Ode to My Parents

Today is my parent's anniversary. I believe they have been married for 36 or 37 years. In those 36 or 37 years, they have had three children, six dogs, nine horses, a handful of cats, three granddogs, three granddaughters, three college tuition payments, three weddings, a few wrecked vehicles, a lot of late nights, a lot of teary phone calls and so much more. It is truly unfathomable for me to imagine all they have been through together.

However, what shocks me the most is the fact that after 35+ years, they still maintain a strong, Godly marriage. In this day and age when marriages don't seem like they last forever, I feel very fortunate to have two parents who are so committed to one another and to their family. Of course, they have seen their fair share of bumps in the road, but they have worked through those times and made themselves better in the end.

As Brandon and I are heading into our fourth year of marriage, I'm thankful for the example my parents have set for me and the lessons they have taught me about loving unconditionally, putting God first in our marriage, seeing each other through thick and thin and being able to laugh at yourself and not take some things too seriously.

I don't think either of my parents read my blog too often, but just in case they do (and I don't know it), I want to wish them a very Happy Anniversary!! I love you both very much!!

P.S. I really wanted to post a couple of pictures of my parents together, but for some reason, I couldn't find ANY!! So Mom and Dad, the next time we're together, we need to snap a few pictures of you two :)

Insomnia

Last night, I went to bed around my usual time, but I wasn't all that tired. Then, around 2:30 am, I woke up and felt wide awake! I tried counting backwards from 100, twice. I tried saying the ABCs backwards, several times. Then, I started thinking about work things that were really not a big deal, but at 2:30 am seemed like huge issues. After I talked myself down from that, I started singing stupid songs. This whole deal lasted at least an hour maybe more. Finally, I got up and went to the kitchen to get a drink and went back to bed and eventually fell back asleep. Needless to say, I was awfully sleepy today, but I had a lot to do, so my day went by pretty fast.

So, in an effort to not go to bed tonight wide awake, I'm blogging. But, because I don't have too much going on right now, I'll just post some random thoughts:

* I started making my Christmas list this week. It seems the older I get, the less I have to put on my list, but what does make my list is never cheap! Some of the items on this years list are: Money towards lamps and tables for the living room, a new casual winter coat, a large beverage dispenser and pajamas.
* We've been having a really good time at small group lately. I'm really glad to have these friends in my life.
* I can't believe it is almost NOVEMBER!! This year has just flown by. I remember when we were planning our NYC trip, it seemed so far away and now it seems like we were there such a long time ago.
* I've learned that I can't make no-bake desserts to save my life! I've never been able to make no-bake cookies, much to Brandon's dismay and this week, I tried a peanut butter coated snack mix that turned out more like powdered sugar covered cereal.
* Our dog is getting quirkier and quirkier the older he gets. Just tonight, we decided to leave him out of the bedroom during small group and he was fine for the most part. But then he decided to take his rope and toss it in the air right in front of the tv (we are doing a dvd lead study). Then, he started rolling on his back and chewing on his rope at the same time. He has also decided he hates the toaster! Every time we get it out, we find him shaking under the kitchen table.
* I'm so happy that The Office is back to it's old ways. I was beginning to wonder about the story line, but this year we have been very pleased! Yay for Jim and Pam!
* With all of the sad news that we keep hearing, I've been trying very hard to not take anything for granted and appreciate everything! You just never know what the next day could bring.
* The cardigan post last week was dedicated to my loving husband. I have been very attracted to cardigans this season because I love the layered look and I just think they are fun, but he has distinctly different views. He even had the audacity to compare me to Angela from The Office!! Thank you to all of you who chimed in on the issue. You helped me in my defense :)

Okay, I think that is all for now. I am getting a little bit sleepy. Let's hope I don't wake up tonight singing the new Black Eyed Peas song...

Not Yet Complete, But Almost

Remember when I posted about our living room painting project over Memorial Weekend? Well, I realized a while ago that I had never posted the (almost) finished product! So today I snapped a few pics:

Here is the loveseat with the new pillows

And a closer view of the pillows

Honestly, I don't think I would have put these fabrics together if I would have just pulled them from the books, but I had a lovely (and free!) consultant who helped me pull everything together!

Here is a picture of the chair, which might be my favorite part of the room!

We still need to get some sort of funky ottoman so we can prop our feet up, but I haven't found the perfect one yet.

We also got a really fun rug to pull the entire room together. The rug came from a company that allows you to pick the design and colors (kind of like paint by number), so we were able to get the perfect colors to coordinate with the rest of the room.

