Control

I am not in control. God is in control. This is hard for me sometimes. I just want to make things happen. When I have to depend on others, especially God, it's hard. I just want to do things and make them happen! That may be why I'm so impulsive. I want and I do. When I need I do. When I need and can't do, it's hard for me. Those who love me, please pray for me that I will do better with depending on God's help instead of being so impatient and just doing it for myself. Help me balance what I can control and what I can't.
Thanks for listening. :)

Fun day with Bryan!

So I'm not so sure about this job thing...^_^
No, really, I LOVE my job. Being a therapist is difficult, but it is amazing. I learn more and more everyday. I am so blessed to even have a job in this economy. I have a staff to work with that are amazing!

So what's the problem??

I want more time with my husband! I suppose it's not a problem so much as a blessing--it's good that I want to spend more time with him! Today, I thought about how much i love the time spent with him and wish I had more, although i know that if I didn't have a job, I would wonder if i could cut it as a therapist. At any rate, I am well on my way to achieving a nice type-E personality, which is what a woman who manages both a household and a job has. Psychologists decided that type-A didn't cover it.
So, about Bryan and my day...

It was great! We started off at the Strip District and immediately went to a farmer's market and tasted excellent honeycomb, bought swiss chard and a keera poona, which is an Indian cucumber, and then we went into a biscotti shop. We bought biscotti and pastries, and the pastries were made out of flaky bread, like croissants, and were filled with citrus and ricotta cheese. They were amazing!
After that, we bought coffee at my favorite coffee place, Fortune's Coffee (which I've blogged about before now.) We also went to Penn Mac and got parmigiana reggiana, which is much cheaper at the Strip than at Giant Eagle (yea!) and pasta.

After the strip, we went to the Southside, which has a lot of great shops. One of the shops is Joseph Brothers Books, which is like Barnes and Noble on steroids. Bryan was excited about this restaurant called Yo Rita about which he had heard, but it was closed, and we found out later that it didn't open until dinner. We went instead to Carson Street Deli, which has won several awards for its "sammitches" (Pittsburghese, thank you ver much.) One sandwich is about 10" and so we decided to split a Godfather and sides. Yummy! We were walking back to the car and found an ice cream shop and decided to partake. ^_^ Good call.

We finished the day at a friend's house, where we co-babysat. I love days like this where I can just hang out with Bryan and be glad he's my husband. I wish I could have more days like this. This is not my last "I love Bryan" post, by the way--our anniversary is coming up next month, so if i don't blog before then, I will blog about our 5th anniversary. how exciting!!

To all the couples out there, may you be as happy (unless you can be happier!) as we are ^_^
Love to all!

Life these days...

By the way, the first picture is of Bryan holding Bryan and my friend's daughter, Ellie. We did not have a kid while everybody's backs were turned. ^_^
So life is calmly insane. Life is calm because I am not in school, but insane because I'm looking for a job. I had an interview last week that went well, but I don't think I got it because I haven't heard back, and when I looked at the website, it said the position was filled. That's okay--every new interview is more practice for the next one. ^_^ Besides, that must just mean that I need another, more fitting job. We'll see. I have time to look for another one. ^_^
My family came to see me, and I had the best time with them. I was so touched that Mom, Kim, Jonas, and Dad came to see me for my graduation. I never expected them to be able to travel that far! We had a great time, though. Dad was there before graduation, and Mom, Kim, and Jonas stayed to play afterwards. I took them to the Strip District so we could go into all the good shops: coffee, chocolate, Mexican foods, etc. ^_^ I took them to Eat and Park, which is a fun PA chain where the cookies are always smiley. Jonas even has a shirt from Eat and Park now. He's so cute!
My mother-in-law made my cake for the party, and it was so sweet of her to do that. She threw me the party! We had a wonderful time, although an hour in it rained! We were so glad we had a pavilion. ^_^
These days, I'm having fun with friends while searching for jobs. I trust in God to provide, though. He always has in the past!
Love to ALL, K

