youmakemylifesobeautiful

Living Room Mood Board

2011-10-22T20:42:00.002-05:00

I can't help it. It will be almost a year until we break ground for the house, so that puts us at about a year and a half until move in. But I've already decorated the living room in my head..... I figure that's somewhat useful for picking paint colors etc.

I want the whole house to feel open, welcoming, and comfortable. We want to use pictures of family, places I have taken, or other keepsake heirloom type pieces for decoration. The room is loosely based on pear trees in spring, I just need to play with the tints on the picture to get it to match the blues in the fabric.

Anthropologie Obsession

2011-04-22T18:27:00.003-05:00

This is a random post as I don't usually post about clothes or fashion, but I just have to say that I love the clothing line by Anthropologie. I love the modest, 50's looking clothes. It is so hard to find cute fun clothes that are also modest!

Just thought I'd share!!

Historic Craftsman Elements

2011-04-13T19:00:00.004-05:00

In my research of craftsman elements I have found a wonderful resource for historic guidelines of several different styles, in particular it has a fantastic description of what makes a craftsman home. The guide includes several elements such as architecture, lighting, window and floor coverings, paint, and furniture.

So many of the elements I love, "Lamps and fixtures are in wrought iron, brass or copper and their light is supplemented by the central fireplace which is often surrounded by hand made tiles." I also love the architecture of the windows and trim. While we don't plan to incorporate all of the elements of a craftsman home, we want to pick an choose and make the home uniquely ours!

Building a New Home with Ranch and Craftsman Elements

2011-04-07T17:00:00.005-05:00

So as school wraps up, I thought I would start to compile some of my thoughts for our new and biggest project, we are going to build our first home! Not anytime super soon, but there is a lot of planning to do, and we would like to break ground next spring!

First, I know you are probably thinking, why in the world are you building when this is a buyers market? Well, we plan to live in this area, God willing, for many many years. The houses that are for sale around here are mostly either too large, too small, too old, or on small lots. We want a lot from this house since we plan to be in it for a while and raise our children in it. We are going to do an owner build and will hopefully be able to build a new house for less than it would cost to purchase an existing home. So what better place to share some of my planning, style ideas, and online browsing than our blog?! So over the next few months expect to see many mood boards and other house type postings!

Week 13 - Just for Fun

2011-04-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

I took some pictures of a friends kids this weekend, and of course the bear wanted her picture taken too. Then I edited it with a floral texture, just for fun!!

Week 12 - From the Jewelry Box

2011-03-23T10:44:00.003-05:00

I guess this isn't really "from the jewelry box" as it is never in the jewelry box, but lives on my finger. :) I thought this would be a good opportunity to take a photo of my favorite piece of jewelry though! The jewelry box is special to me too as it was given to me by my parents from Germany.

Week 11 - Darks and Lights

2011-03-16T17:00:00.005-05:00

I just love these pear trees and look forward to them blooming every spring!

Here Burns My Candle - Book Review

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

Initially I was captured by the setting of the book which takes place in 18th century Scotland. I also enjoyed the author's use of spelling to give a feel of a Scottish accent to the reader. It intrigued me to learn a little more of the history of Scotland and the Jacobite Rising.

The book is meant to be Christian literature, and roughly mirrors the story of Naomi and Ruth. However, I don't necessarily agree with the religious beliefs of the church of England, so some of the ideas need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Also, I felt that the story spent quite a but of time expanding upon Lord Kerr's marital unfaithfullness which was un-necessary. I did enjoy the character growth and faithfullness of Lady Elisabeth Kerr. She is a character that is absolutely loyal and loving to her family. The character's struggle to know God more is one I'm sure many people have dealt with internally. Howeverm, I extremely dislike reading stories of marital unfaithfullness, and it is for this reason that I probably wouldn't recommend the book to a friend.

Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. This is my honest opinion on the book.

Week 10 - Childhood Toys

2011-03-16T15:00:00.001-05:00

So I'm not real happy with the way this one came out, but I'm a little behind in my photo assignments. It looked a lot better when I envisioned it in my head... I think it needs some vintage editing or something. Anyways, here it is better late than never.

Week 8 - The View From Here

2011-02-24T18:00:00.000-06:00

I actually took several different picture for this week's theme. I had a hard time choosing one to enter because each one takes the theme a little different direction. So I will post my three favorite ones here. It's my blog so I can post as many as I want. :)

This one didn't turn out quite as I had it pictured. The editing is a little rough, but I like it anyway.

I'm not sure what these little berry things are, but they're really neat looking. They are from a tree next to our porch, hence "the view from here"

This one is a little obvious but I decided it best fit the theme even though I kind of like the berry one best (oooh alliteration), so it is the one I entered for my participation this week. :)

Week 7 - Open your heart

2011-02-20T20:00:00.001-06:00

My tulips bloomed this week and I thought they would work just perfect for this week's theme. :)

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Also, on a non project 52 note: I'm not sure how many people I know in real life read our blog anymore since I rarely post, but I would like to put out there that I am looking to improve my photography skills so I'm looking for people to do portraits for. I'm obviously not a professional, so I can't guarantee professional quality, but I'm a lot cheaper than professionals, (as in free)..... so what have you got to lose?

Week 5 - Muse

2011-02-06T18:13:00.002-06:00

Muse [ˈmyüz]
1. verb: mused, mus·ing : to become absorbed in thought; especially : to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively
2. noun: a state of deep thought or dreamy abstraction
3. noun: a source of inspiration; especially : a guiding genius

He is my muse :)

Week 2 - Illustrate a Song

2011-01-08T14:35:00.007-06:00

Here I am by Billy Currington

That is our song. This picture is from this past fall which, like my week 1 picture, technically doesn't meet the requirements of Project 52, but I figure it will work while I play catch up.

This picture always makes me think of this song. When we first started dating we always went on walks around campus. We still like to and this particular day that I took the picture was just beautiful.

Lyrics:

Walks in the rain, talks in the dark
Old black and white movies, a day at the park
On a blanket on the ground on a Sunday afternoon
Hangin’ with friends or off by ourselves
Drivin’ around yard sale to yard sale
Droppin’ by the county fair, winnin’ you a bear poppin’ balloons

If you’re lookin’ for someone to do that with, here I am
Someone to be the other half of your plans
Don’t look any further than in my eyes
If you’re lookin’ for that man, here I am

December nights all cuddled up
Warmed by the fire and sharin’ a cup
Of hot cocoa laughin’ at old photos
Spanish guitars, sand and the sea
A quiet little table just you and me
Sippin’ margaritas in a little cantina in Old Mexico

If you’re lookin’ for someone to do that with, here I am
Someone to be the other half of your plans
Don’t look any further than in my eyes
If you’re lookin’ for that man, here I am

Talkin’ ‘bout life and talkin’ ‘bout babies
Talkin’ bout us still in love when we’re eighty

If you’re lookin’ for someone to do that with, here I am
Someone to be the other half of your plans
Don’t look any further than in my eyes

If you’re lookin’ for that man, here I am
Here I am
Baby, here I am

What has happened to Sunday?

2010-10-08T19:22:00.012-05:00

As most of you know, for the past few years I have been working towards my doctorate in physical therapy. I am very excited to graduate and move on to the next stage of my life (read: not going to school anymore), but was recently dissappointed to learn that I will not be able to attend my own gradutation.

You see, they scheduled it on a Sunday morning from 9:00 to 10:30, the exact time when we are worshipping our Lord with our fellow Christians at our congregation. I have looked into the possibility of having it moved etc. and it appears that that will not be possible as "these things are scheduled years in advance." Why may I ask, if these things are scheduled years in advance, did they choose a Sunday morning? It seems that planning something that far in advance they would have had their choice of any date they wanted.

I was encouraged to look for other options or a different day to attend services. They don't understand that we are commanded to attend worship every time the Lord's body comes together and there is no "alternate day" such as Saturday night.

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10: 24-25

"Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them. " Acts 20:7

That's not to say that I'm perfect and have never missed worship with our congregation. In fact we have not been as faithful in our Wednesday night attendance as we should be and have been working on remedying that, no matter how busy our day was or how late we got off.

What I can't understand is the mindset that this world has come to that scheduling something on a Sunday morning isn't even a big deal. Remember just a couple decades ago when everything was closed on Sundays? Not a shop was open, much less a graduation planned. I'm not saying that no work should ever be done on a Sunday, we aren't commanded to keep it holy as the Jews were to keep the Sabbath holy under the old law. But, scheduled events should not conflict with the command to break bread with our fellow Christians the first day of each week.

I wish I could be there to walk across that stage with my classmates, but I've got something much more important to do that morning. I will be in services that morning with my fellow Christians to worship my Lord.

Visiting Sweet Sister

2010-09-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

We had a chance to go visit Kati one weekend. It was so nice to see where she is going to school, her dorm room, and to meet her roomate. It's a beautiful campus and I know she is loving it there. We're proud of you Kati!!

Branson

2010-09-25T18:00:00.002-05:00

We wanted to use our time in Missouri to go on a few "mini vacations." A few weeks ago we went to Branson. There are a lot of shows and places to go, but with only 2.5 days we had to choose between all the options! We spent a day and a half at Silver Dollar city. It's a very family friendly theme park with demonstrations of glass blowing, blacksmithing, bread making, candle making etc.

Silver Dollar City:
Butterfly Palace:

Table Rock Lake:

It was so fun to go on our first little summer vacation. I love going places with my best friend!!

Practicing With My New Toy

2010-09-22T18:40:00.013-05:00

Some new picture posts with my new toy are way overdue! The first weekend after I got it we went out to a park down the street from our apartment and I played areound with some of the functions. I have a lot to learn still, but I was amazed at the clarity of the pictures taken by this camera. I loooove it!

