Whee-hoo!!! Again!!!!

Okay, so now you can SEE we're doing well. Just thought I should have a picture of Bryan cooking, where's he's in his element. He's so talented and makes such beautiful things! Finally, you can see the donkeys as well. Horace is the white one, Steve-O, the little gray one. OH, and the picture of Bryan and me together is from our church Blast from the Past party, where we both dressed in the 60's. Way fun. ^_^ We played "Let's Make a Deal", where lots of the prizes were elephant gifts brought from home and lovely little prizes from the Dollar Store. Whee-hoo!!! ^_^

Transitions!!!!!!

New house--LOVE it. Counter space, Counter Space, COUNTER SPACE. Way cool. Donkeys--way fun. They love it when we give them special attention and feed them apples. Stryker is getting used to the idea of these "strange, big dogs" and barks at them less than in the beginning. We love our bedrooms and the living room and kitchen. Whee-hoo!
New school--LOVE it. Good teachers, good classmates with interesting life stories. No snobs. We're not like the Brady Bunch or anything--some people just don't click--but we like each other all right.
New not-working status--LOVE it. A little more tight, money-wise, but way more time to do homework. I was so nervous already because I had no time for all the reading for class. Teachers assign chapters at a time because, honestly, people in grad school should be doing ONLY that--grad school--at least, if you're going full time. I figured that I'd rather finish in 2 years and not work during as opposed to working while going part-time, finishing in 3 years. Besides, I would be already done by now, but that's another story...
New spending time with Bryan--LOVE IT!!!!!! You know, it's funny, I kinda laughed when I was told before I got married that I would see Bryan less after marrying him. I was like, "No way! We'll see each other allthe time because we'll LIVE together!" It really is true--separate jobs, separate schools, can almost turn into separate LIVES. Have to be SO careful...that's how people wake up after being married for a while and don't know their own spouses. Here's a thought--if you're spending too much time apart and you just can't make time for each other, find out what needs to be cut so you can reconnect with your spouse. It's essential to happiness in marriage. Maybe I'll do a study on this...hmmmm.......
Love to all! Hope everybody else is happy!

Newlyweds again!

Well, that's how I feel! We're moving into a new place, we got some new sheets and dishes, and we're moving to a place closer to my school and Bryan's work. It's gonna be really good for us and I am happy. You know, generosity is a great thing. So is selflessness. I gotta say, Donna Petrak has a lot of both. But now is the time for Bryan and me (and Stryker) to live in Harmony. It's very farmish.
I haven't lived in the country since I was a kid, and it wasn't very long before we moved to Searcy. What's the best part about living in the country in PA, as opposed to AR? No ticks! How many of us cousins remember going out to the barn, sitting (and usually singing--Rachel and Tara--on the hay, coming back with ticks. Going out and playing with the dogs, coming back with TICKS. Not here. Whee-hoo!
Plus, we now have donkeys! They're not ours or anything, they're just there and all we have to do is water them. We named them Steve-o and Horace. Horace is the big white one, and Steve-o is the smaller, more friendly one. He loves to be scratched on his head and nose, and Horace stays away until his jealousy overcomes him. Then he comes up for a good scratch on the noggin.
We also have a nice spring near the house. We'll get our water from there, mostly. It tastes way better than stuff from the PUR filter. So, if you want to get away for a few days, we have a place for you now! (This means you, Mom.) ^_^
Or Rachel and Casey, if you overshoot your parents house and keep driving, come on. It's only a few more hours. Pittsburgh is a great place to live--the restaurants, the gorgeous hills, the sights. Maybe we can even take in a Penguins game. I didn't go to one last season and I really want to this time. I have a nifty student ID now that will get me a discount at games.
Okay, so that's the new stuff. I love and miss people like crazy, and I look forward to seeing people next.
Oh, by the way, Aunt Kathy is just so cool. I had so much fun at her house a coupla nights ago. I got to see people I hadn't seen in WAY too long--Tiffany, Megan, Kole, Aunt Kathy, Uncle Kevin, and I got to meet James, as well as Megan's boyfriend, Zach.
Family is SO cool. Anyway, come see me! I may be studying some of the time you're here, but we'll take some time to get some good food and sights in.
Love to ALL! ^_^

Kennywood! Whee-hoo!

Kennywood is a small amusement park located 25 minutes away from Carnegie. It has a few good rides and one really big outdoor ride and one big indoor ride. Not Six Flags by any means, but it's a lotta fun. Plus, Kennywood holds a special place in the hearts of many Pittsburghers, and I can see why. It's special. ^_^ Anyway, Bryan and I went yesterday with his friend and his friend's niece. We had a blast! oh, and not only was it not crowded--it was Polish Day! Everywhere I went I saw shirts like "Kielbasa--$4, Pierogies--$2, Being Polish--priceless" and "Not only am I perfect, I'm Polish!" ^_^ Was really fun.
Ironically, I always said that if I lived near an amusement park I would go all the time, but reality doesn't allow it. Scheduling is just difficult because my husband and I work different shifts, meaning that when I am enjoying time off, he's got his nose to the grindstone. Kinda stinks. Eventually, we'll both have jobs where we can have entire days off together and--gasp!--maybe a weekend!--without specifically requesting them. I'm just glad that we both have the end of August for this purpose. We're going to Bryan's cousin's wedding in North Carolina! Will be way fun.
Anyway, I hope everybody gets a day off every once in a while to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Work leads to rewards--stop and take advantage of them every once in a while. Love to all! ^_^

WHEE-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just finished my FAFSA!!!!!!! SO excited! I'm officially going back to school and I'm SO ready. It's TIME. I want to do something more meaningful than bringing somebody their coffee. Gotta say, though, every experience I've ever had has brought good along with the bad. I don't regret working at Applebee's ONE bit, and not just for the money. It's built my confidence in my self,and brought me closer to God, believe it or not. I've met the most interesting people there, workers, bosses, customers. I think God puts us at places so we'll impact and be impacted. I've definitely been impacted. I think I'll be a better counselor for it, actually.
And did I mention I'm thrilled to be finished with my FAFSA? ^_^
Government is beneficial, with the good and bad. They still have several kinks to work out in its system. Not willing to try myself, though. i was not meant to be involved with government. Just not my thing. I'd rather pray for good politicians to lead us as presidents than for me to go for it myself. I never was that interested in history, government, etc. Hey, let's all just play our strengths. While I'm not the best at "conversating", I'm pretty good at listening, and I'm a lot better at reading people than I used to be. I used to think that people who didn't want to talk a lot with me just didn't like me. Some people just don't like small talk, especially with the server at the restaurant. These people are NOT mean. I used to react off of this and not be sure how to serve them, but now I know that if the person doesn't respond with boisterous conversation, it means get them what they need efficiently, give them as many refills as they can take withOUT talking during--silent server, and be QUIETLY polite. For doing that yesterday, I was rewarded with a 33% tip! ^_^ Was very nice.
People. I'm looking forward to PEOPLE! I'm so ready to be in classes with them, but also to counsel them. I'm ready to work hard and to be recognized for my studying. I'm ready for A's and succeess after difficult tests, and I'm ready to once again be in a Christian school. I've missed being with Christians outside of church. Don't get me wrong, I hang out with some people I go to church with outside of church, but mostly, I'm at work with people who don't hold the same belief system that I do. I love them to death, but conversing about God becomes difficult.
Well, thanx for listening. I have been in communicado lately, and I miss everybody so much. Okay, time to visit your blogs now! Love to ALL. ^_^

Whee-hoo! I'm the first!

