for this!). Anyway, we had a lot of fun and here are some pics: Kelly and I were the only ones who ordered cupcakes out of the 8 of us that were there, which was so sad to me. For those of you that know me, I am a sharer (or a sharee) and I love tasting everything. So only two cupcakes means only two tastes. Kelly got the chocolate chip cookie dough one and I got the lemon one. They were delish, but not worth the $4 that they cost. Seriously, $4 for a cupcake?

Before:
After:

A long day

2011-09-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a long day. Bob has been working so hard on working out the details of the foreclosure we are trying to buy. We have had a little taste of how the government is run (or lack thereof) in dealing with this and there is so much paperwork and a lot of glitches along the way. I am working two jobs right now hard core, trying to finish up on this UTQ project and teach two days a week. Needless to say, we need breaks. Lots of them.

Enter Walt. Walt and Sandra are the couple that we live with and they are constantly blessing us. It has been a pleasure to just be able to rest in their home and for Bob to be closer to work. Walt had the BRILLIANT suggestion that we go for a night ride in their pontoon (spelling?) boat. We cruised on over to the lake in his convertible, with the top down of course, stopped to pick up something to grill and were off. Here is the captain below:
I was calling Bob his co-captain, but I quickly got made fun of, and told that co-captains are for football, and first mates are for boating. Right. Here is the first mate:

The night sky. We missed the sunset because we got there a little late, but it didn't detract from the beauty at all. It was so serene out there and you immediately felt a peace and sense of God's presence. We drove around a tad, then anchored and ate, enjoying the setting. No one else was out on the lake. Time slowed down for the first moment all day.

My love.

More pictures of the shower

2011-09-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from Misty's shower. Misty lives in a house with three other girls, one who just bought and renovated this house. It was fun for me to see all the little details that went into it. It is also fun for me to stay there for the night because it has been SO LONG since I have lived with girls. It is nice to go back to that for a little, but I have always found it easier living with a man--Bob in particular, I guess.

Since I have moved here, I have also been able to see my auntie more. She lives in Arkansas, but we get to meet up with each other at Misty's house sometimes. It has been fun for me to have girly time when we are together. I wish my mom was closer so it could be the four of us. Sometimes my aunt reminds me of my mom, though, it is uncanny. I appreciate her because she can talk so openly about the past and about things pertaining to women. I bring a lot of questions to her, and she is always bold to answer.

Here are some of the girls left over at the end of the shower. There were a lot more to start with, but we didn't think of picture taking until later.

Here is most of the lovely spread. The food was so delicious and her roommates were so thoughtful to put this altogether for her.

Misty's bridal shower

2011-09-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

One of my FAVORITE things about moving out to Atlanta is that I get to be closer to my cousin. Misty and I are 3 months apart exactly and got to see each other about once a year growing up. Now, since she lives in Charlotte we are only about 4 hours away and I get to see her every couple of months! I have also had the privilige of getting to know her boyfriend turned fiance. Things change so much when a girl meets her man and I am glad that I have gotten to be a part of it.

I went to Charlotte this weekend for Misty's shower and got to spend time with her and my auntie who came out from Arkansas as well. I love some girl family time. It was a blessing and I can't wait to celebrate Jared and Misty's marriage in October!

Watch out

2011-08-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

This just made me laugh and I wanted to share because we can all use a laugh now and then. On our tortilla chip bag it says that they expire December 3, 2011 at 8:49 a.m. So what do you think happens at 8:50 a.m.--they spontaneously decide to go bad?

Crazy

2011-08-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

I realized how stressed I am today when I saw a lady smoking a cigarette and I wanted one, something, anything, to relieve this sense of being so overwhelmed!

Bob has been working and we have been going to church a half an hour north of where we are living now, so he has been driving there 6 days a week. Our lease ends at the end of August and it was our goal to buy a house by that time so everything would fall perfectly into place without much overlap. Right; I forgot that I don't get to write my own story. We do not yet have our own house to move into, but through this uneasy time, the Lord has continued to provide blessings. A couple from our church who have an apartment in their basement have graciously offered to allow us to stay there for any amount of time needed until we find a home.

We did find a home! And we put an offer on it which was accepted, but it is a foreclosed home (just what Bob wanted so he can get his little hands on it and fix it up), which means a lot of waiting. And as of now, we are waiting to get a signed contract back. So it is sort of ours and sort of not ours. Even when we do get the contract, there are still lots of steps to make sure that the home is in okay condition and habitable. So more waiting for us. You'd think I would get good at it after all this time, but not really. Still working on it, Lord.

In the meantime though, we will be using my UPS box address that I have for work. So for all of you who read this blog AND want to write me a letter (I know the numbers dropped off significantly there), the best address to use from now on is :

4355 Cobb Pkwy SE

Suite J446

Atlanta, GA 30339

I can use all the love notes I can get!

Comes the Dawn

2011-08-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to understand that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head held high and your eyes open,
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
You learn to build your roads
On today because tomorrow'ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have
A way of falling down in midflight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine
Burns if you get too much,
So you plant your own garden and decorate
Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure,
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and learn... and you learn
With every goodbye you learn.

-author unknown

A little more than a walk in the park

2011-08-16T07:31:00.001-07:00

Sorry, no pictures again. Still working on it. Today, I spent a workout morning with my new friend Kristina. Kristina is actually sort of an old friend because she is the sister of my roommate from college. Kristina and her hubby Sean moved out here from California a little over 6 months ago so we have been spending some time together, mostly going on walks and such. However, Kristina had much more than a walk planned for us today. She came up with a whole series of workouts to do in the park that overlooks the river. We did high knees, sit ups, push ups, leg lifts, lunges and more, and I tell ya she is a driver. She should be a trainer the way she can get you to keep moving.

I thought it would help to be overlooking the river, that it wouldn't hurt as much or be hard in such a serene setting. Not so much. I am sore already and it is only an hour past when we worked out. I never know if I like this or not, because it reminds me that I am out of shape and getting old. Yes, I am having issues with approaching the big 3-0. I have a little over a year still, but I am preparing for it, the downhill body from there. I have heard that's when most of the metabolism stops. So thanks to Kristina, who is helping me get ready by blasting drills at me and making me laugh in the process. I love her spirit and the fact that she brough a list of items to get done on our workout agenda and practiced them on her husband first.

Clear as mud

2011-08-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

It has been dreadfully hot here. Like the kind where it is too hot to go outside, or even go in the pool because the water is too warm to be a relief. The only kind of escape we get is when it rains, which has started to happen more frequently. In the middle of the day we will get a quick storm and then the heat dies down and you can feel normal again.

Yesterday, I was driving home and talking to my dad about the latest saga on our house hunting adventure--more of that later--when it started raining. Fine by me, I thought, because it meant that it wouldn't be such a nasty scorcher for the rest of the afternoon. Plus there was the added bonus that rain=no exercise, because you can't possible go for a jog or walk in the rain, right? Fair weather walker, that's what my California walking friends would say. But since the weather was always fair in California, we were always walking. Anyway, I digress.

I was talking to my dad and turned on the windshield wipers, and immediately the whole window was too muddy to see through. Now, those of you who know me know that tidyness is not a virtue in my book, and I don't really know how long it has been since I have washed my car. So my immediate thought was, this muddy windshield is a result of the dry dirt that was probably caked on there mixed with the rain; a logical conclusion. However, the more I drove, the more muddy it continued to get, to the point that I could hardly see through my windshield. I was starting to get nervous so I slowed down. Then it got better. So I sped up. Then it got worse. The cycle continued, until I finally pieced together that the truck in front of me was the cause of my clouded windshield. When I put two and two together that I was driving behind a DIRT TRUCK, it made sense that the muddy film on my window wouldn't go away unless I slowed down. My dad and I laughed about it for a while. Comic relief is such a God-send. I wish I had more of it in my life.

Guarding solitude

2011-08-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

"I hold this be the highest task of a bond between two people: that each should stand guard over the solitude of the other."
-Rainer Maria Bilke.

I read this quote on someone else's blog today. I loved it and immediately sent it on to Bob. We are always working at managing the balance between togetherness and solitude. It is such a hard concept once you get married and sometimes you don't realize the need for solitude until it is too late. When we first got married I feel that we lost ourselves in each other and I think within the last few years we have realized the NEED for individuality, remaining who we are, and how that can contribute beautifully to a marriage.

I always wonder what our kids are going to see in us. I can't think of anything more reflective than having other people live with you and know you and look into your lives. How will they say we connected? Did one of us give in too much, lose ourselves in the other? Or do we remain ourselves and greater capable to love WHO the other person is? I hope it is the latter, we are sure working toward that.

Separate time is always good for us. We always come back more refreshed, more in love and thankful for the other person. We reconnect with God, who we are, and the things that he is speaking to us individually. I am realizing that a good relationship does not mean all time is spent together, but rather who each of us brings to the marriage, which is reshaped by solitude.

Raw oatmeal

2011-08-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

I know that oatmeal is good for you, but I have always found it too high maintenance for a breakfast food. Instant oatmeal has basically been depleted of all that might be healthy, not to mention the flavored ones that add in all that sugar. And when I have tried to make oats on the stovetop or in the microwave, I always end up with an overflow of mess when it boils over. Then it is too hot to eat so I have to wait for it to cool down. It then usually cools down too much and becomes hard. See what I mean, high maintenance.

A few months ago a found a recipe on a blog for raw oatmeal. I wasn't so sure about it but liked the idea. Just a few weeks ago, I tried it out and have been eating it almost every day since. I have kind of made up my own version that I want to share with you:

First, for one serving you soak 1/2 cup oats in water overnight (I usually store it in the fridge, but am not sure if you have to). In the morning you dump out some of the excess water and put oats in a food processor with anything else you would like in your oatmeal. I usually include a dash of vanilla almond milk, almonds, walnuts, flax seed, agave nectar, and cinnamon. Then you process it until the items are blended together and look like creamy oatmeal, put in a bowl and serve. It is delicious and has made the perfect summer breakfast because it is cool and healthy. I guess if you wanted it hot you could put in in the microwave for a tad, but then it wouldn't be "raw" anymore. Happy eating!

Sabbath

2011-08-01T05:38:00.000-07:00

I think we had a perfect Saturday. It started when some of Bob's colleagues and their wives asked us to go on a bike ride with them. And this wasn't just a casual stroll of a bike ride. We rode 16 miles, dodging construction and other sorts of obstacles along the way. The best part about a bike ride is that although it is exercise, you don't realize it (until after when you are sore all over and cannot walk). The other best part is that you can talk to the people you are with. Unlike running, where every ounce of breathe is needed to finish. So in the couple of hours that we rode, I got to personally talk with every person on the trek. What a great way to get to know someone!

