Love, Learning and Flip Flops

Tuscaloosa, Al...

2011-04-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Apartment Complex

I am sure by now everyone has seen the devastating pictures of the carnage in Tuscaloosa from the tornado that hit Wednesday. A number of students have lost their lives. There are local relief efforts taking place here in the Jackson, MS area. Diapers, formula, shoes, toiletry items are being trucked to Alabama. I have been spreading the word here but wanted to extend to opportunity to all those in the blogging world.

Elementary School

I have a personal connection with this town. I went the the University of Alabama and it is a place that develops deep roots and takes hold of your heart and never lets go. I would love to do something else, but I am afraid I do not have enough followers or readers to even warrant a request of action to help those affected. If you have any desire to help, sending donation items or money or getting some quilts together, I am ready to do my part. Please let me know so that I may contribute even if in just some small way!
Roll Tide Roll.

Sewing Machine Woes

2011-03-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

My new sewing machine is acting up. It seems the thread coming from the bobbin is not clearing the bobbin case for some reason. About every third stitch it gets caught and stuck with the needled down. HELP!!!!

New Design

2011-03-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

I am going through some blog boredom lately. I had a background and cute fonts a while ago that I really loved. But one day, they were no longer there! I have no idea what happened. Ever since, I have been trying to figure out what to do. I had help the last time, but I would really like something simple, cute and easy this time around. So pardon the construction mess!
As for the quilt, it is still going, but school is crazy lately. Next week is spring break. I will be going to California for the week. So no quilt making over the break.

Just a Thought

2011-03-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny that we trust God with our soul, our eternal life. However, when it comes to simple worries, we think the problem is too great. Or it may just be that we don't really believe or trust that He will take care of the issues we have going on. It may be that he don't think He will do what we think is best for us, or handles things the way we want them to be handled. Isn't this ironic! I trust God to be the Saviour of my soul, my Redeemer and my Lord. But I must remind myself to trust Him to sell my house or car or even keep my family safe. Crazy.
Lord,
I trust you.
I know you value me and have a plan for me.
I know that your plan is what is best for me.
Thank you for giving grace and mercy to me, despite my many flaws.
I love you and I thank you for Your unending love.

What is this?!!!!

2011-02-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Look what I had waiting on me when I got home from school today!

I have the best husband in the world to send me these for my birthday!

Sneak Peek

2011-01-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak peek of what I am working on for Trae. I am so excited about it all. I am loving how all of the fabrics are coming together. Some of these I happened upon very randomly and unexpectedly and they are some of my favorites.

Here are other pictures from our drive to California this past time. All of these pictures are in Truckee. We love it there.

Bella loves the snow just as much as we do.

New Projects

2011-01-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

I have two new projects I will start on soon. The first is a baby blanket for dear friends of our in California. I will be doing a simple design so I have time to wait to find out the sex of the baby.
The second is one for Trae. I am really excited about it. I am not doing a single collection or even really trying to match colors. I am choosing fabrics that remind me of him and all of his passions. Since he might read this, I am not going to mention what the fabrics are or show pictures. I have ordered a few prints online and am just waiting for them to come in now. I am very excited about all of them and I am loving how they are turning out so far. I will show you this is pattern I will be using for Trae's quilt.
This is what I want the baby quilt to look like, although I can not find a tutorial anywhere, I will just go for it on my own.
Classes start back tomorrow. I am ready to get it going. The sooner it starts, the sooner it will get done.

Over the past few months, I have been cooking some great things also. Chocolate souffle with peanut butter pastry cream in the center, puff pastry ham and cheese, coconut cake, cream puffs, garlic cheese biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, and lots of good stuff.

It's a Handmade Holiday at my house!

2010-12-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

I made most of the gifts we are giving this year. I'm pretty happy with most of them. I just hope the recipients are just as excited to get something I made rather than something I bought.
For Trae's niece and nephew we may have gone overboard. We bought them both something and I made them both something special. For Trae's nephew, I made a pillowcase from a panel of Cars fabric.
I attached it to an extra pillowcase I had from a previous project. I found a checkered flag patterned fabric and made a border for the top of the pillowcase and then I quilted a few sections of the picture to make sure the 2 cases stayed together. I hope my favorite 2 year old boy loves it!

Side 1:

Side 2:

This is the only decent picture I got of the quilting:

For Trae's niece, I made her a tutu! I have been planning on doing this since her and her mom came to visit us this past summer. She is such a little girly drama queen and loves to play. I chose bright pink and purple tulle for the tutu and gathered it at the elastic waistband. It definitely does not look professional, but it is only for playing!! I also sewed a really pretty soft ribbon at the top to cover the sewing. I really like this and I hope she does too! I also hope her mom doesn't mind if I encourage the girlyness!

Yes, it stands up on its own!! I hope that is the sign of a good tutu!

Sorry for the fuzzy picture.

Porch dog?

2010-11-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Who knew?!

We have recently discovered, Bella wants the front door open, all the time. She likes to be able to go outside and come in whenever she pleases. She also likes to be inside with which ever human is here with her and look outside to enjoy this beautiful warm fall weather we are having. Normally, she just sleeps on the couch or bed all day. But she has decided she likes to be outside whenever she can. Its cute.

If I close the door, she wants to go in and out every 5 mintues. But, if I leave the door open, she is perfectly happy. I like a perfectly happy dog.

Back to Food

2010-10-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Since my quilt is done and I am getting more inspired to cook really good food, I will discuss my latest indulgent find at our local grocery store. Sometimes you buy the store brand item trying to save money and it just is not the same as the name brand item that you are craving. Then there are other times the store brand knocks it out of the park! This is one of those times.
Our local grocery store chain is Kroger. Out west, Smith's is the same company. I love Kroger. Good prices, good produce and meats.
We love ice cream. We love good ice cream with great mix ins too.
Kroger has recently started selling upscale ice cream from their own brand. Because Trae loves peanut butter almost as much as he loves me, I picked up the triple peanut butter flavor to try.

It is amazing. Peanut butter flavored ice cream would be really good. But they put large ribbons of peanut butter and huge chunks of peanut butter cups in it. Delicious! If you like peanut butter, get this.

Look at all of that delicious peanut butter goodness! I know I didn't make this concoction, but I'll take grocery store help any day to have deliciousness!

My mom got the New York Style Pumpkin Cheesecake flavor. It is equally legit and delicious in its own right! Get that one too.

Is that what I think it is?

2010-09-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is my finished quilt. After only 19 months of working on this thing it is now complete! I am so excited to be done working on it. It is not hanging over my head just waiting to be finished. The fabric is Heather Bailey's Pop Garden. The backing and binding is all Paisley blue from the Pop Garden line. Since I am without a big fancy quilting sewing machine and sending it to a long arm was entirely too expensive for my budget, I hand quilted in simple straight lines. I like the simplicity of the quilting and how it does not compete with the variety and business of the fabric.
I am really happy with the way it came out. I may not do another hand quilted one for a long time.

Please enjoy the pictures!! I worked so hard! Yay!

Masters Research Project

2010-08-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

Yes. I will be beginning my master's research project this semester and will be working on it until I graduate. Lots of work, but I have the opportunity to have our research published at the end of it all! That is actually pretty enticing to me. I am not sure what our specific topic and direction our project will go.

In other news, Trae and I will be starting P90X in the next few weeks. We are both extremely excited about that. Of course, that might dwindle after day 1. Trae wants to bulk up and I would love to loose a little softness. We have family that has had success with this particular program. I an interested to see if Trae and I can really do this program together. For this program, we have purchased 3 sets of dumbbells, and pull up bar, and push up handles. More to come on how this goes.

Summer

2010-07-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

I have two more weeks of school for the summer semester, followed by 1 week of break and then back to the grind for the fall semester. I have a few projects for the break. I am absolutely determined to finish my quilt over the break. My sister has commissioned my sewing skills for a large body pillow cover for her apartment at school. I am ready for a break. This semester has not been bad at all. It has been a nice change from hard core nose in the books to paper writing and research of journal articles.

Trae in Mississippi!

2010-07-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

He made it! He has a job now in Jackson. And he is registering for fall classes tomorrow at a local 4-year school! YAY to all of this! I can not tell you how amazing and complete I feel with him and Bella here with me.

Three weeks ago, we had professional portraits done for our 5th anniversary! I am so excited to see how they come out. It rained and we got in the lake, on purpose! Really really can not wait to see them!

Other than this great news, our life is great. We are being so patient on God. I don't think we have ever been this patient waiting for God's plan and direction for us to be revealed. I also think we are being blessed tremendously by it! There are a few things yet to be worked out, like a place to live, which is a major thing. Somehow, we are at peace and feel that we are where we are supposed to be and letting God lead.

School is good. I am so thankful for this semi-easy and non-stressful semester after the previous 2 crazy intense semesters I have had.

New Design

2010-06-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

After trying to fix my blog title font problems, I decided it was just to difficult to fix it. I tried this for several hours before giving up. Oh well. This is so much simpler and less fun, but oh well. I really liked the old design, but I guess this is a little more grown up.

Trae is in Jackson! YAY. He is applying and interviewing for jobs here in the area.

Our house went on the market this past week.

We are trying to decide if we can afford to get another place here and where that might be.

I am super stoked about all of these things that are happening.

Please being praying for a enjoyable well paying job and for the house to sell!

This house thing is really getting old...

2010-05-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

I mean it this time. It is not looking good for Trae to work in the southern area for his next contract, like we were hoping, expecting and needing. This is getting bad. I need to sell a house. NOW. And I need prayer. Someone in agreement with me about this house ordeal and just lifting me up to be strong so that we can both get through this period without going incredibly insane.

On another note, summer has not arrived in the California central valley, so the beautiful pool right outside my door eludes me. The sun shines, but the cool wind, not breeze, dares me to test it and try to enjoy the warm weather. I tried, I was brave. I failed and returned outside fully dressed determined to at least enjoy the brightness of the sun. I haven't been in the pool once.

I am still enjoying being with my husband here in California. I fly back Sunday to return to school. I am excited about getting to the summer in Mississippi so that I can start skiing! I am also terribly sad that I will not be bringing my love back with me. In the mean time, Bella and I are walking every day, and trying to enjoy ourselves.

Sunning and Resting

2010-05-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

I am in the middle of a three week break from school. I am loving it!! Back in California for the break.
I did great this past semester. Hopefully from here on out, my classes will be less studying and more projects.
Great news: Trae's last day in California is June 4! Woo hoo! That means he will be back in the south working from now on. I am so excited to live with my husband again on a regular basis.
This week, Trae and I went to Berkeley for a certification course for him. This was our first trip to Berkeley, and most likely our last. I must say, I was a little wierded out when we first got there. A totally different vibe in that city than I had ever experienced anywhere else. I like to think that I am a pretty well traveled girl for my age. I have been all over the south, up to the Northeast, Colombia, South America, and we have been in California for a while now. I have never felt more uneasy about my surroundings than I did when I was in Berkeley. I can't even say it was due to what I saw or what the people were like. The uneasy feeling simply came from the spirit of the place. The harbour was more my pace, so I spent most of my time there instead of in town or on campus. One incredible event I did take part in while in Berkeley simply made the trip worth it. I caught the mobile cupcake bakery!! I saw this big line of people waiting near a small truck. As I got closer, I realize this truck is selling gourmet cupcakes. Yes, I believe this truck was parked on the same street that I parked on was God's perfect plan for my day! Yummy!
I did get to see the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time while I was there. I saw it from the harbour. Overall, the trip to Berkeley was ok, I am sure Trae, and myself, prefer Tahoe for short trips here in California.
I have been taking advantage of the pool and sun while Trae has been working. Very relaxing with Pina Coladas! This is probably what my next two weeks will be like as well. I am very excited about this.
On that note, let me get back to my magazines, sunshine and cocktails!

Crawfish Boil Time!

2010-04-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful Saturday in Central Mississippi. I have been inside studying Neuroanatomy this morning. But now, I am headed to a Crawfish Boil!! Yay! In case some of you do not know what a crawfish boil is all about, I shall explain.

This is not just a meal experience, this is a social event. A very large pot of boiling water gets mixed with crab boil, a blend of spices and flavorings that makes shell fish delicious. To this pot, live crawfish, potatoes, corn on the cob, sausage, mushrooms, and pretty much any variety of food that sounds good. This all cooks down and is then strained and poured over many newspaper covered tables. Droves of people then stand around these tables and shells the crawfish tail to devour the tail meat. Scrumptious! Some, as crazy as it sounds, suck the head of the crawfish once the meat has been removed. Inside the head is a dense concentration of the spices of the crab boil. I can't really tell you what I love about a good crawfish boil. Whether it is the people you meet and get to know while standing and shelling crawfish, the actual food itself, being outside, the combination of all of these things makes for a fun time.

So I am off, to eat crawfish, have a beer, sit in the sun, and hangout with good friends! I hope you all have experienced this crazy thing and if not, take the next opportunity to do so!

By the way, Trae hates crawfish. So I will not subject him to this when he is here and makes me not feel guilty about going to one while he is not here!

Happy Easter

2010-04-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

I watched the Passion of the Christ today.

Humbling.

Overwhelming.

Undeserving.

Loved.

Inadequate.

Ahhhh! Spring Break!