First off, happy 4th of July! Secondly, I'm sure everybody saw a good fireworks display. I went with Bryan, Chris and Maria, Mike, and their Mom to Scott Park--actually, they'd been there since 4 and I joined them at 6:30 after I got off of work. We had so much fun! They brought all this food, and so we picnicked, played basketball, ate ice cream, and listened to this old fogey band play old fogey songs while old fogeys danced and had fun. I laughed at them and said to Bryan, "You know that will be me in the distant future." Well, as long as I keep having fun. ^_^
The fireworks were spectacular!I started off sitting in the back of Chris and Maria's truck, but I was pretty close, so I was craning my neck. After a while, I laid down on the grass so I was directly underneath the fireworks, and it was PERFECT. I had the best view.
I hope everybody had as much fun as I did! ^_^

What a cool family!

This weekend was filled with Fink. The Finks are Bryan's mom's family, and there are many members of this crew. Plus, we have 2 Lindas, 2 Dianes, and several zany uncles, so we had a laugh RIOT. I had a blast. These people are so COOL. I'm just getting to know how cool they are because I only see them a coupla times a year. The Finks were here for two things--their 4th of July--technically on the 1st--/family reunion and one of the cousin's--Linny's--wedding shower. It was great! The shower had the usual stuff--nice gifts, girly little finger foods, lovely treats to take home afterward, etc. We also had a nice pot of chocolate fondue to go with bananas, marshmallows, and strawberries. It was all girls except for the fiance, Randy, so there was a whole lotta giggling. At the end of the night, Uncle Rick--whose house hosted the shower--got out his bongos and played while we were listening to music and having a ball.
The next day was the family reunion. It was also a birthday party for Uncle Rick, and the theme was Heinz 57 because...he was good humored about it. He cracks me up. All the uncles do. ^_^
Like any reunion, it was filled with lotsa laughter and really good food. These people know how to cook, too! After the reunion, we went bowling. (I bowled a 125--whee-hoo!!!)
I gotta say, I'm SO lucky to have married into such a fun family. I'm looking forward to Linny's wedding at the end of August. God blessed me with a good husband, and a good set of in-laws. Whee-hoo!

$3 rentals

These are the movies that are $3 movies. I don't mean that they happen to cost that at the time--it's just that they are best seen as a rental for $3. Some movies dont' work for that. Spiderman needs to be seen in the theater, unless of course you have one of those really cool home entertainment centers with surround sound and a big screen. I don't have that (yet--ha) so I coughed up the $8 to see it at the theater with everybody else. This category includes X-Men, Transformers, Fantastic Four, Independence Day, etc.
The movies I'm talking about are new at the beginning, and so poor unsuspecting souls--most likely young men who have just taken their dates out to some overpriced restaurant--reach deep into their pockets for that precious $16 dollars so the two of them can sit through a movie, only to realize 15 minutes in, "Hey--this movie could have waited a few months, and I would have saved $13." Truthfully, not only would the money have been better spent to see "Fantastic Four" or "Evan Almighty"--can't wait to see that, by the way--but admit it--the poor shlubs who spent $13 extra bucks probably spent $10 more to get drinks--maybe just one--and candy for their dates, even though for dinner they just had a salad and diet coke. Irony rears its ugly head in the dating scene once again.
What inspired this blog? I just watched "Music and Lyrics." I hope I'm not offending anybody who liked this movie, it's just that after seeing masterpieces that shake my core, "Music and Lyrics" left me cold. Don't get me wrong--it's cute. It's romantic. I said, "Awwwww" at the appropriate times. I am glad, however, that when I was at the theater a few months ago I watched "Bridge to Terabithia" instead. That was one of those "worth-it" $8 movies. For those who didn't see it, maybe you can still catch it at a dollar theater. I hope you can--it's great.
This category also is related to the "Wal-Mart Bin" category. How many times have you seen movies for $5.50 and said, "I should buy it--it's only $5!" a good example of this is "The Bachelor." I LOVE this movie, but it lives in the bin and is often sold at stores for $5. Why is this? It has become one of those movies that people don't talk about anymore because it didn't shake anybody to their core. People will talk about "A Few Good Men" forever because of the line (say it with me now....)
"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" It's the same reason people won't forget "Forrest Gump" or "The Shawshank Redemption." How many spoofs have you seen of people standing in the rain with their arms spread out wide? It's one of the best scenes from the movie.
Myabe that's a mark of a good movie--people making fun of it--or at least it's a mark of a movie that makes an impression.

Dress Woes...

Why can't I find a dress????? For ONCE it's not my weight! ^_^ No, unfortunately, it's just the style. It's the time of the season for baring. I just can't wear those strapless dresses to church. I'm not going to judge people who can. More power to them. I feel uncomfortable. I want a cute dress that I can wear to church, and I can't find one! The irony is Penney's used to be my place where I'd always find a dress. It now seems as if they have dresses with sleeves for old ladies, or in a younger style but black. It's summer! I don't want to wear a black dress in summer. I'd feel blah. Again, more power to those who can. I want pink. Actually, it was kinda funny because when I was at Penney's, I thought "WHERE IS A NICE PINK DRESS?" only to turn around and see a tweed, pepto bismol colored jacket. PASS.
Apparently, fashion designers--Megan, Tiffany, are you paying attention to this?--think that sleeves are only for those 80+ and the rest of us will just have to wear a jacket. I suppose I could, but I'd rather just find a cute sleeveless dress or one with short sleeves, a nice light blue or pink color, maybe a yellow, and one that I can wear to church.
Lucky for me, I go to church with people--I don't tell them nearly enough how cool they are ^_^-- who wear jeans and tee shirts, or sometimes a jacket and nice pants, or nice button-ups. I was raised though, like many of the people who read this blog, to dress for God on Sunday morning. On the one hand, He's just glad we're there together to worship Him. On the other, I have the "dress for God" mentality drilled into my head.
So until I find just the right dress, I will continue to wear my khakis and shirts or jeans and button-up, or one of my older dresses that have managed to last as long as they have.

