Fearfully, wonderfully made

The one where we got locked outside

2012-02-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

At our former house, getting locked out was no big deal. If I got locked out, I’d run over to my neighbor’s house, borrow a credit card, and “break in” my house. Yep. The hubby and I were fairly apt at unlocking our side door without a key.

However, this new house is different.

Last night, I decided to take Vicki on a walk. She’s been wandering around the bedroom at night instead of sleeping, so I’ve decided that she needs to be worn out before we go to sleep. Therefore, we powerwalk the neighborhood. She’s not a big fan of it, but it’s great on two fronts: 1) She is sufficiently worn out after a 15-minute powerwalk up and down hills and 2) Walking that fast usually makes her do No. 1 and No. 2…sadly also usually in someone else’s yard.

My husband had a bit of work to do with a client around 4:30 p.m. but said he would be in shortly. So when I locked myself out of the house at 5:15 p.m., I didn’t care, because I figured he’d be home soon.

He came home at 6:45 p.m. His client took longer than expected, so Vicki, the cat, and I chilled on the back porch until he came home. I really didn’t mind. I had the kindle on my phone, so I spent the hour reading in fairly nice weather. Even when it started raining, it was fine, because our back porch is covered.

Apollo and Vicki, however, were a different story. Both were equally aggravated.

Apollo was mad because 5-6 p.m. is her dinner time, and I was not feeding her. She’d lean up against our glass back doors and look back at me as if to say, “WHY ARE YOU NOT BRINGING ME DINNER???” She swatted Vicki and me several times and was, overall, just very impatient.

Vicki was mad because she knows she is an inside dog, and about 30 minutes outdoors is all she wants – especially when that cat decides to attack her randomly. She shook the entire time while sitting on my lap, even though it was a very mild 65 degrees outside. She wasn’t shaking from the cold, though. She was just ready to go inside.

At some point, I decided to film them because, well, they are just hilarious. I hope you enjoy.

Tweet tweet, Ph.D. style

2012-01-26T06:46:00.000-08:00

Perhaps one of the scariest things in the world is having a professor request to follow you on Twitter.

No, I take that back. The scariest thing is having a student request to follow you on a social media site. However, the professor one is right up on second.

A few years ago, when I first started teaching, I allowed my students to “friend” me on Facebook. After a few months, I started squirming uncomfortably, not really enjoying how much my students suddenly knew about me. Not really appreciating their comments that they hoped I had a good time grading papers or that they hoped I would give them an A on the next paper. No, no, no. I’m not for that. Thanks to an unfortunate situation with one of the students, however, I was given a reason to defriend them all. Whew. Wipe the sweat from my brow, it was over. Now, I do tell them that they can friend me after they graduate…but by that time, most of them forget. That’s a win if I ever saw one.

On the other hand, I have friended my professors.

A running partner asked me one day why I friended my professors on Facebook. To which I responded, “It’s harder to be mean to a student who you know well.” And Facebook gives you that superficial knowledge that you need to be closer with your professors. Heck, that’s why my students friended me. That’s why I friend my professors. Granted, it’s a bit different at the Ph.D. level, as you are significantly closer with your professors than in during your undergraduate degree, but the bottom-line reasoning is the same.

Also, nothing gets me more excited on Facebook than seeing that one of my professors have commented or “liked” something on my profile. Eeek!!! They’re proud of me for becoming ABD!!! They “liked” that I ran eight miles today!! Hooray!

However, Twitter is a different story.

I don’t use Twitter that often, but, when I do, it’s a bit more sarcastic. Fewer people follow me on Twitter, and I’m a bit more sardonic on Twitter. In fact, during my “Summer of Hades” where I took 12 hours of IT, I wrote a smart-aleck Twitter comment each. day. about how awful the classes were. That’s not the worst of it! This past summer, when I had He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named as a joke of a professor (granted, not at the university where I will receive my diploma – it was a transfer class), I ranted about him on a regular basis. I still rant about him on a regular basis. And he knows it, I’m sure. My boss told me recently, in fact, that when that professor asked me, “What did you learn in this class?” I probably shouldn’t have said, “Absolutely nothing.” Whatever. I passed with a B, and while it still irks me that it wasn’t an A, I am done with that professor.

See? Still ranting.

A couple of days ago, I noticed that my adviser had an “official” Twitter account. What I mean is, he has a Twitter account with his name, but he posts about Super Duper University activities. AND, what made it 10 times cooler, he had posted a picture with four of his doctoral students – and one of them was me!!!

Swoon.

I did start following him on Twitter, mainly due to the picture. It psyched me up. And, therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he requested to follow me. It actually flattered me. But, with that came something else: fear.

I don’t think he’s actually going to go through every single Twitter post I’ve written, but I did check the last few months’ worth to make sure none of them were…ahem, snarky. After that check, I clicked “yes” on approve follower.

Now, I’ve just got to remember that he’s there…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

2012-01-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

This morning, I sent Misti, who I suspected would be up with her adorable baby or husband, and my mom, who I knew to be up getting ready for work, a picture of my would-be hairstyle for the day. It was a little out there, but as I am the professor with a Chihuahua calendar on her desk, I felt that a little out there actually suited my personality.

Here is the “surprising” hairdo.

I was actually more surprised by the good comments I received than the bad. My husband, who keeps me fairly grounded on my eclectic fashion, liked it. One of my male students asked if I could do my hair like this every day (to which I wonder if he was being sarcastic, but who knows?). A female student told me I looked “sexy.” But then, of course, there are the ones who just can’t keep their mouths shut.

This poor child. This poor, sweet child who cannot figure out what to say. Or not to say. She looked at me and asked, “So…is that how you meant for your hair to look today?”

The student next to her looked at her like, “Did you really just say that??” but I grinned. I have a pretty high self-esteem level thanks to supportive parents and friends and a husband who daily tells me I’m hot stuff. Call it pride, call it confidence, but I’ve got it. It’s probably why pride is a huge issue of mine. ;) And not because I don’t have it.

Anyway, so the girl starts turning red, and she said, “No, what I mean is, did you not have time to do your hair this morning? Or was that intentional?”

I can’t help it. I did laugh. Maybe it was how she worded it or how red she was turning in embarrassment, but it was just funny. Plus, though I do have a high self-esteem, I also know when to laugh at myself. Life is too serious in general to get ticked at little things.

“No, this was intentional,” I told her. “I did mean to have this hairstyle.”

She literally held her face behind a book before she finally decided to escape on the premise of getting a snack. She has yet to return.

So what do you think? A little too much or am I on target? I actually do like the hair, but I may not do it often to work, as it seemed to take too many people by surprise, ha! These students need to focus on my lecture and not so much on what I decided to wear my hair!

Sleeping habits

2012-01-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

Everything that sleeps has its own sleeping habits. My dog, for instance, when she’s sleeping for the night and not just napping, will lie on her side and, if she’s dreaming, will start running on her side – just barely. You’ll feel her back legs quiver, then her front. Then her back, then her front. It’s quite cute. Sometimes she’ll even give a faint bark.

I, on the other hand, snore. Yep, I’ll admit, I’m a self-proclaimed snorer…in certain situations. The more comfortable I am around you, the more likely I am to snore. That’s right, that means that my sweet husband gets an orchestra of noise on some nights. If I’m staying with a colleague in a hotel room, though…I somehow have trained myself not to snore. I sleep lighter and don’t sleep as well…but I don’t snore.

I had a roommate in college, however, who had to deal with my snoring – and I had to deal with her talking in her sleep. She’d say in a very normal, awake voice all sorts of words that didn’t make sense together, but she’s say them in a tone that, apparently to her, made sense. For example, she might say, “The raft go monsoon far Thursday voices contest press more confirm” with inflection – but it'd make no sense. So I’d yell something out at her until she quit talking. Same with me. I’d snore and she’d yell at me until I stopped. It was a good arrangement.

However, my husband may have the funniest sleep habits. While he has talked once or twice in his sleep, he also plays the piano…in his sleep. On me. Last night, he had already fallen asleep, and his leg was touching mine and one of his hands was on my shoulder. And he was playing the piano in his sleep. His fingers would move around for a couple of seconds and then stop for a few seconds, then pick back up again. His leg even was pushing a pedal in his dream. It also didn’t help that the dog was dream running again, curled up on the other side of my leg. About five minutes of this – though it was quite cute – I was done.

“Hey…Hey, Kyle. Hey, are you awake?”

“Huh…wha???”

“Hey. You’re playing the piano on me. You gotta stop that. I can’t sleep.”

“Ok…” He rolled over and went straight back to sleep.

His main question this morning, after I reminded him of his night playing, was what he was playing last night in his dreams. I'm not sure what it was, but he certainly was rocking out.

Thoughts on heels

2012-01-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

Embedding was disabled for this video for some reason, but check it out. It’s quite funny and fits nicely with this blog.

Kitten.

One inch.

Two inch.

Three inch – four??

Ladies, if I tell you I’m wearing kitten heels, you’ll probably think my shoes are cute, comfortable, and maybe a little safe. If I tell you I’m wearing a pair of four-inch heels, you will automatically feel my pain. It’ll probably begin with your toes, which, in four-inch heels, are crunched up at the front of the shoe, scoot down to your heel, which aches with every step you’ve taken in aforementioned heels, encompass your entire stuffy, scrunched-in foot, and travel up to your calf muscle, which also experiences a work out to keep you stabilized in these beautiful heels.

See, that’s the problem, isn’t it? Heels are hot, as Amy Farrah Fowler so adequately said, just not in quite those words. First, there’s the mere pain of heels. Granted, some aren’t uncomfortable, but for some reason I’ve noticed the prettier a heel, the more pain that will come with it – which is why women usually put on heels and say to themselves, “No pain, no gain.” I’m not sure what we’re trying to gain with heels – men, maybe, but married women wear heels, too. Still, the answer is probably men – our husbands in this case (hopefully).

Then, for me, at least, there’s the problem of walking in heels. I’m fairly good at walking on flat surfaces in any size of heel. However, as I noticed when we went to a friend’s wedding last October, when you’re not prepared for gravel or steep declines and inclines and holes in bridges where your heels can catch, heels are the devil. As I learned from sad, sad experience. But even on flat surfaces, I still have to walk aware. Why? Because of the sound. You all know the sound; there’s a resonance heels make when the individual who is wearing them is walking properly. Click, click, click, click. Steady, sophisticated, sexy. Here’s how I usually sound wearing heels: click, slomp, click, click, splat. The splat, by the way, is from hitting something on the ground that makes that sound, not me falling. I don’t walk properly to begin with. I don’t know why; maybe it’s the same reason why I can’t walk in a straight line. But when I wear heels, I have to make care that in a quiet hall with people around, they sound perfect. Because I’m crazy like that…am I the only one?

Probably.

However, let’s go back to the main point: heels are hot. As I was dressing for work this morning, I had the option: black flats…or four-inch eggplant purple heels. I weighed my options. I teach class today, which means walking across campus, teaching for two hours, and walking back to my office. Lots of standing, lots of walking. My feet were going to ache today.

But those purple heels were oh, so cute…

But the flats were oh, so practical…

So which did I choose?

I got to work this morning fairly early, and, as I was walking to my office building, I spotted her: the individual who is, quite frankly, the bane of my existence. If I must have a mortal enemy, it is her. We all have those individuals who just grate on our nerves, but she takes the cake in my life. She spotted me. And I (for once, ha!) just ignored her.

But as soon as we passed, I grinned. I was dressed quite cute, my hair looked fantastic, and I was wearing my four-inch purple heels.

Heels are hot.

Coffee cause

2012-01-17T06:19:00.000-08:00

I enjoy a lost cause much more than a regular cause.

Case and Point: The historical downtown area of my hometown ebbs and flows like the ocean. Sometimes, you’ll have really good shops, and then sometimes you’ll have the way-overly-priced boutiques that I could never afford. So when this one particular store, Design Co., moved in downtown, many of us were thrilled. Here was somewhat reasonably-priced, adorable clothing and accessories. Two of my favorite summer shirts came from there.

That was all I purchased.

UNTIL.

Due to lack of sales, Design Co. had to shut its doors. When they did, they had a huge blow-out sale, and I racked up on shoes, dresses, etc. I purchased what I have deemed my “Elvis shoes” (blue suede ballet flats) for about $14. They were regularly about $60. Yeah, I call that a deal.

I do like a good deal, and maybe that has something to do with it. But here’s Case and Point No. 2: Our university had an outstanding dairy. Quality meat, addictive cheese (seriously, I had a problem), mouthwatering ice cream, fresh milk – it was fabulous. However, I didn’t go there too often because of two reasons: 1) They closed at 5 p.m. on weekdays and weren’t open on the weekends and 2) To get there, I would have to drive AWAY from my house. Frankly, if I manage to get off of work a few minutes before 5 p.m., I am going HOME. I did pick up a few things, but a lot of my meat came from the supermarket just for convenience's sake. Eventually, word leaked out that the dairy would soon shut its doors forever. The student paper ran huge stories calling for the administration and the public to save the dairy, but in the end, the administration had to make a tough call. Though it breaks my heart, they made the right decision; it’s hard to have a dairy department when you don’t have a single dairy major.

And now we have my favorite coffee shop: FM 2.0. Okay, that’s not its official name, but it’s what I call it. They opened back in the fall just a few months after FM 1.0 closed down, much to my chagrin. I haunted FM. It had my favorite coffee bean (Red Sea Blend) and went there on a daily basis when I worked at the newspaper. They closed last summer, and I mourned their loss, though not as much as others – college students literally held a vigil outside its doors one night. When FM 2.0 opened, I was thrilled to see it was the same(ish) management and same menu. I didn’t go as often (thanks to the Keurig), but if I purchased coffee, it was from 2.0.

And Friday the 13^th was their last day open. Fitting, right? I made my last coffee purchase when I heard they were shutting their doors and drank in the sweet aroma and flavor that only really good coffee can epitomize. Alas, poor FM 2.0., I knew him sort of well.

That’s the problem, it seems. Though the dairy wasn’t downtown, it’s less than a mile from the downtown area – why don’t people support downtown? Why don’t I support downtown?

A friend of mine owns a cute clothing store downtown, and, when possible, I do try to shop there. Granted, I just don’t shop that much for clothing. I know something I need to purchase, and then I go find it. I don’t often just go peruse clothing (much to my husband’s happiness, I’m sure, haha!).

But I do want to support our town’s downtown area. We have some fantastic restaurants and cute clothing and hobby stores. Yeah, it’s slightly more pricey, but everything downtown is a good product.

A few weeks ago, American Express had this big push to shop local. That’s a fantastic idea. Eat produce from a farmer’s market. Buy at least some of your clothing from a downtown merchant. Eat at local restaurants – you KNOW the locals have better food than chains. Seriously.

