We've Only Just Begun

Moving

2010-04-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a new blog. Hopefully I will be better at updating it than I was at updating this one.

Go check out my new blog!

25 By 25

2010-02-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I stole this off someone else’s blog. But I thought it was such a great idea that I wanted to make my own. So here is my list of my Top 25 things to do before I turn 25.

Make a quilt
Run a 5-K
Lay on a beach
Sew and dress and wear it in public
Get John great gifts for all the holidays in 20010 (I generally get John things I would like to get…poor John. It’s time to step it up!)
Volunteer
Buy a house
Take a road trip
Host a dinner party
Take a college class (In something fun…nothing related to business)
Get better at guitar
Read 15 books (Starting from now. Currently reading this.)
Get a pet (preferably this one)
Go ice skating
Craft once a week
Go skiing
Start a photobooth picture collection
Go to a drive-in movie
Organize and label all my photos in albums
Have a Money Free Weekend
Experiment to find the best cinnamon roll recipe
Plant a garden
Learn to play and master the sport of tennis (And by master I mean don’t let the ball go out on me every time)
Go 1 month without sweets
Canoe/float down a river with a bunch of friends

My 25th birthday isn’t till May 2011, so I have a little over a year to accomplish everything on my list. Some are pretty simple, others might take a little longer, but I plan on doing everything on this list.

If you are ever bored, you should make a list of your own. It was more challenging than I thought to think of 25 things I really wanted to do. And now I am challenged to actually do them!

Best Day Ever!

2010-02-13T08:21:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the best because I didn't go into work until 8 because of the "ice", and I made John drive me since he had the day off.

It was the best because I bribed John into coming back to eat lunch with me by telling him he could eat out.

It was the best because I had 2 comp hours from earlier this week, so I got to go home at 2:00! Poor John drove out to Irving 6 times yesterday, and the roads weren't even bad.

It was the best because John and I played in the snow.

We even built a snowman!

Please ignore my outfit, and my hair. I have no explanation for either.

Unfortunately our sledding hill was really more a mud hill. We took turns pushing each other down it on trash can lid. This picture was taken just after John tried to surf down the hill.

Sorry about your sweatshirt Georgia. I couldn't wear OU colors without getting a little mud on it.

All in all...it was pretty much the best day ever!

Thoughts on Tuesday

2010-02-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

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WASHINGTON, DC—After running a thousand errands, working hours of overtime, and being stuck in seemingly endless gridlock traffic commuting to and from their jobs, millions of Americans were disheartened to learn that it was, in fact, only Tuesday.

Tuesday's arrival stunned a nation still recovering from the nightmarish slog that was Monday, leaving some to wonder if the week was ever going to end.

Fears that the week could actually be going backwards were also expressed.

"Not only do Americans have most of Tuesday morning to contend with, but all of Tuesday afternoon and then Tuesday night," National Labor Relations Board spokesman David Prynn said. "If our calculations are correct, there is a chance we are in effect closer to last weekend than the one coming up."
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My thoughts exactly. Happy Tuesday!

Banana Bread Smoothies

2010-01-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

These are actually called Banana Pecan Smoothies, but John and I decided that they taste like drinking a piece of banana bread. I got the recipe from Southern Living magazine. And since John's dad just gave us hundreds of pecans from his yard, I thought this was the perfect time to try it.

Banana Pecan Smoothies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 large ripe bananas, sliced and frozen
1 cup ice
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Process yogurt, bananas, ice, pecans, milk, honey, and cinnamon in a blender until smooth. Pour into glasses, and serve immediately.

These are awesome. Try it!

Suggestions?

2009-12-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

I need a new book to read. Any suggestions?

The last book I read was Les Miserables which was over 1400 pages. Needless to say, my brain is a little mushy after that one...so maybe just a fun read.

If anyone has read anything good lately let me know! I always love reading what other people have recommended.