2010-03-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

After 3 weeks of nose to the grind, unending studying of neuroanatomy, pediatric case studies, and 18 pages of task analysis, I finally have a break! But don't worry, I will have plenty of school work to keep me busy during my "break". I have 4 group projects to work on, a book report (I know, a book report in grad school, not quite what I expected), and an individual project to work on. Trae flies in on Wednesday. We will drive to North Carolina for his sister's wedding. I am very excited about seeing his family. It has been a long time since we have been up to the mountains.

Tomorrow, I will help clean house. Amazingly, I am almost looking forward to cleaning. I haven't been a part of the cleaning for a while. I have been a bad tenant. Looking forward for a short reprieve of tests. I think I will make chocolate waffles Sunday morning! Yummy, I can't wait.

No rest.

2010-03-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

I am so busy. It is crazy ridiculous. I did not do any school work 2 weeks ago while Trae was in town and I am making up for it now. Oh well! My spring break is next week also. But for me, it will not be much of a break, I will be getting caught back up and trying to get ahead for 4 projects due after spring break! I know, I am crazy!

The Best Husband. .

2010-02-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

I just have to brag about the amazing husband I have. Yesterday was his last day in his current assignment in California. Tomorrow he will be leaving CA headed for Telluride, CO for a 10 day ski trip that has been planned for a while. I am so excited he will be going somewhere new to ski and I hope it dumps buckets while he is there! From Telluride, he will drive here to be with me for about a week. I am so excited about seeing him, obviously!

Yesterday was my 26th birthday! I just have to show you what showed up at my door yesterday.

These came today. He didn't know why but they had to come separately!

I don't feel bad about eating 3 of them immediately upon opening the box!!! I am sorry I didn't get a picture of the full box though!! Oh well! I just couldn't wait!

He is the best. I can't wait to see him. I can't wait to hold him! He can make me feel like the most special person in the world and he doesn't even have to be in the same state as me! Amazing!

Happy Birthday Camille / My 100th Post!

2010-02-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

So this is my 100th post on this blog. In the beginning, 100 posts seemed so distant and unreachable. I guess I just didn't think I would have enough subject matter to write about for 100 posts. Now it seems that I just started it and I can recall all the posts I have written and what they are about.

Tomorrow, February 5th, is my baby sister's 20th birthday. My oh my! I remember asking for a younger sibling when I was about 4, assuring my parents that it did not matter to me if it was a boy or a girl. Well when I was six, I got Camille, my new baby sister. I think it was only a year or so after she was born that I informed my parents that I had made a mistake in requesting such a thing as a sibling and that she was ruining my life! I let her exist in my world growing up, but mainly, she got in my way and into all of my stuff. It wasn't until after I left home for college that I realized what a cool girl she is. Over the years we have spent more time together as we both have become adults. I have come to realize something over this time. I need her.

I need her to make sure I don't walk out of the house looking like a color-blind train wreck.

I need her accessories and shirts so that my mundane monotonous wardrobe has a little spice every now and then.

I need her to go with me to new places when I am afraid I am not socially apt to make it on my own in a new crowd.

I need her to help me make fun of our mom and dad when they say something hilarious.

I need to share all of our family inside jokes with her.

I need her to be with me when I am having a bad day without Trae, whether I need to talk or not.

I need her so that I can be cool by association.

I need her hugs.

I need her smile.

I need her laugh.

I need her humor.

I need her imagination and love of all things bright and colorful.

I need her to know that I am proud of her and that I love her more than she will ever know.

Happy Birthday Camille!

Long Distance Church

2010-01-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

I had the most amazing epiphany this morning at church. One of mine and Trae's most favorite things to do when we are together is going to church. Since we have been apart for some time, I can't even remember the last time we were at the same church for a service. This is terribly sad. The church that I am going to with my family in Mississippi is a very large church. It is very similar to the church Trae and I attend when we are together, but just not quite perfect. But for now, this church is feeding me and keeping me straight. By the time the sanctuary empties, the book store in the church already has the sermon on CD. Today I thought how nice it would be if I got the CD for Trae and sent it to him so that we could be hearing the same message and we could discuss it, just like we would if we were actually in the sanctuary at the same time. I am not sure what was keeping me from thinking of this before, it's not as if this is a complex solution. Oh well.

Dear MS Governor

2010-01-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

I normally do not post about political issues or happenings. But there is one particular issue which I have been specifically disgusted and impatient with for about as long as I can remember. Growing up, I lived and went to school about 10 minutes from the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. It is incredibly large with numerous buildings and the typical fences you would expect to find at a prison. The high school I went to was one of the smaller school systems in my district and there was no real town, therefore, no real city taxes dedicated to our small school. Our school was equipped with a full computer lab only in my sophomore year of high school. With the cinder block walls, cold temperatures were felt pretty quickly indoors. Of course there was always heat in the winter and a/c in the summer. Don't get me wrong. The obvious architectural and structural simplicities of my school had no effect on my academic success and I have no horror memories due to the building itself. Every time I would ride with my mom somewhere that required us to drive by the prison, I remember thinking that the prison looked much more kept up than my school. Sad.

I said all of that to tell you about what I read in our state newspaper this morning. We all know that many state governments are cutting budgets due to the economy. This morning in my state paper is an article about the most recent budget cuts our state governor has made. So far, the total cut tallies are as follows: K-12 Education- $195.3 M; Higher Education- $74.5 M; Department of Corrections- $26.6 M. So, total educations cuts come to $269.8 M. Total Dept. of Corrections cuts are $26.6 M. Does this strike anyone else as unbelievable, unacceptable, and just wrong? I do not know how much money is still in the budget for each department, however if cuts need to be taken, I find it ludicrous that education endures more cuts than our corrections department.

The article mentions that due to these cuts the governor is working with the department of corrections to prevent the prison system from having to release thousands of inmates. THOUSANDS!!! I'm sorry, was that a misprint? Release thousands of inmates, give our already struggling school system less money, and make it harder for young adults to go to college. This is a brilliant plan already (please note my heavy sarcasm).

Ever since I was that little girl wanting to tour the prison to see if it was nicer than my school, I have had the opinion that inmates should live in meager housing, grow their own food, and not get any real luxuries of the outside world that you and I enjoy. By luxuries, I mean they should not have access to television, magazines, gourmet meals, movies, plush beds, and cozy living conditions. Of course everyone should have access to clean, working toilet and shower facilities. However, working on a farm, with large amounts of manual labor full of tasks and goals is a much more appropriate and laborious than a day of watching TV, lifting weights, playing video games, playing games, or simply sitting in a cell. Perhaps if crops were grown on such a farm as this, they could be sold to the general public or soup kitchens or even given to the needy so that it benefits someone other than themselves and might even bring in a small profit. Wouldn't you feel that you had actually accomplished something with manual labor than just exercising and playing basketball all day? Would you think twice about committing a crime if you knew the punishment would be days on end of hard manual work outside with only the bare necessities? I just had to get that off my chest.

Traeisms

2010-01-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

These are some of my favorite Trae Bane quotes.

1. "She carries my heart in her carry-on houndstooth bag." - When I left this January to come back to Mississippi to start this semester of school.

2. "Miss you more than I want to ski." - Today he said this. He has a ski trip planned in a few weeks, after which he is coming here. This is big, he loves to ski! He hasn't been skiing too much this year.

3. "I love you more than bacon!" - This boy loves bacon!! He eats it just about everyday!

He doesn't have to tell me these things. I know that he loves me more than bacon, and that I have his heart, and that he would rather be with me than skiing. But the way he says it to me in such an original way makes me melt. It is more special than the first time he told me he loves me when one of his special and unique sentiments finds its way to me. I am not creative enough to come up with one of these clever sayings. Oh well, he knows I need and love him too much to say.

Neuro/Kines Semester Week 1

2010-01-16T15:35:00.000-08:00

This semester will be better than last semester, I hope. I am really praying that this semester is not any harder or time consuming than last semester. I think I will enjoy this one a little better. The 2 doozy classes are Neuroanatomy (anatomy of the brain and spinal cord) and kinesiology (study of body movement). Neuro will be the most difficult of the semester I think, but I am ready. I also have to read Charles Dickens' Great Expectations this semester! Not sure where I am going to fit that in! Trae has also enrolled in 12 hours of online classes! We will both be busy with classwork and reading this semester.

This week I have begun my serious getting in shape routine. Eating smaller portions, more often, less carbs, and more proteins with an exercise plan I found in the Women's Health Magazine. I am really feeling good and liking it so far. I am determined to stick with it all semester. I am in a wedding in March and Trae and I are having our first set of real professional pictures taken since our wedding taken in June. I am so very excited about the pictures. So these reasons are pushing me to stay committed to my get in shape kick!

Oh my...

2010-01-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

I am in Mississippi again. I start my spring semester tomorrow at OT school. I am looking forward to seeing my friends tomorrow, however, yesterday and today were a little tough. I flew out of Sacramento yesterday afternoon and arrived in Jackson at 10 pm. I quilted in first class on my first flight just to try to get my mind off leaving Trae. It only delayed the inevitable cry fest. That happened this morning at church!! Perfect! But if you can't cry at church where can you cry? I was thinking about why it was so hard to leave Trae and be without him. Other than the really simple explanation of being his wife and really really enjoying being with him. I was thinking about more specifically what makes me so sad. I am pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that we are soul mates. Because he is my match, my half, my partner, the person that completes my sentences, my thoughts and can anticipate my actions. We can look at each other from across the room in different conversations and I know what he is thinking and he can do the same. Why would my heart and soul not be sad not to be physically with him every day? I guess I just needed to air that out.

RTR!!!

2010-01-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

Today is the day Alabama plays for their 13th NCAA Football National Championship and I couldn't be more excited!!! I love this game and Bama! ESPN will be on all day in the background as I await Trae's arrival home from work and make delicious goodies to eat during the game. In honor of their achievements so far, I will let you all know the words to our fight song, they one that is played after every touchdown!

Yea Alabama!
Drown 'em Tide, every football fan's behind you, hit your stride.
Go teach the Bulldogs to behave.
Send the Yellow Jackets to a watery grave.
And if a man starts to weaken, that's a shame,
'Cause Bama's pluck and grit have writ her name in Crimson Flame.
Fight on, fight on, fight on men, remember the Rose Bowl, we'll win then. SO!
Roll on to victory hit your stride, you're Dixie's football pride Crimson Tide!
ROLL TIDE! ROLL TIDE!!

Trader Joe's, Oh How I Love Thee!

2010-01-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I enjoy most about coming to California is the abundance of Trader Joe's stores. There is one only about 15 miles from the town Trae is in. For my Mississippi friends who may not be familiar with Trader Joe's, because the closest one is in Atlanta, Trader Joe's is a wonderful place. It makes me smile just walking in the front door. It is a grocery store, basically, a lot like Whole Foods. But you will not find many items made by a popular or well known brand. Instead, they sell Trader Joe's brand of EVERYTHING! Meat, produce, bread, baking needs, frozen veggies, canned veggies, frozen pizzas, desserts, chips, cereal, cookies, dairy, spices, and just about every other item you could possible imagine, only there is one brand to choose from. But don't be alarmed that if you shop here, there is a limited variety, oh no! Trader Joe's brand is the most delicious brand I have tried in numerous food varieties. They have my favorite cereal, granola, cookies, bread, frozen veggies, frozen desserts, pita chips, spices, boxed macaroni and cheese, and wine.

Last time I went, I got a box of frozen chocolate croissants. I thought, these will be good for breakfast. The box instructs you to let proof and rise for 9 hours or overnight. I was a little disappointed that it would take that long, but the disappointment soon faded when I took a bite of that big beautiful croissant. It was delicious. It very well could have come from a pastry shop where they make croissants by hand everyday. You know how some frozen foods come out of the oven or pot and they just don't really taste fresh? They don't taste bad, they just don't taste fresh? Well this is not like that at all. These croissants were delicious!!! Fresh, buttery and flaky. The 9 hour wait is definitely worth it, and I would definitely serve them if I had company over. They were impressive.

Probably what I love most about Trader Joe's is that the prices are so reasonable, actually, cheap! Inside and outside the store are some clever and very cute hand written signs about specials and certain products. All the employees wear shirts that have some kind of Hawaiian design on them. They are always nice and helpful. I am trying to figure out how to get a bunch of my staples back to Mississippi when I leave California this time. My mom is also a Trader Joe fan. There are a few staples that she only likes from there. I definitely am going on Friday with my granola, pita chips, and some cookies on my list to make it back to Mississippi. I may have to buy an insulated bag so I can get my frozen croissants back home! I have written TJ's to inquire why there isn't one in MS yet. I have not gotten a response, but maybe one day there will be one in the Jackson area. I miss it when I am not here in California.

Mt. Shasta

2010-01-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

Trae and I have taken a road trip. We are in Northern California in a town called Yreka. I must comment that despite the surface friendly people we have encountered, there is something amiss here. We both just have a funny feeling about this town. Not sure what it is but oh well. The area is beautiful. It is just outside of a National Forest where Mt. Shasta is. It is a beautiful volcano covered in snow. Tomorrow we will leave here and head back down south via the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). We came to Yreka to check out a truck Trae is looking at purchasing. We figured it was a good excuse to see another part of the state we have not been to.

I have been a busy little bee trying to finish the quilting on my quilt while I have been here. Just last night I got done with one section and thought I only had one more section left to go and then I can start the binding! Well little did I know I have 4 more sections left! Hopefully I can get most of it done before I leave.

