20 years ago...

20 years ago, I think I had my birthday party at Golden Skates. I used to LOVE roller skating. I grew up going all the time with my sisters, friends, school, etc. Even after we moved to Texas, I still went skating. There was a period where I think we went skating every Friday night. I went once or twice in college, but haven't been since. Well, today was the 7th and 8th grade social at school and I got to chaperone. I wasn't too excited at first. I was actually pretty bummed because I wanted to skate, but thought that would be frowned upon by the staff and students. Well, I talked to to teacher friends yesterday and they told me they always skate. I was THRILLED! I was dancing all around the house last night like a giddy little school girl. Well, today I went skating. I was a little rocky and definitely rusty. It was somewhat difficult to make it around the first time and somewhere in between, I realized that if I was to fall, it would probably hurt a lot more than it did 20 years ago. As my dad says, "You have further to fall." Well, I made it and I went around again. Then I decided I should take a break, but it took me three more laps before I could get close enough to the wall. I made it around several more times and had a blast. I do think skating and hula hooping are two of the greatest workouts. However, I'm much older than I was before so I don't think my body is going to be happy in the morning. Anyhow, I just asked Mike for a big birthday party next year (3-0). I want to go skating!

...when the bee stings...

So, I've been a little busy so haven't had time to keep up to date with this as much as I had planned. Last week I was busy getting ready for 8th grade exams this weekend and managed to make an 8 hour drive on Thursday turn in to 12 hours. Once we actually made it to Cincinnati, we were able to catch up with my family and some friends. It was so great to see some of them and had a pleasant surprise to see some faces I haven't seen in a really long time. So grateful for the time together and just wish I would be able to catch up with them more often. Hope you all have a great tim over Christmas and sad I won't get to join you in the festivities.

So, with the chaos of the weekend and preparing for exams, I was reminded of one of my favorite things. One that most people overlook and could care less about. Sharpened #2 pencils. Yes, a brand new box of old fashioned pencils. I actually hate mechanical ones, unless it's the expensive kind Mrs. Johnston used to use. I bought a couple of those my first year teaching, but I have no idea where they ran off too. So yes, new pencils with a good eraser, maybe even a cap eraser are my friend. I've discovered Mirado which I must say are a new favorite.

Well, I think I'm closing out this series early. I keep having all these great ideas, and then when I sit down to write, I have a brain fart. This is not working, and as bored as I am, I bet you are even more bored. So, I'll spare you the torture any longer.

If you read this and are in the Florida area, please let us know if you will be around over the next couple of weeks. We'll be headed down to visit both of our families and would love to catch up with you all if possible.

rest

I thought this idea of a blog schedule or even theme for the month would help me with writer's block. I have been fooled. I had all these great ideas, a week ago, and now I can't think of anything. This is exactly why I teach math and not language arts.

One thing I do know I love, is SLEEP! I've never quite grown out of that teenage life of sleeping in. It doesn't help that I'm a night owl. Teachers don't really have the luxury of choosing their own schedule. Every morning my alarm goes off at 6:00A.M. I cringe. I do love my job, I just don't like waking up that early. I have to admit that although I hate getting up so early, I enjoy my workday ending at 3:30. Even better was when I was teaching high school and students left at 2:00. I just wish there was more time for naps.

On a completely different note, how about Tebow? OK, so I am not a big Gator fan. Despite my husband graduating from there, I really haven't had much interest in Florida. I was very pleased to move away from the obnoxious fans across the state and actually enjoyed Mike watching the game once we moved up here. At some point, I even started cheering for them. If we ever find ourselves back in Florida, I will not be excited to be around the annoying fans again. Yes, I do realize they come from several other schools too, but I have never quite met the ones that are as big headed as those Gators. OK, sorry for the soap box, but now I can go on with Tebow. I'm going to miss this guy. I don't think I will enjoy Florida football nearly as much. This guy is a stand-up gentleman. I enjoy watching every moment of him. Praying, playing, talking, and crying. He stands for something much more than football and it has been a great joy to watch him influence the country. I'm thinking I'll start watching some NFL once he gets drafted too. In my perfect world, he'd even end up with the Bengals.

I have some new photo sessions coming up. I'm really excited about one this week that is a surprise for a certain person. I think any parent treasures those homemade gifts or photos. My dad has said for years that all he wanted was photos of us girls. I'm hoping I can provide the same thing as a big surprise for a dear friend. Then I'm up for another family before a wedding. Then we're headed South to celebrate Christmas. It's always a busy season, but now for even more reasons. I just wish the season lasted longer, I can't get enough of it!

