Time for an Update

Since the holidays have concluded, we've been busy getting our life in order.  Once I quit work we quickly moved into the holiday season so I never really got too settled into my new role.  Plus, the beginning of the year always causes me to want to get organized, to start fresh, to change things up -- you get the idea.
January also brought about the month of our biggest event for the Aero Club.  So, I spent a lot of Mason's nap times working, but it was kind of fun to have something exciting to work on.  Plus, it gave Brandon and I a reason to get all dressed up for an evening.  It's too bad the zipper on my dress broke towards the beginning of the event...just my luck!  Thankfully, a friend of mine attended the event and graciously lent me her sweater to wear over my dress.  
Mr. Man has also been learning lots of new things that are keeping us on our toes.  He's crawling -- a little unique in style, but he's pretty good at it and he can move quickly!  

He also started to cruise on the furniture shortly after he learned to crawl and now he's even pushing his fun new zebra toy that he got for Christmas.  

Determination is not one of his weaknesses :)  He's also turned into quite the jabber box.  He can say "mama", "dada", "up", "apple", and is beginning to say "bye bye".  He also mimics a lot of our sounds, which is pretty cute.  He gets very excited if we cheer for him and starts flapping his arms up and down at a very rapid pace.  The dog is one of his favorite things in the world, but the feeling isn't so mutual.  Koby generally stays on higher ground if Mason is on the loose.  Needless to say, Koby really likes Mason's nap times too ;)

We started attending the mom's group at our church last week.  I must admit I was a little hesitant at first, but I think I'm really going to enjoy Friday mornings with other women.  It also gives Mason a chance to play with other kids, which I think he enjoys.  This coming week, I will also start another women's Bible study that I'm really excited about.  It is a multi-generational study and I'm looking forward to getting to know more people in our church.  Of course, we're still meeting with our awesome small group each week too.  
Speaking of our small group, I had the girls and their kids over for a Super Bowl party.  Our husbands all had other things to do that evening so we decided it would be fun to hang out together with our kids rather than sit at home alone.  It was so fun to see the kids all playing together -- something that made me smile given that I never thought I'd see that day.  Even though Mason couldn't quite keep up, he hung in the whole evening (which ended shortly after half-time).  
As we move towards the spring, I'm feeling the urge to finish a few projects and get the house in order.  The winter evenings make me want to snuggle up on the couch and watch TV rather than make the most of my time, so as the weather turns nicer I tend to find a little more motivation.  We started painting a little dresser that I bought for Mason's room before he was born (it has been sitting untouched in the garage all this time).  We painted it a cheery apple green (actually, I think the color we picked is "Asparagus", but that does not sound like a very pretty color to me...) and I can't wait to get it finished and up to his room!  

We are also starting to paint our trim upstairs -- a goal we've had for quite some time.  It is hard to get motivated to tackle those projects since we know how much work it is to paint all of the trim.  Unlike last year (when we painted the trim on the entire first floor), we're going taking it room by room this time.
I mentioned I want to get our house in order....One thing I've had a hard time doing since becoming a stay-at-home-mom is to maintain a good cleaning/laundry schedule.  Part of me likes the idea of tackling one room/area per day, but then I think I'd feel like I was cleaning all day everyday.  However, with this approach, I can consistently maintain the house rather than let everything pile up all week and tackling it all at once.  On the other hand, I like cleaning everything in one day so we can enjoy an entire clean house for at least one day.  So, I'm looking for tips and tricks that have worked for other people.  If you have any words of wisdom, leave me a comment!
We are certainly looking forward to the nice weather so we can get outside to play a little more.  Our neighborhood has a nice little playground and we got Mason a new swing for our yard so he can "hang out" while we are outside.    I know Brandon and I are both itching to get into the yard as well -- if only we had a little more rain this fall and winter.  I'm a little nervous our new plants from last year are not going to fair well this spring.  
Well, that's about all for now!  My brain is officially fried :)

Lately...

• ...my dear ol' blog has been neglected.  I have had so much going on with wrapping up my job at the Chamber, to transitioning to my new job as a full-time mom, to adjusting to my part-time job, to enjoying my time with the little guy, to weekends with family, etc. etc. that my blog has honestly been the last thing on my mind.  
• ...we celebrated Halloween with the cutest puppy you've ever seen!