So much fun! ^_^

I LOVE to bowl! I have no strategy whatsoever, but I have a lotta fun. Yesterday, it was all rainy and I was just dying to do something out. I'd been cooped up all day long. I thought Bryan and I were going to spend all afternoon at the pool, but the rain said, "NO", so I suggested bowling instead. Bryan and I went with his sister, Maria, and her fiance, Chris. He's a good bowler and has his own ball. The ball's pretty cool and has this core inside that turns when the ball is rolled, therefore producing a wicked curve and resulting in several strikes. I can't even pick up the ball with one hand, so I decided it would be best to stick with a lighter ball.
Bowling was great! I got my best score ever--98! ^_^ I'm not exactly Kingpin, but that's okay because I play for a laugh, not to rack up points. I did, however, get two strikes in a row. 2/3 of a turkey!

Fiesta! ^_^

We had SO much fun tonight! Our church has get-togethers (Holly, is that hyphenated?) every once in a while, just to be together, eat, and play games. This one's theme was a fiesta. We had a blast! The first picture is of our preacher, Reid Moon, who is the best combination of spirituality and fun of anybody I've ever met. He's the coolest! He also has so much to say to get me thinking. It's such a God thing that he's my preacher.
The third picture is of his son, Jacob, who is way cool. He's about to finish college--on his last year for a musical scholarship. Anyway, he was also swinging at a pinata. Way fun. I bought it and stuffed it with tootsie rolls--any pinata I've ever seen has been stuffed with them--as well as some fun dip and a few other pieces of candy. We also had a pinata for the kids in picture number two. These girls are so cute! I just had to get a shot of them on the swing.
We also had a live pinata. Hmm, I just realized I didn't get a shot of the live pinata. Of course, it's hard to take a picture of yourself. That was me! It was fun. I took crepe paper and taped really long pieces all over me, and I ran like the dickens all over the yard while people tore after me, trying to remove all of the crepe paper. When the last piece was removed, I threw the candy I was carrying in the air. It was SO much fun!!!!! People got a kick out of it. I'm sure I looked funny, but we had a blast.
By the way, I'm one of the Ministresses of Fun at our church. Lisa Goda is the other one, and we plan these parties together. We had fun planning this one, and we look forward to planning the next one, too. ^_^
May all of you enjoy your church as much as Bryan and I do! ^_^ Love to all!

6 Month Plea

(This is Stryker pleading for everybody to get together.)

Okay. The time has COME. The Curtises haven't had Christmas together since 1995. Some of us have gotten together through travelling, meaning mamaw and Papaw, who have gotten to see everybody periodically. And why shouldn't they? Everybody loves to come to see them, just not at the same time. It must happen this year! I'm calling this the 6 month plea because it gives everybody time to get their Christmas schedules together where we can all be, well, together. Think about it--the amazing singing--I'm so hungry for it!--Aunt Kathy's pepperoni rolls and puppy chow (that peanut butter chocolate and powdered sugar stuff), Aunt Donna's enchiladas, Mom's(Aunt Carol's to some) blackberry cobbler, Uncle Randy's humor ^_^, and ANYTHING that Mamaw makes. People can draw names for just the right Christmas gift, the way we used to do it--cousins draw cousins, grown-ups draw grown-ups, and everybody gets gifts for the cousins kids and for Mamaw and Papaw. Ooh, and we can't forget the big stocking!!!! Remember what goes on the side--new drawers filled with the stocking excess. ^_^ For our morning coffee, we can have those lovely little chocolate covered spoons. Ooh, and I'll make a pound cake. Everybody loves pound cake, right?
All that aside, I just MISS everybody!!! Keeping up by blogging is beautiful, but it's NOT the same as hearing Aunt Kathy sing "Oh Holy Night". Ooh, my i-tunes is on shuffle. A CHRISTMAS song just came on. It's fate!!!! This is the Christmas that everybody MUST come together!!! I really hope it works out. I want to see everybody so badly. So many hugs, so many laughs, so many hours of playing games and watching "Claymation Christmas" and "Miracle on 34th Street."
Love to ALL! ^_^

It's swim time, baby!

I'm SO glad that the pools are open!!!! Time for SWIMMING. Now, swimming means many different things to people. For some, it's time to lay out. For others, time to do serious laps. Some spend quality time on the water slide and the diving board and relish in the adult only swim time. My swim time is a melange of all of the above. I'm pale as a ghost from the winter and well, LIFE in general, so I have a lot of tanning to do. Oh, and to be honest, I'm not one of the "serious" lap people, but I make myself do at least 10. I play the rest of the time. ^_^ Oh, and as far as swimming goes, I'm an expert...doggie paddler...I don't even like to put my head under water except for when I've just jumped off of the diving board or gone down the slide.
So, what kind of swimmer are you? May your pooltimes be merry! ^_^

This is a test

My blog before this one wouldn't allow comments--I'm seeing what happens. I wish I were more computer savvy...

Darren Aronofsky's "The Fountain"

Power, love, beauty, passion.
Have you ever wished that you could be Adam or Eve in the Garden of Eden? Maybe you wouldn't have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Maybe you would have relished in the presence of God and had nothing to hide. Maybe you wouldn't have been banished from perfection, freedom, and eternal life. I would like to think I would have listened to God and that His word against eating from the tree would have been enough for me.
This film is about a husband's encompassing love for his wife, and her story inspired by the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden. Although most of the story is fiction, it does bring me to think about how the tree really was. Was it beautiful? What was it about it that wasn't as appetizing as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? I think that the TKGE that although it looked good for eating, mustn't have been as beautiful as the TOL, or Satan wouldn't have had to push it on Adam and Eve. They were attracted to all of the other trees, satisfied with the fruit from the others. I also wonder how long it took before Satan tempted them. How long did he wait before pouncing on these two people?
Life! So powerful. And yet so many people take it for granted. People die for it, sell everything for it, and some give up hope of having it. This couple's--from the movie--passion for each other and life is breathtaking.

Encouragement

Are you having a good day? A bad day? Did you do well for somebody or mess up? Did you have really good intentions but fail? Did you have nonchalant intentions and brighten someone's day anyway? You're HUMAN. You're bound to please people, let them down, but most importantly, YOU ARE YOUR TOUGHEST CRITIC. You know whether you tried your best. God knows whether you tried your best. Why are we trying to please other people?? I am a people pleaser by nature, to those who didn't know...
What I realize (after attempts to please people, some that work, some that don't) is that I need to please THREE people: God, Bryan, and myself. There are ways, though, that I must come before Bryan, as must all of you come before your spouses. You know more than your spouse if you are trying the best you CAN. Don't let anybody make you feel bad about the effort you're attempting. You know the level you're working and only you know if you need to work harder. If you are working hard, feel good about it. Be YOU.
It is what it is. You will succeed, you will fail. So will I! The best I can do is to work my hardest to please my God and savior, then Bryan, then me. I can do my best to make other people's lives better, but ultimately, it comes down to our personal relationships with God.
I'm writing this blog because there are times I feel down about myself and what I haven't done, and I forget to be proud of things I have done. I feel bad about myself for letting people down, forgetting about the fact that I did the best I could. I just want you to know that you are amazing people who have pressures and relationships to build, and I hope that you don't waste your time feeling bad when you can't please everybody. Help others, yes, but put God and your family first. The people that you can't personally help can be helped by your church, whether it be by prayer, financial encouragement, etc. This is one of the benefits from going to church. We have people to lean on and to let lean on us!
Love to all, and I pray for all of you. ^_^

A shout-out to the talented

Regular people who perfected their craft, not stopping when they made mistakes. Maybe we could all learn from these people....^_^
First off, Happy Mother's Day to my Mom
She's lovely, intelligent, and incredibly hard-working. I owe my "fun-ness" to her. ^_^ I've learned a lot from her...