Day with Dad! ^_^

Dad is in town for my graduation, and so today, we started off with breakfast at Country Kitchen, which, for all you Searcy people, is like Bobby's except bigger. ^_^It was great fun!! After that, we went to a nearby town called Volant, PA, which is a lot like Mountain View with an Amish twist ^_^, for those who know that place. There were homemade soaps, rugs, furniture, etc. We also went to this amazing place for lunch, where Dad had his first pierogies. We also had some amazing blackberry cobbler. We had a great time!! ^_^
Last night, we watched the Penguins game, at least some of it. Unfortunately they lost, but we still had fun cheering for them.
Tonight, we have dinner with some friends from church, so that will be fun.
I'm so happy to have him here!!
I'm also psyched because my Mom and sister will be here on Thursday. Yea!!! I can't wait to show Kim stuff I already showed Mom. I'll take Mom to a coupla new spots as well, though.
I'm SO ready to graduate!! I've had senioritis so bad especially these past few weeks. I have an interview coming up this week for another residential treatment facility, so keep your fingers crossed everybody!!!
Love to ALL. ^_^

Mom + Kristi + PA = FUN!!

Mom and I had the best time. Mom came to see me in Pittsburgh, and as soon as she got here, she picked me up in her rental car, and we went to the city. We walked up and down the Strip District, which is a great place to get really excellent and high quality meats, cheeses, and coffee. We walked into Fortune's Coffee and the smell was intoxicating! (I just don't understand non-coffee drinkers...) We got my favorite--Hawaiian Kona Blend, which is phenomenal. We also went to eat at Primanti Brothers, which is a classic Pittsburgh Sandwich shop. The story behind it is that railway workers would be on the trains all day, and then they would have a 5 minute stop at Primanti Brothers. Since there was no time to eat slowly, they ate sandwiches with the fries and cole slaw already on them, so that's how they are served there. I ordered mine without cole slaw, and my waiter, who was hilarious, said, "What do you think this is, Burger King??!" Mom and I laughed.
Also, Mom noticed that there were signs on the menu saying that the Philly Cheesesteak was the 2nd most popular item. When she asked our waiter what the 1st was, he said, "Beer." ^_^ Mom decided she'd go with the second...
Later that day, Mom bought me clothes!! That's ALWAYS fun. Hey mom, when are you coming back? ^_^
Mom and I also went to Reyna's, which on Saturdays, makes fresh tortillas. Since it was Saturday, we bought fresh ones and salsa to go with, and they were great!! So light and buttery. ^_^ It was a great time had at the Strip District. ^_^
The next day, Mom and I went to church together. She said she liked all my friends and church family, and she enjoyed our preacher's sermon. It's always great to have people that are special to you meet others that are special to you as well. It's strange to have people that are so close to me not know each other, but that's what happens when you move away!
Later that day, we went to Duquesne for a Grad Fair--the reason she was in Pittsburgh in the first place, although she says it was really to see me. ^_^ It was enjoyable. We sat at the Harding-displayed table, discussed the Harding Pharmacy program with students and faculty, and just had a marvelous time.
That night, we went out with Bryan's mom and brother for dessert. Late birthday celebration for me, so that was fun. ^_^
Monday wrapped up Mom's trip with going to lunch at Olive Garden. What a sweet treat!!
I love you SO much Mom and am SO glad you were here with me!!! Love you!!!

Compartmentalizing...

Okay, so I essentially have 4 lives. I try to think of myself as one person, but it gets too confusing and a tad overwhelming, so I compartmentalize, and it helps. One of my lives is at home with Bryan, which is only about 2 hours awake and 7 sleeping. Another is at church, which used to be 3 hours a week: 2 on Sunday and one on Wednesday, but I had to give my hour on Wednesday to my 3rd life: school. I spend 5 hours in school, but that is only because I have not gotten homework yet. I will soon have to dedicate more time to school, but as I said before, I am trying to de-whelm myself. If that was not a word before, it is now.
My fourth life is my internship, where I live Monday-Friday from 10AM-6 or 8 PM, depending on activities that occur at the RTF. When I am not currently in this compartment, it is easy to throw myself into my fifth life, which I forgot to add before because I have 2 days for it--MAX--my fun time! Don't get me wrong--I have fun at my internship, school, church, and definitely at home with Bryan. I am, however, one small person and tend to get overwhelmed!!
Don't worry--I am not developing multiple personality disorder--I simply must organize the facets of my life so I know what goes where.
Life is great. Nothing's perfect--things can always get better--but God has blessed me with these compartments. He's given me what I can handle for the time being.
I should thank Him for that more...^_^
Love to all!! Enjoy the Superbowl and gooooooooo STILLERS!!!!!!
(I did not spell that wrong--that's Pittsburgh pronunciation...)