For all of the displaced Southerners out there. Polenta can be substituted for grits when necessary. Just add more liquid!! It won't be exactly the same, but it will do in a pinch!

California had a different plan...

2009-12-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought I would be posting everyday to my poorly mistreated blog while I was in California!! I remembered as soon as I stepped foot off the plane, my husbands little apartment is too far away from the router!! So we don't get internet in his house. Therefore I am in the landlady's house while my clothes are washing typing this post. Maybe I can get over here a few more times.
There has been a lot that has happened since I left Mississippi. I stayed with my grandmother in Reno my first few days out west. She had a few neck vertebra fused and was needing some TLC while her husband had to go out of town for a few days. Trae came up and we had a wonderful few days of resting. The three days before Christmas Eve, we spent in Tahoe!! It was great. We didn't ski, but we rested and cooked and played in the snow! Trae and I had a wonderful Christmas. We exchanged presents on Christmas Eve because he had to work Christmas Day. So it was just me and Bella on Christmas Day. My plan was to spend some time with him at the ER during the day, but the ER was pretty hopping so I couldn't stay. That day started his 5 days in a row stretch, which today is the last of. I am so glad he doesn't have to work for the next 8 days! I am not sure what we will do, but I don't really care either.
My Alabama Crimson Tide is playing in the National Championship game on January 7. I am soo incredibly excited! I have never seen them play for a championship. I have also found out that a guy in my OT class actually personally knows my favorite Bama player, Terrence Cody! I really want to meet him one day soon! As soon at it was official Bama was going to be playing in Pasadena for the Championship, I tried to find out how I could get to the game. I figured since I would already be in California, this would be fairly easy. I layed in bed one night trying to figure out logistics of this trip only to wake up tired and upset that I still wouldn't be able to go. Oh well. I will be able to watch it with my sweetheart and that is enough for me! Well that is all for now!! But I am so glad to be back online!!!

Wait, I have a blog?!

2009-12-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering if I had dropped off the face of the planet, have no fear, I was only in the last few weeks of the hardest semester I am supposed to have in grad school! That's all! I am now done with gross anatomy. I don't have to dissect and study a dead body any more. And I must say, as much of an incredible learning experience it was and how grateful I am to have had the opportunity, I am glad it is over. I have been following my favorite other blogs, but have not had the time, energy, or interesting material to post anything new on my own blog. I have really been enjoying Aunt Spicy's travel posts. I really really really want to go to the UK and her latest London post made me want to take a few weeks off school and just fly there the moment I saw her pictures.

I am so excited for the upcoming month off from school I have. I have a lot planned, like finishing the quilt I started for my birthday this PAST February! I know, please don't be too disappointed. I will be going to California for the month on Monday. I must see my Megan get married first!!!

So after I get to California, regular blog posts will resume. Please forgive my neglect but know I have been watching all of you, missing my daily fill of blog wonderfulness!

Such a blessing!

2009-10-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

Even though the only people who look at this blog are the people who I will describe in this post, I would still like to take this opportunity to share my appreciation and love for them (you).

First off is M.W. She is the only other married girl in our group. I love her so much. She is absolutely hilarious and full of life. I really don't know how I would make it without Trae if she was not with me. She has been in my shoes. Her husband was in the Army and served several tours in the Middle East right after they were first married. She knows exactly what I am going through and she knows how tough it is. She actually had it worse off than me. She could not talk to her husband everyday for as long as she wanted. Her time was very limited with crazy hours. She knows exactly what to say, when to hug me, and when to just let me cry a little on those days where Trae seems so far away. I am so grateful for her friendship and support.

Then comes M.S. She is getting married the day after our last day of the fall semester this year. Yes, she is crazy. She is also hilarious and random, which I love and appreciate. M.S. has such a gift for creative paper arts. She is also someone I have to keep an eye out on. M.S. seems to walk out in the middle of a busy street while she is texting or just talking to someone. I have had to pull her back onto the sidewalk numerous times when I thought the car coming did not see her. She also misplaces her phone every day. I kid you not, every day. I have to ask her when we move rooms if she has her phone with her. She misplaced her purse just last week! I love M.S. She is sweet, funny, and always up for an adventure, like going to the local department store and finding the tackiest prom dresses to try on in the dressing room. And yes, she always documents such occasions with pictures. I can not wait for her wedding in December. Just to give an idea of how incredible she is, she has asked the girls of our group to be honorary bridesmaids. When she was telling us what to wear for the wedding, she simply told us that she wanted us to wear nice black dresses, and that she wanted us to look HOT! What kind of bride openly tells her bridesmaids she wants them to be hot! Most brides want their attendants to look nice, but they want to be the best looking thing there. My M.S. will be smoking on the day of her wedding because she is a gorgeous gal already. I just think it is awesome she wants the rest of us good looking too! I love her.

Next is L.S. She is the newest part of our group and we are kicking ourselves for not grabbing her at the start of the summer semester. She is amazing. She is an Office fanatic, which has turned me onto The Office. After today, she is now another member of my fashion consultant team. L.S. is also hilarious, loves coffee, and is single. We will all be very picky, inquisitive, and protective of any suitor that shall try to woo our L.S. I love that L.S. refuses to lower her standards and knows what is acceptable behavior in a man. She neither takes excuses nor wastes her time on someone that doesn't deserve her. She is great and deserves someone that knows exactly how special she is.

When I started school I did not expect to really find girls that I would really get along with and become best friends with. I expected to just be social during class and not really socialize with many people outside of class. God has placed 3 incredible women around me who I see as lifelong friends. They are amazing girls that make school so much fun and life a joy. I am so blessed that I have found them and they see me as a girl cool enough to be a member of their group.

Thanks girls! I love ya! Sorry M.W., you didn't make this picture, you were taking it!! We need to get a good picture of all 4 of us!!!

Busy, busy, busy...

2009-09-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Just as I expected, this semester has been a very busy, learning intensive, and whirlwind of a semester. I am taking anatomy with human dissection this semester. I have this class every day, either lab or lecture. Needless to say, it is taking over my life. I am doing my best to balance this 1 class with the rest of my classes, and most importantly, Trae. I am so excited to report that he will be coming for a few days on October 6th. I can not wait to see him.

I just got involved with something very important recently. Our class is registered as a team for the American Heart Association Heart Walk. Everyone has heard about heart disease and strokes. You may even know someone effected by one of these diseases. My 72 year old grandmother had a heart attack a few years ago. I know that she still lives with fear about having another heart attack. I have lived next to my grandmother for the majority of my life. She is the typical grandmother who showers her love on her family by using any excuse to cook for them, buying groceries for her grandchildren in college, and giving you just about anything you may need. Of course she also gives her opinion freely and without invitation, she had very little tolerance for unruly children in public, and will call someone out about anything she feels need at any time. As long as you are respectful and polite, you will not ever have a problem with her. She is even known in our area as the Pie Lady. She makes the most delicious and

perfect meringue around. She was featured in Mississippi Magazine for her pies. I really don't care for meringue, but her pies are wonderful even without it. I love her dearly and do not know what life would be like without her.

If you have been effected by heart disease or stroke and feel moved to help make a difference, please visit my page on the American Heart Association's Heart Walk donation page here, to donate for someone you know who has been impacted by this condition.

Here a few pictures of what my life has been like since the start of the semester.

I took Camille, my sister, to the back to school party hosted by my school. It was fun, getting together with my classmates. I remember wanting Trae with me. I am so glad Camille was with me, but I know Trae would have enjoyed it. This was Camille and I before we left for the party.

I WENT TO A BAMA GAME!!!!! And yes those are my houndstooth rain boots I have on. My mom and I went to the Bama v North Texas game. This was the first game I have been to since I was a student there in 2003. I had such a wonderful time, despite the very wet, wet weather. It rained up until an hour before the game, was rain free during the game, and as we were walking to the car to leave Tuscaloosa, the bottom fell out and it rained our whole way home. God was smiling upon me that day and let me enjoy a wonderful day in Tuscaloosa. The only thing that would have made the day better was if Trae would have been sitting right beside me.

College Football Season

2009-09-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

I have already expressed my love for college football here. I am writing this on the couch as Alabama is playing Virginia Tech for the first game of the season. I have missed college football so much. I have plans to go to a game this year, which I am thrilled about since I haven't been to a game since I was a student. I also hope that Trae can make it to a game this year. He has never experienced the magic and enchantment of an Alabama game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This is an experience that can not be duplicated anywhere and is a completely intoxicating. There is no where like Tuscaloosa on a game day. I know everyone who is a college football fan says that about their team, but I really do think this is true about Bama. My grad school is a part of the University of Mississippi. I have never been a fan of Ole Miss. Everyone in my family has gone to Mississippi State, the in-state rivals of Ole Miss. I still am not a fan of Ole Miss and I actually don't really consider my grad school as a part of Ole Miss. It is so far removed and there are no athletics at my school. I am fortunate that one of my professors went to Alabama and is a huge Crimson Tide fan like myself. So as I sit and watch our brand new quarterback get situated and comfortable as the leader of the Tide. We are currently ranked no. 5, but I am not sure if we will stay at this spot for long. Of course I would love to be pleasantly surprised, but I don't want to expect too much from our new team. I am just excited to watch some football.

Missing Him

2009-08-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

I miss him.

Grad School, Fall 1, Week 1

2009-08-18T19:40:00.001-07:00

This week is going pretty great so far. We take gross anatomy with human dissection lab this semester. I am excited to get in there and start. We have either this class or its lab every single day of the semester. On Wednesdays, we have both the lab and the lecture. So to say that this is an important class with a lot of information to learn is a bit of an understatement. All my other classes seem to fail in comparison to the importance and value of this class. So another struggle this semester will be putting as much effort into all my other classes as I will for anatomy. I am excited though. I am missing my Trae and my Bella a lot. They got into their new place in California and it is poolside. Bella has been swimming in the pool already and she really likes it, of course. I will put pictures up when I get some. I realized I was back in college again when a spontaneous tye dyeing event took place and not only was I invited, but I was super excited about it and had a lot of fun doing it. There are some amazing people in my class and I am really looking forward to becoming great friends with them. I have also been commissioned to organize our programs girls flag football team. I am also excited about this, but not really the organization part of it, just the participation. Can you imagine Med school and dental school students playing flag football?! Can be pretty comical if you know some of the doctors I know! The picture is of me and my sister at the tye dye party!

My Point of View

2009-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

This has been my daily scene all week long. And yes, I have loved every minute of it.

This is taken from my default spot at my family's lake, in the hammock. After last week's craziness of remodeling, I was really looking forward to this week of nothing.

Sadly, it is almost over. Monday morning, I start back to school. This semester will be more demanding of time, energy, and mental capacity than last semester. But I am ready for the challenge and the learning. The next picture is of the updated kitchen. We painted the cabinets and replaced hardware on them. We painted the walls a grayish green color. The slate floor is new but was done before we got there. We would like to replace the counter top, but that will have to come when the house funds have been replenished.

This is the small downstairs spare bathroom after its remodel. We painted the walls above the tile. Changed the sink and shower hardware. We also replaced the very outdated medicine cabinet which also housed the only outlet and light in the room. It was hideous. It was wide 70's model and I am so happy with how this came out. It's not HGTV or anything, but we are happy with our efforts.

Just for the record, I do want to brag again about my hammock home for the past week. I will miss that hammock. From that spot, I could watch the clouds form and move to where they were going, birds circle and dive, and planes zooming to their destinations. It was a lovely spot with a lovely breeze that seemed to blow and the exact moment I needed it to so that I was at a comfortable temperature. In that hammock, the tree it was anchored by shaded my head the entire day without having to readjust my position. That place is one of my most favorite places in the world. Oh well, back to school I go. My sweet Trae has made it back to California and starts work on Tuesday. I miss him so much already. This is going to be a really tough semester. I do not know when I will see him again. But it won't be soon enough.

What a Break!

2009-08-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well, last week was the first week of my break between summer and fall semester. I left straight from school and drove to North Carolina to assist Trae with the remodel rush to finish up all the projects he had started. We were up till 2 am every night and up at 8:30ish to try to get everything done. I am exhausted. We got all the painting, hanging cabinets, replacing fixtures and switches, and cleaning done about 7pm on Saturday evening. We needed to be in Mississippi on Sunday for Trae to do some work on the Jeep before he left for California on Monday morning. So we started our drive out of North Carolina towards Mississippi around 9pm on Saturday evening. We drove all night and pulled in the driveway as dawn was approaching. I looked at the clock as we were laying our head on the pillow, 5:50 am. Yes, Sunday was the most uncomfortable of days. We slept till around 9:30 am when Trae decided to get up to get started on the Jeep work. I got up with him, made him some breakfast and struggled with whether or not to start working on the laundry he needed done for his trip and the packing that I was to do for him. Well we stayed up for a while, I finally decided, or thought I was awake enough for this option, that I would just go lay down in bed and play on the computer for a while. I didn't think I was tired enough to sleep anymore, but my body was tired from the previous week of abuse I subjected it to. I think the computer "resting" plan only lasted about 30 minutes. Around 11:30 I laid my head on my pillow and closed my eyes. Apparently, several people came in my room and I didn't even notice. I am normally a very light sleeper so this always means that I was OUT! I was so OUT that when I woke up at 3pm, I felt fully rested and ready to start my day. I am still recovering, but I am a lot better than I was. Poor Trae had to start his drive to California via Omaha on Monday at 6:30am. I know that when he gets to California he will crash, after he works of course. He is scheduled to arrive on Thursday. His first shift is Friday pm. He will work the night shift for the first month he is there and then switch to a day shift. I feel so bad for him. I know his body is screaming for a break. He has always been able to handle sleep deprivation and crazy schedules a lot better than me. I am trying to get back on my regular school sleep schedule this week. I start back next Monday. Until then, I am taking full advantage of this week of nothing to do and am being lazy, relaxing and plan on reading a book.