New Toy

2010-08-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

So this past week was my birthday and I now have the most fun new toy!

I have no idea how to use it (hence the reason the flash is on is this picture because I couldn't figure out how to turn it off), but I am so excited for the ability to take better quality pictures! My goal is to learn to use it well before we have kids so that we will always have great quality candid shots of our kids. (Don't get too excited. Kids are still a ways away. I have A LOOOOT to learn about that camera. Ha!!)

One thing I do know is that I love this cutie! He is awfully good to me and spoils me a little....

The Purple Baby Girl Dress

2010-08-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Here it is. I kept fogetting to post the dress that I made to match the purple headband. They were so much fun to make!! I look forward to sewing for our children one day!

The Chair- Another one

2010-08-17T18:00:00.001-05:00

Yes, another chair transformation! This one went much better than the last. The Missouri State Fair didn't end up being much to write home about (unless you count the hour and a half detour we had to take coming back, grrr). Nothing against Missourians but, everything is bigger in Texas (except their detours). So, I decided to go ahead and post this that I've been meaning to post for awhile.

This chair belonged to Stephen's great-great-Grandma and "has rocked many babies." Now in it's new, re-upholstered condition, I hope it will one day rock ours too! Stephen's sister, my sweet sister in law, helped in the dusty redo! Thanks Kati!

The picture above is how the chair started out. It was an olive green fabric and kind of uncomfortable to sit on. I didn't want to change too much of the original facade of the chair, so I didn't touch the wood except to clean it and put some wood oil on it.

This is what we found once we stripped off the fabric (which turned out to be royal blue not olive!) You know it's an old chair when the cushioning is made out of unbleached cotton and straw! It was such a fun and interesting find that I almost hated to remove it, but the allergy factor caused me to go ahead and replace it with foam and batting. Maybe one day my great-great-grandchildren will be amazed at the type of stuffing I used!

This is the chair once it was all stripped down to the wood and springs. The springs were still in great condition. Yay! We cut foam to fit and then covered it with batting. We used the old fabric pieces as a template for the new fabric and stapled in all underneath.

Finished product:

I love it!! It is so comfortable now and so special to us!

Two Years of Marriage

2010-08-16T20:00:00.004-05:00

I can't believe we've been married two years already. I love thinking back to that special day, especially his face as I walked down the aisle. I love this man even more today than I did the day before.

This Week's Adventure: Taking Care of a Sick Truck

2010-08-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

You know, when it rains, it pours. This week Stephen had the stressful week as he got out of class pretty late each day and he had to take care of our sick truck. This week our truck decided not to start a couple of times so we decided it was time to take it in. Bummer. We also had to rent a car. I'll take the glass half full perspective with that one, and say that our rental car was a Dodge Charger and was super fun to drive!! Stephen told me not to get any ideas.......that's ok though because I love my baby truck back in Texas. :) But hopefully Stephen's truck is all fixed up now!!

This weekend we're headed to the Missouri state fair. It will be our first outing since coming to Missouri and I think it will be fun. I'll post pictures next week!

This Week's Adventure: Avoiding Misadventure

2010-08-07T17:15:00.002-05:00

This was my first week working in the PT department at the army hospital on post. Let's just say I had a rough start. Maybe it's because I was nervous, or maybe Murphy's law was on in full force: anything that can go wrong will go wrong. I mean it nothing that happened was just terrible, but still.......

Since we only have one vehicle, I get up at 4 with Stephen and ride with him to post and he picks me up when I get off. I realized as soon as I got into the hospital lobby at 5:30 on Monday morning that I left my phone at home. Bummer. So I spent most of the day worrying about how I would get in touch with him at the end of the day. I didn't want to be the silly girl that had to ask to borrow someone's phone, but I did, and it was the Major. Sigh.

Along with that I dopped a tomato from my sandwhich onto my lap, realized that the funny smell was coming from my backpack from the peach I had packed for the plane ride that was now smashed into a million rotten pieces, and had to ask for a ride to the other side of post a few times. There were a few more little things, but like I said, nothing that is that big a deal, but all together made me say TGIF!

Next week promises to be much better and more organized! We plan to start taking a few trips and things like that. Here's to next weeks adventure!

Let the Adventure Begin!

2010-07-31T11:24:00.003-05:00

We've moved to Missouri! That's right, we're packed up and moved to the "Show me" state for a few months while Stephen completes his army officer training. He's already been up here for a few weeks but I had to wait for a bit to finish up my clinical and pack up our things before heading up here so I got here on Thursday night.

Our new apartment is pleasant enough and the people are friendly. We plan to make an adventure of our time up here and go on a few mini trips which I'll be sure to blog about!

Yesterday I went with Stephen to post to check out where I'll be starting work on Monday. Then I spent the rest of the day with my new friend Sam whose husband is in Stephen's class. She and her sweet baby girl made me feel so welcome! Thanks Sam!

Christmas in July

2010-07-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

I never published this back at Christmas, so I figured why not publish it now! Christmas in July, Hobby Lobby's doing it!

Growing up we always had a coundown calandender that began on December 1st and counted down to Christmas. You hang the little ornaments on all the numbers, then as each day comes you take off the ornament and hang it on the tree. My brothers and I loved taking turns each day.

I made this version last year for our sister-in-law:

At some point I'll probably make one for our family, but for now I'm still getting over the experience of making this one! ha!

Because Every Headband Needs A Cute Outfit......

2010-06-29T19:10:00.005-05:00

I made these headbands a few months back for a friend of ours, but I know that a couple of the headbands are hard to match with outfits.

Sooooooooo.........................................

I made outfits that match them!

This is the first one; light blue, turquoise, and brown. There is a purple one in the works too. :)

Congrats DK!

2010-06-06T18:11:00.004-05:00

Congratulations Daniel!! We are so proud of you and know you will do so great at the Air Force Academy!!

(My honey, me, and my baby brother)

(Me and my brothers)

Canyon Lake Adventure

2010-05-24T22:43:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we had thought about going kayaking, but it didn't quite all pan out in time so we just headed to Canyon Lake to have a little picnic. We'd never been out there before, but we'll definitely be going back! It's about 40 minutes north-eastish of us. We are so lucky to live near to so many fun and beautiful places!

It was such a beautiful lake; I've never seen another one like it in Texas. The water was so clear and just a perfect day for it. I didn't take these next few pictures, they're from google images, but just to give you some of an idea of how pretty it is out there.

We both really like the area and came home researching what it would be like to live up towards this area.....

We're Back!

2010-05-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

My school semester is finally over, and hopefully I can now participate in blogland again. I do enjoy blogging about what's going on in our lives, the various craft projects I start, and getting comments! This semester was crazy busy though with 17 hours of class credit (that doesn't include the extra time spent in lab) and a research project. But I'm one year from my doctorate and I know it will all be worth it in the end!

I figured I'd begin with the pictures that were requested of my failed chair re-do. Let's just say that it photographs better than it looks in real life..........
The pictures don't show the dings in the seat no amount of sanding could get out or the weird way the paint dried on the bars on the back of the chair. Oh well, it serves its purpose as an extra chair when we have company and I learned a few things. That's what its all about, right?

Anyways, it looks like I'll perhaps be doing a chair re-d0 of another sort. No paint, maybe just a little re-upholstery if it needs it, with the help of my sister-in-law. This rocking chair is in great shape and belonged to Stephen's Gran (great-grandma). It is so special to have it in our little family and I want to maintain its current integrity as an heirloom piece. Pictures of it coming soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T20:47:00.002-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to the Moms in our lives. We love y'all!

Grasshoppers, and Lizards, and Snakes, Oh My!!

2010-04-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

This week I saw my first rattler since we moved to San Antonio. It was scary. I do. not. like. snakes. Especially the incredibly poisonous ones. And the ones that are close enough proximity to strike unsuspecting walkers. Luckily for us he just shook his rattle at us as he watched us. Seriously, I think my heart rate doubled as soon as I heard that rattling sound and connected the dots as to what it was.

I think we'll be a little more careful when we're out on the walking trail now. And I will jump at every little sound, whether it be grasshopper or a lizard, for fear that is may be something else....

DIY Project: Fail

2010-03-19T22:00:00.004-05:00

Our dining set has four chairs, but we often have three or more guests over so I thought it would be nice to have an extra chair besides the canvas fold-up one from the outside closet. I've seen so many cute chair makeovers on different blogs that I thought I'd give it a try.

Well, I won't be adding to the collection of cute little chair re-dos out there, because mine didn't turn out all that great. Turns out, there's only a certain level of ugliness that the chair can be in the first place and mine was too ugly to be helped. :(

I picked it up at a garage sale for $6.50 but really should have taken a closer look I guess. Here it is before:

The problem with this chair is that I think it used to be two different chairs. As you can see the top is a different color from the bottom and also a different texture. The top part was very chipped and cracked and worn beyond any help that my little sandpaper could give it. The bottom, although smooth and easily covered with paint, was probably added on after the old bottom broke, and may I say that it wasn't added on very well. Just a couple of crooked screws and some not very well drilled holes for the top to connect with the bottom. Wood glue helped a little but you definitely don't want to rock in this chair!

So the moral of this story is: In order to have a cute chair re-do, the chair must be at least semi decent before you start. Paint won't correct structural problems!

Welcome Spring

2010-03-11T10:20:00.003-06:00

Spring is here! I love Spring. I love the birds chirping. I love the cool breeze and the warm sun. I love the trees budding. I can't stop smiling on my drive home with the windows down, even after taking four tests in three days. Whew!

In celebration of the beautiful day and the completion of all those tests, I started working on planting things on our porch. I repotted a couple of things that had outgrown their pots and got rid of a couple things that didn't make it through the winter. I'm also going to attempt to grow a few spices. I love the idea of using fresh spices when I cook, but they are just too expensive at the grocery store. Our porch doesn't really get any sun so I'm not sure how well they will do, but I'm going to give it a try. My hope is to get them started, and then put them in the ground when we get a house (a couple years from now).