Let the Countdown Begin

2009-12-08T19:58:00.001-08:00

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-12-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I updated this thing! Things got busy all of the sudden. Holidays came up, I got a JOB!! And sadly my little blog fell to the wayside. But, hopefully I will start to update regularly again...that's my goal anyway.

John and I went to pick out our Christmas tree this weekend. We got a real tree which was very exciting to me because I have never had a real tree before. It's beautiful! I love it! We went to this cute lot we saw on the side of the road and picked one out.

This is a pretty terrible picture...but it was really cold and we couldn't get a good one, so we settled.

I stayed warm by the outdoor fireplace. I want one of these when I get a house!

The finished product. I strung popcorn and everything! It's kind of a little Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Here is our 2009 Christmas ornament. It's a little tent to symbolize our camping trip we took in October. It's a constant reminder to me that I don't ever want to go camping again.

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. And now I love it even more that John and I can start traditions together. My next goal is to throw a Christmas party. I have to show off my tree before I have to throw it away!

Missing Home

2009-10-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today I am really missing home. And by home I mean Tulsa. I have been trying to get used to Texas, but I guess I just don't like change. Of course I love being close to my sister's and all my nieces and nephew. That part is pretty awesome...even the babysitting:) But I can't help feeling like I still want to go home. Or maybe I just want to go back to the familiar.

I miss my church, my friends, my parents. I miss my best friend who lives on the other side of the planet! I miss familiar streets, not needing a GPS, not sitting in traffic.

John and I went to a OSU football game this past weekend in Stillwater. I just had to laugh at my friends complaining about the game day traffic. I sit in that just to get to wal-mart!

I know things are going to get much better once John and I can actually find a church we like and get involved there. And a job would be nice too. It may give me a sense of purpose for leaving the house each day:) But until then I just wait and try to get adjusted. It's been five months...how much longer can it take?

Oops I Did It Again

2009-10-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last October John and I decided to go on a little adventure and go camping. It was our first time to go together, and my first time to ever go camping. We packed up all the stuff we would need for a a night and drove out to Keystone Lake. We roasted hot dogs, toasted marshmallows and relaxed by the campfire. Then we went to bed. This is where the story turns unpleasant. The temperature dropped into the 30's. I had on six layers of clothing and still my teeth were chattering. I tossed and turned most of the night, while watching my husband sleep peacefully next to me...jerk. I woke up at 6 a.m. to a frosty 32 degree morning. I quickly jumped in the car, cranked on the heater, and watched my sweet husband pack up all the camping gear so we could get out of there!
Somehow, over the course of a year, I blocked out the memories of the cold weather, sleepless night and miserable morning. John and I went camping again this weekend. I will never forget again.

Oops I Did It Again (or I Kissed Camping Goodbye)

12:00 Pack up the car and head for Eisenhower State Park in Denison, TX.

2:00 After stopping at a local Wal-Mart after discovering we forgot a pillow, lighter, firewood and lighter fluid, we finally arrived at the park. The leaves are just starting to change color and the campgrounds were beautiful.

2:30 Setup camp. This tent is approximately 7' X 4'. John barely fit lengthwise.

4:00 After switching campsites, we finally got all of our stuff unloaded and decided to take a hike on the trail.

The scenery was beautiful, but it had just rained a ton the day before so the trails were really muddy. I'm not really sure it this is the proper use of a walking stick, but it helped keep my feet clean...sort of.

We hiked down to a little swimming beach. It was really cold down there!

6:00 Football Practice. Got to keep a leg up on the competition. Team Schaffner is looking pretty good!

7:00 Started up the fire and roasted some hotdogs with chips and coke for dinner, toasted marshmallows for smores, and even heated up some water over the fire for some hot chocololate.

John was really roughing it. He checked football scores every 30 minutes.

11:00 Our fire died out and it was time to go to bed. And then the real fun began.

12:00 Finally start drifting to sleep after realizing there is no comfortable way to sleep in a 7 X 4 tent.

12:15 I pay for the 2 hotdogs, chips, coke, smores and hot chocolate with a terrible stomach ache.