We weren't quite as "experienced" of riders. I didn't know bike riding was so technical, since about everyone learns it at the age of five. We did not have padding on our shorts, so our bums got sore faster, we did not have helmets, which was actually fine with me since we never fell and I still think they are so dorky, and we did not have a place to hold water bottles on our bikes. So, luckily our friends shared the water they had. Dehydration is bad on a long bike ride in the summer in Georgia.

We took a pitstop to enjoy some homemade blueberry muffins, made with fresh ground wheat from a food mill. Yes! Then all the men and women tried to convince Bob why we needed to get a mill, which is what I have been trying to tell him for months. The muffins sold themselves, really, but the help of everyone else didn't hurt. I think we are one step closer.

At the end of our ride, I had a near death experience with my chain falling off while I shifted gears. Not really near death I guess, but embarassing. Everyone else was way up ahead and Bob had to come back and get me. After we finished and got our land legs back, we went to McDonald's (I know) for a smoothie. After getting over the fact that we were investing money to that establishment, I admitted I really did enjoy the smoothie. Probably because it has more sugar than an ice cream cone, but it was good. And I didn't feel guilty because I had just biked 16 miles, which probably sounds like nothing to a REAL biker. We had such a great time that I hope every Saturday involves a hard, fun workout with fun people.

Bob and I then made our way to Costco, which is my favorite place to go on a spontaneous date. After loading up with samples and goodies, we made it home just in time to get rained on when we unloaded our stuff. We spent the afternoon reading Harry Potter, our new obsession (I know we are late in the game), cooked lots of food and rested. On the Sabbath. It was awesome. I wish every Saturday could be as fun and restful.

Schmorgasbord of color--no blocks of white!

2011-07-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today I organized my closet. Color coded it actually. My friend Jennie would be proud. But I don't like it. It looks like Jennie's closet, not mine. Although we have half of the same clothes anyway, by accident mostly. Although one time we went shopping and bought the same shirt on purpose. Then we both wore it on the first day of school when we co-taught. It was fun.

Anyway, seeing my closet color coded makes me nervous for some reason. It feels like it has lost its spunk of color and pattern woven throughout. I actually get to see how many white t-shirts I have when they are all in one chunk. I still don't think you can have too many, but my closet is trying convince me otherwise. And then Bob can come in and argue that I do have too many because half of the shirts hanging are white. Which you cannot see when they are interdispersed.

Well, it was a try. I guess it will go back to the old organization soon enough. Which really isn't much organization at all. Except maybe tank tops to the left, then short sleeves, then long, then sweaters. With skirts and dresses on the bottom. See, I am organized after all! How do you "organize" your closet?

Be Still My Soul

2011-07-14T05:16:00.001-07:00

We went to a Wednesday night service at a beloved church the other night, where they set aside the whole time for space to listen to God, journal, pray, and hear music (no preaching). At the end, they sang this song and I was so moved by it. After I told Bob that I often feel that sometimes my anxieties take over what my soul knows as truth, and you do have to commit your soul to be still and remember.

Here are the lyrics and below is a link to the song:

"Be Still, My Soul"by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;Leave to thy God to order and provide;In every change He faithful will remain.Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, FriendThrough thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertakeTo guide the future as He has the past.Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;All now mysterious shall be bright at last.Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still knowHis voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends departAnd all is darkened in the vale of tears;Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repayFrom His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening onWhen we shall be forever with the Lord,When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9zHn4QSH-8

May your soul be still today even in the midst of whatever is going on.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

2011-07-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Why is peanut butter and jelly so good? I sit here eating one with an iced latte and really nothing could be better right now. Well it could, if I were on a beach with Bob eating a peanut butter and jelly but that is beside the point. Whoever created this is a genius. Once in highschool I ate peanut butter and jelly for breakfast AND lunch for a month. Why is it considered a kid's food? Are kids the only ones that can enjoy something delectable? Come on people, it's time to bring pb&j back. So next time I come over to your house for lunch, I am going to expect this high quality food.

When Bob and I first got married, one of the running arguments we had was over how peanut butter and jelly should be made. I made it the "normal" way of peanut butter on one side and jelly on another and then marrying the deliciousness by putting the two slices of bread together. But Bob challenged what I had always done, urging me to make his pb&j with both elements on each side. Preposterous--but absolutely delicious. I finally gave in once I got over a)the fact that he was right b)it is double the peanut butter and double the jelly, making a bit of a more high calorie sandwich. Now I don't make it any other way. No more soggy bread because the jelly bleeds into it and then is nowhere to be found when it is supposed to be combine with the peanut butter. And the pb&j mixture sort of seeps out with every bite, which in my book is awesome. So, if you can get over Bob being right and adding some extra calories to your sandwich, try it!

Sad

2011-07-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

My heart is so sad right now. Over the last few weeks I have heard countless stories that just break my heart. Both my hurt and the hurt of others can make me feel so overwhelmed. I am amazed at how much pain we suffer in this life and how we still, somehow are able to overcome and have moments where we really live. Sometimes I don't want to be an adult. I want to go back to childhood to the moments where I was carefree. But even when I think back to that, I realize that life was still painful and I now still suffer the wounds that began in childhood. I feel like the more people you know in life the more pain you can feel because you enter into other people's stories that aren't perfect, who suffer. And relationships themselves are painful. These are the times I feel a strong push to allow myself to mourn. To realize that life, myself, my family and friends are not all that I expected. God is not what I expected. And yet there is still beauty, there are still moments of joy and freedom that are glorious because they are escapes from pain.

But today I hurt. I hurt for myself, for the things that have happened to me and for the things that I have caused that are not beautiful at all. I hurt for the stories of others, the circumstances they are in, either afflicted on them mercilessly or based minorly on things they have chosen. It cannot be escaped. I cannot change these circumstances for my friends or myself. But I can enter the fears it brings up in me, and notice the ways that I constantly try to distract myself rather than face the reality: it hurts and I need to mourn. But sometimes there aren't tears. What do you do when there are no tears? Can you still mourn?

I appreciate when friends share their pain because it is connecting. It helps me to know I am not the only one who suffers, the only one who makes poor decisions, the only one who feels like they sometimes have to pretend like they are okay or people will think they are too much.

So today I am sad. I am sad for your story and sad for mine. I wish things were different, that we felt different. But I have learned so much. And so have you and I am glad we can share what we have learned and know that we will never know it all but we get to be on the journey together.

Colorado

2011-07-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Denver for a few days on our way back to Atlanta to visit with our good friends the Strobels. Kelli and I have been keeping in touch for years through writing (yes, by hand) letters but haven't gotten to see each other much because they have lived in Scotland and then Denver for the last 5 years. It was such a pleasure to meet their little one, Brighton, and to share life with them for a few days. Brighton was such an awesome baby, very easy going and fun to be around and it was really fun to watch Kelli be mom. She is such a natural! Aren't we cute with Brighton above. Someday soon, Lord willing, we will be our own cute family!

Brighton especially took a liking to Bob.

We went to Garden of the gods, a rock formation area, walked around, and had a picnic lunch.

Bob calls these the praying hands.

Our friends Whitney and James from Atlanta moved to Denver a year ago so we got to catch up with them over dinner at their house which was really nice.

Bob had never been to Colorado before and I had only been when I was young. It is so beautiful there, very home on the range-ish. It also is so dry and because of the elevation, very difficult to breathe. I made the mistake of going on a run there. I was so exhausted by the end! It was a hard adjustment coming back to humid Atlanta from dry Denver. It made me realize that there are so many beautiful places you can live out there. I was so happy to see that a couple of friends have made a life out there for themselves and really enjoy it. It is fun having friends all over to visit.

California love

2011-07-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

These pics are not in order, but we flew into Orange County and spent about a week with family and friends there, and then we headed up to San Luis Obispo to see Tyler.
My friend Carrie has a traveling gnome she sent with us. He likes to see different parts of the world. He met friends really easily in San Luis Obispo :)

Jerome on the beach in SLO

At the Avila Pie Barn. This place was so fun. They had animals and a shop there. It was so southern that I keep wanting to go back there thinking it was in Georgia then I have to remember that it was not.

With my bro.

Picture of the beach on our train ride to SLOBob and I on the beach. It was cold!The bench in SLO where Bob asked me to be his girlfriend about 10 years ago!! So crazy!

At a vineyard near SLOWine tasting.

With the Whitsells!

We did so much more with family and friends and I am so sad that I don't have pictures of it all, but alas, I am not good at remembering (or desiring really) do pull out the camera everytime we hang out with people. I am working on it!

Dad's visit and Bob's Graduation (Again!)

2011-07-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

We went to Dialog in the Dark, an experiential museum into what it would be like to be blind. This quote was on the wall, and I liked all the levels of its meaning.

Here was our guide and us with our walking sticks. We didn't get to see our guide until the end, we first met him in the complete dark and so it was very interesting to put a face with the voice and what we kind of pictured him to be like in our mind. The crazy part is that even in the light, he didn't really get to do that with us. All the guides are legally blind, most of them have no sight but our guide had a tiny bit of sight. He had lost it about 6 years earlier from disease.

The bodies exhibit Bob and I went to a couple years ago was right by Dialog in the Dark.

Bob and his friends.

The proud wife.

The proud father in law (trying to steal his food??)

We had such a great time with my dad out here and celebrating Bob and all of his hard work these last couple of years.

Spring

2011-07-04T06:11:00.001-07:00

A few of my favorite things:

Open tulips

Red barns

Carrie's birthday cupcakes

Carrie's Easter gift to us

Visiting my cousin in Charlotte and going to a fun thrift store

Duel toilets in the girl's bathroom. Which would you choose?

Bed and breakfast in Dahlonega

Meghan and Ricky visiting Charlotte from CA--we got to see them and my cousin that weekend!

10 mile hike on the Appalachian trail

Flowers!

Long time coming

2011-07-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

Things have been a whirlwind here for us lately so the next
few posts will be a recap of the craziness that is our lives. Here is a quick
list of some of the things that have happened in the last few months (some
pictures will be posted as well.

*We had a beautiful spring full of many colorful flowers and
blooms. We decided it was probably our favorite season.

*We spent Easter with friends this year, eating Bob’s
homemade chili and Carrie shared her birthday cupcakes. We got to try something
like 10 different flavors from a local cupcakery.

*We’ve spent a lot of time hiking in the beautiful weather.

*Bob graduated from Richmont (yeah!) and my dad came out to
celebrate, so we took a lot of time exploring new parts of Atlanta.

*Bob got a full time position at a counseling center about
30 minutes outside of Atlanta. It is funded by a church and therefore we had to
move churches.