Slowly but sure, I've been able to accessorize the room. I got these purple vases for a steal at Z Gallerie.

I just love the way they look on the buffet!

My mom and dad bought me these lovely little vases for my birthday

As you can see, we DESPERATELY need a large painting or picture over our fireplace. I would love to have something custom painted because I haven't found anything that I love that would go with the room, but I think it would cost us an arm and a leg. Anyone know of a really great painter who would like a small project for not a lot of money?

Finally, we hung some curtains in the dining area of our kitchen. Our upstairs is pretty open, so we carried the paint scheme through to the kitchen. I was a little nervous to add such a large splash of purple, but I think the curtains turned out really nice!

Now the only items we have left to buy are a coffee table and end table and a few lamps and of course, the artwork. At the moment, the lighting in our living room is terrible, so I'm looking for some neat floor lamps and a table lamp. I also need one more window treatment one the window above the sink, but I just haven't found anything that I love.

So, there is the sneak peek at our living room. Hopefully, by the end of the year or early next year, I will have all of the other pieces and it will FINALLY be done!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Well, another weekend has just flown by here at the Brungardt household. Before I go into the specifics, I just have to show you this:

Yes, that is right - the Cats "PUMMELED" the Aggies last night! We were fortunate enough to be at the game and it was so fun! To be honest, after last week, we were not terribly hopeful, so this game came as quite a surprise! Go Cats!

Okay, so on with the weekend:

Friday was a pretty low-key night; I'm not sure we even ate dinner. We caught up on our Thursday night TV that we missed (I had a jewelry party) and I fell asleep half-way through Private Practice.

Saturday morning was also pretty-low key. We ran a couple of errands before heading to Manhattan for the game. I just have to say, I LOVE Manhattan in the fall and I LOVE Manhattan on game day! The area is so pretty with all of the trees turning colors and the town is just a buzz on game day.

We got to the stadium early and tailgated with some friends before the game. Brandon and I were introduced to a new game, Stump. Basically, you take a tree stump, a hammer and some nails and you take turns trying to hit the other players nails into the stump. The person who's nail is still not hammered into the stump by the end of the game is the winner. I will go ahead and gloat as I won a few rounds! The game didn't start until 6:00, so we got home pretty late last night.

Today was filled with a lot of errands - a grocery store run, got the car serviced, bought Brandon some new jeans. And now, we're watching "The Proposal" - a perfect ending to the weekend!

Taking a Poll

I know I haven't posted in a couple of days, but before I do, I need to take a poll. I'm not sure how many guys read this blog vs. girls, but the poll is for everyone (and the answers will be important)!

Okay, so here is the question:

What do you think of this fall's cardigan fashion trend for girls?

Just leave me a comment with your thoughts and then in the next few days, I will share with you a great cardigan debate!

So Long, Farewell

Well, I've decided that its time for my Domestic Haven blog to go. It is just too hard to keep up two blogs at this point in time. So, from now on, if I have new recipes to share (as I do today), I will just post them here. Domestic Haven was a good thought in theory, but I just didn't have the time to maintain it correctly.

I have two recipes to post today! One comes from my friend Tracie who shares my love for So Long Saloon (a restaurant in Manhattan) and The Bird sandwich that is on their menu. She decided that she would try to recreate the sandwich and in my opinion, she hit a home run with this one!

The Bird
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1/4 c. lime juice
2 T. canola oil
1 T. white vinegar
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1-2 jalepenos, sliced
Bacon - enough for each sandwich
Guacamole (we made our own using the McCormicks mix that you find in the produce section and added tomatoes, cilantro and red onion)
Pepper Jack cheese slices
Lettuce, tomato, onion (optional)

Homestyle white bread

Mix together the lime juice, oil, vinegar, cumin, salt and jalepenos. Add chicken and marinate for an hour or so. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a hot grill and cook through. Meanwhile, make the guacamole and cook the bacon. When the chicken is finished grilling, let it stand while the bread toasts. To assemble, place one slice of the bread on the plate, add the guacamole, chicken, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion (if using)and top with the other piece of bread.

I served this with baked sweet potato fries and a fruit salad.

The next recipe I have, I received from a coworker and boy am I glad she passed it on! This is the PERFECT recipe for a cool fall morning or a holiday breakfast.

Pumpkin-Ginger Pancakes
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
2 T. butter, melted
maple syrup

In a large bowl, stir together, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, mix egg, milk, pumpkin, yogurt and butter until well blended. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened.