1:00 My illness subsides and I finally drift into a half sleep.

3:00 Wake up to the sound of rain on the roof of the tent. Softly sob into pillow.

4:00 Hear coyotes howling in the background.

4:15 Hear something rummaging outside tent. Assume it is coyote and become paralyzed with fear.

5:00 Remember that John has the internet on his phone. I'm such a wilderness girl. Find out it is in the upper 40's and the sun won't rise for another 2 hours.

6:30 Wake John up and tell him about the horrible sleepless night I have had. Convince him to get out of the tent even though it is still sprinkling so we can go home.

7:00 Say goodbye to Eisenhower State Park and head to the nearest McDonald's.

I write this all down for one reason. I can't forget...I must remember why I hate camping...why I can never go back. Maybe with a bigger tent and an air mattress and a little better weather it wouldn't be so bad. But I'm not sure I am willing to test that theory. For now I will stay indoor where I belong. Warm, dry and oh so happy.

Adventures in Babysitting

2009-09-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

First of all, my computer is back! Virus free! We decided it was going to cost too much to have it fixed, so we just wiped out everything on it and started over. I think we saved everything important to flash drives...or at least I hope we did!

Yesterday I got to spend the day with three of my most favorite people. Eli, Beaux and Eden. We had a blast drawing pictures, watching a Eukanuba Dog Show (we wanted Razzle to win) and playing board games. Unfortunately all of that took about an hour and a half. I was then forced to either get creative, or give in to the chaos.

So, we made cookies.

If I mysteriously get sick in the next few days, I don't think it will be hard to trace back the origin.

Then we baked them and decorated them with chocolate frosting. They were delicious, and our only casualty was a white pillowcase that Beaux used as a napkin for her chocolatey face, hands and legs. Yes, there was chocolate on her legs...don't ask me how.

Then we built a fort out of blankets in the living room.

We ate our cookies inside and watched Banana Splits, which is quite possibly the creepiest cartoon I have ever seen. But they loved it.

What an adventure!

Virus

2009-09-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our computer has been compromised! We have some serious virus issues. I am about to go take it to Best Buy and see if the geek squad can fix it. I will keep my fingers crossed! Hopefully it won't take long.

Waiting...

2009-09-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

For the last 4 months I have found myself in an intense period of waiting. In general I am a pretty patient person, but 4 months is a long time to wait, especially when you know other people are watching and waiting too. I've gone between anger and sadness, feeling grateful for my time of waiting and feeling inadequate because of it. But God says to wait. Even when it's been a really long time, Wait. Even when it feels wrong, Wait. Even when everyone else tells you it's been too long, Wait.
His timing is perfect. To rush it would just mess things up.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
-Psalm 27:14

Patience is Overrated

2009-08-18T08:19:00.001-07:00

1 trip to Joann's
2 visits to the library
2 hours
3 re-do's
1 mild case of Carpal Tunnel...

All for this! About 8" of a scarf. But I'm not giving up yet. I think with a little more practice I can at least get a little faster. Our local library has a knitting club that meets twice a month. Maybe I can find a nice grandma there to help me.

Yes, I Am Embarrassed

2009-08-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

My best friend is heading back to China this week. I am really going to miss her! That is why when I found these pictures I just had to put them up and embarrass her. Yes, they are embarrassing of me too, but there really isn't a picture of me from age 11 to 17 that isn't embarrassing, so I just have to embrace it.

I don't have a scanner so the pictures are acutally pictures of pictures.

I'm going to miss you friend! I hope you're not too embarrassed!

Colorful

2009-08-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick look at my newest sewing project.

This is the fabric John gave me for my birthday. I am making a blanket and I am going to attempt to actually quilt it! I'm a little nervous because I don't want to mess it up(and because I haven't had the best experiences with quilting in the past), but I went to the library and checked out a bunch of books on how to quilt, so I am going to give it a shot.

