I know, I know – its been forever! I’m sorry. It’s been a busy last few weeks!!!  I had a few weeks where I literally was busy 2 nights a week with work stuff, along with meetings here and there – and our weekends have been full too!

A couple weeks ago we went to Delaware for Jeremy’s aunt’s Commitment Ceremony Celebration – so we were gone, and then I came back, and left right away again the next weekend to go stay with my sister for a week! I loved getting to cuddle my nephew, and my niece is a stinking riot and just a joy to be around!
I got back a week ago, and still feel like I’m a little “off” – but there’s been a lot going on!

This week for Valentines Day we did something a little different! We had a nice dinner out at the Melting Pot (fondue love!) – but on Valentine’s Day we still wanted to do something special! So we decided to use our Groupons and go to a place I’ve wanted to try for a while – Canvases and Corkscrews!

I did this one time when I was living down south, and I had a great time – so I thought it would be fun again – so I bought 2 Groupons – planning on inviting a friend, or my mother-in-law along. But Jeremy was totally willing to try it, so we decided that would be fun!

If you’ve never done anything like this – you basically register online for the night you want to come (You can select the painting you’d like to do there), and then show up. They provide the canvas, paint, brushes, all that. And an instructor helps you step-by-step create a painting. The idea is it will turn out like the one they do. And last time mine did. This time though, I was a bit disappointed. I will have to take a finished painting picture later – but this is us in progress ::

Jeremy & his painting (in progress – about halfway) ::

My painting (in progress) ::

It was a good time – and I need to learn how to relax and just enjoy the experience, instead of being focused on the end result! ha

Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day!!

My sister is one of my very favorite people – and 5 1/2 years ago she gave birth to my niece, who has become such a source of joy in my world it’s crazy!  Well, my sister was due on January 27th…but last night she went into labor – showed up at the hospital at midnight – and a little after 1am this little guy showed up ::

Couldn’t you just die?! He’s SO CUTE!! I mean – so cute that I, in fact, feel bad for my future children. My sister and brother-in-law make the most beautiful babies…and I am actually a bit worried my children will not be able to compete!

But in all seriousness – my sister was such a trooper. She got to the hospital and was too far along to get an epidural – so all natural for her! So proud of her!!

Anyway – SO happy to be an auntie x2! I love this job!  Here’s Brooklyn meeting her new baby brother – so much cuteness!

So this week has been rough. Nothing major has happened, I’m just really dragging and feel defeated. There are several things I feel like I’m just “waiting” on to move forward. I know that the Lord’s asking me to realize that even in this wait He’s teaching me things and life can’t just be wasted while I wait for the next big thing. *sigh*

So anyway, yesterday when I realized that both Husband and I were going to be home for dinner (this week has been a little crazy) I realized that I should probably figure out what we were going to have. And I felt like doing something easy with minimal clean up. So I whipped out a Slow Cooker recipe…Orange Chicken.

I LOVE slow cooker recipes. I love being able to dump everything into a pot, and after a crazy day when I’d rather do just about anything then cook, our food is magically done! So I always love getting a chance to try a new one. So here you go ::

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

I really love bread. So when I saw these – I just had to have them.

Bahahaha. I kid I kid…no bread gloves for me!

Okay for real…I got a bread machine. $25 bucks on Craigslist – so it was a steal. But I will say, I feel a lil bit like when I was little, and they got big and all my friends moms got one…used it twice…then let it take up space on the counter from then on.
And I will admit. It was a total impulse buy. But in my defense, I was prompted by several recipe I’d stumbled upon recently…and I’ve already used it several times and I really like it!

I’ve  always loved bread – and because I’m consistently trying to find ways to be healthier about my food choices – I’ve been buying “double fiber” bread, or whole wheat – making sure I’m reading all the labels. But lately I’ve been really wanting to know more about some of the things I’m eating. And honestly, I LOVE the idea of being able to add things to our bread. Or my bread – I’m not sure Jeremy could care less about our food choices. Ha
So this way I can add flax seed – or whatever else my little heart might desire!

If you have any great recipes for the bread machine let me know! I’m loving trying it out.

So for over a year now I’ve struggled with what I will call “tummy troubles”.  I’ve been able to manage it with medicine – but I’ve decided in the new year to do the best I can at eating more fruits and veggies. I need to add more fiber to my life – and I also just want to feel better about what I’m eating.

So I decided to try something I’ve been curious about – but horrified to try. Yesterday – I went for it.

It’s called “The Green Monster” – and I think the name itself scared me. But then the pictures – OH the pictures!

The green-ness was just too much. I was scared.

And I have this rule. I don’t care how healthy something is for me – if it doesn’t taste good, don’t eat it.
But I was feeling bold. And in need for more veggie-ness. And I’m serious, THIS IS GOOD!!

Here’s the recipe ::

The Green Monster Smoothie 

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk (I used Vanilla Almond Milk – not because I’m vegan – its just really good for you and yummy and I like to mix it up! But “cows milk” would be just fine too!)
• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 frozen banana
• handful of ice
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• And I added a Truvia packet for some added sweetness

Just stick it all in the blender – and blend it until creamy!

It’s seriously SO good! It tastes like a peanut butter banana smoothie!  You really cannot taste the spinach! And holy fiber-tasticness! You can also add all kinds of stuff – flax seed, chia seeds – whatever your lil heart desires! So good for you and so yummy!

I know – it still looks so strange – but if you’re brave enough to try – you won’t be disappointed!

So a couple years ago when I first got here I bought a nightstand on Craigslist for $5. $5 people. I bought it to use as a side table actually. And I did. But only for a short while. Then it’s been this extra piece of furniture laying around.

