our life on the plains

i'm back. i promise.

2011-11-05T20:07:00.000-05:00

After a long vacation from the blog, I plan on getting back in the swing of things.

There have been some major developments that make our life here on the plains a wee bit more interesting.

Here's a quick rundown. More details to come!

We've moved (across town)! Liam and I bought our first home this summer and moved in over Fourth of July weekend. We love having a place to call our home.
We're pregnant! We're expecting our first child any day now - as in, Boy Howdy's due on Tuesday! The past nine months have flown by.
I'm a stay-at-home mom! When it came time to decide what life would look like after the arrival of Boy Howdy, we were committed to me staying at home. It may not be right for everyone, but it's definitely right for us.

Until next time...

(no) snow day

2011-03-08T20:26:00.000-06:00

My cell phone gave a door bell chime very early this morning. The school district alert system sent me a text at 4:37 am. Snow day! I excitedly turned off my alarm for the morning and tried to overcome the excitement to fall back to sleep. I thought about getting out of bed to look at the situation outside, but I was just too cozy.

I slept in for the first time in a long time.

Once I got out of bed, I made my way to the front door. I couldn't believe my eyes.

The roads were clear. The sidewalks were clear. It was sure snowing and had been for hours, but it was too warm to stick. They had projected we would get over nine inches of snow accumulation. At the end of the day, even the little bit that had collected in the grass was gone. Just five degrees cooler and we probably would have had five or six inches of snow.

I am so grateful for a relaxing, refreshing (no) snow day!

super bowl fun

2011-02-12T23:14:00.000-06:00

Liam and I spent Super Bowl weekend with my sister. We also got some good hang-out time in with my sister's bf, my cousin, her husband, and their sweet little man. Lots o' good food and fun!

Speaking of food, my sister and cousin recently started up a food blog. It's so charming and definitely worth a look! You can take a gander at the potato skins that they made for the big game. Delicious!

I was really excited for the Super Bowl. I've been a Green Bay Packers fan for about 13 years. It all began when I got a sweatshirt in Green Bay on family vacation because it was really chilly, and we didn't have heavy jackets with us. I've been a fan ever since. I wore that same sweatshirt to cheer on the Packers for Super XLV.

I became a more devoted Packers fan when K-State's own Jordy Nelson was drafted by the Packers. The Super Bowl Party crowd consisted of all K-State grads. Needless to say, we were so proud of his landmark performance!

See that little guy getting a taste of the potato skins? He's an avid reader of fine cookbooks.

Sometimes he even pulls out his glasses to take a closer look.

He's also a serious fan of self-portraits. So much so that we took 20 self-portraits without one smile from him. All the while, he asked for more by tapping his sweet, little fingers together after each one. He loved seeing himself in each picture along the way!

His lovely mamma even got in on a self-portrait photo op!

Before the end of the night, there was some barnyard play - complete with a charming smile.

happy kansas day!

2011-01-29T21:50:00.000-06:00

January 29th = Kansas Day. This January 29th has me especially sentimental since this year marks Kansas' sesquicentennial. I can't say I'd ever used the word sesquicentennial until now. 150 years of a great state!

It was only fitting the Sunflower Showdown fell on Kansas Day. Liam cheered for Kansas State, and I cheered for KU. I can't help but be true to my roots.

I still love a good Rock Chalk chant at the end of another successful game. A KU victory made this Kansas Day even sweeter.

I'll leave you with a passage from the poem A Heavenly Gift by Nancy Julien Kopp:

Over these hills and
across these plains,
the Creator scattered
many-hued wildflowers
and treasured trees in
all the right places.
His mighty hand
carved brooks and
streams alike.

With grateful heart
my prayer of thanks
soars Heavenward from
this very special place
that I call home.

I love Kansas.

hello my name is jenni and i'm a blogging slacker

2011-01-03T19:40:00.001-06:00

I am officially back from my spontaneous six-month sabbatical. (Alliteration accidental.) I'm not exactly sure when or why I jumped off the blog ship, but it may have been because of that string of days in July when I was home for only 3 out of 18 days... not to mention visiting 10 states in one summer. Yeah, maybe that was it.

Confession. It's been so long since I last posted that it took me a bit to even remember how to log in and write a post.

Anywho.
I'm back. And still adjusting to writing 2011.

A lot of things have happened in the last six months - most notable of which include:

A visit to see Liam's brother and his wife in Virginia!

A visit to see some wonderful friends in Maryland!

Celebration of two years of wedded bliss to my dear husband!

A new job as secretary at The Learning Center!
The Learning Center is an alternative high school diploma program. We have students ages 14 to 75. The job change led to more hours at higher pay with more working days. I am still mourning the loss of my summer break, as I will now be working year-round. But. It's hard to complain. I like my job and I love my coworkers. Also. It's thrilling to see the satisfaction through the happy tears when our students become high school graduates. What more could I ask for?

A cutie-patootie nephew arrived!

Check out that cuteness factor.

Those are the major highlights. I think. I apologize to any major highlights I may have forgotten. Now that you're all up to speed, stay tuned for some more regularly scheduled blog posts...

Tread on Trafficking is coming to an end

2010-06-29T13:21:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the last day of the Tread on Trafficking event through Love146. I just got caught up on logging miles. When I began, I wanted to average one mile a day of walking/running/biking exercise for May and June. I'm almost there. I have some work to do today and tomorrow!

More importantly, though, I have raised $65 so far to fund the rescue of children from the sex slavery industry. It may not seem like much, but it is enough to make a difference. A big thank you to those that have donated!

If you are still interested in donating, there's still time!

Visit my donation site to contribute to the efforts of Love146 to end child sex trafficking.

For more info on the event, check out my initial post on the event and an update.

Thank you for coming along with me on this journey!

introducing: my first quilt

2010-06-12T15:54:00.002-05:00

I've been doing a lot of this lately.

And loving it.

I decided to try my hand at quilting.

I knew it would be easier to start with a really simple baby quilt.

I am very pleased with my first experiment.

Maybe that's an understatement.

I'm thrilled with my first quilt.

In fact, I stood up and clapped when the sewing machine finished the last stitch.

Clapped.

With no further ado, my very first quilt.

Seriously, guys.

I'm impressed that it even begins to look like a quilt.

I was expecting the first one to resemble a thrown-together mess.

Check out the darling animal fabric.

If you are interested in a baby/toddler quilt, let me know!

I think I'm hooked.

I loved the quilt-making process.

The precision

The detail.

The art.

The result.

I see more quilting in the future.

These pictures were taken before the quilt's first washing.

After a cold wash and low-heat dry, the quilt has shaped up well.

The edges flattened smoothly around the batting - no more rippling effect.

It has a slight antiquing finish around the quilted stitches.

It looks nice and snuggle-y.

Quilt specs:

Cotton fabric (preshrunk)

100% cotton batting (preshrunk)

Clear nylon quilting thread

Self-binding

Hours of fun

i look half my age?

2010-06-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

At the end of the school year I had the privilege of going on two field trips with the sixth grade students. For the first field trip, the sixth grade teachers organized a Middle Ages madrigal - complete with costumes and roles. I was a lady-in-waiting.

Guess what... On three occasions, parents at the madrigal questioned whether I was a sixth grade student or a teacher. Really? I look half my age?

This is what I looked like when I graduated from eighth grade.

I tend to think I look a little older nowadays...

It's not that it really bothered me as much as it was a hassle to deal with. Needless to say, the next day when we went to a local museum for the day, I was sure to don my school name badge. I was hoping that it would project, "Yes, I am in fact the one in charge of these 14 12-year-olds."

It seemed to work. No confusions.

getting out of debt

2010-06-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

I was recently asked how we paid off my student loans so quickly.

That's a good question!

I assumed that they would be around for a long time - a long-term fixture in our bills that arrive in the mailbox. That was until we met Dave Ramsey (in book form - Total Money Makeover). I have to take advantage of the opportunity to share about Dave's ideas for finding freedom from debt. Because. We all know. Debt stinks.

Since I couldn't do a good job of summing things up in a couple sentences of explanation, here we are for the extended version. (Did I mention that it's the extended version? Prepare yourselves.) Keep in mind that this is what worked for us. We've taken some of Dave's ideas and morphed them a bit for ourselves. I wish I could say this is easy, but it's not. It's definitely worth it, though.

Budget
First things first: make a budget. I know. That dreaded b word. But seriously. When it's all said and done, you'll be glad you did. I honestly don't want to go back to life without one. At this point, you give every dollar a name that will come through your doors that month. At the end of the month, I used to wonder where in the world my money went. Now I know ahead of time.

I would suggest using this budget worksheet (or at least take a peak at it so you understand what I'm referring to throughout the post). It's simple and works great. We sit down toward the end of each month and plan the budget for the next month. At the beginning, that took at least 30 minutes. Now, it takes about five. We used to have a general budget that we tried to use for every month. But that didn't work. Every month's total expenses were different based on what we were doing that month.

To begin the budget, estimate what is reasonable to spend in each category. Don't put too much pressure on yourself the first time around to get the number right. You can adjust in later months as need be. Try to challenge yourself to be frugal in categories that are flexible. There are lots of lines that will go unused on that worksheet, but try to fill in everything that applies to you.

Once all applicable categories are filled in, total your budgeted expenses for the month. Next, subtract those budgeted expenses from your anticipated income. This is where it gets intense. Add every dollar of income over those budgeted expenses into your debt payment. For us, that meant adding everything that was left on top of my student loan minimum payment. (Side note: Before you move everything to debt payment, Dave would suggest having at least $1,000 in an emergency fund.)

Debt Snowball

Debt snowball is a phrase that Dave uses a lot. This applies if you have more than one debt (ex: credit card debt, car loan/payment, and student loan). List all of your debts on paper. Put them in order from smallest to largest. Your smallest debt is the first priority. Although it may be beneficial mathematically to pay off the loan with the highest interest rate first, trust me. It does make a big difference when you see that first loan knocked out. You gain momentum.

With the money that you set aside for debt payment, you will be paying minimum payments on all of your debt. Add anything that's left over after minimum payments to your smallest loan. Once that smallest loan is paid off, move everything that was going into loan #1 on to the next one on the list. At that point, you'll have the minimum payment from debt #1 (since you paid it off), the minimum payment from #2, and all the leftovers pouring into debt #2. Thus, a snowball develops as you keep knocking off debts and moving on to the next.

Tracking Your Money
I think tracking your money takes more effort than writing a budget. You have to save your receipts and be intentional about recording expenses. But without tracking every dollar, you'll have no idea how much you've spent and whether or not you're within budget. Once you have the budget written up for the month, you'll need to develop a method of choice for keeping track.

There are numerous ways to track your expenses. You could even use paper and pencil. Personally, we use an Excel spreadsheet. If you make yourself a template, you can use it every month to make your Excel document by just adjusting the budgeted amounts. We have a tab on our spreadsheet for each category on that budget worksheet. Within each tab, we keep track of where we spent money, how much we spent, and the date - kind of like you would do in a checkbook register. We then have a total that we've spent in that category for the month and how much we have left in the budget for that category. Our spreadsheet is full of Excel formulas, because Liam enjoys that kind of stuff. But you don't have to make it too complicated.

Throughout the month, you'll be recording every dollar you spend. If there's an emergency and a category runs out of money, you can sacrifice money from another category. Just make sure you maintain a name for every dollar. Also. Don't tell yourself ahead of time that you can adjust categories. When I do that, it's an excuse to spend more than budgeted in a category when it's not necessary.

One way to make sure you stay within the budgeted amount for categories is to put the budgeted amount of cash into an envelope for a specific category. It's a visible reminder of how much you have left and limits you to spending only what's in that envelope. We spend less money when we do that and often do it for the food, miscellaneous, and clothing categories.

The End of the Month
The goal is to have some money left unspent at the end of the month. Yay! There are some options. You can put that leftover money in savings, use it to pay off more debt, or splurge to reward yourself for staying under budget. You could even keep a wish list of things you want but don't need, and use the extra money to buy something on that list. We usually applied the leftovers to paying off debt. It helps your reach your goal that much more quickly!

BTdub - Don't beat yourself up if you have to pull some of that extra money from the debt category for an emergency. It happens. We had to at times. We just couldn't make a habit of it.

Then and Now
Now that we've paid off our debt, we're still keeping ourselves on a tight budget. Now instead of dumping the extras into debt payments, we'll be dumping it into saving up for a house down payment. I'm still amazed at the fact that we don't have debts to pay off. It's awesome to see how much you can accomplish when you get intentional and make some sacrifices.

I don't write this post to brag or gloat. Seriously. I write it because I want to pass on the things that we've learned on the journey. I write it because I'm excited about the results of being intentional with money and want everyone to experience the freedom it brings! It's a great feeling. Definitely worth passing on.

Let me know if you have any questions or need anything to be clarified.

Confused?
If I royally confused you, check out Dave Ramsey. He does a much better job of explaining all this stuff. Look into reading his book Total Money Makeover, check out a podcast of his radio show where he answers listeners money and debt questions, or look around on his website. He has tons of resources available that are informative and motivational.

It's all his fault that we are where we are.

super baby

2010-06-01T09:58:00.000-05:00

Ok. This is hilarious.