I also checked out a book on knitting and I am going to teach myself how to do that too. I figure if I start on a bunch of projects, right when I get in the middle of them someone will call and offer me a job, forcing me to never work on these projects again. Sadly thats usually the way things work for me, and at this point that would be a good thing, because I really need a job!

On another note, everyone keep John in your prayers. He has another kidney stone! He has had on and off pain for about 2 weeks, so he finally went to the doctor this week and it's official, Kidney stones. Now we are just waiting to find out how big it (they) are where to go from there. Pray for John, the pain is getting worse and he still has to go to work!

One Year Down

2009-08-10T14:01:00.001-07:00

John and I had a weekend full of celebrations. We celebrated being together after a 5 day stretch of being apart, we celebrated John's birthday (the big 23!), and we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. This weekend was amazing! Every day I spend with John is amazing, but this weekend was especially wonderful.

I came home Friday exhausted after sitting in the car for 6 hours with 5 children under the age of 5. Lets just say it was a rough car ride. But John came home and suprised me with these beautiful flowers and my day picked up a little. I love anything that's a suprise!

He was so excited to open his birthday gifts Saturday morning. I got him an Oswald Chambers book and a couple of shirts. Doesn't he look handsome?

Going to lunch with John's parents.

Nothing says summer quite like a snow cone.

On our way to my suprise. John NEVER suprises me, so this was a special treat. I was so excited!

Horses!

Thanks to our guide Dave for the awesome picture taking!

Here is a little look at our anniversary gifts to one another. We decided to stick with the traditional one year gift of paper. I went the home made route (of course) and made John a box of memories. Basically I picked a different city in Texas for each month of the next year. I got information on what there was to do, to see and different festivals in that city. I compiled them in this box and the plan is to visit one city a month. Then all the pictures we take can be stored in the box. It is a little weird, but I think it turned out pretty good.

These are the cards inside the box. Some places are close to home, while others are far away, but they should all be close enough to drive to and back in one day.

I also put together an Adventure Book. I started it with a few pictures and left the rest blank to add new adventures over the next 50 + years.

Here is a look at my gift! I love it! I gift card for a one hour massage. It is perfect. I also got a chalkboard but it somehow got lost in the mail so John has been trying to locate it.

It was such a great weekend I am sad that it is over! This has been the best year of my life. I can't wait to see what year 2 has in store!

Rain Rain...Come again everyday!

2009-07-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

I love the rain. It cools everything off...at least until it makes everything humid. It's so calming and relaxing. The perfect weather for reading a book and drinking some coffee. But the reason I most love the rain is because construction workers can't work in the rain. That means they get to come home and waste the day away with their wives. If only it could rain every day...

I love my contruction worker!

My Favorite Spot

2009-07-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

This is my very favorite spot in our apartment, and this is my favorite chair. This is the perfect spot to curl up in and read a book, which I have been doing a lot of lately. I love how much light there is with all the windows behind it.

This is what my favorite chair looked like before we recovered it. We got it at a thrift store for $20. But after a little family effort we turned the chair into one of my favorite things in our apartment.

Feeling Crafty

2009-07-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

I was feeling kind of crafty today and I wasn't really in the mood to start any new sewing projects, so I decided to fix up a frame I have had for almost two years.

Since our one year anniversary is coming up in August I decided to be nostalgic and put together a little wedding collage.

I got the frame from a thrift store for 39 cents. I painted it white and then dry brushed brown over that. Actually, I couldn't find a single paintbrush in the entire apartment, so I used and old makeup brush that comes in those little compacts of blush. Not exactly ideal but it did the trick. I used some fabric from our wedding quilt (which I will start soon...don't judge me) and stretched it across the back of the frame. I couldn't fit everything I wanted to in the frame, but there is one of our handmade invitations, a picture from the wedding day, John's boutonniere, and an engagement picture.

I like the way it turned out. I even hung it on the wall by myself! I love projects you can do in one day. They are so satisfying!

I should have been an artist

2009-07-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

Tatoo artist that is. John and I packed up and headed to Tulsa for the 4th of July. While we were there my mom decided to face paint all the kids. I decided to face paint John.