*We are looking to buy a home (yikes!)

*We went to CA and CO to visit friends and family for 2
weeks this summer.

*We just celebrated our 6^th anniversary and we've now been together 10 years!!

Good, clean fun

2011-04-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

I love the library. I always have. Of course the thing that makes it better than a bookstore is that you can get all kinds of books for free! Reading is one of my favorite past times, although I am often awful at completing a book. If it is a novel and I enjoy it I will usually finish, but self-help or spiritual books I have a hard time finishing to completion. I guess I feel that I get the point by a certain chapter.

I could spend hours in the library just thumbing through all the books. I have been known to come home with 10 books because I can't decided which one to get. Then I place them all next to me, read the first chapter of each and decide which one I want to start first. Bob thinks it ridiculous, I think it absolutely wonderful. One of the reasons I miss our house in CA the most is because I could walk to the library and get all the books I could get my hands on. Now I have to drive, but it is right next to a yogurt shop so I am not complaining too much.

I just feel a settling in my soul when I step foot into a library. I lean more toward the introverted side, so I think reading fulfills that well. I think the best place to read though is outside under a tree, near a river or at the beach. Luckily I have options with where I live. I went to the library today to pick up books for a beach trip I am going on with friends this weekend (yeah!). I limited myself to two books and chose them by reading the first paragraph of each and seeing which I was drawn to. Right now I feel more into memoirs and nonfiction than novels with characters. I also feel drawn toward memoirs of women and trials they've faced and how they have overcome. I must need a little inspiration here. I am finding that there is such a raw beauty in women, in me, and it is often squelched by how we think we should act, look, etc. It is wonderful to me to discover through books ways women have begun to see this about themselves. I feel that the earlier I can do this the better and more grounded person I will be. Of course this has to be initiated by God's work in me, but I want to become more open to it.

I am looking forward to a weekend with girlfriends to discuss these issues, laugh, eat, read, and just be.

My love

2011-04-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

I love my husband. He makes me laugh so much. I definitely need a daily dose of him to make me less serious.

Today, like many other days, I was bombarded by his old tupperware lunch left in the sink. Numerous times I have asked that when he gets home, he rinses out his tupperware. Because when it sits in the sink it develops nauseous gases that are extra putrid when opened. Yesterday he left a beans and rice tupperware in there. Today when I opened it I almost gagged. It smelled like armpits. I laughed because it was so nasty. At least my husband will eat home packed lunches and doesn't insist on eating out every day. I guess I can deal with the occasional sensory overload.

He went grocery shopping today with a list I had written. When he came home, I saw strawberries on the sink and thought it very nice of him to pick up an extra little treat. I mentioned how nice this was and he said, "Well you put it on the list." I laughed because I had not but it on the list, but rather straws which I have been missing when I drink my iced coffee. When I pointed this out to him, he said, "Well you put it right next to the bananas." I can see the logical jump, especially since I abbreviated bananas 'ban', so he figured I must also be abbreviating strawberries.

I also love his subtle ways of communicating things. We were making homemade pizza tonight. I made the dough but I asked if he could take care of everything else so I could work another hour. He agreed to it but asked me if I could please roll out the dough (which is usually my job) because I am sooooo good at it. Translation: Because he doesn't want to do it. Love him. He ended up rolling out the dough and I assure you it was just fine, it still looks and will taste like pizza crust.

Oh the joys of living with my best friend.

Good finds

2011-04-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

I love garage sales. Some of my most favorite things I have found at garage sales and thrift stores. They especially seem to carry goods of the candle holder and appliance variety. I am currently into making iced coffee using a French press that I got for $3. I also have an espresso maker that I got for $5. I rarely use it but can't bring myself to get rid of it. As I sip my coffee I am reminded of the simple things and that something doesn't have to cost a lot to be absolutely wonderful!

It rains here a lot. I like the rain when I am inside, but it usually chooses to rain when I have to get to my car and carry lots of stuff. The only thing that makes me happy when I have to do that is the fact that I can wear my rain boots. My polka dot rain boots, mind you. I bought them in CA for $3 at a garage sale and wore them once. They have outpaid themselves here in GA. And even though the rest of me may look sloppy and wet (since I don't like to carry an umbrella), I still get many compliments for my rainboots. The funny part is that I usually get them from guys--both younger and older. So ladies, note to self that you can wear just about anything and then slap on some rain boots and still get compliments. Yes! That is my kind of style.

Severe Weather Alert

2011-04-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful spring day in Atlanta today. Other than the leaves stuck to every building and car and fallen trees and broken power lines all over the city, you wouldn't know how awful the weather was last night. We went out for a friend's birthday dinner early last night at 5 and were so thankful to have gotten home by 7:30 becuase the rain had turned into severe storms really quickly. Our power went out a little after and as we looked through the window it was so strange to just see empty darkness, no lights on in any building. The sky wasn't fully dark yet since the sun hadn't set but it was a really strange hue. We talked to a friend who had been in tornado areas before and she said the sky wasn't quite the right color for a tornado. But before we knew it, tornado alarms were ringing and the rain turned into very large pieces of hail flying so fast in the wind. In a matter of two minutes, hail covered the lawn behind our apartment and it looked like it had snowed. Our roof was being pelted as was our back door and porch and to see the debris flying so close to our window made Bob and I run into our bathroom for protection. Of course, the power went out and we lit all the candles. Luckily we are a candle family and had tons laying out already. It was quite romantic actually, except for the fact that we are dogsitting an extremely anxious dog that takes medication for this on a regular basis, so you can imagine how this was heightened by storms. Us, being the food lovers and cheapskates that we are, loaded our cooler with ice and perishables in case the power was going to be out the rest of the night. Things started to calm down and the power came back on, but at 2am we were awakened by more alarms. I peered out the window and nothing seemed to be going on. Bob and I both had awakened from a deep sleep and were to tired to figure anything out so we went back to sleep and luckily all was well. It was interesting to assess the damage today. The things that people have to be most careful about are falling trees--on cars, homes, etc. and broken power lines. We took advantage of the beautiful day today and in celebration of Bob taking his huge counselor's exam this morning (yes the morning after all this drama), we went to the zoo. We parked on a sidestreet near some homes and as we were walking to the zoo we kept hearing a popping noise behind us. We couldn't figure out what it was and chalked it up to someone working with a nail gun. However, on the way back we figured out the noise culprit. The popping was an exposed wire hitting a tree branch causing sparks. Nice. Right over our parked car. I thanked the Lord for not letting it catch on fire and we moved on out of there as fast as we could! We have now survived almost any kind of weather we could imagine!

Getting crunchy

2011-04-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Georgia is definitely not known as a granola culture place where people are concerned with health food, or even health in general. I saw a sign the other day that said that part of being southern means that you think macaroni and cheese is a vegetable. Even when vegetables are served they are slathered with butter and cream. I am not sure if that cancels out the health benefits, but regardless getting good food for your body is not on the top of the list. So the fact that I have started to lean a little on the crunchy side strikes me as interesting. However, just like anywhere, there are pockets of almost any passion that one can have. I have met some fun friends and come across books and stores that allow me to feed this interest. Did I mention before that I am doing a 90 day fast from shopping-- this includes shopping from clothes and home goods (throw pillows are my drug of choice). So in some ways I have definitely seen this bleed over into grocery shopping. I have always loved shopping for food because within reason, you don't have to justify to yourself or your husband spending money on food. I mean, afterall, we do have to eat. But now that money is not going to my other shopping bad habits, I have found a passion called Dekalb Farmer's Market. This awesome indoor market brings in foods from all over but I have particularly fallen in love with their whole grains and beans in bulk. These are inexpensive and organic thingfs like oats, wheat, millet, dried pintos, kidneys, etc. There are also all sorts of spices and fresh pasta (not dried) that is to die for. We have also enjoyed buying free range meats that were humanely raised. I have really loved having the time to learn more about these things and to use them. It is a much less expensive way to shop for organics to buy in dried bulk but it means a couple of things. You definitely have to plan ahead to make meals because if you decide 10 minutes before dinner that you want a bean and cheese burrito, well you pretty much have to either have a crunchy one or make it a quesadilla. You also have to have to learn about different ways to use the grains or have a way to make them into flour. Learning about whole grains freshly ground into flour has been really interesting to me. I've heard before that you've really become a homeschool family when you grind your own flour to make bread. Well, I must be official now because I made my own bread today. Unfortunately, I don't have my own grain mill (they are a whopping $250 new-- a bit less than that used) but I do have a friend with a Vitamix, the awesome blender that has its own superpowers. So she let me use it today to grind some grains and beans to make Ezekiel bread. The bread is amazing! If you have ever had Ezekiel bread from the store it tends to be a little dry, but this bread is not in the slightest. It has a slightly sweet taste and has the texture and density of cornbread. I was so pleased with it! I also have some other wheat that I am going to make into a loaf. I have been baking so much bread lately that our freezer and fridge are packed to the max (including other things of course--man cannot live by bread alone). I was so proud of myself last week when I made Bob's breakfast bread of choice--whole grain English muffins. We have been buying them at the store for years and I was able to make them for way less and they taste just as good. However, I need to work on the size of them (he has to eat two or three instead of the usual one). So now I am begging for a grain mill for something, anything... I have been trying to persuade Bob it is a good half birthday gift (May 11 for anyone who wants to know) but he keeps trying to convince me (I'm not buying it) that my family was the only one that celebrated half birthdays. I think you've got to milk anything for all it's worth. Am I allowed to receive a gift in celebration of Bob graduating? I found one on Craig's list for $165 which is a great deal compared to the new price but I am trying to find a way to a) convince myself this is a worthwhile purchase--I think I am almost there and b) convincing my husband--the scary part! Last time I was faced with a big purchase like this in deciding on getting a KitchenAid, my parents got it for me and it turned out to be the best gift I have ever received (besides my hubby and the ring he gave me). I would even still say that if I had been the one forking over the dough, figuratively speaking :) I have also started making my own kefir, which is like a liquidy yogurt, from kefir grains given to me by a friend and I've been sprouting some lentils as well. It has been fun to go back to much of the original ways things were made and eaten. I do understand and appreciate the convenience that the pre-made stuff can bring, especially when people don't have the same kind of time on their hands that I do. But there is something so satisfying for me about making something from scratch, learning how to do what the store has done for us for years for much more money. Maybe I should take all the money I am saving and put it toward a grain mill. Ha! I would love to hear some things you have made from scratch that made you feel proud and saved you a pretty penny.

Lesson Learned: Men's Skincare Products not intended for women (duh!?)