I'm so glad the cold grey winter is over, and am looking forward to the next week off school!!!

American Honey

2010-02-26T20:50:00.002-06:00

I love love love this song and if it comes on while I'm driving I WILL be singing along!

Lady Antebellum More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

I really enjoyed the music video too, because I while I was watching it, it made me think back to my own childhood. "She grew up good, She grew up slow." Thinking back, I had a beautiful childhood. So many memories in the sun, playing in the creek, picking wild dewberries, spending time with family. We lived in a small town that didn't have a Wal-mart, much less a movie theater. I'm glad it was like that.

Just like I talked about in my last post, at the time I couldn't wait for time to pass and to get older. "Caught in the race of this crazy life." Only now can I look back and appreciate the times I was given.

One of Stephen's dreams is live on a little land away from the city. Thinking about my childhood made me realize how much I want that too, for our kids, so they can have what I had; "American honey."

Some other random thoughts about the video:

How did they find kids to be in this video that actually look quite a bit like the singers?

What a pretty little girl. Hopefully if we have a little girl she will get most of Stephen's genes so she can have that dark wavy hair.... I always had straight mouse colored hair.

That said, I think I am going to try to dye my hair this summer :)

End of February

2010-02-25T21:06:00.006-06:00

Okay, so it's been like a month since I've posted! Ooops. Part of that is because there is nothing blog worthy going on. That's not to say that nothing is going on, because the other reason I haven't blogged lately is because there is SO much going on!

Stephen has been working on Army stuff, the fire department, taxes, and chores. Not much else to say there. He keeps busy! He should be getting his station assignment soon though which will be nice because he will have a more routine work place.

At the beginning of the semester I was pretty much in school 8-5 every day, plus all the clinic visits we have to do this semester. THEN, after a research opportunity presented itself, I decided to go ahead and spend my freetime becoming involved in the study. Wait..... I didn't have any free time...... So now I don't get home until a little after 6 or 7 most nights. Plus we just began midterms. Needless to say, this week my face broke out and I got a stress ulcer.

I'm trying to stay calm, enjoy this stage as much as I can, and spend as much time with Stephen as I can. After all, these are all things I signed up for right? I guess so. I hate always looking forward to the next thing. Each day is a gift, and I want to relish each one as it is here because they all pass so quickly. That said, I do take little glimpses into the future and look forward to a time when things are a little slower paced, I get to spend more time teaching Bible class, working on hobbies, spending time with friends and family, and of course more time with Stephen.

I thank God for all these opportunities and pray for the strength to get through this busy time. I am also grateful for our friends and family who support us in this stage and are patient with us as we aren't able to spend the kind of time with them that we would like to right now. Love Y'all!

Ode to the Spring Garden I long for

2010-02-04T17:00:00.007-06:00

Around this time of year when I start getting my spring issues of Better Homes and Gardens, I'm tired of being cold, and spring is just around the corner, I start getting a little bit of garden envy. I so look forward to having a garden and landscape!

Tulips! My favorite!

Architecture and roses! Can't beat that!

Daffodils. Another favorite!

In all likelihood, this is probably more accurate to the type of garden we will have in San Antonio! Ha!

Haircut

2010-02-02T19:00:00.000-06:00

I really only get my hair cut like every four months. I wear it in a ponytail so much that it really doesn't matter too much. I've had the same hairstyle since high school. Long, layered, straight, and boring.

Last time I got it cut, the style was even more straight and boring than normal though so I decided to go get it cut after only two months. ha. It's better-ish. Why is everyone so afraid to cut my hair off?! I asked her to take the top layer to chin level, and she took it to shoulder level. bummer. Maybe I look like I'm mean and would be upset about my hair being shorter! So it's still straight and boring. I'm thinking about dying it..... (I know, I know, Stephen and Mom vote no on this one) nothing drastic. just a shade darker. hmmm we'll see.

Old Farmer's Advice

2010-01-30T19:00:00.000-06:00

I saw this on another blog that I read and totally stole it because it made me smile and some of it is just plain good ole' advice!

Old Farmers Advice:

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.

Don't judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Stephen and Larissa Lately....

2010-01-18T18:10:00.004-06:00

I started class last week into what looks like a rough semester. Pretty much 8 to 5 every day. What so hard about that right? That's a normal work day. But my day isn't over when I come home. I should be studying..... should be. I hate wishing away time, but is it May 8th yet?

Army stuff has been keeping Stephen busy, so hopefully it won't be like this for too long. He also should be getting his station assignment soon so that will help some as there will be some consistancy in the fire deparment schedule then... sort of.

It's been raining so much that we've been spending most of our down time inside. Stephen got a couple of new games for the wii that we've been enjoying, but unfortunately I'm about as uncoordinated in virtual reality as I am in reality. Hopefully the weather this spring will lend itself to some camping. I had given Stephen a tent a while back with the hopes that we would be able to enjoy that together. But, we've only gone once and that was a year ago! We talked about setting up the tent by the pond near our apartment, but I'm not sure that would go over real well. ha.

This weekend I worked on my classroom at the church building. I started teaching the 2-4 year olds about a month ago and I wanted to change out some of the bulletin boards and make stations around the room. I've got a couple of active little boys who can't sit at a table for 45 minutes and listen to me talk. So I want to use the space we have to make it more interactive and get them excited to come to bible class and learn! I hope the changes I've made will work starting next week, but I've still got a lot of work to do!

May you be blessed in your own busy lives this week!

Four Years Ago

2010-01-16T12:00:00.001-06:00

Four years ago today he asked if I'd be interested. I'm so glad he did. :)

The Christian's Joy

2010-01-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Sometimes we get so caught up in work, in school, in the trivialities of every day life that we forget about the joy that we should have as Christians.

Sunday night we heard a really good sermon about the Christian's joy. I wanted share it some it and my thoughts because I know that I was blessed by this reminder and added to my personal resolutions to exhibit the joy of a Christian in my every day life. What better way to show people what it means to be a Christian than by our joy?!

Rejoice in your salvation; We are going to Heaven!

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation. Psalm 35:9

As Christians we can know that we will one day spend eternity in Heaven. What a wonderful gift! Because of this alone, we should have so much joy! Eternity is a long time to spend with our Father in the home he has prepared for us!

Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. Luke 6:23

Rejoice in your marriage

I think marriage is one the greatest earthly gifts God has given us. My husband is my best friend and I never knew that marriage could be like this. Our Heavenly Father should be the first one that we turn to in times of happiness or need, but isn't it a blessing to have an earthly companion to help us on our way?!

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. Ecc 9:9

Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. Prov 5:18

Live a life of joy

Because of these things, we should be living a life full of joy! This joy should be visible to all those around us and encourage them to wonder what gives us this joy.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Phil 4:4

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice. Psalm 95: 1-7

2009 Rewind

2010-01-04T20:00:00.005-06:00

It's a couple days late, but I thought I'd sum up our 2009! I can't believe that it's 2010 already!! What is the consensus on how to pronounce our new year? Is it twenty-ten or two thousand and ten? Hmmmm...... Anyways, a little reminiscing about the past year:

January

Stephen started the Fire Academy with SAFD
Larissa began her second semester of PT school
We've been together for three years! Best three years of my life and I know it will only get better!

February

Stephen is involved in several charity runs and walks and inspires us to work on eating healthier

March

We make our first vehicle purchase
We took a fun day trip to Castroville. That trip was so much fun. I hope we have another opportunity like that this spring!

April

Larissa's semester wraps up

May

Larissa starts work as a tech at RIOSA
We decide that we will move once our lease is up

June

Stephen has a birthday

July

Stephen graduates from the SAFD fire academy
We take a trip to Sea World. I think I had more fun than most of the kids there!

August

We celebrate our first anniversary with a little trip to Fredericksburg
Larissa has a birthday
Larissa starts her second year of PT school

September

We move into our new apartment! Pictures of the "after" still to come....

October

Larissa works on projects to make our apartment a home
We celebrate PT clinical assignments with a Halloween party

November

We go to Paris (TX) to be a part of Savannah and Kevin's Wedding!
We host our first Thanksgiving. It was successful -ish.....

December

Larissa finishes her semester up and we got to enjoy some great quality time together!! Now I'm looking forward to spring break!! :)

____________________________________

Looking back over the year, there wasn't anything super eventful and exciting. But, we treasured every day and every moment we got to spend together and with our extended family and friends. We were blessed in many opportunities and look forward to seeing what this year holds (twenty-ten or two thousand and ten, how ever you say it)!

My resolutions aren't super ambitious, but I hope to work on some things to make me a better wife and Christian. We've had some inspiring sermons lately that have given me some things to think about, one which I hope to share with you tomorrow!

I hope your 2010 is off to a great start and will be blessed for you and your family!

DIY Art Project

2009-12-29T12:00:00.001-06:00

Due to our recent move, my need to have at least three projects in progress at all times, and the lack of time I have now for said projects because of school, I began a series of inexpensive projects earlier this summer that will make our new apartment comfortable, beautiful, and homey. whew! run-on sentence!

This project will be displayed above our headboard. I wanted something personal, elegant, slightly traditional, and of course inexpensive. I also wanted it to function to tie in the multiple colors we have in that room to make it look more cohesive, all for under $10

Enter the four main colors in our room in scrapbook paper:

I cut each of these to form several mats around our initials and sillhouettes. This way each of the colors would be tied into our rooms theme. I added a fun print in there for texture.

The intials were punched from the patterned paper using a die cut machine at a local scrap book store. Borrowing theirs is much cheaper than buying die cut punchers!