Place non-stick grilled or a 12-inch frying pan over medium heat (350 degrees); when hot, coat lightly with butter and adjust heat to maintain temperature (I used non-stick cooking spray on my griddle). Spoon batter in 1/3 cup portions onto griddle and gently spread into 4-inch rounds. Cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, 2 to 3 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown on other sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. As pancakes are cooked, transfer to baking sheets and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Side note: My pancakes seemed to take longer than the 2 to 3 minutes as the recipe states.

You should make these pancakes, soon! I promise you will love them!

Tis the Season...

...I wish I was talking about Christmas, but that would be crazy since it is only October 6th!

This season that I speak of is the my season of life. As many of you know, seasons come and go. Some are short, while others seem to drag on and on, yet they all hold a special meaning or a grand learning experience or maybe even a regret. Lately, I've been in a really strange season of life. There are a lot of situations that are contributing to this season right now (work, church, friend/family relationships, sicknesses (not us), etc.) and it all just seems so overwhelming. Sometimes, I really just want to hit the "pause" button in order to catch my breath for a minute, but I have to keep reminding myself that "this too shall pass" and I will look back and realize that there was a lesson to be learned here. Maybe that lesson will be about patience or maybe it will be something about priorities or empathy or faith and trust. Whatever the lesson, I know I will be grateful.

A common theme that has been coming up in all of these situations (and conversations) is that God works in funny ways and the He really does have a plan for our lives. I think the most enjoyable part of starting a new season of life is looking back on the previous season and being able to see how the plan unfolded. So, I will be patient, continue the pep talks (such as this post) and continue to chug along until the next season comes along.

In other more traditional "seasonal" topics, I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins last night! I tried to lighten up the recipe by using applesauce instead of oil and they turned out okay; they still taste great, but the texture is a little funny. Next time, I think I might do half and half (oil and applesauce that is, not the cream mixture). I also found a recipe for pumpkin pancakes that I plan to try this weekend. And, I met a couple of friends for lunch yesterday and the cafe we were eating at was serving pumpkin cheesecake gelato!!! YUM!! Have I mentioned that Fall is my absolute favorite time of year?!?!

Weekend Wrap Up

We had a great three day weekend, but like always, it went by too fast!

On Friday, Brandon played in the KLA golf tournament with my dad, brother and brother-in-law in Manhattan. Last year, they won the entire tournament, but this year they had to battle the strong winds and ended up winning their flight. While the boys played golf, I drove up to KC to hang out with my sister and her girls. E and I played and then I put her down for her nap, while Tara put I down for her nap. After the girls got up, E and I made cupcakes! Boy was that an experience! I let her crack the eggs, use the mixer and help me scoop the batter into the muffin tins. Once they had baked, I let her frost the cupcakes and then she put the "sprinklers" on (her word for sprinkles). We had a great time and she couldn't wait to tell her dad and Uncle B about the cupcakes when they got home from golfing. We have pictures of our baking day, but they are on Tara's camera so I'll have to wait to post them.

On Saturday, we got up and made breakfast and played for a while before Brandon and I had to leave to meet Todd and Natalie for the KSU game at Arrowhead Stadium. Little L was staying with her grandma and grandpa and they were even brave enough to keep Koby too! It sounds like L was having so much fun with the dogs, that she forgot to take a nap! We all had a great time at the game, and KSU even pulled out a win!!! We were a little bit cold at first, but the sun came out during the second half and we almost got hot. After the game, we took it easy and ordered pizza and watched the other football games that were on TV. L and I played the mermaid game that Brandon and I got her for her birthday and then she spent the rest of the evening chasing Koby until it was time for her to go to bed.

Then, we got up this morning and headed to Panera for breakfast and then Brandon and I came home. We had a lot to get done before the week started. We needed to run to the garden center to take advantage of a discount that expired today. We needed to find a bush to replace one we lost this summer. We also needed to get some fertilizer for the yard. Once we got home, Brandon started the yard work and I finished our weekly menu and grocery list and headed to the store. After I got the groceries put away, I picked up the house, cleaned the kitchen and mopped the floors. I also tried a new recipe for dinner, compliments of my friend Tracie and it was delicious!!

Now, it is that time where I wish we had just one more day in the weekend, but alas, tomorrow is Monday and that means back to the daily grind...

Finally, NYC Day 4

Sadly, Day 4 was our last day in NYC. It was still a little "drippy" and damp, but we were going to make the most of it!

We started out our day by making our way to the Upper West Side for breakfast at Good Enough To Eat. I am not sure where I heard about this place (probably on the Food Network), but I do remember reading that there was typically a line to get in and sure enough, once we rounded the corner we knew we were in the right place because of the line. This place was awesome! If you look at their menu, you can tell that we had a lot to choose from. Brandon ended up with the biscuits and gravy and I had french toast. Both were delicious!