Every man needs a tatoo of his wife's name on his neck.

He's so hard. Yes...that is a dinosaur.

Sew Cute

2009-06-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I got together earlier this week for a little sewing adventure. We decided to make dresses for all the girls to wear on the Fourth of July. I brought them home and finished them up and here's how they turned out.

I think they turnd out pretty good. The girls will look adorable on the fourth.

Sugar Free Please

2009-06-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

I am on day four of my no sugar diet. It's actually not as hard as I thought it would be. Unless your sister tries to make you get sugary sweet sno-cones with her:) And then your husband comes home and tries to convince you that you need to eat some Braum's ice cream. But other than that it's not too bad. I think my goal is to get to July 20th with no sugar. That will be exactly one month. I am however giving myself a grace period between July 2-5. We are going home to my parents house and I know there will be way too much good food to pass up. I may need a little sugar in my life for the weekend.

Here is what I am currently craving:

There is a starbucks approximately 30 seconds from our apartment and everytime I pass it I am tempted. I think it is more the fact that I know I can't have it that makes me want it even more. I have already told John one of my first stops in Broken Arrow will be the Rocket Brothers. It's even more delicious than Starbucks.

My First Attempt

2009-06-19T07:51:00.001-07:00

Okay so here is my first attempt at the pillowcase dress. I think it turned out pretty cute. I didn't line the dress or pre-shrink the fabric so I probably won't sell this one. It was just a practice dress to make sure I know what I am doing.

Flower detail.

I have several projects I want to start working on. Some for myself and some to list on Etsy. Once I have my Etsy page set up I will post it on here so everyone can check it out. I must admit... this is a lot more fun than going to my old job!

Definitely a Tear Jerker

2009-06-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

Last night John and I wanted to get out of the apartment for a while so we decided to go see UP at the theater near our house.

I think that may be the most I have ever cried in a movie theater. It was definitely the most I ever cried at a Disney movie.

Simba's father dies...no tears.

Bambi's mother dies...no tears.

The movie UP...waterworks.

It was also a really good movie though. It was sad, but in a good way. If that is possible. I would definitely see it again and I don't usually like sad movies.

To end on a happier note...

This is what happens when John goes to work and leaves me to find a way to get to the car during a monsoon. Sad to say...this was my second attempt. The first attempt resulted in me coming back inside and throwing all my clothes into the dryer because I was so soaking wet. I won't even tell you what my hair looks like under there.

Wedding Bells are Ringing

2009-06-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

John and I were both in a wedding this weekend in Stillwater.

It made me fall in love with the color orange...even if my skin tone doesn't love it. Give me a few more hours in the sun.

It also made me remember how beautiful my wedding was. I can't beleive John and I have been married for almost a year! We are trying to come up with something to do on our anniversary in August. We want to do traditional gifts. The first year is paper. Any ideas?

Notice I have now ditched my 4 inch heels for a pair of plastic sandals.

Does this picture remind anyone else of the friends theme song? Maybe it's just me.

In other news...I have decided to break out the sewing and see if I can get a few things up on Etsy. If you don't know what Etsy is...stop what you are doing and find out. I can spend days on this website! I will post pictures after my first successful project.

A Work in Progress

2009-06-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of the new apartment. It still needs a little work but it is definitely an upgrade from the last place.

Here's the kitchen. I absolutely love the island. Cooking is so much more fun now that I have plenty of counterspace to work on. And the fact that the smell of smoke and fried chicken isn't pouring through the sink while I try to cook helps a lot!

This part is still a little bare, but I am working on it. I love that this apartment has lights! That sounds kind of stupid but our last apartment had no lights in it... they make a lot of difference!

And here is the living room. I love our new couch from Ikea! The only thing I don't like about this apartment is that there is no room for my beautiful table:( John and I don't mind eating at the bar, but I loved my table my dad made for me. I can't wait to get it back! Next time I have it maybe we will be moving into a house! I will keep my fingers crossed.