Helicopter Parents

Well, I'm not a parent, so I am a little biased. I may change my mind when I have my own kids, but for now, I'm speaking as a teacher and child. My dad took a very different approach. I remember going to McDonald's after begging for an ice cream. We would walk in and my dad would hand me a $5 bill while he took a seat. I'd sit too. Then I would tell him what I would want. He'd basically ignore me. Then he would finally tell me to go order whatever I wanted. I hated him at the time, and probably shed tears over these instances. I'd finally order when he would threaten to leave. Then, I would get a sandwich with everything on it, despite the cheese and ketchup only request. Again, probably tears because I HATE mustard. I'd beg my dad to go fix it. He'd refuse. He'd pack up ready to go to the car and again, I'd go and resolve the situation. I never quite understood why a dad would make their 5 or 6 year old go through this pain. Why couldn't he just do it? He has more power than a 5 year old, right?! As I grew up and even without a curfew, I realized that this was my dad's way of parenting. Yes, PARENTING! Parenting doesn't require handcuffs on the children. It's a place to empower your children to take responsibility for their actions, good and bad. Through all of this, I was well-prepared to be on my own and stand up for my beliefs, not my friends, dads, or anyone else's. Helicopter parents, quite the opposite. I'm thankful for my dad and his parenting techniques. Sure, my dad missed some games and school activities between me and my two sisters. I would have loved for him to have attended more. But as a single parent, a FATHER, raising three teenage girls, he worked his tail off to provide the best life for us. Plus, I think raising three teenage girls was enough estrogen for him. I'm sure he needed some work to escape any more bows and make-up. So, here's an incredible article on Helicopter Parents. Please don't be one.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1940395,00.html

When the dog bites..

Coca-cola. Yes, one of my favorite things. I don't think my stomach likes it, but my mouth sure does.

I love my naps too. I've been missing out on those, but I love my sleep. I got so used to sleeping in over break, that I have been exhausted. I'm longing for a nap, but I don't see one coming any time soon.

Cupcakes. I LOVE cupcakes. Unfortunately, I don't get to enjoy cupcake days each month at school because they all contain gluten. I do love Whole Foods because they make cupcakes gluten free and freeze them. I pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and then I get the warm melted chocolate to enjoy too. Plus, Betty Crocker is also making GF mixes.

LOST. I refused to watch this show. For 1, I couldn't get hooked on anything else. Second, I tried to watch an episode once, and I was completely confused. They were jumping all over decades and who really believes in time travel?! Then, I borrowed season 1 from the neighbors to watch while I did some grading. Mike was out of town and I couldn't stand the quiet house. Well, 48 hours later, I had watched 1008 minutes of LOST and graded 0 tests. I made it through 5 seasons in a month and I am anxiously waiting for January to start the last season. So, if you haven't seen it, get season 1. Watch 2 episodes. If you don't like it, then no worries. I'm pretty sure you'll be hooked after the first one. It's by far one of the best shows ever to hit tv. If you haven't seen it before, this may mean nothing to you. But I can tell you that those that have gotten hooked, have chills going up their spines as soon as they hit play.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, it was the first Thanksgiving we spent completely at home. We had a few gracious invitations for lunch/dinner, but with my new diet, it's too big of a risk. We politely declined and enjoyed staying in to get some things done around the house. We watched some cable at our neighbor's since they were out of town and played some board games. Mike made our Thanksgiving dinner, Taco Soup with cornbread. It's a great winter meal and one of our staples. We ventured out to Michael's later in the evening for a couple of office items. It's not the normal Thanksgiving, but it was important for us to spend some quality time together, without distractions.

I've been thinking of revamping some things for this blog, and the photography blog. I'm hoping this will reduce the lack of structure and improve some traffic. Until I figure out exactly what that's going to look like, I'm going to use this wonderful season to reflect on some of "My Favorite Things." There's not necessarily an order to the blessings, but in light of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'll share some ideas that I am grateful for and can't imagine my life without.

1. CHRISTMAS! I love Christmas and everything about it. We put up the tree yesterday and all is decorated. My least favorite part, taking the tree down and cleaning up after the holidays.

around the world (or nation) in 80 days...

Well, it hasn't quite been 80 days, but it has been awhile since I've updated the blog. We haven't really made it around the world during that time either, but we did manage to make it down to Florida and back in less than 48 hours...driving. We've been busy!

We traveled to Orlando to tie up some lose ends on our condo. In the next 60 days, it should be behind us for good and we are thankful for a productive and gracious trip. We loved seeing a few dear friends and the warm sun. We spent quite a bit of time talking while we were stuck in the car and shared our short and long term goals, which are always changing.