Starring first-cousin-once-removed, Deacon.

One of his many tricks.

memorial day weekend

2010-06-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was packed full of goodness and things that make me happy.

On Saturday, the fam went to the the state track meet. Talk about an experience. It's always amazing to watch the athletes in action. We're talking about people that could practically lap me twice while running 800 meters. It makes me tired just watching.

This year happened to be the 100th anniversary of our state track meet. It was great to see a parade of state track champions walk around the track. The oldest champion present was 84 years old. There were also a few Olympians present - one of which was a woman that made it to the Olympics during high school way back when women didn't even participate in track in school.

On Sunday evening, many of the cousins gathered for a barbecue of epic proportions. My cousin happens to be a master of the art of smoking meat. Best pulled pork I've ever had. Talk about delish.

The youngest generation provided great entertainment. Seriously. These babies are some of the happiest, low-maintenance children. And entertaining. Speaking of which, stay tuned for some video evidence.

Also. Greetings, June. Today is Liam's first anniversary at his job. Time flies. Fast.

favicon your blogger blog

2010-05-24T11:33:00.003-05:00

favicon - noun - an icon associated with a particular website or web page and displayed when that site is bookmarked

Did you notice that tiny little sunflower next to the blog address up in the address bar? That is a favicon. It also appears on the tab if you are using Firefox. And, if you've humored me and bookmarked the blog, it may show up there.

I've been noticing favicons on a lot of blogs. I thought about customizing a favicon for the old Blogger system, but never got around to it. Then, Blogger updated their templates, and I never figured out the ropes of adding a customized favicon on the new Blogger system.

In steps my friend, Chris. With his help and some research, mission accomplished. Through trial and error, I got it figured out. Below are the steps I followed:

Disclaimer: I don't know squat about programming. Just a tiny bit from my CivicPlus days of working on websites. We had excellent programmers that set up a content development system, so there was very minimal programming involved for the rest of us. This is the "Favicons for Dummies" to the best of my abilities, since I don't know all the technical terms.

Preparing the image

Choose a simple image that you would like to use to represent your site. Be sure to keep it simple since space is limited.
Resize the image to 16x16. (Picnik is an easy tool to use for this)
Save the image in .jpg format. (For additional formats, see Chris's comment below)
Create a new post on Blogger, but do not publish it. Without writing anything, insert your chosen image into the post.
After the picture has been added, go to the "Edit HTML" tab (above the toolbar at the top of your post).
Copy the image source and paste it in a document for use in a bit. It probably looks something like this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Svme5QPESp8/S_ajJKLBK1I/AAAAAAAAAs4/Ia0Iqn9wKPQ/s1600/sunflowers-10377.jpg
Keep this blog post saved, but unpublished.

Placing the code

While in Dashboard on Blogger, click on "Design." Now, click on "Edit HTML" on the link bar toward the top of the page.
Once in the HTML, do a find for /head
You are going to be inserting code directly above that line, so locate your cursor between the "</b:template-skin>" and "</head>" lines.
Insert the following code: <link href='XXXXXXXX' rel='shortcut icon'/>
<link href='XXXXXXXX' rel='icon' type='image/jpg'/>
Replace the XXXXXXXX with the address for the picture that you copied earlier.
Click the "Preview" button and cross your fingers.
If the favicon appears when you preview your site, click the "Save Template" button. If the favicon doesn't appear, I don't know what to tell you... Maybe go through the steps again to make sure you tackled everything.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll do my best to answer them. No guarantees!
Good luck!

jumping for joy

2010-05-21T13:00:00.001-05:00

This is how we feel today.

Why, you ask?

WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!!!!!!!!!

No more student loans!

We were aiming at getting them paid off in June, but we got 'er done early.

We paid off about $15,000 in a year thanks to Dave's inspiration!

I'm so excited that we no longer have to shovel money into the loans every month.

Now on to finishing up our emergency fund - hopefully only four months of saving.

Wahooooooo!

school's out for the summer!

2010-05-20T17:05:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the last day of school till August! The kids ran around all morning with permanent markers, signing each other's shirts. The gym bustled with dodge ball, and then they rushed out of the school when they were set free. Most of them were talking of a summer spent at the pool or a vacation with the fam.

It was fun to see their excitement about the summer. It reminded me of when I was a kid.

I must admit. I did like school a lot growing up. I was usually a little disappointed when school got out - at least through grade school. This is the girl that asked for a big chalk board for Christmas so I could "play school."

Growing up, Mom made the last day of school special. I always looked forward to when she welcomed us home.

We'd walk home to a sign on the back door and signs throughout the house.

YAY!!

School's Out!

It's Summer!

You're Done!

And then there were her signature paper plate spiral decorations, hanging from the chandeliers. I loved those things. They seemed to add to the celebration. I can't wait to hang up paper plate spirals someday on my kids' last day of school.

Excitement is in the air.

seeing God through suffering and death

2010-05-18T18:39:00.002-05:00

I happened upon Zac Smith's story one day online. I don't even know how I found it. But I did. And I will never forget it.

When I learned of Zac, he had recently found out that he had cancer for the second time at the age of 32. Terminal cancer. It eventually became clear that chemo was no longer effective.

Take a look at more of his story and the perspective he gained:

Through his blog, Zac made it clear that he was frustrated and angry at times - as would be expected. However, the amazing growth, perspective, and strength that God established in him while he worked through those feelings was very inspiring.

At one point, Zac wrote a series on ways Christians can navigate through suffering. He encouraged people to focus on personal and spiritual growth, ministering to others, and the exciting future God has for you instead of the painful present. He drew from his own experiences to encourage others on a similar path to his own.

The man has some amazing wisdom. Take some time to view a video with some of that wisdom in the form of a letter from his 32-year-old self to his 17-year-old self:

I was struck with both sorrow and joy when I found out recently that Zac passed away last Sunday.

Zac's wife gave amazing perspective in her post on his blog about his passing:

The cancer has lost and Jesus has the victory in all of this. The battle has been won. [...] Death cannot take away what is already His. To God be the glory. Always.

Even though I never knew Zac personally, his attitude and witness have had an impact on me.

Please be praying for his wife, Mandy, and their three kids - Lizzy, Jake, and Luke.

Lord, help me to spend my days on the Earth embracing life and not dreading death. Help me to live an abundant life no matter the circumstances.

putting my foot down

2010-05-11T20:57:00.006-05:00

I'm about 10 days into Tread on Trafficking. I've been working out more consistently than I have in a while. It's refreshing.

But as I run on that treadmill with those footprints on my shirt, I can't help but think about the pain of children trapped in sex trafficking.

As I've thought about human trafficking in the last 10 days, I've been reminded of our fallen nature. Of the broken state of our world.

The tragedy of modern day slavery is bigger than me.
Bigger than one fundraiser.
Bigger than one organization.

But as big as the task is, there is hope.

One by one these children can be rescued into a more abundant life. They can leave behind the living hell that they have come to know.

I pray that God continues to stir in me the desire to give a voice to those who have no voice. Until the day comes when the whole world is redeemed, we have a battle to fight for the less fortunate.

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

So I will continue to put my foot down. I will continue to run. Even when I feel like this after a workout:

Elizabeth has joined me in the efforts of Tread on Trafficking. I got the idea from her to add a mile tracker to my sidebar. You can now watch the miles I log in May and June add up as I work to raise money for the rescue of children all over the world.

To donate to the efforts of Love146 to end child sex trafficking, visit my donation site.

fight modern-day slavery

2010-04-30T22:13:00.011-05:00

It is estimated that at least 27 million people are currently enslaved around the world.

The industry generates more than $32 million annually,
making it the second most lucrative crime.

Two children are sold every minute - over 1.2 million children per year.

A majority of those are victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

Love146

For the months of May and June, I am participating in the Tread on Trafficking event put on by Love146. Take some time to learn about their eye-opening story:

A little more about the work that Love146 is doing:

Love 146 has initiated two core program areas to combat the issue of child sex slavery and exploitation, Prevention and Aftercare. In addition, Love146 works to grow a body of Research on the issue to enhance the knowledge base for the communities we serve, our partners and our work.

get involved

As a part of Tread on Trafficking, I will be keeping track of all of the miles that I walk, run, and bike and raising money for efforts of Love146 to end child sex slavery. If you are interested in donating, you can visit my donation site. If you are interested in participating, you can get registered and get started. Even though the event starts tomorrow, people can continue to register after it begins.

Raise awareness and take some action concerning one of the major humanitarian crises we face today. Be an agent of change.

the Great Plains {my home}

2010-04-25T11:24:00.002-05:00

This video does a wonderful job of capturing the beauty of the landscape and wildlife of the land that I love.

When people grow tired of traveling through the plains, I think to myself, "They must not see what I see."

"It's a place that you can feel deep in your bones. It's that place where you cross into this space where the land is mostly just an anchor for the sky. It's a place where you can't open your arms wide enough to take it all in." - Michael Forsburg.

para appreciation

2010-04-19T14:21:00.000-05:00

Last week was para appreciation at my school. We could definitely tell the other staff appreciate us. On Monday they sent us away for lunch at a great, local Mexican restaurant. They gave us a whole hour to eat - quite the contrast from the usual 20 minutes!

Then, on Tuesday, my supervising teacher had flowers delivered to us. They're beautiful!

I also received coupons for fountain drinks at a local-favorite gas station and some chocolate.

All in all, it was a great week! Now if only I could get rid of this cold so I can get back to school...

ta-da!

2010-04-18T00:03:00.001-05:00

So I guess it's pretty obvious that the blog has received a makeover.

The truth is, I got bored.

This picture is quite possibly my all-time favorite of Liam and me. It was taken by my brother, Matthew. He took our engagement photos for us and did an incredible job. He is an outstanding photographer.

Speaking of which, keep an eye on his website. It's in the works! And so is more photography. If you're in the Colorado Springs area and interested, hit him up. He has a amazing creative eye for formal and candid photos alike.

PS - I'm not just saying this because he's my brother.

tater tot and turkey casserole

2010-04-15T12:33:00.008-05:00

I was just eating leftovers of this casserole for lunch. I found myself thinking, "This is one of those meals that tastes as good (and maybe even better) when you eat leftovers." I love those kinds of meals. So I thought I would share. It's simple. It's simply delicious. Also. No picture. I scarfed it down too quickly for that.

tater tots (enough to cover bottom of 9x13 pan)
1 lb. ground turkey (or beef - Personally, I really liked the taste of the turkey.)
2 cans of cream of chicken
2 cups of shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly spray the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan. Cover the bottom with tater tots.
Brown the ground turkey. Add turkey to the cream of chicken.
Spread cream of chicken and turkey over the tater tots.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

sew happy

2010-04-06T21:31:00.004-05:00

A little over a week ago, I ordered a sewing machine. I was really excited.

Then, it arrived at our house three short days later.

I was more than really excited.

The machine is a Brother CS60001 60-stitch computerized machine.

This thing is a beast.

I'm really looking forward to spending hours honing my sewing skills.

Last time I used them was during Home Economics class in high school.

I've done some practicing. I love it already.

I'm looking forward to using some of my free time to develop my new hobby.

And maybe even eventually sew to sell.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this:

Maybe this picture isn't blog-appropriate.
Maybe sometimes I don't act like I'm 24.

Whoops.

Anywho.

Any inspiration on what I should name my new sewing machine?

april fools {google style}

2010-04-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

complete with a blog post to explain the change

Confused? Check out what started it all

the rally sweater vest

2010-03-26T23:42:00.002-05:00

Last night's Sweet Sixteen game was a little too exciting. I was very glad that it didn't end up going to six overtimes like the UConn/Syracuse game that Liam and I watched last year. The game did not need to be that exciting. I'm also glad that I could fall asleep with a smile on my face, thanks to a Wildcat victory - even though it was only for five hours of sleep.

My brother happened to be in town visiting us last night. He said he had a surprise for us. At game time, he pulled out a K-State sweater vest that a friend gave him for Christmas - a jewel of a Goodwill find.

The sweater proved to be successful on its debut. K-State was up by 15 points in the first half when Matthew decided to take the sweater off. As the game went into the second overtime, I was reminded of the first-half success of the now-absent sweater vest. I hurried over and grabbed the sweater, explaining that it must be worn.

Victory!

Thank you, rally sweater vest. You may be fit for an ugly sweater party, but you sure proved yourself last night.

Now on to the Elite Eight!

can you believe chuck norris is 70?

2010-03-22T19:09:00.000-05:00

Me neither.

quintessential spring post

2010-03-21T15:20:00.008-05:00

{Quintessential. I like that word. Just felt like using it.}

Dear Spring,

I'm so glad you're here now.
I've been looking forward to you for a while now.

I can't wait to see your flowers.
Feel your sun rays.
Hear your rains.

I look forward to taking evening walks.
Watching the grass grow.
Seeing the storms roll in on the horizon.

Winter was kinda clingy,
with its snowy protest on its final day.
It left you a mess of snow to melt.
And cold winds that were far too brisk.

I'm so thankful that you're here.

You're already promising good days ahead.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

your pal

PS - You're one of my favorite seasons.

PPS - Remember how I said no tornadoes? I mean it.

spring cleaning!

