Bits and Pieces

A blog post not solely devoted to Emerson!? I'm as shocked as you are! Here are a few things from our daily lives that seem worth sharing:

1. Toasted coconut flakes. These little puppies are rocking my world lately! They're reminiscent of popcorn but maybe healthier? Still some calories because of the coconut oil in them (but that's a healthy fat, right). You'd have to try these to believe how addicting and delicious they are. Even Blake liked them and he's not particularly a coconut fan. Toast a couple cups of coconut flakes, add a tsp of your preferred spices and a good quality mineraly salt (e.g.), mix and you're done! Pictured below are cinnamon and garlic-turmeric.

2. Moving. We knew when we decided to move into this house that we would be moving back out of it. I knew when we decided to get pregnant that I would be sad leaving the house that I (literally) birthed my child in. The house where I paced the halls in labor, paced the halls in lulling a baby to sleep and now pace the halls while she enjoys 'walking'. I knew it would be hard and... it is. As I rock her to sleep looking at our room, out the windows, at the decorations I put up while expecting her arrival. I remember swaying in the doorway to the deck, praying and singing 'Lord I Need You' while letting the sun shine on her back when we were worried about her jaundice. Now I look at that door and am reminded of God's provision and faithfulness. Besides the emotions, just practically, I'll miss the space, the open floor plan, the enormous master bedroom, and don't even get me started on how much I'll miss this kitchen. Again, I knew this would happen but that doesn't make it any easier. Also... I HATE MOVING! We're in the beginning stages of packing and purging... ugh. I just dread it.

3. Plastic vendetta. Bottom line: I read too much. I read this awhile back and it sent my plastic vendetta into overdrive. Our food related kitchenware has been pretty polymer free anyway, kind of following an 80/20 rule (80% ideal; 20% less ideal) but we do still use the occasional plastic container for Blake's cold lunch, plastic cutting boards and (guilty confession) we use too many zip top bags. I did recently start using wax paper 'bags' for some things though and I've stopped using plastic wrap for the most part (did you know it says on the box that you should keep it at least one inch from the food - because it can leach junk!?).
It's one small step but I found a beverage solution for our smoothies and for Emerson (most of the kid beverage containers are plastic, even stainless steal have plastic tops). We have a ton of mason jars for canning and they make different tops for them, but until recently I could only find plastic. Well, I finally found some that are stainless steal and also got some stainless steal straws. Loving them! I've used a few different sized jars but I'm always needing to drink more water so I finally just committed to the quart jar. For Emerson, I went for a silicone straw because I worried about the stainless steal jabbing her gums or palate. Silicone is still a polymer but is considered one of the safest plastics... I'm still not going to bake in it but until she's ready for stainless steal, it works.. and bonus, she loves it. She doesn't need to drink water yet but we've been practicing anyway. It's pretty cute.

Emerson's little pint jar cup. It's pretty
water tight and I'm planning on getting a silicone
sleeve for it. 

4. Hair loss. My postpartum hair loss started a little over a month ago, so now I have all those little hairs growing back in and it's as fun as it sounds or as you remember. The funny thing is it took me awhile to figure it out. I noticed I was losing a bit of hair but (guilty admission) I don't get it washed as often as I used to so I just thought it was from that. I also couldn't really figure out why my hair was a little funky but then I finally noticed all the little hairs at my hairline and put it all together.

5. Salve. I love this salve to the moon and back. I used to use another salve that was very similar but it was a little more expensive and shipping was more, so at the suggestion of a friend I tried the Eden salve. It's a little herbal smelling (like rosemary mostly) and it's green but man does this stuff work! We put it on anything and everything. Burns, scrapes, cuts, dry skin, diaper rash, bug bites.. everything. Comfrey is known for it's healing properties and aides in cell proliferation/regeneration. I recently had something removed from my skin and my doctor couldn't believe how fast I healed... it was the salve! Anyway.. it's awesome! In general comfrey salves are all pretty similar, so if you ever see one you should pick it up and give it a try. I do love this one because the company that makes it is Christian owned and it is organic, but that's mostly personal preference. I promise if you try it you'll never buy another tube of antibiotic cream again!

6. Hair love. Last time I was ordering more of the aforementioned salve, I decided to also try out this product. It's a herbal hair treatment that restores shine and health to your hair and enhances your natural highlights. I was a little skeptical but I was also feeling a little blah about my hair (likely from #4) and wanted to do something to liven it up, but I didn't want the upkeep or toxic load of chemical highlights. I'm happy to report that it worked! I left it on my head for about 2 hours and happily washed it out to find noticeably brighter blond streaks. I added peppermint essential oil to the mix so I didn't smell like herbs for a day (you rinse it out but don't shampoo until the next day). My hair feels and looks great! One order is a half a pound, but I only used 1/4 cup, so it should last me a long time!