All the other people, Steve Carell, Edward Norton, Reese Witherspoon, Pearl Jam, Joni Mitchell, Josh Groban, Matthew Perry--they're all incredibly talented as well...
inspires us all to not just settle for doing a mediocre job, right?
They all worked passionately and have succeeded. We all can succeed at whatever we want!!! ^_^ Just do it.

I've got it...

I know what I want to do! Okay, so I love Pennsylvania. It's perfect entertainment-wise, people-wise, and weather-wise--well, spring/summer/fall, I mean. So this is my plan. Eventually, I will have a house in Florida where Bryan and I will live from January-April. If I miss the snow, I can always come back to PA for a day or so, just in time to get snowed in. Then, I'll go back to those lovely warm winter days. Ever been to Disney World around Christmas? It's PERFECT. I know it's a lofty goal, but it sounds pretty nice. ^_^ I was just thinking about those lovely palm trees and driving up and down the roads, looking across the distance and seeing the beach...mmmmmmmmmmmm, sounds good. Hmm--I could be licensed to counsel in a coupla different states...
Well, anyway, today is my day off, so I have time to work on stuff but also to dream. Here's to dreaming--in the midst of hard work--and not giving up on those lovely thoughts that bring smiles to our faces. God wants us content, but He also instilled in us the desire to dream. Whether that dream be raising Godly babies, being singers in the church praise team, or being top-notch counselors, dream big--whatever your dream may be--and put forth the effort to succeed.
Love to all! K ^_^

Anyway--Martina McBride

I hope this song will give you some inspiration throughout the course of your day. Listen to it--it's powerful. Love to all. ^_^



You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might never come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea - sing it anyway

I sing
I dream
I love
Anyway

Oh, the life of a chef's wife...^_^

The trouble that comes from being married to a chef is that when I am excited that I found a new recipe, before I can make it myself, my husband jumps on the ingredients and does his own thing.
The blessing that comes from being married to a chef is that when I am excited that I found a new recipe, before I can make it myself, my husband jumps on the ingredients and does his own thing.
I know, I will only get better with cooking the more that I practice myself, but at least when he cooks, he teaches at the same time. He says, “Look, Kristi, this is how you make risotto…” and I just know that I will be able to make it sometime…when I get the chance.
It can be intimidating to cook for a chef. He is very gracious and eats what I make for him. He likes it too, but he always has ways of making it BETter. It’s cool--I learn this way and find new things to make instead of the same old thing. I’m pretty easy to please, food-wise. I don’t even have to have a real dinner a lot of the time--lean pockets, 100 calorie pack of chips, and weight watcher dessert with a side of DIET COKE is just fine, so I forget that other people like to have better, more nicely prepared meals. I suppose I’m what you call a college student that hasn’t grown up yet, food-wise, although I eat a lot of nice foods--when Bryan prepares them for me…^_^
Hey, it’s working for me so far. I learn on a weekly basis how to make really neat foods, and eventually, I’ll be a suitable homemaker. Thank Goodness Bryan loves me the way I am!!
Okay, well, here’s the recipe. It’s YUMMY. Love to all!!!!! ^_^

Pasta with Chicken and Peanut Butter Sauce
Peanut butter sauce is featured in many Ecuadorean dishes.
Ingredients:
12 ounces pasta, such as fettuccine, uncooked
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 red jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. minced ginger
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 8-ounce package frozen snow peas, thawed
Preparation: In boiling water, cook pasta until almost al dente. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, pour 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add chicken and sauté until just done. Remove chicken with tongs and set aside. Coat skillet with remaining teaspoon of sesame oil, then add jalapeños, garlic, ginger, and bell pepper. Sauté for two minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for two additional minutes, or until vegetables are almost tender. Add chicken stock, peanut butter, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until peanut butter is thoroughly incorporated into mixture. Add snow peas, chicken, and pasta. Stir for about three more minutes, until all ingredients are heated through. Makes 6 servings.

I'm going HOME...

...and I'm PSYCHED. I've been working hard, Bryan's been working COUNTLESS hours, and it is time to go where everybody knows our na-a-ame (dun, dun, dun...^_^)
Yeah, I'm ready. I miss my family. For all of Bryan's family who's reading this blog, hey, you're the coolest! But I miss MINE. ^_^
Mom, you are the BEST mom a girl could ask for. I can't imagine having a better mom than you.
Kim, you are a crazy fun sister who knows no limits. You can do anything, and I'm proud of you. You also have a great family who i can't wait to see.
Kreg, you are the coolest brother a girl could ask for. You keep me in stitches. Looking forward to meeting that girlfriend of yours. ^_^ Hear good things about her.
Mamaw and Papaw, I MISS you like crazy!!!! Maybe we could squeeze in a game of Rook? Haven't played in a while, so Papaw, you're likely to beat me, although you're reading this thinking "I'd beat you anyway." ^_^
Dad, can't wait to see you and hug on your neck. Miss you.
Love to all, you are BEAUTIFUL people.

I'm going HOME...

...and I'm PSYCHED. I've been working hard, Bryan's been working COUNTLESS hours, and it is time to go where everybody knows our na-a-ame (dun, dun, dun...^_^)
Yeah, I'm ready. I miss my family. For all of Bryan's family who's reading this blog, hey, you're the coolest! But I miss MINE. ^_^
Mom, you are the BEST mom a girl could ask for. I can't imagine having a better mom than you.
Kim, you are a crazy fun sister who knows no limits. You can do anything, and I'm proud of you. You also have a great family who i can't wait to see.
Kreg, you are the coolest brother a girl could ask for. You keep me in stitches. Looking forward to meeting that girlfriend of yours. ^_^ Hear good things about her.
Mamaw and Papaw, I MISS you like crazy!!!! Maybe we could squeeze in a game of Rook? Haven't played in a while, so Papaw, you're likely to beat me, although you're reading this thinking "I'd beat you anyway." ^_^
Dad, can't wait to see you and hug on your neck. Miss you.
Love to all, you are BEAUTIFUL people.

