So that’s what we’ve been up to…

*sigh* I hate it when life gets this crazy. So, I figured Miscellany Monday would be the perfect opportunity to give the snapshot version of the last month.

Warning: my brain is way to scrambled to do this in chronological order!!

.skiing.

We got to go skiing in Utah on Easter. A super special memory with my college roomie and her husband. Too bad the rental guys didn’t believe me that I had humongous calf muscles and I had to go back and exchange my boots.

.pride.

Said skiing trip was a huge milestone for me personally. My first skiing trip (in high school) was quite emotionally scarring, so the fact that I gave it another go was a huge win in the pride and anxiety columns. More on that later.

Also, it was pretty awesome to show off a couple times because Keith had a picture in his head of me being a terrible skier, but it helps that dancing muscles and skiing muscles are the same :)

.resident retreats.

We got to hang out with these awesome people on a 2nd Year Resident retreat a few weekends ago. Always good times! And I love the little photo bomber in the background :)

.valley of fire.

The retreat was our first time to Valley of Fire. We had a great time discovering a new place and I had fun trying some night time photography!

And Keith enjoyed some quality time with a flashlight.

.family photos.

I loved taking pictures of these two cuties. I’m so thankful for all the family and friends that have helped me build my portfolio! Huge giveaway coming soon – I think it’ll get posted the last week of school. Be ready!

.moving.

We moved two weekends ago. For some reason this picture is my favorite.

This was my absolute favorite moment of the day – the truck pulled around the corner with the chair precariously balanced right on the edge. Physics at work!

We feed our people well.

.gphltb.

Several weekends ago, our church had Sunday morning service outside in a local park. It was called “Grace Point Has Left The Building”. I was really thankful to take some pictures to document the event.

The worship team rocked it in the great outdoors!

It’s always a huge blessing to serve with so many people. And I get all nerdy excited that we all have matching t-shirts!

A huge spread of food for some time to relax together and enjoy Sunday afternoon.

.baptisms.

I’ve had lots of opportunities lately to take pictures for our church events. I LOVE IT! It’s been a fun little niche and a great way to keep honing my skills. We had baptisms yesterday and I am really happy with how the pictures turned out.

.flowers.

I just love how simple and beautiful these flowers are.

.gluten.

So, at one point I thought my gluten intolerance had cleared up due to pregnancy. Definitely false. My symptoms are not nearly as bad as before I was pregnant, but it still kicks me in the butt. No daily dose of gluten for me, but at least I know I can survive if my only choice for a meal has wheat!

…

I guess that’s all for now! Linking up with Carissa at lowercase letters:

 

The Adventures of Becky and Nizmo

I’m dog sitting this weekend, so I get to hang out (and snuggle) with this Super Dog :)

Friday after school I picked him up from doggy Day Camp. It was the cutest thing; he saw me coming through the window, was confused why I wasn’t his mom or dad and then got crazy out of control excited that Auntie Becky came to pick him up! We got outside where he was further confused as to why we weren’t taking his car home, but he decided he’d get in my car anyways.

He’s such a good car-rider, he sat still the whole time!

He even gives dry kisses :)

When we got back to Josh & Ana’s, he looked all over the house for them. He even looked under all the pillows before he gave up.

And then he realized how tired he was from a day of playing hard and just gave in.

Since it’s (finally) spring break, I have given in to snuggling and napping regularly.

On a more random note, I cut my bangs this weekend. Still not quite sure what I think:

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Miscellany Monday: Artichoke Adventures

Let’s just say today was not a great day at school.

When I got home I remembered I had two fresh artichokes in the fridge – day redeemed! As I was about to start preparing them I, *gasp*, remembered I’d forgotten to get a steamer basket for our big pot. I know, we live in the dark ages over here, surviving cooking for two people without a steamer basket for almost 4 years.

We set off to Target on a “wild Monday night adventure date to find a 10 inch steamer basket”. Yup, it was that exciting.

Since Target is awesome, we found exactly what we (I) was looking for. It even has little rubber feet and an extension handle for deep pots.

from google image search

I rushed upstairs, snipped away at the artichokes and set them to boil in some water, lemon juice, garlic, and bay leaf. It’s starting to smell rather tasty in here :)

You’ve got to chop the ends of the artichoke off and trim down the stem to about one inch.

It’s not necessary to cut off the thorny tips, but it sure does look pretty that way :)

People make all sorts of fancy dips for artichoke, but I prefer butter. We’ll see, maybe I’ll find a healthier option I like more.

ADDENDUM: I ended up mixing some mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and sugar. OMG. I’ll never dip in butter again!

…

Over at Miscellany Monday Carissa’s having a super cute giveaway. Check it out!

Relaxation Weekend

Can you tell how excited I was to have a weekend of total relaxation?!