Hopefully in the next week I will get the rest of the stuff up on the walls and get everything up off the floor and then it will be done!

In the meantime I will just sit here and look for a job. Suprisingly I am a looking forward to getting a job and getting back to work. Not at all because I miss working, but because I feel a little guilty sitting here at home while John is out working hard. There are tons of things for me to do here to keep busy, and I am, and I am enjoying it...but I also want to feel like I am contributing. Who knew I would ever want to go back to work. Thats just crazy talk. I must be loosing my mind.

A 5K is 5 kilometers, not 5000 miles

2009-05-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

I am putting this in writing. Maybe it will encourage me to follow through.

I am going to run a 5K.

I know this seems pretty impossible to anyone who has ever seen me run, but it's true. I'm in training.

Thank goodness we have a wii fit so I can weigh myself. (Please do not judge my white legs...its been too cold to get a tan.)

John and I have been running at the track across from our apartment for several weeks now. We are slowly building up to a 5K. And I mean very slowly.

I am in mid stretch here...I promise I can touch my toes! I think I need to get a spray tan ASAP.

We just finished our run and John is pooped. I was pooped too but I think I have shared enough embarrasing pictures of myself. I don't need to add a sweaty face picture too.

The goal is to run a 5K race in Dallas with John and my sister...and finish. But my personal goal is to be able to run 3 miles by July 1st. That gives me two whole months. Someone please keep me accountable. I am not very good at sticking to my goals.

2009-04-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

I put my two weeks notice in at work on Friday. And what better way to celebrate than to head to the park with 5 kids under the age of four.
It was actually a pretty successful trip. We got a lot of good pictures out of it. Sure, we were all starving afterwards...some to the point of tears...but it was still pretty fun.

Me and Eden

This may be one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Eden is on the left and Lyla is snoozing on the right. I think these girls are gonna be pretty good friends.

Even John and I couldn't pass up the chance to take our picture with the beautiful scenery.

It was a long trip...it wore us all out.

Family

2009-04-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

My family is in town for the week so John and I headed over to my parents after work and hung out for a few hours.

I can't wait till we are living in Texas and get to see a lot more of everyone!

Baby Lyla (also known as Lolli)

The kids refuse to take off their costumes.

Gracie Rae

Movie Night: Frogs and Dracula

2009-04-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Last night John and I had a double feature movie night. We started with the 1972 classic "Frogs".

Yes-this is a movie about killer frogs. Probably the most hilarious movie I have ever seen. I highly recommend it! It came on one of the 10 channels that we get and we were pleasantly suprised!

Then we had a little themed movie night. I just got done reading this:

Dracula...pretty good book. Kind of slow but good. So I thought since I liked it I would try the movie:

Please don't watch this movie. It was pretty terrible. But we did try to make the best of it...

My Favorite Thing in Witchita Falls

2009-04-14T18:14:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite thing in Wichita Falls.

This is the best snow cone I have ever eaten. The ice is shaved so thin it is like eating ice cream.

I got sugar cookie flavor. It tasted just like a sugar cookie candle smells...if that makes sense. It was amazing!

John loved it too!

Konichiwa Blizzard

2009-03-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last night John and I went to Bobbi's for an Asian dinner. It was so fun and really delicious. And Bobbi did such a great job of decorating. It was so cute. Take a look!

We each had our own place setting with our names written in Chinese. There were also no forks on the table. We were trying to be authentic...at least for the first 15 minutes.

Isn't this so cute? And yes, that table is on the floor. We sat on pillows while we ate. It was very authentic.

We also drank tea out of tiny little tea cups and Angie practiced her geisha skills by pouring us all a cup. I pretended to like it.

Here she is...the amazing chef. She made the most delicious beef stir fry, in a wok! John and I brought the rice and angie brought rice noodles. It was all so good.

I'm really not sure what these were...but they were good.

If that weren't enough excitement for one weekend...a blizzard came in at about 9:00 this morning.

And didn't stop till about 5 this afternoon. It was really pretty, but really cold!