I came back to work with lots of papers to grade. We've spent this weekend playing catch up. I have grades two classes of assignments, but still have three to go. As much as the students don't like completing the assignment, I don't like grading them. If it was up to them, I wouldn't assign any work. Any one that has made it through school, knows the value of practice, so I have to keep my job of a teacher and practice makes perfect. In between grading, I have joined Mike with perfecting the photography business. We are so thankful for David and his revision of the website! Thank you! What do you think? Plus, we've had 5 different appointments over the past week. What a great gift! You can see some of the recent work at saraGphotography. We'll be in Florida over Christmas break. If you, or anyone you know, is looking for a photographer, please let us know and we can see if we can work something out.

Mike has also started blogging. If you haven't already checked it out, be sure to do so. It's a different vibe than what you find here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

friends

Wow, it's been awhile.

We've been pretty busy the past few weeks. We headed out for a little getaway last weekend. I had a few days off from school and we decided to take advantage of some extra time together. We've had a few photo sessions and the quarter ended at school. I forgot how much work went in to the end of the quarter. This week, I'm attending a state math conference.

All that to say, we are grateful for some wonderful friends. Many people have continued to ask about my health. We've experienced great support and prayers. We've even had a few people attempt to cook for me, and they haven't made me sick. We love that we can still enjoy the sweet fellowship and breaking of bread with our friends, despite my special diet. My health has been wonderful over the past few months. I've fought off some cold or flu thing, but Celiac hasn't been an issue. I can't believe it's been almost a year since my diagnoses. We have learned so much during this time. We are especially grateful for friends that keep us in mind everywhere they go. We have had lots of ideas of finding different things gluten free or finding a restaurant that has a GF menu. Some friends have even cooked for you or picked up a special treat they saw was GF at the local store.

For all of those wonderful ideas, THANK YOU! We love knowing people are thinking of us, praying for us, and looking out for us. I guess its more me, then us, but I know Mike is grateful as well.

money, money, mo-oney...

Well, last night was not a fun night. Mike's fighting off a cold and I heard him coughing up a lung all night long. Luckily, it's just a cold or that, but I thought he was dying in the bathroom every time I woke up. I'm sure he doesn't think it's fun either, but in case you don't me too well, I HATE germs. I have no idea why I think teaching is a good idea when I don't like germs, but I love that my school supplies me with Clorox wipes and anti-bac.

So, weekends are my friend. I LOVE sleeping in on Saturday mornings and staying in my pj's all day. Now that it's Mike's favorite season, we stay infront of the tv all day watching football. Sadly, we don't get most of the games with our favorite teams, but we can get them over the internet. Not quite the same, but better than nothing. Meanwhile, we're on to a new adventure...

MONOPOLY! Yes, in case you haven't heard, there is now an online real-life game of monopoly. It's called monopoly city streets and it just started on the 9th. There's a few kinks they're working out before they restart the game in a few days, but we are already addicted. Luckily, once you run out of money you can't do anything. So, each night, at 8pm, we're stuck in front of our computers buying properties and building properties. You also get to demolish other peoples' properties and build prisons, factories, etc. on their streets too. I had quite a few CHANCE cards tonight and was able to keep building. Tomorrow night, I'll bring in 7 million dollars on rent! Mike's not too happy about this, as he is the master at Monopoly. This is the only game of Monopoly I play with him because he shows no mercy in the board game.

So, if you haven't registered, you should. Feel free to add us as a friend and play against us too. Good Luck!

f r i e n d s

A few years back, Mike bought me all 10 seasons of FRIENDS. We've slowly been making our way through from start to finish, but it's always a good laugh. Well, until we saw it on sale for $80 a few weeks ago. Anyhow, we've watched a few episodes this past week and I realized that for most people, their lives of never going to look like that. It's rare that your best friends will all stick together in the same stage of life and location for so long. For most, there's a transition along the way...

So, Mike and I are in a new transition. I'm still teaching Middle School math and I love my community. I have such great colleagues, students, and parents. I really can't imagine being anywhere else, except for maybe in full-time ministry.

We are back looking for a church. This new season is bittersweet for us. We are excited about what is to come, but there is still a loss, especially of friends. No matter if you move, change jobs, or switch churches, those crucial parts of your life include relationships. Changing positions, means those relationships will also change. We hope and pray they won't disappear, but they will change. They're just different.