Update ^_^

Okay, so life is kind of on pause for me right now. This is a picture of me and Bryan at "Cranksgiving", our small church group's Christmas/Thanksgiving that we had at my friend's house. It was great!! We have a small group that lives in Cranberry, and we hang out together for stuff like game nights, random dinners, Bible studies, etc. It's great!! I love these people so much. They're a blast.
Anyway, so life. I start my internship next week. Whee-hoo!! I'm excited. I'm ready to get going because I've been at the house or my friend's house, catching up on stuff like housework, baby-sitting (throwing my friend's kids around, in the air, etc.) and just enjoying the calm before the storm. I will be insanely busy this semester, doing my internship and taking (thank goodness) only one class. I will be at my internship every day except Saturday and Sunday, when I will be studying for Substance Abuse.
My husband is busy with work, doing new projects all the time, creating new recipes, etc. He came home last night to an insanely clean house--whee-hoo!!! I worked hard!!--and rewarded me by cooking pasta with shrimp and mussels. They were perfectly fresh and were amazing. I'm so glad I married a chef! He got a new cookbook for Christmas and has been poring over it, learning new techniques and gathering new ideas.
I am currently in the middle of 4 books, a couple of which I started a month ago. I'm reading "Memoirs of a Geisha", "Duma Key"--Stephen King, "Case for Christ"--Lee Strobel, and "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister"--Gregory Maguire. The last is a recounting of Cinderella, told in a different light. I have never felt sorry for the ugly stepmother and stepsisters before, but I do reading this! Anyway, I must finish them this weekend before I have to start reading real stuff again and studying for tests. Yeesh!
Done for now. Love to all!!! ^_^

A Celebration of Papaw's Life

Wow, what a man. What a testimony we had yesterday at the funeral! So many people were there. I am so glad for Mamaw that her friends were there to comfort her. She and Papaw are so loved by so many people. We saw that yesterday, as we have in the past. It was a true testimony to Papaw's character, how many people were there. People were there to comfort the rest of us as well.
Funerals are weird things. We cry because we are left behind to regret the loss of the lives who touched so many people, and yet we also celebrate the lives of the people who have gone on to a better place. Papaw is in heaven now, smiling down on us, and he is probably having a conversation with Peter the apostle. Knowing both men, though, they aren't saying much--they're just fishing. ^_^ Both were men of action, not words. When they spoke, though, their words had effect. I am sad for our loss. I am relieved that Papaw no longer has to deal with the pitfalls of cancer, though, and that the only bag he has to deal with is a bag of potato chips as he watches the Cardinals win. I think they win in heaven...
I'd like to add a special note about how wonderful it was to see the cousins. We had not been all together for 13 years. That is a LONG TIME. I grew up hanging around them, and so the one thing i don't like about Pittsburgh is that it's so far away from family. I'm grateful that we had a picture taken of all 12 of us.
Love to all!

So what, are they TRYING to give me a heart attack at 26?

Who are they? My Steelers! I watched, biting my nails, for the past 2 weeks as the Steelers beat the Cowboys and the Ravens, both within the last 2 minutes. It was CRAZY. I love my team, but I get such a work-out when I watch the games. I had to apologize last week and last night to a 2-year old who I scared when I jumped off the couch and went "Aaarrrggghhhhh!!!!!!!" When I had calmed down, I looked lovingly at Ben and said, "Hi sweetie...." and kissed him until he started giggling. Thank goodness that 2-year-olds forgive easily! I've only watched a couple of games with the Almarez family, 4 of the newest members at our church. Ben is getting used to me getting excited/aggravated/berserk(?) for the games, but he still doesn't like it. As long as I apologize within a few seconds, though, I'm forgiven. Yea. ^_^
You may remember, I was never a football fan, especially to this degree. I knew that people threw a ball and that they got all excited when they ended up on either extreme end. I became familiar with a team getting 6 points after doing so, and then sometimes they would kick it between the metal things for one more point, or they'd run it in for two.
Don't get me wrong--my football knowledge is still pretty lousy, but I no longer look confused when a player gets down on one knee after catching the ball in the endzone. I've learned what field goals are--especially after last night when 5 such field goals were stressing me out to where I no longer have white on the ends of my fingernails. If the game had ended last night 9-6 Ravens because of 5 field goals, I would have cried.
From whence does my newly found passion come? I married a Pittsburgher. Pittsburghers are passionate about 2 sports: hockey--Go PENS! and football--go STEELERS!!! Pittsburghers go watch Pirates games too, but mainly because it's a nice Sunday afternoon activity. Steeler games and Penguin games are just exciting. (Although there was an awesome Pirates game that I went to with my church last summer where we won in the extra innings, but that's another story.) At any rate, when in Pittsburgh, do as the Pittsburghers do. ^_^
So what? I can live in Pittsburgh and not be a Steeler fan. I couldn't say it out loud, but I don't have to be a fan. It's fun, though! Palomalu, my favorite Steeler, tackled one of the Ravens by tripping him, and the Raven flew through the air. It was a great play! It's fun to watch Roethlisberger sail the ball down the field to a ready teammates hands for the perfect touchdown. Besides, I was a cheerleader in high school, and this is a great outlet for my inner cheerleader! It's normal to shout at the TV for a game, in a matter of speaking...^_^ (Hmmm, why do I love to play Taboo and Cranium so much? You get to SHOUT.) ^_^
So now you know. ^_^ Love to all!