I made the sillhouettes by taking our pictures from a profile view against a white wall. Then using my photo editing software, I removed the background, brought the brightness to -100 and the contrast to 100. It's so easy and I love the result.

Hanging them in the arrangement I had planned was a little tricky. I measured the wall and found the center. I cut scrap paper to the size of my frames and hung them with sticky tac. This made it a lot easier to make adjustments to the pattern. After it looked the way I had pictured, I put the nails in and hung the frames!

Work in Progress!

Finished Product

2009 Christmas Cards

2009-12-25T08:00:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!!

These are the cards we sent out to friends and family this year. If you're reading this, you can consider it a digital Christmas card sent to you.

May your Christmas be wrapped in joy and filled with love. Best wishes for peace, health and happiness throughout the coming year.

A Use for Hobby Lobby Fabric!!

2009-12-20T13:00:00.001-06:00

I have been stalking Hobby Lobby's adorable fabric selection for a while now, TRYING to devise a use for it's cuteness. The obvious use is for a baby girl's room, but that's not going to happen anytime soon sooo.... Christmas gifts was the next best option! I love making things for people because it gives me time to think about that person and what they mean to me.

So with this fabric that I thought was super cute I made a clutch purse for my sweet sister in law

I wish I could post a pattern and directions for you, but I didn't use one. I just kind of went with it.... I should really work on patience and following a pattern, but other than that I was pleased with the result.

I'll post another craft tomorrow!!

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-19T22:49:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas! This is our first real tree and we are loving it. I love the smell and it's so nice and full that it looked beautiful even without ornaments. I do like it with the ornaments though... :)

I'm finally getting around to posting some of our Christmas pictures and projects. I always love making gifts for people and cards to mail to friends and family. I always take on so much though that it begins to get a little stressful when it gets down to the wire. BUT, since this was my LAST FALL SEMESTER ever, I should be able to start earlier from now on, yay!

I'll start posting some of what's been keeping me busy since finals beginning tomorrow. Stay tuned for lots of DIY crafts!

Things I Have Learned Since Finals

2009-12-13T16:44:00.004-06:00

Felt will melt if you try to iron it
Rustoleum is a better brand of spraypaint than Krylon. You get what you pay for.
If you buy caulk in a reclosable tube, store the tube outside in San Antonio, and then think that you will be able to use it, think again.
If you go ahead and use said (half-dried-up) caulk and spend an hour making it look good, you have wasted your time. Because, said half-dried-up caulk will not dry any further and will sit at the same dryness level until you pull it up and start over with a brand new tube of caulk.

That is all for now. Every day is a learning experience, even when finals are over. :)

Let's Say Thanks to the Men and Women Serving Our Country

2009-12-08T21:21:00.001-06:00

Letting our troops know that we support them and appreciate them is something I'm very passionate about. These Men and Women sacrifice so much; time with their loved ones, time at their regular jobs, arms/legs, and even their lives. This website by Xerox will print the card you pick and send it to our soldiers. It just takes a minute. Please do this for our heroes in foreign lands.

Christmas Trees Past and Present

2009-12-04T15:05:00.005-06:00

This is our Christmas tree last year:

We decorated it with pointsettas, white(cream), burgundy, and silver ornaments.

I'm so excited about our tree this year! This was our first year to get a real tree and I am loving the way it makes our house smell! We were going to wait to get it until next Friday when I'm done with finals, but we decided to go ahead and get it so we could enjoy the smell. We're waiting until I'm done with finals to decorate it though. Isn't it a pretty tree?

It was so fun to go and pick it out together. I loved doing that with my family when I was younger, and it's something I hope our kids will one day enjoy.

This time next week we will be decorating it much as we did last year, except I'm going to change the color scheme a little. Poinsettas with cream, burgundy, and bronze(brown) ornaments. A new scheme I saw this year at Hobby Lobby was jewel toned ornaments. It was so pretty. Instead of buying new ornaments though, I plan to get a can of bronze spray paint to make the switch. I'll show you the results when I'm done!

Rigoletto

2009-12-01T22:50:00.003-06:00

The other night we watched the movie Rigoletto (I use the term we very loosely, Stephen hated it for some reason). Have any of y'all seen it? I loved it when I was younger. It's sort of a Beauty and the Beast/ Phantom of the Opera story. What I love is the singing. Especially this song:

One day when we get a piano, the sheet music to this song is one of the first pieces I want to get and learn.

This is a random post I know, but I've been listening to the song on youtube on repeat tonight and I thought I'd interrupt my regularly scheduled projects to bring you that information. :)

Setting the Thanksgiving Table

2009-11-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. We hosted and Stephen's parents came to visit. (yay! So glad y'all were able to make it) Most things went as planned.... some did not. :)

What did go as planned was setting the table. I followed a little napkin tutorial on bhg.com to make the napkins look like this:

This is from the bhg website. I forgot to take pictures of ours)

Also what went as planned was the little mini-chandelier I planned to dress up the table a bit. The apartment's track lighting just didn't give the elegant effect I was going for on it's own.

So that was good..........

What was less good, was setting the oven on fire. :) I got a bigger turkey than I've gotten before, and apparently it was too big for that shallow roasting pan that come with the oven. I've used that pan for the past two years with one of those oven bags and never had a problem. Murphy's Law I suppose. The good news is that we didn't have to use the fire extinguisher and so after the fire was out, the oven cleaned, and a quick run to Wal-Mart (yay for being open on Thanksgiving!) by my sweet husband, all was well.

It was a Thanksgiving to remember in many ways I suppose. Our first time to host Thanksgiving, and our first time to catch the oven on fire (and hopefully the last). And it was a good one. I hope y'alls was just as good!!

Swagbucks and Christmas Songs

2009-11-25T14:30:00.000-06:00

Those of you who know me, know that I should be working on one of my two papers that is due. But those of you who know me, also know that about now I will be needing a break from said boringness. Enter: blogging

I wanted to share with you this little tid-bit I found. A few months ago I discovered swagbucks.com. It's a search engine like google, but sometimes you get points for using it. Certain key words allow you to earn between 1-5 points. You can cash in these points for prizes. It seems like there should be a catch, but I haven't found one yet.

I've been cashing in my points for amazon.com gift cards in order to get my school books cheaper at the beginning of the semester. Cheaper books? Yes please.

I'm going to use my points this month to download a few of the songs from John Denver and the Muppets Christmas Album. We listened to this record (yes, a record) when I was growing up when we decorated our tree each year. I'm so excited that we will be listening to it this year as we set up our own tree (and for free!)!

2009-11-23T23:02:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Card Creations

2009-11-19T11:30:00.000-06:00

I love making cards for special occasions. The ones in Hallmark never seem to say quite what I want to say. Plus, you know me, I like everything to match; card, gift, wrapping paper, and if there's a theme even better. :)

I just go to my favorite store, Hobby Lobby, and pick out the paper and look I'm going for. Then whatever supplemental materials I need or already have. It's so much fun to put together!

I've got my Christmas cards for the next four years designed in my head already. And, while you'll have to wait to see those, these are some of other my recent endeavors.

Card for a wedding that matched the theme, bonus!

Last year's Christmas card(s)

More Baby Girl Headbands

2009-11-08T14:00:00.002-06:00

Our preacher and his wife are expecting a baby girl in January, so I made another set of headbands. It was so much fun and I think these came out better than the first set because I used a pattern instead of free hand drawing them.

And one more picture because I think that they also look pretty when they're all together:

I love making them! I think it would be fun to set up an etsy shop once I'm on clinicals but I don't know. The way etsy works is that they charge you to list an item even if it doesn't sell. It's only a few cents, but still. I don't know if there would be enough interest in this product to make it worth it.... I'll think about it

Girls Night In

2009-11-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

I read the six books in the Anne of Green Gables series when I was in High School and LOVED them. I could probably go on forever how much I enjoyed these books, and how sad I was done with the eighth one :( Back in the day, a couple friends and I got together to watch the movies together (there are only three, but I think we've only seen the first two....hmmm....). We made food that pertained to the books. I don't remember what we made or how it was related to the story; I think the ultimate goal was that we wanted to eat and we were a little dorky.

Well this evening we're having a little reunion! I've lost touch with Shannon since high school, but Emileigh and I are going to watch at least one of the movies and I'm so excited! (Stephen is more than happy to miss out on this little get together and is at drill this weekend :)

If you're looking for an easy, enjoyable, and happy read, I highly recommend this series, and then watch the movies!

This is the fan site if you're interested in finding out more about the books (and no I'm not a member; I'm not THAT dorky....)

October Photo Scavenger Hunt

2009-11-01T22:00:00.002-06:00

Jessica, at Called to Serve, is hosting a photo scavenger hunt for October. There were five categories to take a picture for. Now I'm no photographer, but I thought it'd be fun to participate!

Trick or Treat

Orange

Harvest

Delicious

Together

Finished Costumes

2009-10-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure that Stephen would never dress up with me again if I posted a picture of us dressed up, so pictures of just our costumes will have to do.

His was pretty easy, I just used felt to make the zig-zag on the bottom and sewed it right on. Mine took a little more doing.....

I used pieces of old things that were worn out and didn't fit to make something new. Then, I dyed it yellow once everything was all put together. With this project I accomplished a couple of things. I learned to make ruffles; and I gained some confidence in using my machine that might give me the courage to return to my previously abandoned effort of making a dress for myself. We'll see.

And ta da! There it is. Charlie Brown and Woodstock. :)

Making Ruffles!

2009-10-29T22:00:00.001-05:00

I'm loving the ruffle trend this fall, and now I know how to make them myself! I learned how on the "Ruffles and Stuff" craft blog (click here to check it out). She has all kinds of great DIY clothing ideas. I just wish I was as handy with a sewing machine! I decided to try it out and added a few ruffles to my costume for fun!