2010-03-17T20:26:00.003-05:00

Now that my Spring Break is halfway over, I have the cleaning/organizing bug. I definitely don't have time to finish everything I want to get to before I head back to work next week. I do have in mind some things I want to take care of before Spring gets into full swing.

~~Go through my Winter clothes and downsize~~
Go through shoes and downsize
Take the comforter to a laundry mat and wash it
Organize closet in the office
~~Organize bathroom drawers and cabinets~~
Dust ceiling fans and blinds
Sort and file all loose papers
Go through cabinets in kitchen and organize food supply
~~Wash flannel sheets and store~~
Go through linens and downsize
Go through and organize my CDs and DVDs
Clean out car
Mop living room, kitchen, and bathroom floors
Take all donations to Goodwill

That might be a little too ambitious, but I'm going to give it a try!

This post it part of Spring Cleaning sponsored by Frugal and Simple.

thyroid progress and giving gluten-free a go

2010-03-17T09:51:00.003-05:00

Just thought I would give you a quick update on my health. It's been about seven weeks since I found out I have hypothyroidism and started taking medicine to give my thyroid a boost.

thyroid report card = A+

Last Friday, I went in for a blood test to see how much progress I've made. Good news! My TSH level is within normal range right now. It may take a while before I feel the full effects of having a healthy thyroid.

So far, I have noticed some improvements:

My fingernails seem less brittle. They don't break at the drop of a hat. They seem a little stronger. My fingernails used to bend right over when I would push on the tip. Super flimsy.
I'm not waking up five or six times every night - down to two to three times on a typical night.
I have a little more energy. Could definitely use some more, though.
My hair is getting a little stronger. Talk about major breakage when my thyroid was at its worst.
The skin on my hands is no longer a constant desert. Before, when I put on some good quality lotion, my hands would be dry again within 30 minutes.
I still tend to have cold hands and feet, but they aren't usually the arctic ice blocks that they used to be.
I seem to be less forgetful, and it seems to be a little easier to concentrate. Reading with comprehension is less of a struggle.

I still have a long ways to go. I'm definitely hoping to eventually have less muscle and joint aches. I still have days when I can just tell my thyroid is rebelling. I will most likely be taking my thyroid medication for the rest of my life. (Thank goodness for modern medicine!) But you have to celebrate the little blessings, right?! I'm so thankful for the improvement I've seen so far!

it's gluten-free for me

In other news, I've decided to give gluten-free eating a try. I've ran across a few people recently that had similar symptoms to my stomach and esophagus problems. After discovering a gluten sensitivity, they felt much better after eliminating it from their diet. Gluten is a protein found in grass related grains (wheat, rye, barley, etc). It's healthy and beneficial for most people, but some people have trouble digesting it. It doesn't hurt to give it a try!

It has definitely been a challenge the past few days to figure out what I can eat that doesn't contain eggs or gluten. I never realized how much of our food contains gluten! Just say no to normal crackers, flour, bread, soft tortillas, pasta, etc, etc, etc. If it ends up being beneficial for me to avoid gluten, I'll look into alternatives to the normal, gluten-full foods. For now, potatoes, rice, fruits, veggies, rice pasta, and made from scratch foods are my friends. Also. Thank goodness for the interwebs. I can't imagine trying to follow a special diet without this seemingly infinite resource!

It will be a while before I can tell if it helps to avoid gluten. If it doesn't help, I may do some trial and error with elimination of some other foods.

shadows of Christ

2010-03-15T23:18:00.004-05:00

In our Perspectives class last week, we learned about some hard-core heroes in their efforts for the Kingdom. I agree with John Piper when he says that all true heroes are shadows of Christ. May we look at those shadows and be drawn to the Light.

Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.

- William Carey

Can we do too much for [Christ]? Can we do enough for such a precious Savior?

- Hudson Taylor

Lord, help me to notice.

- Amy Carmichael

Christians never retreat.

- Gladys Aylward

In everything we do, is my first and foremost to please the Lord?

- Helen Roseveare

Christianity proposes not to extinguish our natural desires. It promises to bring the desires under just control and direct them to their true object.

- William Wilberforce

Who is your hero?

state record and mid-court prayer

2010-03-10T22:21:00.000-06:00

Last night, Mom and Dad came up to go to some state basketball games and I went along with them. The state tournament that is here in town is for the smallest division of schools in the state. My alma mater high school is one of those small schools, but we missed state by two points at the last second. Even still, we enjoy some good small town sports. The teams that make it this far are pretty impressive. Less than 10% of the smaller schools make it. That's in stark contrast to the upper division state tournament, where almost 50% of the teams make it.

We got to see three games, all of which were very fun to watch. There were two major things that stuck out to me. First of all, in one of the games we watched, there was a player who scored 53 points. Yes. FIFTY-THREE!

This ended up being a state record for all classes. However, his team sadly lost, because the rest of his team only scored 13 points. He seriously carried them on his back the whole game.

The coach took this outstanding player out with some time left on the clock so he could get some recognition. He got a standing ovation from pretty much everyone in the area, including the opposing team. He could play in a division I college if he wanted to.

The other thing that was intriguing happened after the very last game of the night. My dad's alma mater team was playing, and he enjoyed getting the chance to see them play and see some people from his hometown.

As we were walking out after the game, the crowd got really quiet and still. We looked over towards the court, and both teams were standing at center court in a circle praying together. And the losing team initiated the prayer time.

I was impressed by the maturity of the players that had just barely lost in the first round of state. Rather than sulking or moving on, they embraced the opportunity that they were given and chose to glorify God in the midst of their loss.

bring it on, spring

2010-03-08T19:43:00.002-06:00

This past weekend, Liam and I went on a couple long walks. It was the first time since the beginning of Winter that it was warm enough to wander around in our neighborhood long enough to truly enjoy it. I didn't realize how much I had missed our walks.

At the end of our street on the edge of our town is a path that leads to the country. (I guess it's really the trash truck alley, but I like to think it's as a nature path just asking for visitors. A girl can dream, right?)

As we walked along the path, it seemed like the countryside was begging to be green again. I thought of the coming rain and warming temperatures that would bring new life to such a monotone landscape.

As I looked out on the land, I was filled with a bliss that only the anticipation of changing seasons can provide.

Bring it on, Spring! (But please don't bring your tornadoes.)

What are you looking forward to the most about Spring?

our new address

2010-03-08T07:23:00.000-06:00

Thanks for joining us at our new address: ourlifeontheplains.blogspot.com It'll be the same ol' stuff here.

Why did I change it?...

Maybe I can blame the hints of Spring.

Maybe I can blame State assessments for my students at school.

Maybe I can blame my eagerness for Spring Break next week.

Maybe I can blame...

Ok. Maybe I just felt like changing it.

my husband : everyday love.

2010-03-04T18:55:00.005-06:00

My dear husband has a way of knowing
the little things he can do to make me happy.

This morning he scraped my windshield.

I heard the garage door close and thought he was on his way.

Instead of hurrying to work, he took the time to make my day.

(Have I mentioned I don't like scraping my windows?)

When I drink my waterbottle dry,

he hops up to fill it without hesitation.

When my laptop battery is on the verge of dying,

he gets up from his cozy spot on the couch to retrieve my power cord.

He returns with a smile on his face.

He gladly volunteers to stop by the store for some milk

after his long day at work.

Sometimes he turns the channel to HGTV.

He knows I like it.

I smile at his sweet sacrfice.

My husband shows me his love in an everyday way.

photo courtesy of Matthew John (aka best brother.)

happy birthday, dr. seuss!

2010-03-02T21:46:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you, but I read many Dr. Seuss books as a child and loved them. When I was in grade school, I remember our school librarian celebrating his birthday with us - also the same day as National Read Across America Day. Dr. Seuss left behind a huge legacy in children's literature.

photo courtesy of Library of Congress

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904. Today we celebrate his 106th birthday. Dr. Seuss wrote many children's books and was a political cartoon artist, drawing more than 400 cartoons in two years. Dr. Seuss's books have been a joy for readers - both young and old - for generations. He encouraged young children to use their imaginations.

The first book he wrote was And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. He presented this book to 27 publishers and was rejected 27 times. With the help of a college friend that worked at Vanguard Press, a division of Houghton Mifflin, his first book was finally published. Next, Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat in response to the request from publishers for a 220-word primer for beginner readers. He went on to write over 60 books in all. At the time of Seuss's death, his books had been published in 15 languages with a whopping 200 million copies sold.

I got my enjoyment of all things Dr. Seuss honestly. If you remember, I mentioned that my dear Grammy stopped opening her Christmas presents to take a look at a Dr. Seuss anthology that we gave her. She also thoroughly enjoyed watching the Horton Hears a Who movie for the first time that Christmas. Personally, I was thrilled to go to a performance (actually two) of Seussical the musical at our local high school this winter. They did an outstanding job, and I was reminded of just how creative Dr. Seuss was! When we have kids someday, I know that there will be some Dr. Seuss books in our house. That and The Berenstain Bears!

What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

What's your favorite children's book of all time?

precious piano duet

2010-02-24T20:03:00.002-06:00

I ran across this today and thought it was so sweet! This video has over 6,000,000 hits on YouTube. In fact, it gained over 1,000 hits in the time I wrote this post. This almost-90-year-old man and his wife were at Mayo Clinic for check-ups. When they ran across a piano open to the public in the atrium, they entertained everyone within earshot.

After you watch the duet, check out this video of an interview that Mayo Clinic did with them. They are precious. I love what they had to say at the end of the video: "God gave us talents. And the purpose of these talents is we're supposed to use them.... We're praising the Lord. That's the reason we're doing this." I love their outlook. I want to be like them when I grow up.

what do you do with your grocery cart?

2010-02-21T17:35:00.004-06:00

After I graduated from college, I spent a summer at Focus Leadership Institute. It was one of the most influential experiences of my life. I took classes on family, marriage, and world view. One of the instructors made a statement that I still haven't forgotten. I was reminded of it today when I went to the grocery store.

During a general discussion about worldview, he claimed, "You can tell a lot about a person's values and worldview by what they do with their grocery cart." When I first heard this, I thought it was strange. However, as I thought about it more and more - and as I watch people in the parking lot of grocery stores - I realized there is a great deal of truth to his insight.

We've all seen those people who finish unloading their cart and then proceed to leave it smack dab in the middle of a parking spot without any hesitation. It seems as though they think they're the only ones in the parking lot. They may not give a second thought to the person who comes along hopeful for the empty parking spot, only to find out there's a cart standing guard. These people are willing to look out for themselves and their own convenience at the expense of others.

Every once in a while, you come upon a parking spot or landscaped area that is plumb full of carts. This next group of people consider this situation to be a prime opportunity. They may be the kind of person that would usually put their cart away. But if everyone else is leaving their carts, they see it as reason enough to leave their own. They're willing to compromise. After all, what's one more cart to clean up in the parking lot?

The next group includes the people that empty their cart and then make the trip to the cart stall to put it away where they know it belongs. They may not feel like taking it over there because it's freezing outside or the stall is halfway down the row. They may even pass a stray cart rally along the way. But they take their cart to the cart stall. Because that's what you're supposed to do.

Finally, there's a small selection of people that seem happy to be wherever they happen to be. When they unload their cart and head to take it back to the cart stall all the way down the aisle, they seem to do even this simple monotonous task with a mysterious joy. If someone else in the row has just finished unloading their groceries, these people often stop along the way to grab the stranger's cart to put it away for them. These are the same people that stop on the way into the store to grab your empty cart for you because "they're heading that direction anyway." They always put away their cart and volunteer to help others when the opportunity arises.

I've noticed that since moving to Hays, there seem to be far less stray carts around the parking lot than there were in Manhattan. Next time you go to the grocery store, look around. Do you think there's any truth to my instructor's theory? Do you think that what people do with their empty grocery cart is a reflection of their values and motives?

What do you do with your grocery cart?

my dear valentine

2010-02-14T23:45:00.001-06:00

I didn't think it was possible
to love my husband more than the day I married him.

But it happens every day.

Just call me smitten.

Also.

He's the best at picking out meaningful cards.

Makes me melt every time.

Yesterday we went to see a chick flick. I know that's a sacrifice for Liam, but he happily obliged when I asked if he would go with me. I enjoyed the fact that he willingly went much more than I enjoyed the actual movie. Then we went to Sonic. Cheap, good eats. My favorite!

We had a really low-key Valentine's Day, watching the Olympics. Then, we went to Perspectives class this evening. Every week of class is so engaging. Every speaker has a new nugget of experience and wisdom.

BTdubs - Have any of you Manhattanites heard of the Vintage Faith church in Manhattan? Or the Big Poppi bike shop in Aggieville? Just curious. Tonight's speaker had a major hand in both, but I hadn't heard of them.

Happy Valentine's Day!

highlights of the past week

2010-02-11T22:33:00.003-06:00

Storm and Raineka came to visit! It's always so refreshing to see them.

We had our fifth Perspectives class session on Sunday evening. If the class is ever offered in your area, I would highly recommend it!

We got satellite with HD and DVR as cheap as we were getting cable. The guys got it installed just in time to watch The Biggest Loser. Now I feel this sudden freedom. Our favorite TV shows will no longer control our schedule. We can control them!