Who doesn't love a good blizzard. As long as it is gone by tomorrow, I'll be happy.

It's not delivery...

2009-03-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

John and I decided to make a pizza for dinner tonight. I decided to take pictures of the process because it is the most interesting thing that has happened to me today.

How To: Making a Pizza

First you make the dough, and then plop it on a greased pan. When you run out of Pam, use butter(the white spots on the pan) as a healthy alternative.

Then you have to spread the dough. If you have weak wrists you may want to get a strong burly man like I did to spread the dough for you. Spreading dough takes a lot of elbow grease so start lifting those weights...if you don't have a strong burly man to do it for you.

Don't worry if your hands get a little messy. Don't worry, someone will come around sometime to turn the faucet on for you.

After the dough has been spread in a buttered pan, then you spread on the sauce.

Now here is the secret to a successful home made pizza. You MUST put a hidden layer of turkey pepperoni under the cheese. This is essential to pizza perfection. Also, your sauce may turn from red to brown, do not be alarmed...oh wait, thats not supposed to happen. Be alarmed.

Finally, just throw on a whole bag of cheese and another layer of pepperoni and stick in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Serve with a nice cold salad and dressing of your choice.

*The final product is not pictured because after 15 minutes of baking we were starving and we at the pizza before capturing is glory. It was beautiful.

River Walks

2009-03-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

John and I decided to drive aimlessly last night and ended up on Riverside. We decided to walk across the pedestrian bridge and enjoy the 75 degree weather. Here are some things we saw. Beautiful fountains. I wish I was a better photographer or we had gone in the daytime because you can't really get the whole effect from this picture.

Here I was trying to take a picture of John and me, but since he is a giant you can only see my eye. But I decided that I really love this picture of John. Isn't he just so cute?

I look like a wild person in this picture...it was very windy.

Oh man, this guy is so cool. Look at him just walking on the bridge. He should be a model.

At least he has the coolest wife in the world to hang out with.

And that sums up mine and John's Friday night. Sadly that is the most adventurous Friday night we have had in a long time. We are hitting middle age in the prime of life.

Beautiful

2009-03-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am terrible at updating this thing. I already know.

In other news, it was so beautiful today! It got into the 80's. I can finally pull out of my winter depression and be a human being again. I'm so happy.

My favorite thing to do in this weather is to roll the windows down in my car, turn up the music and just drive. Aimlessly drive wherever the road may lead. Maybe I will do that sometime tomorrow. Oh yes, it is supposed to be 80 tomorrow as well. Amazing!

Baba Ganoush!

2009-02-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

John and I decided that we were going to be culturally diverse this weekend and try a new type of food. Actually, we made a whole list of restaurants to try. We are going to go to one every weekend till we move...or at least thats the plan.

This week: Mediterranean!

John and I ventured to the local "Helen of Troy" to partake in a delicious and authentic Greek/Mediterranean meal. We started with a bowl of hummus and pitas. They were...delicious! I had no idea I liked hummus, but it was so good!

Then we moved on to the main course.

On the left you will see my very adventurous plate: A gyro with a side of Baba Ganoush and pita. On the right, John's plate, a gyro and french fries.

The gyros were so good! Lamb is delicious! John asked for a lamb cooker for his birthday so he can just slice meat off and eat it anytime he wants. I'm not sure if thats really going to work for me however.

We decided to start small for John's sake. He usually isn't a very adventurous eater. But Mediterranean was a good first experience!

And John gives it one and a half thumbs!

I am excited to try the other restaurants on our list. Here's what we've got. If you know of any good restaurants in the tulsa area where you can get authentic or unusual food, please comment and let me know!

India Palace
Kilkenny’s
Memories of Japan
Helen of Troy (Mediterranean)
Halim and Mimi’s (Lebanese)
Ri Le’s (Vietnamese)
Thai Siam (Thai)
Gaucho (Brazilian)*
La Roma (Mediterranean)
Tucci’s Italian Café
Phil-Asia (Filipino)
Keo (Asian)
White Lion (English/Irish)

Bali Fusion Cafe (Indonesian)

Thankful Heart

2009-02-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for so many things. But sometimes, for instance, when I am sitting at work wishing that I had a different job, or even better...no job at all:), I forget to be thankful for all of the absolutely wonderful things in my life.

