I've got the book...where's my beach?
The Book is different from The Good Book, which I need to read more of as well...^_^
The Book is a study guide for my comprehensive exams, disaffectionately known as "The Comps--GASP!" My teacher says that all I need are 3 weeks on a beach to study this guide, and I will do well on the comps just as everybody else has in the past. No pressure, right? Now, the encouraging thing is that some of the questions in this guide are easy. I remember them from classes, and that encourages me to think that I will do well. The bad thing about this is that I could not study as much, thinking that I already know some of them. Therefore, I must use this as encouragement to study like crazy and ace the comps like everybody else will.
So where's my beach?
When I asked classmates that know PA about any kind of beach--even Searcy-ites go to Heber Springs for a nice relaxing cliff dive--they laughed. "Sure, there's a beach--Lake (Somethingorother) that is either covered with waste or dead animals." Sounds appealing, really. Times like this I wish I was "The Jumper" so I could put myself in Cinque Terre and study while I lay out by "God's Bass Drum." The ocean rolls in such a way that it sounds like a soothing bass drum, and it's beautiful. My brother got to go there recently and I'm jealous, but only in the "happy for him" way. ^_^
Okay, so no beach, but I will get to enjoy myself. Next Saturday, I'm going to the best theme park ever--Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. Any family members that want to meet me there (ahem, Haughs)? ^_^ I am looking forward most to Millenium Force and Top Thrill Dragster, which both scared me to death but were just plain AWESOME. Plus, I didn't get to go to Cedar Point last summer and I was bummed. Not this time! I'm so excited.
Okay, enough for now. Love to all!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Update ^_^
Okay, so I'm feeling really peppy this morning. Some of it may be the caramel latte that is in my hand, filling my body with caffeine, beautiful caffeine. ^_^ Another part is that I got an A in Psychopharmacology, and that makes me ecstatic. ^_^ I studied so hard for that class! There were so many terms I had to learn, and one term had FIVE words in it! Made it difficult, but it also made the victory that much sweeter!
Bryan is doing well at work, and they're sending him on another business trip. They're going to Atlanta this time, and Bryan is really excited. There are several amazing restaurants there that Bryan is looking forward to trying with the other members of his culinary team at Heinz. I'm just glad they're sending him on trips, using his food knowledge in a positive, constructive way. ^_^
I am in two classes this month, one about marriage and family and the other about Research and Design. I actually have a study that I would like to do, regarding empty-nesters and marital satisfaction. Any of you out there who can help me? ^_^
Really looking forward to this.
In the meantime, I am collecting my paperwork so that I can start my internship this fall. Technically it's called a practicum in the fall and internship in the spring, but it's essentially the same thing, except that for my internship I should know better and do better. If I can't, then I shouldn't be there in the first place!
Spiritually, church is still phenomenal. This is the cutest little church to which I have ever belonged. They are teeny and precious. ^_^ I go to this wonderful Bible study with several of the members on Wednesdays, and we've been covering prison epistles. I just love these books. In a coupla weeks, we get to cover one of my favorite verses, Philippians 2:15. I can't help it, I'm visual when I read, so I love reading about stars. ^_^
Hope all is well with everybody else! Love to all, K
Bryan is doing well at work, and they're sending him on another business trip. They're going to Atlanta this time, and Bryan is really excited. There are several amazing restaurants there that Bryan is looking forward to trying with the other members of his culinary team at Heinz. I'm just glad they're sending him on trips, using his food knowledge in a positive, constructive way. ^_^
I am in two classes this month, one about marriage and family and the other about Research and Design. I actually have a study that I would like to do, regarding empty-nesters and marital satisfaction. Any of you out there who can help me? ^_^
Really looking forward to this.
In the meantime, I am collecting my paperwork so that I can start my internship this fall. Technically it's called a practicum in the fall and internship in the spring, but it's essentially the same thing, except that for my internship I should know better and do better. If I can't, then I shouldn't be there in the first place!
Spiritually, church is still phenomenal. This is the cutest little church to which I have ever belonged. They are teeny and precious. ^_^ I go to this wonderful Bible study with several of the members on Wednesdays, and we've been covering prison epistles. I just love these books. In a coupla weeks, we get to cover one of my favorite verses, Philippians 2:15. I can't help it, I'm visual when I read, so I love reading about stars. ^_^
Hope all is well with everybody else! Love to all, K
Monday, July 14, 2008
I chew my nails when I'm nervous...
Okay, so I'm at politicalbase.com, trying to figure out my stance on all of these issues. I'm not a fan of watching the news usually, so I'm trying to catch up, see what's happened in the past, trying to figure out what is important to me and how these will best help our country. I love America, and I want it to do well, and with the right president, despite the precedents. (word play to break up the monotony)
Some of these issues do not mean much to me, so I'm trying to see what they mean, what will occur in the event that certain decisions are made, etc. It's a frustrating process! Some people really get into this. I had a 3-hour discussion about this last night, my part being the occasional "uh-huh, oh, really, and yeah, I agree"--I pretty much could have not been there and it wouldn't have mattered--not looking for a pity response, just to show that I don't know much about this but want to so I can vote right in the fall. I did a blog about this forever ago, but now it's crunch time, so I really have to cram all this information in my head.