For kids club at my church on Wednesday evening, we took the kids "Valentine caroling" to a couple nursing homes. The residents loved it, and the kids did such a great job! The kids loved handing out candy and Valentines that they made. The past two weeks I've acquired a new buddy at kids club - a little five-year-old girl from Haiti that was adopted soon after the earthquake by a family here in Hays. (More on that sometime soon!)

This week, I've really enjoyed the song What Do I Know of Holy by Addison Road.

earn Amazon gift cards for searching the internet

2010-02-07T13:58:00.008-06:00

I had seen lots about Swag Bucks on money-saving blogs. It seemed too good to be true. I decided to give it a try a little while ago, and I am glad I did! Just thought I would fill you all in on a great way to turn your normal online searches into profit!

how it works

Using Swag Bucks, you can earn "bucks" for simply searching for things online. When you search, you will earn one to five Swag Bucks every once in a while. You can then use those Swag Bucks to buy gift cards and other items in the Swag Store.

how to get started on Swag Bucks

To get started on Swag Bucks, just follow these simple steps:

Sign up for a Swag Bucks account. (I have not received spam as a result of signing up.)
Use Swagbucks.com as your go-to search engine. (The search isn't as powerful as Google. If you don't find what you're looking for on the first try, just search for Google and find what you're looking for there, earning Swag Bucks along the way.)
As you earn Swag Bucks, redeem them in the Swag Store.

Swag Bucks in action

I save up my Swag Bucks to buy $5 Amazon.com gift cards, because the ratio of Swag Bucks to $ is low, making it a better deal than most others. Also, you don't have to save up for a really long time like some of the bigger prizes. And, of course, you can buy just about anything you want on Amazon. I started using Swag Bucks a few months ago and have already earned $25 in gift cards. I've chosen to use Swag Bucks to fund my book-buying habit. When a book isn't available in the library or I know that I want to own it, I can save up my Swag Bucks instead of pulling money out of the budget.

Swag Bucks would also be great to use to buy other items on our wish list. I've even heard of people saving up Swag Bucks throughout the year to pay for Christmas presents without crunching the budget at the end of the year.

The Amazon.com gifts cards are really easy to redeem. Twice a month the Swag Bucks team distributes whatever gift cards you have bought to your account. You are then armed with a gift card code that can be redeemed at checkout on Amazon. You can even use more than one gift card on a single purchase.

how to increase your earning potential

An easy way to increase your earning potential is to install the Swag Bucks toolbar. I have one installed on my internet browser and always use it when I need to search for something. It makes it easier to search for something without having to go to the actual website. In addition, they sometimes send out Swag Codes in messages on your toolbar that can be redeemed on the website for a bonus buck. One month they released a code a day on the toolbar!

Every Friday is Mega Swag Bucks Day. You earn more Swag Bucks and more often on Fridays. You can earn up to ten Swag Bucks for a single search.

You can also increase your earning potential by telling your friends about Swag Bucks using your referral link. It's kind of like a pyramid scheme without the scam. As you refer friends to Swag Bucks, you earn more Swag Bucks as they earn them. When they win, you win!

There are many other options to earn additional Swag Bucks. Just look around the site for more offers!

an update on my health

2010-02-03T22:45:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, I've had quite a bit of trouble with my health the past 15 months or so. First, I randomly developed really bad acid reflux (this is still a mystery...) and have had three endoscopies to expand my narrowed esophagus. More recently, I found out I am allergic to practically everything under the sun, including eggs.

Although we've identified these two issues and are treating them as best we can, I was still feeling unhealthy and not even like my adjusted, normal sick-self. I've been telling doctors for a while that my neck feels swollen and tight and it's sometimes harder to swallow. I've also had a lot of trouble sleeping, waking up as much as six times a night. Everything got so bad recently that I made a trip to the doctor this past Friday.

I'm so thankful for my doctor here in Hays. She's actually a nurse practitioner, and she does an amazing job of listening and planning a course of action. Based on the symptoms I told her about in my most recent visit, she was very proactive in insisting that we figure more out about my health. She ordered blood tests for all kinds of issues. She also requested a sonogram of my thyroid.

I had the blood drawn while I was there at the doctor's office on Friday. Then, I had my thyroid sonogram early Monday morning. In the late morning on Monday, I got a call. They already had both my blood test and thyroid sonogram results. The nurse shared that all of my blood test results were decent, except for my thyroid. The normal range for TSH is 0.5 - 5.0, mine came in at just over 24. I have hypothyroidism. She also explained that the sonogram showed that I have a nodule on my thyroid that they need to watch. I have read that, at most, 5% of thyroid nodules are cancerous. The doctors are comfortable at this time with assuming it's not cancerous, but they will keep an eye on it.

In short, I began some thyroid medicine (this bumps my current prescription count up to 7) that will hopefully help with my hypothyroidism and the nodule. It may take up to a couple months before I experience symptom relief. I will have another blood test in six weeks to see how much the medicine has improved my TSH level. I will also have another thyroid sonogram in six months to check on the nodule - sooner if it feels like it's getting worse.

I covet your prayers for the effectiveness of my medicine. Also, pray that I would not be anxious about my health concerns while we wait to see how much this new medicine clears up my health issues. Pray for wisdom for my doctors in diagnosing and treating all of my health concerns. Thank you so much for your prayers.

As much as I don't like hearing bad news about my health, I was very excited to finally have some answers!! I feel so blessed. I praise God for the wisdom he gave my doctor and the effectiveness of the blood test. Thyroid blood tests are a little finicky. I've been tested three or four times in the past, and it hadn't shown up. I'm so thankful that it finally did this time. I'm glad I went on a bad day when my TSH was probably at it's worst.

God has grown me and taught me so much through these trials. I had almost given up hope of a diagnosis and better health. This past Sunday I really felt like God was reminding me to hold on to hope and that He would take care of me. When I got the phone call the next day with the diagnosis, I had to smile as I recalled His promise to me the day before. I've never been so happy to get bad news!

PS - My husband has been an incredible rock and comfort through all of this! God knew exactly what I needed when He brought Liam into my life.

weekend in review

2010-02-02T22:57:00.001-06:00

The end of last week was a little rough.
But it was made much better by this:

and even better by this!!:

Liam and I have been married for a year and a half today!
So thankful for my amazing sweetheart of a husband!!

designing your own blog photo header

2010-01-28T17:46:00.000-06:00

I had an inquiry about how I got the picture banner at the top of the blog. I figured it would be easiest to write up a quick post explaining the process. Keep in mind, this explanation is for those of you using Blogger.

I began with this blah, out-of-focus picture.

Not my finest work, but with lots of tweaking you can totally revamp a dull photo. I use iPhoto on my computer a lot to edit photos. I recently started using Picnik to do some more extensive photo editing. If you don't have a thorough photo editing program on your computer, Picnik is a good resource for some additional options. Picnik has traditional photo editing tools, along with some special editing tools. For example, I used Picnik to round the corners of the photo and to add the text. You can also use Picnik to make collages like the one included in my Cheeseburger Soup post. There are numerous other features available on Picnik. If you are interested in using Picnik, explore the Library, Edit, and Create tabs while editing a photo to find all of your options. Never underestimate the power of some editing to change an undesirable photo into an eye-catcher!

Anywho, back to the blog header. A photo blog header is easiest with the Minima template. You can change your template under the "Layout" tab by selecting "Pick New Template." Thanks to a very informative post by Anna, I found out that the width of your photo needs to be 648 pixels to work well with a normal Minima template. My current header is 648 by 200 pixels. The height of your header is completely up to you.

Once your header picture is saved and ready, go to the "Layout" section of your blog and select "Page Elements." Choose "Edit" in the "Header" section. There should be an option for you to upload a photo. Once you find your picture file, click "OK."

If you're like me, and you have text on your image header, choose "Instead of title and description" to replace the blog title in the header. If you want to use your image as the background behind your blog title, choose "Behind title and description."

The Minima template default has a box around the header area. If you wish to get rid of this box as I did, while still in the "Layout" tab, click the "Fonts and Colors" option. Find the "Border Color" category in your list of blog colors. Simply change this color to the same color as your blog background, and the border will disappear.

Hope that helps! If you have any questions or need some clarification on one of the steps, let me know!

freedom of simplicity by richard foster

2010-01-24T16:56:00.002-06:00

I recently finished reading Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster. I think this book does an excellent job of explaining why simplicity is an essential spiritual discipline.

Foster first gives what he considers to be the foundation for simplicity. In this section, he covers the complexity and paradoxical nature of simplicity, traces its biblical roots in the Old and New Testaments, and then finally gives examples of how simplicity has been manifested and taught by Christians throughout history.

After establishing the foundation for simplicity, Foster goes on to discuss simplicity in practice. He carefully gives suggestions in cultivating simplicity in three realms. He begins by covering inward simplicity through keeping God at the center of your life and practicing holy obedience. Next, he suggests beginning steps and longer strides for developing and maintaining outward simplicity. Finally, he emphasizes the importance of corporate simplicity, both in the church and on a larger scale, throughout the world.

I highly recommend this book and will most likely be revisiting it in future posts as I feel it has a lot of valuable information to ponder. For now, here are some excerpts that stuck out to me as I read the book.

The connection between obedience and blessing is genuinely significant, and the significance is not primarily in the notion of being rewarded for doing what is right. That has its place, but it is a minor place, almost a childish place. The deeper reality in obedience is the kind of spirit it works into us. It is a spirit that crucifies greed and covetousness. It is a spirit of compassion and outreach. It is a spirit of sensitivity and trust. Once this inner disposition has taken over our personality, material blessings cannot hurt us, for they will be used for right purposes. (p. 23)

It is one thing for God to come into us (and a very necessary thing), but it is quite another for us to come into God. In the first instance we are still the center of attention; in the second God is the focal point. [...] This is no infantile pantheism, as if God could be captured in his creation; it is a marvelous, majestic monotheism -- one God from whom all life is sustained. It is life out of the divine Center. (p. 97)

One of the most profound effects of inward simplicity is the rise of an amazing spirit of contentment. Gone is the need to strain and pull to get ahead. In rushes a glorious indifference to position, status, or possession. (p. 103)

One way to nurture simplicity is through the discipline of silence. Society is dominated by the inane notion that action is the only reality. Please, for God's sake and your own, don't just do something; stand there! (p. 106)

If the rest of the world were to attempt to live on our level of consumption, it is projected that all known world resources of petroleum, tin, zinc, natural gas, lead, copper, tungsten, gold, and mercury would be exhausted in ten years. (p. 151)

As we seek to follow in the steps of Jesus, we will be drawn to identify with the poor. As we do, perhaps a valuable question to keep before us is whether we are as willing to evaluate our living standards by the needs of the poor as we are by the lifestyle of our neighbors. (p. 169)

[S]implicity creates for us space, time, energy, and resources so that we might reorder our lives to intentionally pursue God's kingdom in all of our daily living. [...] Whatever individual steps we take, the goal is that our priorities will increasingly shift from meeting our own needs to addressing the needs of others. (p. 214)

Perhaps no work is more foundational to the individual embodying Christian simplicity in the world than our becoming more comfortable in our own skin. The less comfortable we are with ourselves, the more we will look to things around us for comfort. The more assured we are with ourselves, the less assurance we will need from things outside us. (p. 215)

three cheese chicken lasagna

2010-01-19T20:30:00.011-06:00

This recipe makes a delicious short-stack lasagna casserole with two layers of noodles. To make a three-layered lasagna, I would suggest upping the amount of all ingredients.

Ingredients:
6 lasagna noodles
1 can cream of chicken soup *
1/2 cup milk
dash of dry basil
dash of onion powder
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups cooked chicken, minced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

* It may take two cans of cream of chicken soup. I made cream of chicken soup from scratch, and I think I used more than one can's worth.

Directions:

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain well.
In sauce pan, heat soup, milk, and basil and onion powder to taste.
Layer half the noodles in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Top with half each of the soup mix, cottage cheese, minced chicken, shredded cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
Repeat for another layer.
Bake covered in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Top with some cheddar and Parmesan cheese; bake uncovered, 2 minutes till cheeses are melted.

you were faithful before. you'll be faithful again.

2010-01-16T15:50:00.000-06:00

This song brings me great comfort!

pray for Haiti

2010-01-14T09:51:00.004-06:00

I can't even imagine the devastation.
Heartbreaking.

Let's pray.

Let's give.

World Vision

Compassion International

cheeseburger soup

2010-01-09T11:10:00.005-06:00

I have a confession. On Thursday I bought an onion for the first time. Yes, the first time. I decided recently to try putting real onions in things instead of onion powder. Brave. I know.

It's been incredibly cold here lately. The windchill has been -20 the past two mornings. I decided that it was perfect soup weather. This soup decision led to an opportunity for my onion experiment. I pulled out a few soup recipes that are on this month's meal list to try and decided on Cheeseburger Soup.

I wasn't quite sure how to go about preparing the onion to put in the soup, so I winged it. Thankfully, when I told my mom a while back about my ambitious goal to add more vegetables into my life, she gave me a food processor that she wasn't using. It worked great for chopping up the onions, and the Cheeseburger Soup was a success!