Clinical Assignments

2009-10-27T17:00:00.001-05:00

We received our tentative clinical assignments this past week! Clinical rotations are the culmination of all our hard work and studying, where we go out to the field for 34 weeks and practice with an instructor. All of my classmates and myself are so excited! We don't start them until next May, but getting our assignments is a big deal!

I'm really happy with all my assignments. I got all the places that I requested. My hope in requesting these places is that they will lead to a job offer after graduation..... I've heard that you often get offers from the locations where you do your clinicals, so we'll see!

In celebration of our assignments and achievements, it is tradition at our school for the first year students to give the second year students a little celebration. Since it's right before Halloween, they always make it a costume party. It should be a fun, family friendly get together. We didn't go last year just because of the way our schedules were. But I really wanted to go this year. (We don't go to get togethers where there is alcohol, which means that I don't attend most get togethers with my classmates, so I really wanted to make an effort to go when they have functions where there won't be alcohol.) Somehow I convinced Stephen that he should dress up with me.... So here is how we will be dressed next Friday night!

I'm so excited!!

Happy 60th Anniversary

2009-10-26T12:36:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if they read our blog or not, but Happy 60th Anniversary to Stephen's Nana and Papa!!

You are such an inspiration and great example to us! We love you!

Homemade gifts? I need your Opinions...

2009-10-23T15:00:00.003-05:00

When I was growing up, I used to be embarrassed when my mom would make gifts for people. I don't know why; there seems to be this misconception that if you make a gift you are being "cheap." I know now that this totally isn't true.

I often see cute ideas in boutiques that give me inspiration for gifts. When I make things for people, I try to make it a combination of things that they have asked for/could use, and then add to it.

For example, I wrote about this baby gift that I made. Or, for a recent housewarming gift, I found a cute serving bowl and some dish towels. I personalized the towels to make them a little more fun after I had seen some cute ones in a Fredericksburg boutique.

I wonder how these handmade gifts are recieved. What do you think? Are handmade gifts thoughtful and special? Or cheap, useless, and offensive? I need your opinions.....

DIY Headboard

2009-10-20T17:00:00.012-05:00

I'm still on the hunt for some side tables on craigslist, but the other thing our room was missing is a headboard. We don't want to purchase a furniture set until we have a house, so in the meantime I wanted to have an inexpensive headboard, and I'm pleased with the result. Headboards are easily over a hundred dollars, especially upholstered ones which is what I thought would look best with the color of our current furniture.

I'm a huge fan of DIY. But, it always seems like people include directions that require a table saw or some sort of power tool that no one in an apartment is going to have. So, I made up my own version that doesn't require any power tools except a drill. Now, I'm not the handiest person, (ask my dad about the unfortunate plumbing incident...) so if I can do it, anyone can. I'll include step by step instructions just in case anyone is interested.

MATERIALS:

3 2'x2' pieces of plywood
3 3' fencing posts
2 18" metal straps
16 3/4" machine screws with bolts
9 1 1/4" wood screws

2 1/4 yards of fabric
quilt batting
3 half ball cover buttons

staple gun

INSTRUCTIONS:

For a King size bed begin with three 2x2 pieces of plywood

Mark the center. I did this by making an X. Drill in the center to have a place to sew the button on.

The metal straps will be used to hold the pieces of plywood together. Place the metal strap on the plywood and mark the location of the holes on either side.

Drill holes where each of your marks are.

Measure the height that you want your headboard to be and mark your posts at that height.

Line up your 3" posts in the middle of each square at the line that you have made.

Predrill three holes in the post and plywood. The holes should be a size that is smaller than the size of your wood screws.

Screw the posts onto your plywood using the wood screws and your predrilled holes.

Put the machine screws in the predrilled holes.

Cover each panel with the batting, folding the edges over like a present and stapling on the back.

Cover each panel with your fabric, folding like a present on the back on stapling. Make sure to pull tight. Cut holes as needed for the screws to poke through.

Cover the buttons with scrap fabric. Use a thick thread to attach the buttons through the center hole.

Fit the metal straps over the screws and tighten down the bolts.

Enjoy your work!

Butterfly Migration

2009-10-16T20:58:00.004-05:00

Last year at about this time there were swarms of butterflies for about a week. Apparently, it's a normal occurrence in the fall around here. The American Snout butterflies make their migration (where to I don't know) and I love it! While the individual butterflies themselves aren't as pretty as some, like monarchs, when you see them in flitting in the wind in large groups you can't help but smile. They look like small leaves blowing in cool breeze. With that and the sun, softening from summer's harshness, it feels like fall.

I'll enjoy it for the next week, try not to hit too many with my truck, and look forward to it again next year!

Fall Fashion

2009-10-12T12:00:00.004-05:00

I don't usually do posts about fashion because in my current career as a student, it just doesn't matter. I wear work out clothes to class every day so that I'm prepared for lab.

But, I had to go shopping for the first time in a while last week due to my steadily increasing pant size... (We have to wear khakis and polo shirts for our practical exams and I discovered last week that mine no longer fit) :( I got a little taste of what the "trends" are this fall. Some that I'm liking and some that I'm not...

I went to New York and Co and liked a lot of what they had to offer. I love the ruffles and floral embellishments! I wasn't too sure about the new tunic and leggings trend, but after trying some on I have to say that I do like it. It's just not very me. It's too dressy for school and too casual for church and since those are the only places I go, so I guess I'll put this trend on hold.

I also went into Forever 21 and I think it's safe to say that I hated everything in there. The outrageous 80's colors and styleswere enough to make me walk out the door. The only reason I might come back is for the super cute headbands and decorated clips.

I'm definitely no fashionista these days, but I'm still a girl and it was fun to look a little. And I did find my khaki pants for my practical exam this week; on sale no less!

What do you think of the trends this season?

Show Us Your Life: Teams and Traditions

2009-10-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

This week Kelly's Corner is hosting "Show us Your Life: Teams and Traditions" I thought I'd participate with a post about the school Stephen and I love so much!

Stephen and I both graduated from Texas A&M; a school know for its MANY traditions. I love that there are so many fun and meaningful traditions at A&M. These traditions marked my time at A&M with excitement and some great memories. Many of these are traditions that I looked forward to being a part of since I was a little girl. I could make a HUGE list of all the traditions there, so I'll just pick out a few; some football traditions and some of my other favorites.

Midnight Yell: Before home football games, midnight yell is held at Kyle Field at what time?! Midnight! Here we hear some 'good bull' stories from the yell leaders to get excited about the game. We practice our yells so that they are coordinated and cause maximum loudness to distract the other team and support our ags. 'Saw Varsity's Horns Off' finishes up the yell practice. It is a great time for camaraderie. In my whole time at A&M I only missed one yell practice..... I loved it!

12th Man: The tradition of the Twelfth Man began on the January 2, 1922 when the Aggies were playing Centre College in the Dixie Classic. Several aggie players had been injured and more players were needed. The coach remembered E. King Gill, he was a former football player who switched to play basketball. He called Gill from the stands to suit. Gill stood ready on the sidelines throughout the rest of the game. A&M won 22-14. After the game ended, E. King Gill was the only man left standing on the sidelines. Gill said, "I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in case my team needed me." Now, the entire student body still stands during games in case they are needed for their team.

Maroon Out: Aggie fans wear maroon to all football games to show support for their team.

Century Tree: A tree on the A&M campus that is said to be over 100 years old. Legend has it that if you walk under this tree with someone, then you will be together forever. This is one of the places we walked after Stephen proposed!! :)

Senior Boots: These boots are worn by the senior member of the Corps of Cadets. It's a huge honor, and these cadets have worked very hard as underclassmen to earn the privilege of wearing these boots.

Silver Taps: If an current student has passed away in the previous month, then on the first Tuesday of the month Aggies gather in Academic Plaza at 10:30. All the lights around campus are turned off and silently think about the loss of an aggie. The Ross Volunteers silently march into the plaza and fire a 21 gun salute. Silver taps is then played three times; once to the north, south, and west. It isn't played to the east because the sun will never rise again on that Aggie. Students then return home in silence. It's a very meaningful ceremony for reflection. I may have missed one midnight yell and and football game, but I never missed a silver taps.

Aggie Ring: This ring is earned after the completion of 95 hours. A lot of work goes into it and from then on you will have this symbol to wear and identify with other aggies everywhere.

This is only a taste of Aggie traditions. There are so many more that I feel bad leaving out; bonfire, corps of cadets, gig 'em, reville, e-walk..... But it would take me an hour to even attmpt to make it through them all. (Which is basically what I did as an orientation leader on campus; it was fun!) We have our own vocabulary around campus! I love being an Aggie and would not trade my experiences for anything! Thanks and Gig 'em!

(You can look at more traditions on the Traditions Council Website by clicking here)

Little Update

2009-10-08T19:52:00.002-05:00

Things are not going to slow down for me until Christmas break. Seriously, I think I have a test every week until finals. That doesn't include all the projects and clinic visits I've got to squeeze in there. The good news is I've started to get some of my grades back from the first few tests, and I'm not doing too bad! I mean it could be better, so I'll work on that, but after the nightmares I've heard about second year I'm feeling a little better about things.

Today I got done with class at 10:00 so I've ran a few errands, spent some time with the books, and cleaned to pay Stephen back for all the hard work he's been doing around the house so I can study. I also finished up a few *projects* which means I'll post about them soon! I'm excited, some have these projects have been in the works since June....

About Us

2009-10-01T20:00:00.003-05:00

I've known since I was a little girl that I would go to Texas A&M. I didn't really have a choice. Luckily, I can't think of anywhere else I would have rather gone, and also luckily, somewhere along the way in his time as a boy scout, someone convinced Stephen that would be the best place to go too. (You can read about how we met at our beloved school here.) Now, we are a twenty something couple, married just over a year, who lives in San Antonio. I'm back in school working on my Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and Stephen is doing what he loves as a firefigher. We are so blessed to be able to pursue our career ambitions.