I’m not a businessperson, but those who own small businesses don’t have an easy job. Maybe small businesses can thrive, even in this economy and even fighting big corporations. The best we can do for them is to walk in their shop and make a purchase – even a small one like a cup of coffee.

Letter to the cat

2012-01-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Apollo,

Well, you’re officially about eight months old. Somewhere around that. I think we’ll keep your birthday in August, however, as you came to us in August.

It’s been a wild eight months, from you getting fixed to your sister going missing to you growing into this beautiful, fuzzball who loves being held and petted. You’re such a beautiful cat. Feisty and beautiful. However, we need to have a little discussion about two of your bad habits.

One. Stop sneaking in the house. I get it that you’re super talented at sneaking by us when we come inside or are outside watching the dog do her bizness. I get that apparently you’re proud of these accomplishments. And this is perfectly fine if we see you sneak in, and have to chase you down. You like being chased, and while I’m not super happy to do so, it’s not really a problem.

HOWEVER. It is a problem when you sneak by when no one notices and you stay inside with us unaware. Believe it or not, it’s a little unnerving to be reading on the couch and see you slink up the stairs like a black ghost. It’s even more unnerving to come home after a run and have you greet me inside my house. You’re crafty, little cat, but you don’t need to be.

I know you don’t want to stay indoors. Every time you come in, you’re always a little nervous, making sure the door is open so you can make a quick getaway. So why are you allowing yourself to get trapped inside?

Also, let’s talk about your buddies Frank and Garfield. Sure, we probably shouldn’t have named the possum or the orange cat, but they seem to come around so much that it seemed appropriate that they have names. And, yes, I might have spray painted Frank brown, practically signaling to everyone that he is my possum. And he can come around and look around – but why is he eating your food? I was more than a little stunned when I went outside last night to turn your heating pad in your house on and leaned down in the darkness to pet you – and realized I almost petted Frank!!! (By the way, I don’t think he wants to be petted.) Garfield is just as bad. Yes, I know the lady across the street tried to make me adopt him as a replacement for your sister, but I don’t want him. You fight with him on occasion, and that makes me not like him. But when I held you in the doorway and Garfield came RIGHT UP to me and meowed…that’s when I realized that he thinks he’s my cat, too. And it doesn’t help that Vicki doesn’t chase him anymore, but I’ll deal with her later.

Vicki. You two seem to have a love-hate relationship. She really does love you…as long as you’re not hiding in the leaves waiting to pounce her. But it’s so hard to discipline you for that, especially when your daddy and I are dying out laughing. You know what? I’m okay with that. She runs faster than you, and it’s not like you’re jumping out to hurt her anyway. You’re just playing.

At any rate, let’s work on not sneaking inside and not letting the neighborhood riffraff eat all your food. I have one outdoor pet, and it’s you. Love you, sweet Apollo!

Love, your human mom

Lately, I've been learning...

2012-01-10T07:09:00.000-08:00

Grace, grace, God’s grace.

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.

Grace, grace, God’s grace.

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to grace, mercy, and passion lately. It has probably helped that our church has started a new series focusing on spiritual awakening that has gone along quite nicely with a prayer I made a few weeks ago: “Let me know You more. Let me have a passion to learn about You and a desire to read more of Your word.”

I do my daily Bible study most mornings. I’ve done this for quite some time, but, I’ve noticed, it had become more of a routine – not something so much that I want to do as much as a habit. I want my Bible study to be a joy each day, something to look forward to, something I don’t want to stop.

So bring that longing with our church’s study with the Daniel Fast (I’ll get to that in a later post), and I realized this week…the fire is burning. It started as a little flicker of a flame that is slowly growing, something I hope that will never stop. At any rate, I just wanted to share with you some of the things God has taught me in the last week:

1. God loves EVERYONE. (Acts 10:34-35)

This one is really easy for me…when thinking about people who I don’t know. But it’s a lot harder to swallow – and act on – when I think about individuals who have harmed or maligned me or my loved ones. But when I think about it with those individuals’ names in the blank: God loves ________ -- it becomes potent. And I need to take responsibility in possibly pushing them away from God. I hope that has not been the case, but I’m sure it has been. It’s very easy for me to respond the way the world would respond – with anger and sarcasm – than with love and mercy. But that gets me to Point No. 2.

2. God loves me. (Matthew 7:11)

I know not everyone grew up with awesome parents like I did. Seriously – I’ve got the best parents ever. When I think about how I was raised, how my mom and dad made sure I was active in church, how they continually love me and are overly gracious to me, how they have adopted my husband as their son and love him equally…it’s amazing. There’s just no other word for it. But if our earthly parents (which, granted, I realize not all parents are that great – TRUST ME, I realize this) know to give us good things…how much more does our God know and want to give us good things? Good things like grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy. Flipping mind-boggling.

Then, take it a step further. If God loves me and has shown me all of these good things and God loves everyone else…shouldn’t I love everyone else, too? We’ve heard it all the time – it’s easy to love your friends, but it’s really hard to love your enemies. REALLY HARD. And sometimes there needs to be separation for safety’s sake. Abusive relationships, for instance. Anger is fine – anger can be righteous – but we cannot let it advance to hate and bitterness.

3. People want to hear about God’s love more than His judgment.

This came to me this morning in preparation for next Sunday’s lesson. People want love. They want to feel love. That’s why we have so many social networks in attempts to connect with others, why people get into wrong relationships, why individuals divorce after they feel their spouse isn’t loving them enough. People want to be loved. And what better way to show them love than through the Gospels? Through God, who loves them more than we ever could? Yes, there’s a time to discuss judgment, and yes, I do think at times our culture takes the aspect of God’s love out of context and presents it without consequence to our actions, but I think Christians focus on hellfire and brimstone more than this story of redeeming grace and love.

There are consequences to our actions, and, at times, when we stray, God will discipline us to bring us closer to Him. People don’t want to hear that. People want to hear a karma Bible story – do good things and good things will come to you. Really? The Bible is full of examples of people who did good and had mounds of trials come their way: Job. Stephen. Jesus.

Going back to the end of the first graf in this point, God does discipline those He loves. Trials are meant to bring us closer to Him – and while I have prayed during trials of the past year, I don’t feel like I used those issues to grow closer. I just prayed because I could do nothing else. But I want to study more, I want to grow more – and I want to share that God loves you.

God loves YOU. Who wouldn’t want to be loved by God, the creator of the universe? Well, guess what – you’ve got His love.

Now it’s just a matter of loving Him in return.

Welcome to the new year

2012-01-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Note: This blog was written Jan. 3.

I love sitting at my house watching the light slowly fade from multiple windows in my living room. My husband is by my side reading, and my sweet pup is curled up next to me. I’m sure my cat is…somewhere. ;)

2012 has been fantastic these first three days…so I’m hoping the next 362 will be as equally wonderful. At any rate, we welcomed in 2012 sleeping. That’s right, conked out in the bed and a bit annoyed when we were awakened by fireworks. Old people, I know, ha!

I actually made a list of how Kyle and I have spent NYEs since we’ve been married. Nerd much?

2005: Headed to Natchitoches, La., and stayed in one heck of a creep B&B. No locks on the doors. I swear someone came in our room in the middle of the night. Eeek!!

2006: Natchitoches again…this time in a hotel. With locks.

2007: Ahem…Natchitoches with a group of friends. At a B&B. That may or may not have been haunted. That we played hide and seek in. Yes, it was a good night.

2008: Kyle was away with work for two weeks after Christmas, so I went to Chicago. Also, some time after I got back, I got food poisoning something awful. So, yes, I did ring in 2009…while puking my guts up.

2009: Very similar to this year – in New Orleans…doing laundry, watching TV, and complaining about neighbors blowing fireworks, lol. Old!!

2010: Party at a friend’s house – very awesome!

2011: back in New Orleans watching the Auburn football game and heading to bed at 10 p.m. Had to be ready to get up to go see my Saints play the next day!!

Speaking of the Saints game…It. Was. Awesome. Despite the thousands, we saw a few people from our church and met up with some friends we hadn’t seen in a while. Oh, and the Saints won. Can’t beat that!!

Kyle and his aunt

Me and my honey

Kyle's sweet aunt and uncle

Kyle and our friend Sean, from Ohio! So glad we got to see them at the game!!

Me and Tinabean!! Love that girl!

Oh, when the Saints...go marching in...

Me, Kyle, and our friends Crystal and Dain

Kyle's cousin and his beautiful girlfriend

2012…I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year.

My love and me =)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2011-12-30T17:05:00.000-08:00

I’m not really sure if having two weeks off for Christmas is too much or too little. I never want to go back to work, and I’m starting to get comfortable in this routine of staying up too late, sleeping too late, and drinking too much coffee. At all times of the day or night. Scandalous, I know.

I thought about doing a recap of the year’s highlights, but if you’re really that interested, just read some old blogs. ;) Instead, I decided to do a recap of this year’s best quotes…

Question: “Who was the Democratic Speaker of the House?”

Answer: “Condoleezza Rice.”

Student, discussing whether or not a professor was gay: “Maybe he likes the rainbow, but he stays away from the rainbow.”

Student: “It’s okay if I miss a Spanish lecture. I’ll just watch ‘Dora the Explorer’ before the next class and catch up.”

Me: “I gotta say, this paper was really impressive.”

Student: “Really?”

Me: “Yeah. Impressively bad.”

Me: “Have you started working on your multimedia project yet?”

Student: “No. I think we’re going to wait until the last week.”

Me: “Um…yeah, that’s now. It’s due next week.”

Student: “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! You can’t drop that bombshell on me!”

Me: “It’s been in the syllabus since the beginning of the semester.”

Student: “I’ve got three girlfriends. I’m very productive.”

Student: “I want my hair to be long and flowing. Like a mermaid’s.”

Student: “My life is like a box of chocolates…you know, dark.”

Student: “My mom puts Scripture all over my wall because she thinks that I’ve got men over in my room all the time.”

Lastly, here are some pictures from Christmas.

Happy New Year!!!

How I love them

2011-12-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

We gathered together Saturday to honor Betty, to remember her for her love, her generosity, her humor, and her spirit. It was the first time we all had been together in a long time, and, more importantly, it was the first day that the three great-grandbabies -- Joshua, Jack, and Miriam -- met.

Three babies, all looking the wrong direction

Of course, none of the great-grands had the desire to all look at the camera at the same time. I understand Miriam's excuse. I mean, she is only three months old. The boys, however, know to look at the camera, lol!

JuJu and Jack

She's just getting some quick practice in. Her first grandchild is due Dec. 26. How fun is that!!

My grandmother is holding her first great-granddaughter. I absolutely love this picture. My only regret is not getting Miriam's mother and grandmother in this picture as well. As it is, though...I'll just be happy with Miriam and Granny. =)

Granny, Miriam, Jack and Nicole, his aunt

See?? I told you Jack knows how to look at the camera!

How many women does it take to get two cute boys to look at a camera?

Apparently, six....(counting me!)

Joshua still does not understand that he's no longer the only great-grand in the family. This has apparently not been an easy adjustment for him, ha! As you can tell by these pictures, he's not all that sure of Jack!

And, of course, my husband wanted to play with all of these sweet angels...

Jack, his grandfather, and his great-uncle

They're having their first child within a few weeks, and it'll be Baby Boy No. 3 (for our family, at least!)! It's the first grandchild for my aunt and uncle. Who's excited? We all are!

My husband playing with Joshua

Joshua gets some lovin' from his grandmother.

My mom holds sweet Miriam

Oh, aren't these babies adorable?? And we're all just a bunch of "baby hogs" lol!! If someone was holding one of them, it would not be five minutes before that bundle of joy was passed along to someone else. It's so much fun having them around, and I can't wait to watch these little angels -- and Bryce and Katie's, who is due any day! -- to grow up in our family.

So this is Christmas…

2011-12-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

I remember as a kid hating to count down to Christmas. Because I was always looking forward to it, but somehow after all the gifts were unwrapped and scattered across the floor, that’s when I remembered that half my Christmas break was – gasp – over. As much as I loved Christmas and the anticipation of it, I knew that the time for me to return to school seemed much closer at noon on Dec. 25 than it seemed at noon Dec. 24.

This year, Christmas is different – for many reasons, good and bad. Bad, obviously, because this is the first year without Betty. The second week without Betty. My parents and I are actually exchanging gifts tonight because a) my dad will be home and b) I mean…why not?

Additionally, Kyle and I have (mainly) exchanged gifts. He has one more than I had shipped to Misti’s house to open, and he actually has to have mine installed (auxiliary cord in my car, what what!). But it’s just different this year.

But it is Christmas, despite this stupid 70-degree weather we had yesterday. If I’m running in shorts and a T-shirt in December, it’s just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I’ve been wearing sweaters despite the weather. It’s December, dangit, and I want to wear sweaters.

One really sweet moment in this month, however, is Christmas at my house. Our new house. Kyle and some friends put up lights outside (for the first time EVER), we bought an eight-foot live tree, and I strung Christmas lights all around. I made some new crafts for the holiday, and we bought a few new decorations to add in our house.

My holly jolly Christmas wreath I made. I must say, I'm quite proud of it! =)

Our Christmas mantle

My nativity. I've lost a few pieces, but I still have the Baby Jesus. That's kind of necessary for any nativity, really.

Tinsel going down the stairs...

Tinsel going up the stairs. =)

Our photo Christmas cards (as of Monday!)

Peppermint trees I made resting on a silver tray my aunt got me for my birthday

Oh, Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree...

Our eight-foot tree! LOVE how it smells and how beautiful it is!

Lol, just a fun Christmas tree cheese/tomato tray I made for a work party

Beautiful memories have been made, and more have yet to be made. I love spending time with my friends and family, even though the time with family is a bit marred by sadness. But, still, in the pain, praise God for His mercy. She could have suffered for longer, but He welcomed her into His presence in peace. She was with my aunt and grandmother – leaving loved ones behind but being welcomed by Christ and other loved ones.

Continue to pray for us, friends. This is a difficult time. I’m so thankful to have an opportunity to be off of work for two weeks, to spend time with my family, with my husband’s family, and to refresh myself for 2012.

Loss

2011-12-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

My mom's youngest sibling, Betty, passed away yesterday afternoon around 3 p.m.

My mom said my aunt was rubbing her hair and my grandmother was holding her hand.

The memorial service has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in Eudora, Ark., Betty's hometown.

Betty and Nicole, my cousin

The siblings -- can you tell who the cut up is in the family? I'll give you a hint. He's front and center.

Just keep us all in your prayers, please.