I will try to get some pictures of the house up soon, but don't hold your breath, I am relaxing and definitely not rushing to do anything this week!

Mighty to Save

2009-07-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Mighty to save has been running through my mind and heart for the past week or so. I think I need to be reminding myself this lately. I am so blessed and relieved that I serve God, who is mighty to save and has never left me alone. Church was awesome today. Camille and I went to church together today. The message was great. This is part 2 of a series on the Doctrine of God. Today's message was on What is God like? The pastor used the first part of Matthew in the story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man to tell of some basic fundamental characteristics we should know about God. First of all, Jesus told the man that his sins were forgiven. The man, nor those who brought him, even spoke at all during this passage. He was lowered down in front of Jesus and was told by Jesus, "Your sins are forgiven." Jesus did not address the physical nature of the man's problems. Jesus is more concerned with the health of your/my spiritual life than our physical circumstances. God can rearrange our situation, finances, physical health, and relationships all we want him to, but if our spirit and heart are not right with Him, nothing will ever be right in our life. Our spiritual life is the most important aspect of our life. God loves to forgive us and He desires to forgive us, but we must come to Him and ask for that forgiveness. He is strong and mighty to save. We have to believe and trust Him, not just believe IN Him.

I was touched this morning and I hope more than anything that Camille will take how she was touched and move forward.

Out of the Funk

2009-07-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Ok.I am out of my funk but am in the middle of some other stuff. School is going great. Trae and I are wonderful and just found out that he will probably have to go back to California until early February. Yuck!!! That does not make me happy, it actually makes me really sad. You know there are just times that you need the Almighty to help you, this is one of those times. I am desperate for his help and grace and outpouring of love.

In a Funk

2009-07-13T17:29:00.001-07:00

I'm definitely in a funk. Or at least I was earlier today and have been since Friday. I have been short with my family and even Trae (which is horrible). I will be so excited to talk to him on the phone and I will want to call him just to hear his voice, but when I actually get on the phone, I lost interest and was anxious to get off the phone. Not because of what he was saying, but because I was in a funk. So I talked to Trae about it. Then I talked to my mom about it. Then I looked to really the place I should have looked first. I flipped open my Bible and started reading.

Psalm 119:35:

Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.

Psalm 119:50:

Your promise revive me, it comforts me in all my troubles.

How awesome it that I can open the Bible and immediately be encouraged and uplifted by His words and promise!

So be encouraged, EVERYONE!

Back to Healthy

2009-07-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

So, I have started it again. Trying to eat healthier with less sweets and smaller portions. I think I have been doing pretty good with the healthier food. My big problem is portion size and craving those sweet little nibbles after dinner. If I am eating a meal that tastes good, I will keep on eating because it tastes good, not necessarily because I am still hungry. I got on a pretty big Sonoma Diet kick last year and I really liked it. The biggest thing it helped me with was portion size. I will probably break out that book today after school and start going through and getting ingredients together for that. The only bad thing about the Sonoma Diet, it really focuses on cutting out sugar for like the first 2 weeks. I have gone a while without sweets and it does become easier to just say no after a while. But I just like them too much. I don't want to give them up. But its ok, I will just have to find alternatives to my 4-layer delights, ice cream sandwiches, and chocolate cake. I can do it.

Midterms...Check!

2009-07-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

This past week was midterms and I am glad they are over. Nothing I didn't expect yet still. I am glad I don't feel tremendously stressed or overwhelmed yet. Trae is in North Carolina getting the house ready to be put on the market. I will be so excited when that house is sold so that he can come here and we can live like a normal family. I have been going to the lake a lot, which is such a joy of mine and an escape from school.

Ahhhhh... (Sigh of Contentment)

2009-07-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have survived the waiting. I have been absent from the blog world to try to soak up and suck every bit of time with the hubby I can while he is still here. He leaves tomorrow to head to NC to get our house sold. Thanks for all the good wishes. It has been a wonderful week of being with him. We had a blast this week and have regained our normal energy, strength, and happiness levels being with each other. Bella has also been a joy to have around again. I really miss her a lot. She has been going to the lake everyday and is slap wore out! She is taking the day off and resting. She passed out on the dock yesterday in the middle of lots of new people and activity. I knew she was tired, she has never just taken a nap in the middle of so many people before. But she did get in a little kayak ride while at the lake this week. It was so funny. Trae also had to use his excellent nursing/suture skills to sew up a friend of ours at the lake. He got hooked by a large bass hook. I have been loving having Trae here. It is perfect. Now we just need to sell the house in NC and he can come here, take a permanent job while I am in school and we can be like a normal couple! That will be nice!

I'm waiting...

2009-06-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

... on Trae to hurry up and drive here. I have been so anxious, I haven't really be able to do anything productive all day. I went to church this am with Camille, came back, and have been trying to study for my midterm tomorrow. Well, I did get about 2 good hours in of studying, which I will not complain about. But I am just sitting on pins and needles awaiting his arrival!! Can't wait!!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-06-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Today is mine and Trae's 4 year anniversary. And yet again, we are not together on the actual day of our anniversary. I was thinking about how our crazy life keeps putting us in different places. I realized that the only anniversary we have spent in the same geographic location together is our 2nd. Every other anniversary we have been separated by internships, jobs, and other commitments in different states. I know, its sad. But somehow we make it work. I guess this is just another way we see God in our relationship, by the fact that we can handle being away from each other. We hate it, but we can handle it, miraculously. It has been a wonderful 4 years and it just seems to be flying by. We have a great lovable dog, no kids, but we have each other and that is all we need. I love him so much and like I have said before, we are the same kind of weird. It just works. He will be here late Sunday night. And I couldn't be more excited!

"... and let it be good!"

2009-06-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks Dad for being the quiet one, so that I have a better understanding of when to talk and when not to.

Thanks Dad for teaching me to ski. It is a part of my life that I love, miss, excel at, and it always reminds me of you.
Thanks Dad for putting in countless hours of boat driving, ballasting a boat just right while driving by yourself and pulling pin at the same time, traveling late into the night, and putting up with sometimes less than desirable people just so that I might have a chance to fulfil my dream of skiing.

Thanks Dad for always knowing how fast, how short, or how wide I need to tell the driver of the boat.

Thanks Dad for ALWAYS being on the shore to meet me when I got out of the water and always saying the right thing.

Thanks Dad for letting me be harder on myself that you.

Thanks Dad for getting me mad enough that 1 time I did my best performance.

Thanks Dad for always telling me, "If you don't want to do this anymore, we will find something else to do that makes you happy."

Thanks Dad for letting me marry Trae, I know you were scared, but I can't imagine being happier with anyone else.

Thanks Dad for your love and devotion to Mom and continuing to grow in your love for her.

Thanks Dad for fixing all the car issues we have ever had.

Thanks Dad for always making sure we have a Chilton's book for every car in the vehicle with us at all times.

Thanks Dad for trying to teach me how to back a trailer, that was the first time I actually saw and recognized your patience.

Thanks Dad for giving up your empty house because I have a crazy life.

Thanks Dad for going to the ends of the earth to show me that you love me, you are proud of me, and providing for me.

Thanks Dad for letting me sit on your lap, still.

Thanks Dad for being exactly who you are and not apologizing for it.

Thanks Dad for always offering to pay for meals.

Thanks Dad for wanting BOPS at 9:30 pm, I know I get my love of sweets from you.

Thanks Dad for being so selfless, I see you give of yourself to anyone in need at the drop of a hat. Whether you know it or not, that is one way I see God through you.

Thanks Dad for requesting the Reader's Digest version of stories, I get that from you too.

Thanks Dad for showing me how to have fun.

Thanks Dad for always taking fun to the extreme.

Thanks Dad for being the Dude.

Thanks Dad for everything.

Thanks Dad for being happy to do all of this because you love me.

I love you BATS Dad!

Update!

2009-06-18T06:44:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with school and trying to find a few minutes here and there to get quiet and not be thinking about school that I have completely neglected my beloved blog!!! I feel so ashamed, but I have been getting a lot of work done and school is going swimmingly. Last weekend was a girls trip to New Orleans. By girls weekend, I do not mean all of the wonderful best friends that I have, I mean all of the women on my mom's side of the family. CRAZY! And yes, the drama ensued and I do not have time to explain all that went on but lets just say, I am glad we haven't planned the next one yet!! I love my family, but I guess they are like all families, crazy! I am off to class till 3:00! (The picture is of me, my sister, my grandmother, and my mom, in order from left to right!) Oh and I am really really missing Trae everyday, still.

Today is Hard

2009-06-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am having a hard time today. Being without Trae is so tough. Most days I get by but then I have days like today. No matter how gorgeous the weather is or how great of a day I am having, it all seems sad and I can barely manage to get out a poor excuse of a smile when I am talking to someone. But because I was a church today, it almost seemed worse. We enjoy going to church so much and I associate being with him when I am there. I can hardly pay attention to the message because I want him to be sitting beside me. Then I feel the Lord pour his love and attention on me and I feel a little better. I know that He is my everything and that no matter where I am or what I am doing, I can feel His presence and love surround me. I still want Trae though. So that is where I am today.

WHEW!!

2009-06-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to catch my breath after the 8 chapter reading this week. I think I got myself all worked up over nothing. My classes are totally manageable and I have only been introduced to information I will need to really study in 1 class. I am SURE that will change as the semester continues, but for now, I am ok with this. I am beginning to get to know some of the people in my class and I really like them. The OT2 students informed us today that they were told by the faculty that my class has the highest GPA ever accepted in the program's history. That made me feel really good, but I don't know how much of that to believe!! I did learn a few days ago that we will definitely be going to the cadaver lab next semester, which I am totally stoked about! That may not sit well with you, but I really am excited and Trae is jealous!! This weekend will be more relaxed than last weekend. I have 2 quizzes to study for and I plan on getting out of the house, going to the lake and really enjoying family and summer. I will definitely be skiing this weekend! I really wanted to put a picture of a skeleton on this post to correlate to the cadaver lab discussed, but I didn't want to gross anyone out!

Grad School Week 2

2009-06-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

So school has started and I am in full swing with classes!!! Just this week, my 2nd week I might add, I have 8 chapters to read just for 1 class! Somehow that ratio doesn't seem right in my head!! WOW!!! I also started my swim lessons that I will have for the next 2 weeks for an hour. I have 4 2-3 year olds who are a hoot and already trying to scare me just dropping under the surface. But I am sure I'll make it through. SO... needless to say, I am feeling just a little overwhelmed, probably more because I am working myself up all on my own. Sorry I have been nonexistent, a poor commenter, and behind in reading my favorite places!! I will get it all under control and gladly be back to post quick little happys every now and then.

Grad School Week 1

2009-05-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

Week 1 is under way and going great. My first day was a lot of registration, orientation and waiting. We had to be on campus at the registrar's office at 8 am to sign a form. Then at 10 we had a school orientation. After lunch we broke up into our programs for orientation with our actual professors. Today, we had to be fingerprinted and had id's made. At 11, our first class began. Of course there was the syllabus overview and questions followed, but other than that, it was a pretty relaxed day. I am trying to savor my days of no reading, studying, and projects for as long as I can. I know they will be very short lived and are already very numbered. Tomorrow is my long day; 8-12 then 1-4. I am excited to get into the material! I may not feel so excited tomorrow, but we will see.

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

My grandfather retired from the Air National Guard. My cousin just enlisted in the Army. My brother-in-law is just finishing up tech school for the Air Force. My grandmother's husband was in the Navy. I hope that we all remember the reason for this three day weekend. It is not just an excuse for the banks to be closed. It is a remembrance of all those who have fought and died for us so that we may live in ignorant bliss as we walk where we want, live where we want, eat what we want, buy what we want, and live spoiled lives. I am so proud to be an American. Not because we always do the right thing, but because our servicemen and women choose to serve the millions of unknown Americans everyday and we almost never think of them. Today I would like to say thank you to all of those who are in the recruiter's office, waiting for boot camp, in basic training, in tech school, on active duty, in the hands of military hospitals, veterans, retired military, and those who have passed away giving up their lives for their countrymen. Thank you.

Back in the South At Last!

2009-05-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

I am in Mississippi now. I left Reno, NV following my grandmother and her husband in an RV on Sunday morning. I arrived in MS Wednesday evening. It was a long drive, but every mile I drove, it was just another mile away from my love. But, I love the South. The only thing that would have made my day any better today would to have had my sweetheart by my side all day! Today I was very respectfully complemented by a complete stranger walking on campus who told me that my dress looked very good on me! A girl in Target talked out loud about not being able to find the kind of deodorant she wanted and we carried on a conversation about how a particular brand will have different styles of items depending on which store you go to. This is just one reason I love the South so much. Everyone, no matter where you are, is friendly and will talk to you. In the area of California I was, most people would have just as easily run over you with their buggy in Target than say hello. Today a receptionist in one part of the hospital helped me find another part of the hospital while smiling and she did not seemed to be bothered or too busy to help me. When I drive down the road, the trees are all taller than me and everything is so green. I love it here. I wish Trae was here too. And of course The Bella!