7. Liver. At one point I said to Blake, "Well I might drink raw milk and add raw egg yolks to my smoothies but it's not like I'm going to start eating liver or anything!" And then one day I started eating liver. It's so good for you!! We follow the nutritional guidelines of the Westin A. Price Foundation and the book Nourishing Traditions (or we try to anyway.. again, 80/20). I started this journey because I'd been lactose intolerant for some time and my mom had been into WAPF for a while, and suggested I look into raw milk. I was reading the WAPF recommendations for pregnant and nursing mothers just before I said the above quote to Blake. I admit I don't get enough raw milk, liver or pasture raised egg yolks but it's a goal anyway. We're also following their guidelines for introducing food to Emerson, which primarily suggests not to give grains or legumes before at least age one, or preferably when molars erupt (indicating their digestive enzymes are ready to digest such carbs.). My neighbors butchered their (grass-fed) cows and I was thrilled when I found out they had a liver for me! I never thought I'd see the day when liver made me so excited (it was mostly the free part of the scenario that was so exciting). The thing was huge and we spent the better part of a day cutting it up and processing it. I pureed a bunch and strained it, then froze it in an ice cube tray so I can add it to soups, chili etc (I even added it to these chicken nuggets successfully! Blake had no idea!). Clearly, I don't eat it straight, I'm not saying that one day we wont (I've learned that lesson) but for now.. neither of us actually like liver.. we just hide it in our food for its nutritional benefits. I also swallow small pieces of frozen liver (aka liver pills) which don't have any taste unless you let them thaw. It's seriously a super food!

Processing liver.. seriously, that thing was HUGE! (I know, I know, plastic!)

8. Vanilla. So as not to end with liver.. I'll share this little project with you. Last fall I bought a bunch of bulk vanilla beans for a steal of a price (it was a group co-op order). I also bought some (very) cheap vodka at Costco. Put them together and wait 2-6 months and viola! Pure vanilla extract. It's darn tasty and was dirt cheap! It was usable at 2 months, but it's delicious now.

Bonus bit: I've reached the point that I miss blogging so much that I'm willing to make a few compromises to try to get a post out now and then (as well as the few other things I try to accomplish on my computer). So sometimes that means sitting at my desk with Emerson on my lap. Now I don't know if you've been offended by seen my choice to 'ban' screen time until Emerson is two but it's a pretty important decision for me. I really don't want her staring at my computer while I work/write, which has stopped me from getting much of anything done lately. However, recently I was doing something legitimately important and she was being particularly clingy so I just sat her on my lap and typed.. darn the consequences. I opened up the desk drawer and let her dig around. Turns out she could care less about the screen (unless there's a picture of her on it!) because throwing the pens etc out of the drawer is apparently AWESOME!. It's probably the most entertained I've seen her in a long time (I have a lot of pens). Today she discovered that the drawer goes in and out.. mind. blown. (I keep something sticking out so it doesn't get her fingers). Who knew something so simple could be so entertaining!

Day 8: Personal Entry - Tidbits

1. We are staying with my parents for the week, just to visit. It is so fun to see your family enjoying your baby and vise verse. Blake's parents live very close by (about a mile) so we try to see them often too. It feels like a vacation, even though we're mostly just hanging out. I can't wait until she's old enough to enjoy the farm animals here and other fun grandparent activities... but we won't hurry the sweet baby snuggles away either. It's funny how much more it seems like she naps when there are so many people ready to hold her and soak up her smiles.

2. Blake might get furloughed at the end of next week if the government doesn't end soon. Actually, starting next Monday, every day it stays closed is a day he will go without pay after that week (based on their estimates of how long it will take for money to come through). Even though our savings will take a big hit from him not working I would be happy to sacrifice weeks of pay if it means a better outcome than raising our debt ceiling (again) and accepting the Affordable Care Act as-is. What would be really frustrating is if we go several weeks without pay but still end up stuck with the ACA and continued over-spending and increased national debt. I know. I just went there and got political... sorry.. it's my blog ;).

3. If Blake does get furloughed, I'll take some on-call work. It both scares and excites me. As funny as it sounds, I kind of shut off my SLP brain when I ended my last job. I know it will probably come back like riding a bike, but I might be a little slow at first and I might fall head over the handle bars. It is a little exciting though, to think of turning my brain back on and making some money again :).

4. I recently (a month ago) found out that Emerson and I have a genetic mutation on the MTHFR gene, found on chromosome one. MTHFR is short for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. The gene is named for the enzyme it produces, which processes amino acids and activates B vitamins. It is also responsible in part for the production of glutathione, which plays a role in liver function and detoxification.

While I'm still learning a lot about what this means for us, so far, it means that our bodies cannot utilize typical B vitamins and has a difficult time detoxifying. It means we need to take special B vitamins that are already activated (bypassing the need for the enzyme) and we need to be careful about what goes in our bodies. Fortunately, we are all ready pretty careful about trying to eat healthy and clean, so this isn't a big change. The really key thing here is that folate (commonly referred to as its synthetic counterpart - folic acid) is a B vitamin (B9). As we all know, folate is critical to a developing fetus. Emerson probably used up most of my folate stores and so it is pretty important that I take the activated form of folate (methylfolate) in order for my body to rebuild its stores before we try to get pregnant again. I still have a ton to learn about this genetic defect and how it might effect us and how to prevent long term effects from it (which my mom seems to be demonstrating. She just got tested but it seems pretty clear that I inherited it from her).