Cheeseburger Soup
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion (I used a little less than 1/2 cup)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
4 Tbsp butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups potatoes (I used 4 cups of hashbrowns.)
1/4 cup flour
8 ounce Velveeta Cheese
1 1/2 cups milk (I added more milk at the end to thin the soup.)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

Brown beef, drain, and set to the side.
In soup pot, saute onion, basil and parsley in 1 tbsp butter until veggies are tender.
Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour and cook and stir for 3-5 minutes.
Add flour mixture, cheese, milk, salt and pepper to the soup pot. Cook and stir until cheese melts and flour mixture blends in well. (Stir frequently to prevent cheese from sticking/burning on the bottom!)
Add ground beef to soup. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and serve.

New Year's travels

2010-01-08T17:44:00.015-06:00

The day after we got home from our Christmas travels, I went to visit my dear friend Carla. Matthew came with!

For New Year's Eve, Liam and I traveled down to Wichita to hang out with my cousins. Here's a picture of one of the newest additions, Deacon, hanging out with Matthew.

There was some peek-a-boo...

and some hammin' it up for the camera...

and some sleeping...

and there was football to be watched and Settlers of Catan to be played.

You can tell we're getting older. We were all ready to retire for the night the moment the clock struck midnight!

New Year's Day, we headed straight up to Manhattan to visit some friends. We had to sneak in as much fun as we could before heading back to work!

I got to see my dear friend and former roommate, Raineka!

Our trip to Manhattan happened to overlap with Anna and Ian's quick trip back to Kansas. It was so great to see them!

Over those three days, we spent over 10 hours in the car. But it was totally worth it to spend New Year's with family and catch up with good friends!

Christmas: John style

2010-01-07T20:41:00.030-06:00

When we went to bed on Christmas night, every road in southeast Nebraska was closed - including the path we were supposed to take the next morning to get to Kansas for Christmas with my extended family. We woke up early the next morning to check road conditions. Nothing had changed, so we went back to sleep. Finally when we checked shortly before noon, there was one path to Kansas open - and it did not include the interstate. We packed up the car and headed out.

The drive to Kansas was exciting at times. Ned & Linda's neighborhood had not been plowed, so the snow was deeper than the bottom of our car. Thank goodness Liam has skills. He got us out of town. The highways were also exciting at times. At one point in time there were drifts as high as the car on both sides with one plowed lane!

But we made it! We got to my aunt and uncle's house just in time for the celebration.

We spent a lot of time adoring the youngest generation.

We also had a grab bag. We were responsible for bringing the cheapest thing we could think of that started with our first initial.

There was deoderant.

And a Santa hat, among many other entertaining things.

When the extended family Christmas festivities were over, we headed to mom and dad's for gift opening. This year, we decided to go low-key and drew names.

Jess apparently loves the new coffee maker I got for her. She's also sporting the first scarf I successfully crocheted.

Dad got Liam a KU t-shirt. It was only a matter of time before we pulled him over to our side.

Mom loves Pyrex as much as I do!

Matthew was thrilled to get the Glee soundtrack.

Dad was very pleased with his new, warm gloves.

Grammy was so excited about her collection of Dr. Seuss stories that she stopped mid-present-opening to read it!

I love my new Belgian wafflemaker and additions to my Pyrex collection!

Mom and Dad have a tradition of giving us practical and meaningful stocking stuffers. We're always guaranteed to switch out our toothbrush for the new year. Our gum supply is stocked up, and they give us a new journal to start the new year. I also got a great casserole cookbook. This year, they added apple juice and applesauce - both inside jokes. My sister would constantly say apple juice when she was a toddler, so they figured it would be very appropriate. Family friends know that the Johns always have applesauce in the house, so Mom and Dad couldn't let us down!

We spent a lot of our spare time at my parents reading and playing Farkle.

Before we came home, we went to my friend Misty's wedding on the 28th. She was a beautiful bride! Cody got a good catch!

Unfortunately, when we got home from our Christmas travels, we opened the front door to a strong smell. Upon investigation, we realized that things shifted in the freezer while we were gone and propped the door open. All of the food had defrosted, including Liam's quiche and breakfast casserole and lots of beef and chicken I had recently gotten on sale. Thankfully, Walmart still had some sales going on when I went to the store to re-stock our freezer. It was not a very pleasant welcome, but we were glad to be home after being gone for a week!

Christmas: Stringham style

2010-01-06T19:55:00.019-06:00

Christmas Eve service was canceled thanks to a snow storm. So we improvised. Ned played some classic Christmas carols on the guitar.

You can't have a Christmas Eve service without Silent Night by candlelight - complete with make-shift candlestick holders.

There was gift opening on Christmas morning. Everyone gave such thoughtful gifts!

The Christmas afternoon activity of choice was sledding at the Holmes Lake dam. The Stringham men were in their element.

It was almost more fun watching, but Nefret and I joined in on the fun. The winds were so strong, I almost slid off the top of the dam.

It was so great to see Noel and Nefret!

Noel and Liam had missed each other as is apparent from their displays of brotherly love.

They enjoyed a few games of ping-pong for old time's sake. Liam claims that Noel only beat him once.

We also played some Bananagrams and lots of Funglish - both great games!

It snowed a ton. This photo was taken about halfway through our stay in Lincoln.

You can imagine that three days of non-stop snow made our travel to Kansas difficult.

But we made it just in time to celebrate with my family...

intentional ambitions - 2010

2010-01-02T19:33:00.017-06:00

I have never been the person to make new year's resolutions. But this year, for some reason, I am struck by the possibility of a fresh start and a whole new year of possibilities. As I was thinking, I realized that there was a whole slew of areas I would like to simplify and/or grow in this year. But for some reason, I still refuse to call them resolutions...

Research egg products in food and stick to a no-egg diet for a month. Continue for five more months if there is marked health improvements.
Lift weights/walk at least three times each week.
Use the Wii Fit Plus at least two times each week.
Stick to my cleaning schedule so I'm always a couple steps away from a company-ready home.
Try all marked and favorited recipes, and remove recipes we don't like.
Learn how to make seven convenience food items from scratch.
Research and consider home canning.
Go through our book collection and sell/give away books that we don't want to keep.
Read four books in my own current personal library that I have not read or finished.
Read three fiction books.
Read three books on simplifying.
Read at least one book on creation care.
Read two books on personal finance.
Purchase a simple sewing machine and hone my sewing skills. Finish two projects.
Learn to knit. Knit two scarves.
Finish paying off my student loans by June.
Finish our three month emergency fund by October.
Research ways to make money in my spare time and during the summer.
Stay within the grocery budget every month. Finish $50 under budget three months of the year.
Write in my prayer journal at least three times a week.
Stay on track to read through our chronological Bible with Liam in two years.
Have a creative date night once a month.
Write to my Compassion girl four times this year.
Do not turn on the TV for one day every week. Read, work on current projects, play card/board games, etc. instead.
Go through and organize all closets. Give away excess.
Give away at least one item of clothing for every item I purchase.
At the end of every season, give away any seasonal clothes that I didn't wear. - Turn the hangers in my closet around. When I wear an item of clothing, I'll turn the hanger back around the right way so I know that item of clothing has been worn.

I may add to this list if I think of any other aspirations and will update it with progress along the way.

allergies

2009-12-22T11:39:00.008-06:00

Yesterday I was tested for allergies. They've gotten worse with time, and even prescription drugs don't kick them completely anymore. We also wanted to see if taking care of my allergies would help with my other health problems. It was about a 2 1/2 hour process. I'm glad it's over with, but it wasn't terrible. I was tested for multiples types of trees, grasses, molds, weeds, cats, dogs, etc. I reacted to EVERYTHING I was tested for to some extent. Cats were the worst. Good thing I didn't grow up with a cat in the house! I was sad to find out that I am, in fact, allergic to dogs. That needs to be remedied. I ended up with over 70 pricks in my arm.

On top of the seasonal and environmental allergies, they went ahead and tested me for seven different food allergies. It turns out that I am allergic to eggs to some extent. Ugh. When they told me that, I had to chuckle seeing as how I had just filled my freezer with quiche and breakfast casserole the day before. Ironic. On the bright side, I'm so thankful I'm not allergic to dairy. I couldn't do without cheese. They suggested that I try to not eat any egg products for a while to see if that helps me feel any better. I'm not going to get that ambitious yet. I'm planning to wait till after Christmas to go anti-egg. After all, you can't turn down Christmas cookies and other delicious foods.

They gave me information on substitutes to use instead of eggs. When I got home, I started looking through the cabinets to see what things contain eggs. Turns out cream of chicken does, and I use that in many things. A few of my other commonly used ingredients and many favorite recipes contain eggs as well. Looks like I'm going to have to try to make a few things from scratch and adjust recipes for a while. They said if I notice it helping after a while to keep avoiding eggs for six months. By then, my body will hopefully be rid of most of the anti-eggs antibodies and I will slowly be able to reintroduce eggs in moderation. It will be a hassle for a while, but I'm sure it'll work out. It will be like my own little adventure... or something.

quiche

2009-12-21T17:58:00.009-06:00

Liam's coworker recently gave us two dozen farm fresh eggs. Since we'll be heading out to visit family soon, I wanted to be sure to use them before we left. As a result, our oven was on for a few hours baking two quiches and a breakfast casserole. The freezer is now stocked with many, much egg eats.

This was my first attempt at quiche, and it was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. (It helps that I used store-bought pie crusts instead of making them from scratch...) I mixed together a few different recipes for the end product, making adjustments along the way. I think this is what was in the final deliciousness.

Sausage Quiche

9" pie crust
5 large eggs
1 1/2 c. half and half
dash of salt, pepper, and onion powder (I'm sure an actual onion would be more delicious. Some day...)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1/2 lb. sausage (You could substitute/add any fillings of your choice)

Make a pie crust. Or buy a refrigerated one like I did. (I do have high aspirations of making pie crust from scratch sometime.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Use a blender to mix up eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
Spread cooked sausage on the pie crust, followed by the shredded cheese.
Pour egg mixture into pie crust.
Important: Cover loosely with foil and place on a baking sheet. (...because the Pioneer Woman said so. But seriously... she's a genius. The baking sheet catches any overflow and the foil prevents it from browning too quickly.)
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes.

...and voila! Quiche!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post when I tell you that I found out that I'm allergic to eggs (and many other things). Seriously.

our second Christmas

2009-12-19T23:42:00.016-06:00

We began our Christmas celebration with
dinner out at a fun, local restaurant.

It's always nice to get a break from cooking!


After dinner, we drove around town and looked at lights.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions.

Then we opened gifts.

Sweet, thoughtful gifts.

I would call myself a collector of Pyrex.
After getting rid of all my plastic storage containers,
new Pyrex is a treasure!

Here is Liam proudly sporting one of his new shirts.
And a wreath fro.

We love our wood floors, but don't like cold feet.
Thus, the new cozy slippers.

I gave Liam season two of The Office
to fill in a gap in our collection.

What a great job on the necklace, huh?
I love it!

Merry Christmas from the Stringhams!

PS - I love the challenge of searching out sales to see how many thoughtful gifts I can get within budget. Just call me my mother's daughter... :)

snowed in

2009-12-09T09:50:00.011-06:00

We live on the very north edge of town. As a result, we have some crazy drifts in our neighborhood. One of those drifts just happened to be blocking our driveway. Today is my second snow day this week. Unfortunately, Liam doesn't get snow days. He shoveled our driveway this morning for 45 minutes so he could go to work today. Talk about dedication!

dressed for the occasion: -15 windchill

almost done

no more drift/berm*!!
Look at all that snow he shoveled!

our front yard

crazy drifts
We had to keep shoveling off the porch every couple hours.
Otherwise, the drift would get too big to open the front door.

more crazy drifts

big drifts in our neighborhood

The pictures don't do it justice.

* A shout out to my Alaskan friend, Raineka, for teaching me what a berm is :)

kids say the darndest things

2009-12-06T08:21:00.009-06:00

cracker jacks
This past summer, Liam and I went to a Royals game with some friends. It was lots of fun. We enjoyed seeing how the stadium expansion project went. Once the game started, we heard lots of the typical, "Hot dogs... Hot dogs... Get your hot dogs..." and "Frozen lemonade... I've got frozen lemonade..." You get the point. The concession stand workers were everywhere, roaming up and down the stairways.

Toward the end of the game, I happened to turn and notice a dad and his little son coming back into the stadium from the concession stand. As they walked out of the tunnel into the light, the little boy proudly held up the Cracker Jacks his father had just bought him. He made sure to hold them up as high as he could so everyone could see them. He's was probably even on his tippy-toes. He then followed suit with the concession workers he'd been hearing the whole game. "CRACKER JACKS! I GOT CRACKER JACKS EVERYBODY!!!" he yelled boastfully at the top of his little lungs.

He turned and gave his dad a smile of satisfaction. You could tell he'd been waiting all day for his opportunity. Now, it was finally his turn to brag about what he got from the concession stand. That's what everyone else was doing, right? His dad turned to him and gave a big smile and a chuckle as he realized his son's misunderstanding.

Jeremiah was a prophet.
I volunteer at my church's after-school kids club once a week. Every week, we start out with all ages together in the sanctuary for singing and reviewing Bible verses.