What's frustrating is that I like and do not like different things about McCain and Obama. For starters, how can someone that's for outsourcing be against minimum wage? Seems to me to be concurrently crediting and debiting our economy. On the other hand, how can Obama oppose the ban on partial-birth abortion in favor of the mother when the mother still has to go through the birthing process? If the "right of the mother"--wait, what about the baby's right?--is to abort the baby so she doesn't have to go through labor, doesn't partial-birth abortion defeat the purpose?
There's right to life, to a good economy, to free speech, and so many other rights that we take for granted. All of these must be considered as we venture into the next election.
God, be with our citizens as we elect a president. Be with our candidates and the system. Lead us to vote for a good president, one who will do right for us. You have blessed us in so many ways, and for that I am grateful, but we are still young and need your tender care.
Love to all
Some of these issues do not mean much to me, so I'm trying to see what they mean, what will occur in the event that certain decisions are made, etc. It's a frustrating process! Some people really get into this. I had a 3-hour discussion about this last night, my part being the occasional "uh-huh, oh, really, and yeah, I agree"--I pretty much could have not been there and it wouldn't have mattered--not looking for a pity response, just to show that I don't know much about this but want to so I can vote right in the fall. I did a blog about this forever ago, but now it's crunch time, so I really have to cram all this information in my head.
What's frustrating is that I like and do not like different things about McCain and Obama. For starters, how can someone that's for outsourcing be against minimum wage? Seems to me to be concurrently crediting and debiting our economy. On the other hand, how can Obama oppose the ban on partial-birth abortion in favor of the mother when the mother still has to go through the birthing process? If the "right of the mother"--wait, what about the baby's right?--is to abort the baby so she doesn't have to go through labor, doesn't partial-birth abortion defeat the purpose?
There's right to life, to a good economy, to free speech, and so many other rights that we take for granted. All of these must be considered as we venture into the next election.
God, be with our citizens as we elect a president. Be with our candidates and the system. Lead us to vote for a good president, one who will do right for us. You have blessed us in so many ways, and for that I am grateful, but we are still young and need your tender care.
Love to all
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Unconditional Love
Okay, so I just LOVE my new class--Intro to Marriage and Family. I've taken this class before at another school, so it is helpful as far as terminology goes, but I didn't have this professor for that class before. He's so cool! He stretches our minds without being too "out there" and keeps class fun. That's pretty cool, especially for a 4-hour class. I love this book I'm reading for class called "The Family," and I think that anyone with kids should read it. It's not wordy, like some books I've had to read, and occasionally, there are cute little pictures. I'm a visual learner, so that is helpful. ^_^
What I just read about touched my heart, and so I wanted to share with whoever reads this blog. Some of this is quoted, and some is paraphrased. ^_^
Unconditional love is beautiful, God-given, and achievable with the side note that we will never achieve perfection. Family begins with an unconditional commitment between man and woman, and NO--this is not the same as a contract. Contracts are conditional, and they end when one or both parties is not fulfilling his or her commitment to the contract. Unfortunately, this is why the rate of divorce, even among Christians, is around 50%.
Once the commitment is made, grace covers a multitude of sins. "Bryan, you left three dirty coffee cups in random corners of the bedroom!" "Kristi, you're nagging me again!" (Whups) Thank God for grace, right?! Also, God's grace yields an action: MERCY. Yea!!!
Grace leads to empowerment. Family is not about control over action--it's about loving a person so much that you want to yield to their needs before yours. Instead of wanting to control Bryan, I love him and pick up the dirty coffee cup, and Bryan loves me and puts up with my complaint. I'm not a fan of being boxed in. Empowerment is freeing for both the empower-er and the empowered! Empowerment also helps a person reach his or her potential.
After the family has empowered itself, there is genuine intimacy between the members. This is a mature relationships between each individual person. This interdependency is a connectedness between individual group members and the group itself. There is no enmeshment--overconnectedness in which you can't see where one person ends and the other begins. There are individuals that belong to each other and yield to the other person's desires! If everybody is putting the other person's true needs ahead of his own, then why shouldn't we be content? Sounds better than divorcing after six months because of a lack of fulfilled contract!
My teacher told me that if you feed your kids, you should feed your marriage. No one should suffer in a family unit.
Love to all, and here's to content marriages and content families. ^_^
What I just read about touched my heart, and so I wanted to share with whoever reads this blog. Some of this is quoted, and some is paraphrased. ^_^
Unconditional love is beautiful, God-given, and achievable with the side note that we will never achieve perfection. Family begins with an unconditional commitment between man and woman, and NO--this is not the same as a contract. Contracts are conditional, and they end when one or both parties is not fulfilling his or her commitment to the contract. Unfortunately, this is why the rate of divorce, even among Christians, is around 50%.
Once the commitment is made, grace covers a multitude of sins. "Bryan, you left three dirty coffee cups in random corners of the bedroom!" "Kristi, you're nagging me again!" (Whups) Thank God for grace, right?! Also, God's grace yields an action: MERCY. Yea!!!
Grace leads to empowerment. Family is not about control over action--it's about loving a person so much that you want to yield to their needs before yours. Instead of wanting to control Bryan, I love him and pick up the dirty coffee cup, and Bryan loves me and puts up with my complaint. I'm not a fan of being boxed in. Empowerment is freeing for both the empower-er and the empowered! Empowerment also helps a person reach his or her potential.
After the family has empowered itself, there is genuine intimacy between the members. This is a mature relationships between each individual person. This interdependency is a connectedness between individual group members and the group itself. There is no enmeshment--overconnectedness in which you can't see where one person ends and the other begins. There are individuals that belong to each other and yield to the other person's desires! If everybody is putting the other person's true needs ahead of his own, then why shouldn't we be content? Sounds better than divorcing after six months because of a lack of fulfilled contract!