• ...we have been LOVING watching the Cats this season (I mean, we LOVE every season, but this season has been especially fun!).  While Mason and I have not ventured to Manhattan yet, Brandon has gone up a few times.  And of course, Mason is a true Wildcat fan!!

• ...the Fall colors around here have been amazing!  We have loved watching the trees in our yard change colors.  What we have not loved are the leaves that we Brandon have to pick up.

{This pic was taken through our window and our neighbor had just mowed up his leaves...}

• ...I have made a couple of tasty recipes!  These Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies were AMAZING and Brandon gave this Jalapeño Popper Dip two thumbs up!  Funny story about the dip.  I had made it for our Tuesday night Bible study group and put it in the oven to bake while we met and when I came upstairs to take it out of the oven I realized that I never turned the oven on.  So, we had M&Ms for a snack that night.  Oh well...at least our friends can laugh with me!
• ...we visited Megan and Kevin and their sweet boys in Oklahoma.  We had not been down there in a LONG time and we wanted to have have Megan take Mason's six month pictures and our family pictures.  Of course, the pictures turned out amazing (the picture of Brandon and Mason melts my heart!) and we had a wonderful time hanging out with our two little families :)   Here is a pic of our three boys (who would have ever thought we would have three boys between the two of us?!?).

Well, I think that is all for now.  I need to ease back into this blogging thing :)

A (Major) Brain Dump

I would call this a weekend wrap-up but since I haven't really blogged about "life" lately it is probably a more of a major brain dump...oops!

• We have really been enjoying the cool down that has been happening in our area.  It has been nice to be outside and have impromptu porch gatherings with our neighbors.  We also have taken walks and visited the farmers market without sweating.  I think it is pretty obvious this guy has been enjoying our outings, too!

• We re-planted our front flower bed a few weeks ago.  Our local garden center had all of their plants 50% off so we took advantage of the sale and risked planting the new plants in the extreme heat.  But, thanks to a little good luck and the above mentioned cool down, the plants are doing pretty darn good! 

• We went out do a belated birthday dinner on Saturday (thanks to the worst summer cold ever, we had to cancel our original plans) and I tried a new dish, grilled shrimp risotto, and I can't quit thinking about it.  It was SO good!  The risotto had grilled shrimp, snap peas, leaks, fresh corn and roasted tomatoes.  YUM!  We also had fun catching up with our good friends, which was an extra bonus :)
• We had to move our offices at work to the second floor of our building.  My department was the only department on the main floor, other than our receptionist and our production guy.  While we weren't really excited to move, I sort of like my new office better.  I was able to arrange it how I wanted it and it forced me to organize a little better.  Plus, we have a little better view of the parking lot because we are one floor up and can actually see the sky now...you have to look for the positive in things, people!
• Brandon was chosen as the project manager for the new airport terminal.  He is both excited and anxious -- excited because it was an honor to be chosen and he gets to be a part of a great team working on the largest project in their company's history, but anxious because it is the biggest project in the company's history and because it is a pretty high profile job.  This will be his only job for the next two and a half years so needless to say, he will be pretty focused for a while.
• I made peanut butter rice krispie treats this weekend.  I don't know why, but they sounded good and they were/are so yummy!! 
• I CAN'T WAIT for Fall.  Like absolutely can't wait.  I love the weather, I love the clothes, I love KSU football, I love baking and crock pot meals.  I just can't wait!
• Speaking of Fall and the cool weather as of late, it makes me want to clean out and organize our house.  So much so that one of my coworkers, who aspires to be a professional organizer, is coming over next weekend to help me get started!  
• As Mason is getting older (a whole four months!), he is getting more toys and more toys means less floor space in our living room.  So, I think we have come to the conclusion that it is time to turn our dining room into a play room.  I knew this day would come and I'm actually kind of excited to get started.  I've found a few shelving units that I like and I'm searching for kid friendly art that still meshes with the rest of our house because the dining room is basically part of our entryway.  So far, I have not come up with anything...but I will keep looking.
• We had sermon today that talked about spiritual discipline.  It really struck a cord with me and made me realize that I need to get focused on listening to God and spending quality time with him rather than just running to him when we need something.  Okay, point taken.

Well, that is about all for now.  Time to get ready for a new week!

Resuming Life

Well it seems we are back to our (new) normal.  Life has resumed, but in a different way.  We have settled into a decent schedule (I almost hate typing that because the little one might throw us a curve ball tomorrow) and everyone is happy and healthy.