They say that catching up...is...hard to do-o!

...but I'm getting there!!! I was gone from school for a week and missed quizzes, notes, etc. Don't get me wrong, I would not take that week back for anything, but it is difficult to catch up. I also came back to practicum and had a MOUNTAIN of paperwork to do!! It's all good. Why? I'm Superkristi!! Well, not really, but I was able to catch up. ^_^
Also, this is my first free weekend in ONE MONTH. I am psyched!! Those who know me know that I love people and would much rather be in a room surrounded by people than being at home, by myself, ALONE. I can be alone for a time, but then I have the biggest urge to be with others just to hear them speak. Not this weekend. I am going to work on 4 papers in utter solitude, with occasional breaks every once in a while so I'm not driven mad. I don't like to be alone too much, but this will be a good weekend for the cause--school!!
I must say, though, that part of catching up is getting me into the Christmas spirit. At first, I was not ready to hear Christmas music because it was reminding me of all the catching up to do and all the stuff that needs done beforehand. This monrning, though, I was in the grocery store and looked up at a TV just in time to see my favorite scene from "White Christmas"--where Danny Kaye and (what's her name--Mom, you know!!) dance together for the first time. I love that song!! They are so graceful. When I see that movie for the first time, I know it's time for Christmas!! What a special movie.
Thanksgiving will be spent this year with Bryan's family. 2 of the family members are vegetarians, so we will be eating some stuff without meat, but I am excited about this Vegetable Gratin recipe that I found in a magazine. I'm dying to try it out because it looks wonderful, has Asiago cheese and polenta in it, which is a type of grainy starch, and Bryan loves polenta. Here's hoping I do it justice! At any rate, it will be a good time had by all.
Pictures to come...^_^
Love to all!!

God is not a crutch!

He is so much more than that! God gets us through everything. I'm reading this book, "Darkness is my Only Companion," which is about the struggle of a woman with Bipolar Disorder. Anyone who knows about Bipolar Disorder knows that this struggle is intense. It's not just the transition from manic--excessive energy, irritability, lack of ability to sleep, to depressive--lack of energy, feeling pain. The pills people have to take make it difficult, going through the symptoms. I am so grateful for these people who have improved upon the medication that people with Bipolar Disorder have to take, and yet it is still far from easy. Although I do not know this personally, I feel with this woman in her book, and I encourage counselors, therapists, and people with Bipolar Disorder to read this book.
Why is the title of this blog "God is not a crutch!"? So many people that don't understand Christianity think of God that way. God is love that people do not understand, which is one of the reasons He is so beautiful. Any difficulty I have in my life can be maintained, even if it ends in death, because that is not the final end. I want people to know that God is there.
This book is also important, though, because the author, Kathryn Greene-McCreight, is candid about her thoughts and feelings toward those "comforting" Bible verses. Although they are comforting, pain does not go away just because you understand pain. I used to think you could explain away anything, but I was naive. I am less naive now, after experiencing other people's suffering. I still have a lot to learn, but I do know that anything difficult I have or will experienced would be a million times worse without the presence of God in my life. I know that not everybody will read and believe in God, but He extends His love to all who will take it. Thank you, God for loving me, wrapping your arms around me, and giving me hope that I will be with you someday. In the meantime, I am here to do your work and encourage others, hopefully bringing them to you as well.