My teacher told me that if you feed your kids, you should feed your marriage. No one should suffer in a family unit.
Love to all, and here's to content marriages and content families. ^_^
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
4th of July
So for the 4th of July, we started the day at a parade in Zelienople, which is 10 minutes from where we live in Harmony. The parade was a blast, and there were several fire engines going by, and their alarms set off Foxy, who was howling at them. It was so cute! Max, her other dog, was howling as well. They cracked us up. ^_^ The sky was overcast, but the weather behaved itself for most of the day. We had so much fun! After that was when Bryan and I hung out with his sister, and we took the picture from the previous post. Just to clarify, I am NOT pregnant. ^_^ We definitely had fun taking the picture though! ^_^
Today, I am having a girly luncheon at Applebee's with really special friends. Pictures later, I hope ^_^
Love to all!
Monday, July 07, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Whee-hoo!!!
Yea, psychopharmacology is OVER. So relieved!! I will definitely still be working hard this month, though, since I am taking two classes instead of just one. Thank goodness that I didn't take psychopharm with anything else!! I would have had to prescribe something for me, and I would have known exactly what to prescribe! Well, at any rate, I'm done for now, so I will enjoy the 4th of July and the rest of this weekend before I go back to work. My fingers are actually shaking as I'm typing because I'm a little wound-up right now. 's all good--all will be well. So crazy to think that I get to work with kids this fall! It'll be work, but fun. I really like my supervisor. She's really sweet and encouraging. Plus, she's seen workers before, so she would know if I couldn't do the job, right? ^_^ (I love positive self-talk!)
What else? Well, tomorrow, Bryan and I are going to hear his dad play trumpet in the Resurrection Band. I'll have to get some pictures of the band and all of us hanging out. Haven't put up a picture of Bryan in a while. ^_^ After the band, we're going to swim and watch fireworks. Yea! That's always fun. My sister-in-law's birthday was yesterday, but we're celebrating it tomorrow. She's a blast. How fun that we're in the same family. I'm glad my in-laws are so cool. ^_^
Here's to a Happy 4th! Love to all! ^_^
What else? Well, tomorrow, Bryan and I are going to hear his dad play trumpet in the Resurrection Band. I'll have to get some pictures of the band and all of us hanging out. Haven't put up a picture of Bryan in a while. ^_^ After the band, we're going to swim and watch fireworks. Yea! That's always fun. My sister-in-law's birthday was yesterday, but we're celebrating it tomorrow. She's a blast. How fun that we're in the same family. I'm glad my in-laws are so cool. ^_^
Here's to a Happy 4th! Love to all! ^_^
Saturday, June 28, 2008
New Kids on the Block
Okay, so I was watching music videos this morning, which I haven't done in like, forever. One of the videos I saw was called "Summertime" by none other than the title! Could not believe it. Donnie Wahlberg, who to be honest was never my favorite, has done amazing movie roles and has shown incredible acting ability. Now, they are all back to "boy band" image. Cracked me up! To be honest, the song was cute in a boy-band-y sort of way, but they are definitely not new, and they're definitely not kids, well, except in relation to the songs they're singing.
So this doesn't end on a negative note, family, here are two words guaranteed to make your heart and face smile:
"Hangin' Tough"
Thanx for the memories, Kim and Tiffany! ^_^
So this doesn't end on a negative note, family, here are two words guaranteed to make your heart and face smile:
"Hangin' Tough"
Thanx for the memories, Kim and Tiffany! ^_^
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Self-help books
Okay, so I had a humbling experience today. I was at Marshall's, looking at books, and I saw some great ones. I also saw some self-help books. As a future counselor, I look at these more, thinking that maybe I will read them so I can help people better later. I was looking at some, thinking of people who "needed" to read them. I thought, maybe I should get this book for them, and oh, this book will be great and will have wonderful points for this person. Then I stopped, thinking, "Huh--which self-help books are people wanting to pick up for me?" Ha! That stopped me from wanting to buy a self-help book for ANYbody. This makes me wonder--where is the line between helping a friend and interfering? When do we go from interceding with care and love for them to just being a busybody? I definitely feel that motivation plays a huge part here. People can be motivated with love for others or love for themselves, and that truly makes a difference. Counselors have to consistently monitor themselves so that they act with the right motivation. Makes sense, though. A person who is constantly self-monitoring will have better actions than people who are on autopilot. I just have to pray that God will speak through me when I speak to other people. I think I will follow Deborah's blog example...
Dear God, I pray that I will be a good counselor someday, working with a Christ-like and God-centered motivation, leading people to better mental, spiritual, and physical health. I pray that I will not lead people into temptation, but deliver them from evil, but at the same time, not take responsibility for them.
It's exciting to think that I get to do this stuff for real this fall!!! Wish me luck! ^_^
Dear God, I pray that I will be a good counselor someday, working with a Christ-like and God-centered motivation, leading people to better mental, spiritual, and physical health. I pray that I will not lead people into temptation, but deliver them from evil, but at the same time, not take responsibility for them.
It's exciting to think that I get to do this stuff for real this fall!!! Wish me luck! ^_^
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Why not? ^_^
What were you doing 5 years ago?