I am about to start my third week back at work.  It was/has been a tough transition.  The night before my first day back I found myself not wanting to go to sleep so I could put off the inevitable...it didn't work.  I woke up Monday morning with a huge lump in my throat.  I pushed back the tears until I took Mason upstairs to change his diaper one last time before we loaded up.  And then I lost it.  I just stood at the top of the stairs and cried.  The day had come whether I liked it or not.  I pulled myself together and got in the car and drove a new route to work via the babysitter's house.  Thankfully Brandon followed me so we could drop Mason off together.  I told myself all the way to her house that I wasn't going to cry while we were there and I probably got half of my right foot in the doorway and the tears just started pouring out.  I couldn't even tell our babysitter what was in Mason's bag so Brandon had to step in and do the talking.  She obviously realized we were having a hard time and she wrapped her arms around us and told us that it wouldn't be normal if we weren't sad and that the tears just meant we were good parents.  That made me feel so much better, but leaving him was still so hard and the tears just kept flowing.  As I kissed him goodbye, he gave me a little half smile as if he was saying "I'm going to be okay, Mom," and that made me feel so good!

I only called once during the day to check on him and I left work early to go pick him up.  When I arrived, he seemed very content which put me at ease.  Our babysitter told me he was the 'talk of the town' that day since they had not had a baby around in a while.  The next few days got a little easier, but I still dread Sunday evenings.  Weekday mornings are actually pretty relaxed.  Brandon does the 5-6 a.m. feeding while I get up and get ready for work.  I take Mason to the babysitter's house and I generally pick him up.  Once we get home, we hang out for a bit before I start dinner (I've been making some really easy meals that I will post about later).  Mason hangs out in his bouncy seat while we eat dinner and then we get in a few more snuggles before it is time for bed.  I bathe him and Brandon is in charge of putting him to bed while I try to pick up the house or wash bottles.  We usually turn in about 10:00 p.m. and then it is time to start it all over again.  We have learned to make the most of the weekends with our little man and the weekend days have not gone by as fast as we expected them to.  We are so grateful to have found a wonderful babysitter who puts our minds at ease.

This weekend Mason's Auntie Tara came to visit since her crew was out of town.  He got to go shopping with her and his Nana on Friday afternoon while we were still at work.  On Saturday we went to the farmer's market and to get coffee while Brandon worked on our deck.  That afternoon Mason and Brandon hung out while Tara and I went to lunch and did a little Target browsing.  Then, on Saturday night we had some friends over for our first bbq of the summer!  Mason was a trooper with all of the chaos and we had a great time.  We got up for church this morning and then came back to hang out with Tara a little more before she headed home to greet her family.  Brandon's mom and aunt also stopped by to say hello to Mason as they were passing through town.  And, now we find ourselves  ready to resume a new week.

Our new normal is pretty awesome.  We have learned to slow down a little bit and enjoy the down time.  We don't get as much done around the house, but that is okay for this season of life.

Observations from a Temporary Stay At Home Mom

Since I've been home now for five (almost six) weeks, I've made a few observations about life as a Stay At Home Mom (in my case a temporary SAHM):

• I don't get near as much done as I anticipated.  I had these grand ideas of completing a bunch of projects while I was off and most days I barely get a shower.  So much for finishing art projects for Mason's room (without help anyway), organizing closets, making a bunch of meals for the freezer (thinking ahead to when I go back to work), taking day trips to visit friends and family, etc.
• Our neighborhood is pretty active during the day.  One older man down the culdasac takes a walk every single day wearing his suspenders and a straw hat; another lady from the same culdasac walks her dogs every morning before she goes to work and lets her dogs relieve themselves in our yard (grrrr!); the UPS and FedEx delivery men drive like crazy people through the neighborhood; lots of people exercise; we have duck gangs who live in the pond behind us; we have more door-to-door sales people in this neighborhood than we ever did in our old 'hood.
• Daytime TV leaves much to be desired.  Thank goodness for DVR or else I wouldn't make it through the day!  Between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and noon there is nothing on that I care to watch.  Then, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. there is even less that I care to watch.  And, I'm the type of person who just needs the TV on for noise, but useless noise is annoying.  However, I have come to love The Chew and Ellen (I LOVE Sophia Grace and Rosie!), which I never really watched before (obviously...).
• Errands are more enjoyable...sort of.  While I have to really plan out when I'm going to go run errands, I have found that they are much more enjoyable because I'm not competing with so many people like I used to when I'd go after work or on the weekends.  The down side is that I now have a baby and sometimes babies don't like to run errands so much.  So instead, they decide to cry while you are trying to pick out a greeting card or make a mess in their pants when you are trying to find a cute top or pick up a few groceries for dinner.  
• I feel out of the loop.  Because my job requires me to keep up with the news, I am used to being "in the know" about all that is happening.  However, since I've been home the only news I get is via Twitter and sometimes I only read the headlines and don't click on the links.  I also get up a little later than before (which is soon to end...) so I miss out on the national news headlines on Good Morning America.  