The Mom and I...and custard pie

Mom has been the dutiful daughter, taking care of Mamaw and Papaw wherever she can, teaching 2 classes, taking care of me while I'm here, doing her job--basically, she's superwoman. ^_^ I've been having fun with her.
The other day, she asked me what we should get for dinner, and I immediately said "Chicken Pot Pie!!" knowing that she would have enough crust left over for our little custard pie, as well. Yummy!!! So that's what we did.
I wanted to put a picture up of us smiling, but we were against a yellow wall, so we look a tad jaundiced. Oh, well. Here's a cute picture of her on the phone as well. ^_^ She's talking to my brother. What a great Mom!!!

I'm home!

It is so good to be here. I know I'm here because of a deeply sad event, Papaw and his cancer, but I must say that I am so relieved to see my family. I have gotten my family cup filled already, and it's only MONDAY. I still have one week to fit in as much family as I can. So far I've seen Mom, Aunt Donna, Mamaw, Papaw, Kreg, Keleigh, Tara, I finally got to meet Peter, and I get to see Rachel, Casey, and Abby tomorrow. Yea!
On the down side, a difficult thing is to see Papaw's face. He is in pain, and I wish I could take it away. He is no longer on a morphine drip--they give him morphine orally and in liquid form, when he asks for it. Earlier today, the nurse asked him on a scale from 1-10 where his pain was, and he said 5-6. Tara and I decided that a 5-6 for him is about a 9-10 for most people. We can't take away his pain like we wish, but we can make him smile, on occasion. He has the best smile, just the way Great-Grandma Curtis used to. Laura Reeder came over and made him smile today, and I just had to put this picture up.
I'm missing school for a coupla days too, so I'm working on a paper while I'm here too, but I'm definitely not skipping out on family to do that. The less I soak them up while I'm here, the more I have to miss them until I come home again in May!! Dumb airline prices.
So here I am, soaking up as much Curtis clan as possible. I love us so much!! One of my favorite parts of this time was being able to sing with Aunt Donna and Mom 2 days in a row: fun songs with Mom while she was on the piano on Saturday night, and great church songs the next day at church. We even sang "Victory In Jesus" at night church. That was special. Here's to a great man and a great woman who got together, not knowing that they would raise 4 God-fearing children, 12 God-fearing grandchildren, and 13 (some on the way) great-grandchildren! ^_^ What a crew.

New recipe for biscuits--by default...

So at my practicum yesterday, we made cookies. It was fun. ^_^ Some of the kids had never made cookies before, so that was cool, too. I gave them the recipe for sugar cookies...minus sugar. They had no idea, at least until they took the first bite of their cookies. I had everybody take a bite at the same time, and their reaction was priceless!! I wish I had taken pictures. They all went "EW" and "GAG" all at the same time. It was great!!
The point is, every ingredient in cookies is necessary. When the cookie misses the sugar, the cookie becomes a weird kind of biscuit. We talked about the role of members in families, how missing the sugar was a negative choice, and how positive and negative choices affect the family. It was special. Some of the kids shared more than they usually do.
I think it will take time before I am a more competent group leader, but I cherish every mistake i get to make along the way. I love being at this place!! The kids are beautiful in so many ways. God knew what He was doing when He put me here. I have so much to learn, but I'm having a great time in the process.
These people, especially the staff, are angels.
by the way, one of the kids eats everything in his path, so he ate 4 of the "cookies" himself! That was fun. Gave the kids a laugh, too. my next group is next Thursday. We'll see how it goes!!
Love to all! ^_^