This is what it looked like when I first got it ::

I posted it here before – I painted it green. Which was nice. But to be honest, I ended up hating it. So after it sat in our garage forever (along with a sofa table still waiting for some attention) I decided to try again. This time I used a slightly different method than I’ve shared before.

1.) I sanded. As per usual.

2.) I primed (oil based primer-trust me, it’s the best) – using a cheap-o brush. I got sick of trying to clean my nice brushes – so I bought a $5 pack of 6 brushes.

3.) Here’s where I did things a bit differently. I added something called Flotrol. It just helps lengthen drying time a bit so you get a much smoother coat. You add it to the paint, and I loved the way it worked.

4.) I painted a thin coat of my latex paint with a high quality brush – I like Purdy. It doesn’t matter what level of gloss of paint I use because my protective coating is gonna give me the end finish. Then another coat until it’s well coated. Keepin’ it thin, so they don’t get goopy or brush strokes.

5.) After that dries nicely – it’s time to use a Polyurethane finish coat. I like it to be nice and glossy.

6.) Then I added new hardware and ta-dah! I’m done!

Here’s the finished piece ::

I’m probably going to try to sell this bad boy on Craigslist. I bought it when I had the perfect spot for it – now I don’t and while not huge, we have very little storage here.

Now on to the list of other pieces I want to do…

I work with high schoolers…the part I love the most is my one-on-one time with my high school girls. Girls I ADORE…but often times I wish they’d let me make their decisions for them. Decisions with guys. Decisions with friends. Instead, I have the complicated job of trying to help them learn how to make their own decisions.

But it got me thinking – what would I tell myself when I was in high school? Particularly my junior year – which is the year of the student’s I’ve been laboring hard over. Here’s a photo of me-junior year…having no idea what kind of crazy roller coaster my life would be::

Oh, so naive! So here’s a note to myself – age 16. What I would say to me if I could. Here goes ::

• You’re much smarter than you believe you are. Trust me. You’ll go on to get your MASTERS. Stop laughing, I’m serious.
• Don’t take that to mean you should study more. You do your work, your teachers love you…and you have friends, work, involvements that are MAKING this season in your life. Those are important. You’re doing great at balancing it all. You should be proud. And learning balance now will benefit you your whole life.
• Drinking isn’t as fun as you think it is. But it’s not the drinking itself that you can’t handle, its about the foolish decisions you will make after you’ve been drinking. If you figure that out now, you’ll like yourself more later on.
• The way you feel about music will never change. It will evoke deep emotion in you that will only continue to grow. You won’t be a DJ , you won’t ever make music…you’ll just live always feeling deeply connected to it.
• Your best friend now will always be in your life. And you’ll need a whole lot of grace from her later – so show her lots now. And don’t pass up times in college when you both are home to see her. You’ll regret it.
• Enjoy EVERY MINUTE of college. And I know you’ll want to get out faster, but you really shouldn’t. You’ll miss out on more time in that apartment that helped you become who you are. And you won’t finish growing up like you need to. But it will all work out either way…trust me.
• Find a way to really love and accept yourself. Now. Please don’t wait…you’ll save yourself a lot of heartbreak and deep wounds if you figure it out now.
• Other people should never get to decide how you feel about you. So stop letting them. The comparison game is never healthy, or productive. BE HONEST AND REAL. It’s not worth trying to be appreciated for something you aren’t. And when people love you for all you are – it will mean so much more.
• Keep being nice. To everyone. You’ll realize, many times over, how deeply the people in your world need that. It’s the very best thing about you. Keep loving them. Keep valuing every person who walks into your world.
• Tanning beds are AWFUL for your skin. Every once in a while for a wedding or something, okay. But for the entire winter cheer season is a whole other thing. Just stop.
• Don’t mess with boys heads-especially the guys you consider friends. Don’t toy with them when you feel lonely…and think it through before you start something with someone you “just aren’t that into”. You’ll burn bridges and hurt people you care deeply for. And you can’t go back.
• Spend as much time with Chris as you can. His friendship is one of the greatest gifts you’ll acquire in high school, and while you’ll continue to be in each others lives for a long time – it will never be as easy as it is now. And you won’t be the same people. You both change. And that’s okay. But appreciate everything he and your friendship are today.
• Speaking of guys, one will come along in college. He’ll teach you lots of amazing things, but it would be wise if you could figure out sooner that things won’t work out. He helps you learn about yourself, he teaches you about what love can look like, and what it shouldn’t. And he’ll break your heart and it will feel like you’re dying. You’re not. You’ll be sad for a while. You’ll miss him for a while. But trust me, he’s not the right one for you.
• Just because a guy is paying you attention – physically or emotionally – doesn’t mean he values who you are. When you know something is wrong, stop doing it. CALL A SPADE A SPADE.
• Take every opportunity to do something new, experience something about yourself or someone else you don’t know. Live this life to the fullest – stop wasting it by worrying.
• Dawson’s Creek is worth that hour of your life each week. It will make you think, help you deal with your teenage life, and you’ll bawl like a baby when it’s over…as sad as that sounds, it gives you a great gift of helping you find yourself.
• I know how much you value your sister now…and it will only get better. You’ll yell at her a few more times, louder than you’ve ever yelled at anyone, but it will always be okay. I guess that’s how family works. At least with you two.
• You’re about to meet Jesus in a way you cannot possibly understand right now. It will effect every major decision in your life from that point forward – and it will be exciting, and dangerous, and so incredibly worth it. Try not to abandon it – even for a short time. You’re called to more – and not for restriction, but for your deep good. I wish you’d hear that now.
• You will finally understand why everyone loves Colorado – and you’ll move there. You’ll marry a man that surpasses all the things on your little “list” – and you’ll start a beautiful adventure together. Do your best to hold out for that, to wait patiently for it. God’s promises are always good – and He’s always faithful. I can’t wait to see where we end up.