This particular week, we had just finished up singing and were reviewing one of our verses out of the book of Jeremiah. After everyone had recited the verse together, the leader asked, "Do you guys remember what Jeremiah was? We talked about him last year. What kind of book is Jeremiah?" The kids thought about it for a while and produced answers like disciple, Jesus' friend, and apostle. All good guesses, but not quite there.

The kids appeared to be stumped, so another leader gave them a hint to help in their brainstorming. "It starts with a 'p'." The kids stared at the front blankly. Suddenly, a girl gasped and raised her hand with all of her might, shaking and flailing it for a chance to display her genius. She had surely figured it out. The leader, glad to have a volunteer with the answer, called on the eager girl. "I know!!" she proudly proclaimed. "Jeremiah was a PROSTITUTE!!" She displayed a proud smile as all of us leaders held back fits of laughter. The leader collected herself. "Not quite... but here's a starburst for trying," she said as she handed the girl a piece of candy. "Jeremiah was a prophet. Does that sound familiar?..."

this is love

2009-12-05T13:30:00.004-06:00

He buys me flowers.
I wear a Nebraska shirt for him.
We're even. :)

Welcome, Christmas season!

2009-11-29T22:16:00.004-06:00

I promise I'll be back regularly very soon. Until then...

local football excitement

2009-10-18T14:32:00.006-05:00

This week we went to some great local football games. On Thursday, I went to Felten's last home football game against our cross-town rival, Kennedy. I'm happy to report that Felten won! They kind of struggled some this season, but thankfully were able to pull off bragging rights this year. It was fun to see how excited all of the Felten kids were about the win.

On Friday, Liam and I went to the high school homecoming football game. We hadn't seen the high school play all season, but I heard they were undefeated and thought it would be worth our time to check out their homecoming game against Great Bend. They were able to maintain their undefeated season with a win. We were told that it was our first time to beat Great Bend in 8 years. Impressive! It was a great game with an amazing crowd turn-out. We may have to check out their last home game against McPherson.

We also got to see the Washburn Symphony Orchestra play at Fort Hays. It was great free entertainment! They were all extremely talented.

PS - Speaking of football, the Chiefs finally pulled off a win!! Finally ended the 9 game losing streak. Big game! Not pretty, but good.

got my hairs cut

2009-10-12T20:13:00.006-05:00

before

after

two weddings and a snowfall

2009-10-11T22:27:00.010-05:00

John and Melissa - October 3 - Broomfield, CO
John was in Juneau when Liam and I
were there in Summer of 2006

Aaron and Alexandra - October 10 - Lincoln, NE
Aaron was in cross-country with Liam in HS

No, we weren't sitting on the stage...
There were chairs on all three sides of the stage.
Beautiful church.

Snow on the ground
Green leaves on the trees
A face on the trunk

While we were in Colorado, we got to spend the weekend with my brother, Matthew. I love visiting him! Then, while we were in Nebraska, we spent the weekend with Liam's parents. It was great to see them!

PS - This is how excited we were when Nebraska beat Mizzou. I despise Mizzou. Liam loves the Huskers. Ok... I like the Huskers, too. Thanks to Liam.

not your typical used car salesman

2009-09-29T21:40:00.006-05:00

While I was on the phone asking my dad for tips on buying used cars, he concluded with, "When it comes down to it, you just have to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you into making the right decision and discerning whether or not the salesman is trustworthy..." I hung up the phone and we got out of our car.

As we meandered into the parking lot of the small used car dealership, I immediately spotted the salesman. Have I mentioned I don't like dealing with car salesman? I try to avoid them. However, I was soon to be pleasantly surprised. The salesman wandered over towards us and asked us if we had any questions. Normal, right? It's what happened next that threw us for a loop. "Well, I'm Bill, and I'll be inside if you have any questions. I really don't like to bother you while you look around. Let me know if you need any help." Seriously? Awesome. From that point on, Bill was our best friend.

You see, Liam and I were casually looking to buy a new-to-us car to replace my Grand Prix that I've had for a few years. I loved my Grand Prix. It drove so well. I will forever be happy that my dad found the car for me to buy while I was in college. It was perfect for me! Alas, it was time to move on. Liam and I began to casually consider buying a different vehicle a few weeks ago. Because my car was still drivable, we weren't in a hurry. We were determined to find a good deal. We just didn't know that God would bless us with such a great deal so soon. Before we even got the chance to seriously search for a car, God dropped one in our lap via a small used car dealership in Wichita. That's where Bill comes in.

As Liam and I looked around Bill's car lot, a 2007 Chevy Impala caught our eye. We both like Chevy Impalas - right size, quality car - but they're a little out of our price range. This one, however, was priced way lower than normal. When we asked, Bill explained that the car had been hailed out two weeks after the previous owner bought it. Bill bought it from an auction and fixed it up. You can barely see evidence of its suffering in its former life. It's a beautiful car. Liam and I are all about practicality. We're willing to take a few barely noticeable hail dimples on the roof to get a car at a discounted price. And that's just what we did.

After test driving the car, we went into the office to talk to Bill. He told us what he paid for the car and explained that if we made a reasonable offer for him to make a profit and us to go home happy, he'd take it. I'm definitely not used to a used car salesman focusing on the benefit of the customer. You see, Bill for some reason took a great liking to us. He must see a pretty rough crowd there in his semi-rough neighborhood in Wichita. He told us numerous times how much he appreciated how nice we were. He wanted to go out of his way to do what he could for us. He said that we were "good people." We could tell that Bill, too, was "good people."

Obviously, we bought the car. We never dreamed we'd be able to buy a Chevy Impala for $4,000 under Kelly Blue Book price. We had written off the possibility of owning an Impala at this point in our lives. But through a little repaired hail damage and a genuinely nice used car salesman named Bill, God provided. We have a better car then we had hoped for that works great and is fun to drive!

Isn't it amazing that God turned someone else's stress and disappointment of a hailstorm into a blessing for us... This may be a stretch, but I kind of like the barely noticeable ripples of hail damage on the top of my car. It's reminds me of how God uses storms in our lives for good. It's also a good reminder that God can use storms in our lives to bless others around us when they are able to see His hand and how we come out on the other side - stronger and more like Him.

So, if you're ever looking for a car in the Wichita area, go visit Bill at Automax. He doesn't have a very big lot, but he has some good deals. Tell him that Liam and Jenni with the hailed out Impala sent you. He'll treat you right!

Before you go, I need your help! The new Impala is yet to be named. Liesl is a suggested possibility. Do you have any other ideas on fitting names? Is it a he? Is it a she? Hmmm... Discuss amongst yourselves.

k-s-u wildcats!

2009-09-26T22:15:00.011-05:00

My dear friend, Raineka, called me yesterday evening. She had acquired some free tickets and wanted to know if we wanted to come for the K-State football game today. Liam and I had already agreed that we wanted to try to make it to at least one game this season at our alma mater. We jumped at the chance for free tickets!

So, today we made the drive east to Manhattan for a great football game in perfect weather. I would have to say that the most exciting times in the game were the two kick-off returns for touchdowns by Brandon Banks. Impressive. It was also fun to have a quick visit with some of our Manhattan friends and attend the Saturday night service at our old church!

quick roommate reunion
roommates from my senior of college

Fort Riley Day
Hence, the cannon so loud it shook our clothes...

perfect day for football

great times with Rain
starring a random lady over my left shoulder

Band Day halftime show

Side note: Liam and I are excited that our Huskers and Jayhawks pulled off wins today. Here's hoping the Chiefs put up a good fight tomorrow!

chicken & rice casserole

2009-09-24T20:31:00.004-05:00

4 c. cooked rice
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
2 t. chicken bouillon powder
1 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper
8 oz. Velveeta (cubed)
2 chicken breast halves (cooked & cubed)
1 c. sour cream (I prefer a little less)
1 c. shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 450. Spread cooked rice in pan. In medium pan, melt butter and stir in flour. Gradually add milk, bouillon, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to boil. Simmer and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat. Add Velveeta and stir till melted. Add chicken and sour cream. Mix all together and pour over rice. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated and bubbly.

seasons

2009-09-21T21:55:00.009-05:00

goodbye, summer

hello, autumn

please... sit and stay a while

long-sleeve t-shirt and hooded sweatshirt weather = cozy
football season = exciting
hot chocolate = delicious
soup = scrumptious
crisp air = refreshing
changing leaves = beautiful
curling up with a blanket and a book = delightful
experiencing God in the changing of seasons = awe-inspiring

What are some of your favorite things about Fall?

visiting cousins

2009-09-20T22:15:00.013-05:00

Liam and I spent the weekend visiting my cousins in Wichita. It was so fun to see them all! We even got to meet my newest first cousin once removed (my cousin's baby) who is six weeks old. While we were down there, we watched football, ate delicious food, and enjoyed great conversation. We also made a stop at a used car dealership. More on that later! Here are a few pictures from the weekend!

the big 2-3!

2009-09-17T18:17:00.004-05:00

birthday present:
iPod shuffle

festivities:
dinner at Applebee's (with no singing dessert)
season premiere of The Office!!!
birthday cake

So thankful for my wonderful husband - today and always!

the grass is always greener...

2009-09-14T22:39:00.003-05:00

dirt yard no more!

praying through proverbs

2009-09-10T17:13:00.008-05:00

During my quiet time, I am prayer journaling through Proverbs. Proverbs is full of passages that challenge us to grow and stretch in our faith, pushing us on to becoming more like Christ.

This passage stuck out to me recently:

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this.
- Proverbs 3:5-12

How convicting. This passage is full of things that I find so hard to do. That's why after reading it, I turned quickly to my prayer journal petitioning for God's help. I know that he is ready and willing to grow me. I always have to remind myself that growth is not a switch that God flips when I ask him to. It's a process.

And when I ask for God to grow me, I always try to keep this quote from the movie Evan Almighty in mind:

If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?

Who knew such wisdom could come from a movie!

I love prayer journaling to God. I always feel so refreshed when the cares of the day and confessions of my heart are on paper and in His hands.

once upon a time, i touched a mouse

2009-09-06T22:37:00.006-05:00

There's a lot that's been going on and plenty to catch you up on. But first. This story has to be told.

Liam and I made a recent trip to my parents' house. It was so great to see them and hard to believe that it had already been two months since we had last visited them in my hometown. Enough of that. On with the story.

First off, I have to preface this story by saying that my parents do not have a mouse problem. They haven't had mice in their home for years. But for some odd reason, one decided to visit them the same day we did.

My mom and I were in the kitchen visiting - I don't even know about what. (My brain blocks out details surrounding traumatic events.) Mom was standing by the stove and I was standing about two feet away from her. The family dog was standing between us, waiting for food to drop - because it's the kitchen, of course. I opened up a drawer to grab a knife. I casually turned and talked to Mom as I slowly pulled the knife out of the drawer, holding my hand in the drawer a moment too long. Before I knew it, I was not only touching a knife - but a furry little creature that had worked it's way between my thumb and forefinger. It took me a moment to realize two things - #1 whatever this thing was, it was moving and #2 this moving thing was furry. At the very moment my brain processed that information, I dropped the knife and said, "Mouse... mouse... mouse... it was a mouse...I TOUCHED a mouse..." in a whimpering tone, shaking my hands in disgust. Let me tell you - that thing was speedy. As quickly as I dropped the knife it had jumped out of the drawer and jetted across the room behind the fridge.

Once Mom realized what the ordeal was, she too joined in my mouse-in-the-house routine that was already in full swing. I forgot to mention - my mother hates mice. Hates them. I don't blame her, because I feel the same way. Separated from the situation, I can admit that mice can in fact be cute. But whenever I encounter one, all logic and reasoning go out the window. Some combination of their quick, sneaky, rodent nature just gives me the heebie-jeebies. Mom and I carried on for a good while. Liam proclaimed that it was in fact the most dramatic he had ever seen Mom and me.

Needless to say, it took a little while for Mom and I to collect ourselves. I headed into the bathroom to wash my hands thoroughly - very thoroughly - until I no longer could imagine the feeling of that mouse's fur between my fingers. It took me a little bit to be comfortable opening drawers in the kitchen again. Who knew mice frequently inhabited utensil drawers...

The good news, is I survived. And as I told Mom, Dad, and Liam, "at least it's fur was really soft..."

Note: The mouse has left the building. Thankfully, along with Mom's distaste for mice, she has a great knack for catching them.

a week full of activities

2009-08-28T19:22:00.012-05:00

I think this week has been our busiest week since we moved to Hays. It was full of all kinds of goodness!

Sunday afternoon: Meeting about Heroes for Life (the after-school kids program at our church that I'm helping with)
Tuesday evening: Visit from some Manhattan friends - We were expecting two friends and were pleasantly surprised when a third friend showed up at the door with them! It was so great to catch up with them and show them around the town a bit to give them a taste of our new lives! It's so refreshing to see familiar faces.
Wednesday afternoon: First afternoon of Heroes for Life - It was full of fun, games, candy, and some chaos thrown in there!
Wednesday evening: Potluck and meeting about Perspectives - The class will be coming to Hays in the Spring. We're really excited!!
Thursday evening: Performance by Freedom Seed (a ministry to young adults including fire spinning, drama, art, and music)
Friday evening: Relax and recover from a long but enjoyable week!