And how much more excited I was to see that Keith was already filling up a bath when I got to our Staycation destination?!

It was too cold to take advantage of any of the pools, but we did enjoy the hot tub near the waterfalls. Ahhh…nothing like a little relaxation after the crazy 9 weeks of Keith on inpatient (a.k.a. 90 hours work weeks).

Happy to have 3 whole days TOGETHER and enjoying the cozy robes before getting massages. How did it take us this long to realize how therapeutic massages are? Crazy, I know!

Recipe for relaxation: swimsuit, a book, and lots of water!!

We went for a few long walks around the grounds and enjoyed the sun (even though it was a bit chillier than we had anticipated).

Lots of huge Koi in the pond. I couldn’t help but think of the “Koi Pond” episode from The Office. Haha. I love that episode.

Love this one!

So thankful for this awesome dude and the adventures we have together.

Had some fun with the camera.

*Sigh* Why do I have such a hard time relaxing without greenery?

So thankful to be spoiled this weekend…an incredible breakfast came with our room and Keith’s patient didn’t go into labor!

Oh, the lovely water features! Green things and water, how I’ve missed thee!

What did you do to make the most of three days? Keith may have bribed me with Watermelon Sour Patch candy to go see The Vow with him. It was better than I had anticipated, but I’m still a slapstick kind of girl.

…

 

Are You Gonna Be My Girl? and other random song lyrics…

It’s official – I started choreographing for the Spring Dance Concert today, so I’ve got random song lyrics stuck in my head. In true Miscellany Monday fashion I will be presenting my miscellaneous thoughts in the “order” they pop into my head.

.1 2 3 take my hand and come with me.

One of my Dance II classes is using this song for their tap piece. I’m about to evict it from my head.

.etsy finds.

I’ve decided I would really really like to add the following two pieces of jewelry to my collection.

[found in this super cute Etsy shop]

This one is pretty self explanatory – it’s definitely become my non-scripture life motto. How cute is it in teal?!

[found at this lovely Etsy shop]

Oh, I don’t swoon very often, but these earrings have done it. I have always had a special place in my heart for birch trees (they’re almost as special as willow trees!). Bring me to a grove of birch trees and all my cares will wash away. I’ll be saving my pennies!

.pink tux to the prom.

This is a favorite song from college that my Dance I kids will be using. I’m hoping they get into it :)

.falling leaves.

I’m still working on Necessary Endings, but I stumbled upon this book the other day and decided it’s next on the list for the Mother-Daughter book club! Can’t wait to read it!

[buy it on Amazon here]

p.s. It drives me crazy that every time I search this book the color looks different.

.new blog look.

How do you like the new blog look? I’m all about simplifying things these days and that includes the blog! I love the clean lines! The only thing that’s driving me crazy is the icons in the side column that aren’t centered. They’re HTML, so I’ve got no clue how to fix them!

.doo dee doo doodle doodle doo.

At least that’s what I think the words are at the beginning of Singin’ in the Rain. My 1st period class got to watch the entire movie in November, so I thought it was only appropriate they got to pay homage to one of my favorite tap dancers :)

.shrimp curry rice.

I’ve been craving it for a few days. I got some asparagus to throw in too and seasoned seaweed to throw on top. That last one might be kinda gross. Maybe I’ll just have it as a snack.

.extraordinary measures.

We just watched this movie the other night (I finally got a library card, so I brought home a whole stack of movies!) and it’s fantastic. All you need to know is that it’s based on a true story and is so wonderfully done.

.oreo truffles.

I made these for Super Bowl and can’t wait to make them again. I even found completely GF oreo-type cookies!

[check out the recipe here]

.captain smith and pocahontas.

Yup, those are the first lyrics that pop into my head when I think of this song. Oy. Anywho, my Dance II kids are totally blown away by my tapping skills and have taken the challenge to heart to be super Fred Astaire smooth by May :) Since tap is my favorite genre of dance, I’m so so proud!

.rice cooker.

Ah, the rice cooker is finished cooking. I love that little machine. It’s amazing for making sushi. I’m thinking of making an instructional “how to make sushi” video since so many people have asked. What do you think?

.77 likes.

That means I only need 23 more on Facebook to hit 100!! Will you help out?

 …

Stew & Dumplings and other nice things…

Phew – it’s that kind of a week when I’m getting to Monday to-do’s on Tuesday and it already feels like Friday. Oy.

.Stew & Dumplings.

Yup, it’s a crockpot night. I made stew with GF dumplings. Well, the stew is made and smells scrumptious, so we’ll see how the dumplings turn out!

.Mangos.

Yea, I know I’ve posted about these before, but they’re just that amazing. Yum!

.Late Night Snack.

If I’m going to be on a sugary snack kick, let me mention this ice cream. It’s amazing. The perfect salty/sweet creamy yumminess!