We love spending time together; we are each others best friend. That's our main hobby these days; spending time together at our new complex that we love. Whether it's fishing, cooking, watching a movie, or going on a walk. Oh yeah, and somewhere in there I study.... welcome to our blog, my main source of procrastination. :)

The most important thing in our lives is our faith. In every way our faith has brought us together and made us a stronger couple, and stronger as individuals. It hasn't always been easy, and sometimes we fall. But every day I'm so thankful to walk with our Lord.

I'm the luckiest

2009-09-29T20:30:00.003-05:00

It'll probably make you roll your eyes, but just give me a minute to brag on my sweet husband. As I prepared for a KILLER pharmacology exam he provided me incredible support. From staying up late with me the night before to help me make flashcards, to getting up early to help quiz me and make me breakfast. Then running errands that should have been mine to take care of and taking me to lunch to make my day better after that awful exam.

As if I'm not lucky enough to be married to my best friend, I'm so lucky to be married to someone so supportive and sweet!

My First Award!

2009-09-29T20:00:00.001-05:00

Callie at Through Clouded Glass nominated me for this award:

Thanks Callie!! I've always wanted one of these!!

To receive this award I have to:
1-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2-Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4-Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5-Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7-Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.

So now for seven things people may not know.....
1 I LOVE chocolate. It's one of my food goups that I need to eat every day
2 I am not a morning person. I've always wished I could be, but it just hasn't happened.
3 I don't like pineapple or bananas. I wish I did because they are such pretty tropical fruits, but I've never liked them.
4 Stephen and I met and Texas A&M in our Biology class. I loved our time at our beloved school together!
5 I briefly minored and Spanish, but realized that's not really something that can be effectively taught in a classroom. I'd still love to learn.
6 When we have a house, we're going to have a pet duck. My brother had one when we were younger and it was so much fun.
7 Also on my to do list is to get my scuba license. The to-do list is getting long though so we'll see.

And my nominations are:
Sarah at The Ratpack
Amy at The Grigsby Family
Jacci at Home for the Better
Theresa at Always in Bluhm

I love reading your blogs! They always make me laugh, smile, think, and be inspired!

Bird Watching

2009-09-20T20:00:00.002-05:00

Stephen got me a hummingbird feeder for Christmas last year. It's the gift that keeps on giving, because he's also so sweet to keep it filled for me!

I'm loving where it's at in our new apartment because we can see it out our window from the couch. He filled it up the other day for the first time at our new place and we've already got visitors! He took a little video for me because I missed all the fun while I was at school.

What sweet little birds!

Gig 'Em Ags!

2009-09-19T17:11:00.004-05:00

Don't get me wrong, I love where I'm at in my life. I mean we've spent the day fishing, hanging pictures, and eating gingerbread in a home that we share. It really doesn't get better than this.

Sometimes I miss being an aggie student just a little though. We had such a blast. There was so much spirit and tradition. I loved going to games and cheering on my aggies!! Game days are when I miss it the most. I'm so glad that I was able to share so much of that time with Stephen. Hopefully one day we'll be able to go back, reminisce, celebrate our future, and our love of the school where we met!

Gig 'em Ags! Beat Utah State!

Fall in San Antonio

2009-09-17T19:19:00.001-05:00

Fall is on its way in San Antonio. The temperature has barely gone above 90, and after raining for almost a solid week last week, the Edward's aquifer, the grass, and the lake by our apartment are all happy! Now, Fall is not my favorite season because I don't like to be cold, but the weather has been gorgeous. 85 is about perfect with a little breeze.

I don't get too into decorating for fall. (I wait and go all out for Christmas) Also, so much of our color scheme already incorporates "fall colors." I did put up our fall wreath though, and once October comes around we'll carve a pumpkin.

This weekend I'm looking forward to making some gingerbread and looking for some cinnamon candles!

Yummy For My Tummy Peach Cobbler

2009-09-07T21:00:00.004-05:00

In honor of labor day and some slightly overripe peaches we had, I made peach cobbler! Yum!! (I got the recipe from my favorite cooking website allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
8 fresh peaches sliced into thin wedges (I used one large can of peaches and four fresh)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

___________________________
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

MIX TOGETHER:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

(Note: This is not a picture of the actual peach cobbler I made. We dug into it before I could take a picture!)

As the Deer Panteth For the Water

2009-09-06T20:07:00.005-05:00

I love this song. It really speaks to my heart of the love that I have for my Savior. It comes from Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

You're my friend and You are my brother
Even though You are a king
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

I want You more than gold or silver
Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joy giver
And the apple of my eye

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee

What do you pledge?

2009-09-04T10:19:00.006-05:00

Our new president's socialistic ideas scare me. Has no one read Animal Farm and 1984????? This new video puts even more pieces of his socializm puzzle together.

Take a look at this video that will be shown to children by clicking on this link.

Scary right?

Sure there are some good things, like pledging to help feed the hungry. But pledging to be a servant to Barak Obama!? Then all the people are small pieces of a big picture of Barak? All I can think of when that banner is shown at the end is how pictures of "big brother" were displayed in 1984. I'm not sure how I can step in to resist this "change." Anyone got any ideas?

One thing I know though, is that I plan to boycott all the celebrities who appeared in this video. Feel free to help me add to the list:

Courtney Cox
David Arquette
Nicole Richey
Ashley Simpson
Demi Moore
Aston Kutcher
Kevin Connolly
Jason Bateman
Molly Sims
Dakota Fanning
Eva Mendes
Eva Longoria
Rumor Willis
Scout Willis
Michelle Tractenburg
Lucy Lui
Cameron Diaz
Soleil Moon-Frye
Hayden Panatierre
Josh Groban
Kenna Zemedkun
Jaime Pressley
William Adams
Joel Madden
Alyssa Milano
Kerry Washington
Sophia Bush
Michael Strahan
Rex Lee
Anthony Kiedis
Joel Schumacher
Jenna Elfman
Anthony Kiedis
Peter Krause
Brittany Snow
Gina Gershon
Matt Dallas
Kat Dennings
Michael Strahan
Ioan Gruffudd
Tatyana Ali
Sarah Wayne Callies
Hill Harper
Rita Wilson
Laura Linney
Archie Kao
Sean Combs
Melissa Leo
Hart Bochner
Kevin Zegers
George Lopez
John Singleton
Julia Ormond
Shohrah Aghdashloo
Rhona Mitra
Kerry Washington
Enrique Murciano
Aaron Eckhart
Gina Gershon
Bryce Dallas Howard

These people who don't know what it is to serve our country, and they have never supported the men and women who fight to defend our coutry so we can live freely. I will never look to them to help me with my "pledges."

As one commenter said, "I pledge to faithfully uphold and defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic!"

Our New Home (Before)

2009-08-28T21:00:00.002-05:00

Although our first home will always hold a special place in our hearts, it's time to move on. We are so excited about our new place! Hopefully it is the last apartment we'll be in before we buy a house! We took some pictures just to show the place as it is now. Since I titled this post "Before" that means there will be an "After" once we get unpacked and the new decor up!

Looking in the living room from the front door

Looking into the living room from the dining room

Master bedroom

Extra room = my new study prison for the next year

Dining Room

Our new balcony

I'm so excited to move in!!

There's a Country Song for Everything

2009-08-27T20:45:00.003-05:00

I told Stephen that there is "a country song for everything" on our first Valentines Day when I gave him a CD of songs that meant something to us. I continued that idea when I gave a theme to his anniversary gift: a picture book of our first year of marriage. I used Taylor Swift's "Love Story" to narrate the pages.

Anniversary Trip to Fredericksburg

2009-08-20T18:40:00.000-05:00

To celebrate our anniversary and just get out of town for a few days, we went to Fredericksburg, Texas. This cute little German town is known for its peaches, shopping, and Bed and Breakfasts.

We stayed at an adorable little B&B in town where we had our own cabin.

It was so nice to just relax before things get crazy next week until about Christmastime! Our host was very sweet and breakfast was delicious!!

The shopping wasn't quite what I expected. They were cute little shops with gifty type items, but antique shops are more my style when you're just browsing. It turns out that nearby Comfort, Texas is the place to go if you're looking for antiques.

There was lots of good food around, but most of it closes by three!! We unfortunately discovered this by walking, and walking, and walking, only to discover that most every place in the shopping strip was closed. We did find some great food though and some of the places we ate that I would recommend are:

West End Pizza- Here we had some delicious calzones. Not very German I know but it was one of the only things that was open!

Porky's Hamburgers and Onion Rings- Very tasty burgers!! Swiss cheese and mushrooms.... yummm. Stephen loved their onion rings too. Just watch out for the banner when you walk up to the porch or it will whip you in the face......

Friedhelm's Bavarian Inn- This place is a little more pricey than we would normally do, but they really do give you a lot of food! We experienced our first schnitzel and it was very good, although I did not actually know what type of meat it was until I came home and googled it....

In between meals we ate a lot of peaches, peach ice cream, and the best chocolate I have ever had!!

Needless to say, we ate very well on this trip! I think the majority of this post is about food! Ha.

On our way out of town we swung through Luckenbach, just to say we've been there, and then in Comfort to do a little antique shopping. We wanted to pick up a special teacup for my collection. We found the pefect one! A cup and sacuer with peaches on it, made in Germany!!

There's lots more to do, it just wasn't the right season. Wildflower Farms are beautiful and I'm sure even more so when there aren't water restrictions! There are several nature walks and a pioneer museaum that would be fun and interesting if it wasn't so hot. It was the perfect trip for us though. Very relaxing and just what we needed!!