Maybe not exactly a tidbit.. A simple google search of MTHFR will tell you that it deserves a blog post of its own (or several) but for now this is my summary. It has been what consumes my discretionary researching time and I'm wishing I'd taken organic chemistry or bio chemistry (or whatever would help me understand all this genetic, enzyme etc language).

5. Emerson used to talk nice and sweetly, often while looking deep into my eyes. While she still does this from time to time, her talking now has turned more into squawking. She works up to these loud noises and then startles herself and wonders where that noise came from. Although I miss the coos and goos, it's fun to see her discovering new things.

6. A few weeks ago now Blake went tuna fishing and his share of the catch was five tuna. We now have enough canned and frozen tuna to feed us for over a year (77 half pints canned and a couple dozen frozen tuna steaks). On top of all the (delicious) tuna, we also have a ton of salmon, cod, sea bass and halibut. We are so set for fish! However, we are a little short on freezer space now!

7. Emerson still dislikes the bottle. As we say for her, the bottle is not her favorite. She tolerates it when she has to, which is pretty rare and probably why she still only tolerates it. She also snacks more lately and it's hard to get her to focus and eat a good meal.

8. I was talking to Blake's grandpa's wife (they got married the year we did!) and she was telling me that both of her kids sucked their thumbs, one was born that way and the other didn't start until almost 4 months. She said that the latter kid quit on their own before they were one but the one born sucking their thumb had the habit for years. I've heard this scenario from several people now and I'm feeling a little better about the whole thumb thing. She still sucks her fingers and fists too, but when she's hungry, she finds the thumb. Pulling it out continues to be pretty ineffective, but maybe it keeps her from getting too used to it? We'll see. The thumb saga continues.

Summer Goals

Summer always goes so fast. It seems like the weekends are filled up before it starts and the weeks evaporate like the water dripping from our air conditioner.

I always have such big plans for summer, despite trying to keep in perspective that it is really only 11 weeks (in my case). My job in Pendleton ends sometime at the end of June (just before we move) and school doesn't start again until the last week of August. That leaves several weeks that I won't be working. As awesome as it sounds to have several weeks to unpack and settle into the new place, I know that this summer will be no different. Time will fly if I'm not purposeful in how I spend it.

In an effort to force some accountability, I'm sharing my summer goals here.

1. Learn Spanish

There is an online course I found that seems pretty thorough and affordable. They also offer a specific course geared toward educators, which is what I am going to take since I have some foundation of the language. It's a move-at-your-own-pace kind of class, so I have to be diligent in staying on top of it.

2. Read Through the Bible in 90 Days

I'll use an app on my phone that has great reading plans. We used a plan from this app to stay on track with a chronological one-year plan that Blake and I did together. It's helpful in sending reminders and tracking your progress. It's a little bit of a lofty goal and quite a bit of reading everyday. I've started this plan before and wasn't able to finish it. However, I'm determined to do it this summer, before our trip to Israel. I started June 3rd, and if I finish on-time I'll end on August 31st. If I don't finish on-time, then I'll still finish before we go on our trip. I think I have a better chance of finishing it, since I won't be working through most of it.

3. Organize

We'll move in the last weekend of June and I really hope that I can get us all settled in, organized and unpacked this summer. I know that sounds like plenty of time but I think we were in our apartment over a year before I unpacked the last box. It's so easy to get just the essentials unpacked and then move on with life. I'm not sure how much we'll decide to keep boxed up and store, since we will be moving out in 18-23 months. We'll play it by ear. I'd like to still decorate etc, since even 18 months is a long time in the end, but there might be things that I decide aren't worth unpacking. Either way, I just want it to be organized. :)

4. Training

We are doing a pretty big hike in August. You can read about some of our other hikes here, we are by no means experts or mountaineers, but we love the outdoors. In August, for our third anniversary no less, we are hiking to the Enchantment Lakes. From the Snow Creek Trailhead to Snow Lakes (where we will be camping) it is 8 miles and 3800 feet of elevation gain. From Snow Lakes to Lake Viviane (the first of the Lower Enchantment Lakes that we'll encounter) it is another 1.5 miles and 1400 feet in elevation gain. By the time we've made it past Lake Viviane and up around the Upper and Lower Enchantment Lakes, we'll have gained about 6000 total feet in elevation. Our plan is to hike to Snow Lakes and set up camp, then day hiking around the Enchantments for the duration of our stay. Although we love backpacking and try to fit in as many hikes and backpacking trips as we can each summer, I'm not that great at hiking up incline. I am downright  S L O W.  It will take a very concerted effort to drop every possible unnecessary ounce from my pack to make it a little easier on myself. However, even on a day hike, with no major pack, I'm pretty slow up a hill.
My goal is to train by getting proficient at walking (with a full pack) on the treadmill at full incline, and to do some weight training that strengthens my leg muscles. If I lose some weight.. bonus, that's fewer ounces for me to haul up that mountainside. However, my goal is to make my legs and cardiovascular system a little more efficient at getting up a hill. I'm telling you people, you've never seen a slower person when it comes to incline! I really, really, really hope that some training will make a difference.