I Don't Want to be Without Him. Ever.

2009-05-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

Trae and I spent our last full day together yesterday. It was glorious and at the same time, very very sad. I'm so ready to be out of California, but I don't want to leave without him. We didn't do anything yesterday except watch movies. It was a very typical of a day off for him, but also one of our favorite things to do together. We haven't talked about me leaving yet. No comments, no missing you already talks, no mention of it whatsoever. That is how we handle it I guess. The longer we wait to say anything about it, the longer it will be till it happens. I am very emotional today. I know we will be fine but we still don't like it and it is difficult to walk away. You would think that every time we have to go through this it would get easier. Well it does and it doesn't. The more times we experience it, the better we become at dealing with it. We know how to make it through each day now, we don't have to figure out how to handle being alone, we already know how to. I simply don't think about how long it has been since I have seen him or how long it will be until I see him again, I just know that I will talk to him that day and we will text non-stop. One day at a time is all I can handle thinking about. My mom does a good job at trying to keep me busy also. Trae plays a lot of golf with some friends out here and he and Bella go to the river a lot. There are also a few families we have befriended that have Trae over for dinner a few nights a week when I am gone. I know that helps him a lot. But on the other hand, we like it less and less and can only handle shorter spans of time apart than the previous trip. The very first time we had to be apart was during my internship my senior year of college. I was in Mississippi for 3 1/2 months and only saw him once. The longest amount of time we have ever been without seeing each other was about 12 weeks. The last time we were apart, and we finally got back to each other, Trae said he would never do it again. Yet, here we are getting ready to do it all over again, not knowing when we will even be able to be together on a daily basis. You do what you have to do, but in our case, we hate it. He says he doesn't do good without me. And I am just a mess without him. It seems to be getting more and more difficult.
I will begin packing all my things today. When I leave, there will be no sign I was even here. Since I will not be coming back out here, I need to take everything back with me. I know that the next 7 weeks will be a lot easier on me than on him. While I will be staying with my family when I get back to Mississippi, he will only have The Bella to come home to. I know I will at least be tolerable when I get to MS, but knowing that he is here by himself makes it harder also. He has to do it all by himself and I hate that. It is not fair to him to have to face this by himself every time. I don't know if I would be any good at all if I lived by myself while we are apart. I have always lived with my family so I don't know how it feels to face it everyday all alone. I know that being with somebody is the most important factor in keeping me focused and pushing forward. I pray that God will be ever present while I am gone.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Trae and I sent our moms flowers for Mother's Day. Since we are so far away from both of them, this was the best solution for us. We both love our moms so much. In honor of my mom, I would like to share a few reasons why I love her so much.
- She makes me laugh. Most of the time I am laughing at her because she does/says so many funny things on any given day.
- She is such a great sport about me giving her a hard time because of her funny moments.
- When I was little, laying my head in her lap, she would take some of my curls and brush them around and against my ear. At first she did it to give me a hard time and it bothered me. Now, it is one of the most relaxing sensations to me. I can get Trae to do it sometimes. I love it. Strange, I know!
- She had another child because I begged my parents for a sibling when I was young. At first I thought it was a mistake on my part, now my sister is one of my best friends.
- She taught me how to be a woman of character and faith; how to be an understanding sister, patient wife and efficient homemaker and loving future mother.
- She loves my Dad more than anything. I have been so blessed to watch their relationship only grow stronger as the years have passed.
- She is thoughtful; loving; selfless; not always graceful, but is always smiling; mindful of others' needs and feelings; and loves kids.
- She gives good hugs.
- She passed on her love of all things pumpkin.
So there is my mom. I love her so much. I wish I was there today to give her a hug. Happy Mother's Day Mumma! (LYABATS)

On another note, I made the best homemade biscuits today!! Recipe courtesy of Joy the Baker. You have to check out her blog. Delicious!

Party at My House!

2009-05-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today Trae and I went to Costco to get ingredients for our Southern feast we are preparing for our party on Tuesday. On the menu is Jambalaya, corn bread, potato salad, collards, ham and black eyed pea fritters, and bourbon pecan pie! I am so excited. Everyone attending is from California so I hope we can prepare these delicious morsels in a way that will make our grandmothers proud and of course Paula Deen! Trae is very excited to share his Southern culture with all of our friends! Since our rental has only minimal adequate cookware, at best, for everyday cooking, we will have to borrow large cooking pots for this feast. Trae is on a 7 day off stretch. Which is really nice since I leave in 6 days.

31 Days of Giveaways

2009-05-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Over at Fantabulously Frugal, it is a veritable month-long giveaway spree. There are so many things she is giving away. Go check it out!

Driving Across Country

2009-05-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

I have a plan! I start my trip back to Mississippi on May 16th. After much deliberation and plan changes, I finally have a date of departure for my drive across country. The original plan was for my sister to fly out on the 12th to ride with me all the way home. We would leave the next day and drive for 4 days till we made it. This plan allowed a few business days before the Memorial Day weekend to take care of anything school related before classes start. With the newest departure date, I will not have any such days, but this new plan works out best for all parties involved. Now, I will follow my grandmother and her husband who are driving by RV to MS for the holiday weekend. Trae does not want me to drive across the country by myself, rightfully so. So this new plan is great because it will be an easy drive but, it will not leave me any time to take care of business when I get there. But, I'm sure there will not be any business so pressing I can't take care of it the first week of school. I will miss driving with my sister, but there will always be other trips we can take together.

The Bella

2009-05-02T15:39:00.001-07:00

I love her.

He Does It Anyway!

2009-05-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Lunch today is taco soup for Trae and everyone at the ER. Looked pretty good. Smelled pretty good too. I could not get an accurate taste however, because I burned my tongue this morning on my mocha. Oh well. I hope there is enough for Trae to bring home to me this evening. But if not, we have plans to grill out steaks again. The last steaks we grilled here were so good. Trae and I have an agreement that when out at a restaurant, I must always warn/remind him about ordering a steak for dinner. It never fails that when he orders a steak, he is disappointed and comments that we could have made a better steak at home, which is correct. But for some reason, he is always drawn to the meat and potato entrees at restaurants. As long as I remind him about his constant disappointment, he seems to be ok ordering it anyway. It makes me chuckle.
Random Monica Fact: I love donuts, but will never buy them for myself! (This has become a source of amusement at the ER. Sometimes, Dr's will bring donuts for the nurses in the am. I always enjoy one. Everyone jokes with Trae that he should text me that the donuts have arrived at the ER!)

Guess I should post something too...

2009-04-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Monica asks me to go to Blockbuster and get us a movie to watch..."Something I dont have to think about" she says. I said OK and went to town. I was perusing the vast selection of new titles out and am still surprised at how much junk Hollywood turns out on a regular basis. As y'all know we are movie lovers and sometimes go against mainstream tastes in our movie selections, but this was not one of those times. We needed something simple. So I picked out Tommy Lee Jones's newest offering, In The Electric Mist. The movie was OK, nothing to write about on here for sure, but I wanted to point out one key element about the film that takes place in Louisiana. We absolutely LOVED hearing people speaking in Cajun accents! The smallest thing really helps ease the tension of being away from home. By the time I leave California I will have been here 11 mths with 2 trips back home, each not more than 7 days long. Now for people who are in love with where they are from, this is simply unacceptable! I can not express in words how ready I am to go home and be back in the South again! I ask Monica to make Sweet Tea as often as I possibly can and we fix as many true Southern dishes as possible. Thankfully Monica knows how. My new departure date from this wonderful place is 6/29, a full month after Monica leaves for Grad school. If anyone would like to add to our movie watching efforts, please feel free to post/comment about Southern films that y'all have seen. Take care everyone and remember...ER nurses and MD's are always happy to assist in your time of need, just make sure that you actually need to be there in the first place :-)

I Won!

2009-04-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

So many great things to tell today!!
First of all, I won my very first giveaway today!!!! I was selected by Amy at Park City Girl as part of her Quilt Festival as a winner. I am sooo excited. I have never won anything online before and what a great prize : $10 gift certificate to Wish Upon a Quilt. I have been shopping a little and have been eyeing the Neptune line from Moda for some time. Wish Upon a Quilt has a wonderful selection of the line. I just have to decide which print I want. I am so excited. The Quilt Festival was such a great way to see all of the gorgeous and creative quilts out there. So many talented quilters all over the country.
I hope all of you are liking the new layout, background, and fonts you see all around you. I can not take any credit. Amanda of Kevin & Amanda is such a lifesaver and creator of the cutest fonts. Her website is full of tutorials with the easiest directions of how to adjust your blog. I am definitely not computer savvy in the program writing/html coding way in the least. I know absolutely nothing about any of it. Amanda was so quick to email me with the answers to all of my questions and was able to show me how to make changes to my layout. If you are looking for a new font, go check her out. All of her fonts are FREE! She is right there to help you get it going too. Thanks Amanda!!
Today is Trae's first day off coming off a long 4 day stretch. His weekend was so crazy in the ER. There are weekends that are ok and easy to deal with. This was not one of them though. 4 straight days of busy, crazy work in the ER. I am glad to have him back and he is so glad to not be working today!! We are having dinner with our wonderful friends the Courtneys. We miss them and always have a great time at their house.
I'm still so excited I won!

Money is Good...

2009-04-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

I received word from my mom yesterday that my financial aid packet from school came in! YAY! Cutting it pretty close though I say. My first day is only a month away. I think I have about a week to decide which loans to accept for the entire next school year. Not very much time if you ask me. I am happy to report that all of my school for the next year is covered with loans. Not grants, I know. I was kinda bummed about that but then quickly cheered up at the fact that I do not have to come out of pocket at all for any portion of school. I have been getting really excited about getting to go to school over the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we did find out that Trae will have to stay in California for a few more weeks, (at least 8) while I head off to school. We knew that he would not be near me for a while, but we were both excited about getting out of California for a while. He has been here for almost a year. Its a lovely place, but just not home. So around May 12 I will drive back to Mississippi to start my school and Trae will stay here to continue working until something closer to me opens up.

New Look and Name!

2009-04-25T15:29:00.001-07:00

You are not in the wrong place! I have been working on coming up with a name for a long time. I have been trying to figure out a title that is me, but not corny. So this is my attempt. I am not sure I will keep it. I definitely want to change the layout of the title, and the font of course. I do like the thought behind my title, but we will see if it really fits me. I am really liking my layout and background too. Soo, let me know what you think!

Our Movies

2009-04-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Trae and I are big movie buffs. We appreciate all movies and love many. We enjoy the obscure and unknown and celebrate the ones that do well. I am proud of our movie tastes and like the fact that we really like movies that some may not have even heard of. So here is our Top 20 Movie list and why we love them. So in no particular order...
Top Gun- Trae can quote this movie with such accuracy, you would have thought he wrote the script. I love this movie also for a few reasons: 1) When I first met Trae, he looked just like Tom Cruise, 2) All the flying is so exciting and I really enjoy action and adventure movies, 3) The beach volleyball scene is just fun to watch.
The Godfather series- This is just a classic. It also gives many useful rules to live by. What is there not to love about these films.
Casino Royale (the new one)- With this film introducing Daniel Craig as 007, it is my favorite because I love him as 007. He makes 007 a rule breaker, unlike some of the more recent pretty boy womanizers that have been portrayed. This being the first book in Ian Flemming's series, it explains why 007 is unattached to many of the people, especially women, he meets. It is a great film with good depth in the characters.
Man on Fire- Not only is it filmed with great action sequences, but it has a great redemptive story.
Orange County- Hilarious movie with not much thinking that goes with it. Great one-liners.
Out Cold- Another funny movie with little thought needed to follow it. It revolves around snow boarders trying to save their mountain.
Batman Begins- Another great movie about the beginning of a legend. Christian Bale is my favorite Batman so far.
Taken- Liam Neeson is wonderful as a father fighting to find his daughter.
Transformers- What little boy didn't like Transformers. This movie was a home run in bringing the toys to life and making every guy want the aliens to land in their backyard.
Love Actually- A Christmas tradition in our house. We love British humor and this has nothing but material from the UK. My favorite storyline in this film is one that follows the Prime Minister and a secretary, played by Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon.
Tombstone- Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday makes this movie awesome. Kurt Russell is a wonderful Wyatt Earp and Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton do great also. However, Doc delivers great lines.
Super Troopers- Great comedy classic. The plot is pretty good, but the pranks the troopers pull on each other are wonderful.
Pirates of the Caribbean- Who doesn't want to be a pirate? And Johnny Depp, I think he is the epitome of what a pirate should be.
Star Wars- Classics. Period. Even if you don't like science fiction. You have to appreciate all of the special effects, especially in the first 3. You also have to appreciate that Lucas did not use popular music in the soundtrack! (Which was very uncommon during this period).
Indiana Jones series- Harrison Ford as a archaeological adventurer is great.
An Unfinished Life- The relationship between Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman is so unique and real. They give each other a hard time like only old friends can.
Dumb and Dumber- Jeff Daniels' comedic genius on display and Jim Carrey doing what he does best. This is a great movie even if you do not like stupid movies, everyone laughs at this one.
Anchor Man- Will Ferrell at his best also. All of the crazy one-liners are priceless.
Robin Hood- The great story is done right in this movie with Kevin Costner at the helm. Who would have thought he would have been a great outlaw with a bow and arrow!
Sweet Home Alabama- Funny, romantic, southern what else could you want in a great movie.
This is most definitely not a comprehensive list. In fact, on another day, we might come up with 20 different movies for our top 20 list. Some that didn't make the cut but deserve mentioning: The Passion, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Bourne series, King Arthur, Lars and the Real Girl, and so many more. Maybe we will revisit the topic and come up with 21-40.