1. Turning 21 and not doing anything that most 21-year olds do. ^_^
2. Dating Bryan!
3. Going to Shantih functions
4. Studying for Psychology tests
5. Going to Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, and Italy on Chorus tour!!
What are 5 things on your To-Do list today?
1. Study for Psychopharmocology--yeesh!!
2. Play with Will and Ben (my friend's kids) while hanging out with Lisa and Whitney--yea!!
3. Study more for Psychopharmocology.
4. Study More for Psychopharmocology.
5. Study MORE for Psychopharmocology--this will be a tough test...
What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
1. Strawberries--really good ones from Sturgis Farms...yum
2. Mozzarella string cheese--me too ^_^
3. Oreos dunked in milk until soggy
4. Yogurt Whips
5. Carrots dunked in Peanut Butter--don't knock it til you try it
What are 5 things you'd do if you were a Billionaire?
1. Owe nothing--ooh, good one
2. Buy a nice house
3. Buy a vacation spot in Italy and a plane so I could go when I wanted ^_^
4. Set aside for college for (future) kids
5. Pay for better kidney research
What are 5 of your bad habits?
1. over-criticizing Bryan
2. temper
3. prioritizing
4. drinking too much soda/tea/coffee and not enough water
5. speaking up when I shouldn't and not speaking up when I should...
What are 5 jobs that you've had?
1. Babysitter
2. Ironing napkins
3. Harding Admissions office file-person--forget PC--I was an Admissions Gopher ^_^
4. Server/Host
5. Nursery attendant
Name 5 places where you have lived
1. AR--Searcy, Plainview, Judsonia
2. PA--Carnegie and Harmony
3. Fort Worth, TX
4. Memphis, TN
5. Italy for a coupla months, twice ^_^
Who are 5 people you want to tag?
1. Driggers
2. Amber
3. Kyla
4. Holly
5. Amanda
Anybody I didn't tag can do it to. It was fun. ^_^ Love to ALL!!!!!
1. Turning 21 and not doing anything that most 21-year olds do. ^_^
2. Dating Bryan!
3. Going to Shantih functions
4. Studying for Psychology tests
5. Going to Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, and Italy on Chorus tour!!
What are 5 things on your To-Do list today?
1. Study for Psychopharmocology--yeesh!!
2. Play with Will and Ben (my friend's kids) while hanging out with Lisa and Whitney--yea!!
3. Study more for Psychopharmocology.
4. Study More for Psychopharmocology.
5. Study MORE for Psychopharmocology--this will be a tough test...
What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
1. Strawberries--really good ones from Sturgis Farms...yum
2. Mozzarella string cheese--me too ^_^
3. Oreos dunked in milk until soggy
4. Yogurt Whips
5. Carrots dunked in Peanut Butter--don't knock it til you try it
What are 5 things you'd do if you were a Billionaire?
1. Owe nothing--ooh, good one
2. Buy a nice house
3. Buy a vacation spot in Italy and a plane so I could go when I wanted ^_^
4. Set aside for college for (future) kids
5. Pay for better kidney research
What are 5 of your bad habits?
1. over-criticizing Bryan
2. temper
3. prioritizing
4. drinking too much soda/tea/coffee and not enough water
5. speaking up when I shouldn't and not speaking up when I should...
What are 5 jobs that you've had?
1. Babysitter
2. Ironing napkins
3. Harding Admissions office file-person--forget PC--I was an Admissions Gopher ^_^
4. Server/Host
5. Nursery attendant
Name 5 places where you have lived
1. AR--Searcy, Plainview, Judsonia
2. PA--Carnegie and Harmony
3. Fort Worth, TX
4. Memphis, TN
5. Italy for a coupla months, twice ^_^
Who are 5 people you want to tag?
1. Driggers
2. Amber
3. Kyla
4. Holly
5. Amanda
Anybody I didn't tag can do it to. It was fun. ^_^ Love to ALL!!!!!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The first sunburn of summer...
It's officially summer now. We've had some weird days of weather here in good ole Pittsburgh. The weather was actually 98 one day last week! That's unheard of for June. I know people reading this from Arkansas and Texas are saying, "Yeah, add humidity to that and we might feel bad for you," but that's hot for PA folks! It's not supposed to be that way until August. Our preacher even said, "Why are we having the dog days of summer in June??"
At any rate, my skin has tasted the sun's wrath. Perhaps being stubborn isn't as fun as it used to be. Seeing also as cancer runs in the family, perhaps I should be "wiser" in protecting my skin from harmful rays.
I definitely enjoyed the time spent in the sun, though. I was at a friend's house in the pool from 10AM-4PM. It was GREAT. ^_^ Luckily for me, I am surrounded by friends with pools, so I will be pool-hopping all summer.
Bryan has been busily inventing sauces and presenting them at Heinz. I'm glad he's able to use his God-given talent for food and flavor and share them with others. They liked the sauce he invented and may market it! ^_^ How fun would that be? ^_^
It was this sweet tangy honey sauce with a kick at the end. Yea for hubby! ^_^
We've been puppy-sitting lately, since our neighbor drives a truck sometimes for a week at a time. This puppy is a 16-year old chihuahua. She walks like an old lady, slowly making her way across the floor. She's so cute and tiny, but she's really more of a big gerbil than a dog. Not quite the rough-and-tumble dog we've been used to having...She's a sweetie, though.
Psychopharmacology is a very interesting class. We watch lots of videos about people, their brains, and how they work with or without drugs. I'm learning a lot, and this knowledge will benefit me when I counsel next year. So crazy--almost done with school!!