Tipping

This topic has been on my mind lately, especially, as I am a server. I'm becoming a much better one than I was at first. I'm learning that when I do a good job I make good or bad tips. When I don't do as well, I make good or bad tips. These poor people just don't know, or they know but tip badly anyway. If you are one of these two, I hope this blog will help you work out of being one of these. Did you know that most servers make around $2.50/hour? They make their money from tips and in theory should make as much as everybody else by the time they are tipped what they ought. Do your server a favor. If she/he does a good job, let her know--financially. I add this word because there have been several tables that said, "Kristi, you're a GREAT server" and then left me $2.00 for a $50 check on the table. I should have been tipped at least $10 in this case--%15. Some people leave %20, which makes me really happy. Don't get me wrong--I am not a greedy person, but I would just rather not do the work for a $60 check and receive $3.50. I do a lot of stuff!
Oh, and one more thing about tipping. I love it when people use coupons. I think that's great and people should take full advantage of them. However, customers are technically supposed to tip %15 off of the full amount before the discount, not off of the discounted price. I feel bad for servers who get gypped on this part.
Okay, so that's it. Be kind to your servers. Now if they don't do a good job, don't reward them for a job done badly--that's not fair for you to have to give people money for not bringing you extra drinks or things on time, but if they do well, they should know by the extra green they get from the table.
Okay, I know people will take what I said with a grain of salt, but just thank the server who filled and cleaned the salt caddy and put it (lovingly) on your table. ^_^
Love to all! ^_^

Reign Over Me

Wow. What a GREAT movie. Bryan and I saw it this evening. This film captured complex human emotion at its utmost and the essence and beauty of family.
I love how Adam Sandler isn't simply a funny actor anymore. He showed that by being in Punch Drunk Love. He is fantastic in Reign Over Me. He plays a man who lost his family in a plane crash, and his former friend from college, Don Cheadle, reunites with him as friends to help him heal. Anybody who's already seen this knows that I'm being VERY superficial about this whole thing, but I don't want to give anything away. The movie is touching and powerful, and I cried. I don't cry in a lot of movies, so to clue you in to the aspect of power it takes for me to cry in a movie, I cried in Million Dollar Baby. This movie was beautiful, and I think all who see it will be touched as deeply as I was. God gives us friends that come into our lives for a reason, to teach us something or to be taught something, and then He also gives us friends to mean something more, to be there permanently, coming back in and out and being there for what matters. God is beautiful and gives us beautiful friendships that must not be taken for granted.

It's the time of the season for...coughing!!!

Two days ago, I started coughing as soon as I got home from work. NOT fun. Yesterday, I'm sure I scared half the people that were at my tables with my sexy raspy voice. (Refer to Phoebe from "Friends"--her sexy phlegm. ^_^)
I had a fever for the past coupla days and today it is breaking, so I should be fine tomorrow. Good night's sleep and just the right medicine. Makes me really appreciate being healthy! Isn't it funny how sometimes it takes losing something to really appreciate it? Also, knowing you can't have something sometimes makes you want it more, but that's another blog...^_^
At any rate, the weather is warmer (for real this time??) this week. If anybody's noticed, I've blogged about the weather for the past couple of times because the North is CRUEL. Keeps teasing me with warm days, making me think all the snow is gone. We'll see, but at any rate, today is beautiful.
I pray that none of you get sick. I know we all do, but I don't wish it on anybody. Love to all!

Oh, one more thing--a main difference between North and South is tea. Order tea in the south, it's sweet iced tea. Here, tea is either hot or unsweetened. Hot tea is GREAT for the sore throat, though. ^_^

Spring Cleaning!

And what a day for it! I woke up this morning at NINE, which I rarely get to do. I was shocked I woke up so late. Went into the kitchen and whipped up some scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee. Bryan and I had a lovely breakfast together. We don't usually get to do this because I work at 10:30 and Bryan's exhausted from working late the night before, so we see each other for a few minutes in the morning and in the evening after he gets off work. Today, however is DIFFERENT. Yea!!
As for spring cleaning, well, it is BEAUTIFUL outside, and so I feel more positive, hence more able to clean as opposed to a rainy day where it's all DEPRESSING. Well, rainbows are nice, though...^_^
So, that's what I'm up to today. 01,,m oiup ,.Stryker just leaned up against the keyboard. That's him saying "hi." ^_^
Yesterday was lovely because I ended up working a double. Doubles are GREAT for servers. Whee-hoo!!
Okay, well, here's to another lovely day. May all of your days be lovely. ^_^

Le-e-e-et the sun shi-i-i-i-i-i-i-ne (in!)

I just LOVE that song!
Yes, sports fans, it was a LOVELY day at the park. The sun shone, and Kristi wore a tee shirt without *gasp!* a coat!!! Aunt Kathy, YOU know what I'm talking about! Maybe it's still cold in St. Louis--is it, Aunt Donna? Holly and Jonathan, you know the cold!! You understand how PRECIOUS and PERFECT a day like today is!!! It was amazing. so I found out why cold weather is precious and perfect as well. It makes me truly appreciate days like TODAY! So happy.
That's it--just hope everybody else has a great day, weather-wise, as well. ^_^
Love to ALL. ^_^

PS--Mom, I bet you started thinking of another song when you saw the title to this blog. Was this it? "So let the sunshine in! Face it with a grin..." etc. ^_^

The best birthday EVER!

Bryan and I had the best time at Eleven tonight! The restaurant is SO great. The food was amazing. I had the best birthday celebration EVER! Seriously, Aunt Kathy, you're 2 hours away--you gotta go to Eleven--if not to at least see me (hee hee!), but to have the best dessert of your life! Plus, Bryan's cousin was celebrating her birthday as well, so we went as a big group of 8 tonight. It was fun! Bryan's sisters, Lara and Ria, Ria's boyfriend, Chris, Bryan's mom, and Bryan's cousin's husband--we were all there together. It was great! Bryan has a really nice family.
The food was fantastic. I mean, REALLY fantastic. I had this lobster risotto for an appetizer, and for dinner, I had lamb. It's really cool because it's farm-raised lamb and so we know it wasn't pumped with steroids to be raised faster for the meat--naturally grown and better for me. Plus, people all over the world like to get lamb from the farm from whence the lamb came--a farm in good ole PA. Kinda cool, huh? Anyway, it was nothing short of spectacular.
Here's dessert.
Okay, I haven't quite figured out how to align the right comments with the right pictures, but you can figure it out. Anyway, for those who you don't know, the platinum blonde is Lara, and she's in a picture with Donna, Bryan's mom. The picture with the sister with dark hair is Maria and her boyfriend Chris. I loved the special touch they added to my birthday dessert. Special, wasn't it?
Dessert, by the way, was AWESOME. It was this banana cake thing that also had cinnamon sugar syrup on it. Whee-hoo!! I had espresso with it too because it made me think of Italy. So glad Bryan works at Eleven--otherwise, we couldn't eat at a place like this! This, as it is, will be a very SPECIAL occasion place to eat. Hope everyone has something like Eleven nearby because it was so much fun.
Love to all!!! ^_^
PS--the last one is everybody all together. We had a blast.