Catharsis

2011-12-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

NOTE: As I well know, many of you are suffering this Christmas season from some sort of loss. If you’re having a good day or if you are a member of my family, just go ahead and stop reading now. I'm quite serious. Writing is my expression and a release for me, very similar to running. If you’re suffering through loss and want to know that someone else feels your pain and you think that would help, go ahead and keep going.

I wrote this last week with no intention of using it as a blog or to go public in any way. Again…writing is cathartic for me. However, the more I think about it, the more I just get a feeling that maybe this is good. I don’t really know how. There’s nothing hopeful or uplifting really in this writing. Just raw, barely filtered (for privacy’s sake) words. We do have hope in Christ. I realize and am joyful for that. Yes, there is joy in this pain, because she has her faith in the One who will save her from everything this world has thrown at her. And for that, yes, I am quite joyful. But it doesn’t take away the sense of losing this battle or the feeling of helplessness.

We received news last week that Betty has a brain tumor, and the doctors sent her home without treatment. As of today, one of my aunts and my grandmother are in Texas with her and her husband.

*****

For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21

“Universal emotion,” I explained to the class, “is no different from regular emotion. I just specify that it’s universal so you realize that everyone feels. Everyone has joy. Everyone suffers. Everyone has a good day. Everyone has a bad day. Universal emotion, in your columns, is about writing something that has emotion, that connects with a large number of people – because we’ve all experienced that.”

It was dark when I got the call. I was heating soup in the microwave, trying to watch for when it started bubbling. When I got the call, I let the soup go. It splattered all over the microwave.

I tried to remain calm, tried to sound strong for my mom, who was suffering, but when I saw my husband, I remembered…I don’t have to do this alone. There he is, a trained, professional counselor here in my house, right now, who can deal with this. Because I can’t. Not right now.

I handed him the phone and hated myself for not being able to hang on.

He talked to my mom, talked to my dad, asked what we could do. He’s so good at separating himself from the situation to make logical, rational choices. After he hung up, he looked at me. “What do you need me to do?”

I shrugged. “I’m going running.”

It’s amazing how stress can make you forget that you’re running in the dark. In 36 degree weather. For 50 minutes. It’s amazing how hearing that your aunt has a month to live makes you forget to take walking breaks. My running partner just thought we were doing well on our run to only take one walking break in five miles. Truth was, I forgot to stop. But I didn’t tell about the phone call.

My running directly correlates with my stress. That’s why I started running – because I was overly stressed. It’s a means to escape, to keep my mind busy as one foot goes in front of the other, one foot goes in front of the other, over and over, over and over. Repetitive. Scenery changes. You keep running.

“What’s something that you could write about – a personal, emotional story that others can connect with? Just think of something off the top of your head. K – what are you thinking about?”

K is shy. Reserved. But she’s smart. You can see it in her eyes. She wants to learn; she wants to be a good student. She wears a 2009 senior shirt, so she’s probably 19 or 20 at the oldest. She looks young.

“Becoming a mother,” she said with a hint of pride.

I was surprised. “Do you have kids?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “A little boy. He’s 11 months.”

I sent a text message with the same, impersonal message: “The doctors are not treating Aunt Betty and are sending her home. They say she has one month. Please pray for her and our family.”

I didn’t want to send it, frankly. I wanted to bottle this hatred, this unthinkable bitterness up inside and not let others have to endure it. But I did, mainly because my dad asked me to – he asked me to have others pray. And others can’t pray if they don’t know there’s a problem.

I’m sure my family thinks I’m a bit crazy when I joke about certain things. I’m sure they wonder why I laugh about something as awful as some of the things that have happened this past year. But what are my options? I can laugh or cry. And, if there’s any possible way I can laugh – I will. Sure, it hurts. But if I can laugh about it, I can get by.

That’s why I didn’t want to tell anyone. Why make them suffer as well? Why make them uncomfortable? And I’m the world’s worst at receiving heartfelt condolences.

J sent me a text this morning saying, “I’m sorry.” And it crushed me just a little. Not because it was a condolence, but because it was true. She was sorry. And she knew, maybe better than others, that nothing else can be said.

“What else is a universal emotion?” I asked. “What about fear? Hollywood has capitalized on the fear market. They create movies and shows to scare us.”

“I’m not scared of movies,” A said.

“Really?” I asked. “Then what are you afraid of?”

I was leading them to my next point: death.

So I told them. But I didn’t tell them everything. I didn’t tell them about having lunch with Aunt Betty last week. How awful it was. How she couldn’t walk straight. Couldn’t hold a fork. Couldn’t read the menu. Fell down outside. Was in tears the whole time. Couldn’t remember where she was.

That was hard. It left me raw.

What do we do now? Where do we go for this month? This awful, long, stupid month? While we wait, while we pray, and while we wonder – do we have today? Do we have an extra day?

“What about death?” I asked. “You’ve all, I’m sure, experienced it by having someone close to you die. And I want to ask you this: Are there things worse than death?”

“No,” A said firmly.

“What about torture?” I asked.

The rest of the class consented that torture was worse than death, but A disagreed. “Even if they torture you, you end up dying,” she said.

I thought it strange – that death was a greater fear to her than torture. Death would seem more of a release than torture. But maybe that’s because of my faith. Maybe because I know after death, there’s life.

“What about Alzheimer’s?” I asked. “Is that worse than death?”

“Yes,” J said, his eyes darkening. “My grandmother has it – and as hard as it is to watch her…it’s even harder to watch my mother have to help her mother.”

I knew exactly what he was talking about. I thought about my husband's aunt selflessly taking care of her mother, day after day. One foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, over and over, over and over. I thought about Betty and my grandmother, how Granny is trying to take care of her. Of how Betty now has to have someone take care of her – and she’s barely in her 50s.

“Yes,” I echoed J. “There are things worse than death.”

Colors

2011-12-07T07:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of buying gifts, putting up decorations, going to parties, and planning festivities...sometimes, it's good to have a girls' night with nothing else to do but paint.

Angie and her reindeer

A few friends and I arranged to participate in a Palette Party, where we spent three hours doing nothing but talking and picking out paint colors. Christmas music played in the background, and we just sat back and relaxed, letting our teachers help us when necessary and enjoying each other's company.

Bethany, a super half-marathoner (seriously, she just finished a halfie in Vegas this week), and her Christmas painting

Christmas always seems to be a time of the year when everyone's so busy. So much to do, so much to plan. So much to enjoy! But sometimes...sometimes it's nice that your biggest concern is whether to use the dark blue or the light blue paint for your next stroke.

Brandi and Morgan with their reindeers

What a great reason we have to celebrate. What a great opportunity that many of us around the world get to celebrate the birth of our Savior. And, yes, while Christmas PROBABLY isn't Jesus' birth date, it's nice that we picked a special day to celebrate His birth and what it would mean for mankind.

Christy and me with my blue dog and her Christmas trees. And, yes, that is a Blue Chihuahua. =)

Joy to the world, the Lord has come.

Thoughts from the dog

2011-12-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Super family...including the Super dog...

Vicki: "Aunt Misti, I thought you were on my side on this one. I bet your dogs don't get stuffed in gift bags for pictures. This is just as bad as the stocking incident a few years ago. Oh, yeah, I remember that."

Vicki: "I'm not smiling nor looking at the camera. Haters gonna hate, but I HATE Christmas card photos."

Vicki: "Are we done yet? Do I get a treat for this? I BETTER get a treat..."

Vicki: "I'm pooping in all your shoes tonight."

Vicki: "Peace out, humans! I'm making a getaway!"

Merry Christmas to all!

Welcome back to class

2011-11-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

Whelp, it's that time again: a wonderful random assortment of quotes!! Here at thirstysouthernsoul, we like to highlight some of the funniest sayings of (mainly) students and other people around me. So, Merry Christmas early, and enjoy this round of quotes.

Student: “I got a C in that class. That doesn’t sound like it’s good, but it was. I failed all the tests, but I wore miniskirts to class, and he gave me a C. Perverted ol’ man, but he was a good guy.”

Editor: “TCU had drinks at their party. They're at the top of the food chain.”

Co-editor: “We can't even get a legit coffee maker.”

Student 1: “I don’t want to marry for money. I just want to be well-off.”

Student 2: “That’s called a gold digger.”

Student 1: “What am I going to do in *local town*?”

Student 2: “You could marry *Dude.* He said you were good breeding stock last night.”

Student: “I don’t drink beer. I’m black.”

Student: “I know this dude who’s doing research on if crawfish feel pain when they get boiled. I asked him why he would do that. Crawfish taste awesome. Who cares if they feel being boiled?”

On Nov. 11, 2011

Student: “Was yesterday Groundhog Day?”

Student 1: “What does TSA do?”

Student 2: “They bomb people…right?”

Friend (about why she couldn’t do something fun the next day): “I have a job. It cramps my style.”

Thank you, and good day!

Harsher holidays

2011-11-29T06:31:00.000-08:00

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Canon Rock” is playing. I’m anticipating hot chocolate in my future.

Gifts are wrapped. Plans are made to see family and friends. We plan to volunteer, to celebrate, to watch Christmas movies on TV (As a side note, my husband has never seen “A Christmas Story.” This must be remedied IMMEDIATELY.). But, based on my pastor’s sermon Sunday night, I got to thinking…the holidays aren’t jolly for all.

I know two women will spend their first Christmas alone after divorce…a friend will remember during Christmas that the main person missing at the dinner table is her father…Other people have lost jobs, lost loved ones either to death or unforeseen circumstances…families will be separated due to distance or that emotional wall that is placed between them.

The holidays are a joyous time for one reason – God sent His Son to redeem us all. That may be the only joy one can take from this season. Because all the presents and parties cannot fill the hole from a loved one gone.

I don’t mean to be mournful during this time. But I have a question for everyone: What do you say when you know someone’s Christmas may not be as merry as yours? What would you like to hear?

I’m quite awkward when it comes to comforting people. My best form of comfort is to give a hug or bake goodies. I do that better than speaking words that I don’t feel are true, especially the platitude, “It’s all going to be all right.” Because it won’t. There will be a grief, that, despite the years, will leave a hole in a heart.

For reference, based on what I would say/give, I just want hugs, baked goods, and prayers. =) But what do you say? Are there verses that have helped you during difficult times? What has someone said to you that has been true and helpful?

But I would like to end on a happy note. I was able to visit my family for Thanksgiving, and that was quite a joyous time.

That’s not all of us by any means, but it was great for us to get together and enjoy the holiday. My family rocks my socks, and I am quite thankful to have them.

Thanks to Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in a coffee shop doing research. Actually doing research, too, not just playing around online -- most of the time. I decided to blog on my 10 minute break. Productive, right?

Blues music is playing in the background, and it's raining outside. I'm drinking an iced coffee and wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans, my favorite combo. I've already ran, I've already cleaned my house, and all that's left to do on my "to do" list is research. Which I actually enjoy. Especially when I've already completed four pages of my dissertation introduction. That's right. Because I'm awesome.

It's a great day.

I plan to spend most of my Christmas break in this coffee shop as well. Unlike my husband, I don't work well at home. I get distracted too easily -- something needs to be cleaned, something needs to be washed, the dog needs to be let out, etc. Something to do. The Internet, while it is captivating, is really not as much of a distraction to me. Plus, I enjoy the ambiance of the coffee shop.

This past Sunday, at the end of our lesson, I asked the people in our Sunday School class to name one thing they were thankful for. One thing. It was a hard task -- not because they couldn't think of something they were thankful for, but because just naming one thing is quite difficult. There are so many blessings God has given us -- all of us. If you woke up today, that's a blessing. Even if your circumstances in life right now aren't to your liking, you have a chance to change them. This could be the day everything goes right.

My heart overflows with thankfulness. This year had so many trials and so many ways where things could have gone oh, so terribly wrong. But God has been so generous to my family. My aunt is back home after undergoing chemo and radiation, and, for now, the cancer is gone! I have a new niece (technically, second cousin, but I will be "Aunt" lol!)! My husband has a wonderful job and has his master's degree! Heck, I'm ABD!

There are so many blessings, and I hope your life is filled with blessings and love this Thanksgiving. For some, this will not be a pleasant holiday, either due to crisis or circumstances or just things out of one's control. Hopefully Thanksgiving 2012 will be better, in that case.

Last night, our Sunday School class got together for a Thanksgiving dinner, and our young adult minister shared Psalm 100, which reads:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Friday finds

2011-11-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

What I’ve been digging lately…

Science 360
Videos, articles, radio, oh my! I’m indulging my science side a bit thanks to a recent National Science Foundation conference I attended and enjoying finding out about outer space, robotics, and time. Now that I’m ABD in mass com, is it too late for me to become a rocket scientist? Lol!!

Fudge
I’ve made all sorts of varieties this week – regular milk chocolate fudge, oreo fudge (add Eagle Bran Milk to make it fudge), peanut butter fudge…No wonder I’ve been running so much!

Speaking of food, here are a couple of chicken recipes that have Kyle swooning.

Cheddar-garlic oven fried chicken
King Ranch chicken (can easily be served over rice)

Book obsession
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Last Voyage of Columbus
And, as always, The Hunger Games

Coffee
Timothy’s cinnamon pastry coffee
Iced coffee – but the homemade kind. My coworker brought me a batch he brewed, and now I am in love with it! I tried an iced coffee at Starbucks last Friday…bleh!! The homemade stuff blows that out of the water.

What’s made your day lately?

News is sports; sports is news

2011-11-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

At my job, I am grateful to teach sports writing every other year. It’s my favorite class to teach, and I hate I can’t offer it more. Especially like now, with the Penn State scandal. The university president fired, the athletics director forced to resign, and beloved football coach Joe Paterno fired…and how did the students react to that turn of events last night?

WHAT?!

So when it comes out that a former defensive coordinator has molested at least eight (and the number will climb, I’m sure of it) CHILDREN, no one makes a peep? But the head football coach gets sacked, and all of a sudden, there are riots?

I don’t get it. I see the board of trustees’ point on firing Paterno, but I also feel very sorry for him and his family. And I understand that Paterno is a historic icon, the winningest coach in history. But lives have been forever shaped by what Sandusky did to those boys. Families have been changed, have been heartbroken by these events. Where is the outrage? Where are their riots?

Have a riot over something that matters, not because you’re scared you’ll lose a game. This scandal is so much bigger than that.

My heart and prayers go out to the families of the victims – and, really, to everyone involved in this disaster. Because this is an absolute disaster. God only knows how many children’s lives Sandusky ruined. God only knows how many could have been prevented had action been taken sooner.

It’s a sad week for everyone. But let’s not get away from the cause – one man, choosing to commit horrific sinful acts, has started this. God have mercy on his soul, because I don’t think anyone else will.

Lovely fall days

2011-11-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

It’s finally starting to cool down a little in Louisiana. I actually had to wear capris jogging pants to run in the other day. Shocking!!

