Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama

Ahhh...this just made my evening.

Happy Skin! Or is it?

Also, I need to update on this post. I blogged about the Oil Cleansing Method for your face, and that my skin loved it.

Well...turns out that didn't last very long. It broke me out like crazy and my face was not a fan. So, while I hear it works well for some people, it did very bad things to me! I just didn't want to leave that unfinished...

Garden Upgrades

I left town last weekend for a wedding, and when I came back, the garden was all wilty and half dead :( I had watered before I left, but I guess several days in the near 100 degree heat didn't make the plants too happy! Also, the weeds were so bad, it looked like we just planted a garden in the middle of the yard. So, this week, Kathryn (dear sweet sister) and I put down thick layers of newspaper to kill the weeds and covered everything in mulch. Hopefully that will keep weeds out, keep the soil cooler and help retain water a little better. I'm so sad that I let it get so bad before doing something, but hopefully we won't loose too many plants or anything. I also put out some Marigolds and I hope those will help with the bugs. I've gotten a couple of veggies out of the yard with bug holes in them. Also, we found some rogue Basil plants (lots, actually) growing in the garden. I think they came back from seed from last year. So, I transplanted those to a different spot in the garden, also.

Ginger- I didn't know if you knew this or noticed before you left, but your tree is FULL OF PEARS!

Also, not sure if this is just a crabapple tree, but some of the apples are the same size as the ones you get in the store!
Here's the garden- This side is squash, zucchini, black beans, pumpkin and corn.
Here's the other side- Tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.

I'm back (at least for now)

I haven't blogged in FOREVER! For those of you who even bother to still check, sorry about that! It ended up in the part of my mind where cleaning the bathroom, paying bills, etc. reside. I starting thinking of it as something that would be a chore and take a very long time to do, but in reality it would only take a couple of minutes to update! And besides, it is something I enjoy. So, here I am!

I would attempt an update of what's gone on the past several months, but that could take forever. So, I'll blog a couple of exciting things, then start to write more frequently and catch people up that way.

First, Ginger got me started making yogurt at home. I made it for a second time yesterday afternoon and it turned out so well. It's as thick as store-bought stuff, but tastes MUCH, MUCH better! And, it is a lot cheaper. 1 gallon of milk, plus 2 cups of "starter" yogurt will make at least 6 big containers of yogurt. Anyway, I used Alton Brown's recipe, but added about 1 tablespoon of vanilla to it.

When it was all mixed up, I put a heating pad in a cooler, placed the containers of yogurt on top, a warm towel on top of that, and put the lid on, and stuck the whole thing in the garage (it was in the 90's here yesterday). I just left it out there alone for 7 hours, and then stuck the yogurt in the frig and it was wonderful this morning with breakfast. I put it on homemade Cinnamon Pecan Date Granola and it was fantastic!! Below is a picture of how well it set up (for some reason this picture only uploads sideways, even though it's right on my computer, sorry!).

Second, Ginger and I's garden is doing really well this year! You can see pictures and an update on her blog. I grated, blanched and froze our two zucchinis we harvested, and it ended up being 14 cups of zucchini! I also made 5 containers of pesto with all of our basil. We currently have corn, black beans, peas, zucchini, squash, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes and herbs all as vegetables growing! We also have plans for pumpkin, lettuce, broccoli, etc. that don't have any veggies yet.

Here is the green tomato I had on my sandwich today...it tasted wonderful! Anyway, just a quick post. Like I said, I'll keep updating more regularly and add some more recipes, info and updates!

Jon & the skull fracture

I know most of you who actually read this blog know what's going on already because I've talked to you, but for a full update and information, here's a link to Chuck's blog. He already wrote the big updates, so I won't do it over again.

The initial story is here and the update is here.

Thanks for all of your calls and prayers, and please continue to pray!

North Dakota House Gives Fertilized Egg Human Status

1. It's kind of funny the title of this article...a fertilized egg has always had human status, it's just that some people are just now realizing it.

2. Thought this was a very interesting and encouraging move! Check it out:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/18/north-dakota-house-gives-fertilized-eggs-human-status/

Happy Skin!