I have been amazed as some of our friends and the love and comfort they have given to us over the past few weeks. Many of these people I have only been able to interact with in person with a handful of times because we are separated by thousands of miles. Despite the distance, they love for us has spread vast across the ocean. The love that comes with truth from people you trust. A hard word, that you know is right, is a sweet taste because of the love. The encouragement, prayers, and support has been an incredible gift. Other people have been close to us, but we have neglected to have the time, or make the effort to spend with them. When we called, they were quick to make time for us. to listen, to talk, to love, and to pray. Others, just stop by to bring a special (GF) treat because they thought of us. (It's delicious by the way!) Oh how sweet is the body of Christ!

Or, there's just the small of familiarity. Mike and I both met some new friends this morning from Miami, Florida, and RTS. Even a few of our new friends had spent some time overseas and some similar areas. The rich memories that shaped our lives, could be shared with some of some not-so-familiar faces. It's amazing how the Spirit of God can work. Shared experiences (or locations) can even be a breath of fresh air!

I'm saddened to miss yet another wedding of some dear friends. It's been such a long time for us to celebrate God's covenant of marriage with our friends. We are looking forward to witnessing some great covenants in the next few months and catching up with our friends from miles away.

Our printed updates, will become less. We plan on keeping our blog updated and Mike is entertaining starting his own. We love catching up with all of our friends and family, and would greatly appreciate the love and prayers. Please feel free to call, or write, we'd love to hear from you and share about our journey.

With love,

there will be a day...

There will be a day with no more tears
No more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day
When the burdens of this place
Will be no more
We'll see Jesus face to face

(Jeremy Camp)

Mike and I have been watching the John Adams series. As much as Mike LOVES history and politics, it was right up his alley. I'm not big on either, but it was definitely worth watching. It reminds me of the price paid for our freedom and the cost 200 years ago. It's something that people live, and die for...year after year. For that I am very thankful. Well, throughout the series, many lives end for a variety of reasons. This last episode really made me start thinking about death. Some days I feel like I am comfortable with death and the idea of dying. Other days, I'm terrified of the unknown or being left alone. Most days, I tend to not think about dying and what is to come.

What is exactly the way to go? John Adams shows dying after a good LONG life. Do I want that? Do I want that for my loved ones? I'm not sure if I'm ready for mourning to be a process, sometimes I think it would be better to not seeing coming. Really?! Yes, I can;t come to grips with that either. How do you say you love someone not knowing its the last time you'll see them? How do you look at them thinking "what could I have done differently?" How do you allow your life to change in a split second. Somehow, I don't know if there is a good way to say goodbye for eternity.

After we finished watching this episode, Mike was watching a video posted on Justin Taylor's blog. Although this is really pointing towards missions, I was struck by the beginning and the urgency along with the reality of death. No matter if we want it or not, it will come. We have two options: heaven or hell. With God or without God. Obey or disobey.



Life is not about me. It's not about a ministry a job or even a church. It's about God. If I'm not living a life of Christ, what's the point? As a Christian, we have the only way to spend eternity with God - Jesus Christ. By keeping this quiet and to ourselves, we are hiding the key to heaven from all of those around us. We might be the only that knows this Truth and can share it with others. This is what gives me comfort in death.

I remember back to being a kid and growing up on the picture perfect street. I had no worries. I had no curfew. I had no responsibility. My life seemed perfect. The past few years, have not been so joyous. Moving a dozen times, entering in to our first lawsuit, health issues, etc. etc. etc. Mike is always the optimist in our house. He would talk regularly about the comfort in God's kingdom in what't to come when Jesus returns. I didn't always understand this. Will there be beaches there? What about cute clothes? What about naps? I like those things and if heaven doesn't have those, I'm not sure if I'm interested. Once everything started with my health, I started to get the idea. A place with no more tears and no more suffering. A play without anxiety and wondering if I (or someone around me) will throw up. What's wrong with me and why can't I make it through a week without feeling normal and being overpowered by my poor health. As I'm sitting crunched up over the toilet, on the couch, or in tears, it hit me - this won't exist in heaven. I won't have to deal with the pain, discomfort, and sickness. I'll see Jesus face to face and won't even realize the pain of this world. I still hope there is a little bit of earth in heaven, especially some gluten filled cupcakes and doritos, but if not, I think I'll still enjoy it. This is what gives me comfort in living.

So, this entry is a little more serious than most. Basically, all I wanted to share was that Jesus Christ is the only thing that satisfies. Some days are easier to realize that than others, but it's true. That alone is what gives me comfort in living...and dying. There will be a day...

oh where, oh where has my....

