For the First Time

I just signed up for the Cooper River Bridge Run!  Already excited; already a bit nervous.  Hahaha.

Bustin' a move

How is it almost February?  Where does time go?  And also where have any semblance of abs I once had gone?  The (attempted) remedy:

Mom's cookies

I"m escaping to Caesar's Head this weekend with some of my old Bible Study when I lived in Columbia.  The house and the view are nothing short of beautiful.  I'm really excited to sit and catch up and hear what the Lord's been doing in each of our lives.  I'm also excited about the batch of home made cookie dough I made.  Mom's recipe really is the best.  You know the difference between home made and store bought dough/cookies?  Salt.  I can always taste the salt in the home made stuff.  So good.

• 3 cups flour (I ran out of white and used 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat; still delish!)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup margerine (not butter)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspooons vanilla
• 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

I've already taken a spoon to the container in the office fridge...too good to wait.  

So proud

and excited for Shannon.  The girls home she's spent months working on and praying for, opened yesterday.  Take a look at Puerta de Esperanza (Door of Hope):

Crown of Life

As I fought sleep this morning in between the snoozing of my alarm, I was wrestling with some of those pesky, "why" questions.  Why does my life look the way it does and the myriad of questions one can travel down in that train of thought.

It is rare for me to have images from the Lord, but I saw a black background and a brilliant white crown.  I kept being reminded to pursue the Lord above all else.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.  -- James 1:12

it's a girl...

That's what friends are for.

Via text

Me: are you going by the Nike outlet by chance?
Maggie: yes, to pick up laces for cbshelto
Me: haha, great.  would you mind looking for shoes for me?

Love that Courtney was mooching off Maggie's time before I had a chance to ask.  More so love Maggie's willingness to shop for us!  Such a good friend.

Chatty Cathies

For the past few days, per her request, I've called Courtney on my drive to work to make sure she's up (so she can get time in the Word.  Go her!).  Though I am anything but a morning person, it is nice having a brief chat en route to the office.  This morning we covered a wide range of topics: 

Will it rain this weekend?

If it does rain, can we stay in our pj's?

What will do for lunch if we don't leave the house?

What clothes did you pack?

Do we need another casserole dish for supper Saturday night?

What's the normal size of a casserole dish?

What are we doing about electronic entertainment to fall asleep to?

You know, the usual...

The facts of life.

 me:  hey

 Nathan:  hey

 me:  do you do your own taxes or pay someone?

 Nathan:  married someone

Just down the road

For quite a long time, each time I drove by an inner city Middle/High School, I'd thought about the kids there and wondered about volunteering in some capacity.  When I got back from Haiti, I talked to a friend in the public school system to see how I should proceed with volunteering there.  Long story short, it took me about 5 months to actually hang out with a student.  Thanks, red tape and poor communication.

There's an after school program where kids can come and do their homework, get tutored, and have a safe environment to hang out for a few hours after school.  The times I've hung out with students have been really good, especially when I get to help with homework, especially math.  I love math.  But, it's hard hearing about these kids' lives -- hearing the reality of what they face.  We grew up in the same school district, just down the road from me, and yet had totally different perspectives.  I wasn't scared of violence in my neighborhood, wasn't two grades behind in most subjects, or wasn't afraid to get married because that's when I heard you start getting abused, etc.

The past two times I've gone, there hasn't been anything for me to do.  Teachers have left and haven't been replaced.  Teachers aren't assigning homework because of the testing going on.  Apparently, they go through four rounds of standardized testing -- more than most because the school is behind.  I know some testing is necessary; I know I don't have all the answers.

The system frustrates me and I know I can't fix it; I keep thinking about the documentary I watched a while back.  It makes me sad to see some of these things first hand.  I'm not sure if this post has a point, but I am sure it's hard to realize life isn't fair to everyone...

Black Bean Lasagna

Maggie sent me this recipe and I made it Sunday night.  Was great for with few friends, simple salad, and a glass of red.  And my lunch this week is courtesy of leftovers.  And a friend who doesn't eat black beans really enjoyed it!

• 2 - 15 ounce cans of black beans.....DRAINED
• 1 – 26 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1 – Teaspoon of taco seasoning 
• 1 - 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese (I used low fat)
• 1 - 10 ounce package of frozen spinach THAWED and WELL DRAINED
• 2 - Large eggs, lightly beaten
• 9 - NO BOIL lasagna noodles (I used about 11?)
• 8 ounces (2) cups - Monterey Jack with jalapenos

Preheat oven to 375.

Place the beans in a medium size bowl and mash until smooth (used my food processor!), stir in pasta sauce and taco seasoning and set aside.

In another bowl combine ricotta, spinach, and eggs - stir until just combined

Spoon 1/3 of bean mixture in bottom of 9 x 13 (use Pam before) then put 3 lasagna noodles side by side
on top of that THEN 1/2 of the spinach mixture spread evenly THEN scatter 1 cup of cheese over spinach
THEN spread the remainder of the spinach over the cheese THEN put 3 noodles on top of that THEN
spoon 1/2 of the bean mixture THEN 3 noodles THEN the rest of the bean mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from oven....take off foil (BE CAREFUL) and scatter remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Recover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes (I put it back in the oven a little)

Can be pre-assembled the night before and bake the next day.

New Eyes

I have the day off from work today.  I was going to work anyway, but ended up not...

My to do list was pretty long; a few things have been scratched off, but oh my word, how is it past 3 already?!