Surprise Baby Shower

Sami

Lisa

Mary, Sandy, Julie

Marian, Mary, Sandy

Nicole and Elaine

Marian and Sandy

Linda, Glory, Carol

Sami, Lisa, Diana, Mary

Me and Whitney

Mary
Yesterday was so much fun!! My friend, Whitney, who also lives here in PA is expecting her third baby, first girl. All the ladies at church threw her a shower, and up until she got to church and saw her friends walking in, she had no idea! It was so much fun. We had typical foods, punch, a fun cake, and games. ^_^
I got to do the games, and that was fun. We played celebrity baby names game, where you match up celebrities with their kids' names, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple. She named her kid that, by the way, because the name sounded CLEAN. Whatever. ^_^
We also played "Build a Baby's Library" where we each brought a book as a gift for Lucy, Whitney's baby, and the book had special meaning attached to it. I brought "Robert the Rose Horse" because I remember my family reading it with special emphasis on the sneezes! How fun. ^_^
Finally, we played a game I invented where you look at the differences between raising boys and girls, such as differences in hair fixing, potty training, toys you buy, and protectiveness. ^_^ Whitney wrote her list while everybody else wrote theirs, and people who matched the most got a prize. ^_^ That was fun. Whitney keeps thinking about the whole hair-fixing thing because with two boys, you don't have to do so much!
We had a great time. Here are some pictures of me and my wonderful church lady friends! I'm so glad I'm here. These people are so wonderful. ^_^

We're not kids anymore...

...but it's okay to play like it from time to time! I needed a little break from stocks crashing, presidential candidates debating, and criminals murdering, so I watched cartoons this morning. Bryan and I sat with our coffee cups and Captain Planet and Jetsons. It was nice to watch something to make us laugh for a change.
I'm not an ostrich, mind you. I don't stick my head in the sand when confrontation is necessary. I do, however, think that if you constantly allow yourself to be filled with pressure, like a balloon, you'll pop and it won't be pretty.
Remedy? Allow yourself to watch something silly everyonce in a while so you won't be bombarded with life's pressure. Take care of what needs done, but breathe and relax with Pink Panther for a moment before getting back to the grind. ^_^
Love to all!

Megan's wedding, yea!!!! ^_^

It was a blast!!! Megan was gorgeous, Zack was handsome (both were, but the groom description had to follow the bride, right?) Kierrabelle was an adorable flower girl, and Kole couldn't have been handsomer in his little suit. He was especially cute when he was dancing to the music! He was also cute when he was helping direct Kierrabelle down the aisle. ("Hey! Go that way!--big point--go that way!!") A fun day was had by all. Megan's dress was phenomenal. She looked radiant, as most brides tend to do. Plus, the sun was shining on her, which is lucky, and so she looked extra happy. ^_^
The whole day was Megan, absolutely. She had bluegrass music playing. She's always been folks-y, which fits in with the neat way she sings and plays guitar. I so love that about her! Uncle Kevin sang a song to her that he used to sing to her when she was a little girl, and I nearly cried. It's too bad that Megan's voice wasn't feeling so hot that day because the girl has talent.

The setting was Megan as well. The leaves were beginning to change, and the hills were beautiful. They encased the setting of the ceremony perfectly. Besides the area being beautiful, Megan has always excelled in the outdoors, especially when it comes to fishing. I still remember being a little girl and fishing with the cousins, being horrified because I was told to pick a worm up from the ground and put it on the hook by myself, and I just couldn't do it. Megan did it for me. ^_^ Thanx, Meg. ^_^

The bridesmaids' dresses were Megan. They were satin but also had a dragonfly pin on the side, and I remember megan liking dragonflies. It was the perfect touch. I wish I had pictures!! This will teach me to bring a digital camera to a wedding without extra batteries...

Thanx to Aunt Donna, the wedding cake was amazing. It was a white cake with chocolate icing and raspberry filling. Aunt Donna even fashioned birds to put on the cake and these cute little white flowers as well. Great job, Aunt Donna! Aunt Kathy also made peach cobbler, which was wonderful. Bryan especially loved the cobbler, since he's a big fan of fruit desserts.

Uncle Mike did a sweet ceremony. He made the right jokes at the appropriate times. ^_^ I loved how he made me think about love. I was so glad to have Bryan there next to me so we could watch Megan and Zack dedicate their lives together, and have us rededicate our lives to each other. I'm such a sucker for weddings. ^_^

Aunt Kathy and Uncle Kevin looked happy, sad, excited, enthralled, all the emotions that people have when their children are getting married. What a beautiful thing, to get married, to fall in love, and then to, as Uncle Mike said, make a choice to love for the rest of your life. It's a power that many people don't trust anymore, but it's also one in which I believe, thanks to a God who makes this love possible.

Love to all, and I am so glad that I got to see some of my family. I miss you so much, and I pray for you everyday.