The pup has loved the cooler weather, maybe because she was born in November. Always, when it first turns chilly, she gets overly excited and runs playfully all over the yard. Now she has a much bigger yard to run in and cats to play with – even though they don’t play much with her. Misti and I had a puppy play date the other day, which made the Voo very excited – and very sleepy.

Isn't she absolutely precious?

There’s nothing like sweet, cuddling puppy on a cool day.

Also, I finally got around to making pumpkin pie white hot chocolate this week.

Notice the BLUE countertops...no more camo countertops for me, lol!!

I divided the recipe by four so I could make a single serving. Also learned that I think I would like a little less pumpkin puree. And I added the whipped cream just because. For those of you who don’t like pumpkin (aka Tara), I think just leaving the pumpkin out would still make this yummy. Our university’s coffee place has something called a Mayan Mocha where spices are added to the hot chocolate. It’s quite delectable, and I think using white chocolate would be even better.

Has anyone else been making fall yummy goodness?

Chair makeover

2011-11-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

We inherited a few fun things with our house...such as two dressers, a bed, a desk...and two bar chairs that looked like this...

The second chair had a crack down the middle, and besides that needing to be fixed, the chairs needed some serious TLC. I thought at first about staining them and then, after browsing Pinterest and feeling the crafty urge, decided to paint them. Since there are a lot of white accents in my living room and kitchen, I decided to paint them white...and get rid of that gold bar at the bottom.

However, I didn't want to just paint them white. I wanted them to have character, like our house has character. I found a really cool example of a stencil used to highlight the wood on the chair seat, but, after looking through stencils and not really finding what I wanted (and not liking the prices I was seeing!), I decided to go very geometric with a basic square. Also, I wasn't even sure if this project was going to be a bust or success, so I didn't want to be out too much money if it wasn't good.

First, the cracked chair needed some wood putty and both needed to be stained.

Honestly, painting them took FOREVER, as I did the backs of the chairs first and then, like many projects I start...remained unfinished. However, yesterday, I spent the majority of the afternoon finishing them up. I spray painted the gold bar silver and completed my crafty project.

Ta da!! The finished remodeled chairs!

I seriously love these chairs. They're just fun and funky now and fit in so much better with the house and with us. Also, it definitely helped that this little craft was CHEAP!

Spray paint: $3
White paint (on CLEARANCE): $6
Stupid paint brush some dude at Lowe's convinced me was better than the $2 one: $7
"Stencil": I used painters tape that I already had
Wood putty: $2
Total cost: $18

Woo hoo!

ABD: All But Done

2011-11-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

Guess what. This is probably the last (or 2nd to last, after rereading this, haha!) post I will ever write regarding comprehensive exams.

BECAUSE I AM COMPLETELY DONE.

I cannot describe the elation I felt yesterday after being called in after an hour of inquisitive questioning and hearing from my adviser, “Congratulations!” And then from my dissertation chair, “You’re ABD (which we joke stands for “All but done” but really just means you have everything complete but the dissertation)!!” My committee members hugged me and congratulated me, and I just stood there like I was in a dream. It felt like a dream. On the drive back home, the colors of the trees were more vibrant, the sun was brighter, and I read the most un-intelligent/research book I could think of. Sunday night I read “Analyzing Media Messages” while soaking in the tub. Last night, the book did not enter my house.

The one hour of questioning went by fast – and, really, it only lasted about 50 minutes. But they were looking for such specific answers that sometimes, it was hard for me to figure out what they wanted. I would ramble on for about five minutes and then when I finally said what they wanted, they would stop me and say, “That’s fine. That’s what I wanted to know.”

It’s just so…freeing. I’m giving myself today off before I hit the road and start working on my dissertation. Mainly cause…ugh, who wants to work on a dissertation when it’s so beautiful outside??

I was a bit surprised by my post-comps reaction as well. I had a plan to cathartically burn all my notes from comps, but, after it was over, I couldn’t help but think, “Well, it wasn’t really all that bad.”

What I’ve been happy to note is how God has used comps to show me another little piece of myself, something to help me again focus on others. He did it earlier with the buying/selling house fun that we went through this summer, but there was another little facet of knowledge that I took out from my comps experience – besides learning about Scott’s Pi, research methods, and diffusion of innovation theory. But I’ll get to that later this week.

In the meantime, happy (late) Halloween and happy November!!! (And, please shave your legs. There’s apparently a Twitter hashtag about November being a don’t-shave-your-legs month. Um…no. That is all.)

Comps

2011-10-25T11:16:00.001-07:00

I can now discuss what will forever be known as “That Awful Week.”

We headed down to Super Duper on Sunday, Oct. 3 to begin my week o’ comps. By Tuesday, I told Kyle that I was a bit sad that the week would be known as “That Awful Week” because there were some wonderful times…like eating at some amazing restaurants…running whenever I wanted…going to the zoo!...being with Kyle…There were some pleasant moments, but, overall, the week was Awful. Why? Because of comps.

By Thursday, I told my professor I knew why I was only tested in the morning – because it took me all afternoon to convince myself to go back the next day. It was a long, stressful week, but I’m proud to say that my efforts (and everyone’s prayers!) have paid off.

I passed comps!!

Okay, technically I passed “written” comps, as I have orals still to take, but that will only be an hour. Yes, it will be an awful hour, but it’s an hour. Hallelujah.

Last Friday, I was going a bit nuts because I was supposed to hear back on that day of whether I passed or failed. I waited…and waited…and called…and left messages lol…no response. Then, today:

“Congratulations! You have passed the written comps exam.”

I couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift. =)

Oh, yeah, did I mention it was my birthday? And that today is ROCKING??!! It probably didn’t hurt that I received this little box in the mail yesterday.

Happy birthmonth to me!

Let the Halloween festivities begin!

2011-10-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

This blog post's pictures are brought to you solely by camera phone pictures. So...yeah!

"Angry birds" -- who actually came in second place in the costume contest

A cowboy, Bigfoot, and Spencer Breslin (google him)

Decor downstairs at the bar area

Ella the alien =)

"Lucy," on the left, won first prize. Next are an Indian (her husband called her "Poca-hotness"), Angry Bird, and the Sundrop Girl

Nutter butter ghosts!

Our house is apparently haunted, lol!

Graveyard pudding cups (that sadly were not displayed cause SOMEONE, ahem, me, forgot them in the fridge)

Payton the ladybug (without her head)

Vicki's original costume of a chia pet did not work out because I could not find moss. So she went as Eve (as in Adam and Eve) instead...she was not pleased.

More of being not pleased

Great weekend celebrations. =) And even more to follow!!

Lastly, I have to wish my dad a happy birthday today!! I got to see him on Friday, but, unfortunately, I forgot to give him his birthday present -- which, naturally, is unwrapped (I like to claim that I don't believe in wrapping, as I'm quite bad at it). I'm very lucky to have him as my dad and even luckier that he lives (somewhat) close to me. So happy birthday, Dad, and I hope you have a fantastic birthMONTH!

Autumn Breeze

2011-10-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

Seriously, with a name like “Autumn Breeze,” you KNOW this is going to be an awesome race.

Though Kelsey and I joked that we were going to beat our 5k-running-hubbys in our 10k, they did (thankfully) beat us – and by more than 20 minutes, too! For two men who have done little to no training, they did pretty well. Not as great as Kelsey and me, but good nonetheless. ;)

We have determined that Kelsey and Kyle have similar running styles, and Dustin and I have similar running styles. Dustin and I are giving it our all the entire race. We don’t sprint; we just keep going. Kelsey and Kyle see the finish line and kick it into high gear – something that I, nor Dustin, have the energy to do.

I’ve tried speeding near the end, and, if I’ve had a good run, I can usually do it when pushed. However, this time, I was having a lot of breathing trouble. My asthma was (and is) acting up, and I was doing good just to stay at my same 6.0 mph pace. Kelsey sprinted ahead and beat me by a few seconds, but we both finished at 1:03. Not too shabby for 6.2 miles!

The Autumn Breeze is always a pretty race. It’s by the river, on a nice path, and you get to go over and under bridges. The first two miles are a bit annoying, as we’re passing up people (and being passed, too) and moving around to get out of the “clogged up” zone. And, of course, there’s the two-mile stretch, where we just go straight for a full two miles. Ugh. Give me a turn or something!! Miles 3 and 4 are a bit sad, but 5 and 6 are exciting, because you KNOW you’re almost done.

This is our second year to do this 10k. And, while it is pretty and is a flat run (always a plus), there’s the swag: the awesome HOODIES you get with this race. Yep, hoodies. In 2009, they were quite hideous, this awful bright orange color that was unflattering on everyone. Glad we didn’t run that race! Last year they were burnt orange and nice, and this year, brown with leaves falling.

Photo courtesy of Tara H.

Sigh. I heart fall.

Oh! And for your eating pleasure, whip up some of these scrumptious gingerbread cupcakes. Rindy and I made these Saturday night after a friend’s wedding, and not only did they make a perfect amount (12 cupcakes), but they are quite tasty and easy to make. You do need to convert the grams into cups, but that doesn’t take too long.

Lastly, our Sunday School class is giving us a housewarming tonight, which I'm really excited about! Soon, I promise, I'm going to start taking pictures of the house and give you a before and after look at our home sweet home.

It's beginning to look like fall

2011-10-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

The leaves are falling, the cats are getting their winter coats, and yet it is STILL 80 degrees in Louisiana.

Whatever. I'll turn my air down, and it'll feel like fall in my house. So there, weather. ;)

I'm ridiculously glad right now to have a beautiful oak mantle. I wanted it by Christmas (I mean, seriously, where will the stockings be hung??), but Kyle and our friend C managed to get it up sooner than I hoped! Therefore, based on the next picture, I planned my mantle.

Inspiration

And then, after a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, I had the decorations I wanted to make this mantle ready for the season change.

(Sorry the pics are a little grainy. I can't find my camera because I'm not unpacked yet, so I don't know where it is, lol!)

Fall mantle...done! Tomorrow...mums!

Fur babies

2011-10-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sweet little fur babies.

My fiesty little Starbuck wants attention...all of the time. She also wants inside...all of the time. It's becoming fairly regular for her to wait outside our side door and jump inside as soon as it opens. It's not that she seems to want to be an indoor cat, but she's definitely curious as to what's inside.

She has such a different personality from her sister. She pushes Apollo away when I'm petting her instead of Starbuck, and she may nip my toes (or Kyle's legs!) if we are not petting her. She loves being rubbed on the back of her neck. That's her favorite.

Apollo is one chillin' cat -- unless I'm late in delivering the food. Pet her? Sure, that sounds nice. Don't pet her? Sure, that's fine, too. She loves hiding in the grass and pouncing...and stalking Vicki. She's not pounced on my pooch yet...but I have a feeling that may change soon.

She's getting her winter coat early, and her beautiful fur is bushy and soft. She's my little attack cat, looking for everything small that moves, but she's such a loving little kitty, too.

Both of them got fixed last week. ;) Hooray for that.

And, of course, I must include my sweet Vicki, who has accepted the cats without good grace but does tolerate them and my loving on them.

My sweet pup. She'll be six years old in November. This little pooch stole my heart. Sassy and sweet, she will always be mine and Kyle's original fur baby.

PR

2011-10-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have a new 5k PR.

I know; it shocked me, too! =)

I participated in Bark in the Park a little over a week ago. Bark in the Park is quite similar to what it sounds like. Most dogs only participate in the 1k fun run, but there are dozens of tents set up where you can buy your pups accessories (the Voo almost went home with her own Saints sweater), find “doggie hotels,” and give your fur babies free treats. I absolutely love Bark in the Park.

Vicki seemed a little hesitant at first at the event, but I think that had more to do with the chilly weather and early morning (she’s not a morning dog, ha!). It didn’t take her too long, though, to start wanting out of my arms to explore and “meet” other dogs. I was so proud of her, too, because usually she’s scared of big dogs (let’s remember, she is only five pounds), but she went right up to a Golden Retriever eagerly and wagged her tail.

I started my race, though, and left Vicki with my parents and my dad’s dog, Puddin’. Less than a quarter of a mile in, my shoelace came untied, and I had to spend valuable seconds tying it, which did annoy me.

Honestly, I didn’t expect a PR on this run. I had a goal of finishing under 30 minutes, but that’s all I hoped for. I hadn’t been training, really; I’ve been running longer, but I haven’t been working on my time. Also, I ate very poorly the night before and did not go to bed early. My goal was to run the best I could, though, no matter what. I decided before the race not to take a water break. It was cool out, and I usually train in cooler weather going four miles before a water break, so I decided to go ahead and have that mentality.

I ran. And ran. And, at the last half mile, I started thinking, “I’m going to do well. I may not get a PR, but I’m going to do well. I haven’t stopped for a walk break, and I feel this is going to be a good time.” But I didn’t want to get my hopes up. And I didn’t want to get too excited and mess up my speed. But I had it in the corner of my mind.

And then I crossed the finish line at 28:08.

EEEK!!!!

At the end of April, I ran a hilly 5k at 29:45, which hit my goal of under 30 minutes. First time ever. And, now, five months and a handful of days later, I cut my time by a minute and a half.

PR ACCOMPLISHED!

Kelsey and I have a 10k this weekend (our husbands and some other friends are doing a 5k), and I’m looking forward to a nice, fun run. It’s a beautiful race, one we ran last year.

Oh. And I may be doing a half-marathon in a month.

We’ll see.

As of late…

2011-09-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

…I have been doing my nails in line with my occupation.

I’ve made these delicious football shortbread cookies and decorated them by cutting a small hole in a Ziploc bag because I forgot to buy a cookie decorating kit. ;)

My husband and a friend installed a mantle for our fireplace.

And I will decorate it soon like this…

…or this…

I was able to meet this fun friend and my aunt in New Orleans this past weekend for dinner.

And this precious pooch has greatly enjoyed watching “Doggie TV” (aka looking out the window) every day at her new home.

It's shaping up to be quite a nice autumn.

Sweet, sweet day

2011-09-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, my cousin Ashley and her husband Stuart, are officially the parents of this beautiful little girl.

Isn't that such a sweet face??

I now have three second cousins (which we refer to as nieces and nephews!), two of them crafted into our family through adoption. Nikki and my cousin Jacob brought home Joshua last year, and another cousin and his wife had their son last September. Even better, we'll have another new baby possibly by Christmas, as my Mississippi cousin's wife is pregnant.

And what's great is that all of these children are in our family. If it weren't for adoption, we would never have gotten to hold Joshua or see his absolutely adorable "cup trick." We would never have prayed fervently for the birthmother of Ashley and Stuart's child or for this child herself. We would have never had the opportunity and blessing to know these sweet babies.