Why I didn't root for KU in the NCAA Tournament

Some people ask us why we don't root for KU when they aren't playing our beloved Wildcats.  We hear "Oh, but KU is part of the Big 12 and you should root for your conference" or "...But you are a Kansan and KU is still a Kansas team" or "I would root for K-State if they were in the national championship" (to which I reply "umm, no you wouldn't") -- yes I've heard it all which is why I'm here to defend my stance on this issue:

• I'm am a K-State fan down to my core.  My dad is the oldest of eight kids and seven of those eight kids all GRADUATED from K-State.  In my immediate family, all of us but one -- not quite sure how he slipped in...just kidding!!! -- are GRADUATES of K-State.  We are loyal fans who hang with our teams through thick and thin.  We have all invested lots of time and money into the university which gives us the right to be passionate fans.  This leads me to my next point...
• Many of the mouthy KU fans did not even attend KU, none-the-less graduate from KU.  They haven't invested large amounts of time and money into the university, yet they are the first ones to make smart remarks when K-State loses, or are the people who deck out their offices and homes with gear to show their "spirit".  K-State fans, in general, are not band wagon riders.  I believe the tweet below sums up the feeling of most KSU fans:

• With that said, I don't mind non-graduates being fans.  It's fine to get behind a team, but don't be a super-fan and talk a bunch of trash.  It's just rude!
• It is also funny to me that KU does not consider K-State a rival, yet they are so competitive with us.  According to dictionary.com, a rival is a person who is competing for the same object or goal as another, or who tries to equal or outdo another; a competitor; a person or thing that is in a position to dispute another's preeminence or superiority.  Even if they don't consider us  "rivals", we are competitors and competitors don't root for each other no matter if we are all from the same state or conference.

I don't want to come across as a sour grape, but I can only take so much!!!  

And just for good measure, here I am dressed for the "big game"!!  Go Cats!!

What a Weekend

We had a super productive and super fun weekend!

Saturday morning we got up (without an alarm!) and got a few things done around the house.  Then, I got cleaned up and headed out to meet my good friend from Pratt for lunch.  We have been friends since I was like two or three and she was like four or five.  It is always so nice to catch up with her and it seems like we never have enough time.  Oh, did I mention that she just lives in Derby -- it is not like we love many miles away.  Yeah, we need to see each other way more often!!

After I stuffed myself at lunch, I ran a million errands.  I had to return a few things and then make my weekly trip to Target.  Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE going to Target all by myself??  It's a sickness, really.  I just browse and browse and browse.  On this particular trip, I picked up a couple of doormats and an interior rug to put at our front door.  One thing about a new house and learning all of the new "things" that occur in and around the new house, and one of those new things are these nasty, sticky little pods that fall from the trees and stick to EVERYTHING!!  Needless to say, the little pods have been drug all through our house so the doormats are meant to cut down on the pods making their way into our house.  We'll see...

Once I got home (and delivered my sweet husband a cherry limeade) we went to the garden store and to Menard's.  At the garden store, we picked up a nice fern for our front porch and a six-pack of impatients and then we got a few motion-activated lights for the back of our house at Menard's.  After we returned, we planted the fern and the impatients and Brandon worked on the lights.  I also played with Koby in the back yard and wore him out.  Would you look at that tongue?!?!

That evening, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and had dinner on our front porch.  Our house faces the east so it is pretty sunny and hot on our back porch, plus we have an awesome front porch!  We grilled burgers and just enjoyed the evening.  One thing Koby likes is that he is able to hang out with us in front of the house without his cord and so he hung out while we ate dinner.  That was until a couple walked by out house with a GIANT German Shepard that Koby thought he could take.  Ummm...can you say someone is suffering from "little man's" disease!!  We finished the day just hanging out watching TV and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on the couch...oops!