Love to all and miss you!! ^_^
At any rate, my skin has tasted the sun's wrath. Perhaps being stubborn isn't as fun as it used to be. Seeing also as cancer runs in the family, perhaps I should be "wiser" in protecting my skin from harmful rays.
I definitely enjoyed the time spent in the sun, though. I was at a friend's house in the pool from 10AM-4PM. It was GREAT. ^_^ Luckily for me, I am surrounded by friends with pools, so I will be pool-hopping all summer.
Bryan has been busily inventing sauces and presenting them at Heinz. I'm glad he's able to use his God-given talent for food and flavor and share them with others. They liked the sauce he invented and may market it! ^_^ How fun would that be? ^_^
It was this sweet tangy honey sauce with a kick at the end. Yea for hubby! ^_^
We've been puppy-sitting lately, since our neighbor drives a truck sometimes for a week at a time. This puppy is a 16-year old chihuahua. She walks like an old lady, slowly making her way across the floor. She's so cute and tiny, but she's really more of a big gerbil than a dog. Not quite the rough-and-tumble dog we've been used to having...She's a sweetie, though.
Psychopharmacology is a very interesting class. We watch lots of videos about people, their brains, and how they work with or without drugs. I'm learning a lot, and this knowledge will benefit me when I counsel next year. So crazy--almost done with school!!
Love to all and miss you!! ^_^
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
The life of me and my family for the past few months
Just had to share these pictures. ^_^ You won't know who everybody is, but these weddings were beautiful, and I am so blessed to have taken part in them. God bless your marriages and your lives together!
God is so awesome. ^_^
God is so awesome. ^_^
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Weddings, weddings everywhere!!! ^_^
Okay, so last Friday was SO cool. Bryan's family came into town for his little sister's wedding. She (Maria) and Chris are so great for each other, and I could not be happier for them.
One of the special things about being in the wedding was 1) being asked and 2) riding in a limo on the way to the wedding! It was so much fun, and we girls had a ball! The girls had the limo to ourselves to the wedding, and then we rode in the limo with the boys to the reception. What a special experience, being in the wedding and everything around it. Wow.
Maria looked B-E-A-Utiful (you Bruce Almighty fans will like that ^_^) in her wedding dress. Chris looked handsome in his tux, as well. People complimented their wedding party (ahem ^_^) as well. I must say we all looked gorgeous in our cute black dresses and green (okay, clover) sashes. The men looked wonderful in their tuxes. I must say I did not mind AT ALL walking down the aisle with my handsome husband in his tux! ^_^
It was a Catholic wedding with a full mass, so it lasted an hour. I have never seen so much sit-stand-kneel-bow-ing in a wedding, but it was really special. The priest shared some beautiful sentiments, although I was mostly just thinking, "Yea!! They are SO happy!!!!" and crying a bit. ^_^
The reception was wonderful! I gotta say, I'm used to southern weddings, and I love them, but I think more southerners would enjoy a dinner reception and a big party afterwards. Why do we rush off in such a hurry? Maria and Chris had this look of bliss in their eyes the entire night.
Secondly, something southerners should adapt in their receptions is a cookie table. We had a table where Donna, the mother-of-the-bride, had made millions of cookies: biscotti, ladylocks, baklava (sp?)and Maria even made her own cookies to add to the table. What a great tradition! Then, people can take home cookies if they want, but of course, the ladylocks were gone fast. ^_^
Everyone had so much fun, and now, Maria and Chris are enjoying their honeymoon. Yea! ^_^
This coming Saturday, I get to be in another wedding!! Kreg (if you're reading this) I couldn't be happier for you and Keleigh. You make a beautiful couple, and you are focused on God, so God will be there for your marriage and help you focus on each other. Maria and Chris put each other before themselves, and you and Keleigh do that, too. Selfless love has endless rewards. Granted, you won't always be selfish. That's when you'll argue. ^_^ If you eventually move from selfish to selfless, though, you will work out what must be worked out. ^_^ Love you so much!!!
Yea weddings!! I'm such a sucker for these...^_^
One of the special things about being in the wedding was 1) being asked and 2) riding in a limo on the way to the wedding! It was so much fun, and we girls had a ball! The girls had the limo to ourselves to the wedding, and then we rode in the limo with the boys to the reception. What a special experience, being in the wedding and everything around it. Wow.
Maria looked B-E-A-Utiful (you Bruce Almighty fans will like that ^_^) in her wedding dress. Chris looked handsome in his tux, as well. People complimented their wedding party (ahem ^_^) as well. I must say we all looked gorgeous in our cute black dresses and green (okay, clover) sashes. The men looked wonderful in their tuxes. I must say I did not mind AT ALL walking down the aisle with my handsome husband in his tux! ^_^
It was a Catholic wedding with a full mass, so it lasted an hour. I have never seen so much sit-stand-kneel-bow-ing in a wedding, but it was really special. The priest shared some beautiful sentiments, although I was mostly just thinking, "Yea!! They are SO happy!!!!" and crying a bit. ^_^
The reception was wonderful! I gotta say, I'm used to southern weddings, and I love them, but I think more southerners would enjoy a dinner reception and a big party afterwards. Why do we rush off in such a hurry? Maria and Chris had this look of bliss in their eyes the entire night.