2011-04-04T10:00:00.001-07:00

I officially work solely from home now, which has its definite benefits and drawbacks. Allow me to share part of my day in the life of working at home. Bob received some samples of manly skin products from a guy he knows, which have been sitting on the bathroom counter for weeks. For some reason he has not wanted to try these, maybe because they had titles such as "Beard Lube" and "Exfoliating Scrub". While seeing as a girl always needs a good exfoliation, I decided to finally use the neglected products. After marinating (as one friend affectionately calls it) in my pajamas until noon, I decided to take a shower and get dressed. This was a step in the right direction, since it often takes me until the hour before Bob comes home to decide to put on clothes. Really, what is the point when you are not seeing anyone? Some people say they just feel better about themselves when they do so, but I don't think it gets much better than being in pjs... Anyway, bad choice in using man exfoliator because, as you probably already guessed, it smells like a man. Which now so do I. In all honesty, I did recognize this the minute that I put in on my hands and still chose to rub it all over my face. Again, working from home is not inspiring for these minor details. And now I just get to pretend that Bob is here with me instead of recognizing the reality that I am the one who smells like cologne. In an effort to have a reason get dressed, I try to plan something little every day even if it is just going to the bank. We will see how many looks I get today when I walk by smelling like a man. Does it matter if you get dressed and look cute when it appears you are wearing men's cologne? I might have well just stayed in my pajamas.

I won! I won!

2011-03-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

I recently have been checking a blog called the local cook, in which she highlights learning how to buy and use food from your area. She is not in the Atlanta area but has some good inspirations for different recipes and things. You can find more about the local cook at http://thelocalcook.com/

Recently, she had a post that you could comment in order to apply to win a book called, Eat Where You Live: How to Find and Enjoy Local and Sustainable Food No Matter Where You Live by Lou Bendrick. I just got an email this afternoon saying that I am the one that won it! The excitement that I responded with made Bob think that I won money or something and he couldn't quite understand why I was so excited about a book. It is not just about what a great book it will be, but also the feeling of being chosen (whether randomly or not). I am still giddy about the "win"; I guess it is the competitive side in me even though I didn't do anything to deserve the W in this case.

After I read it, I will have to let you know how it is. Can't wait to get it in the mail!

Friendship

2011-03-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Friendship is something that no one ever really teaches you about. Learning how to be a friend is something that happens through trial and error, with lots of joy and pain along the way. I love watching little kids make friends. They can't talk to each other but just start to repeat actions of what the other is doing. And like magic, they are friends. One of my favorite things on Sunday mornings at church is to watch the kids play. One will start running in the hall and pretty soon there are a team of five two year olds running back and forth. They haven't spoken a word but have communicated in ways that are so uninhibited. Sometimes I wish I had that die hard attitude when it came to friendships, thinking, "Of course, we will be friends, why wouldn't we?" It is so sad how past hurts can get in the way of that. Our own insecurities, the perfections people display about themselves that actually make you not want to be around them, our expectations that to be a good friend you have to have a certain amount of time, or see each other this often.

I was blessed yesterday by two phone conversations with friends I haven't talked to in months. These are friends I usually communicate to in other ways, through mail, blog checking, etc. but I was so touched by both of their calls. Even though I haven't talked to either of them on the phone in a long time and we talked less than half an hour, it was amazing that we just picked up in the present. I don't know why I am always surprised at the ease of this--that we still are who we are even if we don't know the daily details of each other's lives.

Moving has taught me so much about who I am, how I approach (or avoid) friendships and the definition I have now of friendship is so different than the one I had a few years ago. My closest friends don't necessarily have to be the ones I talk to the most often. They are the ones that KNOW me, the kind of knowing that is that childlike without-words kind. Where we could just sit and be quiet and still be communicating. And friendships are slow. The more I try to force them the less fluid and life giving they become. It takes a long time to really get to know someone and that process cannot be hurried. I hope that the more I grow and learn about myself and humanness, the more I can give and receive friendship. I know I really cherish these relationships.

Good things--March 8

2011-03-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday (the day before Lent starts). Bob decided to give up red meat for Lent, so we gave it a last whirl at our guilty pleasure, Steak and Shake. There have been a few times where I have truly enjoyed Steak and Shake rather than feel utterly ashamed for eating there: 1. When Bob and I first moved here and tried to go a million other places that were too busy or full or weren't quite what we were looking for. Our date ended up being at Steak and Shake for a 9:00 dinner and cards. Awesome--truly loved it after the rest of the night fell apart. 2. After running my half marathon--nothing beats, a burger, fries, coke, and a shake after running. I am sure that I over exceeded the calories I burnt but at that point I didn't care. 3. On Fat Tuesday, of course. I haven't eaten a burger in months and it was delicious. I had to tell myself the whole time to enjoy it and not feel guilty. As you can see from my post yesterday, I am reading more about local and sustainable foods. Steak and Shake is not on the menu for that. Call me a hypocrite, because I am. Bob and I had a great time, though!

Good Things-- March 7

2011-03-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

I have been reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver about her journey in eating and farming local foods. It is very inspiring and a fun read. I try to get in a little bit every day. It is amazing how many foods we eat out of season just because our recipes call for them. It has encouraged me to do a little more research and find places in the area to buy local foods. I can't wait for Farmer's Markets starting soon!

Goodbye Maggie

2011-03-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

My childhood dog had to be put to sleep this week. Even though I haven't lived with her for years and she was always really more of my mom's dog than a family dog, it makes me sad. Just another reminder that childhood is gone, long gone really. And a reminder that life is fleeting, that the things/people you love are not always around. It is so hard to mourn in life--I don't think you can ever really get good at it.

She was a fun dog for us. She loved to run and play soccer and when she was a puppy she would get up on the dishwasher to lick the dishes. She liked to lay by the fire and on top of the couch. She was a very particular pup and would often say no to treats or take them and "bury" them somewhere around the house.

It is hard to say goodbye to something you cared for even if it is not often present in your life.

Pray for my momma, she is sad...

Good things--March 6

2011-03-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

My mom is awesome! Today was a dreary and cold day, a reminder that winter and spring are fighting with each other. Today winter won. Bob and I wanted to go on a walk but it was so cold outside that we settled for walking to the mailbox, which granted is like walking around the block--our mailbox is not right in front of our apartment, mind you. When I got to the mailbox I had this little gift waiting for me. I love kid's picture books and my mom has taken up to buying them for me every now and then which I very much appreciate. I knew I would love this book simply for its title if nothing else. It is so very cute and made me smile. This was DEFINITELY the highlight of my day. Thanks mom, love ya!

Good Things--March 5

2011-03-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

Bob and I went on a spontaneous date this morning to Great Harvest Bread Company and Borders. Breakfast was so good- they have all sorts of delicious breads and pastries that they sample as well as great sandwiches. They had trivia cards at the table so we had a good time quizzing each other's useless knowledge over good food. The Borders near us is having a going out of business sale and so we got to look through all the books. Bob is really into Native American Indian culture right now so he grabbed a picture book for an awesome price. I really wanted to buy some cookbooks but I have banned myself from those for a while so I spend time looking through them and drooling instead. It was a rainy day which made all of this even more romantic and fun.

Good things--March 4

2011-03-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Homemade Margarita Pizza. We mad our own pesto using sunflower seeds instead of walnuts/pine nuts and it turned out really good. We layered the pizza with pesto and then tomato sauce and then of course the rest of the toppings. It was so simple and so delicious--the kind of food that you say mmmm after every bite. There is nothing better on a Friday night than good pizza and a good movie. We watched a movie called Get Low that was funny and heartwarming.

Good things--March 3

2011-03-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

Friends! I got to cook yummy tortilla soup for them Thursday and even though we were all incredibly tired we had a good night together. I am really thankful for girlfriends in my life--these and others :)

Good things--March 2

2011-03-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

I love Trader Joe's. It is so many things for me. Ultimately, I love food and I love to cook. They have so many fun things to try that it is such a treat to go there. I have started going there Wednesdays after teaching and find that it is a nice wind-down for me to walk the aisles and just peruse. It is also helpful that not many other people are there because I am the person sauntering the aisles. Another plus is that they have samples of both coffee and food. Love it!
These trees (I need to learn the name--if anyone knows please tell me) are ALL OVER along with the pink-flowered once just screaming, "Notice me!" Which I do. I pulled over to take this picture because it was breathtaking. The life that spring brings captivates me.

Good things--March 1

2011-03-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

It is spring! And in the spring wild daffodils sprout up everywhere. These are some Bob and I found on a hike. I am currently reading the (wonderful) book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and I learned that a species of daffodil are called Jonquil. The city right next to us is called Smyrna, and nicknamed "the jonquil city" and now I know why--there are beautiful daffodils everywhere!

Good Things

2011-03-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

I am learning more and more that making it through life is all about perspective. Often, my tendency is to have a negative attitude or to focus on the difficulties, the things going wrong. I don't even mean to do this, but it is definitely a character flaw. My spiritual director really encouraged me to start journaling about good things I saw God doing in each day. I have really begun to hold on to good things and notice them rather than the struggles happening throughout the day. I have been thankful to see all the ways that God has met me through nature, people, and quiet moments. Because it has been healing to journal about these things, I thought I would take it a step further for the month of March and document some good things through pictures. My goal is to take a picture each day of a highlight or some moment of joy I experienced and post them on the blog as frequently as possible. So here we go...

This crazy place

2011-02-28T18:44:00.001-08:00

Today we got a tornado warning. Yes. Really. Bob got stuck inside in his internship until it was safe to go out. Luckily they didn't all have to crawl in a bathtub together. There were golf-ball sized hail outside. And it was extremely warm and tropical weather, which was so strange. We also got the characteristic thunder and lightening storms which I love and hate (they still scare me and I want to crawl under the covers and hide, but they are also really beautiful).

I tell ya, we have had some crazy weather here. Snow week and now this. It really is fun and wild to live in. And once again, a good reminder that I am not in control.

However, this California girl has become accustomed to NEVER checking the weather before leaving the house, which is not a good idea in Atlanta. For over a year now, I have predicted what the weather should be like based on what I want to wear and not what is most practical and have gotten caught in some ridiculous situations because of it. I still hate umbrellas and for the most part refuse to carry them. I would rather wear a hood and get wet than have to mess with a contraption that claims to keep me dry, but doesn't really do its job. I keep learning as I go.

Anyway, just wanted to share that I survived my first tornado warning. Check another one of the list of things I have always wanted to experience. Right.

Great Expectations

2011-02-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

We were blessed with yet another day of beautiful spring weather which means why stay inside when there are so many great things to do outdoors?