Funny video--enjoy ^_^

I'm a quarter of a century old!!!!!!

So fun to say. Thought about the title for this blog yesterday and couldn't wait until today to type it. Actually, I should be in bed, but it IS technically March 2nd--just early in the morning, stayed up from the night before.
So, for my birthday I will work in the morning, and then I will go workout, and then hang out--by mySELF. That's okay. Bryan and I are celebrating my birthday on Sunday with a slew of his family--at ELEVEN! So excited. Will definitely blog about it on Monday, saying what a great time I had.
by the way--don't let the title mislead you. I am not old. I will never BE old. Even when I'm 100 and barely hanging onto my dentures, I will not be old. All I have to do is keep working out and eating right, and I'll be healthy all the days of my life. I think of this 76 year old lady who does all these exercise classes--pilates, aerobics, Bodypump, and I want to be just like her when I'm her age. Yep, that'll be me, fun and fancy free. This is a birthday blessing I lay on to the readers of this blog. Live full, healthy lives and live forever!...or at least for a really long time and happily.
Love to all!!!!

Fun disney test

How well do you know classic Disney?
Disney Classic Crazy

WOAH! You know just about everything there is to know. You\'ve probably even seen the Black Cauldron. Disney is amazing, be proud!

Take'>http://www.testriffic.com/tests">Take this test

Lichi-loos, the kids table, and other family memories...

I really miss you, family!!! I'm really looking forward to Spring Sing weekend because I will be in Searcy, relishing much-needed family time. When random things happen throughout the day, I think about you people a lot more. For instance, the first word in the title of this blog refers to what my sister and I used to call the hairstyle that is fixed at bathtime for kids--how the shampoo magically holds hair up in place. See picture on left. This used to be so much fun!

Secondly, Bryan and I went to the mall the other day, and after a bit of shopping, we had lunch. We thought it odd that the parents, just one set, were sitting at one table while their two kids were sitting at a separate table a little ways away from them. Bryan brought it up, saying that he would think it would be more fun for them to sit and eat as a family, and I said that kids loved having a kids table. Remember our kids table at Christmas time? I know, all you cousins out there are having them with your own families, you being the adults and Joshua, Caleb, Carter, Ashlyn, and Johnathan being the kids. Kalleigh is an "adult" as she cannot do anything by herself except look adorable. We always had the best kids table, though, all 12 of us sitting and laughing. And then, the tables turned. The rules became that once you got married, you were no longer at the kids table. The weirdest one of all--but my favorite, actually--was one where all of the "kids", meaning cousins, got to eat at the adult table with Mamaw and Papaw!! That was fun. Who can know Mamaw and Papaw and not think they are the coolest!!

A third thing that makes me think of (LONG for) home is the weather. It is 20 stinking degrees here--MAX!!!! Don't get me wrong, the snow is absolutely beautiful--just COLD. I'll get used to it eventually. But I long for days of past when I would wear a tee-shirt in th ehouse and then throw on a nice jacket to go outside. Nice thing, though, I can make snow cream anytime I want to. I made it here, people not having heard of it before, and it was a big hit!!!

Well, if any of you lovely people want to leave a memory of hanging out all together with family, I would LOVE it. In the meantime, I'm saying a special prayer tonight for my family. I am so lucky to have such a beautiful family. Love to ALL. ^_^

Useless lump--don't knock it til you try it

I've been described as many things--happy, silly, funny, crazy--not really but in a fun way, a little dorky at times, etc. Tonight, I refer to the title of my blog. I think it is healthy to do this every once in a while. Not too often, of course, or this loses its luster. Now, you busy moms, mamaws, and nanas out there may have forgotten what this is like. This is what you do. you go home, relishing the fact that you worked hard all morning, and in between chasing dogs in and out of the house, letting them find relief outside, you lay on the couch like a useless lump. Another important part to being a good UL is that you can watch something on tv that you taped forever ago but had no time to watch until now. For instance, the Grammy's. I was not particularly impressed this year. There were some good performances, yes, but for the most part, I'm tired of all the new stuff. I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but if I hear "Snow" ONE more time--no, there's something about it that's addictive. I think it's that I love to harmonize with it. Curtis cousins out there? Still harmonizing to things? Here's a hint--we HAVE to get together for Christmas! There is talk of doing so for next Christmas--I think it's next one--and I want to sing with everybody. Ok, back to the Grammy's.
I agreed with Holly--loved Christina Aguilera's performance save the last note and the ultra-high "whoooo" near the end. She is amazing and extremely talented. No more James Blunt, please. Big deal, you're beautiful. You are a Rod Stewart wannabe and will not last as long.
Justin Timberlake is extremely talented. I am tired of his name. I have a tendency to shy away from names that everybody is talking about. This is why it took me forever to watch "The Notebook", although I watched it and then liked it.
Good call having the Police reunite for the show. What a tremendous opening!
Anyway, I relaxed a whole bunch. I recommend it for anybody who's busy most of the time. Take time to relax every once in a while. God did--why shouldn't you?
Love to all!!!!!

Eleven Perks ^_^

Whee-hoo!! Bryan and I just celebrated Valentine's Day. We both work now, and unfortunately one of the days we work is Valentine's Day, so we celebrated tonight. we went to a restaurant called Casbah. Big Burrito Company owns Eleven, Casbah, Kaya, etc. and so Bryan gets to eat at these restaurants with a %25 discount. Pretty cool!! Casbah was NICE. We had appetizers that were AMAZING. He had mussels, not that he needed any more than he already had (yuk yuk.) I had mac 'n cheese. Believe it or not, it was better than Kraft! Ha. It was amazing. It had lamb sausage in it, and the cheese was SO creamy it just melted in my mouth. For dinner, I had a pork chop with butternut squash risotto and greens, and he had duck. WOW. It's so cool to me that Bryan gets to make stuff like this!! I feel accomplished when i make parmesan oven fried chicken. Refer to "the Book." Anyway, it was a very romantic evening. We got all dressed up and had a great time. We also had dessert and espresso. Felt like we were in Italy again. I hope everybody gets to go to Italy sometime. Food is much better when enjoyed in a restaurant in Italy, and enjoying espresso afterward with dessert, either a tort or piece of fruit or small cookie.Our desserts tonight were huge, of course, but that's because Americans like big portions with everything!This is why I did not gain weight in Italy and gained as soon as I got back--that and the fact that in Italy we walked EVERYWHERE. I digress. Everybody, go to Italy--it is a piece of heaven!!