Stephen diligently planning our evening....

So happy to be together!!

Our 1st Anniversary

2009-08-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

We had such a nice anniversary. In the morning we enjoyed worship together. When we got home we opened our cards to one another. His to me was so sweet. He always makes me cry with the sweet things he says. My gift to him was a scrapbook with pictures from our first year. It's not actually here yet since I am lacking a couple more pictures!! (I'll post it when it's done since I did it online.)

His gift to me was very thoughtful. It didn't follow the traditional "paper" gift. He brought me white Gerber daisies; the flowers I carried at our wedding.

He also wanted me to have something that I could wear to always remember our first year together so he got me a beautiful necklace. He wrapped it in all these boxes.

He had fun watching me open it. :) In the last box he put in a false bottom to where when I got there it was a package of skittles and a post it note that said I love you, then the necklace and card were underneath. ha ha :) He's so creative.

It was sooooo much more than he needed to do. I'm a little spoiled I suppose. :)

Sweet cards from friends and family made the day even more special.

After evening worship we went to Rudy's BBQ, where it all began three and a half years ago. It'll never be the same as the one in good 'ole College Station, but I'm so glad we have this tradition. We finished the day off with our cake from last year. It was just as beautiful, and just as good. Thank you to my Mother-in-Law for making the beautiful cake, saving it from thawing during a hurricane, and sacrificing freezer space for it for a year! It was wonderful!!

Last Day of Work

2009-08-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

Today was my last day of work. I am so thankful for the experiences that I had there. I love my job and it will be even better once I'm officially a PT. I am pensive as I think back on the people who touched my life this summer. Patients who were so sweet and thoughtful, were a joy to work with and taught me to smile and laugh while I work. Patients who were a little more difficult and taught me patience. Patients who were in pain mentally and physically and taught me compassion. Realizing my own mortality as I helped patients cope with their own aging. I look forward to learning lessons like this for the rest of my career; that each day will teach me something that will make the following day better for my patients.

I am blessed to have found a vocation that I feel so called to and love so much!

New Blog Home?

2009-08-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about moving our blog site to one that doesn't include our last names for a while now. I want to be able to use our first names in posting, but having first and last names narrows things down a little further than I'd like.

So I'm hoping that by next week we'll be moving to http://www.youmakemylifesobeautiful.blogspot.com

Please follow us there!

Julie & Julia

2009-08-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to this movie coming out:

It looks like it will be clean and cute; and that combination is getting more and more difficult to find in recent releases. Amy Adams and Meryl Streep are usually entertaining actresses. Plus, I enjoy both cooking and blogging. With all these things all tied up into into movie, it should be a good one! We'll see.

The story is actually based on two true stories. I enjoy fairy tales as much as the next five year old girl, but sometimes real life is just so funny. Things happen that you just couldn't make up if you tried. Believe me; I know!!

I've already added it to my "save" list on Netflix. We'll wait until it comes out on DVD; it's so much cheaper and more comfortable to watch it at home on our own comfy couch!

Coming Soon

2009-07-31T18:12:00.000-05:00

It's getting down to the wire until I start school again. Bummer. After this year though, I will be so close to having my doctorate!! I just need to realize that in the big scheme of things two years is nothing after all the years I've put into my education. I have just really enjoyed this summer. I go to work , then when I get off I can cook, hang out with Stephen, and just enjoy the evening. I'll really have to buckle down and study this fall though.

The next few weeks will be busy. I have two weeks left of work. This weekend we're getting some stuff ready for the move. Next weekend Stephen has drill. The next weekend is our anniversary. Then we'll go out of town to celebrate. Next up my birthday. Then Stephen's buddy's wedding. I start school. Then two days before August is over we'll get the keys to our new apartment. Whew. Should be fun*!

*(insanely busy)

Sea World Date

2009-07-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

We both had off on Friday, so we took advantage of the summer and went to Sea World! I was probably more excited than any kid there that day. I love the ocean and am amazed by all the life that lives there. Dolphins are my favorite and both the dolphin shows and the Shamu show have been known to get me a little choked up; I am in such awe of their beauty and grace.

When I first went to A&M, I chose Biology for my major because I wasn't quite sure whether I wanted to pursue marine biology or physical therapy. I decided though that crying with the dolphins wasn't really a career so, I decided to make it more of a hobby. :)

Stephen pretty much captured our entire day in either photo or video so I'll share a few of the more than 100 pictures we have!

We started the day with the show Viva, which included dolphins, beluga whales, and acrobats. I could have done without the acrobats , but the pacific white sided dolphins were so beautiful that we watched this show twice!

Next up was the Shamu show. These are some impressive animals! (I was mad at them when I found out the other day that they eat other whales. But I forgave them after watching these incredible animals.)

A large majority of our time was spent in Dolphin Cove. I could spend all day just watching the dolphins, and unfortunately for Stephen, we did spend a lot of time there! The only way to really be able to touch them is to feed them. So Stephen MADE me get some fish to feed them. Just kidding, that was probably one of the highlights of any trip I've been on. These animals are just beautiful!

The Cannery Row Caper was a funny little skit with California Sea Lions, an Asian Otter, and a Walrus.

In between shows and when we weren't at Dolphin Cove we visited the other exhibits and rode a few rides. I didn't know that Stephen had never ridden a roller coaster before so we rode the electric eel twice! I think more than anything he enjoyed watching my face because I am terrified of heights!

We had a WONDERFUL day. I am bummed that the day is over, but I look forward to many more wonderful adventures with my sweet husband in our lives together!

Gig 'Em Brad!

2009-07-18T12:45:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we visited my Uncle Doug, Aunt Bev, and my cousins Brad and Lauren. Brad graduated from high school and will soon be joining the corps of Cadets. I have been cutting Stephen and my brother's hair for a few years now, so I was honored when he called to ask me to cut his hair.

We got him his very own set of clippers. Exciting I know, but very practical. These guys have to get their hair cut every week!

Then we proceeded to the hair cut. I was a little nervous taking that first cut into his hair. He isn't as obligated as Stephen and my brother are to forgive me if it doesn't turn out so good. But, even with june bugs dive bombing me (I have a phobia of their nasty legs) I think it turned out all right. Gig 'em Brad! We are so proud of you!

SAFD Academy Graduation

2009-07-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

It's official! Stephen graduated from the fire academy last night and will start his first shift on Monday. He received the award for top achievement in academics and came in second for achievement in athletics!

The only thing he could stand to work on is smiling for the camera! He didn't stand in one place long enough for me to get a good picture. I'll share the ones I took, but I hope to replace them with some from the photographers who were there if they were able to get one!

I am so proud of him for his accomplishment and excited for him to be in the career of his dreams!

Walking in to the ceremony-

Accepting his diploma and badge-

Accepting his academic achievement award-

The happy graduate-

Health Care in the US: "Change" for the worse

2009-07-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

I'll be honest I'm not the most informed on current political issues. I do know however that the health care reform that Obama is proposing will drastically affect the quality of health care. It will reduce the availability, overwork healthcare providers, ultimaltely be in increased expense to working Americans, and the quality will be diminished. I recieved an e-mail from a member of our congregation with an attached petition. This is what he had to say:

"If Obama can get congress to pass this health care plan, it will have a terribly adverse effect on the health care of every American civilian, particularly the elderly due to rationing of care in that age group. Delays in regular care can lead to earlier deaths in all age groups! I've seen health care in Canada and England, and I can assure it is greatly inferior to the American system we now have in effect. If you agree and want to help block this legislation, please sign this petition with the rest of your adult family members and forward this information to your friends and the other family members."

http://freeourhealthcarenow.com/

Family Night at the Fire Academy

2009-07-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

On Thursday night the graduating class at the academy put on a demonstration for their families. It was neat to see them doing what they love! He'll graduate this Friday and I couldn't be prouder or happier for him!!

Here are a few pictures from the evening:

His seat in the classroom:

All the guys in the 09Alpha class:

Car fire:
Extrication:

Pit Fire: (This is the one Stephen was a part of fighting)

Video of the pit fire: (I don't suggest having your volume on. It's just people talking in the stands and it's kind of loud )

Boycott???

2009-06-28T16:52:00.000-05:00

Since I found out about Pepsi Co.'s avid and disguisting support of the homosexual agenda, we have been boycotting their company and all other products owned by them. There is actually a very long list of products that are owned by them (if you're interested click here) They have given large sums of money to homosexual activists, supported gay pride parades, and actually begun producing their own commercials in support of the homosexual lifestyle. I have also signed the boycott letter to let them know that I will not be supporting their company as long as they support these things. It's a small gesture, but by boycotting their products, I am not helping to fund their activities. In this world today, it's a small way that I am able to say, "No, I do not condone this"

Book Review: Final Exam; A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality

2009-06-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

CAUTION: This post may be considered by some to be slightly morbid. I will return to my usually cheery posts after this book review.

Well if I haven't scared you away by my warning, then good, because I did enjoy this book. The author began with her experiences in medical school and continued on through many of her experiences and interactions with patients. It describes her growth from a student into a surgeon who genuinely cares for her patients. It offers insight to embracing mortality and to caring for others, the ill and the families of the ill.

The first part of the book described her feelings while taking her cadaver lab in medical school. I completely identified with her experiences. Cadaver lab was one of the most amazing educational experiences I have ever had. It also touched me with more awe for God's creation. The bodies God gave us are designed so intricately; I cannot fathom the depth of his love for us to create something so beautiful. Each body was the same, but unique. Each experience in the lab reaffirmed my faith and awe in God's creation. But, at the same time it was very shocking when you realize that it is another human body on the table before you. She discussed her reaction to her own lab experience and the memories she has of it now.