Quilt Festival

2009-04-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have not posted about my quilt in a while. I have been working on it. Slowly and steadily it is coming along. I decided to quilt it by hand, hence the reason it is taking me so long to complete it. I was reminded of this today when I was reading Aunt Spicy's blog today about a quilt festival over at Park City Girl. There are so many wonderful prizes at the quilt festival. The rules are that you post about your favorite quilt on your own blog and then post a link at Park City Girl to be registered for prizes.
My favorite quilt is the one I am currently working on for several reasons. I have already blogged about it here, here, and here. The quilt is my favorite because it is the first one I have ever made that I plan on keeping. (I make it sound like I have been making quilts for years for everyone I know.) Well I can count all the quilts I have made on 1 hand, but that is not the point. I love the fabric colors. They are so bright and cheery. Every time I look at them, I smile. There is a lot of yellows, blues, pinks, and greens. So spring-time cheery. The more I think about it, I am not sure any decorating I will do in our house will match it, but that's ok too. This quilt has been a gift to myself since its beginning. So that might have something to do with why it is my favorite also. I took a class and knew all along that this would be in my home someday. It just makes me happy. Trae and I are always searching to surround ourselves with the things that make us happy. And this makes me happy, and the fact that I am happy makes Trae happy. It is a wonderful cycle! So I hope all of you enjoy my unfinished quilt as much as I do as I continue working on it.

Baby Fever... Almost

2009-04-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

During our recent visit to Georgia, we got to play tirelessly with our new 10 month old niece and 7 month old nephew. Our niece, "Princess" and our nephew, "Jellyfish" are so precious. They were so much fun. Princess is incredibly inquisitive and better be in direct line of sight of her mom at all times or she is not happy. She loves food of all kind. Bottled, jarred, on a plate, or even in someone else's mouth. She wants it all. Jellyfish on the other had could not be any different. He has no desire for food at all. It is apparent he does not enjoy food, it is only out of necessity that he eats. His most productive eating time is during sleep. Strange, I know. Princess is a very happy baby, in general, if mom is nearby. Jellyfish is just happy to be with people. He is very happy, easy, and had the most adorable smile. Why do I refer to him as Jellyfish you ask?! Well, while most babies wiggle, jiggle, move spastically, he does not. He moves his arms in a very fluid rolling motion much like a jellyfish's tentacles would. It is so cute. Princess is crawling with speed and efficiency and walking with minimal assistance while Jellyfish is just starting to crawl a few motions at a time. They play fairly well together, stealing toys and accidentally swatting each other in the face. When one begins to cry in another part of the room the other lets out a sympathy whimper as if to say, "Hey, leave him/her alone!". Trae and I actually got to keep the Jellyfish for a few night while his mom had to go to work towards the end of our stay. He went easy on me. He only woke up twice each night we had him. It didn't take much for me to be up and bottle in hand ready to feed when he began to whimper. By the end of the 3rd day of not being with him momma, he was tired of me and Trae and we could no longer console him. Shortly before his mom arrived to pick him up, I was trying my best to comfort him. I am still not sure what was wrong, he wasn't hungry or sleepy. No sooner had I gotten him calmed down and focused on something else would he look up at me and realize that I was not his mom and he would begin to cry again. Not just cry but wail as if his life was ending. By this time, he needed/wanted/required his mom and no one else would suffice. Princess would cry like this as a response to waking up in an unfamiliar place, not seeing her mom, being hungry, or any other reasons. Princess' temperament was either perfectly happy, pensive, or crying hysterically like death was coming. It was almost funny. Princess' mom has an amazing trick that we refer to as the Jedi sleeper. When Princess starts to cry, and mom knows that it is because she is sleepy, mom puts her hand over Princess' face and like the powers of the force she immediately closes her eye, stops crying, and is on her way to being asleep. It was amazing the first time I witnessed the feat.The kids were precious, playful, loud at times, and we are so glad we got to spend so much time with them. However, I am glad they did not come back to California with us. We are sooo excited about having kids, but we are not busting at the seams to have them just yet. Once my school is done, I'm sure kids will be a more pressing topic.

I'm Back, Time to Move

2009-04-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Back in California. I'm very glad to be back with Trae. I am very tired of eating restaurant food. We ate out for ever meal for about a week while we were back in Atlanta. I made breakfast this morning. The typical breakfast for Trae and I when he doesn't have to work, bacon, eggs, and biscuits. As easy and little time as it takes me to make, I (we) get so much enjoyment out of this breakfast. It was really nice to make a meal and eat it with my lovely husband. Now we are back in California, we have to start getting ready to leave California by car to return to the South. We will be driving back to Mississippi the first week of May. We miss the South. We realized this while we were in Atlanta, the big city that stole our heart a couple of years ago. Today we have learned that there is a 99% possibility that Trae will be working several states away from me for his next assignment. This does not make me happy at all. We have had to live apart before and we do not like it. However, for the time being, it something that we have to do in order take care of each other the best we can with the responsibilities we have also. Right now, we are still in the VERY early stages of the next assignments, the choices include Maine and New Mexico. Needless to say, we are leaning towards Maine. We will be learning and deciding more in the coming weeks. So I'm off to make another delicious meal for me and my honey!

Crazy Week

2009-04-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

Trae's mom is back at home today. It has been forever since I have posted anything. Sorry about that. I was able to go to our home church yesterday for the Easter service. We love our church. It truly feels like home when we are there. The pastors are like second parents to both Trae and myself. Our pastor cried while officiating our wedding ceremony. They are precious people and we really miss them during our travels. I go back to my reality on Tuesday morning. Trae flew back to California on Thursday. While we were here Trae and I got to play and keep our new niece and nephew. That was fun. We almost got baby fever, enough to keep us excited about kids but not enough to convince us to have them right now.

Back in Atlanta

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

Thursday, Trae and I flew back to Atlanta to be with his mom while she is in intensive care. She has some unknown heart issues right now. Medicine levels are being tested and adjusted and cardiologist have been referred. There is discussion of the placement of a pacemaker. Her stability is not consistent right now. She can be coherent and stable the next and within 5 minutes have an abnormal heart rhythm and fluctuated blood pressure. The hardest part is not knowing which way she could go. It could get a lot better easily but, it would not take much for her condition to go wrong in very little time. Please continue to pray. Trae is flying out on Thursday so he can return to work on Friday. I am not sure when or if I will be flying back to California. His contract ends on May 2 so we will be coming back to the South anyway. Please pray for us also, that we might have the wisdom to figure out all of the logistics of this travel/moving/hospital situation.
On a positive note, we are so happy being back in the South. On my flight into Atlanta, it had been raining that day so it was cloudy. The clouds started to part as we were landing. As the lights of the city began to appear, I couldn't help but think, "I love this city." We lived in Atlanta for about 7 months last year. I absolutely love Atlanta. It is a perfect mix of friendly people with all of the great things about a city like restaurants, events, and great neighborhoods and not too many of the negatives. Atlanta does have crazy hectic traffic, but that is the worst part about living in Atlanta. It is a great city if you love Southern culture but need a city lifestyle. We feel rejuvenated having spent a few days here. Almost like we have been plugged up to our energy source, charged up. I must get on to bed.
I would like to give a shout out to my 2 newest readers... you know who you are!! A post to come about that later.

Trae's Mom

2009-04-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I wrote the earlier post about Trae's mom, however shortly after that post was completely, we got word that she has taken a turn for the worse. She is being transferred to bigger hospital. We don't know very much, being 2000 miles away does not do well for being informed. Please continue to lift her up in prayers.

Please Be Happy!

2009-04-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who have been keeping our family in your prayers. My mother-in-law is in a regular room now at the regional hospital in their town. She is responding to the high powered medicine to take care of her infection. She has shown some improvement but is not out of the woods yet. Unfortunately it is a situation in which we must just wait to let the medicine work and pray. God is the Great Healer and Comforter who is always at our side.
So yesterday, I had to go get a TB skin test and another round of my Hep B vaccine for grad school requirements. Being in a medical field family, I know that being a healthcare provider is not always easy. For instance, Trae works in the ER. Tough place to work. (I will request that Trae post his views of ER patrons later.) Anyway, one of the patients in the ER died last night. How many people go to work with the possibility of facing death every single day? This would be a legitimate reason to be sad or not excited to be at work. So in my getting tested and vaccinated, I had to visit the public health center for my shots. I was told to go there because it may have been cheaper than visiting the in town occupational health center. Well, the first building I enter does not have any signs on the outside, just a directory in the lobby. There is an open window in the lobby with an older woman inside. So what else would I think other than that this woman is here for general questions for those who just enter the building! Right? Well I walk to the window, it sounds as though she is giving instruction with regards to a piece of paper she is pointing at in front of her. I stand at the window for a minute or two before she acknowledges me, which is no big deal, because I am not in a hurry. When she does raise her head to assist me, she does not smile, but yet she is not rude, and she says, "Yes..." She asks as if I have wrongly interrupted her very important conversation to tell me that I am in the wrong building. Now I am not complaining because she was helpful, and her conversation at least was not just simple gossip/needless conversation with the others in her office. But with the tone she used, she might as well have told me to go ask someone else because she was otherwise too busy to answer my silly question. So I finally make it to my correct building, and walk to the only counter with a person behind it and the lady informs me she will be right with me and that I should have a seat. Five minutes later, she calls me up and helps me. She is not rude but not friendly either. The lady who administered my TB test was very friendly and chatty. A nice change! The next room I had to go to was just down the hall to get my vaccine. I went to the counter and the lady informed me that I had to take a number and fill out a form on the wall. Take a number??? Are you kidding, there is no one else in line and there are only 2 other people in the entire waiting room? SO I take a number and fill out my form. Go to give the lady my form and she tells me she will call me when she is ready. About 10 minutes go by. In this time, one person from the waiting room leaves with the person who was being seen. The next family leaves with their 2 rowdy, uncontrolled kids who speak no English from what I can tell. I am just sitting in the room alone with my completed form and my number waiting for her "get ready". She finally calls my number and I take my information and we talk about what I am having done and she asks how I am going to pay. I am not sure what role the number system plays in her day, but I am sure it comes in handy when the room gets busy, but on a day like that, take a number? Am I at the DMV? Anyway, all in all, the public health secretarial staff were not the nicest but they did their job and I am guess that is all that is asked of them. I just think that if you are going to a job every single day, try to make the best of it. Even if it is not your dream job and all it does for you is pay the bills, try to be happy. Put a smile on, a little happiness in your tone of voice. You have to be there so might as well try to enjoy it. But I guess that is the difference with us and other people. We try to have a great day, whether it is all going our way or not, at least we try! Who know, you might even smile or be happy on accident!

007

2009-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

We rented Quantum of Solace, the newest James Bond movie, this weekend. I just love James Bond. I know I was not around when the original Bond movies were made, but Daniel Craig is a very good Bond. My next favorite is Sean Connery. Not that I am an expert on James Bond, but I can say with the utmost certainty that Peirce Brosnan was probably the worst Bond. His movies were more concerned with Bond's ability to woo and bed women than solving the UK's top threats and defusing them. But, I am no one to judge. I just prefer the strength of the newest Bond plot and characters. I love that in Casino Royale, Bond's justification in charming women, if he can have one, has a source. He is shown to be a person with a deep hurt trying to sort out what happened to the one person he loved. A place we can better identify with than a whoring secret agent who will bed any reasonable looking woman whether or not she or anyone else is hurt in the process. Anyway, I enjoy the Bond films, the newest ones the best and the original films as well. I am even inspired to get one of the books and start reading. Not sure which one yet.
Please be in prayers for Trae's mom. She was admitted to the hospital Sunday evening.