Secondly, something southerners should adapt in their receptions is a cookie table. We had a table where Donna, the mother-of-the-bride, had made millions of cookies: biscotti, ladylocks, baklava (sp?)and Maria even made her own cookies to add to the table. What a great tradition! Then, people can take home cookies if they want, but of course, the ladylocks were gone fast. ^_^
Everyone had so much fun, and now, Maria and Chris are enjoying their honeymoon. Yea! ^_^
This coming Saturday, I get to be in another wedding!! Kreg (if you're reading this) I couldn't be happier for you and Keleigh. You make a beautiful couple, and you are focused on God, so God will be there for your marriage and help you focus on each other. Maria and Chris put each other before themselves, and you and Keleigh do that, too. Selfless love has endless rewards. Granted, you won't always be selfish. That's when you'll argue. ^_^ If you eventually move from selfish to selfless, though, you will work out what must be worked out. ^_^ Love you so much!!!
Yea weddings!! I'm such a sucker for these...^_^
Thursday, May 08, 2008
What's in a name? ^_^
Took this from an e-mail my dear sister sent me. Thought it was too much fun to not share with everybody and a great blogging opportunity. ^_^ I tag those who would love to do this and don't tag those who do not. ^_^ How's that for non-confrontational? ^_^
YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car):
Rusty Sentra--cool, kinda like Dusty Springfield ^_^
YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):
Moose Tracks Aldo's
YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal):
Pink dog
YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born):
Kristi Fort Worth
YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name):
Pet Sa
SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Orange Cherry Limeade (Oooh, I miss Sonic)
NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers):
Ted Howard (no way, I have the same one, Kim ^_^)
TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Lloyd Las Vegas (And now, live with Lloyd Las Vegas!)
CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Apple Aeropostale
HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):
Shake Dogwood (Is that a Jimi Hendrix song?)
How about you?
YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car):
Rusty Sentra--cool, kinda like Dusty Springfield ^_^
YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):
Moose Tracks Aldo's
YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal):
Pink dog
YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born):
Kristi Fort Worth
YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name):
Pet Sa
SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Orange Cherry Limeade (Oooh, I miss Sonic)
NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers):
Ted Howard (no way, I have the same one, Kim ^_^)
TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Lloyd Las Vegas (And now, live with Lloyd Las Vegas!)
CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Apple Aeropostale
HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):
Shake Dogwood (Is that a Jimi Hendrix song?)
How about you?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Yea!!
Aunt Kathy, you ROCK. Your recipe went really well for our Spring Chef-tacular. It was great fun!! Plus, instead of using frozen pizza dough, I went to the Strip District--please tell me you've been there--and bought some fresh-made dough, and it was GREAT. It was so cheap, too--3 big bags of dough for $3.50!!
The rolls were really fun. I put spinach in them so they could make the contest, and they were a hit. They didn't win because there was a really amazing lasagna with spinach in it, a really good spinach tart, and someone even put spinach in brownies!! I dared them to be creative and put spinach in a dessert if they could, and the brownies were excellent and gooey. ^_^
Life is good--busy, but good. Now, I'm spending all my "spare time" on my last paper and getting ready for finals. No big deal--just big tests!!! It'll be great, though, I just know it.
Mamaw, you rock and are so much fun to talk with on the phone. Just had to put that in there. ^_^
Bryan's good--he rocked a barbecue for work the other day, and they rewarded him with overtime and a really nice gift card. He made the best thing for dinner last night--uber-tender steaks (that they also gave him at the bbq) cooked with fresh morel mushrooms and an amazing cream sauce with asparagus. Yea!! I know I've said this before, but "Oh, the life of a chef's wife!"
Love to all!!!
The rolls were really fun. I put spinach in them so they could make the contest, and they were a hit. They didn't win because there was a really amazing lasagna with spinach in it, a really good spinach tart, and someone even put spinach in brownies!! I dared them to be creative and put spinach in a dessert if they could, and the brownies were excellent and gooey. ^_^
Life is good--busy, but good. Now, I'm spending all my "spare time" on my last paper and getting ready for finals. No big deal--just big tests!!! It'll be great, though, I just know it.
Mamaw, you rock and are so much fun to talk with on the phone. Just had to put that in there. ^_^
Bryan's good--he rocked a barbecue for work the other day, and they rewarded him with overtime and a really nice gift card. He made the best thing for dinner last night--uber-tender steaks (that they also gave him at the bbq) cooked with fresh morel mushrooms and an amazing cream sauce with asparagus. Yea!! I know I've said this before, but "Oh, the life of a chef's wife!"
Love to all!!!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Stink!
Carly Smithson was AMAZING. I'm bummed that she got voted off of American Idol. It is true, though--at this point, someone has to get kicked off, and being in the top six is phenomenal, but I think she was way better than Brooke and Jason Castro. Alas, the only rocker left is David Cook, who did amazing with "Music of the Night," although I did not appreciate the way he ended it. Yes, he pretty much stuck with the original arrangement, but did he have to do those two different notes at the end? Oh, well.