Hi everyone- Sorry it's been forever since I've blogged. I think I say that all the time, but I've not really had a lot of motivation to blog lately. Hopefully it'll come back!

Anyway, I have exciting news, my skin is happy! That might not sound like a big deal to you, but it's been very unhappy for my entire teenage/adult life. I started seeing the dermatologist when I was probably 14 (Freshman in High School) and have tried every medication on the market for breakouts besides Accutane. And, of course, nothing worked. Now, I'm still seeing a dermatologist, but I've been sick of it for a while. Seems like nothing works still. My skin is oily some days, dry some days, and most of the Rx's for acne make my skin burn and flake off :(

I've also tried every over the counter system, cleanser, cream, etc. I could find...

So, I read this article and decided to try something new! I figured it couldn't hurt, it was just another idea online. Here's the link: http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/. So, it's called the Oil Cleansing Method. You use a mixture of Castor Oil and Olive Oil, rub it into your skin 2-3 times a week and steam with a hot washcloth. Seems CRAZY, right? Turns out oil dissolves oil and since you stop using soap and just rinse with water the rest of the time, it restores your skin's natural oil balance and makes it happy!

I quit using all my soaps, prescriptions, and moisturizers on Monday. I've used the method twice and just rinsed with water the rest of the time.

Preliminary results- no extra breakouts and my skin is healthier and happier than it's been in recent history (as long as I can remember). But for me, if it didn't make me break out really bad and make my skin super upset, it's already a huge success! That means I don't really need any products for my face anymore!

I'll update later with full results, but so far things are looking good. I convinced my two sisters to give it a try and haven't seen Carissa that excited in a LONG time, especially about her skin :)

So, give it a try! It's amazing...

Ellen DeGeneres ~ I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little (HQ)

This is fantastic, you should watch the whole thing!!!

The Big Bang Theory - Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock

Awesome.

Jon and Suz Ski Jump

This is from our ski trip to Monarch...You'd think after 20 plus years of skiing, I'd be a little better at this :)

Travel!

Hello all!

I have been really lazy with the ole blog, sorry about that! I just really haven't even thought about it, apparently I need to get better about that.

For Christmas break, I was able to take 2 weeks off which was a HUGE blessing. I wasn't really burnt out at work, but just work, plus church activities, keeping up with the house, etc. all combined. So, for the first week and a half, I traveled all over the place. I spent 9 days gone, only 2 of those days weren't spent traveling somewhere, and I logged over 1,900 miles in the process. We went from Denton, TX to Borger, TX, Borger to Salida, CO for skiing, Salida back to Borger, Borger to Morton (Christmas at Nana and Papa's), Morton to Lubbock, TX (Christmas with Granny and Aunt, Uncle, Cousins), Lubbock back to Borger, then Borger back to Denton. Needless to say, it was a bit exhausting, but wonderful at the same time.

Luckily, I had the week of New Year's off also and was able to spend a lot of time with friends, clean and organize the house, read a lot and best of all, REST! I'll post pictures of everything soon...

So, today, I'm leaving again to go up to Salida, CO to ski at Monarch which I'm really excited about. I'm going with Chuck, Ginger and Ruby and also Jon (Ginger's brother). Chuck found a great package deal for lodging and skiing, so I'm really excited. We'll be driving all night tonight (about 12-14 hours), hanging out tomorrow, skiing Saturday and Sunday, then driving back on Monday. It'll be a long trip...

Anyway, I'll actually blog and post pics later on, right now I need to go help Ginger pack the car so we can take off soon!

EWWWW!!!

I really had planned on my first blog after the holidays being full of ski trip stories, Christmas pictures, etc. but turns out this is what caught my attention before I mustered the desire to post Christmas-ness. Anyway, I read this article this morning and it just furthered my desire to eat a much more whole foods-based diet and cut out processed food.

Turns out that processed foods that have artifical coloring in the for the red family (red, orange, yellow, etc.) are actually colored by bug insides. Yes, bugs. Makes me want to barf.

Check it out!!

Bloodah

Charlie bit my finger - again !

Making of Star Guitar

Love this...I can't even imagine having the kind of mind that can come up with things like this.