I haven't been in the habit of going to scheduled activities since we made the move out here a couple months ago. On top of all of these scheduled activities, I survived my first full week with students at work. Life is good!

It's about time to pull my first attempt at banana bread out of the oven!

Pictures of Freedom Seed

art & singing

dancing

evidence of fire spinning

efforts in frugality - wish list

2009-08-22T16:26:00.002-05:00

Recently, I started a new effort to save money and simplify our lives more. I'm making more of a conscious effort to not buy things that we really want but don't need right away. I'm not normally one to go crazy spending lots of money on unnecessary things, but there are always those stray expenses that add up. My method for avoiding that leaking cash flow is to keep a wish list of those items that can wait. Somehow it's a lot easier to not spend money on something when I know it's waiting in the cue on the wish list. I'm trying to keep it prioritized so that when we have a surplus in the budget, I can use a small part of that surplus to buy one of the items on the list. If the item that's up next is more pricey, it may take a few months to save up enough surplus.

As it grows, I'm sure that the wish list will come in very handy when people ask for birthday and Christmas present ideas - something that I always have trouble coming up with. I really think it's going to be a good way to control spending and tighten up the budget. It's also a great exercise in self-control! There's a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when I see a list of the things that we are waiting on. It's also easier to rule things out that we don't really need when we sit on it for a while instead of impulse buying. It's a step in the direction of simplicity instead of falling into the consumerism trap of having everything that you want now. There's something to be said of delayed gratification.

Some of the items currently on the wish list include:

external hard drive - We don't have the pictures and other important files on our computers backed up (I guess we have a little bit burned on cds). Liam's computer is getting up there in age, so an external hard drive is in order soon.
wireless internet router - Even though we got used to using wireless (provided by K-State) at our old apartment, we're now using the old fashioned cables. I have a really long one so I can take my laptop from the office out to the dining room table.
waffle iron - We like eating breakfast for lunch and supper - especially on Saturday. Right now our line up consists of pancakes, french toast, biscuits and gravy, and breakfast casserole (recipe to come sometime later). Liam recently mentioned that he'd like to add waffles to the mix. But waffles can wait.
poster frame for a picture - The picture hasn't been hanging up for the first two months of living here, so why rush now...
more pyrex - Due to the talk of harmful chemicals in plastic ware, I have stopped using it. I have a small collection of glass storage containers, but could definitely use some more.
new watch for me - My current watch is very worn out, but it still works... so I wait.

western kansas sky

2009-08-20T18:06:00.007-05:00

a storm a brewin'

the end of a wonderful day

first day of middle school

2009-08-18T15:38:00.012-05:00

You know.

The typical first-day-of-school picture
your mom always wanted you to take.
This time - para style.
Enjoy, Mom! :)

When I started middle school, I had:

A french horn in tow.
Braces on my faces.
One backpack strap on my shoulder,
because two wasn't cool.
An outfit I had picked out two weeks before.
Same nerves that I sported today - 12 years later

The first day with students went really well today! It was definitely overwhelming - with more students in the school than residents in my childhood town. Also. We were only in each class for about 15 minutes. I felt like I was running around non-stop.

I think I'll get the hang of it.

I think I'll enjoy my job.

good friends

2009-08-15T10:00:00.005-05:00

Liam & Armand

Liam's roommate from Juneau Summer Project stopped at our place Wednesday on his drive through from Colorado to Missouri. It was great to see him! It was also a fun reminder of the blessings Liam and I have experienced since we met in Juneau just three years ago.

new best friend

Yesterday I used my clothing budget for the month to grab some good deals on clothes for my new job (that starts on Monday!!). One of my favorite purchases was this fun pair of shoes. They're kind of a slate gray-ish color. And they have arches - which is a major necessity for my flat feet. I have a weakness for shoes. Thankfully, my taste isn't too expensive. I love Payless. And, once again, Payless provided me with a gem!

free phil wickham album

2009-08-12T08:15:00.018-05:00

As is probably evidenced by my last post, I'm a big Phil Wickham fan. Can't help it. He has great, worshipful music. If you haven't heard of him or haven't gotten your hands on his music yet, you should check out his free Singalong album. It includes some of his best original works and some classic hymns sung with a live audience.

In other news, Phil is coming out with a new album set to release this fall - I hear rumor of November 15. The album is going to largely focus on eternity. For a sneak peak, check out Heaven Song.

So glad I got Phil Wickham's first cd long ago on a whim. music = blessing.

heaven fest

2009-08-10T13:20:00.018-05:00

That's the gorgeous sunset that greeted us this past weekend while Liam and I traveled out to see my brother, Matthew in Colorado Springs. While we were there, the three of us drove up to Denver on Saturday to go to Heaven Fest - an outdoor Christian music festival. The festival was held on some huge acreage owned by a church in the country near Denver. Needless to say, it was super dusty and allergy-rich. There were 8 stages with over 80 artists/bands and 25,000-30,000 people in attendance (3 times as many people as last year!!). Despite the huge crowd of people, we were able to search down our friends Scott and Bekah in the crowd for a quick visit. It was so good to see them!

We had such a great time! While we were there, we heard the tail end of Matthew West, along with Seventh Day Slumber, Kutless, Phil Wickham, and Third Day. It was so fun and refreshing! My favorite parts would have to be Phil Wickham's whole set and Third Day's cover of Creed by Rich Mullins, along with some of their old school stuff. So great.

Here are a couple quick videos from Phil Wickham's set. Bad video quality, but you get the point. Great stuff.

Beautiful - Phil Wickham

True Love - Phil Wickham

Most of the day, it was super sunny and warm, making two layers of sunscreen very necessary. Before Third Day took the stage in the evening as the headliner, there was a delay for weather. There was a huge line of rain to the west of us, and we even spotted some lightning. Thankfully, the rain passed north of us, and they were able to go on with the show. Here are some pictures from our adventure.

a sea of people

happy faces

enthusiasm

love

the Phil Wickham
Phil played on the indoor stage.
Packed.
Possibly warmer than outside.

Third Day on the main stage
Third Day has been singing for 17 years.
Crazy.
Hard to believe that I've been listening to them
since before I was 10.

PS - Remember those roses that I mentioned in the last post? Well, they opened up to be the biggest roses I've seen in a while.

absolutely beautiful

living to display the gospel

2009-08-05T19:33:00.006-05:00

Per my brother's recommendation, I recently listened to a podcast by pastor Francis Chan titled Living to Display the Gospel. If you're like me, that name sounds very familiar. He's the author of the book Crazy Love. I don't yet know much about Francis Chan, but I look forward to reading his book soon. The book is about authentic faith and experiencing the love of the God of the universe. Sounds like it's worth a read.

So back to the podcast. Among other things, this podcast is a very good reminder of the perspective with which we should consider all of the material blessings God has given us. He encourages people to take a look at how they use their excess to display the gospel to others. He even suggests that you can often cut back and be more frugal in an effort to extend God's love to more people through the resources that are available to you. It's a great reminder of how simplicity can glorify God. We should always be looking around us to glorify God by sharing the gifts he has given us with those in need.

If you're interested in listening to the podcast, go to Cornerstone Church sermon player and find the message from 3/15/09. It's worth a listen.

our first anniversary

2009-08-04T07:47:00.019-05:00

Liam told me that when we flew back from our weekend in DC, he had a surprise for me in KC for our anniversary. He led me to believe he was taking me out to eat for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. That was only part of the deal. I thought we were going to continue the long journey of traveling from DC to home on our anniversary. He secretly made a reservation for a suite in a hotel by the Plaza. I'm so glad that he did! We were so tired from the whirlwind of a weekend, that it would have been a struggle to drive all the way back that day.

beautiful courtyard

Liam loved the glass elevator

We did in fact end up going to The Cheesecake Factory - where Liam proposed to me about a year and a half ago. Great memories!

deliciousness

sitting on the proposal bench

Before we left KC, we visited the Kauffman Memorial Garden. There were lots of pretty flowers!

Update: Yet another surprise from my husband. He told me before we left for the weekend that he didn't get me flowers for my birthday because I wouldn't be here to enjoy them. I had completely forgotten about that comment when he drove in the garage today after work with a dozen roses in hand!

I love flowers.

wedding : noel&nefret

2009-08-03T21:54:00.021-05:00

Liam's brother got married this past weekend in DC!

wonderful rehearsal dinner at a house in Alexandria

side note: THE school from Remember the Titans is behind their
back fence. And they were having football practice when we arrived.

the happy couple

going to the chapel

beauty

wedding party: 11 bridesmaids, 7 groomsmen

wedding wedding wedding

mr&mrs

snazzy reception hall

first dance

the best man and his wife

the dance floor

the getaway

birthday highlights

2009-07-29T10:11:00.003-05:00

Meeting mom and dad for dinner and ice cream on Friday.
Going out to eat at Taco Shop after church on Sunday. Taco Shop is a great local taco place here in town that has been around for 40 years. They have very reasonable prices, and they even deliver!
Making a trip to JCPenney to explore their major sales on my birthday (how kind of them to coordinate that). I scored some slacks and four shirts all on sale. They'll be great for when I start my new job!
Getting the sweetest birthday card from my wonderful husband. He has a way with picking out the best cards. Seriously. He's way better at it than I am.
Receiving 5 different birthday calls along with texts, wall posts, and messages.
Going out to eat at Gella's Diner - a great local restaurant in old storefronts downtown. The food was great and the atmosphere was refreshingly modern. For those interested, they have their own brewery attached - similar to Little Apple Brewery in Manhattan.
Getting one of the amazing Tagalong blizzards at DQ - my favorite blizzard of all time made with delicious peanut butter patty Girl Scout cookies.
Taking a nice walk around the park and watching a bit of the Larks baseball game over the outfield fence.

I realized after the day was over that I didn't have any cake. But I did have enough celebratory ice cream to make up for it.

Tomorrow evening we begin our journey to DC for Liam's brother's wedding. We'll be staying in KC for the night since our flight leaves early in the morning on Friday. It's going to be a very quick trip. We'll be spending our first anniversary in airports and an airplane, flying home on Sunday morning. It's hard to believe that it's already been a year! We're looking forward to celebrating with Noel and our soon-to-be sister-in-law, Nefret.

meet my houseplants!

2009-07-26T14:23:00.016-05:00

Forever ago, I promised that you would have the opportunity to meet my houseplants. They have reminded me recently that I have neglected to introduce them to you. My love for houseplants started when I discovered the book How to Grow Fresh Air. If you're at all interested in raising some joyful houseplants of your own, I would highly recommend the book. Without any further adieu, meet my plants:

First off, meet Fran. Fran is a Dragon Tree plant. She's pretty dainty and skittish. She kind of had a rough go-around when we moved. She protested with some brown leaf tips and killing part of herself off (there used to be 3 shoots). With some trimming and TLC, she seems to be recovering nicely.
Next up is Eloise the Peace Lily. She was named by (and I like to think, after) my wonderful sister (her middle name is Louise). Eloise was a gift from my former co-workers at the going away luau. It must have been obvious to them that I love plants when I brought in three to live in my little cubicle space. Eloise seems to be the neediest of the bunch - often looking a little droopy in her pleas for water.

Meet Brutus the Rubber Tree. He's the hardiest of the bunch. He's a tough guy. I like to think of him as one of those tiny dogs with a big bark. He really likes to shoot out huge leaves for as small as he is. Someday I'm sure he'll grow into those leaves. In the meantime, he enjoys being the overachiever of the bunch.

Here's Dixie the Corn Plant. She is forever young, as her stump was painted to prevent growth and she will always enjoy sporting her lively pig-tails. Dixie is pretty even-tempered. But she sometimes throws a tantrum when in direct sunlight or in front of a window with a cool breeze by turning her leaf tips brown.

And lastly, meet Quincy. Quincy is a Golden Pothos and a show-off, to say the least. He has grown the most since I got him just a few short months ago. When Quincy came to our home, he was very concentrated in his pot - no vines to be seen. Since then, he's been growing like a weed (or Pothos - I think we should start that trend). He seemed to enjoy our move the most, and showed his appreciate for his new home by going on a growth spurt. It was encouraging to me, as the others seemed to be in protest of their new environment. Quincy is very compliant and rarely has to be disciplined with leaf trimmings or consoled with extra water.

Hope you have enjoyed meeting my wonderful houseplants. I know they appreciated the publicity. If you can't have housepets, turn to houseplants. They'll make you healthier and almost as happy. Now, back to celebrating 24 years of life!

This post is in loving memory of Amarillo, the yellow Gerbara Daisy that once was.

vanilla pudding chocolate chip cookies

2009-07-22T15:42:00.007-05:00

This happens to be one of my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. It makes nice, fluffy and moist cookies every time. The secret is to take them out of the oven just when they're starting to get golden brown around the edges. Enjoy!