5. Be a Better Wife
Working two jobs outside the home and being gone more hours than Blake each week has taken it's toll. It causes some role reversal and shifts expectations. I'm ready to settle back into the role of a good little wife with dinner on the table and chores finished before he gets home from work (and hopefully some of the tings from 1-4 above accomplished!). Two summers ago I did a book study of The Excellent Wife (Great book, can't give it a high enough recommendation). This summer some of the same ladies, some new ladies and some of my new neighbors are going to go through the book What's It Like to Be Married to Me?: And Other Dangerous Questions. It will be scary but I'm sure eye opening, rear kicking and, hopefully, heart changing. I love how our marriage has grown and thrived (thanks in part to good parent models, good friend models, The Excellent Wife intervention early on, and lots of God's grace) thus far, but I'm looking forward to how God will stretch me/us through this study. Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll be hashing some things out here.

Okay, those are the serious goals, now for the less serious ones:

6. Daily Photography Challenge

I'd like to participate in a daily photography challenge, probably in July, since I'll have the best chance of being unemployed during the entire month. I'm participating in a photography challenge now that requires about two photos per week. It is perfect for life right now and I'm loving it. It has pushed me to think about how I approach a picture differently, and has helped me get shots of things I wouldn't normally think to take photos of. I'll post some pictures as I go.

7. Knitting
I always think of great gifts to knit for people in December... when there is not enough time to knit them. So this summer I hope to plan and start some knitting projects with Christmas in mind! I'd also love to finish the sweater that I started for myself last spring.. and maybe be able to wear it this fall. Maybe.


8. Wake Up
If you remember this post, or you have been in the same house with me overnight, then you'll remember that this is a challenge for me. I hope that this summer I can manage my time well, starting with getting up at a decent hour... preferably when Blake leaves because I wake up best when there's a person there to interact with, but 7:00 AM is a little early for my taste.. especially in the summer. We'll see. Wish me luck!

9. Blog!
This month marks my unofficial blogiversary, as it was last June that I really got into blogging. Technically my blogiversary is in January and it was three years this January.. but I barely blogged in 2009, only retroposted in 2010 and started full force June 2011. I'm just hoping to put a little more thought and heart into it this summer since lately all I have time to blog about is either photography or just life updates.

10. TBD
I'm sure I have other goals that I just can't remember right now. I'll keep you posted ;)

In case you were wondering... only 2.5 more days until summer officially starts!

A Few Things

Alternate titles:
Weekend Update or Condensed Tidbits.

We had a three-day weekend with Friday off for both of us. We left for Kelso on Thursday night from my Pendleton job, which made for a long Thursday. Well worth it though. It meant two days with no working and lots of relaxation and catching up. It seemed like it had been forever since we'd been home to see our parents but it's only been a little over a month ago, for Blake's 30th.

Here are the highlights:

• Sleeping in three days in a row - awesome. Maybe even makes up for the daylight savings change.
• Went shopping with my mom and her friend Linda, saw tons of cute spring decorations.
• Quality time with the fam including my parents, my brother Jared and Blake's parents. I wish my younger brother Jordan and his girlfriend Jordan could have come up too! The boys men got in many hours of target practice, ammunition reloading and went to a gun show.
• Watched the tail end of my 'niece' Ada's basket ball game. Her team didn't win (they were playing 5th graders, and her and her teammates are 4th graders).. but she did score ALL the points that her team did get! She's a pretty good little basketball player, but I hear she's even better at soccer. I hope to see for myself this spring!

• Met my parents' newest farm additions: unnamed baby chicks, Sally the mule, and Shiner and Miss Piggy the pigs (not as new, but I hadn't gone out to meet them yet.. they're huge!). I only took pictures of the chicks.. cause come on, they're so darn cute. But rest assured, soon I'll be hunting for photo opportunities and I'm sure the horse, cows, mule and pigs will fall victim to my new camera. 
 

Aren't I just too cute?

• Had a lovely and highly cherished afternoon visit with my dear friend Mary, some girl time with Ada making cookies and some time with the currently under-the-weather Deacon (he helped with cookies too, and enjoyed a fresh batch of my mom's homemade mac and cheese).
• Last but not least... ordered my camera, two lenses (1, 2) and a polarizing filter!! They should arrive on Monday... I can't wait! I've had the camera model picked out for awhile, and I'm 4/5ths of the way through reading the manual :). Just trying to be prepared! I'm still debating what my first picture will be of... I guess you'll find out next week!

Same Old, Same Old

If you ever ask my grandpa how he and grandma are doing, his first response is usually, "Same Old, same Old." Now that they're getting a little older he might give a more specific report of what ails him or her, but for a long time thats what he would say and the saying always reminds me of him.

I feel like this has become my answer to that question too. I was lamenting my lack of blog posting and the rut my thoughts are in lately: work, work, work. Same old, same old.