Chemical Brothers - Star Guitar

This video is AWESOME! Every component of the music is represented in the scenery going by...that might not make sense, but watch it and see! I'm also posting the making of the video so it'll all make sense.

dramatic maki

This makes me laugh everytime! I finally stumbled upon Dramatic Chipmunk a couple of days ago on You Tube, and found this. Awesome.

Braces...and other horrible things

Sorry it's been a while since I blogged. Life has been crazy busy and I also just haven't been too motivated to do it. Now that I'm sitting here with a dirty house that needs to be cleaned, presents that need to be made/wrapped, dinner that needs to be cooked, etc. I'm suddenly motivated to blog. Nothing like avoidance..

Anyway, so yes, it's true, Tech lost to OU. But, I'm not ready to talk about it just yet. Maybe sometime next year. I have repressed the truth of that game, and don't plan on dealing with my neurosis until later...much later. For now, I'm going to pretend it didn't happen and continue to insist that they managed to find a High School team that looked just like the Tech players to sub in for that game. Dirty trick.

So, in case anyone cares, my hair is still behaving quite well with the absence of shampoo/conditioner. It's over it's revolt and now behaving quite nicely. I do, however, now have a serious highlights-growing-out-very-noticeably problem. I'm planning on going back to my natural color so I don't have to deal with/pay for highlights anymore, but am trying to scrounge up the money to color it back to normal. So, someday I'll update with a picture of what I should've actually looked like all these years :)

Alright, I guess it's time to explain the title of my post. Turns out that mom was right (don't ever tell her I said that), and I should've worn my retainer in high school. I still have vivid memories of epic battles over the retainer. Mom used to actually sneak in at night (since I was such a heavy sleeper) and stuff the retainer in my mouth while I was sleeping. I think at least once or twice our dog ate a retainer of mine, also (whoops!).

So, yes, I'm going to get braces again. My first reaction was "crap, how am I going to pay for this??" and luckily I have great dental insurance. My second reaction which very quickly followed the first was "dang, I'm going to look like an idiot for at least a year" which I am still dealing with. I'm beginning to think I might have a vanity problem (but that's an entirely other post). So, yes, braces it is. I get them put on the top teeth on the 29th of this month. I had my spacers put in almost 2 weeks ago, and am still unable to eat crunchy things without some serious pain. But, the upside is, looks like I might be able to loose that "last 5 pounds" afterall! Something about serious pain each time you bite into something that discourages overeating.

I think that's most of the latest news around here. My family, sister's boyfriends, and a friend of mine and I are all going skiing on the 19th for 3-4 days in Colorado. I can't wait, but need many more workouts before I'm ready for the altitude and leg muscle usage.

Also, our whole family has been making Christmas presents, so I am finishing up mine and need to wrap them still.

Kathryn and Christopher are coming down here this weekend so that Kathryn can talk to some advisers for school and move some of her stuff in. Also, they're just gonna stay and hang out for 4-5 days, WOOHOO!

Thanksgiving

I thought I'd share a few pictures from Thanksgiving. I had a great time going home. It was so nice to relax, sleep, read and cook for 5 days...thanks family!
Dad, Kathryn, Me, Mom and Carissa at Thanksgiving dinner

Carissa picking on my poor wookie of a dog (she needs a serious haircut)

Pumpkin Carmel Pecan Gingersnap Cheesecake. I have no words. Get the recipe here. MAKE IT!

Carissa and Godiva

Carissa and Stella

Three sisters

We decided to do the awkward smile for mom. She wouldn't quit taking pictures, so we made things a bit harder for her :)

Abortions for Christmas

I just read this article online today, and it broke my heart. Basically, because of the economy, Planned Parenthood is offering gift certificates for health services at their clinics, including abortions.

I am so saddened by this promotion, which makes sense, since I am Pro Life. The idea of abortion is sad for me in general, always. But, the bigger issue here, at least for me, is abortions cannot be fun.

What I mean by this is that abortions are still the loss of your child. They cause significant physical pain. Some doctors are even saddened by performing one. Anyway, the point is, even if you agree with abortions, who would want one for a Christmas present?

Let's celebrate Jesus being born...here's a free abortion. Seriously?