After breakfast, we headed to Central Park, which was just a short walk away. On the way to the park, we were able to walk through the quiet streets of the Upper West Side and let's just say, I would love to live there!! So quiet and neighborly (is that even a word?). I loved the little specialty markets, the cute stoops and the tree-lined streets.

Once we got to Central Park, we had a bit of a disagreement about where we were supposed to go to rent bicycles. According to the map, we were to follow 81st Street to the rental shop, but 81st Street essentially went UNDER the park. I suggested that we follow the rest of the people and walk THROUGH the park, but my other half was certain we were to follow 81st, so being the submissive wife that I am, I followed along.

And, as you can see, we were the only ones on that street...

Once we finally made our way to the bike rental shop, we hopped on our cute little cruisers and made our way towards the Belvedere Castle. When we rented the bikes, we didn't realize that we could only ride them on the main paths around the park and not the interior paths, so we ended up walking the bikes more than riding, but at least we got around the park more quickly.

Please excuse my hair, as I mentioned it was pretty damp and well, my hair doesn't do so good in damp weather.

The Belvedere Castle was a really neat place that provided great views of the city! This was also the spot where the "Photo Shoot" scene from "Step Mom" (with Julia Roberts) was filmed.

After the castle, we made our way to the Great Lawn.

On a normal, non-drippy day, the Great Lawn is filled with people playing frisbee, laying out, watching little league games and much more. Our original plan was to pack a picnic lunch and spend time relaxing on the lawn, however, on this day, the lawn was off limits. It is also the site for many concerts and was even the location of the Hooverville during the Great Depression.

Beyond the Great Lawn, was The Reservoir. Apparently, Madonna (and her body guards) has been spotted running on the path around the reservoir, however, we were not lucky enough to see her. Again, we caught another great view of the city overlooking the water. Beautiful!!

After we left the reservoir, we were pretty much over the bike riding. As I mentioned above, we ended up walking the bikes more than we rode them, so we took them back and walked the rest of the way.

After we dropped the bikes off, we stumbled upon the Bethesda Terrace. According to the park guide, this is one of the most photographed places in the park. And yes, if you look closely, that is a wedding taking place in front of the fountain!

After we left the Bethesda Terrace, we sort of got lost and walked in a few circles. We had wanted to visit Strawberry Fields and Wollman Rink, but we couldn't find them.

We did happen upon the cute little Conservatory Water where people often sail radio powered sail boats.

We also walked past Central Park Zoo and caught a glimpse of the otters swimming and playing around.

As we were heading back towards Central Park South, to get on the subway, we passed Kevin Garnett, a Boston Celtics basketball player, out on a walk with his family. I tried to get Brandon to take a picture, but he didn't want to be "one of those people". I was hoping we would see more celebrities in the park, but I'm sure they had much more to do than walk around the park on a dreary day!

Once we left Central Park, we took the subway to Greenwich Village. This was one of the stops that I was most excited about. First of all, my celebrity chef idol, Rachael Ray lives in the Village (okay, idol might be going a little far, but I do like her and I was hoping to run into her while we were there...). Secondly, I knew that the Village would be a little more quaint and not so "uptown", with more unique shops and restaurants. Our first stop in the Village was Two Boots for a slice of pizza! We were so hungry, we forgot to take a picture of the restaurant. After lunch, we decided to just walk around and browse the shops.

One of the first shops we went into was Mxyplyzyk, a recommendation of none other than Rachael Ray! Before she had her own line of kitchenware, she used a lot of serving pieces from this store. It was a fun little place that carried a wide variety of items. I picked up a set of nesting mixing bowls and fun lunch bag.

I just love the character of Greenwich Village! The brownstones reminded me of the Cosby's house and I just loved the tree-lined streets and little parks!

We also made a stop at Magnolia Bakery, made famous by the girls of "Sex and the City"!

The shop is not very big, but boy was it packed with people! There was literally no room to move inside. While I was in there, I saw the blond haired guy from the "Goodwill Hunting" bar scene! He didn't have the long hair and I probably wouldn't have recognized him, had the guy in front of me in line not said something.

After about 20 minutes of waiting in line, I finally made it out with the goods!

We parked ourselves on a bench in a nearby park and indulged in our treats and did some people watching. As some might be aware of, the Village is also a hot spot for those living the "alternative lifestyle", so if you can imagine, we were thoroughly entertained!

Our final stop in the Village was Washington Square Park that sits just on the edge of NYU. We recently watched the movie "August Rush" and several of the scenes from that movie were filmed in the park.