I got to go on a walk with a couple of friends today and we got on the subject of expectations. How you don't realize how strongly you have them until they are not met. I think unmet expectations are just another reminder to me that I am not in control on this journey in which I am having to constantly surrender.

The truth is I no longer know what to expect, which in many ways brings tremendous joy and blessings beyond what I could've thought; but along with that, I suffer in ways so raw that I am surprised I survive. There are so many twists and turns in life that I am often left feeling utterly confused--laughing one minute and crying the next.

I am working on allowing for the spontanaity (sp?) to embrace surprises along the way--be they green lights or road blocks. After all, I have discovered many great things on detours :)

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

2011-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Things have been crazy busy for Bob and I lately, so although I have the best intentions to both picture take and write on this blog, when it comes to choosing between necessities (eating, bathing, etc.) and blogging, I have chosen the former--although sometimes unwillingly :) Here is a listed update of both the fun and mundane things keeping us going:

1. I am in schools almost everyday videotaping, collecting student work, etc. which beats being "grounded" to staying at home and video coding as some of my colleagues have coined. Although when these observations end in April, I will be working strictly from home until the end of summer.

2. This week has been "winter" break for me, which means the schools are off, but I still have work to do from home. However, I am not complaining because I have gotten to enjoy many things this week, including the spring weather (sun!) we are starting to get.

3. I have started going to the chiropractor, but if you asked me why I can't really tell you other than I think that it is fun and preventative. Many people go after they have pain, but I decided not to wait. There is a chiropractic college nearby and they have an outpatient center that is REALLY cheap, so I decided it would be good (read:fun) to start going. I also realized through this some of my selfish tendencies and wonder if I am the only person in the world who thinks it a good time to fill out paperwork of my health history. (?) I also realized how healthy I really am despite the fact that one of my legs is longer than the other (I knew it!) and my right side is just a little off in general.

4. I realized this week that while I like living here, it will not turn me into a southern woman at heart. For my friend's birthday I took her to the Swan Coach Carriage House, which is like a Southern woman's luncheon place in a nicer area of Atlanta. While we had a great time and enjoyed the food, I was reminded that I am not a southern white woman and will never be, y'all. I don't care about country clubs, dressing up, foo-foo bunnies and pastel clothes. Although I am not complaining about tasting the best coconut cake the other day at a southern cooking class I assisted and putting the recipe in my pile of faves.

5. I am still cooking away and was proud of the made from scratch refried beans and mexican rice I produced the other day. I continue to realize though that I am completely naive when it comes to time and I can spend all day cooking when I meant to spend a couple hours. I cooked and baked so much this week for different things we had going on that I had to ban myself from it for the rest of the week. We are still eating bean and rice leftovers even though we originally took them to a party and there are really only so many things you can do with beans and rice as leftovers. I have even started eating them at breakfast.

6. Our tennis team won the league (yeah!). Bob and I really enjoy playing doubles with each other despite the fact that we lost more than won. We have really enjoyed spending time with our tennis friends on the tennis court but may have had even more fun playing wii with them the other night (the dance one is the best). I am totally anti-video games until it comes to wii. I don't think I have ever laughed as hard as when I am playing and I find that it can actually be interactive with others.

7. Bob is in the final stretch of his internship and is counting down the days until graduation. It is looking like he may have some prospects for jobs and he has been interviewing a tad, which is really encouraging to us. One or both of us has been in school since we got married 5 1/2 years ago, so we both are definitely ready do be done with that.

I feel like we are crawling toward the finish line and we definitely don't like the craziness of this season for us. We are learning to live in the present and take things one day at a time. Today, we both even had a brief moment at lunch time so we went down by the river and threw around the frisbee on the grass. While I want more moments like that, I am trying and learning to be appreciative of the gifts that they are, even if few and far between.

Mrs. Mehaffey's Almost Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-29T13:25:00.001-08:00

Growing up, my neighbor made these amazing chocolate cookies every year during Christmas season. When I got married she graciously handed over the recipe and it took Bob and I years to get it perfect (it was all about the way things were mixed and cooking time). We make the dough, shape it into balls and freeze it so whenever we need a cookie, we can bake it right up.

Well, when it came to wanting to give a prize for something at school, I thought what better for kiddos than chocolate chip cookies? So I wrapped some up nicely and announced that the prize was "Mrs. Mehaffey's Almost Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies". They laughed. And then they were intrigued.

Upon first taste the girl who won wouldn't stop talking about them and then she decided to share them (they are such generous kids). Anyway, they started asking me if they could have the recipe. I told them that I did not get it until I was getting married and so it would be the same for them. One asked, "What if I don't know you then?" to which I answered, "If you care that much about the cookies, you will keep in touch."

I laughed to myself when later on that day I overheard them talking to each other about wanting to get married that day to get the recipe. Oh how they can make me feel so good about myself.

Ruby Falls

2011-01-29T13:22:00.000-08:00

Bob and I took a hike up to Ruby Falls the same day we went to Helen. I still can't believe all of the miles of trails that there are so close to us. We keep wanting to become "hard core"(for us) and go for a 12 mile day hike--with lots of snacks of course! However, we will have to wait until it gets warmer--there was still snow and lots of icicles on this hike. This was an easy one--totally paved--but the view was astounding. The falls were much bigger in person that what is here. Loved it!

Helen GA

2011-01-29T13:18:00.000-08:00

Bob and I had a free day last weekend so we decided to visit Helen for the day, which is a little German mountain town about an hour and a half away. All of the buildings are modeled in this way and it is fun to see some very normal places (think Motel 6) outfitted in this style. Of course we sampled every candy store there was, getting our fill on fudge and brittle. We went into a cute little toy shop where everything was made of wood and I just wished I had a little boy to buy something for...

Anyway, here is the awkward picture we took of ourselves in front of the restaurant we ate at. As I go through more and more of our pictures, so many of them look like this because we have to take it of ourselves. Of course, there is always the option of asking someone else to do it, but after our NY experience (someone actually saying No, they were not willing to take a picture of us) we have felt a little insecure. Or, when we do have others take it they turn out just as awkward if not more. The other picture of us in this town (not shown here) was taken by someone else and has awful shadows. So you just get to enjoy (laugh at) this one.

We loved our drive home through some different quaint mountain towns. Although it always scares me when we do this because Bob starts talking about moving out there. Seriously. One day he came home from fishing and told me that he had seen a new cabin for sale for $20,000 and the thought honestly crossed his mind that we could buy it, move there, and virtually retire now--maybe getting part time jobs at nearby shops. I encouraged him that while it was a good thought, he would be doing it alone, and it might not be that fun by himself (although I still think he is considering--hehe).

Anyway, there is so much to discover here in our "backyard" and we had a fun day exploring some of it!

Snow Week!

2011-01-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday night we had a crazy snow for Atlanta (5+ inches) and things have been mostly shut down all week! Because snow is not normal for Atlanta, the city has not invested in many snow plows, so the problems come with the icy roads and lots of cars. We took advantage of cancelled classes and spent some time playing and eating with friends in our apartment complex. One of the first things we did (of course) was to build a snow man. Here he is--not much of a looker, but we were still proud. It has been crazy seeing the city transformed and despite the fact that you start to feel real antsy being inside so long, you can't help but be overwhelmed by the beauty it creates. It really forces you to slow down and take it all in.

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Chairs overlooking the river.

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The first night of snow--it snowed over 4 inches in an hour!

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Our back patio.

Table Setting

2011-01-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

Maybe because I am becoming more of a homemaker, or maybe becuase we were hosting company this year, I JUST started getting into table settings. I have been loving to cook for a long time but we are so casual I have never felt the need to purchase cloth napkins, chargers, etc. Well this year I finally splurged a little and did it. I enjoyed seeing my table come to life, but Bob is still questioning me about the chargers-- "Really, what do they charge?". I am going to have to find a way to use them in everyday life just to justify it :)

Christmas Eve Feast

2011-01-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Bob and I decided to stay here for this Christmas and incorporate ideas and traditions that we want for our own family some day. One of the things we wanted this year was for a simple to make yet elegan Christmas Eve dinner of bread, cheese, fruit, and wine. We felt we were feasting at a table with kings. We enjoyed this meal together and then went to an 11:00 church service. For Christmas morning, we had friends come for brunch and then spent the day hanging together, eating and doing puzzles. My family came out the day after Christmas and we got to make our traditional Swedish meal--the first time that I've really made any of it. It really was a wonderful time with food and company.

Baguette Competition

2011-01-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

I have been really into making bread lately and decided to make some for Christmas Eve. Bob got me the William Sonoma baking book for my birthday and I had also just found Mark Bittman's recipe on a friend's blog so I decided to have a friendly competition between the two. I tried to enlist Bob so it would really feel like a competition--he could choose one to make and I could choose another--but he wasn't really game, so I made them both myself. It came down to this: They were both really delicious. Mark Bittman's recipe was way easier but not quite as great. The William Sonoma one was amazing but took a lot of extra steps. I am glad I made them both at the same time so I could test them against each other instead of just trying to remember what the other tasted like. I guess for a "normal" day I would make the more simple recipe and for something more special I would go all out and make the other.

A baguettepan was called for both, which I originally scoffed at. I do not need yet another thing to stick in a cabinet and didn't know why a sheet pan would not suffice. I learned quickly that while a baguette pan is not a necessity, it will drastically change the shape of your loaves. Mine turned out kind of flat since the dough is so thin and pliable and it didn't have the special pans to hold them in place.

Cheesy Christmas Sweater Party

2011-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

This is the student in my class who won the cheesy Christmas sweater competition we had on the last day of school before break. Most of the students made the cheesiness of the sweaters themselves, adding on items such as this huge stuffed bear! I had made my own as well with a Christmas tree decorated with jolly ranchers. Bad idea because the kids kept trying to steal the candy off me. I love this class!

Cirque Dreams

2011-01-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

Our apartment complex has partnered with the galleria near our home and are starting to offer $2 tickets to many off Broadway shows. Over the holiday, we got to go with friends to Cirque Dreams which was a crazy combination of acrobatics and dancing ornaments/weird music. I can't say we are better for having gone, it was a little over the top, but fun nonetheless. This month Bob and I got to attend Oklahoma for the same price (but I forgot to take a pic).

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Chex Mix

2011-01-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

Chex Mix is a Mehaffey family favorite as far as Christmas goodies go. Since we are away, I tried my hand at it this year. Sooo good! There is a reason we only make it one time a year! It is a great and easy gift to give to others (or keep for yourself) and it is a nice break from all the sweet goodies.

Gingerbread Cookies!