Crazy Money

2009-03-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

Trae and I went to Home Depot yesterday. That place is like our playground/fantasy world. We like Lowe's too, but it is farther away. This time we did go with a plan/purpose. We are in the process of remodeling our house in North Carolina so that we can sell it. We already have replaced the old nasty linoleum floor in the kitchen with slate tile and replaced the old nasty carpet in the living room with the same slate tile. The rest of the downstairs is original hardwood. We are leaving those alone, of course. They are in great shape and look really good. So now we have to do something with the downstairs and master baths. Both are very outdated and not good looking at all. The master bath is big, but with an awkward bad layout with a huge olive green garden tub and telephone booth sized shower in which I can't even bend over in without hitting my head on the shower wall. So that must be changed. We want to put a huge walk-in tile shower with no tub. We need to change the rest of the floor in that bath and replace the vanities. The bath is open to the master bedroom, not really ideal or logical to us, so we want to add more wall and of course a door. Oh did I mention that the master bedroom is the entire upstairs level and it is open to the staircase, with no door either?! Yea absolutely no door to separate the master bedroom and bath from the rest of the house, just stairs! So we want to wall off the stairs! The downstairs bath really needs a total overhaul. We want to put wainscoting on the walls and have been debating whether we need/can put it right over the existing tile wall. So we need a new sink/vanity and to re tile the shower. The kitchen needs new countertops, and we are planning on painting the cabinets we already have and updating the hardware. So what will all this cost you ask? Well I am so glad you asked because that is why we went to Home Depot, to price out all of these projects we want to do to see if we can even afford to do all of this work. Well we priced out tile, lumber, lighting fixtures, vanities, wainscoting, paint, and lots more. Grand total for what we want to do is way more than we really want to spend. And it doesn't even include new kitchen appliances. So went planning to price the project just like we want it to look and then based on prices we can always scale back on certain areas we feel aren't as important as others. So of course we are planning on scaling back our original plan and doing only what we think is really important for the sale. Oh I forgot, I can't believe I forgot this part. Our driveway is atrocious. You almost have to get a running go to make it up the driveway and the old asphalt is broken and it has deep gullies in it. So we need to have our driveway repaved. I got an estimate for it to be an asphalt driveway, trying to use what is already there. Not to excited about that but that will definitely be a huge negative if the driveway continues to look as it does when buyers come look at it! SO we will be deciding on what to cut back and what to keep. But we do have a wonderful view! Sorry there is no picture of our wonderful view. I will get one when I get out of California!
The lovely picture of those yellow flowers were on sale at the grocery store and I got them because it is spring and they make me smile!

Nothing New

2009-03-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been away from the blog for so long. I have been looking at it everyday and reading all of my favorites every day, but I have had some trouble coming up with anything to write. I do not want to just post a bunch of jibberish just to post something. But on the other hand, on a day to day basis, at least the last week or so, there has been nothing incredibly new to report. I have been quilting, but not enough progress yet to discuss on here. I have been cooking, but nothing really exciting or interesting enough to discuss. Every day is pretty much the same for me. I love my life, but I don't think it would be particularly interesting to many other people. Maybe I should be paying more attention to what is going on around me, slow down and appreciate the world that I live in and the things I see and experience more.Trae and I went to Tahoe again on Sunday night after he got off work. We stayed with my aunt and uncle again. It was a very nice quick trip. We skied all day on Monday, they got a very nice big storm over the weekend. Trae got his fix of fresh powder and I got to stay on the groomers and in the terrain park, which I am loving more and more. Bella had a wonderful time playing in the snow, no surprise there. We got some very funny pictures of her too. We came back around noon on Tuesday because Trae had to cover for someone on Tuesday night. Not too sure what is on the docket for the rest of the week. So I guess my task is to now pay more attention when I am out running errands to find people, sights, or whatever else I can appreciate and seems big enough to write about!

Movie Date

2009-03-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

Trae works every weekend, so that means we have all week to do what we want, go where we want, and see what we want. Well today we got all dressed up to go to the movies. I know it isn't hitting the town too big, we even went to a matinee not an evening movie. Well, we saw the movie "Taken". Let me just say, we absolutely loved it. I won't ruin the plot for anyone who hasn't seen it yet but it is a very good movie. It has a very "Bourne"-esque movie feel but it involves a family. An ex-government agency "preventer" worries about his daughter who is traveling to Paris for a vacation with a friend and no adults. He does not feel good about the trip at all to begin with. He explains to his daughter that he is worried about her not because he is paranoid, but because his job made him aware of all the business, good and bad, around the world. Well of course something happens. She is taken and her dad goes on a mad search for her. He steals, kills, and lies to gain information into her whereabouts and why she has been taken. I will not spoil it. But Liam Neeson is great, he is sweet, determined, and very good at his job in this film. We loved it, but then again we love international, top secret, aggressive movies about issues that are not always on the forefront of our everyday lives because we don't see it or experience it in any way. Go see it, you will like it. I also want to see "He's Just Not That Into You". Maybe tomorrow!

New Fabric!

2009-03-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

So I was out yesterday running errands. While I was out in the nearest city with a mall, I thought I would stop by the JoAnn's to see if they had any fabric that I just really needed. Well, turns out, they were having a huge sale on fat quarters!! YAY! .99 for 1 fat quarter. So needless to say I thought I should take advantage and get some that I liked.

I really liked the leave prints on this and the color is just so bright and cheerful. Then I started to think about the quilt-along I mentioned in my last post. So I picked up some fat quarters for that too! This is the whole lot:
The top print is so bright. The background color is lime green, one of our favorite colors. The bottom has pretty aqua swirl pattern.This top print is very unique. It has some yellows ans whites in it. I just liked it. The bottom is just some squares in squares. Pretty colors.This top print has a very unique swirl print with a dark and lighter green. The bottom one is my favorite of this bunch. I'm not sure why, I just loved the bright contrast and the style of the flowers.So what do you think? Will they all look ok together, or should I add another color to them?

We're Back!!

2009-03-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of the picture I took of Lake Tahoe! It is beautiful and pictures will never do it justice. This was taken from a cornice at Alpine Meadows in Truckee, CA. It was so much fun. We skied for 2 days and boy are we sore now. Our calves and shins hurt. But it was a lot of fun. We had lots of good food and met new people and caught up with old friends. I just had to share a few pictures from our trip. I feel like all we have been posting about lately is Tahoe, but I guess that is because we have been excited about this trip. Well, it is over now and although it was fun, we will be posting about everyday life again.
Oh I have to share this. Oh, Fransson! is hosting a sew along and she has absolutely beautiful quilts. You must check it out. Well I am very late in joining but I got some fabric today for the quilt she is doing. I will present that tomorrow. Can't wait!

He so funny...

2009-03-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

My husband that is! He is so funny. I am right now watching him, in an excited little boy manner, explain the trail map of the mountain we are skiing tomorrow. He is showing our guest which runs we will be skiing, those we should do only if we want to pee our pants in excitement/fear of death sensation, and those with "wicked rocks" to jump off. I will be simply skiing, no jumping, mach speeds, or fear of death! In snow, he is the master, on the water is my domain. I just had to share how happy he is right now, Which makes me happy.

Good Morning Everyone!

2009-03-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

So Monday has finally arrived for Monica and I... For the majority of people, Mondays represent the WORST day of the week, but for those of us that work weekends, Monday is a God-Send! Today we will make the journey to our beloved Lake Tahoe (yes I do speak of it like it is mine and in my own backyard). On the way we will pick up a friend of ours in Sacramento who is flying in to join us, then up to the "North Shore." The north shore of Tahoe is a little different than the south shore and for those who have not yet had the opportunity to visit this exceptional place I will give a little verbal tour :-) The north west shore to the NV line is very much a "locals" area, laid back, and friendly. The western shore is one of the most spectacularly beautiful drives on God's earth, including "Emerald Bay." The Northeast and South shores are much more touristy and from the NV line (which bisects the Lake) eastward are full of Casinos and bright lights; a pretty stark contrast to the phenomenal natural beauty that surrounds you. The majority of the East shore is all National Forest and it too is a tremendously beautiful drive. As far as activities go, there is no shortage of anything to do, anywhere you go, whether your pleasure is shopping or gambling on the South shore or any manner of outdoor adventures anywhere else. For the Skier amongst you there is skiing to be found almost anywhere around the lake except for the East shore (which is limited to back country skiing). My Favorites are the laid back locals mountains. Don't get me wrong every resort around Tahoe is a major destination and all are considered in the top 10-20 resorts in North America, but Alpine Meadows on the North Shore and Kirkwood on the South shore are by far my favorites. Both resorts have open area boundaries and friendly, helpful staff. We will be skiing at Alpine Meadows tomorrow and Wednesday and making the best of what remains from the biggest storm to hit Tahoe this season. Last week mountains claimed they received from 5-8 feet of snow at their summits with up to 4 feet of that falling in 24 hrs. I am hoping to not have to ski many groomed runs this week! Pray for our safety and look for photos on the flip side! Bye y'all!

2009-03-06T10:50:00.001-08:00

I have really enjoyed being back with my sweetie this week. I really love that in our relationship, we don't have to fill our time with things to do or places to go to have quality time together. Most of the time, we sit and watch movies. This week we both got a little stir crazy though and had to get out of the house for a little bit. So we went to Home Depot to walk around and look at things for the remodel we are slowly trying to do to our home, which we don't live in. Not only do we not live in it, we are on the opposite side of the country from it right now. I know, it doesn't make for an easy or quick remodel, however, we are doing what we can. This week I have been getting the house very clean and getting all of my paperwork done for grad school. Nothing too exciting on the home front here. Monday we are heading to Tahoe for a few days of skiing. We are sooo excited. They just got a load of new snow, several feet to be more specific. That makes us happy. What is even more exciting, Trae called an old friend of his in the area who has a home in Squaw Valley, only one of the ritziest part of town to see if he still rented out his home. Well, he does and he is letting us use it practically for free. The only thing we have to do is to make a small donation to the local church and that is it!!! I can definitely do that. This is soo exciting because the house overlooks the valley and it is just gorgeous. House rentals in this area can go for several thousand a night, so we are getting an incredible deal!! Anyway, enough about that, even though Trae could talk about it and get all worked up over it until he is blue in the face and be completely happy. Bella is very excited too, she loves playing in the snow! The pictures below ALWAYS make me smile! She makes us laugh constantly! Sorry not much to tell! Maybe next time!

I'm A Little Afraid...

2009-03-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

So my wife has returned to me from being gone for over 5 wks and I am elated! My heart is full once again... There is something wonderful about our relationship that I pray everyone either has or finds in their marriage, and it is our ability to pick up right where we left off. There is no awkwardness or pauses in conversation that seem a little too long or uncomfortable. We never skip a beat as they say. I must say that there is a new element in our marriage, one that I am afraid I will have to make room for..........BLOGGING........Yesterday I think my wife put the laptop on a solid surface and looked away from it for a grand total of about.............15 mins....... It has now become a joke, innocent and playful, she is "Blog-alicious" or is "My little Blogster". Blogging IS for Monica as Facebook WAS for me when she was gone, now coupled with the fantastic need to learn and do all things "Quilted" I am a little afraid I have lost a few hrs of my quality time with her to needle, thread, batting, and of course Blogging. I am consoled with the fact that it could be much much worse, like being a shopaholic, or a pathological liar. I am happy she has found something that captivates and encourages her creative spirit, but have true fear over the monetary costs for this hobby :-) Fortunately she still makes plenty of time to love on me as well as surf the Blog world and sew like the wind, so I am confident all will even out!!!

Machine Quilting

2009-03-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my first stab at machine quilting. I say stab because I think it could be considered a disaster. I can't really believe I am posting these pictures. My attempt is very humbling, but please remember I do not have a free motion machine yet. I am still working on a 60-something model Singer. I would stitch until I needed to change directions and then I would have to move that little lever on the right all the way up or down to change from forward to reverse and vice verse! Crazy I know. The hunny and I are shopping for a machine and are looking to get one in a few weeks. I was not trying to follow a stencil or pattern, just doing the pattern that came to me at the time. Some came out ok really, but others tanked.I think I like the flowers best, but only because my execution was better on those. I am not normally a flower person.Well I can just say this is a very good learning experience. I can do straight lines very well. One of the girls at the quilt shop told me I could even use masking tape as a guide if I just wanted to do straight lines. I think I may take her up on that until I get a free motion machine!!
P.S.- Don't laugh too hard!

Phew!!!

2009-02-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy past few days, but I am finally back in California with my sweetheart. The flight was fine. It left MS at 6:30 am and I arrived in CA at noon on Thursday. Wish I would have gotten to sleep a little more than that especially since I arrived so early. But oh well. Thursday, after my honey came and picked me up, we went to some friends' house to watch Grey's Anatomy. It is a standing date that we do with several friends, meet at someones house to watch Grey's. It is really a fun time. But this Thursday, they made me the best tri-tip ever, twice baked potatoes, salad, and one of them brought the most wonderful strawberry cheesecake I have ever had in my life. Why you ask did they go to all this trouble? Well my birthday came while I was in MS and so they felt like they needed to celebrate it with me. They are wonderful friends who truly are selfless. Yesterday, Trae and I had to go shopping because he let the groceries get down to practically nothing. He had no milk, no eggs, no bread, but by gosh, he did have BACON! But that really didn't surprise me. So we got the kitchen stocked back up with essentials so that if I wanted to whip something up, I wouldn't be scratching my head wondering where all the food went. Then we watched a movie, very typical of us. We are such movie lovers. We often like obscure movies that some people may find pointless or stupid, not in a dumb way though. I'll give you an example: Lars and the Real Girl. If you have ever seen this movie you will know and understand that it is unexpected, funny, and a great film. Just when you think that the movie is about to take a cheap nasty turn, it doesn't and reaffirms your trust in Hollywood to create a great film that has nothing to do with sex, nakedness, cheating or greed. But Trae and I have often been told that we do have sense of humor that is a little off beat. My mom calls us the "same kind of weird".
After our movie, I made dinner. It is one of our favorites and I did a pretty good job making it last night. Steak and Guinness Pie, a Jamie Oliver special. It has puff pastry, steak, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, and of course Guinness. It is so good.
Today, he had to go to work, he took the leftover pie with him of course. I am going to town. I am visiting a quilting shop in town that I have never been to before. I am very excited about that. No, I have not forgotten about my quilt that I have already started. It would not fit in my suitcase, so I had to ship it. Hopefully it will be here by early next week and I will continue it and keep you all posted of course. That is all for now.
Coming soon: We have a ski trip planned in a few weeks with Trae's boss/job caretaker. That will be a lot of fun. I am going to San Jose in a few weeks to spend a couple of days with my grandmother, mom, and great aunt, so I am looking forward to that. But for now, I must go and clean house!! It looks like a bachelor pad again!