This morning, we got up early - I had a volunteer event for church and Brandon had a makeup baseball game.  Our church partnered with Numana for a food packaging event.  If you don't know about Numana, I encourage you to take a look at their website.  It is a pretty amazing concept and I was excited that I got to volunteer with my small group gals (and really, my good friends) Ali and Christy.

Here are Ali and Christy hard at work!!  Yes, we all looked pretty awesome in our hair nets and aprons :)

And, here we are at the conclusion of our shift.  And, we were all very thankful that we do not do line work for a living...

Oh yeah!!  I also did not get the memo to wear a KSU shirt for the event.  Can you believe they didn't call me...ha ha!  Just kidding.

After I got home I made a menu and grocery list and waited for Brandon to get home from his game.  After he got home, we prepared to paint the kitchen.  Brandon started to cut in around the doorway and window and I realized I didn't really like the color!  It looked to me like it was the same color as the cabinets, which is why I was not comfortable with it.  So, he stopped painting and was very nice about having to go get a new paint color -- just another shade lighter -- while I went to the grocery store.  The new paint is much lighter and to some may look white, but I know that it is a super duper light shade of gray!  I put away dishes and made dinner while he painted (he did not want my help).  I made bbq beef sandwiches, waffle fries and fruit salad and it was yummy.

After dinner we settled in for the ACM awards and a little dessert :)  Edwards Key Lime pie is so good and they sell it in these little two-slice boxes.  Totally dangerous!!

I'd say this was a pretty "sweet" ending to a pretty awesome weekend!

Weekend Wrap-Up and an Admission of Defeat

We had a very busy, but productive weekend.  And, as always it came to a close far too soon!  The past couple of Mondays I have woken up to my alarm going off totally thinking it was Sunday.  Talk about a terrible way to start a week. 

Our weekend started off with Koby having a swollen jaw.  Brandon got home from work before I did and called me because it looked like he was hiding a small golf ball in his cheek.  He sent me this picture, which did not do it justice because I was shocked when I got home and saw it for myself.  We called the vet and they said it could be a bug bite or it could be an absessed tooth but to give him some Benadryl and bring him in first thing in the morning.  So, we gave him two doses of Benadryl and saw a little improvement.  Brandon took him to the vet first thing Saturday morning and she confirmed that it was a bug bite and gave him a shot of cortizone and he was good to go.  We were a little worried we were going to have to pay for surgery to remove an absessed tooth, so needless to say we were very pleased it was only a bug bite.  Now, we just need to figure out how he got bit because he was inside all day...

While Brandon took Koby to the vet bright and early Saturday morning, I headed to the RUN2BELIEVE race.  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful tribute to Kylie and Kyle.  Last I heard they had more than 1,000 runners (amazing turn out for a first annual event) and raised close to $20,000!  The Chamber had a great turnout of participants and my co-worker, Pat, even won a medal!!  Brandon also ran in the race and placed 7th in his age division.  Pretty good considering he hadn't run in quite some time.

After the race, I headed to lunch with my good friend and her little girl.  We had a fun time just visiting and browsing Target!  After my lunch date, I headed home to join Brandon doing yard work.  We pulled up a bunch of random weeds/plants that were growing under out deck.  We also pulled out a HUGE ivy plant that was growing into the house.  The back side of our house looks pretty bare now which has got us itching to get plants to fill it up again :)

We spent a nice evening out on Saturday night.  We had dinner at PF Changs, quickly browsed in the new Cabela's, and ended our night with frozen yogurt.  The weather on Saturday could not have been prettier so it was fun to spend a lot of the day outside!

Sunday was pretty low-key.  After church Brandon finished up working in the yard while I painted the stair case, cleaned a little bit and hit up the grocery story.  We ended the day having dinner with my cousin and his family and then it was time to get ready for the week.  I'm hosting Bunco at my house tonight so I did a little bit to get ready for that before I really shut it off for the night.  We slept with the windows open and unfortunately neither of us got much sleep because the darn geese who hang out in the lake behind our house were sqawking ALL. NIGHT. LONG.  So annoying!!! 

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And now it is confession time....

I've obviously not been very good at keeping up with posting the daily devotionals so I am going to try to figure out how to post the pdf as a link and share the whole devotional with you. 