Here are some pics of us being happy after dinner, and here's also one i snuck in of Stryker--he's so cute!! The hat, by the way, was Bryan's and got shrunk. Oops. Love to ALL. ^_^

Antiquated Thinking

Who decides what counts as antiquated thinking? Who decides that it is antiquated, not classic? Maybe it doesn't matter until it affects someone personally. Antiquated thinking began sometime before the present, although it doesn't really matter how much time passed in between the original idea and the present. Sometimes, thinking becomes antiquated in a matter of minutes, as opposed to the idea of independence, for one, which will never go out. Everybody wanted independence in 1776 and they still want it now--but I digress.
How do we know that thinking is old? Maybe it's more of a subjective thing. Take the Bible. God created the heavens and the earth. We all know that. Some people say that thinking is antiquated, but it will never be in my book, at least to the extent that I'm discussing antiquated thinking--thoughts that are due for a change.
For an example of antiquated thinking, I will use something silly. Back in the day, at my high school, people couldn't wear jeans to classes. They had to wear dresses--women, not men. ^_^ The school board decided the thinking was antiquated, or they would not have started allowing women and men to wear jeans to class.
That's fine until we get to more difficult issues. I'm being vague, I know. I just thought it was an interesting topic. I conclude that thinking becomes antiquated when people decide it is antiquated, and there is a majority vote.
So where do we draw the line between stubbornly sticking to antiquated thinking and being brave enough to stick to your guns? Isn't it only between the person and God? God is the one who knows the motives and intentions of the person, right? And if a person can honestly say they're opening up their mind to be filled with God's spirit, should he be condemned for sticking to his prior thoughts?
Just a (antiquated) thought...thanx for listening!

I've got Confidence!

Do you remember the song?
"I've got confidence my Lord is gonna see me throu-ou-ough!
No matter what the case may be (my Lord)
My Lord is gonna fix it for me (because)..." and so on and so forth.
I had a good night. It's so much easier to be confident after having a good night, isn't it?
Well, no matter why the reason, I've got confidence! It's a nice feeling.
I hope that two things occur from people reading this blog:
1) People sing the song to the point where it gets stuck in their heads--or they skip the devotional song completely and sing "I've Got Confidence in Sunshi-i-i-i-i-ine..."
2)People feel better after reading this blog. Have confidence! God is there and will make it ALL better. ^_^
Love to ALL. ^_^

Time-out

Okay, so I know all you people with kids know this word. Well, dogs have to have them too. Stryker gets in these kicks where he'll just start barking at me. He thinks that barking will get him what he wants, but all his needs are met except one. He's hungry. Yes, I feed my dog regularly, but here's the thing. He sometimes wants to eat on his own terms, not when I tell him to. Usually I'll put the food in front of him, and he'll dive right in. Today, however, he was picky and decided not to eat all of his food when it was in front of him, so we picked it up. At 2, he started whining for his food. And now he's in doggy prison, hence the title, "Time Out." Well, sorry, big guy, but if you don't eat when we tell you to, you can just wait until your next meal! Dogs are funny. They can be temperamental, just like people. They are better at unconditional love, though--they don't hold grudges. I won't elaborate--everybody has seen the forwards. Aren't forwards funny? They all end up saying the same things, whether it be truths that make you feel good, truths that make you feel bad, or just funny or dumb-funny jokes. I read them anyway, though, just to see what some random person on my list thought that I just HAD to read. But I digress.
Lately, Bryan and I are working hard, trying to learn our new jobs. He's working by himself tonight, working the line, doing the best he can. He says it gets really busy at Eleven. (The restaurant, not the time. Ha.)
I am in the meantime learning the menu for Applebee's, making sure that I know everything that is in every item on the menu. It's a lot of information!! I used to think it could be easy to be a server, and it will be, I just have to get into the routine. I know I can do it though. Besides, this is the money i need to earn before I get back into school in August. I'm PSYCHED. (Haven't gotten accepted yet, but it's only a matter of TIME.)
Love to all!

He got the job!!!!!!!!

I'm SO happy for him. Bryan is so excited. This is a top notch place, and he'll do really well in it. He actually will start on salad prep, coldside/sandwiches an 'at, but after they see what he can cook he'll go up on the line, I'm sure!!! He made up a meatloaf recipe yesterday, and it was really good. The sauce on top was made of ketchup, brown sugar, and chili. MMMM. Yes, I'm lucky to be married to a chef! I did make my parmesan oven fried chicken the other day, though, along with Aunt Donna's recipe for sweet green beans. They were a hit. I may never be up to Mamaw stature when it comes to cooking, but I'm improving.

Bryan, though, b/c of school and of the MANY cooking magazines he's read and programs he's watched, i.e. Molto Mario and Iron Chef, has no limit to his cooking talent. It's fun to be the wife and sing his praises!

Oh, and for those who want to see where he's going to work, here's the website. Those who are close to Pittsburgh, i.e. the Haughs ^_^ should take a day trip to Pittsburgh, do some good shopping, and finish up with a good meal at Eleven. Don't know yet, but maybe we can get a family discount!

Love to all!!!

http://www.bigburrito.com/eleven/about/reviews.shtml

Snow, Dog Training, and American Idol

So pretty!! Stryker LOVES snow. He tries to eat the flakes as they fall down from heaven. Snow must come from there--so pure, white, and fresh. Doesn't get dirty until it touches our atmosphere! I'm enjoying the snow, although I'm having to get used to the cold. The snow's really pretty. It snowed all day.
Dog training is getting better and better. Stryker will be 2 in 2 months. He's old enough to start knowing what to do and what NOT to do, i.e. mark his territory upstairs or any other place in the house, and yet he's also young enough to learn better ways of walking. We have to train ourselves, too. My short arms make it difficult to walk him, holding the leash the way I'm supposed to hold it, but I'm learning. It's easier to guide him this way. We've been watching this show called "The Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic Channel, and we've been learning what we've been doing right--and WRONG. It's all good--we'll get trained enough to walk him calmly past all the dogs, including this tiny little terrier who loves to get Stryker all riled up. The Dog Whisperer's cool b/c he goes to people's houses when they have trouble with their dogs--either they're too crazy or vicious, or they just won't listen to the owners, and then TDW trains them. Pretty interesting. Bryan especially loves it b/c he is really into dogs, different breeds, how they were bred, etc. He's as happy as a little puppy himself. ^_^
American Idol is always entertaining during the first couple of episodes. You hear the amazing and the horrible voices, and everybody says the same thing, "I can do better than that! How did they get on the show??" And yet, everybody knows that if we didn't have those horrible people that think they sing like (name favorite talented singer here) the show wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.
Well, hope you get to enjoy one or all three of these. Love to all! ^_^

The movie quote book

Have to thank Pete Vann for this idea. I saw Pete's my freshman year at Harding, and I thought it was the coolest idea. I never did it before, but now when I watch a movie, I hear something meaningful or just funny and part of what makes the movie that movie, and I have a scrap of paper nearby and a pen, I jump up and write it down. Much better is when I have the book nearby--usually do--always carry it in my purse. Eventually, when I write enough quotes down, I'll have to transfer it into a big HUGE book like Pete's. For now, the tiny little notebook will suffice. Some of them are encouraging:

"Every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around." ~Sofia, "Vanilla Sky"

"Do or do not. There is no try." ~Yoda, "Empire Strikes Back"

"It's only after we've lost everything that we are free to do anything." ~Tyler Durgin, "Fight Club"

"When life gets you down, just keep swimming! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!" ~Dori, "Finding Nemo"

Some of them are difficult to hear but real, and some simply affect us deeply:

"Harboring resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." (Don't remember what this one is from, but it's true.)