2011-01-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread cookie decorating was a tradition for my brother and I growing up. My aunt would have us over to decorate them and then she would use them for a Christmas party she had. I always loved the tradition and find myself wanting to do it every year. Seeing that I could not convince Bob to do it with just the two of us (nor would it have been as fun), we had my friend and her kids over fo a decorating extravaganza. It was their first time decorating gingerbread men, so it was extra fun!

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Masterpieces

Work friend fun

2010-12-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Since most of our UTQ work is done alone this year (BOO!), my work buddies decided it would be a good idea to do something fun for the holidays. It was so nice to get together and see everyone again. I love it when you can just pick up with people where you left off. I don't know why it is surprising that even when you haven't seen someone for months, they are still the same. We had so much fun laughing and talking and complaining and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It was nice to be part of a "work" community again even if we weren't really working and instead were eating a delicious Thai meal. They are the first people that I met here and I hold them dear to me. Thanks work friends!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Pasta

2010-12-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

When I was getting married, my sisters had everyone bring their favorite recipe to the bridal shower, so I ended up with a book of all kinds of things. I still sift and sort through it often and it has some of my favorite ones in it. She actually put it in a picture album so I can pull the recipes out and I have added many of my own. My sister-in law gave me one for Asparagus Goat Chees Pasta that I have eyed over and over and finally decided to make tonight. It was so easy and so delicious (thanks Lisa!) but yet very impressive. I decided to post it because I think it is THAT good!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Pasta

1 lb asparagus

1/2 lb thin spaghetti

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth

4-5 oz goat cheese (chevre)

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

2 Roma tomatoes cut into small pieces (optional)

1. Heat a lage pot of lightly salted water to boiling over high heat.

2. Snap asparagus stalks and cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces (I used frozen asparagus and it was fine). Blanch in boiling water 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus to a bowl.

3. Add the spaghetti to boiling water and cook according to label directions. Drain.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over med. high heat, melt the butter. Saute garlic and blend in flour with a whisk. Add the broth and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Blend in the goat cheese. Toss the spaghetti with asparagus, sauce, parmesan cheese, and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6

Christmas Decorating

2010-11-29T16:51:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures of the decorations I put up this year. I am finding that I like to keep it simple and use things that I already have around the house. I made a lot of my decorations this year in an effort to both save money and make it have more homey feel.
These are the stockings my brother made fore us a couple of years ago.

Here is a picture of our humble Christmas tree. We got it from Costco and it already has ornaments on it. We are using it as a Jesse tree--where we hang ornaments that basically follow humanity from creation to the birth of Jesus. I also had to capture my favorite colored pillow in the pic.

More homemeade decorations. There is a funny shadow this time of night so the picture looks really crooked. Although I wouldn't put it past me to also have made something crooked (I am not super detail-oriented if you don't know me that well)

I used picture frames that I already had on this shelf and filled them with art that I made.

This is our makeshift advent wreath. We wanted to use what we already had. As you can see here, the first candle of hope is lit for this week.

Our favorite item that we own--the nativity. Bob's grandma got this from Israel, made from olive wood. Next to it we have A Prayer Before A Christmas Crib:

I open the stable door

I kneel before the infant

I worship with the shepherds

I adore the Christ child

I give love with Mary and Joseph

I wonder at the Word made flesh

I am aware of the love of God

I sing glory with the angels

I offer my gifts with the wise men

I recieve the living Lord

I hold him in my hands

I go on my way rejoicing, glorifying and praising God

A closer picture of our tree. We like it because it is living still, we can water it and keep it long after Christmas. Starting December 1, each day we will put one Jesse ornament on it until Christmas day.

Dining table centerpiece. I love that we live in an area where we can collect and display items around the house. I gathered some of these pine cones and acorns on hikes we have been on. We had some friends over yesterday and the kids wanted to add to the pile so they collected some extra goodies for us.

Merry Christmas. I love that Bob and I are starting some of our own traditions for the holidays. I would love to see your decorations and hear about traditions your family does.

The Approach of Winter

2010-11-29T09:17:00.001-08:00

As the colors of the glorious fall season begin to fade, nostalgia begins to set in as the coldness envelops us. With each autumn, there is also a slight sadness, a difficulty to fully enjoy the present because of the approaching winter. Although the winter season is a lot more extreme in many other places than where I live, I still experience the slight dullness and grasping for past and future seasons. I cannot ignore the spiritual significance of the colorful fall spectrum leading to a grayer, darker, coldness. It is a call for me again to live in the present, to experience what God has for me in the moment, knowing that their is a warmer and more life-filled spring ahead.

A book that Bob read for class, Letters to a Young Therapist by Mary Pipher, describes it perfectly :

"Fall is really the season of yearning. At the same time we're aware of the earth's fiery glory, we're aware of its passing and the approaching winter. We yearn to stop time, to make our lives an endless Indian summer. But the message of autumn is to accept what is given. What's coming next may be harder. "

As part of the advent season, Bob and I are lighting advent candles and reflecting on what each of them stands for. This first week is hope, which is very fitting. How often I am afraid of hope, afraid to be disappointed that I will not get what I have hoped for. Hope is often a daring decision, belief that God has something for me--is really doing something in both the difficult and the joyous. And that, although it may be a long and cold winter, there will be a spring.

A Holistic Spirit of Thankfulness

2010-11-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

As Thanksgiving approaches and the incitement to give thanks is all around us, I can't help but wonder what it means to be truly thankful. Naturally, we are thankful for what feels like blessings in our lives, things that bring us pleasure and create ease. But if a gift is defined as something given to us for personal benefit, what about the idea of suffering that ultimately leads to intimacy with God and stronger character. Can I really be thankful for that?

Certainly I would never ask for pain as a means to learn and grow, but if I am honest, when I look back those are the times that I feel I have gained the most in understanding my humanity and need for God. So am I thankful for that--yes, sometimes, a little bit. I want to be more. I want to embrace my pain and unfulfilled dreams and let them lead me to a more holistic sense of what it means to be thankful.

Would I be more thankful if all I received was what I wanted, what feels like blessings? Probably not. I already take for granted the many positive gifts given to me and often come to expect them. Expect that life should be a certain way, that people should be a certain way, and that I should be comfortable and peaceful. I have so many things and am given so many gifts in fact, that I have unfortunately often stopped noticing them.

A speaker at our church a few months ago encouraged the congregation toward a "gratitude inventory", walking around the house and literally touching each item, praising God for that-- and quickly learning HOW MUCH you have when you actually take the time to pray over it.

I do want my heart to be balanced and each day brings me a little closer, even the days when I fail miserably. I want to notice the small gifts and be thankful-- a good conversation, laughter, food, a walk in the woods. But I also want to notice those items on my list of suffering--pain, heartache, shattered dreams-- and be thankful for those as well, for the truth is that God uses both to touch me and make me attentive to His love.

Romantic and historic Savannah

2010-11-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

Bob and I have been wanting to go to Savannah since we moved here so since tennis season is over until the new year, last weekend was the perfect time. This place is serene and will probably be a vacation spot for us for years to come.

The beautiful trees invite you to just come and sit. I have taken to sketching in the last few months and it was so peaceful to just sit with a cup of coffee and sketch this amazing life that God has created. The Spanish moss just adds to the depth of it. Since I have been sketching and do not have much artistic ability, I have learned to appreciate the complexity of things so much more. You can see in this picture that the tree has so much detail, but there are so many more things beyond what you see when just glancing at it that need to be sketched. I found the bark itself to be so intricate as well as the form of the moss. The trees were one of our favorite parts of the town.

We found a quaint coffee shop that served the delicious meal above. We sat and ate and read stories. This meal became the inspiration for our Christmas Eve meal that we will plan to have in about a month.

Savannah is known for being haunted-- a fun little fact that speaks more of the historical nature of the area, with many cemetaries and key figures buried there. We decided to go on one of the many ghost tours they offered and heard legendary stories as well as historical facts along the way. It was a good chance to walk around and see the city at night.

When we first got to Savannah I told Bob that I wanted to move there but quickly changed my mind when we saw a ghost on the tour!--Just kidding, I quickly changed my mind when I found out the historic district costs $1 million per 1,000 sq ft. That's a lot of money for a little bit of land--so I decided we will just stick to vacationing there.

Tybee Island

2010-11-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

Tybee Island is a small island off the Georgia coast near Savannah. When we were out visiting Savannah, we took a half day trip out there, enjoyed walking around the beach and the island. East coast beaches are very different than the ones we are used to in Southern California.
For those of you who know my brother--how much do I look like him in this picture? We could be twins-- it is crazy--just a sidenote. I like how this picture turned out to be very artsy even though that wasn't the intent. What really happened is we had the timer set and Bob had to run as fast as he could to get in the picture, which is why he is so far in front of me.

A lighthouse. I have always loved lighthouses, both because they are beautiful and for what they symbolize. A beacon of direction in a journey.

We were playing around with our shadows and I didn't notice until now that it looks like I have a little pouch, but really that is my arm not knowing what to do with itself. I often have that problem with arms in a picture. Where do you put them? Anyway, I digress...

Ah. In love.

Fall fun

2010-11-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Fall fosters all sorts of family-friendly and cozy activities. We visited the apple farm a couple of times this year which has now become one of our favorite fall traditions. Even though we buy tons of apples, I have to be selective with what I make because there are so many apple choices. The apples bought at farms have such a better taste and crunch than store bought apples. My favorite apple choice this year was decorating them with caramel and candies. The pictures below are from when my friend Jessi and I decorated them. We had so much fun that I had friends over for my birthday to repeat the extravaganza.

BeforeAfter--yum! We brought these to a tennis match and people were so impressed (they must appear to be harder to make than they really are). A fall must!

For Bob's birthday he wanted to go to a corn maze. It became the joke of the month because whenever we would try to go something would happen. One week no one could come with us, then when we rescheduled and had a car load of people, we showed up half an hour after it closed. At least we still got to enjoy the Jumpee Pillow :) You can see that I have just gotten off of it above. I accidentally made a child cry since I bounced her off, which I didn't realize until my friend so kindly pointed it out to me. Who knew bouncing was so dangerous. After being late for the corn maze party, we rescheduled for the week after but Bob got sick. Guess it will have to be something we look forward to next year.

Yeah pumpkins! We went to the hugest patch I have ever been to and I was in love. Will definitely be taking kiddos here when we have them. These are someone else's pumpkins that they had so artfully placed in their wheelbarrow that I had to have Bob take a picture. Sort of awkward when they walked up and we tried to explain to them that their pumpkin display was so beautiful that I just had to capture it on camera, but worth the slight embarrassment.

Fall means comfort food. I cooked a small feast for a couple of friends, complete with banana pudding--a southern must. My friends agreed that I now could be considered a Southern woman (and they were both born and raised in the south, so that is quite a feat!)