I had to laugh when I played through last week in my mind:

Sunday: very windy, church, take Blake to airport, work (Pendleton), knit/watch Episodes 1 & 2 of Downton Abbey, Season 2, bed.
Monday: very windy, work (school), work (Pendleton), knit/watch episode 3, bed.
Tuesday: very windy, work (school), work (Pendleton), knit/watch episode 4, bed.
Wednesday: very windy, work (school), work (Pendleton), knit/talk to visiting brother, bed.
Thursday: very windy, work late (school), pick Blake up from airport, Bible study, bed.
Friday: very windy, work (school), work (Pendleton), knit/hang out w/hubs, bed.
Saturday: kinda windy. Free. Sleep until noon, run errands, finish knitting project/gift, wrap gifts, go to birthday party for friends' 2 & 5 year olds. Bed.

Notice some themes? This week will look very similar but instead of Downton Abbey it will be something Blake picks, which means he'll be home and there's no birthday party this week. It's still really, really windy which makes my commute less enjoyable (have to actually have both hands on the wheel).

I thought I'd get more sleep with Blake gone because I can usually take or leave watching tv at night, but I knew this was my only opportunity to watch some period British drama for awhile. I did lose a few pounds though by packing healthy lunches, dinners and snacks and not eating after I got home (10:30 ish). It was a little treat that I didn't have to provide food for anyone else this week (Blake made dinner on Friday).

The circumstances that lead to my working extra nights in Pendleton are a little complicated but there is an upside! Blake agrees that with my extra income I can buy a new camera!!! I'll even be able to buy it in time for spring break in Cabo (also paid for by extra income) :). So even though I'm exhausted, I'm thankful for the work and that it means that I'll have a job this summer and a new camera sooner than expected (and an extra vacation). It should only last through March and then I'll go to only four nights or maybe back to three nights a week.

Well, this has turned into narrative tidbits. So I'll throw in a few pictures for good measure. I figure that a random narrative post was better than no post!

The knitting project

No pictures of it actually on the 5 year old though

Driving into Pendleton. Now that it is daylight when I
drive, I've been trying to see what my little camera
can do in manual mode. Not great  but this is the only
redeeming picture out of about 25. I am shooting
through a windshield and while driving after all.
(don't judge me too much for clicking while I drive!)

And my favorite...

This is the playground/field at one of my schools. This picture is actually taken from my phone, but
I just absolutely love the light at the end of the day around there and had to capture it in someway. 

Well, there you have it. Something, rather than nothing!

All I Have To Offer...

... are tidbits right now. My poor neglected blog. A few years from now I'll look back on these weeks and wonder what I was doing in November, 2011 that cut my blog posting in half.

So, what have I been doing?

Working! It's progress report time. One of the main reasons I put working in the schools further down on the list of preferred work settings. I have 65 students on my caseload but I also had to write the progress reports for a co-worker who is out on maternity leave. That made the count somewhere up around 90. It's also been a crazy month for scheduling meetings since there are so many no-school days, half days and I'm missing three days for the ASHA Convention. No complaining, that's the rule.. I'm just saying, I've been busy writing.. just not here!

Nothing. For some reason I don't feel like doing anything when I get home from work. Sure, I might make dinner, but after that... I seem to have no desire to read, write, knit or bake. I just want to sit or sleep. I've never been this idle. Usually I try to cram too many activities into my evening. Not lately though. I seem to come home and turn into a vegetable.

Thinking. So many thoughts so little motivation to finish them, organize them and type them. Mostly I've been thinking about these things:

• Our plans for the future, vs. living in the now. We have a plan for getting out of debt and saving. I know that this is a good idea and we'll never regret paying things off early and saving... but sometimes I wonder if we should be equally focused on living in the here and now. Supporting our community more and giving more while we are both working. It is something I continuously pray through.
  
• "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matt. 12:34) I've been challenged lately by the things that come out of my mouth when I'm being really (too) honest. I struggle with being positive and loving as a baseline, but isn't this my flesh... aren't I replacing these things with fruit from the spirit? It doesn't seem like it sometimes. Why is the abundance of my heart slightly bitter and so critical? This is something that the Lord has been working on in me lately. All too often I think back over a conversation and see the ugliness that came from my heart. I hope that someday my heart's abundance will be filled with love and kindness for others, and maybe that will overflow out of my mouth instead.
  
• "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matt. 12:36) This coincides with the above. Not just the too honest words, or the flesh-filled words but the idle words. All those words that are sent out with no real purpose. I'm challenged to make them count a little more each time I have a seemingly unimportant conversation. 

Celebrating. I went to Boise, Idaho this three-day weekend to help celebrate my goddaughter and cousin's little girl's third birthday (Blake was hunting for five days in North Dakota). Joie is a doll and full of life and sparkle. She is such an articulate little three year old and that makes this SLP's heart glad! Here are some pictures: 

So excited for her castle party!

She really wanted to eat that cake.
See the fork!?

And she loved the balloons :). There
was also a castle jump house outside!

Made My Week

(i.e., Tidbits)

It was a busy, busy week with a promise to be the last of it's type for some time. Here are some of the small joys that pulled me through (in no particular order).

1. This weekend represents the end of summer plans. We attended our last wedding of the year, and are driving home to a nearly empty calendar for the month.