The next part begins her experiences in residency. Since a surgeon's goal is to improve the quality of life, she was surprised by how much death was part of her job. Luckily this is not something I will really have to deal with too much in my own career, but it was still insightful to read her knowledge of how to interact with patients and of mortality in general. I'll be honest I'm terrified of dying. Not of death so much because I believe I'll be in Heaven when I die, but the process of aging and dying. I see some of my patients every day and I try to treat them with compassion because I know how much I would hate to be in their shoes; not able to use the bathroom on my own, not able to go for a walk down the hall, and to be separated from my loved ones. But I suppose I one day will.

In the meantime I will try to lovingly provide care for my patients. Healing is not just about providing medicine and therapy, but honest compassion. Dr. Chen says it best when she ends the book with these words, "That honor of worrying- of caring, of easing suffering, of being present- may be our most important task, not only as friends but as physicians, too. And when we are finally capable of that, we will have become true healers."

Cake Recipes

2009-06-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

I had a couple of requests for the lime cake and coconut cake recipes, so here you go! Hope you enjoy them as much as Stephen did!

Coconut Cream Cake

Ingredients
1 white cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, water and coconut flavoring. Beat for 2 minutes and pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Combine the coconut milk with the sweetened condensed milk and stir until smooth. Pour milk mixture over cake allowing it to soak into the cake. This mixture is very thick and will take a while to soak in. Do it in batches and pour it on the side of the cake that was in the bottom of the pan and it will soak in better. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

In a large bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue whipping until stiff. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle top with flaked coconut. (be careful not to burn it!!)

Lime Cake

Ingredients
1 box lemon cake mix
1 box lime jello
1 cup vegetable oil
5 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice

Mix these ingredients together and pour into two 9 inch round pans or one 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Glaze
4 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 lime juice

Mix ingredients and pour over warm cakes.

Icing
~3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter and cream cheese; blend in sugar and vanilla. Ice the cake and top with grated lime peel for an extra lime flavor.

(P.s. I cannot take credit for these recipes. The coconut cake is from allrecipes.com and the lime cake is from a recipe book given to me by Stephen's Mamaw.)

Cake Baking Marathon

2009-06-08T18:22:00.000-05:00

It was Stephen's Birthday this weekend, and when a firefighter has a birthday apparently it is tradition to bring cake and ice cream to the station. Well, since he's still in the academy, they have made it tradition for the cadets to bring cake and ice cream to the academy. This means that I made four cakes this weekend! One for his birthday at home and three to bring to the academy. I wanted to post about them so that I would have something to show for my weekend!
The first one was for him at home. It's the lime cake I blogged about a few months ago. He really liked it last time I made it and requested it for his birthday. It's a little weird for me to think outside the realm of chocolate, but it is his birthday after all :)

Look at that green inside!

The next cake was a coconut cake. Stephen even got a little lab practical with this one! I was trying to multitask and toast the coconut in the toaster oven at the same time as I was making the whipped cream icing.... apparently that's a task that shouldn't be multi-ed. One minute I look over and it's not the least bit toasted, the next minute I look over and it's on fire. oops. Stephen is so cool headed. I was flipping out that there was a fire in my kitchen, and he just walks over and takes care of it! After the drama, and toasting some new coconut, the cake turned out cute.

The next cake was a chocolate cake that I'm bummed I didn't get to try because it smelled so good. Another recipe from allrecipes.com. My favorite site ever. I cheated though and used premade icing.

I completely cheated on the last cake and made it using a boxed cake and premade icing. ST said they would probably only need two cakes but we decided to send a spare just in case. So now it's sitting in my kitchen. We have so much cake around here, any takers!?

Obnoxious Neighbors & Babysitting

2009-06-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

First of all, let me just say that the two subjects in the title are in no way related! I am just so annoyed by the "music" currently blaring from my neighbor's car. Seriously this has got to stop! It began about two months ago, we thought he was installing speakers and then it would stop. Two months later every couple of days he'll spend hours out there turning them off and on. This particular neighbor is one of the major reasons we looked for a different apartment complex! Ugh! Well enough about that.

Tomorrow we get to watch a friend's two boys while he goes to work. I'm so excited! It's been a while since I've watched anyone's kids for them, and the first time that Stephen and I will watch kids together. The boys are well behaved and at really fun ages. Last night I pulled out my old babysitting bag and found things for them to play with, and this afternoon I stopped by the library and picked up a few kids books. It should be fun!

New Meal Planning Tool

2009-06-04T15:26:00.000-05:00

I like to plan out what we're having for each meal for the week so that when I make my weekly shopping trip I know exactly what to get. I don't mind grocery shopping and I love cooking, but the meal planning part stresses me out a little. I think it's because I don't write any of it down I just keep it all in my head (in addition to anatomy, neuro, physiology, etc.) This means that I sometimes forget that I bought squash for dinner or which recipe I was going to use on which day. Not a big deal I know, but I'd like a way to make this a very simple process no matter what's going on.

One solution would be to print out a calendar and write down the schedule. I still might resort to that. For now though, I'm going to try out the meal planning function on mealsmatter.org. It's a little bit of work to set up initially if you want to add all your own recipes. They have a few on there but I usually pull from my own recipe collection or I often use allrecipies.com. I'm thinking that it might be worth a little initial setup if it's something I can use consistently. Stephen said that he would try to help with some of the cooking if I'm swamped with studying next fall so I'm thinking this might help us both out next fall if I put a little time into it this summer.

Summer Routine

2009-06-03T19:25:00.000-05:00

It's a new month since I last wrote! Around here we're just settling into a summer routine. It's so nice to not have to come home and study!

I started my job on Monday and I love it! I'm tired, but so happy to have this opportunity. Since I'm PRN, I'm not quite sure when the next time I work will be. That's ok for now though because after a weekend out of town and three days at work I have some errands and house work to catch up on. I might even get a little pleasure reading in! (Final Exam : a Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality) It's ready for pick up at our library. I'll let you know what I think if anyone's interested..... Although if you read the excerpt in the attached link you might think I'm strange, but I really enjoyed my Anatomy class and my teacher recommended it. We'll see.

Stephen is still enjoying the academy of course. There is a new cadet class now and they are enjoying watching them struggle and adding in a little good natured teasing as the previous class did for them when they started! Every day he comes home so happy because he's doing what he loves and I'm so happy for that!

Enjoying the Day

2009-05-26T17:40:00.000-05:00

I really am blessed. I'm not quite sure when I start my new job so I just spent the day enjoying it! I worked on a putting together a wedding gift for our friends and started on a new project. I went on the porch to paint and was delighted when a hummingbird stopped by for a drink from our feeder. They just make the cutest little squeaking sound! It drank from the feeder even though I was right there. My day will get even better soon once my sweet husband gets home!

Big Day

2009-05-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

I got the job! I really liked what I saw of the rehab. hospital. The inpatient gym is really big and has so much going on!! There are so many friendly people and so much patient interaction. I loved volunteering at the outpatient gym at St. Joseph's in College Station and this feels a lot like St. Jo's. I'm so excited!!

Thanks to you guys for your encouragement, prayers, and even fashion advice. One the patients told me I looked nice in my suit :) Glad I wore it even though I was burning up; but I think I would have been sweating no matter what I wore! Another patient asked me if I thought it was cold in the gym. Now in my previous experience, it is usually FREEZING in PT gyms, but today I had to tell her that I wasn't the right person to ask! I just got out of an interview!

(What I'll be wearing this summer!!)

Also we've been approved for the new apartment we've been looking at. We weren't worried about being approved, but it is nice to have some confirmation that there is a new apartment with our name on it! We won't be moving for another three months, but it's nice to know it's coming up!

The view at our new apartment!!

Interview on Friday!

2009-05-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

I just got a call from the PT director at one of the places I applied to for a physical therapy tech position. She wanted to know if I was still interested in a purely PRN position. (PRN means that I would have no set schedule it would just be as needed.) It could be a lot or it could be very little. Of course I'm interested!!!! Something to keep me busy for at least some of the summer and get some great experience in as well.

Now I have a question for my readers (all three of you). What am I supposed to wear? I've never interviewed for a position as "good" as this. For jobs I've interviewed for in the past black slacks and a nice top were fine. Do I need to wear a suit for this? I have a black skirt suit from my PT school interview. Is that overkill?

Also if you don't mind saying a little prayer that this works out.... thanks :)

Working on a Sunday?

2009-05-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

As you know, I've been looking for a job for the summer. I haven't heard back from the PT clinics I applied to, so when I saw a sign that a florist's shop was hiring I stopped in. I always thought that would be a fun job; I would get to learn so much about arranging flowers and plus the people must be happy and friendly, they get to be around flowers all day! I told them up front that I was a student so I would only be able to work for the summer and they were ok with that. They asked about nights and weekends. Nights would only be until about 7, so I said that would be fine and Saturdays would be ok.

Then she specifically asked about Sundays. I said well that would be ok, except what time would I need to come in because I would want to go to church first. She said that the shop opened at ten and I would need to be there at that time. I told her I would not be able to be there until a little bit later, about noon. Then she totally changed tones. Not quite rude, but very abrupt and said that she "could not bring me on unless I could work Sundays."
Now I realize that they were being generous to consider me anyways since I would only be there for the summer and it is her shop to prioritize employee schedules. However, it was just another sad truth of the kind of world we live in. Priorities are completely backwards!! I know there are certain jobs that people need to be present at every day of the week. When Stephen is a firefighter he will have to work on Sundays. It is a job that is required 24/7. But flower shops are not. Terrible things won't happen just because a flower shop is closed on Sundays.

The world is so motivated by money and how to get ahead that we forget about what is really important. God and then family matter most. I pray that the world will re-examine their priorities and put these first. I also pray that I will continually examine my own life and place my priorities in the correct order, and as I did today, walk away from the ones that would lead me away from my God and my family.