By this time, the rain had started to fall a little harder and my feet were very tired, so we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We went to a casual sports bar, Public House. I'll admit, this wasn't the best restaurant choice because it was the watch spot for the Notre Dame Club of NYC, and we happened to get there right after the game that night, so the service was a little slow. However, we were able to catch a few football games and relax after our busy day.

Day 4 ended up being my favorite day, despite the weather! We were able to experience New York in a way I had never experienced it before and we were able to really just enjoy the day as if we were locals (or as local as we could be). In the past, I had taken a carriage ride through Central Park, but never did much exploring and I had never been to the Village. Next time we visit, I definitely want to spend more time in both of these places, along with Chelsea and SoHo (we didn't even make it down there).

NYC is by far one of my favorite places to visit and each time I go, I leave wanting to go back! I'm so glad we were able to get away and experience this city together! It was one of the best trips ever!!

NYC Day 4 Is Coming...

...But not today! We had a pretty busy weekend, I had my first ever Bunco group last night, and tonight is small group so I hope to get our last day in NYC posted tomorrow.

But, over the weekend, my friend Emily and I went to the KSU football game and I got to hang out with part of my family and one of the cutest cheerleaders around!

After the game, we went out to eat at Doe's and of course, we had to take a picture with the huge cow outside!

Interesting how two of my last few posts include pictures of me and a bovine creature! Have I ever told the story about my experience at the county fair when I was three??? Maybe I will share sometime - it might explain a lot about me!

NYC Day 3

Well, I must admit, Day 3 didn't go exactly as planned. We had planned to visit Chelsea Market and Greenwich Village on Friday, but Mother Nature had other plans for us.

When we woke up on Friday morning, Brandon left the hotel to fetch me some bandaids for my blisters and grab a quick breakfast consisting of Dunkin Donuts and Tropicana oj. It was a bit dreary and damp, but we had high hopes that it would clear off. As we left the hotel to make our way to Chelsea, the rain was just coming down like nobody's business. All of the natives had their cute little rain boots and rain jackets. Well, these tourists at least had rain jackets, but our feet were getting SOAKED!!

Once we arrived in Chelsea, we got off the subway and made our way to Chelsea Market, home of Food Network!!

I was hoping there was some sort of secret tour that only Food Network fanatics could participate in, but sadly, there was not. So my next hope was that we would run into Bobby Flay or Rachael Ray, but sadly, we didn't. Then, I was hoping there was a cool Food Network store, and yep you guessed it, there wasn't. However, we did see Miriam Garron one of Bobby Flay's sous chefs on Throwdown. We followed her through the market and down a hall, until she got on an elevator near a teeny tiny Food Network sign. Brandon told me we should keep walking like we knew what we were doing and get on the elevator, but I chickened out. So, we turned around and decided to browse the market.

If I lived in NYC, this would be an awesome place to grocery shop. They had a fresh seafood market, a fresh produce market, a cool kitchen supply shop, a bakery or two and a few little cafes. Since it was still pouring outside, we decided to eat lunch at one of the cafes and then we picked up a couple of brownies from Fat Witch Bakery. I thought they brownies were great because they were dense and moist and not overly sweet, but Brandon thought they were "just okay". We did pick up a Blonde Witch mix that I hope to make soon!

After we left Chelsea Market, we decided we would try to make it to Greenwich Village, but once we got off the subway and our umbrella flipped inside out and it was still raining, we pretty much decided to get right back on the subway and head back to the hotel. Once we got to the hotel, we changed clothes and asked our concierge for suggestions on indoor activities. Since our spirits were a little down, we decided to go with the cheapest option that still sounded pretty interesting - The Museum of Natural History and the Rose Center for Earth and Science. Keeping up with my "scenes from a movie theme", "Night at the Museum" was filmed at the museum and a recent episode of "Ugly Betty" was filmed at the planetarium.

Our favorite part of the museum was the dinosaur wing:

Don't mind my hair, which was pulled up in a hat. The rain doesn't do much for my hair.

We browsed around the rest of the museum, but really, weren't very interested. After we had enough of the meteors, Native Americans, American birds and the African animal exhibits, we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner at Dos Caminos. We had a great dinner and I had a wonderful mojito. After dinner, it had naturally quite raining, so we decided to go down to Times Square to take some photos.

As we made our way back to the hotel, we walked around Rockefeller Center. Brandon got a great photo of the the Top of the Rock with the fog rolling in!

Here is a shot of the fountain at Rockefeller Center.

All in all, the day ended up being fun, but the rain was the pits!!