2. The wedding was fantastically fall themed, gorgeous and finished with a cupcake assortment that included pumpkin- yum. I can't get enough pumpkin goodness :).

3. We got to see my cousin Macey for a few hours when our trips west crossed paths. An impromptu and short visit is still a visit and it's always good to see family :)

4. I {finally} got my wedding rings cleaned, polished and - most importantly - tightened! My diamond is now sparkly and secure in it's place and I've stopped taking it off the wrong way, so it should stay that way. A long standing to-do list item: DONE! Thanks to my cousin's impromptu visit, we ended up going to the jewelry store where her grandma works. They took care of my loose stone and gave it a bath... for free!

5. Blake rocked the cheesecake which was a delicious and fun experience to share the kitchen in a new way. He blesses my heart in new ways every day.

6. A library book came with the cutest little magnetic bookmark. I have no idea how I'd find the rightful owner, so I'm just going to enjoy it until I too forgetfully return it with a book and have to pass it on.

7. As I was rushing through some paperwork at the school I am covering during a maternity leave (which was doubling my meeting/paperwork responsibilities), a woman walked in and announced that they had {finally} hired her to cover that building. It was a huge weight lifted from my work load and a very pleasant surprise!

8. My jaw is working again. For reasons unknown, I woke up a few weeks ago with a sore jaw and unable to close my teeth together fully. As you can imagine, this was painful, made it hard to eat (though I still managed plenty) and troubling. I'm pretty sure I clenched my jaw (probably from stress) in my sleep and pulled something. At any rate, I'm thankful for the answered prayer of it being back in place.

9. Lastly, I was able to sleep in both days this weekend. I'd not gotten much sleep this week because of my jaw, choices in how I spent my time, and work... A recipe for an unpleasant me. I'm thankful I finally was able to get some alarm clock free sleep! I'm also thankful for the grace, mercy and compassion that covers the innumerable times that I was neither gracious or compassionate this past week. Another week goes by and I look back on my slip ups of word and deed and I thank my Father for the lessons learned and opportunities for growth.

To borrow from Anne of Green Gables: Here's to a new week, with no mistakes in it yet.




Mobile blogged from my iPhone

MIA

I feel like my poor little blog has been neglected lately. Here are some tidbits to help me catch up.

• Work - I started my new job this week, and began the adventure of working both jobs. Should be interesting to find out what Blake makes himself for dinner. Hopefully I don't get home too late. So far it's going well. A little hectic with the start of the school year scheduling stuff, but I'm staying positive.
  
  
• Weekends - We have three more weekends planned out and then we have no weekend plans after that until October. We'll see how fast the next few months fill up, but hopefully we'll get a break and stay home for awhile. We have been gone for the last ten weekends in a row, maybe more but I didn't look back that far. It's one of those things that I try to appreciate while it lasts, because I know that someday we'll stay home more than we go somewhere. It's nice to be able to pick up and leave easily.. but it's nice to stay home now and then too.

Speaking of weekends, check out this fire that we
drove by on our way home last weekend.

There was a huge lightning storm and it must have
hit one of the windmills, it was all around them.
Lit the sky up for miles.

• Sewing - We are going to a pirate themed 60th birthday party this weekend. We always go camping at Lake Roosevelt, WA over Labor Day weekend with Blake's friends from college. Blake has been doing this for a long time, and I have only been a couple of times. The people that own the property are gracious hosts and it is his 60th bday. Should be interesting. At any rate, I've been working on sewing pirate costumes for Blake and myself. I have just a few details left to finish: hems and some adjusting for size. It's been fun and would not have been possible without the help of my mom this weekend. Maybe pictures later.

I've been staring at some variation of this
every night since last Friday.

• Book club - This month I chose the book for our book club and just finished. Down to the wire! The book was The True Story of Hansel and Gretel.  It was hard to read at night because it's a fairly dark book about WWII.. I'll have to admit that I regretted picking it for awhile, but it did end as well as can be expected. I finished it last night at about 3:30 AM. Yikes. I'm glad I read it, but wish that it had been less graphic and vivid. The story was about two children trying to survive in war torn Poland. A perspective of WWII that you don't usually read about. It was very interesting, but disturbing.
  
  
• Blogging - obviously I'm behind on my blog but I'm also behind on reading the ones I love. Maybe this weekend if I have cell service at the lake. I have had many a thought that could have been a post, but no time to write more than this. Once I get into my new routine, and past the holiday weekend, hopefully I'll be overwhelming you with words again soon.
  
  
• Sunsets - One benefit of driving home from Pendleton at night is getting to drive home into the sunset. They have been gorgeous all week. 

Family

We spent our weekend visiting family in Idaho. On my mom's side of our family, cousins are like brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles are like second parents.

It was so nice to see one family and enjoy them for the entire weekend, rather than dutifully splitting it up between Blake's family and mine. It would have been fun if my parents or brothers could have come, but it's a much longer drive for them and the visit wasn't for any specific reason, just a chance to see each other and catch up.