RUN2BELIEVE

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary (if you can even call it that) of the death of these two young people -- Kylie Jobe and Kyle Thornburg.  Kylie is the beautiful daughter of my boss and friend.  She and Kyle were killed last year on their way home from Colorado when a drunk driver was going west bound in the east bound lanes of I-70.  He had been traveling for almost 24 hours and was almost three times over the legal blood alcohol limit.  Tragic would be an understatement to describe what happened.

To mark the one year anniversary, Kylie and Kyle's families and friends have decided to celebrate their lives by raising awareness about drunk driving.  On Saturday, there will be a memorial 5K run/walk, RUN2BELIEVE, in Maize which will focus on the serious consequences of making the decision to drive drunk.  The families believe if they can help even one person make a better decision then they will be honoring their kids' lives.  The message is not just for high school kids who will be celebrating monumental occasions in the next few months (prom and graduation), but for adults as well.  It doesn't matter if you have had one drink or 10 drinks -- alcohol can skew your decision making process and can lead to serious mistakes.  The decision of one guy has had a domino affect on the lives of so many people.  In fact, as of yesterday there were 800 people signed up to run this race.  That is a lot of people who have been affected.  But, it is also a lot of people who will be hearing the message about drunk driving. 

If you think about it and are of the praying sort, please say a prayer for Kylie and Kyle's families and friends tomorrow and Saturday.  It is going to be an emotional few days.  They are incredibly strong people, but an extra support and love would be much appreciated!

Monday Monday...

It's raining here today.  The nice gentle kind of rain that isn't violent and doesn't cause you to run your wipers on full blast all the way to work.  I apparently was not ready to get up this morning because when the alarm went off I remember mumbling something like "Oh...it's Monday and we have to get up," and then I heard the rain lightly hitting the windows which caused me to want to stay in bed even more.  Koby must have had a case of the Mondays as well because he didn't crawl in bed with us at all (he usually jumps in about an hour before the alarm goes off).  Needless to say, I'm wishing I was home in my sweat pants cuddled up on the couch.

We had a bit of a crazy weekend!  Between the kitchen re-do and all of the other projects we were trying to accomplish at the same time, a slight stomach bug, KSU losing in the tournament, a birthday party, and spending time with Brooklyn and her parents, we were certainly ready for some down time.  But, it is so nice to have some major projects behind us and we could not have done it all without the help of Brandon's parents.  We are taking the week off from house projects this week to rest up and get rejuvenated and then we'll be back at it to finish up painting our staircase (yes, Craig and Brandon rebuilt the staircase this weekend too) and buttoning up a few other miscellaneous projects and then we are DONE for a while! 

Speaking of the kitchen, it is looking so good!  I actually got chills once the tile went up on the backsplash.  I just LOVE it.  However, we have not put the cabinet doors back on yet because they need to cure a little more (a hard lesson learned!).  Once we have those back on and everything is back in its place I'll post pictures, but here is a sneak peek to hold you over :)

One perk of today being a Monday is that the new season of Dancing with the Stars begins tonight!!  I'm so excited to see Laura Ingalls Wilder (aka Melissa Gilbert) shake her bootie with my favorite dancer, Maks! This show really is one of my favorite shows on TV -- sad but true.



{photo courtesy of usmagazine.com}


I'm also planning to do a lot of cooking and baking this week since I will have a mostly functioning kitchen again.  I bet I have 20 frozen bananas in our freezer just waiting to be transformed into banana bread.  And, if I'm feeling crazy, I might even add chocolate chips! 

Hope your Monday is off to a great start!

Sunrise Sunset



{I may or may not have taken this picture on my way to work this morning...}

Have any of you noticed the dramatic sunrises and sunsets that have been gracing the skies lately?  Maybe it is the change in seasons, but I have been finding myself in awe as of late.  The sun has been huge and has been coloring the sky the most beautiful shades of blue and orange.  As I was driving home from an event last week the sun was just setting and caught me off guard as it hovered just above the highway.  I should have pulled over to take a picture, but I didn't really feel like risking my life so I took a mental picture instead (kind of like Pam and Jim did on their wedding day -- this probably only applies to The Office fans).

The sunrises and sunsets serve as God's reminder to me that each day is a new day with new opportunities.  In the midst of crummy days, I should be thankful that I was allowed to usher in a new day.  As the lyrics of "Sunrise Sunset" state, time flies by quickly and soon we'll look back and wonder why we didn't stop to take it all in.