I can't wait to see all these cute little babies playing together at Christmas and to watch them grow up and to see how many more are added to our number. There are six of us grandkids on my mom's side of the family, and I have a feeling there's going to be at least double that number of grandbabies. After all, we're just getting started!

But today we're going to rejoice in Ashley and Stuart's happiness and know that their precious baby girl is going to be raised by Godly, wonderful parents. No kid could want for more.

Correlation

2011-09-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

As a runner and a stressed out graduate student, I would like to give everyone out there pointers as what not to do/say in certain situations, based on personal preference and common sense.

When you see a runner…

* Please do not slam on your horn when you get right next to a runner or runners and scare the heck out of them. Refrain from your horn for two reasons: 1. It’s just rude. 2. If the runner jumps high enough and falls in front of your car, she probably has a super awesome lawyer friend and/or lawyer relative who will take you for all your worth. Including your sweet little vehicle with the loud horn.

* Please do not let your dogs roam the neighborhood. Especially if that dog (or, in some cases, DOGS) are pit bulls that like to approach runners. Sure, your dog may have never bitten anyone before, but we don’t know that. We just see a big dog running towards us (sometimes barking) with no owner around.

* Please, no catcalls. Seriously, are you that desperate to whistle or call out after females who (very likely) have no makeup on, their hair pulled up, and are dressed in athletic gear? And when did that ever work for ANYONE?

Am I missing anything here?

Now, let’s move on to comps. My stress level seems to go up a notch every day comps gets closer. I worry for my students, especially considering I told one that her column was a “train wreck” and I threw a cell phone across a room. The train wreck comment is par for the course, but I’m usually pretty good with inanimate objects (of course, if this inanimate object had been operating properly, it would not have been thrown). At any rate: Things NOT to say to a comps student:

1. “No one ever fails comps.”

Do not tell me this!! I want to hear that EVERYONE fails and that if I mess this up, it’s okay!! (It also doesn’t help that while most students can easily find the answers to their questions, three of mine are application questions…which means the answers aren’t readily available. I have to apply my knowledge of the subject matter and come up with an idea of an answer.)

2. “Are you studying?”
Seriously? Seriously? This is only the most important test of my LIFE. No, I’m not studying AT ALL.

Oh, and another issue that makes my voice go to a pitch only dogs can hear: I need straight answers when I ask questions. Not, “You may not need to know that.” Please, a yes or no answer for heaven’s sake.

So is anyone else wondering how running and comps correlate? My amount of running is directly affected by my stress level, currently from comps (i.e. running is the dependent variable, and comps is the independent variable). And I have hard evidence to back it up:

In July, when I wasn’t worried about comps, I ran 34 miles.

In August, when I started studying for comps (oh, and MOVED), I ran 50 miles.

This month, I’ve currently run 40 miles and will run 6 more tonight.

Yep.

Request

2011-09-15T06:47:00.001-07:00

I have been requested to tell the story of How Family Feud Went Oh, So Wrong. It’s probably a good thing I got a request, as I really didn’t have plans of writing this week, so this gives me an excuse to procrastinate studying a little more. ;)

Teaching grammar is about as boring as watching paint dry – and I’ve done both. Therefore, instead of lecturing about grammar for two hours, I told my students to read over the chapter in their book and PREPARE. They figured it was for a quiz. Good for (some of) them. They were happily surprised to discover that, instead of a quiz, we were going to play some version of Family Feud for five bonus points.

I split them up into two teams, and one member from each team would come up to the front of the room and slam on the desk when they knew the answer (Which, btw, I’ve discovered I need to do this in our journalism lab instead of a classroom with thin walls – I doubt my fellow educators appreciated the slamming noises nor the word bombs that were occasionally dropped when students got the answer wrong). The students, however, seemed to have a really great time, and I was thinking the day was a success, too.

I had 40 questions prepared, so, on Question 33, 34, something like that, I thought, let’s do something different (and we were running out of time). So instead of having one person come up from each team, the entire team had the opportunity to participate for the remaining questions. The first team member to raise his or her hand got to answer for the team.

So far, the game had been either a tie, or one team was one or two points behind the other one. It was a close game. However, when I started the “Lightning Round,” I quickly discovered who had studied…and who had not. Team 2, which had been behind a point, had one member who knew EVERYTHING. Kudos to that kid for having studied so well. He knew every question and only missed two because he hesitated too long. Therefore…well, his team won.

The majority of Team 1 whined as a losing team does – not too much but enough to know that they did care about winning. It wasn’t a big deal. Except to one student.

He grabbed his bags and stormed out of the classroom, while muttering (loudly) something about where I and the other team could “shove it” and how I had cheated by changing the rules halfway during the game.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I started laughing. I usually laugh at idiocy, and I was shocked by his reaction. It’s MY class, therefore my rules. I could have made the last question the winning question if I wanted. I’m the teacher. If you want to be the caller of Family Feud, go get your Ph.D. LOL.

At any rate, though, I suppose I do need to address the issue with him and with the class today. You know, say something about if we can’t all be adults, we can’t play kid games.

Oh, college students.

Quotable

2011-09-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

In honor of school starting back this week, it's time for another round of random quotes. Enjoy!

Student: “Do I have to click on all these links in the instructional unit?”
Me: “If you don’t understand what the information says. For you, I hope you know what a simile and a metaphor are, so you probably don’t have to click on the link over ‘simile and metaphor.’”

Student: “I know simile is spelled a lot like smile.”

Me: Pause. “You need to click on the ‘simile and metaphor’ link.”

“I just don’t feel called to take pregnant pictures in lingerie.”

Teacher: “I have a lot of issues with God right now.”

Student: “I bet He’s got a lot more with you right now.”

Stupidity on Facebook…

Person 1’s Status: I'm soooooo mad at myself right now

Person 2: why

Person 1: Can't talk about it on FB

Then, seriously, why did you even post that??

Student: “My life is like a box of chocolates…you know, dark.”

Me: “And then I smiled at her, but it wasn’t a real smile, it was one of those where I was secretly saying, ‘If there weren’t witnesses, you might need to fear for your life.’”

Husband: “You can pull off those looks well.”

Student paper: "...to fill that unconsistant void..."

My response: “It’s actually ‘inconsistent.’”

Student: “My mom puts Scripture all over my wall because she thinks that I’ve got men over in my room all the time.”

Konstantin Levin did not like talking and hearing about the beauty of nature. Words for him took away the beauty of what he saw. – Anna Karenina

God's hand

2011-09-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

“God, I really, really, really want this house. But I only want it if YOU want it. But I really want it. So, if it’s not the house for us, please take away my desire and longing to want it. Or close some doors right in our faces. But…but if it is the house for us, please let everything go perfectly so that we can buy our house. Because there’s a whole lot of stuff that can go wrong…mainly with selling our house.”

That was pretty much my prayer o’ summer. I couldn’t pray for God to simply slam doors in our faces where we couldn’t get the house. I couldn’t. But I did pray that if this wasn’t the house for us, that we would lose some of our fervor and passion in desiring it.

I prayed because it was a big house, a beautiful house. One with everything we wanted but didn’t think we could have at this time.

We hadn’t been looking at houses. Well, we’d been “window shopping,” but we window shop for a while. We weren’t even expecting to seriously even consider moving until at least next year.

So when Kyle showed me this house, I kind of sighed. Because I just knew. I looked at him and said, “You know we’re going to buy this house, don’t you?”

Because we weren’t seriously looking. Because everything started falling into place so quickly. Because, even though it felt like forever to me, how we got into this house was divine intervention.

We caught our seller two days before he planned to put his house on the market. Because he didn’t have to pay a realtor because he had a buyer -- us, he gave us a great deal.

Our (now old) house was placed on the market the week after we found the new house. It was the seventh one in our small neighborhood (of about 30 houses) to go on the market. It was also the first one to sell. We had a buyer in six weeks.

SIX WEEKS.

Our friends who have recently undergone the buying/selling process told us to be patient. That their houses had been on the market for over 100 days. There’s a girl in our Sunday School class whose house is still on the market – and she put it on there in May.

It’s mind-blowing how God has answered prayers in such a short amount of time. And in His time. Our purchase agreement with the seller went to Aug. 31. We started panicking around Aug. 26 because our closing went a little haywire, and we were anxious that we would not be able to close by that date. Oh, and it didn’t help that our seller is moving to Pennsylvania and getting married this weekend.

We closed Aug. 31.

But, technically, we moved in Aug. 19. The seller had allowed us to move in early, and, thanks to him and the help of fourteen other friends (yep), we had all of our earthly possessions (mainly) moved in in an hour and a half. You need some gratefulness in your life? Have more than a dozen of your friends give up their Friday night to help YOU move. I nearly cried at their generosity.

And there’ve been so many others who have helped paint, who have helped organize, who have given house-warming gifts to help us get moved in efficiently and quickly. And it’s now home. No decorations yet on the wall, but it is definitely home.

It was so hard to let God have complete control – but I quickly learned I had no control in this situation. Despite my NUMEROUS efforts, I did not sell my house – my realtor did. I couldn’t control home inspectors or appraisers or banks.

This was a learning experience this summer, to just let God take control. It was a struggle, and it’s still a struggle, but it was something I needed to go through. I realized it then, and I see the benefits now – and only one of them is a material possession.

It’s been a year of chaos, that’s for sure, but chaos does not always have to be bad. Sometimes, it’s really, really nice.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17

Home, sweet home

2011-09-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well. The Super family is legally no longer homeless nor squatting.

We signed papers yesterday at 3 p.m. to buy our new home...that we've been living in since Aug. 19.

Yeah...

It's been quite a roller coaster of a summer, but I had a revelation this summer: I'm never going to have an un-busy life.

Shocker, right?

Seriously, though. I've noticed how all year I've been saying, "Well, when I get finished with my classes, I'll do this..." and "When we get into our new house, I'll do this..." "When this is done, then I'll do this..." No. It had to stop, and it has. I've got to make time for things that are important, most notably relationships, because if I don't, I'll never have the time. You make time for what's important, and those around me are important to me. I don't ever want to be too busy for my friends and family and my responsibilities. That's not the person I want to be.

Anyway. Revelation over. Now time for pictures!!!

The last day we went to our old house (which, ironically enough, is actually "newer" than our current house, as it was built in the 90s).

Taking the sign out of our yard for good.

Here's a throwback from five years ago, when we bought our house in June 2006.

I snapped this while the lawyer was out of the office. We both looked stressed, haha!

Now, five years later, closing on our new house -- with the same lawyer!

Saving the date

So, funny story with the closing...we got to the closing with the seller there, with the lawyer...and someone happened to forget something important.

It was me. I forgot the cashier's check.

That's right. I forgot to bring money to buy a house.

Thankfully, my sweet hero of a husband rushed out to our bank to go get one, and the seller and I started signing papers while he was gone. He returned in about 10 minutes and finished his part of the signing.

And that's how we bought our home.

I know I've kept our house under close wraps, mainly because I didn't want to announce it until it was really ours. But now...welcome to our new home!

More pictures to come (before-after types), but here's some stats on Case del Super:

* She's about 2500 sq. feet -- roughly two and a half times the size of our former home.
* She was built in 1969 -- the year my parents were married (I'm not a hopeless romantic or anything...).
* There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, and a "lair."
* There's a bay window over the kitchen sink. (Heart.)
* Fenced in back yard with a deck.

This house really had everything we were looking for but never thought we'd get this soon, especially room-wise. We wanted three bedrooms, and office, and a "lair" for Kyle, but we didn't think it was feasible right now. But...have I told you the story about how we found this house? If I have, forgive me, and skip ahead.

Kyle and I were both in Tara and Matt's wedding, which was about an hour away from our home, and, as I had to be there much earlier than him, he decided to ride with some other members of the wedding party. One of the guys said he'd pick Kyle up, and they'd go to the other guy's house and drive from there.

Kyle almost didn't ask for a ride the night of the rehearsal.
Kyle almost said, "No, I'm right by the Interstate, can you just pick me up on your way?"
But he didn't.

So they got to the house, and Kyle said, "Wow, this is a really nice place." And we had started pricing houses in the area, because we were thinking about thinking about getting a house (yeah, read that right). And then Jesse, our seller, said, "Yeah, I'm putting it on the market Monday."

Kyle asked how much he wanted for it. And then he called me.

I thought he was crazy. I mean...we had NO INTENTION of moving this year. None. Zip. Zero. But he took me by on Sunday, and I fell in love instantly. We went to the bank on Monday and put our house on the market the following week. We sold our house Aug. 24.

I really would like to go into how much God had a hand in making sure our house sold, everything was great, etc., but this post is getting quite lengthy right now, so I'll stop with this, which makes me smile every time:

Our six year anniversary is Saturday. Yep, six years. Six years ago, Hurricane Katrina had just hit, and I had no idea where I would live, if I had a job, if I still had the majority of my material possessions. I just knew I was marrying my best friend.

This Saturday, six years later, we're staying in, spending time in our new home. It's a great anniversary week.

Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur…

2011-08-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

Kudos to whomever figures out what TV show that lyric is from.

Well, it’s about time I introduce the new babies of the Super household. Drumroll, please…

Apollo and Starbuck!!

Kyle and I actually went back and forth on the names, going from those two to Ron and Hermione, but since we’re not sure yet about the gender of the gray cat, we figured Apollo was a better name than Ron.

These are outdoor cats, mainly for three reasons: 1. I hate litter boxes. 2. My sweet Voo would be ridiculously jealous (she’s already jealous of the outdoor pets). 3. My asthma (and my allergist) would not agree to indoor cats (that’s kind of the big one…).

My parents brought them over Aug. 20. At first, I didn’t think they were going to stay around. There’s a long story that involves a deep bite, a water hose, and Starbuck hopping the fence and running to freedom, but, as my dad would say, the cat came back. It was probably amusing for the neighbors to watch me gently chase (can you actually “gently” chase??) Starbuck back in the backyard in my short white skirt and heels on a Sunday morning.

But, really, they are such sweet cats. And they love me, mainly because I am the Provider of Food. And, somehow, even though they’ve lived outside their entire short lives, they can’t understand why they have to eat dry cat food in the morning (I mix dry with wet in the evenings). Spoiled things, and to think they live under our deck.

Speaking of that, I’m not happy about their current living arrangements. I have a pretty, warm cat house for them that they won’t go near. They prefer living under the deck. Now, if they don’t like the cat house, fine. But under the deck, where they get wet when it rains because it goes through the cracks?? Not a good idea!!

The previous house owner left a chiminea that’s a bit cracked, and, as we already have a fire pit, I figure I can transform the chiminea into somewhat of a cat house. It’s ON the deck. Shouldn’t that be enough? And they were playing in it a couple of days ago, so hopefully once I spruce it up and make it warm and tidy, they’ll start sleeping in there.