.30 Day Shred.

If I’m going to include the above two things I might as well mention I jumped on the Jillian Michaels’ band wagon. I found it at Costco for $7 and decided to give it a go. I’m gathering fun workout DVDs for the days I’m out at school because I’m sick of substitutes deciding to ignore my lesson plans! I did my second day today; my muscles are miserable but I already feel stronger. I love that it’s only 20 minutes, but I get super sweaty and my heart rate goes way up! I’m keeping track of pounds and inches to see exactly how my body changes.

.Grape Lady.

Oh man, I feel bad laughing at someone’s misfortune, but this is hysterical!

 .The Bachelor.

Okay, I think I’m out of the closet now. The Bachelor just happens to be on when I’ve been doing laundry on Sunday afternoons, so I’ve gotten sucked into the madness. I really hate the premise of the show and that Ben makes out with each girl and allows them to manipulate him with sex. Yuck. But I do love the psychology of it all – these girls are so catty is comical!! Keith even watched it last night and laughed out loud at many parts.

.Todd.

Yup, that’s right. The Toddster is here for the week. He’s got a conference in town so he decided to stay with us instead of joining the chaos of the strip. So glad to have this awesome dude under our roof!!

.Prayers.

So thankful for the prayers of my friends and family this week. A friend sent me this verse and it has been a huge comfort. There have been a lot of lows this week, but I am hanging on God’s promises.

“When you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:12

…

Currently I’m…

…inspired by Lemonade Makin’ Mama’s post, so here’s my own.

Currently loving…Once Upon A Time and Revenge. I do love a good mystery!
Currently reading…nothing much. School is robbing me of any type of mental capacity.
Currently waiting for…Keith to stop working 30 hour shifts on Sundays. I miss him.
Currently excited about…finally getting the apartment cleaned and the Christmas decorations put away.
Currently missing…being back East for the Super Bowl this year – Patriots versus Giants will be an epic battle!
Currently trying…to finally finish putting away the Christmas decorations; the tree is bare, but still standing!
Currently working at…being more honest about myself and my struggles.
Currently enjoying…Cake Boss. Yup, I think I’m obsessed; what can I say, it’s like watching home videos!!
Currently snacking on…Calm Tea with honey to encourage the head cold that has been threatening for a week now that it’s just not worth it.
Currently using…Boost protein shakes to add more protein to my diet. Learning to love Greek yogurt.
Currently wearing…cozy sweatpants and sweatshirts at every opportunity.

Currently planning…my next Clara the Camera related purchase.
Currently singing…”Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman and “Desert Song” by Hillsong
Currently needing…a long nap and a big hug.
Currently learning…to trust God every inch along the way and not rehearse the future.
Currently listening to…what ever’s on the radio.
Currently wishing…it were easier to make big life changes.
Currently doing…way less blogging/journaling that I’d like.
Currently praying for…peace and contentment.
Currently dreaming of…a luxurious bed somewhere near an ocean or in the mountains where I can read and stare at the landscape all day!

Random Things That Made Today Awesome

.whoopie pies.

We’ve got dozens of whoopie pies left over from the Nerdy 30 extravaganza on Saturday. They’re the melt in your mouth Red Velvet kind, so I’m pretty much in love. One of those “I’d better hurry up and eat them so they’re gone and I’m not tempted any more” kind of treats!

.keith home early.

For another 4 weeks Keith is on the inpatient floor, which means a shift from 6am Sunday to 12pm Monday. However, since there were no patients admitted, he got a full night’s sleep at the hospital last night and got home at 7:30am! Woot!

.once upon a time.

I was instantly addicted to this show, so I made Keith watch the first episode at 10am this morning. Well, at 7pm he is officially caught up on all nine episodes. This show is just that awesome. Hulu has most of the episodes and Blinkx.com has all the rest!

[found here]

.dishwasher/washer/dryer.

These lovely appliances meant that we could loaf around all day while they did the dirty work. Haha, pun intended.

[found here]

.almond thins.

Have you tried these? Whether you eat gluten free or not, these are an amazing little snack. I had some with Colby/Monterrey cheese today. Delicious!

[found here]

.green smoothie.

Yup, I’m still obsessed with green smoothies. Today’s consisted of apple, apple juice, pear, lemon juice, kale, and collards. So refreshing!

[found here]

.quick run.

I tore myself away from Once Upon a Time for awhile to go on a run. I’m still working on Couch to 5k, but the wind was ferocious and I realized quickly that I was extremely dehydrated, so I only did half the work out. I’ve been drinking at least 64oz of water every day and got lazy the last few days – what a difference water makes!

[found here]

.cleaning.

We finally took down the decorations and made a dent in the dishes from the party. I also stripped the Christmas tree of her decorations. Putting away all the Christmas decorations, the tree, and all the party stuff will happen sometime this week. It’s good to have some semblance of normalcy back.