Normal...

Elizabeth's post made me think about my "normal". Normal is to go to school. I've been in school for eleven-hundred years. I'm beginning to think that I may never get out, although May will be beautiful--I will GRADUATE. At the same time, however, it will be a huge transition. I will no longer be...a student! I suppose I'll always be a student, in that the day I stop learning is the day I die. If I am ever so arrogant that I think I can't learn anymore, it won't be long before I am sorely humbled...
Okay, so what else is normal? Coffee in the morning. Without coffee in the morning, I feel less functional and strikingly abnormal. Coffee just has that lift that is required to make it through all days, good and bad. My new favorite store is "McGinnis Sisters," which has amazing produce, phenomenal fresh fish--the tuna is gorgeous!!--and you said it, coffee...YUM.
Another normal thing is for Bryan to take normal food and make it abnormally beautiful. He can take pasta, olive oil, garlic, and cheese, and combine it into this magical creation. Yea for being married to a chef! I made us egg sandwiches the other day, which was slightly abnormal because he's better at making food for us, but I enjoyed doing something fun "culinarily" for my husband. I'm getting better at making stuff--I made spiced pecans for this killer salad that we had at church for a meeting last week, and everybody went "nuts" over them...^_^
Hmmm, it is normal to read until my eyes fall out of their sockets. I have a lot to read!! I have quizzes and assignments almost every week, but this helps me get all the info in, as opposed to doing my usual style of procrastinating it "done" at the last minute.
It is becoming more normal to read the Bible and pray with my husband. What's cool and something that I'm realizing more and more, is that when I take the time to read and pray with Bryan, it makes all the other things that need done seem more do-able, which is ironic because when I don't read and pray, it's because I have "too much to do." If I don't have a basis in God, though, everything else is "meaningless" anyway, right?
So, what's normal with you? ^_^

Dancin' in the Dark...

...And I was, last night. ^_^ Yeah, I thought I'd make a comment about how it was unfortunate how so many people had lost power, and then I said, "Bryan, do you think we'll see any of the after-effects of Ike?" After he said, "No", our electricity went out. Stayed out all night! The winds were blowing like crazy. Thought that we might have a tornado, since the sky was really light, but it didn't turn yellow so I figured we were safe. Of course, we live out in the country, where NObody else is, so we were a little nervous. At any rate, the worst we saw was a tree waving at us as if we hadn't seen it in years. It did not break the window, so we were happy. ^_^
So what did we do? Our earlier plans were to watch the Steelers crush the Browns. Although we did not watch the game, Steelers were led to victory anyway. Go Heinz-Ward!!! Instead of watching the game, therefore, we sat around and did stuff that they did in olden times--sat around playing guitar, read, played cards, and yes, danced in the dark. I'm so glad we took those dancing lessons!! I recommend this for ALL married couples--dancing lessons are wonderful and romantic. Husbands, you will score points. ^_^
Anyway, we woke up this morning without power, still, so we went out to eat for breakfast. That was nice. We went to one of those places where the servers do everything but put an IV in your veins for your coffee. In other words, every other sip, there she was with the coffee pot. I think I averaged about 2 1/2 cups all together.
Electricity is on at school, so here I am, awaiting another class. I'm looking forward to class because I'm coming up with some ideas for a group which I might lead at practicum. I'm excited!! I will definitely be reading books for more ideas, but in the meantime, my creative juices are flowing like crazy.
Here's love from PA!! ^_^

I published a book!! ^_^

I published a book with Lulu.com, which is an independent publishing site. I haven't bought an ISBN yet, so I can't sell it through other sites until I do so, but it can be bought at lulu.com. The actual address is http://www.lulu.com/content/3860098
Yea! This is actually an activity book for parents and children, in which parents ask their kids a set of questions, and then their kids draw their answers. The book is for kids ages 5-12, with specifications on certain questions and subquestions. I've been wanting to do this for a while. My inspiration was my own childhood, times when I would ask my mom, "What if the world were chocolate?" and I don't think I ever drew what it would look like! Research shows--which is included in the book--that free-form drawing encourages higher self-esteem and being able to work better in a group. I hope that children all over the world are encouraged to draw, despite the level of artistic talent they may or not have.
This is fun. I got my book in the mail yesterday. I hope other people like it as I do. ^_^ Love to all!