Maybe.

Oh, sweet kitties.

Even better, today was the first morning the Voo did NOT bark madly at them. I was so proud of her. I bragged on her until she pranced and gave her a treat. Maybe one day she and the cats will be friends.

You know, that day when pigs fly.

Hodgepodge

2011-08-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

I have a baking problem.

I had some friends over Sunday night for a small “anti-draft” party, as all of our husbands were fantasy football drafting that evening, and I baked forever. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to bake without sweating (and have a large kitchen to spread out!), so once I started…I didn’t stop.

One of the fun items I made was pumpkin cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream icing. Yeah, think about that deliciousness for a second.

Or just look.

Photo courtesy of www.madeinmelskitchen.com

I actually had my own pictures, but I left my camera at home and am impatient, so I’ll give credit where credit is due and show someone else’s.

These things are ridiculously good – and sweet. Talk about a sugar rush. Tara saw me lick the spoon (and the bowl) clean Sunday afternoon. Ridiculous.

Naturally, with most things I bake these days, I found the recipe through Pinterest, and click here to go directly to the recipe.

Make them. And love them.

Or you can share them with people who recently had too-sweet-for-me-to-do-anything-but-baby-talk babies.

Like this baby.

She can’t eat the cupcakes now, but her mama and daddy can.

I think I need another one now. Hmmm.

Also (told you this was a hodgepodge). I need new books to read. What’s out there that’s captivated you, makes you want to read all the time? With football season coming up and my sweet husband doing two radio shows a week, I need some fun reading material. So share away! =)

Baby Watch

2011-08-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

We are currently on Baby Watch for Misti. She's in the hospital, she's been induced...and now we're just waiting on Ella.

I lost the baby bet. My mom lost the baby bet. Kyle did, too. In fact, just about everyone BUT Misti lost the baby bet.

But she may still be wrong. We've got about 11 hours left in the day. Ella may want to have Aug. 27 as her birthday.

At any rate, I'm antsy. I'm ready to hold that sweet baby, and she is not being cooperative. Ella, as an adult, if you ever read this, please note that your Aunt Penny spent your birth day (or the day before your birth) wasting time at work wishing she were with your biological aunts, grandmother, and cousin at the hospital.

So, if you read this, just say a prayer for Misti, Ella, and her family and the doctors so she has an easy and safe delivery. And quickly. We're getting impatient around here. ;)

No, really, I AM studying for comps…

2011-08-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Christopher Voegler, a mass media scholar, has defined 12 parts of a hero’s journey, something that many of Hollywood films work to develop. There are common patterns a hero goes through, and, as part of one of my comps questions, I have to name and explain all 12 stages. As I feel knowledge is best learned through examples, here’s my own hero’s journey of selling/buying a house:

1. Ordinary World

Here I am, in my sweet little home where my husband, my dog, and I have lived for the past five years. We’re happy here, a little snug, but for our two person plus one dog family, it’s fine.

2. Off to adventure

Oh, snap, here’s a beautiful house! For sale! In a good price range! With everything we want! We weren’t looking for this adventure, but here it is, in our lap! So we decide we want to take this adventure to a new house.

3. Refusal of the call

We panicked at first. Can we afford a higher mortgage? What about with kids in the future? Can we sell our own house? What do we do?

4. Mentor

We hire a super awesome real estate agent!!

5. First threshold.

We sign a purchase contract and put our house on the market and begin to panic. But we courageously battle on! (Note: End of Act 1)

6. Test allies and enemies.

Prospective people come looking at our house. Will they buy, or are they just lookie-loos?

7. Approach to the inmost cave.

We find a buyer. Will he actually be The Buyer?

8. Supreme Ordeal.

We haggle, we argue, and we agree to a selling price. Closing date is set.

9. Reward.

We get a huge check made out to US at the selling date (which, btw, was YESTERDAY!!). (Note: End of Act 2)

10. The road back.

We plan to close on our new house.

11. Resurrection.

We face one last struggle – trying to flipping close on the new house!

12. Return with elixir.

As we have not reached this stage yet, all I can give you is my notes: Hero returns with the elixir or prize that will heal the wounded land. (Note: End of Act 3)

Closing on our new house is turning out to be quite a hassle, about as stressful as selling!! While we’re legally homeless, I suppose, we actually are in the new house right now, which I’m very grateful for. I’m glad we’re not holed up in some hotel or having to find an apartment, I’m ready to officially own our new home! So keep us in your prayers – and Misti, too! That baby is coming this week! =D

Da Truf

2011-08-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this morning with a cup of coffee in one hand, my Bible in the other, and a sweet puppy resting on my lap. All outside on my deck under shade and squirrels scurrying from tree to tree.

Yeah, it was a good morning.

Our Bible study recently completed studying Ruth, and someone had mentioned how she loved the book of James, so I thought until we get our new study, I’d delve deeper into it for the time being. I’ve read Chapter 1 two days in a row now, and apparently it takes a second reading to get things to sink in. And there were SEVERAL verses that jumped out at me – feeling as if they were specifically written for me at this time in my life:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him (1:12).

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (1:17).

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you (1:19-21).

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless (1:26).

Believe it or not, too, these all went together with how this year has gone. Life has been ridiculously chaotic. I feel like my life is in constant upheaval, and all I really want is “normal.” But, frankly, what was normal for me last year will never be normal again.

My husband will always be a Type 1 diabetic.

My aunt will always have to fear cancer’s return.

And (finally, something good), it’s very doubtful we will return to our old house.

I have not always handled transition or opposition well. I’ve not consistently showed God’s love through trials. I’ve tried to get better at that. I had an epiphany, I suppose, in January and realized that my reactions to bad news (and in January, there was a BUNCH of bad news) cannot stay the same. So I’ve tried to work on it. Not always succeeded, but I do see how far I’ve come in a mere eight months (and am trying not to be prideful about it, lol).

And, again, this week: opposition. And while I did threaten to slice someone’s tires (come on, who doesn’t? LOL), I’ve come through okay. Able to look back and say, “That’s fine. I’m not pleased with the outcome, but it will be all right.”

I’ve been digressing this entire time, I feel, but the background needed to be given. Earlier this week, though, I found out something that really brought up the Green Monster in me. Someone else’s house sold. In quicker time. And while we’re on schedule to close THIS MONDAY (woo hoo!!!!), it still brought a quick tinge of jealousy in me because his house sold quicker than ours. Even though our buyer wanted to close today, but we were unable to do so. Even though we’re on schedule to close Monday. Even though we’ve been blessed by being able to move in early.

So I tried to see some positives.

1. This individual who sold his place will move FAR, FAR away to a place I probably will never go to. WOO HOO. Lol!!! (Can you tell I’m not this person’s biggest fan? Ha!)

2. Again, we’re scheduled to close MONDAY. Can’t I be happy for someone else?

3. Good for him, good for the economy. Hooray for someone who was able to buy his house. It’s a beautiful house.

4. Okay, I’m done with positives. It’s not my house; I’m not getting any $$ from it, so I feel three is enough. ;)

Anyway, so that’s been my morning. Very eye-opening, very humbling, very happy.

***BTW, we are currently on Baby Watch for Misti. Feel free to jump in the baby pool and give your time/date when the baby will be born (no prizes other than the feeling of knowing you rock in guessing). Her due date is next Friday, but I've guessed Monday in the afternoon. Kyle's guessed tomorrow morning.****

The pump

2011-08-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

I always love it when my husband gets on my blog and says, “Where’s something new? I want to read something new.” =) He’s a sweet man and the topic of today’s blog, lol.

So Kyle got the pump. Happy birthday to him, as it was his birthday present. He actually was thrilled. It’s sat in a box for the past two weeks, though, until we headed to the doctor yesterday to learn how to use the thing.

Surprising how such a little device could come in such a big box that we had to lug all around yesterday (Ha! I say “we,” but we all know he carried it, lol). The nurse was really sweet and helpful and answered all of our questions. Kyle was a bit nervous the first time he inserted the pump, but he was quite surprised at how painless it was (for him, at least – if it had been me, I would have passed out on the floor. I’m a bit of a pansy when it comes to needles!).

I was nervous that the pump would be invasive and troublesome, but, aside from one issue (which I’ll discuss momentarily), it’s really not. In fact, once he injects himself, he pulls the needle out. There’s a small white covering over the tiny tubing that was inserted inside him, and, after three days, he changes out the insulin and covering and reinserts. So, instead of taking five shots a day, he takes one every three days. Yeah, that’s what we call a win.

He does have the pager-looking device hooked up to the wires, which lead to the white covering on his stomach, but it can easily be hidden in his pocket or under his shirt (or, if he wants, he can wear it like a beeper). He had it on yesterday, and I didn’t even notice.

However, we did have an issue last night that will have to be resolved before he actually gets insulin put in on the 30^th. The nurse gave him saline so he can get used to working with the pump, but that crazy thing kept shooting off random alerts about every 30 minutes, buzzing loudly to get our attention. So, in frustration, Kyle jerked the pump off about 9 p.m. because there’s no way we could have slept with it buzzing all night. He’s going to call his nurse and figure out what’s going on.

At any rate, even though Day 1 of the pump wasn’t a success, it is good to have an idea of what’s going on and be able to fix any little problem before the insulin goes in. The 30^th is going to be a big day for us!! In fact, there are a lot of big days in August coming up, and I’m looking forward to all of them!

The Death of a Wasp: A Song Parody

2011-08-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

(Sang as I killed a wasp this morning; somewhat set to Adele's "Rolling in the Deep;" sing along if you wish.)

There’s a fire starting in my heart

Reaching a fever pitch and it’s bringing me out the dark

Finally I can see you crystal clear

Sitting on my ceiling, like that’s where you belong

See how I’ll spray every piece of you

Don’t underestimate the things that I will do

There’s a fire, starting in my heart

Reaching a fever pitch and it’s bringing me out the dark

The scars of your sting remind me of you

It keeps me thinking that you almost had it all

The scars of your sting, they make me see red

I can’t help feeling

You could have had it all

Living in a tree

You had to come inside and be mean

And you thought it would be alright

Now let’s see how many sprays it will take

Til you fall on the floor and are deader than a nail

Tell your friends in the depths of your despair

That your home's not here; cause mine sure won’t be shared

The scars of your sting remind me of you

It keeps me thinking that you almost had it all

The scars of your sting, they make me see red

I can’t help feeling

You could have had it all

Living in a tree

You had to come inside and be mean

And you thought it would be alright

I sprayed you just one little lonely time

Count my blessings in hopes that it would work

Turns out you couldn’t stand against the spray

I paid you back in kind; you reaped just what you sowed

(You’re going to wish you never had met me)

You could have had it all

(I’m gonna shoot you, with the wasp spray)

Now you’re gonna die

(You’re going to wish you never had met me)

You're gone, you're gone, you're gone

(I’m gonna shoot you, with the wasp spray)

You could have had it all

Living in a tree

You had to come inside and be mean

And you thought it would be alright, alright, alright, alright....

Bittersweet memories

2011-08-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

I’m packing up my life, it feels. My food…my clothes…my bath products…So many things are scattered between two houses. All of my books (minus the three or four that I have to have with me at all times) are at the new house. My winter clothes are at the new house. My pantry food (some of it) is packed in grocery bags and set along the kitchen counter in the old house. Vicki keeps sniffing the marshmallows.

I’ve gotten weepy twice this morning (thanks, Misti), and it’s just now 8:03 a.m. It’s bittersweet, packing up all our belongings from our first house. Our first house. And this morning I finally figured out why I have the weepies.

This has been my first home since high school.

Okay, not that I’ve been homeless by any means. I always had some place to stay, even if it was a friend’s couch (and, for a summer month, that was home). But in college, I was a suitcase kid. I stayed in the dorms, in houses, or wherever during the weekdays and headed home most weekends. I lived out of a suitcase. The first four months after graduation, I moved five to six times (depending on how you view one particular situation, but that’s a long story). That’s crazy!!

Even when we finally got our first home, it was an apartment we stayed in for nine months. I was used to moving every nine months. I didn’t get really attached to the apartment. It was fun, it was cute, and then we moved.

To this house. The house where my husband actually lived in college. The house where we shared our first kiss. The house where he asked me to date him. The house we bought. The house where I announced I was getting my dream job. The house where we celebrated birthdays. Had parties. The house where we started nighttime Easter egg hunts.

Tina's first time to dye Easter eggs

Hiding eggs for the somewhat annual nighttime Easter egg hunt

When Vicki "ran away"

Her "dognappers" brought her back soon ;)

Christmas -- our first Christmas tree

Newer Christmas trees

The dog, dressed up in her Christmas present from her Aunt Jayne

Stocking stuffer

A rare snow day!

Our sweet home

Tina, saying good-bye to Vicki before her northern move

The Super family

Christmas party

Summer party

But then, while I was reading Misti’s blog this morning, I thought of all of the memories that are to be made in our new home. Such as reading with Misti’s (currently unborn) daughter in our house. Taking Vicki to the city park behind our backyard. Finding new running routes. Making s’mores on the deck out back. Celebrating Christmas with my family and Kyle’s. Having lots of parties!!

And the others, the hopes for this house. Bringing home our child to his or her new home. Coming home after I become Dr. Penny. Having all the rooms finally painted, lol.

All we have to do now is sign the papers.

And boom goes the dynamite

2011-08-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

So when is the Super family moving?

Um…soon?

Our closing date will be between Aug. 22-26, but Kyle and I really want to get everything moved in beforehand so the last couple of days, we can get the power and cable switched to the new house and aren’t having to throw things frantically into boxes on closing day…whenever that is.

Therefore, and because the Time of Comps began Aug. 1, we decided to start getting one room a week ready. This week…Spare Bedroom No. 1 and Master Bedroom.

This master bedroom currently is a forest green color that isn’t necessarily a bad color…it’s just not what I want. However, Spare Bedroom No. 1….the décor MUST go.

What’s really funny is that the guy we’re buying the house from thought that this particular room would help the house sell faster. And, while some people might like this particular room, we did not.

It’s an LSU room.

Wait.

It’s MORE than an LSU room. It’s the purple and gold with a HUGE tiger eye painted on one of the walls. Granted, the tiger eye is very well done…but I do not want it.

And for those of y’all who are wondering, “Now, wait…don’t they live in Louisiana?” Why, yes, yes, we do. But not only are we not LSU fans (we attended a different university), but I do not want my bedrooms decorated in ANY sports colors (The man cave downstairs is another matter, and, yes, it will be decorated in Saints colors…but the walls will not be black nor gold.). If we have a little boy and he wants his room decorated with his favorite team colors, that’s just fine. But we have no children right now, so the house will be decorated according to my tastes (and, to some extent, Kyle’s tastes, lol!).