.sleeping in.

I took a wicked 2.5 hour nap yesterday afternoon on the couch. I slept so well that I elected to sleep there last night and slept AMAZING! Keith laughed when he walked in and saw me there. I was so cozy I stayed there for an extra 30 minutes. My body definitely crashed this weekend, but I fear that the little cough that has developed is the beginning of a larger sickness brewing. Eck.

Image from Ikea.com. This is the most amazing couch for the price. So comfy!

.new home for the arm chair.

We moved an armchair to accommodate for a larger table for the party Saturday and I love its new home – it’s totally staying!

.GF soy sauce.

It’s official. I can not tolerate any amount of gluten. The good news is that Amazon.com has tons of GF options in stock. At the moment, I’m waiting for my GF soy sauce to arrive. Being sick after homemade vegetarian sushi because of the soy sauce is not a happy thing.

.an anchor for my soul.

I’ve been struggling with some life circumstances lately and wondering why God has not allowed them to change. This morning in my study, I stumbled upon Hebrews 6:19. How have I never noticed this verse before?!

God’s promises are “hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

I was so encouraged by the idea that the hope that results from trusting God’s promises acts as an anchor to keep my soul firm and secure.

…

Check out Carissa’s post today: she’s got a giveaway and it’s always so much fun to read what she’s up to!

 

Miscellany Monday: GF Labeling and No Spend Months

 

It’s technically a Tuesday, but school just started back today, so it feels like a Monday. I’ve only got a few things in today’s post because these two things are heavy on my mind at the moment.

.No Spend Months.

I smiled when I read Jess’s post today about their “No Spend Month” this January to help pay off some loans. I’m doing a modified version of this as well. I have banned myself from spending any money on me. My “mad money” and clothing budgets will go untouched this January and I will not be using gift cards either. I suppose that makes it more of a “No Acquire More Stuff Month” – the idea is that I will not think so much about what I want (or even need), but be open to what God wants to give me this month. Three days down, 28 to go!

.Gluten Free Labeling.

Rachel at Finding Joy has been a huge encouragement to me in learning how to eat, bake, shop GF since her little boy was diagnosed with Celiac this past year.  You have to read her letter to food manufacturers about GF food labeling procedures. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Through some trial and error I am starting to realize how much gluten I can tolerate at a time. Items manufactured in the same factory as wheat products don’t seem to bother me, but I definitely got “glutened” over Christmas and it was not pretty. I don’t even know what did it to me. Hence, my love for Rachel’s letter? Please consider learning more about GF labeling to help those of us who get sick when we’ve eaten something that hasn’t been properly labeled!

 

.GF Sourdough.

Brenda the Breadmaker is hard at work – will post soon on hour my first GF Sourdough turns out!

Monday from Connecticut 12/19

This Miscellany Monday presented from another location! I’m so thankful to be with family this Christmas!!

.Erwin & Greg.

For those of you who are my Facebook “friends”, you’ve seen the updates on Erwin and his brother Greg (they are owls) and their grand adventures. They have just started their own Twitter feed, so you should check it out. It’s kind of like the Flat Stanley days, just modern technology.

@ErwinandGreg

The owls like to watch the luggage go around the carousel!

.Eternal Optimist.

I am obsessed with this Essie nail color now! I love how warm and happy the color is without being too overwhelming!

image found on Pinterest

 .Dried Mango.

Ana gave us these dried mangoes for Christmas. Let’s just say we had to restrain ourselves from finishing the whole bag on the plane. Yes, they’re that amazing!

image found on Pinterest

.Camera Battery.

Over the last two weeks, Clara the Camera’s battery has gone down to 40 minutes on a full charge. Will four concerts last week and Christmas coming, that did not make me a happy camper! When we bought the camera, we got the extended warranty since I’m clumsy and we didn’t want to take any chances the first go around! Well, the company is now sending us a new battery, but it should get here until after Christmas. Luckily, I found a replacement on Amazon that arrived this past weekend. Woot!

.Mt Charleston Lodge.

This past Saturday we went up to the Mt Charleston Lodge for dinner with Ana and her husband to celebrate Christmas before we all went our separate ways to see family. We opened gifts and ate a fabulous meal. Ironically, we’re back in the New England and our friends are headed to Seattle and the only snow we will have seen this Christmas is in Las Vegas!!

 .50 mm.

I am drooling over this lens. Saving my pennies and Swagbucks so I can add it to my collection :)

image found on google.com

.Daily Blogging.

With the exception of the last few days, the Songs of Christmas series has forced me to blog every day. It’s been such a fun experience to be so diligent about blogging/sharing every day. I just found out that Finding Joy is doing the following series and I am so there!

Linking up to Carissa’s blog – have a Merry Christmas everyone!