I decided to give my contacts a whirl since I had the time.  First the right eye.  I tried several times to no avail.  Took a break.  Tried again.  This took several tries and finally on the 5th round, I got it in!  On to the left eye, where on the 4th round of trying, I lost the contact.  Seriously, could not find it.  Checked my shirt and my pj pants, the sink, the floor, the bath matt, my bedroom shoes, the counter, the bathroom cabinets...in other words: everything and everywhere.

I was so frustrated.  Eventually, I called my eye doctor and they told me to come on down and get another one.  In the office, I got the left one in -- on my own, no less.  AND my glasses came in.  Good times!

In other news, last night was a night of firsts with my food processor.  First time slicing my thumb on the blade.  AND first time shredding cheese.  I'll never go back to hand shredding again!

I know, I know

this is all over Facebook right now, but I love it.  Speaks to my heart so much right now.

 

What could be better

than having a ginormous zit on your face?  Going to the dentist and the eye doctor.  You know, the doctors that will be able to stare at your Texas sized blemish all the live long day.

The good news is multi-faceted.

1. No cavities!  Holla back!
2. My time at the eye doctor was quite productive.

I took a pair of glasses that have always been crooked on me (I think they got messed up in the mail?) and they fixed them!  Now, I can wear them for things other than watching TV and in foreign countries.  I also picked out a new pair of glasses.  My head is pretty petite so kids glasses are the only ones that fit my face.  Trust me, we tried several adult pairs and they definitely looked silly!  I was hoping to get a pair of funky glasses -- bright color, strange frame arms, etc.  There were a few of these in the children's section that looked great -- until you saw the frame arms.  I just didn't think it appropriate to show up to work with "princess" on the side of my glasses.  Such a bummer.

AND I got a trial pair of contacts!?  The gal finally got them in my eyes.  Then, I had to take one out and put it back in.  It took a while and wasn't super fun or easy.  It also took me a while to get them out last night.  However, I think they'll be great in certain situations: fishing, the beach, football games, etc...basically places I'd like to wear sunglasses to.  Hopefully with a bit of practice, they won't be as challenging!

In other news, that was the 2nd time I'd had my eyes dilated.  The first time I remember my eyes feeling weird for about an hour, but I went back to work and things were fine.  That was not the case yesterday, light gave me a headache and my pupils were the size of saucers until I went to bed last night.  It was so nice waking up to normal eyes this morning!

Liz is my hero

I've been re-watching 30 Rock on Netflix.  My goal is to get caught up and then be able to watch the current season.  Of course, I've fallen in love with Liz Lemon all over again!  In case you've forgotten why she's so awesome:

Finger of God

I told a friend about this movie today and I got the urge to watch it again.  I've been watching segments off and on today and am once again amazed at what the Lord is doing all over the world.  Some of the things might seem strange, but I find them incredible.  You can watch the entire movie on You Tube in 10 sections; I've put the first one here.

Currently

obsessed with this song:

This picture is making me hungry.

I have to be honest: quinoa is good when you first cook it, but quickly looses its yumminess when eating leftovers.  Learned that lesson the hard way.  The good news?  To compensate for my less-than-stellar lunches, I've been eating yummy suppers (that are still healthy).

I diced Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.  Put them in my cast iron skillet with a bit of fat (yes, I used bacon grease, but not too much) and some seasoning (my favorite: Tony Chashere's), toss, and cover with a lid.  After several minutes and a stirring or two, I remove the lid.  And add a pork chop to the pan.  Flip after a few minutes.  Wait a few minutes more and presto.  Easy, tasty, healthy supper on your plate.

2nd Annual Week of Soreness

For the second year in a row, I have celebrated the beginning of a new year with some awesome activities.  New Years Day 2011 involved playing Wii dance for hours on end on slate floor with all star friends in Atlanta.  New Years Day 2012 involved an oyster roast-turn-dance party in which I busted my moves for hours on end.

Both years, I have been so sore the next day that I can barely walk.  Stairs are a total nightmare.  And the soreness continues throughout the week.  Today is Friday and there are a few remnants of soreness left from Sunday as I move about.  The fun activities are completely worth it, but with every painful move, I am reminded that my body just isn't what it once was.

Full of joy

I'm so thankful right now!  Courtney and I are having a conversation about how the Lord has made us and a few things stand out:

1. From the beginning of our friendship, the Lord has enabled us to compliment one another.  
2. How far the Lord has brought us and how He continues to reveal the person he created us to be.
3. It feels SO good to be set free of boundaries and rules that we put ourselves under in college.  Some of these things were self enforced and some had to do with the people that spoke into our lives.

I'm sure that in another 8-10 years I will look back on my life today and laugh at how silly I was "back then."  But I'm ok with that because it means that the Lord will keep moving me forward!

Slavery Footprint

Maggie told me about this website and I just took the test.  Disturbingly, I have about 67 slaves around the world working for me.

Check it out: http://slaveryfootprint.org

2012

Has been great so far and has included sweet time of prayer with a few friends, an oyster roast/dance party (of which I'm still so sore it hurts to walk!), catching up on 30 Rock which means I started with Season 1 and am currently about 1/3 through Season 2, attempting to get back into Jillian's Shred, remembering how much I love Charleston days with a high of 70 in January (and subsequently how much I loath days like today with a high of 45), and the likes.

Overall, I'm really excited about 2012.  For no particular reason, I'm hopeful it's going to be a great year!

Quinoa

I'd like to eat healthier in 2012 and that means more veggies and less cheese.  So, I bought my first box of quinoa.  Apparently is pretty healthy and I'm eating it for lunch this week.  I added salt, pepper, and cumin once cooked.  Then tossed in diced tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, and fat free sour cream.

It's likely I'll be tired of this by Friday, but I'm looking forward to it for lunch today.

Quinoa.  That's the stuff.