Another part of TV that makes me sad is that this is Thursday, when I usually watch "Eli Stone." No new "Stone"s until later. Very happy, however, because it clearly said SEASON finale, not SERIES finale. I was sad at the end of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to see that the last one WAS officially the last one. Eli Stone will come back, though, because everybody was happy to see him be okay last week. Yea. ^_^
Okay, that's all for TV. My next blog will (hopefully) contain fun pictures from our next church party, "The Spring Chef-tacular," in which our church is having a competition, much like Iron Chef America, and the featured ingredient is spinach. For those of you who don't know the show, a guest chef competes against the Iron Chef of his/her choice in making 5 dishes that feature an ingredient. I watch these cooking shows because of Bryan, who will be our judge. ^_^ I will be using Aunt Kathy's pepperoni rolls recipe and adding spinach to them. (Hope I do them justice, Aunt Kathy!) Pictures to come soon! ^_^
Love to all! ^_^
Another part of TV that makes me sad is that this is Thursday, when I usually watch "Eli Stone." No new "Stone"s until later. Very happy, however, because it clearly said SEASON finale, not SERIES finale. I was sad at the end of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to see that the last one WAS officially the last one. Eli Stone will come back, though, because everybody was happy to see him be okay last week. Yea. ^_^
Okay, that's all for TV. My next blog will (hopefully) contain fun pictures from our next church party, "The Spring Chef-tacular," in which our church is having a competition, much like Iron Chef America, and the featured ingredient is spinach. For those of you who don't know the show, a guest chef competes against the Iron Chef of his/her choice in making 5 dishes that feature an ingredient. I watch these cooking shows because of Bryan, who will be our judge. ^_^ I will be using Aunt Kathy's pepperoni rolls recipe and adding spinach to them. (Hope I do them justice, Aunt Kathy!) Pictures to come soon! ^_^
Love to all! ^_^
Thursday, April 17, 2008
7 Random Things
Okay, Deborah, here we go. ^_^ Thanx, I feel special ^_^
1) (In accordance with hers about her cat) My dog's name is Stryker, but Bryan and I call him Monkelbean, Monkelstein, Puppymup...oh, dear, we need kids so we can use baby-talk for another good...^_^
2) Thursday is not Thursday until I've watched Eli Stone, which is a shame because tonight is the season finale
3) I smile at myself in the mirror, making me feel confident
4) I want several dogs, including a black Cane Corso named Nero (for those of you who don't know, a Cane Corso is an Italian dog and Nero means black), a French Bulldog named Franko--simply because I like "k" better than "c", and probably another coupla boxers--maybe we don't need kids--we can just use the baby-talk on all our dogs
5) I LOVE shoes. I would rather spend money on a hot new pair of shoes than on chocolate. For many women, this may be a tie... The best day would include a mocha and a new pair of shoes ^_^
6) I am in love with premarital therapy. I want to encourage all couples getting married to do premarital therapy to find out the best and worst before committing to a lifelong decision. I want my clients fulfilled and self-actualized. ^_^
7) I love blogging and facebook. I am sad sometimes because some of my friends and family are far away, and these outlets keep y'all closer to me. I love you so much!!
Love to all, K ^_^
1) (In accordance with hers about her cat) My dog's name is Stryker, but Bryan and I call him Monkelbean, Monkelstein, Puppymup...oh, dear, we need kids so we can use baby-talk for another good...^_^
2) Thursday is not Thursday until I've watched Eli Stone, which is a shame because tonight is the season finale
3) I smile at myself in the mirror, making me feel confident
4) I want several dogs, including a black Cane Corso named Nero (for those of you who don't know, a Cane Corso is an Italian dog and Nero means black), a French Bulldog named Franko--simply because I like "k" better than "c", and probably another coupla boxers--maybe we don't need kids--we can just use the baby-talk on all our dogs
5) I LOVE shoes. I would rather spend money on a hot new pair of shoes than on chocolate. For many women, this may be a tie... The best day would include a mocha and a new pair of shoes ^_^
6) I am in love with premarital therapy. I want to encourage all couples getting married to do premarital therapy to find out the best and worst before committing to a lifelong decision. I want my clients fulfilled and self-actualized. ^_^
7) I love blogging and facebook. I am sad sometimes because some of my friends and family are far away, and these outlets keep y'all closer to me. I love you so much!!
Love to all, K ^_^
Friday, April 04, 2008
Thank you!!
Why am I grateful? There are so many reasons. I'm now taking the time to share for those who want to know. ^_^
1) God ROCKS. So many times I've let Him down, and yet He continues to rescue me.
2) Bryan is the most amazing blessing. He blindsighted me. I never saw him coming. Times that I tried in the past to come up with who I wanted to be with, and there are characteristics he has that I never thought of until I realized how miserable I would be without him in my life.
3) My family is so cool. I had a fun convo with my mom last night, by phone of course, but I felt her love and warmth radiating through the phone. My dad is hilarious. He and I share a love of bad puns, so when I tell a dumb joke, I blame it on him. ^_^ Love you! Kim and Kreg are so reliable and are special, and I can't imagine never having them in my life. Curtises and Kells (alphabetically ^_^), YOU ROCK.
4) Stryker provides the comic relief in my life. He's here to cuddle with me when I'm bummed--he can always tell when I'm irritated or just need to talk. Plus, I don't have to worry about him coming back with the perfect advice. He just listens. ^_^ (I think all women should have dogs...)
5) My friends are SO awesome. I have different friends for different things. Y'all are my partners in crime, my encouragement, my laughter and tears. Without you, I'd have to just go to random places, just to be around people. ^_^ I'm blessed to have y'all in my life.
6) My church. Zelienople is so beautiful! The people are there for me, and I have a place in the church, somewhere special that I can contribute and belong to. We are led by a great preacher who is humble and honest, and he would do anything for the church.
7) My education. This ties into my family--thanx for encouraging me to go to school and to work my heart out for something hard but WORTH it.