Fall colors

2010-11-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

Fall has definitely become my favorite season--no contest. Last year we had a very short (and cold) fall, but this year we are having a nice, long drawn out one. That means more color and beautiful weather for longer. Bob and I are taking advantage by making sure we go on hikes every weekend and have driven up to the mountains a lot where there are tons of trees.
Here is a picture in our apartment complex.

A picture of a tree from our hike.

A caterpillar friend Bob found. I love caterpillars. I think they are so fun to watch and so creatively designed. This one is extra special--I mean what does he really need those black and white feathers for other than to be appreciated by us!

Amicalola Falls. Georgia is very woodsy and has tons of great spots to hike where you can just get lost in nature. It is so peaceful being able to just drive a few miles and get away from the everyday. We are really starting to love it here.

Rome--Rome, GA, that is

2010-11-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

Bob and I had a free day and went to visit Rome, GA a few months ago. It was a gorgeous day. We stumbled upon Chic-fil-A's retreat center that used to be an old dairy farm. I felt like I was in Sweden or Norway.
This is the Swan that resides on Swan Lake.

Pictures of the dairy farm retreat center.

I love clock towers!

Don't you feel like you are in a magazine?

Weed Dating

2010-10-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

One of my students brought in a current event article entitled, "Weed Dating." It was too funny not to share.

Apparently in Vermont, they are doing a spin-off of speed dating, where instead of sitting face to face and interviewing potential interests, you take part in a field of corn. Farmers there are having a hard time meeting a match, so they have decided to get some work done as they get to know one another. Participants weed a row together after partnering up in a crop field. When a bell is rung, they switch partners and do it all over again!

What a way to meet your mate--you would find someone with at least one interest of yours!

On a side note, I love my class. They keep me on my toes, laughing, and suprise me with all sorts of knowledge and insight. It is such a pleasure to teach and learn from them each week.

Dog Walking-- at it again!!

2010-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Fall just feels like it is a time to have a dog. We are going out for walks in the cooling air on trails in the woods and it just doesn't feel right without a dog running ahead of you. Last fall is when Bob started walking those two wonderful dogs from our apartment and now that they have moved to a house with a yard, they don't need us anymore. And we miss them, especially now that it is fall.

We have gone back and forth about whether to get our own dog, but our practicality always seems to win the battle. Being in an apartment right now, we can have a dog, but just don't feel that it is fair without a yard. Especially because we want a medium to bigger sized dog. I know it could work, but sometimes with those long days, and the dog not being able to get out, it just feels like it is not the best idea.

So we decided to practice our dog-walking skills again and have signed up to help with a dog shelter in the area called Homeless Pets. We started last night and had a blast. The dogs are so glad to get out and it is so fun getting to know all of them. There were even little puppies we got to play with. On the weekends, many of the dogs are taken to PetSmart to try to get adopted.

An 87 year old lady who lives near the shelter loves the dogs and has offered her back yard for the dogs to come and run around, so not only do the dogs go on leashed walks, but get to have their own little dog park.

As we were walking them yesterday, Bob and I were reminded of so many spiritual implications. Many of these dogs have been abused and are a little apprehensive but then become so trusting when you show them some time and love. They are also so eager to get out that they sometimes forget to enjoy their walk and are just tugging the entire time (sounds familiar to my life...forgetting to enjoy the journey). Anyway, we feel blessed to get to have some time to do this.

We also found out that you can "check out" a dog for the day and take it hiking with you, or just to hang out. One lady takes a different dog each day to her work because she has a dog-friendly work place. It is nice to be able to spend time with these dogs who need it but not have to worry about living with one in an apartment. We are thankful for this opportunity.

Cooking Assistant

2010-09-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Jessi told me about this awesome opportunity that I am going to really work to take advantage of. Cook's Warehouse in Atlanta is sort of a cooking supply store but they also offer all sorts of cooking classes with different themes and genres. I was especially excited to see a pumpkin one where every dish included that wonderful fall vegetable!

Anyway, after signing up herself to be a cooking assistant, Jessi has now convinced me. What I will be doing after taking an orientation and knife skills class, is getting to sign up to come a bit early and help prepare for the classes by chopping vegetables, etc. Then as the chef is teaching the class we can help out in any way necessary (which I think usually means washing dishes...), but we get to listen in on the class and take home recipes and leftovers!! The cheap side of me loves this because while I am not actually paying to take the class, I will be reaping some benefits of it. And I guess that after assisting in a certain number of classes, Cook's Warehouse allows you to take a class of your choice.

Bob is encouraging of this endeavor because he will also enjoy the fruits of my learning :)

Off the beaten path

2010-08-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Bob and I decided to go for a "walk" the other night. Mind you, I asked for a slow and casual stroll. We decided to go to this nature trail nearby that had a few twists and turns. I knew what I was in for a bit. Afterall, it is the woods. Anyway, when we get there and look at the trail map it shows that part of the river trail we want to walk on is cut off by some rocky cliffs and you either have to a) turn around or b) go back behind the cliffs and then connect with another trail. Please notice that there is no option c. That is, until my husband created a third choice. I am sure you have guessed by now what route we took: c) over the cliffs. Being the adventurer that I am, I agreed to it after many "Are you sure?" questions and others of the same sort.

So as we are climbing up over and around boulders, trees and hills making our own path (without a machete), my mind cannot help but think about the possibility of one foot slipping and ending up at the bottom of the cliff. Walking wasn't even the scary part, it was that my mind wouldn't stop having grotesque pictures of my body lying at the bottom twisted into an unusual pretzel shape. Anyway, once I communicated this ever growing fear and Bob offered to turn around, the competitive side of me spoke up: I am not turning around, we are already into this. So we kept going.

Maybe the fact that we were pratically rock climbing without gear should have been a warning that this wasn't the best idea. Maybe the skeleton I found of something resembling a bobcat with fangs still intact should have made us go back. Maybe that we had to crawl on all fours to climb up a steep dirt hill, or that there was a huge black snake inches from Bob's foot, or the fact that we were climbing on territory that more animals traversed than humans should have posed a red flag. But no. We were explorers. Or really, Bob was and I was just that annoying sidekick saying "Are you sure you can get us back to the path? We are lost. It is going to be night and no one is going to find us. I am going to get in the river and swim back to our apartment."

I think there became a point where we both were feeling like "Uh-oh." But of course Bob wouldn't admit that. But I have to give it to him, just when I had reached my limit and all the weak, scared comments were starting to pour out of me, he found the path he knew was there. Gosh. If I could have only waited 5 more minutes to start my complaining then I would have arrived victorious and brave. Oh well, I guess the true side prevails again. It did end up being really fun though(for the most part). Bob says it was his most favorite hike so far. Goody! Guess that means we're doing it again?!

Creative minds

2010-08-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

I had my first day with students last week. I can't believe it has been a year since I have been in the classroom. I love them. They are really smart and really fun and really great. I gave them an assignment before school started which included reading 3 Shel Silverstein poems (my favorite!) and responding to different prompts I gave them. They did such a great job with them that I just had to post some of what they wrote.

For one assignment, they were given the poem Homework Machine and they had to convince the reader whether or not it was a good idea and then come up with an invention that they would make for school.

One girl's invention was this: "There should be a machine which is hidden in your pencil. There could be a satellite in the eraser that connects to a hair clip, whcih you put in your hair. You simply just look all the other questions over, then the satellites will connect. After that, your pencil moves around the paper jotting down answers."

Another student: "The invention I would make to help me in school would be a machine that you could hook up to your mind and by thinking the answer the machine would type it."

The students also had to write their own Whatif poem and this was one of my faves:

"While I was daydreaming one afternoon,
Some whatifs crawled across the room.
They jumped up high into my head,
These are the kinds of things they said:
Whatif I annoy my mother?
Whatif I can't have a brother?
Whatif my piano comes to life?
Whatif my sister causes strife?
Whatif I forget my school books?
Whatif my teacher gives me dirty looks?
Whatif my backpack won't unzip?
Whatif I dislocate my hip?
Whatif my friends make fun of me?
Whatif the lunchroom's full of peas?
Whaif my dog eats my sock?
Whaif my key gets stuck in the lock?
Whatif our computer breaks down?
Whatif I can't think of a noun?
whatif I can't find my dime?
Whatif I become a mime?
The thoughts get cluttered in my brain,
And then I start to dream again."

Aren't they great?!

Teaching again!

2010-08-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share my excitement about being able to go back into the classroom for one day a week this year. Along with my UTQ research job, I will also be working for a homeschool program where students come once a week to discuss and receive assignments. I will be teaching a 5th/6th grade combo class so it is right up my alley. The people I have met whom I will be working with are wonderful and I get to meet my kiddos and their parents tonight. I am particularly excited about this job because of the no-frills aspect (since it is one day a week I don't have to decorate bulletin boards, etc.) and that it won't be the overwhelming job that 5 day a week teaching was for me. Plus the parents will be just as, if not more so, involved in their child's education than I am because they teach them the other 4 days a week. I have 7 kids in my class and am looking forward to the smaller size. School starts next Wednesday and I am really looking forward to what this will offer. I have really missed the kids since I have been out of the classroom.

Greenville

2010-08-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

Bob and I took a trip to Greenville the last couple of days so that we could spend some time together during his time off of internship and school and because we keep hearing it is a great area so we wanted to check it out.
They have an awesome downtown with a river park in the center that you can picnic at, walk around or bike. These beautiful falls attract many people to the park. There is also a suspension bridge so that you can walk over them and look down. That part was scary, especially because when there are other people on it, it moves.

We took a hike up in the mountains and this is on an overlook that peers down into the forest. All you can see is trees--no buildings, roads, anything.

I know this is not original, but I don't think I had ever been into a Krispy Kreme before. When the sign was flashing "hot now" Bob and I pulled over on a whim. We watched the donuts get their delicious glaze while savoring each warm bite of thousands of calories. It really was good :)

We drove by an area called pumpkin mountain and of course I had to take a picture because I love anything pumpkin.

We also were able to visit a local farm where only free-range, grassfed organic meat is raised and sold as well as organic vegetables and milk. It was really neat to see how close this was to the city and that more and more people are becoming aware of the food they eat and supporting local farmers. We have been trying to find some meat near us, but it is very difficult, so this farm was encouraging.

We enjoyed just hanging and seeing a new place, as well as all of the delicous food we got to enjoy. We toured both the Bob Jones and Furman campuses which are on opposite sides of town, and let me just say, have a really different feel. The Furman campus was the most beautiful college campus I have ever seen and has so many activities to do on campus that I don't know why anyone would ever leave. There are walking and biking trails, a lake, a vegetable garden, a rose garden, a Japanese peace garden, and much more. Bob and I enjoyed biking around the campus and seeing what it had to offer.