1 More Day!

2009-02-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

There is only 1 more day and a few hours until I get on a plane and head back to California to see my perfect man! I am so excited to see him. I have missed him so much. On the phone today he was telling me about the shopping he did today. Yes, he was shopping for me!! Not sure why, I asked if there was a special occasion and he said no. Then I asked if it was because he missed me and he said, "Maybe..." So I am excited to see what little goody he got for me. I will keep you posted! He told me he almost bought me a new sewing machine!! It would be my only sewing machine since the one I am using technically belongs to my grandmother and she is asking for it! SO, I really need one to finish all my sewing projects, those already started and the ones in my head. Here are a few pictures, the only thing I have to look at when we are away!

Lake Tahoe last year

Going to the movies!

At an ugly sweater party, hench the hideous hat

And at a work funcion of mine

P.S.- I know what you are thinking and I have already been informed by family members that we are going to have the nappiest headed babies, EVER!!! HA!

ME?! Are You Sure?!!

2009-02-22T16:06:00.001-08:00

That sweet girl over at Firefly Shop- My Thoughts gave me the Sisterhood Award!! I didn't know I was that cool but I am so glad someone thinks so, other than my husband! A big thank you goes out to the coffee addict at Firefly. This award is for having a fun blog and now I am supposed to name 10 other blogs to receive this award! Here goes, I'm not sure I know that many people in the blogging world.

1. Shamelessly Southern- Amanda (I have already blogged about her, read here)

2. Aunt Spicy- JJ (I don't know her personally but she is a talented seamstress and makes beautiful quilts)

3. Librarian or Teacher- She is such a sweet commenter and I hope she ends up doing exactly what she wants.

4. Sunday Baker- Tanya- This woman has such strength and a way with food. Her recipes are so yummy and she give step by step picture instructions!!

5. My Chihuahua Bites- Andrea Leigh- She is so funny!

6. The Sweet Spot- TL- She is so sweet and leaves the best comments! Her family is precious too.

Ok, I can only do 6 because I don't really have a commenting relationship with anybody else. And I would feel really weird about giving someone an award not knowing if they have even seen or heard of my blog. I can just see getting an award from someone you don't even know being a little awkward. I love all of these blogs though!!

2009-02-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about the quilt I am working on. All the corners match up. I learned so many new tricks and gained great knowledge by quilting next to experienced quilters for a whole day.

I even got tips and tricks regarding machine quilting, which I didn't realize I had already dabbled in for my last quilt!

I just would like to encourage anyone in the metro Jackson, MS area to visit Quilt Arts on Lakeland Drive. They are so helpful and full of knowledge and information and great classes for every level. They also have absolutely beautiful fabrics.

This quilt is so easy and there is hardly any waste fabric. The pattern is called Turning Twenty. It is made from 20 fat quarters, which even accounts for the border, but not the backing. Once the cutting is done, this is the longest process, putting all the squares together is a snap! This is my backing:

Hope you like it!

Cue College Fight Song!

2009-02-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

My sister reprimanded me the other day because I had not posted anything about my grad school choice yet. I have been waiting to do so because I have not heard from school #2. Well I heard from school #2 and.. I GOT IN!!!!! YAY! I am really excited because although I like school #1's program better, school #2 trumps due to the hubby's necessity to travel for his job. He and I will feel much better knowing that when he does need to leave, I will be in the same town as family as opposed to 3 hours away from them if we were to go to school#1. We will be able to be near family the entire program. It is also good that we will be in the same place for more than 3-6 months. A little predictability is good sometimes. I am so extremely excited about starting school, I know, I am a nerd! I feel like I am walking exactly where God wants me to be and that is such a great feeling.
I also finished my quilt top today! Another wonderful feeling, but I am making you wait to see it until tomorrow when I can get a good picture of it.

"Real Girls Wear Pearls"

2009-02-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

I had to let everyone know about the giveaway going on at my flip flopz! She has the most adorable hand painted signs with very southern phrases. My personal favorite is "Sweet tea spoken here" I love it! She is giving away one of these precious signs and the winner gets to choose their colors and phrase!! I want to win this so bad! Also check out her etsy page too! You can purchase on of these signs also, but getting it in a giveaway is so much fun!

Good luck to all who enter!

Quick Post Before Bed

2009-02-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to write anything tonight because we got in late from visiting my sister at school, but, I feel so bad that I haven't posted anything since MONDAY!! I know, crazy! I just wanted to say that I miss my husband and I get to see him in 8 days (not counting today of course). I miss him so much and can't wait to give him a big hug and kiss! Ok that is all because I am tired and want to go to bed!! Oh yea!! Tomorrow I am having dinner with my best friend, yes the one I mentioned in an earlier post, at our favorite sushi place in town. Can't wait for that either!!

So, I'm a Snacker

2009-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

I love me some snacks. Baked goods are by far my favorite. Over the weekend, I made a whole wheat pumpkin bread with pecans and chocolate chips!! YUM!!!! It was so good! I have to say that I come from a family absolutely obsessed with pumpkin and have been since before it was cool to love pumpkin. Muffins, bread, coffee, cheesecake, cookies, cake, trifles, ice cream, candles, coffee creamer, and granola all pumpkin are considered a real treat. Of these 11 items just mentioned, 6 are in my mom's pantry right now and it isn't even fall. We eat pumpkin all year round and must stock up on certain items that can only be found around Thanksgiving. This weekend I was craving some pumpkin bread and found a great recipe using whole wheat flour. We ran out tonight so I made another loaf! It is so good. What did I have to drink with it you ask?! Chocolate milk of course! I love this stuff, and definitely prefer to make it myself than the premade stuff. I love the homemade kind the best, but I appreciate all chocolate beverages : YooHoo (sorry to those West Coast citizens who have never had this), rich chocolate Ovaltine, Hershey's syrup, Nesquik, chocolate soy milk, and definitely hot chocolate. My husband will tell you that if you ever want to make me smile, bring chocolate milk!!! Here is my breakfast: pumpkin bread, strawberries and coffee!! YUM!

So what do you love to snack on!?! Leave comments and share you guilty pleasures that make you feel cozy!

A New Hobby (Money Pit)

2009-02-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone's Valentine's Day celebration was full of love and laughs!

My sewing class that I took on V-Day was very fun. I told Trae that this could definitely be addicting. I was the youngest and least prepared there. All I brought with me was the fabric and thread I needed. No rotary cutter, no sewing machine, no pins, no scissors, etc. However, I was excused for my lack of preparation because all of my sewing paraphernalia is in California. They understood and graciously let me borrow all of the above. The instructor was the only person closest in age to me. She was in her 30's and has a few kids and the rest of the ladies were 50's +. They were all so sweet and truly enjoy learning different patterns and meeting others with the same hobby. I was probably the slowest one there! The slowest one to get all my fabric cut and my blocks sewn. There was one lady with whom I kept pace with. That made feel a little better.

The class was very relaxed and I learned a lot of new tips and tricks that the established quilters handed down to me. But the actual instruction was for things I already knew how to do. We cut our fabric, sewed the block together and began laying out our block to determine configuration. That was all I was able to get to in our 4 hours. What I really need instruction on is machine quilting, which I will need to learn to do before this quilt is complete. So... I may have to take another class to learn this skill.

Needless to say, I did not finish the quilt, not even done with the top yet. So on Friday I am meeting some of my classmates back at the quilt shop where our class was held to work on it more during Community Quilting Day. The shop opens their workstations to the public for free! I am excited about this too, because if I run into trouble and need help with a skill, I can ask one of my new friends for help.

My blocks all set out just waiting to be sewn together:
So what do you think?!
Leave a comment and tell me which print to do the lining in, I am having trouble deciding!

The Automotive Industry...

2009-02-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

Hello All! Monica and I have been looking for a large truck for some time now and much to our credit have not been swayed from our budget price for monthly payment. This week I found a great truck, talked to the dealership, came together on price and were ridiculously excited about the potential purchase....Yes there is pause for suspense here..................Long story short Ford decided that we were not cool enough to have their truck...Did I mention that this unit has been on the same lot for 625 days! This is a new 2008 F450, not exactly flying off the shelves here. One would think that they would be just shy of paying us to take it from them in this economy. I know that they were the only ones not to take a bailout, but really...C'mon... How many folks are actively seeking Super Duty trucks today? Not many, I've checked. So we rely on our faith that "this just isn't the one God has for us..." We continue to save our pennies for a bigger downpayment to offset our negative equity trade and we have been assured that they would be excited to do business with us. So if anyone is feeling philanthropic, don't hesitate to give us a shout ;-) All in all though, it has been a good week, especially since my beautiful bride has purchased her ticket to come home!!! Wooo Hooo!!! 13 days!!! Can't wait...

Valentine's Day

2009-02-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about this Saturday. No, not because it is Valentine's Day. Actually, because it is V-Day, I should be pretty sad because I am about 2500 miles away from my husband! Not fun. I will discuss this later. I signed myself up for a sewing class and I am so excited about it. I have dabbled in sewing quilts for a little while. My first was one for my best friend's first baby. Then a big one for my sister's high school graduation, and my most recent one was a really big one for my grandmother for Christmas. Each one has been more complicated than the previous. The last one I actually did a lot of hand quilting for. I really liked how it turned out but I would like to get better. So for a birthday present for myself, I registered for this class. It is a really really nice and expensive quilting store in my area. They have absolutely gorgeous fabrics and they are kinda pricey so I don't feel too bad about signing up since I used money I got for my birthday. Anyway, I am excited to share the finished product with you all after Saturday!
Yay!! Picture upload worked!! Above is the fabric I am using for my quilt!! I am just so excited!

It's My Birthday!

2009-02-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

That's right!! It is my birthday!! I am kinda excited. I feel like I have so much going on and so much to be thankful for that I am happy to be turning 25. I feel like I look better than I ever have, I dress better, have more confidence, and I know that I have the best looking and most devoted husband by my side!! So what is there not to be excited about! I am surrounded by family and friends who love me and have supported me through so much. Today is going to be a good day. I am so blessed!

Remodel Anyone?

2009-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anybody else has seen the new show on HGTV, Remodel Realities. This is hilarious. A camera crew captures the crashes, mishaps, tearing down, moving walls, wrong measurements, arguments, and unfinished work all done by inexperienced homeowners. Tonight's episode followed a couple who's home was being featured in a home tour. The house was over 100 years old and was originally a grocery store. The wife wanted to move/take down some walls to allow more light in the kitchen. The husband did not have any vacation time to take off to work on the project so they worked on it at night. But the best part was that they waited until only 4 days before the home tour to even start on the project! The did not know what they were doing, they didn't have a plan when they started, and they did not have enough time to do it. The husband built a temporary wall for support. He built this one wall outside, not thinking whether it would fit in the door to get inside the house. (You see where I am going!?) That's right, it was too big! He had to take it apart, the rebuild it inside!! It is great to know that there are other people that this type of stuff happens to. While he was at work one day, his lumber that was being stored under a carport was stolen!!! I felt bad for the guy. He got no sleep in about 4 days, full time job at a bank, builder by night, wife who kept wanting to tear down walls, and had no idea how to do it. But I guess he did put a lot of it on himself, leaving himself only 4 days to complete a project like that! WOW! You have got to see it. I feel so much better about my remodel adventures now.

20 Things About Me

2009-02-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

So... Firefly tagged me in a post on her site. Here goes, 20 things you may or may not know about me:

1. I really enjoy reading. Just got done with Persuasion by Jane Austen. Nicholas Sparks is never disappointing.

2. I believe in personal responsibility. Take responsibility for your actions and whatever consequences that come with it. A lot of our society's problems would be solved if everyone took responsibility for their actions.

3. Me and the hubby are drama minimizers. We don't like to create drama, for ourselves or others, and we don't like being sucked into other people's drama.

4. I love Jesus!

5. I have never had a broken bone.

6. I grew up waterskiing on a nationally competitive level.

7. I skied on my college team.

8. I LOVE college football.

9. I think I have the best family in the world.

10. Music is a way for me to escape my immediate surroundings, which is fun sometimes.

11. We don't have kids yet, but we are so extremely excited about when we do decide to have them. We want to be as prepared financially as we can be. You know that personal responsibility thing!

12. For 2 summers in high school, I lived 3 hours away from my parents and worked at a water ski school. No parents, living with college kids for an entire summer, at 15; I learned a lot about my self and about the world.

13. I knew I was going to marry my husband the day I met him.

14. He knew it too.

15. I was valedictorian of my graduating class.

16. I am quite the beginner in quilting, but I want to get better and make more quilts. I just love making something from scratch and giving it away, even if all the corners don't quite match up.

17. I love cooking too. Especially baking. I will make a whole cake just so that I can have 1 piece and then give it away.

18. I am also kind of hooked on sudoku puzzles.

19. Been helping people with disabilities learn how to waterski since I was a little girl.

20. I absolutely adore my husband. He is supportive, hilarious, giving, and a wonderful husband to me. It is good to know that you made the right choice, you didn't settle. I know because I know that God brought us together and will keep us together no matter what comes our way!