So here is a list of the top 5 things I am thankful for today. Maybe they will make you think of what you are thankful for!

1. I have the craziest, most rediculous and hilarious husband in the world!

It's true. He is totally insane. I don't think he has called me by my name today. He has, however, called me Goblin, Booger muncher, and poop face. All terms of endearment sadly enough. But I love that! He has a terrible singing voice, which he uses to ruin all of the songs I like, and he is super sweet! Monday when I came home he had an "after work snack" and an online game of wheel of fortune ready to greet me with. I love him!

2. I am in love with my church.

How many people get to say that? But it's true, I go to the greatest church ever! The people are amazing, the teaching is inspiring, the music is incredible. I love everything about it. I've never been to a church like it before.

3. I have a super fabulous family

I am truely blessed to have such an amazing family. John and I get to eat dinner with my parents every Thursday night which is awesome because we can always use a free meal! And they take us to delicious restaraunts like Tei Kei! They also give us free food when we leave. I also have two amazing sisters and brothers-in-law, and soon to be countless nieces and nephews! And we will get to see them a lot more once we move to Dallas! Yay!

4. I have a job

This one is a little suprising because I am definitely not a fan of the job I have now. But I do have a job, and that is a lot more than can be said for a lot of people. I have a pretty secure job too. And if I didn't have this job, John and I would not be able to be married...so it is a blessing. It is just in disguise:)

5. God is Good, All the Time

This is what I am most thankful for. He never lets me down, he never lets me fall. He is always there, and he is always good. I read this verse in John yesterday, and I think it is definitely one of my most favorites.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world!" -John 16:33

He overcame the whole world for us! Thats mind blowing to me. He is an awesome God.

Lenny

2009-02-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Hooray! We got a new computer! A Toshiba known as Lenny. I love being able to type and not have to wait for the words take catch up with me! And I can finally use the computer without wanting to punch it. I want to hug Lenny.

I will post more soon, once I get some pictures on here. Right now I am going to browse all of the internet sites I haven't been able to look at in forever!

Winter Blues

2009-01-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

I have a bad case of the winter blues or SAD as I like to call it. Seasonal Anxiety Disorder. Although I have never been professionally diagnosed with it, I have diagnosed myself...which is as good as any professional opinion.

John and I have been spending a lot of lazy days indoors, just hanging around. Watching Netflix, which is awesome, and braving the weather to see family. Unfortunately, work doesn't have snow days, so I will most likely be stuck at work all day tomorrow. Being grown up really has its draw backs.

Here are a few pictures from last month. I am going to get better at this blogging thing. I just know it!
John and I on Christmas Day before we opened our presents from each other. Our First Christmas!

Here we are on New Years Eve at the tiniest outdoor skating rink on the planet! I always forget that I hate ice skating until after I put my skates on. And combine that with the cold weather and I am one big whiny baby!

I need summer to come quick! Coats and hats are cute, but nothing compares to summer dresses, tan legs and sunglasses!

Life is Beautiful

2008-11-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

Is there anything better than crafting and spending time with a great friend? Only if there is coffee involved. I am off to Starbucks to create the masterpiece just waiting inside.

I'm a blogger!

2008-11-21T23:54:00.000-08:00

So, I've been told by several people that I should start blogging. I'm not really sure my life is interesting enough for that, but I am going to give it a shot. My plan is to post pictures, recipes, and other things that I think are fun. So here goes:

I drug John with me to Affair of the Heart today. It is this huge craft show and it actually has some really cool hand made items, and tons of ideas of things to make yourself. If you live in the Tulsa area it is definitely worth the trip to the Expo center to check it out. John and I bought a little antique dresser that I love!