1 cup butter (melted)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 box (3.4) vanilla pudding
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1 bag chocolate chips

1. Combine butter, sugars, pudding mix and vanilla.
2. Beat in eggs.
3. Gradually add remaining ingredients.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350.

manhattan and kc weekend getaway

2009-07-21T15:14:00.011-05:00

Liam and I spent last weekend driving up and down I-70 to visit our good friends in Manhattan and Kansas City. It was such a refreshing weekend! We had a great time sitting around chatting with friends and going to a Royals game! Friday evening we went as far as Manhattan to catch up with some of our good friends that are still in town. It was kind of strange to be back in Manhattan after being away for a couple months. We had a fun, low-key evening of visiting. On Saturday, we were off to KC! We met some friends for lunch and then went on to see some more friends and their new house. In the evening, we went to the Royals game. It was great fun seeing the newly renovated stadium. And it was a perfect 75 degrees when the game started. Unfortunately, the Royals lost. Something we're too familiar with these days. On Sunday morning we headed back to Manhattan to go to University Christian Church, the church we attended while living in Manhattan. It was so great to be back there for a visit! We are enjoying our new church in Hays, but had definitely missed UCC. Liam went to the driving range with a friend in the afternoon. Then, we of course had to make a quick stop at Target before we headed back to Hays. It was a packed weekend, but it was so much fun to catch up with friends! Thanks all!

got to see Greinke pitch

and many other pitchers...

sporting my new clearance KC hat

with friends at the game

perfect evening for a baseball game

good times

efforts in frugality

2009-07-16T17:23:00.011-05:00

Since I'm not working this summer and have time on my hands, I've been spending some time on finding ways to save money and simplify our lives. It's actually been a really fun challenge. I've looked at some blogs on the topic and even checked out a book from our public library about being frugal. So far I've learned a lot and have been able to put some of the suggestions into practice. I'll probably continue to post about the new strategies that I come across in the future.

meal planning
First of all rather than aimlessly making a grocery list for what I think I might make, I make a list of about 12 meals that we can have for supper. This tends to cover at least two weeks when you consider leftovers and eating out occasionally. Once I have my list of meals, I go through and write down all of the ingredients I need to make those meals. I then deduct anything from that list that we already have on hand. Then, when I go grocery shopping, I'm on a mission to only get those things that I know we'll eat in the next two weeks. I don't really plan for lunches, because those typically consist of sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and leftovers. When I get home, I hang the list of meals on the fridge. When I'm deciding what to make for supper, I just choose an option from the list and check it off. I also note which items will expire the soonest so we can have those meals sooner rather than later. So far, this method has turned out to be pretty effective in cutting down our food budget.

price list
Another thing that is in the works for cutting grocery expenses is a price list for items we frequently buy - anything from food to paper products to hair spray. I've spent the last week or two collecting regular prices on those items at Dillons, Walmart, and Dollar General. I've entered that information into a spreadsheet. I can now see which store has the best regular price on each item. Also, now when something is on sale in one location I can tell if it's actually a good deal compared to the regular price at other locations. As you can see in the picture, my list isn't complete yet. It takes some time, but it seems as though the effort will pay off! Out of curiousity, I looked at only the items that I have multiple prices for. I took the difference between the lowest price of each item and the second lowest price. I found out that by using this price list and prioritizing where I buy things, I can save $15-20 on the items on my list. And that's not even considering the difference between the lowest and the highest prices. Pretty nice! Now when I go grocery shopping every 2-3 weeks, I'll divide my list up based on where I can buy each item at the cheapest price. I used to tell myself that the money I saved on price hunting would be wasted on the gas driving between stores. Now I know better!

buying in bulk
Another thing I've quickly learned is that you can often save a lot of money by buying items in bulk when they go on sale. You have to be careful with going crazy with the sales, but it's great if you stick to things you use regularly that you can easily use by the expiration date. This week I noticed that Dillons had the biggest box of Honey Nut Cheerios on sale. Around our house, they're a staple for breakfast. However, we get the generic brand to save money. They're almost as good. When I figured out that the name brand Cheerios on sale were a decent amount cheaper than the generic stuff I usually buy, I made a trip to Dillons to stock up and bought 4 big boxes - yup, 4. Since they don't expire till sometime next year, they were a great deal!! While I was there, I got a loaf of our bread of choice to put in the freezer. It was also on major sale. Overall, I saved almost 40% by buying ahead!

summer - Hays, America style

2009-07-13T20:53:00.008-05:00

This past weekend was packed with experiencing what Hays has to offer in the summer. It was busy, but a lot of fun!

Garage Sale
I contemplated for a while having a garage sale for multiple reasons. The biggest reason is that lately I've really been thinking about simplifying life and not holding on to clutter we don't need or use. It was also a great way to make a little extra money! I spent a few days going through boxes and walking around our house finding anything we don't need/use. My mom and my aunt also collected some stuff that they were ready to get rid of. Mom was so kind as to come up on Friday evening with a load of stuff and help me price and set up the sale in our garage. It was a long evening, but we enjoyed ourselves! She also stayed and helped with the garage sale on Saturday from 8:00 to 2:00. I have to say, garage salers in Hays are pretty hardcore. There were people there waiting at 7:40 for our garage sale to open. Thankfully, we had fit the sale on tables that were all contained in the garage, so the garage door was down while we finished getting ready. When we opened the door at 8, there were at least 10 people standing there waiting. I couldn't believe it! The garage sale was a success. We got rid of over half of the stuff we had collected. We loaded up mom's van with the stuff that was left when the sale ended and took it straight to Goodwill. Pretty easy clean up! There was no need to move it back into our homes, and I'm glad that the stuff can be used by other people that need it. Our biggest sale of the day was mom and dad's exercise bike. They were happy to see it go! My wonderful husband told me that the money I made at the garage sale was completely mine to spend as I want. I've decided to use some of it to finish projects and decorations for our house that I was putting off since they weren't necessary. I'm excited to see some of these things come together. There may be pictures to come in the future!

Fiddler on the Roof
After the long day of garage saling, Liam and I went to see Fiddler on the Roof put on by the community theater. I found out about the Fiddler performance before we even moved to Hays and made note of it. I REALLY enjoy all things arts - concerts, musicals, plays, dance recitals, etc. They bring me so much joy - and Fiddler on the Roof did not disappoint me! It was so great! I was very impressed with the actors. They casted the lead perfectly. He looked the part and had a really good voice. Altogether, it was a really great way to end a long day! I'm already looking forward to the next show by the community theater.

Hays Larks baseball
People had told us that Hays Larks baseball games are a favorite summer pasttime of many people here in Hays. Last night we went to a game to see for ourselves. The Larks are summer league, college baseball players from all over the US. I didn't even know such a thing existed till we moved here, but apparently there are many other teams scattered throughout the state forming the Jayhawk Baseball League. Last night, the Larks happened to be playing the Colorado Sox from Pueblo. It was a great first game for us to go to! The game went to 14 innings and the Larks won 4-3. We were really impressed by the centerfielder - a diving catch, a sprinting catch out by the wall, and 4 times on base! It was a fun game to watch. I'm sure we'll be going back before the season ends at the end of the month.

A side note from Liam's work - He told me the other day that the company actually has a white noise machine that constantly plays a dull sound over the speakers that sounds like an air conditioner is on. Apparently they do that because it helps to keep the work environment less distracting because you don't hear people in the hallway and offices next to you as much. I had never heard of such a thing. Crazy.

4th of july weekend

2009-07-09T09:23:00.010-05:00

Liam and I traveled to Bushton for the 4th of July weekend. Liam was very happy to get Friday off from work, so we headed down there on Thursday evening. While we were there, we got to visit with my sister and her boyfriend who were down there shortly for her 10 year class reunion. We also got to visit with some of my cousins and meet my new first cousin once removed! On a side note, I once learned about correct usage of cousin titles. Very interesting! (see graphic of cousin tree) When thinking about "______ cousin _____ removed", the first blank is based on the distance to the common ancestor (based on person closest). The second blank is based on the difference in generations of the two people in consideration. I digress. It was a fun time with family!

For the 4th, we traveled down to Sterling to see fireworks at Sterling Lake. Great display for a small town. Mom grew up spending the 4th at Sterling Lake. Her mother's family reunions were all day there on the 4th, ending with the fireworks. Here's a picture from the fireworks display. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture to share with you of the amazing finale. It was so bright/loud/shook your insides/impressive that I dropped my camera to cover my ears and closed my eyes partway. Seriously. It was intense.

On Sunday evening, Hays had a fireworks display. We didn't feel like fighting the crowd, so we watched from afar. It was a pretty good show! It lasted almost exactly 20 minutes. Not too shabby!

In other news, I've been preparing this week to have a garage sale this weekend. I'm actually pretty excited about it. My mom is coming up to bring some stuff that she and her sister are wanting to get rid of. And she's being so sweet as to stay and help! We were going to have it Friday late afternoon/early evening and Saturday morning - as seems to be a trend for Hays garage sales. But earlier this week, when I looked at the weekend forecast, the highs for Friday and Saturday were 104 and 102. We quickly decided to just go with Saturday morning/early afternoon to optimize the coolest part of the day. Thankfully, the high for Saturday has dropped down to a chilly 92. Unfortuately, there's a 30% chance of thunderstorms. Hopefully those will stay away till later in the day!

"makes you feel human again"

2009-07-02T16:45:00.006-05:00

My wonderful, thoughtful husband got me an early birthday present: a shiatsu message chair cushion. It's amazing. Very relaxing!! I find it humorous that their tagline is "Makes you feel human again." I didn't realize I wasn't feeling human these days... But if I ever come home from a long day at the middle school starting in August, and I'm feeling a little like some other various creature (say a dog, cow, or panda bear), I guess I know where to go. Anywho. It was a great surprise, and I love it! If you've never sat on a shiatsu message cushion, visit the closest Bed, Bath, & Beyond (or something of those sorts), and you'll fall in love with it.

the gift-wrapping was so pretty

business trip, family, a job for me, and more...

2009-06-27T13:42:00.011-05:00

So much has happened since my last post. I can't believe that June is already almost over. Crazy. Anywho...

Liam has been working for four weeks now, and he's still enjoying it. He's been on a couple day trips in western Kansas to go to meetings for work projects. June 14-17 he went on his first business trip. He headed down to San Antonio for a conference for the software that they use a lot at work. The trip was somewhat of an adventure. He flew in and out of Hays in a 19-seater, double-prop airplane. His connection was in Denver. On the way out there, his plane was delayed for 1 1/2 hours due to weather blowing through Denver. When they finally made their way, they ended up going through some hail. I'm glad I wasn't there to experience that. When they finally got to Denver, Liam heard them announce that all rows had boarded for his flight. He barely made it! He was the last one to get on the plane, and they took off soon thereafter.

While Liam was on his business trip to San Antonio, I went to visit my parents. I spent a lot of the time there cleaning out my old closet and helping mom clean out the attic. We accomplished a lot! It was a good time! Since then, mom, dad, Jess and I made a day trip to visit my grandparents out in Tribune. It was so great to see them! If you're ever traveling through the middle of nowhere in western Kansas, check out Charlie's in Leoti. It's a great Mexican food restaurant with some American food as well. Last weekend Liam and I made a trip up to see his parents for Father's Day. We got in some good time at the driving range with his dad.

Recently, I applied and interviewed for a para job in a middle school here in town. I had decided that a para job would have ideal hours and breaks, and that I would enjoy working with the kids. I must say, the interview was a little intimidating for a not-so-well-paying hourly job, with three people interviewing me. But I passed! :) I'll be starting in the middle of August as a para for 6th and 7th graders at Felen Middle School.

Just today, Liam got a letter in the mail telling him that he passed the 8-hour Fundamentals of Engineering exam!! As mentioned before, this means that he's now an Engineer in Training to become a Professional Engineer. This is about a 5-year process.

Before I go, a little bit about my family's dog. He's such a GREAT dog. We got him about 8 years ago from an elderly lady that could no longer take care of him. She named him Digger "because he digs." He has definitely become a big part of our family. The pictures are from Digger's latest hair cut while I was home recently. When I was still living at home, it was my job to give him hair cuts. Back in that day, we didn't have pet trimmers, so I did it by hand with scissors. It took a long time, but he was SUCH a good sport. I would cut his hair out on the front porch, and he would sit so still for me the whole time. Digger's an amazing dog.

the finished product

And finally. This is my first attempt at making a pie. I made a pecan pie for my dad for Father's Day!

good job and Goodland

2009-06-06T19:14:00.008-05:00

Liam's fist week of work went really well. He enjoys his co-workers and comes home with stories to tell me every day. I love hearing how his day went and what he worked on! I'm so thankful that he freely volunteers that information. I'm also very thankful that he has such a good job that he enjoys going to every day.

Yesterday evening when Liam got off work, we jumped in the car and headed out west. We met my brother (who's from Colorado Springs) in Goodland, KS for dinner. Thanks to a friend's great recommendation, we ate at a local restaurant with lots of fun character and great food - Crazy R's. The food was delicious! Apparently other people enjoy the restaurant too, because it's in the running for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine.
Our friend also recommended The Vault Creamery for dessert. It was also really great! They have taken an old bank building and fixed it up like an old fashioned ice cream parlor. Very cool atmosphere! Their ice cream was so good! I had a cookies & cream shake, and it was one of the best I've had. If you like small town treasures, I would highly recommend both Crazy R's and The Vault if you're headed down I-70 looking for a place to stop.

This morning we made our first trip to the driving range here in Hays. The weather was pretty great, but we're going to have to get used to playing golf in the wind of western Kansas!