It was a low-key weekend in Buhl, Idaho, filled with golf for Blake and yarn crafts for me. My aunt and uncle were part of a fundraising event that included local vendor booths, live music and food. My aunt makes fantastic handbags and she was kind enough to let me share her booth with some of my crocheted hats and headbands. It was my first time having a booth for my goods (and the first time I've had any amount of inventory). This was also the only picture I took this weekend - not the greatest!

I didn't realize that my aunt was unfavorably positioned
in the background.. oops. I wish the table cloth had
been white, but otherwise enjoyed setting up the table.

Zoomed in from the picture above.. this was my latest hat style.
I found a pattern for these little birds and thought I'd
add them to a little hat. It's unisex, but I liked the idea of another
option for boy hats, which are hard to think of different
ways to make them cute. Girl hats are much easier!

.:.

The only other picture I took this week was of the dessert I made for Bible study on Thursday. I've been trying to make this dessert for three weeks now, but didn't get home early enough from work until this week. I found the recipe here. I was also using this as an excuse to use my new mini cheesecake pan!

Blueberry Lemon Bars with Coconut Crust

This wasn't my favorite recipe for lemon bars, kind of too sweet and lemon-drop candy tasting, but I liked the idea of adding blueberries and coconut. I probably won't make these again though because the coconut was lost in the crust and I'm kind of a purist. I love lemon bars and blueberries but I don't think that the two were overly enhanced by being put together. I'll stick to my tried and true lemon bar recipe, but I'm still glad I tried these, everyone else loved them!

Time for Tidbits

Busy weeks mean less time for blogging and more things going on… which is a recipe for tidbits, in order to catch this digital journal up!

~ 

I took a new job. I mentioned that I was considering another job. I had a phone interview, an in-person interview and the next day accepted their offer. I had decided to find a different job because my current job was not giving me as many hours as I had been getting during my first few months. After giving it plenty of time for the caseload to pick back up (about seven months), I was still getting only 2-4 hours a day. Here's the irony (because there has to be irony)… the very next week, after accepting the new job, I worked a full 40 hour week. AHH! So most of this busy week has been spent at work.

 ~

I have been waking up earlier, striving to meet one of my goals and in preparation for my new job (which doesn’t start until August 30th). It has been going well. I’ve been getting up between 6:00 and 6:45 each morning, which is a pretty big deal for me. It has been helpful to have my cool new table on the balcony, which motivates me to get out there before it gets blistering hot. This has also helped accomplish another goal of better quiet times.

~

 Half the table full!

Cherries as far as the eye can see.

It has been cherry season around here. We were able to pick some cherries from a friend’s tree… and by some, I mean around 10 pounds. It was cherry insanity. I didn’t think it was possible, but I actually ate so many cherries that I got tired of them... for a little while.

~

Blake’s family has a fourth of July gathering, which is more like a family reunion. It is said that this gathering started out as a family picnic/BBQ at which friendly outdoor games, such as horseshoes, were played. Not anymore. Now this event is a family horseshoe tournament (complete with bracket) at which food may be consumed. These people take their horseshoes very seriously. My enjoyment of this event is limited due to my lack of interest and ability in competitive games, including horseshoes. I bring this up to (a) vent my frustrations with this holiday event and (b) share my enjoyment of making this dessert for the party. I have decided that it is my favorite dessert (I find it hard to commit to a favorite in most categories). I ate such a dessert in Paris (at the airport) and in Venice.

So simple, so delicious, so chocolately. Oh how I crave it!



My Red (white) and Blue Chocolate Tart for July 4th

My Paris 'tarte au chocolat'

My venice 'crostata alla cioccolato' or in this case
'crostata alla Nutella' because it's chocoate-hazelnut.
This is my favorite way to have a chocolate tart.. with hazelnuts.

~

We just finished The Truth Project in our small group/Bible study. The Truth Project is a 13-week DVD series put out by Focus on the Family and I highly recommend it. It was unbelievably well done and exponentially increased our understandings of the current world views and our own Biblical world view. It was not only a great source of interesting information, but has also increased my confidence in speaking with people of other religions (or lack thereof) and differing world views. A really great experience! We also switched from Tuesday to Thursday nights, which causes a welcomed little adjustment in our weekly routine.

~

Our small group is now working our way through Westminster’s Shorter Catechism, with some scrutiny, and with the purpose of learning the answers to the basic questions of our faith and the scripture that supports it. The intention is that if such an opportunity comes up to share our faith, we can speak with confidence and evidence in scripture, rather than saying, “I think the Bible says,” or “my pastor says.” I love the idea of EBP (evidenced based practice) in my faith too ;). I find that when I search for scripture, to answer a question or share with someone, I usually recall it more readily after finding it myself vs. being told.

~

We had church outside again today, and it was the one Sunday a month that we have one service at 10:00. This time of year the amphitheater service is moved to the 8:45 service because of the heat. So by the end of this 10:00 service, we are all sweating and melting. It is so very convicting because often times I am complaining (in my head) about the heat, the grass, the sweat dripping down my back etc. I am reminded of the believers in Haiti that walk long distances, dress in their finest clothes (not shorts and a tank-top) and sit in a stuffy rough structure or tent on hard wood benches for the joy and privilege of worshiping and hearing God’s word. Not to mention the thousands of believers that meet in dark, stuffy, hot rooms after traveling for miles and risking their lives to meet in secret because it is illegal for them to do so. What a privilege to sit out in the open, enjoy God’s creation and listen to His word… and to have an air conditioned building readily available. We are so spoiled.