8) My passion encourages me to keep going. I love being on fire for things, be it God, church, family, education, dancing, music, etc. People always ask why I smile all the time. The answer? My passion through God's mercy. ^_^
Thank you God for all of this, and help me to remember this when I complain about difficult things in life.
Love to all! ^_^
1) God ROCKS. So many times I've let Him down, and yet He continues to rescue me.
2) Bryan is the most amazing blessing. He blindsighted me. I never saw him coming. Times that I tried in the past to come up with who I wanted to be with, and there are characteristics he has that I never thought of until I realized how miserable I would be without him in my life.
3) My family is so cool. I had a fun convo with my mom last night, by phone of course, but I felt her love and warmth radiating through the phone. My dad is hilarious. He and I share a love of bad puns, so when I tell a dumb joke, I blame it on him. ^_^ Love you! Kim and Kreg are so reliable and are special, and I can't imagine never having them in my life. Curtises and Kells (alphabetically ^_^), YOU ROCK.
4) Stryker provides the comic relief in my life. He's here to cuddle with me when I'm bummed--he can always tell when I'm irritated or just need to talk. Plus, I don't have to worry about him coming back with the perfect advice. He just listens. ^_^ (I think all women should have dogs...)
5) My friends are SO awesome. I have different friends for different things. Y'all are my partners in crime, my encouragement, my laughter and tears. Without you, I'd have to just go to random places, just to be around people. ^_^ I'm blessed to have y'all in my life.
6) My church. Zelienople is so beautiful! The people are there for me, and I have a place in the church, somewhere special that I can contribute and belong to. We are led by a great preacher who is humble and honest, and he would do anything for the church.
7) My education. This ties into my family--thanx for encouraging me to go to school and to work my heart out for something hard but WORTH it.
8) My passion encourages me to keep going. I love being on fire for things, be it God, church, family, education, dancing, music, etc. People always ask why I smile all the time. The answer? My passion through God's mercy. ^_^
Thank you God for all of this, and help me to remember this when I complain about difficult things in life.
Love to all! ^_^
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Spring has SPRUNG!!!!!!
There's a tune on my lips and a song in my heart!!! I"m so excited. I'm wearing a TEE-SHIRT today, and I don't have to have a big, bulky coat over it. Were I still living in the south, I would read this blog and think, "Wow, you're weird," but now I totally appreciate the warmer weather a LOT better than before. I've been looking forward to this since Friday, when I looked at the news and it said that Tuesday, the weather would be in the 60s. It IS!!! So excited.
I hope that everybody is as happy today as I am. If you're not, here's to Spring Cheer radiating from the screen and into your hearts so you can sing with merriment. "Tomorrow, tomorrow! I love you, tomorrow!!..." Wait, why love tomorrow when you can love TODAY? Just a thought--I should still love today, even if later it rains, as it's supposed to. I will, however, rejoice in the fact that I can go outside and smile at the sun. ^_^
Sending loving, happy, warm thoughts your way!!!
^_^
I hope that everybody is as happy today as I am. If you're not, here's to Spring Cheer radiating from the screen and into your hearts so you can sing with merriment. "Tomorrow, tomorrow! I love you, tomorrow!!..." Wait, why love tomorrow when you can love TODAY? Just a thought--I should still love today, even if later it rains, as it's supposed to. I will, however, rejoice in the fact that I can go outside and smile at the sun. ^_^
Sending loving, happy, warm thoughts your way!!!
^_^
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Mama's, maybe you should let your babies grow up to be cowboys...^_^
Like I would know. I don't have kids. I couldn't be prouder of the men in our family, by the way. Papaw is the best man I know. He's wise, and he's strong, which is one of the reasons so many people are naming their babies after him. Way cool.
I have uncles who hunt, and their strength is spiritual as well as physical. My uncles are also strong intellectually and are good daddies. Good daddies raise good sons to be good daddies in the future. My dad is the same way. ^_^
So why this topic? I'm reading "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge, and the message I've gotten thus far is "Society has emasculated men." Strong statement. Do you think this is true or false? I think the book is good so far, and I like that this book encourages men to find the wildness within and use it to be good, Christian men. I believe that men who are chastised for being men will have severe issues and deep depression, leading to ultimate death. I also believe that God created men and women different for a reason. There are strengths and weaknesses in each sex, which is why marriage between the two is such a perfect concept. I say concept because the individuals who marry are definitely not perfect. Just ask Bryan if I'm perfect. (Brace yourself for the laughter.) Anyway, so what do you think? Does society emasculate men? If they do, why? Thanx ^_^
I have uncles who hunt, and their strength is spiritual as well as physical. My uncles are also strong intellectually and are good daddies. Good daddies raise good sons to be good daddies in the future. My dad is the same way. ^_^
So why this topic? I'm reading "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge, and the message I've gotten thus far is "Society has emasculated men." Strong statement. Do you think this is true or false? I think the book is good so far, and I like that this book encourages men to find the wildness within and use it to be good, Christian men. I believe that men who are chastised for being men will have severe issues and deep depression, leading to ultimate death. I also believe that God created men and women different for a reason. There are strengths and weaknesses in each sex, which is why marriage between the two is such a perfect concept. I say concept because the individuals who marry are definitely not perfect. Just ask Bryan if I'm perfect. (Brace yourself for the laughter.) Anyway, so what do you think? Does society emasculate men? If they do, why? Thanx ^_^
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