We have been blessed to be able to take these little trips and see so much of the southeast. There are such great pockets all over the place, with great people living in them and fun adventures to be discovered.

2010-08-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Bob and I went camping with our friend Josh last weekend at a beautiful area up in North Georgia. We just went for one night but we spent two full days away, which was very peaceful.

Here is a picture of our humble campsite.
The waterfall.

We had a visitor at night. A bear came looking for our cooler of food and left his pawprint on Bob's truck where he jumped up to peek in. Luckily the boys were smart and left the cooler inside the truck.

Bob's favorite pasttime.

My own street sign!

2010-08-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

My brother sent this to me the other day when he walked by it in San Luis Obispo. My namesake, on a sign (for those of you who don't know, my middle name is Lee). It is just missing the "e" on Jamie. Wonder what it is like to live on this street...:)

Snack Staple

2010-08-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

I made this yummy granola bar recipe a couple of weeks ago and would swear by it. I love granola bars and such but refuse to buy them from the store because who wants to buy high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils covered in a waxy coat called chocolate. No thanks. So even though these fruity granola bars have a lot going into them, it is worth it because you will make them over and over again. LOTS of ingredients=LOTS of goodness, in my book (and usually lots of time too, but not these!!). They are not too sugary because it is mostly honey. I also liked to crumble them and use them as granola in yogurt or other cereal. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. As a side note, I also made them with chocolate chips and no fruit, and they just weren't as good.

Homemade Granola Bars
2 c old fashioned oatmeal1 c sliced almonds
1 c shreddded coconut, loosely packed
1/3 c toasted wheat germ
3 Tb unsalted butter
2/3 c honey
1/4 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/2 c chopped pitted dates
1/2 c chopped dried apricots
1/2 c dried cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9X13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.2. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. 3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.4. Place honey, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberrrries and stir well.5. Pour the mixture into the prepaed pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2-3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.
Recipe by Barefoot Contessa

The Unknown

2010-08-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

My friend Gina posted this prayer by Richard Foster on her blog the other day, and I found it very fitting for what I/we are experiencing right now. I post it both to share and as a place that I can come back and read it:

Loving God, I choose this day to be a servant. I yield my right to command and demand. I give up my need to manage and control. I relinquish all schemes of manipulation...
In Jesus' name,
Amen

After one more year, Bob will graduate and we don't know where we will be, in this city, this state. No idea. I guess this is where trust in God really plays out. I have been seeing my strong sense to control my surroundings and it seems the more that gets taken from me, the more I desire to control. I am thankful that I have a neat group of women and a wonderful husband to work through these things with me. I know that so much of life is not predictable or what you hoped for or expected, but somehow I am always surprised at my disappointment.

Lesson Learned.

2010-08-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Bob and I "saved" this nice restaurant called Canoe for our 5th anniversary dinner because we heard it was good and that a lot of food was local. It had a beautiful atmosphere right on the river, but as soon as we sat down we realized what we really have known all along--that we are NOT gourmet diners. We shared a glass of wine, partly because we always share a glass of wine and partly because we wouldn't spend $20 on two glasses of wine. When we ordered dinner, an awkward conversation began:
Waitress: And what will you have for an appetizer?
Us: Oh, we will pass on the appetizer
Waitress: Well, everyone usually orders an appetizer, so it might take longer for your dinner to come, but I will try my best
Us: Uh, okay
As soon as the waitress left, Bob tells me we should've gone to a place where we would've spent the same amount of money and gotten a lot more. BBQ or Mexican food we decided. When our "gourmet" plates came, although looking very beautiful, we were reminded again. We hate to eat a whole meal and still go home feeling hungry. We are the people who like the thought of dressing up and going out somewhere nice, but in reality, not so much. I want to eat to my hearts content, have leftovers and enjoy it all over again. And I don't want it to matter if I spill on myself, because you know I will. On the way home, we picked up brownies and a movie. When we got home we changed into our PJs and back into ourselves. Lesson learned.

NY photos--finally!

2010-08-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am finally getting around to posting pictures from NY. Here are the highlights, but if you want to view all of them, you can find them on http://picasaweb.google.com/106338896800545130178/NewYork#
I was wandering around one day and accidentally found my way to FAO Schwartz. I was by myself which ALMOST stopped me from having a good time, but I decided to let loose, take my shoes off and play the famous keyboard with my feet. It even lit up! Sooo fun, despite the fact that everyone else playing had a child with them.

I love books and I can and do spend hours in the bookstore. This one had both new and used books and I visited it a couple of times just to hang out and read. My favorite find was a book called Secret Postmaster or something like that where blank postcards were passed out and people were to write and illustrate their biggest secret. It was so telling of the human heart. Some were funny, some deeply disturbing, and some that made you think, "Do they know me?". People shared about not feeling loved, about wanting to believe in God, about abuse, etc. I found myself really drawn to this. I also bought a book called the Compassionate Carnivore. Bob and I have been becoming more aware of where our meat comes from and how to make good decisions based on our values. It is amazing how inhumanely animals are treated their entire lives just to give us food. I have no problem with consuming meat, but I do think God has given us animals to treat with integrity while they are living and in the process of dying.

This is Wall Street. Nothing special outside.

NY is known for its bagels, so my friend Sherry and I took the trek to H&H, which is known for it's fresh bagels. The store was nothing to boast of. All they sold were bagels and then they had a fridge where you could buy packets of cream cheese or apple juice. It was nothing like the bagel shops here with varieties of cream cheese, coffee, etc. I guess the goal was just to showcase the bagel. And it did--they were awesome--warm when you bought them and they just sort of melted in your mouth. I think I could live on bread.

Here is a sweet quote that was in the park.

A list of those that died in the 911 attack at the museum that Bob and I went to.

This is a Japanese oragami peace chain hanging in the museum. The great significance of this is that it was donated by a Japanese man whose family had died in the bombing of Hiroshima. He gave it as a gift after 911, which I found very humbling after the pain he had suffered at US hands.

An elementary school nearby had made a quilt for firefighters at one of the first responding stations. These cannot be read without at least getting teary eyed, for the heart of a child is an immeasurable thing. There is so much hope, life, and understanding that exudes from little ones. Each of the squares started with somewhere today... and the one above was one of my favorites.

Rebuilding ground zero. They are turning it into a memorial site including waterfalls into the foundations and they are also building new buildings around.

A wall of pictures of the people who died. Heartbreaking.

Bob and I taking a picture in front of the Statue of Liberty. Oops! I guess we are blocking it :) Too bad the guy taking the picture didn't bother to tell us.

Riding bikes in Central Park.

Me eating the best gyro I have ever had (and the cheapest, nonetheless). It was from a stand on the side of the road. I still crave gyros from NY and have to settle for ones in Atlanta.

We walked the Brooklyn Bridge and ended up at a homemade ice cream shop on the other side. Yum!

There is nothing special about this picture except for the funny story behind it. The fountain was pretty so I wanted to take a picture and Bob started talking about how to choose the right person to take our picture--something like someone you could run faster than if they decided to take our camera. He was laying out all these theories as we were looking around for someone to take our picture. This guy was walking toward us really fast, alone, with his hair a mess and looking kind of frazzled. Don't ask me why because he would be the last person that I asked any question to, but Bob asked him to take our picture. Denied! The guy actually said no, which astonished me, even in NY, because I had never had that happen before. Luckily a girl nearby saw this and felt sorry for us, offering to take our picture. If not for her, we probably would not have a picture by the fountain because it would've taken a while to work up the guts to ask someone again. Not really, but pretty funny.

Mexico Anniversary

2010-08-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Bob and I went to the Mayan Riviera to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the culture, people, food and activities. Bob and I brushed up on our Spanish while we were there. We spend a lot of time snorkeling, laying around and eating chips and salsa. The great part about our resort is that it had like 10 sister resorts in the area so we could go to a different one and hang out each day. We went to Cozumel one day and visited many different beaches. The hotel we stayed at was an ecological reserve, so it was almost like a zoo--they had monkeys, deer (we got to feed them), birds, and other animals. We also got to visit Chichenitza and other Mayan ruins. If you want to see more pictures from our trip, here is the website: http://picasaweb.google.com/106338896800545130178/Mexico2010#

Below are a few of our favorites.

This was the kiddie pool. Although there was a sign for 12 and under, it could not stop Bob and I. All those fun slides and stairs called to us. We paid for it though when at the end of the slide you landed in water about 2 feet deep and either got a wedgie or a pool floor burn. Not good, but well worth the fun.

We went to a show that highlighted the Mayan ball game and other activities at a place called Xcaret. We snorkled through caves during the day and then at night we got to see the show. The people in the show dressed up in some of these crazy costumes.

Our hotel had been a booming place in the past but had been ruined a few years back by a hurricane. After that some of the land was sold and a man sits in this lifeguard tower to guard it. It is such a beautiful area.

Snorkeling!

Wish you were here! Totally inappropriate, I know, for me to even be posting on my blog, but just too funny to pass up. Bob and I went for a walk on the beach and were stopped abruptly by this image--a man, missing some clothes as you can see (he may have gotten confused and took the wrong piece off) facing the ocean. The best part was, there was a boat out in the distance that he was facing. Anyway, I didn't feel comfortable walking past him but Bob just had to take a picture, saying he wanted to make it into postcards to send to people saying "Wish you were here". So consider this your post card ;)

Botanical Gardens

2010-08-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Each month our apartment complex offers what they call a cultural enrichment where they pick a place (the zoo, a museum, etc.) that you can go to that month and they pay 90% of it. It has been a great way for Bob and I to do some things in Atlanta that we might not have done otherwise. A couple months ago we went to the Botanical Gardens. Here are some of our favorite pictures.

Let this be a lesson to all mosquitoes

2010-07-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

One of the awful parts about living in the South in the summer are the mosquitoes. Especially because we live on the water, we have to be wary of those little buggers. It seems like no matter how hard we try, one or two always follow us in the front door. We are obsessed with finding and killing these pests, and they know how to hide. Each death is a personal victory that Bob and I bestow on ourselves, but this week Bob took it to a new level...

As we are laying in bed last night, I point up to the wall and say, "Look at that little spider." This is the conversation that ensues:

Bob (looking sheepish): That is not a spider
Me (coming to the realization of how this conversation is going to play out): It's a dead mosquito, isn't it
Bob: Yeah, I think I killed it last week
Me: Well, then go clean it up, that is disgusting!
Bob: No, it is serving as a lesson to all mosquitoes that if they mess with me that is what will happen to them

Nice. Whatever makes my husband feel like a superior human warrior...