At any rate, today, we paint! I frantically searched for the perfect master bedroom color, and I found it. I found EXACTLY what I wanted.

Hello, aged teak!

And, for the LSU room, I’m hoping it will eventually turn out something like this:

I’m 100 percent in love with grays and yellows paired with blues or greens. I chose to go green for the spare room because a) I like green and b) the living and dining areas are painted a dark blue, so I wanted something a little different.

So keep praying that everything still goes smoothly and we don’t have any hiccups before the nebulous closing date. We’re excited, though, and we’re ready to get in our new home!!

So it begins

2011-08-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

Aug. 1 began comps studying. I take written comps for my Ph.D. program in early October and verbal comps a couple of weeks after that, so it’s time to start studying. I have five intense days of testing, and I am NOT looking forward to it. I received 4/5 questions so far from my professors and have answered one this week so far. Sounds lazy, right? It’s not. The answer to that one question ended up being 14 single-spaced typed pages. Comps are located in Dante’s seventh circle of hell. At any rate, as the classes I teach are winding up for the month (yet I’m still working 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.), here’s an example of what my work day looks like.

Summer schedule

7:30 a.m. – arrive at work and write a list of what needs to be accomplished; read the news online

8 a.m. – grade papers, edit pages, and/or write stories

8:30 a.m. – study for comps

9 a.m. – eat breakfast; GP, EP and/or WS

9:30 a.m. – study for comps

10 a.m. – wonder when I should leave for lunch; browse the Internet

10:30 a.m. – bang my head against the desk as I study for comps

11 a.m. – cannot wait another moment for a break; head to lunch for happiness

11:45 a.m. – wonder why summer lunches can only be 45 minutes long

Noon – study for flipping comps

12:30 – check to see if Discovery Channel has any Shark Week videos posted; work on website stuff

1 p.m. – get a diet coke and pull up stupid comps stuff again

1:15 p.m. – get distracted

1:20 p.m. – decide that I can’t study for ^%$# comps any more today

1:25 p.m. – feel guilty and return to studying for comps

1:30 p.m. – take break; finish up any work that hasn’t been done

2 p.m. – wonder if I can wait til 3 to get a snow cone; e-mail everyone I know

2:30 p.m. – open the comps document and quickly close it back; wonder why it’s only 2:30 and not 4:30

2:35 – aimlessly meander around campus and/or the Internet

3 p.m. – go get snow cone

4 p.m. – thank God that it’s only an hour left

4:30 p.m. – start winding down

4:55 p.m. – and out the door

The sad thing is that while I try to get two good hours in now, in two weeks, I plan on moving it up to three hours and then four hours a day in September. *tear*

BTW, when I do get my Ph.D., we’re having the biggest party EVER.

Waves

2011-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of all things sunny and watery. Lakes, ponds, rivers, oceans -- I love them all. Probably has something to do with my dad working on the river and me partially growing up on a boat, but it could just be because I don't get to go to the beach but about once a year.

One particular Scripture, a piece of a favorite chapter of mine, kept coming to my head during this trip, probably because of the beauty of the ocean and because of the strong waves that crashed on the shore.

"But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name." -- Isaiah 51:15

Standing out in the ocean on that first day and continually getting knocked over by the waves, I suddenly realized how powerful the waves are. When waves crash on the shore during hurricanes and floods, how scary that actually is. A wall of water that is about to crash over you is a bit unnerving, even when you're feet from the shore and you know you're safe.

Our God is a powerful God. He divided the sea, and the waves roared out His name.

I also took a run on the beach Sunday morning for the sake of running on the beach. Cross that off my bucket list, I guess. The first 1.5 miles, I ran by the beach on pavement, and then, just for fun, took off my shoes and carried them as I ran on the edge of the water, dodging sandcastles and seashells along the way. Because I was right on the edge of the water, the sand wasn't really an issue -- making sure broken seashells did not jack up my foot was.

But I would wake up again at 6:20 a.m. to do it again. It was peaceful, warm, and wonderful -- and different. Especially the smells. Runners know the smells on their route, whether it be nasty ones like from a truck's exhaust or a dumpster or pleasant ones, like passing a restaurant or laundry drying. The air was salty, and, because some families were already playing in the sand, I could smell sunscreen, too. No chlorine, which is what I've been used to this summer. Salt, sea wind, and sunscreen.

What a great vacation.

Big News

2011-07-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have an announcement.

You ready?

I'm not sure I even am!

Okay, here goes. =)

We accepted an offer on our house.

So...

It looks like the Super family is moving in August.

Well, that’s going to be new…

2011-07-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

It was quite an exciting day for the Super family yesterday. We received an offer on our home and put in an application…for a diabetic pump.

Since Kyle was diagnosed with Type 1 back in May (cinco de mayo to be precise), we’ve gone through a life-changing experience. Every item of food revolves around needles and medicine and counting. I told my coworker this morning how we (or more he, as my math is a bit shaky at best) count carbs and have to also adjust his insulin based on his blood sugar, and she said, “How do people who don't do math do this? Or how do people who don’t care handle this?”

I just shrugged.

This is a scary disease. All of our meals (okay, the majority of them, lol!) are based on how many carbs there are in that food. It’s become more normal for us, even in two months, which I’m so grateful for, but it’s still…scary.

The pump scares me. It’s permanent. I don’t like to think of such a permanency for a disease, but…he’s going to have this for the rest of his life, and this will make life so much easier for him. He won’t have to take five shots a day. He won’t have to run back to the house if he forgot a needle.

One of our friends has the pump and loves it. My cousin’s husband has the pump and loves it. Our doctors love it. His first nutritionist (and super amazing mom-to-be!) loves it. And she perhaps had the best advice:

“Yeah, it is scary. But do some research on it. Ask nurses, ask doctors, ask people who have it. See what they think and which one they use. Ask his doctor about it. Get all of your questions answered and see if you feel more comfortable.”

It’s nice to know that my fear is justified. And I did take her advice. I’ve done the research on the company’s websites, and we’ve asked everyone around us. I’m still hesitant, because this is a big deal, but I am more comfortable. My husband’s excited about it, and anything to make his already way-too-busy life a little simpler makes me excited as well.

So. We’re getting a pump.

Pause

2011-07-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

Is procrastinating similar to waiting?

I am waiting. Waiting for news, waiting for an appointment. Waiting, sometimes knowing when things will occur, but most often times not.

Therefore, I procrastinate.

When I have a huge list of items to accomplish, I am on the ball. I will finish the agenda in record time and have time to relax in the afternoon. When I have one or two things to accomplish, though…oh, I procrastinate.

To keep me procrastinating a few more minutes this morning, I decided to make a list of…Great Fun in July!

Sorry. I’d come up with a better name, but the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet, lol.

· Spending time with great friends in Tennessee

· Spending Friday afternoons at the pool

· Eating an average of a snow cone a week – a different flavor each week!

· Eagerly anticipating Baby Ella’s arrival next month!

· Reconnecting with an old college friend

· Preparing for the beach and my sweet husband’s 29^th birthday

· Starting our Ruth Bible study at church

· This sweet baby’s two-year-old birthday party

· Grilling with friends

· Finishing that stupid transfer class

· Making new desserts, including blueberry cream pie, oreo treats, and the Chocolate Trilogy

· Watching the sweet pup find a new boyfriend

I feel like there’s more…and there is. =) But, as with everything, I have to be patient. I’ve never been a very patient person, but, if I’m learning one thing this summer, it’s patience. And, as I keep trying to explain to God, I don’t think I requested to learn patience. I know better, haha! But He knows more than I do (shocking, huh?).

And the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places and give strength to your bones. You will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. -- Isaiah 58:11

Yummy yummy in my tummy

2011-07-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Limited time? No sweat.

Don't have the right equipment? Who cares?

Walking in the grocery store in heels? Bring it on.

It's amazing what I will do in order to have a delectable dessert.

What stirred the hunger pains in my stomach, you ask? I'm not sure. The only way I know to describe it is this: rice krispie treats...with oreos.

Heck to the yeah, you know you want some, too!

FYI, no, that is not my picture. Mine did not turn out nearly as pretty, but I blame that on the fact that my blender is currently in storage, and I had to crush my Oreos by hand while putting every other one in my mouth.

Anyway, it's over now, though I wish I had added more marshmallows. Next time, I'll have to do that. And use a blender. Just saying.

How do you make these tasty treats? Well, like any favorite recipe of mine, it has three ingredients: one package of Oreos, 5 cups of large marshmallows, and 4 tablespoons of butter. Crush the Oreos, melt the butter and marshmallows over the stove, mix together, pour in a pan and spread out. And wait for just a few minutes for the deliciousness to settle before you dive in. And, if you can't wait, you can always lick the spoon.

It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

2011-07-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

All recipes (minus the soup, obviously) can be found by clicking here.

My sweet husband and I celebrated the end of a decade-long love with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series by having a date night in the house. We borrowed "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" from a sweet friend, and I made a surprise dinner.

First, the least Harry Potter-esque entree: potato soup. I had trouble figuring out what would be a good main course for this surprise dinner, so I settled with potato soup as warm and yummy -- and had Kyle make it!

And now...for the magic!

Mrs. Weasley's rock cakes (as we all know Hagrid's would be too tough to eat...)

Kyle LOVED these, which was quite surprising, as they have raisins (I was unaware that he was a raisin fan) and they're really not sweet. Seriously. I put two tablespoons of Splenda in them, and that was the only sweet thing. They were pretty yummy. In fact, I decided to have two for breakfast with my coffee this morning!

Next...acid pops!

How do you make acid pops, you ask? Quite simply.

Dip a lollipop (or, in our case, a blow pop) in just a hint of honey (I read recipes where you dip them in water, but honey worked best for me, as it didn't activate the third ingredient) and then roll it gently around in pop rocks.

How stinking cool is this?? And three small bags of pop rocks (around $1.09 each at the university bookstore) covered more than 10 blow pops.

And then...the item I was most looking forward to...

BUTTERBEER!!!

We both, naturally, were stuffed. Seriously, I feel like I need to run a half-marathon to run off the calories simply from last night's meal. And tonight...the end is here.

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?"

American hero

2011-07-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Keep this sweet family in your prayers.

Sarah Kate and Angie

Family picture

Our friends Chris and Angie, along with their adorable daughter, came over last week for dinner. Chris left for annual training yesterday, and, in three weeks, he'll head to Afghanistan for about 14 months. This is obviously going to be very hard for all of them, so keep them in your prayers for safety and comfort while Chris serves his country.

Sarah Kate absolutely loved Vicki, and, I've got to say, Vicki wasn't too opposed to SK, either, ha! SK looovvveedd when Vicki licked her hands (which was pretty much every time SK got within licking distance of our pooch), and Vicki loved to taste the remnants of dinner on her fingers.

Speaking of dinner....I made a blueberry cream pie that evening, and it was so good, I have to share the recipe!! (Sorry, no pics!)

Blueberry cream pie

Pie crust (I mean, you can make your own, but when Pillsbury has a great one anyway...)

Filling

3 cups blueberries

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup cream cheese (because I have to have cream cheese in a pie!)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping

2 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg (about 1/16th teaspoon)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

Mix together the sugar and flour. Add in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Put the blueberries on the bottom of the crust. Pour the filling over the blueberries and spread it out.

Now make the crumb topping. Mix together the sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Pour the melted unsalted butter into the bowl and mix everything together.

Add in the flour and mix until the ingredients form a crumble topping.

Crumble the crumb topping over the pie.

Mix together 1 large egg and a Tablespoon of water and brush over the edge of the crust.

Bake the pie at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Let the pie cool before cutting into slices. Then enjoy!

Cannonball

2011-07-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

I guess it's official. Well, technically it's been official for about 20 days, but...we're selling our house. Or at least trying to sell our house. Selling would mean that we're in the process of signing a contract with someone else. Trying to sell is where we are now.

The house looks amazing. And I'm not trying to sell it to y'all (but if you're interested in an amazingly-priced, awesome house in north Louisiana, hit me up), but it looks gorgeous. Kyle and I, along with some generous, kind friends and family members have been working to make sure the house is in tip-top shape for its open house this coming Sunday. It's received a semi-professional paint job, had new door frames put on, has been steam-cleaned, polished, and emptied. I'm going to admit, the house has never been prettier.

It's been quite a headache trying to sell. I'm very impatient (who knew, right? lol), and I've had to rely on God for this because, as Kyle and I are both struggling with, we cannot control this. God knows whether or not we will sell and when that happy day will come. I've been talking with Him about this a lot, and I've had to realize two facts: 1. God knows I want to sell our house. 2. God knows if that's the right thing or not. And while I could sit here and say, "I know it's the right thing," I don't know. I'm clueless. =) But thank goodness Someone does know and Someone is looking out for me.

At any rate, please pray for us as we go through this process during the heat and humidity of a Louisiana summer. Pray that we listen to God and follow His will. I would like His will to be selling the house, but pray that we are wise and good listeners in this situation.

And today...we paint trim! ;)

The Civil Wars

2011-07-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

(We interrupt your normally scheduled blog relating to Tennessee adventures due to more recent adventures and due to the lack of my ability to go to Walgreens and get the underwater camera film developed.)

So my Thursday night technically started on a Wednesday...

Kyle called me up at work Wednesday morning and said, "Hey, so my work is giving us tickets to see The Civil Wars in Jackson tomorrow night. But I know it's a work night, so do you want to --?"

"YESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!"

The Civil Wars is my current Ob.Session. And, yes, that's two words to demonstrate how obsessed I am with them. I grew up listening to Joy Williams and had her CDs (you remember CDs right?) and even saw her in concert in high school. Her voice is magical. And so is her fellow song member of the Civil Wars, John Paul White, who is a double for Sirius Black.

John Paul White

Sirius Black

See???

So last night we headed with a friend to go see The Civil Wars. The venue was (no joke) a Mexican restaurant by day and music venue by night. Quite interesting. They had folding chairs set up all over the floor (which I was very happy for) and the music was loud but not so loud that you couldn't talk to people around you (music so loud that I can't talk to anyone is usually why I'm a bit anti-concert. 10 more points for Gryffindor...oh, wait...)

Here's a video of them performing part of one of my favorites of theirs, "Barton Hollow."

And, the last song their played, which, every time I hear it, basically takes my breath away. So sad, but such an AMAZING song:

Sigh. Heart. Heart. Heart.

And more fun pics!!!

Who's excited about seeing The Civil Wars???

Beautiful hair, beautiful face, beautiful voice. Le sigh.

And, yes, I'm still on Cloud 9. Why do you ask? ;)

Shopping

2011-07-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

(I'm three for three this week, what what!)