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers

Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears

Happy Tuesday!  Enjoy the beauty of your day today :)

 



I hope you had the time of your life

{A handful of classmates at our 10 year reunion...the boys weren't so much into taking pictures!}

I spent this past weekend catching up with my high school classmates at our ten year reunion!  I honestly can't believe it has been ten years since we graduated, but at the same time it really does seem like it was just yesterday we were walking the halls of Pratt High School. 

I had to really talk myself into going to our reunion.  With the invention of Facebook, most of us keep up with each other on a pretty consistent basis anyway and I also keep in personal touch with a handful of people who I was closest to.  However, it was great to get together in person and catch up.  So much has changed for everyone (jobs, becoming parents, etc.), but so much is the same.  

My mom is currently on a mini-vacation with some of her high school friends and she was telling me how they can go years without seeing each other and still get together and have a good time as if no time has passed.  She attributes this to the deepness of her friendship with her high school friends.  And she's right.  Friends from home know your family, have known you since you were a little child, have seen you through many years of changes, and you all share a place called "home". 

All in all, I'm so glad I attended the reunion.  We had a great time playing a high school trivia game, reminiscing over old pictures, telling stories to our spouses, and laughing just like old times!  And yes, Brandon did hear a few stories and saw a few pictues that gave him a chuckle!
 

 

Hiatus

Obviously I have taken a bit of a hiatus this week. Life is busy and I have a lot of balls in the air, but I will be back next week refreshed and ready to roll!

Getting Closer

Earlier this week, I mentioned how much I miss working in the flower shop and yesterday, I found out I could be one step closer to filling that void!  No, I'm not quitting my job.  A few months ago I read this article in our local newspaper and today I finally stopped by the store and got a little more information. 

For those who don't want to read the article, Roots and Bloom is a floral wholesaler who just opened up to the public.  They offer wholesale prices to anyone, not just flower shops and designers, on flowers, supplies, and containers.  They also sell green plants.  They work directly with the growers so they are able to get any flower with at least two weeks notice.  Pretty awesome huh?

It gets better, though.  They have opened up space in their building for freelance designers to come in and work at NO CHARGE!  And, as long as the designer purchases their flowers from Roots and Bloom, they can store their arrangements for free.  The stations include floral knives and shears and then all the designer has to pay for is the supplies that are used and the flowers.  The staff is also willing to help arrange if the designer needs extra hands.  This would have been so nice to have when I did my friend's wedding a few years ago or when I worked on some arrangements for a destination wedding reception last summer.

However, I left my little tour feeling pretty excited about the possibility of getting back into the floral world in some form.  So, I started making a mental list of things I could do "on the side":

• Party/Shower Arrangements - birthday, anniversary, baby, wedding
• Small Weddings
• Church Events
• Holiday/Seasonal Arrangements
• Dinner Party Centerpieces

Of course, I still need to figure out how to spread the word and how to charge for my time, but those are just "minor details"!

Tuesday Brain Dump

• Lately, I've really been missing the flower shop world.  I follow a local flower shop on Twitter and they are always posting pictures of such fun creations and it makes me miss playing with all of the beautiful flowers.
• I made this recipe last night and it was an epic FAIL!  I will be removing it from my Pinterst board soon.
• My mom and I are taking a mother-daughter trip in October and I got my vacation days approved today.  Looking forward to a fun girls-only weekend in one of my favorite parts of the country - North Carolina!
• I'm becoming more and more thankful for KKG everyday.  Last night at Bunco, we had a substitute player who was a friend of one of my friends and I knew she looked familiar and then we realized we were in the house at the same time.  Crazy how small the world is and how many connections I have made through the sorority.  Even though I got annoyed with sorority life at one point, it really was an awesome place to meet people and anytime I run into another KKG we are always able to strike up conversations.  
• Speaking of running into people from my past, my 10 year high school reunion is coming up in a few weeks.  It will be interesting to reconnect with my classmates.  I wonder if we'll talk about life now or life then...  My guess is the latter!
• I'm so tired of Summer and so ready for Fall.  I'm tired of the weather and I'm tired of my summer wardrobe.  I'm ready to make Fall food and I'm ready for football.  I'm also ready for the Fall TV lineup.
• I had a coupon for Aveeno body wash so I decided to try it out and I must admit, I don't really like it.   The spout gets clogged up and it doesn't get very frothy.
• Just when we got rid of our Netflix subscription, a bunch of movies come out that I want to watch.  I guess I will wait until they are available on On-Demand.