~

Lastly, we are driving to Seattle on a Sunday afternoon to surprise some friends at a birthday BBQ. It will be so nice to visit with them! I hope that our surprise appearance isn’t an inconvenience! We didn’t think that we’d be able to swing a Sunday afternoon party, but decided if we could, we’d make it work.. which we did.

*this didn't post as scheduled, so let me just add that the birthday party was fantastic. Great food, fun games and most of all, great friends. It was a fun visit, even though it was short.

Photo Tidbits

Today I got my first library card as an adult! We didn't live inside city limits for most of my youth, and because of that we couldn't use the library for free. Sadly, it took me over a year of living here to get around to registering. I really want to start reading more, so I thought maybe this was a good start.

I chose green, but was really tempted by blue ;)

The first book I checked out. I have two others on hold: bread books!

A fun foodie project: Bible study treats from last Tuesday. It was a fantastic way to use fresh cherries and still enjoy them fresh. I'd definitely recommend it! I got the idea from this recipe.

Pitted, thus the holes.

Some rolled in toasted coconut, some plain, some rolled in toasted sliced almonds.

Mutant cherries, four sets in one bag!

 A few pictures from my drive:

One of my favorite views. I love this little pond, usually full of ducks.

From the road (I did pull over to take the pictures).

This weekend we grilled a 17.7lb prime rib. It took four hours of cooking and 45 minutes of resting. It turned out perfectly! Our friends, the Dunbars, had us and our Bible study friends over to their house. Blake and I were the primary 'chefs' which was really fun!

The beast, all rubbed and seasoned up, ready for the grill.

It was so ridiculously delicious! An incredible sight to behold... even better to eat.

A lively game of bocce ball after dinner.

Last but not least, a few work shots. I helped take some pictures today for the newsletter, so I thought I'd share a few. Our rehab team is always changing the only constants are myself, our OT and our PTA (not pictured).

Me, Tom/PT, Kim/OT, Scott/COTA and the Let 'R Buck logo. Cause we're in Pendleton ;)

This is our goat Gertie. She lives in the nursing home's back yard.

This is her home. She comes in to visit the residents frequently. She wears a diaper and has on her pink collar and leash.

Tidbits

Tidbits are a fun 'blog' thing to do ;). No where else do you get to purge random thoughts that don't apply to a real conversation... except maybe to your husband.

1.) I have no idea what I'm making for dinner. This doesn't mean that I'm not sure what I should make.. it means I literally just put something in the oven and I have no idea what it is. My father in law gives us an abundance of meat. It's great because our freezer is well stocked and as long as we have a steady supply of electricity we're set on meat for a long time. That said.. they aren't always labeled.. and generally look very similar. Tonight's roast is either: elk, buffalo, venison, beef or possibly pork.. but it's a little more 'red meat' looking than that. We'll see when it comes out (maybe)!

2.) I have a love/hate relationship with the following things:

• Spray 'N Wash - love what it does to stains, hate how it smells and feels.
• My bangs - love how they look, hate how they are always laying wrong or in my eyes.
• Shoes - love shoes for the fashion statement, hate actually having them on my feet and hate having to wear closed to shoes because of work.
• My iPhone - love the convenience and instant knowledge, hate how dependant on it I am.
• Making baby items - love how stinkin cute they are, hate how fast they grow out of it.
• Growing lettuce - I love having fresh lettuce right in my kitchen (we have an Aerogarden), I hate that I end up wasting it because I don't use it fast enough!

Okay, I could probably go on, but those were the ones bugging me at present.

3.) I got a haircut today. It was so very super hard to find a new hair stylist. I loved the guy that did my hair in Seattle. I walked in, he had a cup of tea ready for me and we just talked while he did whatever he thought best with my hair.. which was always fantastic. So instead of trying new places, I just went without a haircut for 20 months! Yikes! I finally tried a new place in April, which turned out fine and I went back today for the second time. It's scary how wacky the hair stylist's hair is, well all of them that work there actually, yet they manage to cut my fairly plain-Jane layered hair style just fine.

4.) I'm okay with silence. Especially if I know you. My hair stylist today would. not. talk. It was really weird. A little too much silence, especially for a hair stylists. They usually talk your ear off (kind of like us SLPs)!

5.) I love British period piece movies/miniseries. Lately I've watched: Daniel Deronda, Anne of 1000 Days, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice (my #1), The Young Victoria, Downton Abbey, Ladies in Lavender and Lady Jane. Currently, I'm watching Bleak House.

6.) I hate that I overuse certain punctuation marks, such as: the ellipse..., the exclamation mark!, the semi-colon parenthesis smile ;), and the 'half quote'. I hate this, but still do it because I feel like otherwise I can't get my intent out in text and people might take my sarcasm for seriousness and that might be offensive! (maybe this belongs in the love/hate section because I do also love punctuation).

Well, I'd better check on the mystery meat!