Shopping on vacation is great. Shopping at an outlet mall is even better.

Our closest outlet is about four hours away, so anytime I see a good outlet mall (Tanger is the best), it’s time to HIT THAT UP. We made a map, we had a plan, and we executed it beautifully. So beautifully, as a matter of fact, that our husbands’ eyes nearly bulged out of their heads when they saw our loot.

I think the picture is shaky because Sean was about to pass out.

My best buy of the day was a $60 Banana Republic sweater for…$1.98. Yep, less than $2. And, if I do say so myself, it looks pretty dang spectacular on me. That was the best buy. However, our biggest buy…

Some girls get tattoos to commemorate friendship or a fantastic vacation. We opted for Coach purses. I’m usually fairly practical when it comes to purchases, but…well, it’s a good memory, lol!!

I walked around the Coach store with about every purse in the store on my shoulder until I found “The One” (which needs a name, I believe, but I haven’t come up with one yet).

As soon as we walked in the store, Rindy looked around and said, “Ladies, we are leaving here with Coach purses!” (She’s been eyeing hers for some time.) And, sure enough, we did.

We also ate at The Chop House twice that day. Yes, that’s correct. We went for lunch, and it was absolutely delicious. I had lobster fettuccini, and everything was so delicious that we called the boys to come meet us there for dinner.

What’s really funny is that I asked Brooke where a good place to eat would be…and she suggested The Chop House! I’m just sad there’s not one ANYWHERE around me. Boo on that!

And next (maybe?) we discuss...Dollywood!!

Hide and seek, adult-style

2011-07-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

The girls on our Tennessee trip are incredible hiders. So incredible, as a matter of fact, that on the last night, we finally had to come out and let the boys know where we were.

The ritual of hide and seek begins with pool. The boys would go down to the bottom level to play pool around 11 p.m., and we, being tired, would stay awake by playing an impromptu game of hide-and-seek.

For example, on Night 1, we made our plan and headed to the second level’s laundry room, where we could hear the boys playing. When they finished their game and headed to the top floor, where they wrongly assumed we were, we bolted downstairs to Rindy and Dustin’s bedroom. Rindy led us into a storage closet, turned off the lights, and we waited.

We didn’t wait for long. Dustin, turns out, is an excellent seeker, and he and Kyle found us quickly. However, Sean, who had split up and taken the top level, wasn’t so lucky. Dustin turned out all the lights on the bottom floor as the five of us hid in the storage facility.

Lesson learned (to make this shorter): Don’t turn all the lights off in the basement when the guy who is trying to find you was locked in the basement with the lights off as a joke by his older brother when they were kids. He will not go down in a darkened basement when he knows there are five individuals hiding there.

The last night, however, was epic. Our floor had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The three girls hid on side of the closets in the second bedroom, squeezing up tightly on that one side. The boys came searching, opening the partly opened door of the closet…and, again, wrongly assumed we were not in the closet, as they couldn’t see us on that side.

Favorite quotes from that evening:

“They’ve got to be on the move.” Nope.

“I heard them downstairs!” Nope.

“They must be outside.” Nope.

“I checked that bedroom. It’s clear.” Tee hee…nope!

“They’re really good at this.” Why, yes, we are.

They turned off the lights on the second floor, thinking we were not there and we wouldn’t run around in the dark (because they thought we were moving from location to location). Dustin would jerk open every door and do his “raptor cry” in anticipation of scaring us…and failing. He and Kyle took the bottom floor with a walkie-talkie, and Sean took the top deck…leaving us alone on the middle floor.

They all three finally came back in the bedroom we were in (not looking for us, because they had “checked” the closet twice by this point), and that’s when we finally came out to some very shocked expressions. They were quite surprised that we had stayed in one location the entire time.

Seriously. How many 30-something and late-20-something-year-olds do you know who wouldn’t play hide and seek in a three-story cabin?

Gatlinburg overview

2011-07-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

How do you know the vacation was AWESOME?

Because you don’t rest until you come home.

Some vacations I need to take to rest. Work’s been hard, or life’s been hard in general. However, this time, we vacationed simply to play hard. And we succeeded.

We, along with Rin and Dustin, headed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, last week to spend some time in a three-story cabin overlooking the Appalachian Mountains with our friends from Ohio, Sean and Tina. And, I would like to give credit to Brooke for being our online tour guide, as she was in Ohio but still managed to give us good tips for where to shop and eat via Twitter. Also, she is absolutely correct in saying that she lives in the Promised Land. I want to look for jobs up there!

There’s so much to say regarding this trip, and I’m sure there will be multiple posts regarding our time, but this one is just an overview with a few pictures thrown in.

This was my view every morning as I drank my coffee and sat in a rocking chair on the top level. This cabin was awesome. Not only did each of us have a full floor to ourselves, but it also had a pool table room, a hot tub, a sauna, and great places to hide for great hide-and-seek games (more on those later!).

Boys grilling dinner, including the infamous “triple burger,” which apparently is a diabetic's friend, as Kyle consistently has perfect blood sugar after this meal (but probably higher cholesterol, lol).

Tina and me just before dinner. This was taken after a busy day at Dollywood, where we rode every roller coaster at least once (sometimes up to three times…What can I say? NO LINES!!).

The three of us before shopping (post-shopping post to come later; we RACKED UP.)

Last day at the cabin. I already miss it and the people in it!

Arise, shine

2011-06-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness. -- Isaiah 61:10

It’s been over a week since the church bus wreck took five lives and left others in the hospital, most which are still there. I suggest you read this story, written by a close friend of mine. She’s a very talented wordsmith, much more so than me. She had a copy of the sermon New Zion’s preacher gave the Sunday after the accident. I don’t think he would mind me sharing portions of it, as it is an amazing expression of hope.

“We can’t choose the storms because God wanted a perfect world, but when Adam and Eve fell into sin, sickness, disease and death entered our perfect world. So, we are guaranteed to have storms, but who will we trust when we face these storms? I cried out and said ‘Lord, Where are you in our storm? Where are you in the midst of this tragedy? And he told me with these words:

“Where is God?
He’s the pastors who leave their flocks to go to hospitals that don’t even have their members in them.
He’s the emergency workers at the hospitals working countless hours to give life, comfort and strength to the hurting.
He’s the volunteers at the wreck who could have been elsewhere but instead they stayed to fight for those who were still alive.
He’s the widow who looks at her last dime and offers it to the families of the victims.
He’s the man who was straddling the fence spiritually, but last night in this sanctuary, he pulled up the fencepost and rolled up the barbwire and is seeking to walk with God.
He’s the people who have drove hundreds of miles from Jackson to Shreveport just to hold the hand of the injured or pray with a family member.
He’s the people who drive hundreds of miles to hospitals to deliver a doll to a scared little girl or a Dr. Pepper to a man.
He’s a piano player, a deacon, a body of Christ who rallies around a scared, young preacher who wants to quit and run the other way.
He’s a director of missions who was out of town on ministry, but drops his schedule and drives all night to the hospital to minister to hurting people.
He’s the one holding the hand of the dying. He’s the one riding in the chopper with a 16-year-old girl who met Jesus just a few short months ago because of a van ministry.
He’s making the Purple Ribbons and delivering them to the community to remind to pray for the hurt and loss that Oak Grove is feeling.
He’s the nurse who ends up being kin to the family of the injured, not at one hospital, but at both.
He is everywhere, He is right here and He is among us. GOD IS HERE. He is at the altar, waiting for any and all of us to come to Him.”

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'” The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:37-40

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. -- Isaiah 60:1

Bacon

2011-06-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the country. I lived across from a cotton field. It was a 15-minute drive into town.

However. I was not raised in a barn.

Unlike these unwanted visitors who showed up at my parents' doorstep Saturday morning.

Four large pigs have been rooting in my dad's yard. My parents suspected an armadillo, which is why that metal live trap is by the pigs. As you can see...that cage was worthless in this case.

Oh, and apparently they were comfortable enough in my parents' yard that one of them decided to take a nap.

Vicki and Puddin' had a time sniffing the pigs. Vicki is the blur in the next pic. The pigs were friendly (albeit a large nuisance!), but Vicki was a bit apprehensive and very curious about these large creatures.

I woke up about 6:50 a.m. to this craziness, and, when I saw the pigs, I immediately went back into my old bedroom and gave my husband a gentle push. "Hey," I said. "It's before 7 a.m. on a Saturday, but I promise you, if you wake up right now, you'll see something you've never seen in your life."

"Just tell me what it is," he yawned.

"There are four pigs on Mom and Dad's doorstep."

He hurriedly put on his glasses.

My poor dad managed to lead the pigs (with dog food) back to their "home." The owners were not at home, and we're still not sure how they got out. At any rate, they thankfully have not been rooting around in their yard since.

However, what happens to misbehaving pigs?

Just kidding!!!

(Well...sort of. Cause we really did have sausage and bacon for breakfast that morning. Yuuuummmmmyyy.)

Church van crash kills 4

2011-06-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

Please read this story and be in prayer for those families who have lost loved ones. This is actually the church I grew up in, and it's heartbreaking to know that parents who were expecting their children home last night had their lives changed in an instant. The only fatality I've heard was from a girl I graduated high school with -- her second cousin, who was four years old, died last night.

It's amazing how life can change in an instant, when you least expect it. No one expects tragedy to happen; no one expects lives to be lost, especially when you're doing something right. From what I've heard, the driver was being responsible. Something messed up with the van (can you tell I'm not a mechanic?), and that's why the van flipped over.

It's just heartbreaking. Children and the driver were airlifted to Jackson, Miss. Pray for the driver as well. I can't imagine the turmoil he's going to go through in the coming days, weeks, and even years.

So please remember them and this tight-knit community. This is a tragedy that's going to echo for a long time.

EDIT 10:45 a.m.: Crash victims have been identified.

EDIT 12:52 p.m.: Joey, the driver of the vehicle, has been taken off of life support.

Words I didn’t know existed until I started playing WordFeud

2011-06-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

Please note that these are just the words I've learned over the last two weeks -- it is not comprehensive. Also, thanks to Sommer and Richard for playing me in WordFeud and helping me expand my vocabulary. Apparently.

Additionally, some of these words, Microsoft Word indicated were not real words. Just saying.

Ain -- a department in East France (not recognized by MW)

Aa -- a proportional shoe width size, narrower than A and wider than AAA; also a bra size (also not recognized by MW)

Tae -- a Scot word for "too" (However, WordFeud will not accept Spanish words. Voice of experience.)

Qi-- in Oriental medicine, a vital energy believed to circulate around the body in currents

Qat -- a variant spelling of khat, which is an African and Arabian tea (not recognized by MW)

Qua -- in the capacity of, by virtue of being (and, no, I don't know what that definition means)

Apian -- of, relating to, or resembling bees (it's an adjective)

Varias -- (MW doesn't recognize it and dictionary.com responded with "no dictionary results")

Hep -- an earlier word for "hip;" also short for hepatitis (not recognized by MW)

Dah -- an echoic word, the referent of which is a tone approximately three times the length of the dot, used to designate the dash of Morse code

Ose -- used in chemical terminology to form the names of sugars and carbohydrates (not recognized by MW)

Oh, and there are more. But I feel this is enough to give you some new words to use this week on your friends if you play WordFeud or Words with Friends. Those Q words (without "U" afterwards) are GOLD.

Favorite breakfast: Breakfast Casserole for Two

2011-06-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

I suppose with nothing to do at work until my bleeping books come in so I can do two weeks worth of homework, I should post something a little happier than my attitude towards being late on my homework, so...you're welcome!

I found this recipe from a blog one of Kyle’s relatives co-authors. I eat a lot of randomness for breakfast (has included nutella sandwiches, soup, and cold catfish), but I don’t think my husband would be overly thrilled by my, ahem, odd breakfast choices. Therefore, I’ve been trying to branch out since most days we eat breakfast together now.

This particular breakfast was Ah-MAZ-ing! I thought it was pretty good, but Kyle LOOOVVVEEEDDD it. I cannot stress how much he loved it. He asked me at least three times that morning after breakfast, “So…is this something easy to make? Could we have this on a regular basis? Like tomorrow?” (And, yes, folks, I did make it the following day and made it again this morning.) Not only is it easy, but while it bakes, I have time to get ready for work, and by the time they’re done, he’s up, and I’m ready to eat.

I also love this recipe because we usually have a majority – if not all – of the ingredients on hand. I’ve even used deli ham cut up because I’m not a big fan of cubed ham, and he doesn’t like breakfast sausage. And, believe it or not, deli ham works beautifully.

The recipe said this only made eight little breakfast casseroles, but I’ve made eight each time. Oh, and, yes, the two of us can put eight down in record time. So if you have a family of more than two, you might want to double (triple?) the recipe.

Breakfast casserole for two

3 slices of bread cubed

3 eggs

4-5 tbs milk

1/2 cup cooked ham diced (or breakfast sausage)

2 dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp dry mustard (NOTE: I did not use dry mustard at any point, and it was delicious)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients (minus the bread) and mix well. Place a few cubes of bread in each muffin cup. Evenly distribute the rest of the ingredients. Muffin cups will be at least 3/4 full. Bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Easy peasy. And mouth-watering.

Tara's wedding

2011-06-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

She's on her honeymoon right now, probably sleeping past the morning posting of this blog. =) At least I would be.

She became a Mrs. to a fantastic guy Kyle and I knew in college. When he introduced us to his girlfriend, I remember thinking, "Wow, she is so pretty!" And she definitely is, inside and out.

Getting ready for walking down the aisle.

Tara's twin placing her make-up on. And, yes, there is a napkin over her face, so not to smear the previously placed make-up. We used napkins for all sorts of craziness that day, lol!

Bridesmaids and the bride

Me and the bride. She is sooooo good-lookin'! (Reference, anyone?)

Twinsies!! I can't say enough about how sweet both of them are.

Me and my loving husband at the reception. If I ever got in a time machine, I'd do the same things as before just so I could marry this great man of God.

Ah, Luke. The mic was actually off, but he was pretending to sing to the crowd as the band played.

Sorry so blurry!! Boo on me for that.

Best memories of the day:

1. Playing ping pong with the bride in her wedding dress and me in my bridesmaid dress. And, yes, I had to hike up my skirt a little so I could smoke her. Cause, yes, I did smoke her. =P

2. Playing Apples to Apples with Tara and the other three bridesmaids. Before we got dressed, lol.

3. Dancing with my husband at the reception.

4. Watching Tara and her new husband embrace after the wedding. I can't describe the joy I'm sure we all felt seeing how in love they are.

5. Seeing Tara in her going-away dress. She's just so gorgeous!!

And now she needs to come back from her honeymoon so I can see her again!! =)