"Easy doesn't enter into grown-up life."~Dave Spritz, "The Weatherman"

"You wanna take a break...now? You take a break you'll find no peace. The way to find peace is to stick." "American History X"

"Sometimes to throw a punch, you have to step back. Step back too far, you're not fighting at all." ~Scrap, "Million Dollar Baby"

Some are just fun!

"You gotta eat lightning and crap thunder!" ~Mickey, "Rocky II"

"I don't want my wings cut!" ~Horace, followed by, "No man does, Horace, no man does." ~Dolly Levi, "Hello, Dolly!"

"90% of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contamination." ~Horace, "Hello, Dolly!"

"Bueller? Bueller?" ~Come on, need I say more???

"Thank goodness men die young. It's the only justification we get!" ~Zoe, "Something's Gotta Give"

"That's right, who's your daddy!" "Wayne Rink!" ~ "Thirteen Going on 30"

Hope you enjoyed!!!

Yea for Bryan!!

Okay, for those of you who didn't know--I think that's everyone except my mom--Bryan had an interview. It went well! Like all interviews, this one made him a little nervous, but he went in and said all the right things, and on Wednesday he will cook all the right things!! It's a "cooking" interview--so they can size up his ability in cooking, etc. Whee-hoo! Anyway, this will be cool. This is exactly the kind of place where Bryan wants to work--really nice food, not just the plain boring stuff that lotsa restaurants like to display.

It's so funny how different we are when it comes to food. I don't mind eating P&J with a side of chips for days, but he likes more variety in his food. I like it too, but I don't care as much if I don't get the variety. He's taught me how to make a few new things. He even taught me how to eat pasta w/o meat sauce or a rich alfredo sauce. I like it cooked in simply olive oil and butter and garlic! So nice to find the differences in people and find out how to let them enrich our lives.

Okay--homework assignment from a future MFT counselor. Those who are married, go home to your spouses and tell them something amazing about them--something completely different from yourself, and have them do the same. Not married, do that with one of your friends. Either way, see how it bonds you closer together. And speaking of MFT, I have to send out my character references and have them come back and I will be one step further in applying to grad school! Wish me luck!! Love to all, K ^_^

PS--The picture is to encourage people to dream big. God loves us all and will help us through anything.

You are approved...

for a loan, for a credit card, for a mate, for a job, whatever you want approval for, those are beautiful words. Although there is a meekness implied, meaning you are at the mercy of whoever you need to approve you, there is a sweetness in being approved by that person or thing. I heard a commercial today talking about how a certain company would always approve a person, regardless of his credit. Sound familiar? How many of us have good credit with God? What can we do that gives us good credit with God? Do we really have that power? We are at the mercy of a God, who thankfully, loves us unconditionally and is always willing to approve of us, regardless of our credit. Isn't that a beautiful thing? Who do we think needs our approval? Are we being as merciful to them as God is to us? We do NOTHING worth of God's approval. No matter what good we do, we do bad, and if it were not for God, we would have no hope of being saved. Just wanted to be grateful for God's mercy today. God is beautiful and always approves, despite our credit.

and here's the sunset...

Pictures from Rome...mmmm ^_^

Be it ever so humble...

There's no place like home! It was great. Bryan and I took the train to Rome January 3rd so that we'd be in Rome the next morning to take off for Philadelphia, and then switch to go to Pittsburgh. Rome had some really nice spots. We stayed at this place that had the most GORGEOUS view of the ocean. Wow, was it beautiful. We climbed along the rocks and watched the sunset--yes, I was in heaven watching the beautiful skies turn different colors. When I see something that gorgeous, I think of devotional songs or occasionally older hymns. I thought of "His Grace Reaches Me" and "Beyond the Sunset." Don't we all wish that being Christians meant we could always be peaceful feelings and dreaming of heaven? There are hard times that happen and at the time, we feel like nothing will get us out of those trials, and yet they make us deeply appreciate the times of peace. God is beautiful. He allows us to go through trials, yes, but God is beautiful just the same, and He's unchanging.

Now, there were moments in Italy where people took advantage of us being American tourists and took advantage of us--monetarily. To that, I say, people going to Europe, do your homework. Find places in those lovely Rick Steves travel guides b/c they really know what they're talking about!!!! They will also save you from paying too much! Anyway, the next morning we took off for the airport, got through all the lines, eventually got on the plane, and we sang, "Hallelujah!!" We love Italy and were so glad that we were there--I advise anybody who can to go to Italy and have a beautiful time--but with all the hassle with Bryan's medicine we were ready to come home and not worry about Bryan's health as much.

One of the nice things about international flights is that they have personal TVs. You can watch movies, listen to music, basically whatever you want. It's also a nice time to watch a movie you don't want to see in the theater. I hadn't really wanted to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2 in the theater b/c it wasn't worth it to pay $7 for a ticket, so it was perfect to watch on the plane. I actually liked it much more than I thought I would, and now I have to see the 3rd. Anyway, after it ended I figured I'd watch another one. 15 minutes in, the captain came over the loud speaker and said that there were complications with the navigation system, and so for the safety of everybody on board, the entertainment system would be off for the remainder of the time. Yeah, that's 8 more hours of BOREDOM!!!! Oh, well, better to know we'll get home safely, right? Bryan started making jokes like, Well at least if we;re going to crash, can we watch a movie while doing so? HA.

anyway, we got to Philadelphia, had 5 more hours to kill before our flight to Pittsburgh, so we walked around and just toured the place. It was great. Let me tell you--it was GREAT to arrive in Pittsburgh!!! The way I am, once I'm on the way home, I just want to GET THERE. It was great when we went outside and saw Donna--Bryan's mom--pulling up to pick us up. Whee-hoo!!!! She brought us back and we had dinner and just sat around talking together. Isn't family precious? I sure miss mine, but it was nice to share with Bryan.

Yea, we're home, and now the big thing is to get jobs here and be successful. ^_^ Easy, right? Bryan's getting interviews at random restaurants--really nice ones--and I applied for Geneva College today. I hope I get in!!! Love to all!!! Appreciate time with family!!!