That is all for now.  Have a lovely day!

On My Heart

A lot of times I end up blogging about the frivolous things in life because I typically view my blog as a light hearted space to share ideas or my latest and greatest recipe.  However, my blog is also a place to journal about our journey through life.  And one important part of the journey, is our (Brandon and myself) relationship with Christ.  I know I've mentioned our small group here and there, and I've probably mentioned a sermon or two that has stuck out to me, but what I have not mentioned, at least in detail, is our personal relationship with Him.

Personal relationships vary so much from person to person, but when it all gets boiled down, it is simply a loving relationship that far exceeds any earthly relationship.  Sometimes it is hard to fathom how much Christ loves us, despite our faults and our mistakes, but that is the beauty of a realtionship with Him.  Christ is willing to look past all of that as long as we are committed to obeying Him and honoring Him. 


With that said, one way I stay connected is through Bible verses.  It is amazing how I can read a verse multiple times and each time I take away something different.  I know a lot of that is determined by what is going on my life at the moment and what applies to that circumstance.  So today, I wanted to share a few verses that have stuck out to me lately:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (My life verse)

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promisted to those who love him.  James 1:12

Sometimes, life is difficult and it is easy to forget just how much God loves and cares for us.  Today, I encourage you to rest in the fact that His love is everlasting and will never leave us! 


**Editors Note**  This post is not meant to drag anyone down, but to lift your spirits!! 



Impromptu BBQ?

We had plans to go out to dinner with a couple of friends on Saturday night, but after some consideration decided to host these friends, plus a couple of others, for an impromptu bbq.  It was a nice evening and we felt like we could hang out a little easier at our house than if we went to a restaurant.  Plus, I love hosting people in our home!

Since I had not planned to make anything, I had to turn to my kitchen cabinets for a little inspiration.  I knew two things: we had the meat covered (our freezer is always stocked with meat) and I didn't want to actually "cook" anything because the oven heats up the house.  After a little bit of digging, I realized I had most of the ingredients for a cold spaghetti salad and corn dip, a famous bbq staple.  I also knew I wanted to make this sangria that I found on Pinterest, so I did have to go to the store for a couple of items.  And in full disclosure, I ended up leaving one of my grocery bags at the store...oops!  Thankfully, Brandon was sweet enough to go fetch it for me after I realized it didn't make it in the car.

One thing I try to keep in mind when hosting is to not fret about what to make.  In this situation I just fell back on tried and true recipes that didn't take a lot of time to prepare.  I think sometimes it is easy to stay away from hosting because of all the work that it can require, but it is important to keep in mind that you don't have to make a big fuss to host a fun and enjoyable party!  Oh yeah, I used paper plates and plastic utensils, as well.

Here are the two recipes that I whipped up:

Cold Spaghetti Salad

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
1 carton cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cucumber, diced
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
Italian dressing (I used the dry dressing mix and made my own)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Break spaghetti into thirds and cook according to package directions.  While spaghetti is cooking, chop your vegetables and mix up your dressing.  Drain the cooked spaghetti and rinse with cold water.  Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in a large bowl and toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until serving.  Just before serving, top with grated Parmesan cheese. 

Spicy Corn Dip

1/2 c. sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 c. mayo (I used fat free)
1 11oz. can Mexicorn, drained
1 11 oz. can yellow corn, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Serve with Fritos or corn tortilla chips.

A Good Day

Who knew what a nice rain shower and a break in the 100 degree temperatures could do for my attitude.  This morning, we woke up to a gentle rain shower coupled with large claps of thunder and it was like music to our ears.  The gentle rain quickly turned into big rain drops and by the time I left for work, it was coming down in sheets.  And I couldn't have been happier!

The cool temperatures that lingered around for the day were a reminder that Fall, my favorite season of all, is on its way.  The clearing skies and slight crispness in the air added a little pep in my step as I was reminded why I'm thankful I live in Kansas...the promise of changing seasons!

Another bonus for the day was that today was National S'mores Day and as promised, we did take the opportunity to celebrate.  Brandon humored me as he fought to get the fire started.  I don't think he was quite as excited about this holiday as I was.  Thankfully, he's a good sport and we enjoyed our gooey, melty treats!

Today was definitely a good day.  I find we often get caught up in the stresses of life and forget to celebrate the small things, no matter how trivial they may seem.  I encourage you to celebrate something small this week!