...summer gone! The summer has seemed to come and go at the blink of an eye. We've had some time to enjoy as a couple, recharge with friends, and refine our minds in classes. I've picked up several tutoring clients and had some photography opportunities. It's kept me busy and I've loved seeing some fun faces around school. This week is my last week back before I'm in full swing in the classroom. WOW, how time flies! I love my job and everything with it. It's a great community and I really couldn't ask for anything else (unless it was maybe high school students...?) They one thing I dread, going back over a bittersweet summer. I'm just not ready, but then again, who ever is?

And AGAIN, I'm kicking myself because I STILL haven't posted pictures! I have several things to share, including a new haircut. Well, not too new, but still. BLAH! Hopefully I'll post some fun pictures up and around this next week while Mike is working hard and I'm enjoying the house. Well, I guess that all depends on how fast our AC gets fixed. 88 degrees in the house is not very enjoyable. It's going to be a pretty crazy month for us, but we are excited to have some things behind us. If you are familiar with our path over the past few years, please pray for our condo situation! We're hoping this is all said and done within the next 3 months and should have some good news in the next week. THANKS!

For now, it's off to spend the evening with Mike and relax so we don't recognize how hot it is. Oh yeah, and dinner!

inside the eye

The last month has been complete chaos, my body is convinced. I've been out of school for 5 weeks, and 4 of those weeks have been staying in a bed that does not have my name on it. It's nice to lay my head on my pillow. Cook in my kitchen. Be on my time. And know, for the most part, where to look for what. I'm happy to be back in our home.

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel too. Mike finished his second to last seminary course on Friday. This is the last class in person. It was fitting that we ran in to Dr. MacKenzie, Mike's favorite professor. What a perfect gift on his last day!

Tomorrow I start back to work, half days. I guess it's not quite starting back as it is tutoring and not teaching, but it's work. I'm excited to see some familiar faces. I ran in to three former students on the way to Target yesterday. Such a fun treat! It's nice to be excited about seeing them and not running and hiding from them like I used to do.

So, what else...DOMINION! It's our new favorite game. We played it a million times with Scott and Robin on vacation and quickly purchased our own copy. The expansion is now out, Intrigue, and we just can't seem to get enough of it. Luckily, the Bowerman's enjoyed the game too and we had lots of fun playing with them over the past week.

I chopped my hair off too. Well, Becky technically did. I love it! Takes a little while to get used to, but it's much cooler and actually has a style. I've been meaning to take some pictures, so I'll try to get that taken care of this week.

I'm on a hunt for a good way to organize coupons. I've heard about this new binder system, but I'm just not sure if I want to go that route. Still contemplating the grocery list, especially since I need so many speciality products. ::sigh:: Lot's to figure out before I go back to school full time in 5 weeks.

On a very exciting note, Amanda's in town!!! This is my long lost friend. Mike went to high school with her and they even share the same birthday. She's slightly responsible for Mike and I being together too. She's been in Italy for what seems like forever and she's back on a little furlough for the summer and meeting all the BF's family, and friends. YEAH! I get to see her tomorrow and I can't wait! I also get to meet this BF, well RE-meet. He seems pretty cool and we did go to the same school too. So, CHEERS, to Amanda and Chris! YIIIIIIIPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(It's been one of those days. I apologize for the stream of consciousness, but you get the idea.)

Gracyn

Well, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind. We took a week vacation to Mexico to celebrate our three year anniversary at the same place as our honeymoon. Another couple went with us and we had a blast. The sun showed no mercy on us, but at least my legs aren't pasty white now.

The last two weeks we've spent in Orlando while Mike pounded out two more classes at RTS. 1 more to go!!!! Along the way, we never thought this day would come. Mike is luckily very disciplined and was able to balance work and school for the past three years. Too bad they don't have a summer graduation to make it official!

I've had a few photo opportunities while we've been in town. I found a prime location in Winter Park. Thank you Sierra! Meanwhile, I'll have to start back to the teaching world when we return to Raleigh. I have a couple weeks that I'll be small group tutoring and planning for next year.

As for today, I'm running some errands around town. I hope to check in at a venue for a potential wedding client. We're meeting up for coffee with Mike's grandparents, then off to the Bowerman's for pizza and pop night. Then back to crash at Scott and Robin's and hopefully squeeze in a game of Dominion. (FR family, this may soon take over Settlers.) Too bad the expansion isn't released until next week.

So, regarding my title. You can read Gracyn's story here. It also includes a video. Throughout the past few years, I've just wondered if I would ever be able to function in every day life again. I used to think I would be the first one to fight through this and miraculously be healed to the fullest. After I get glutened, I've given up on that idea. The way I feel afterwards, isn't worth the risk. Even if someone told me I was healed and handed me a piece of bread, or better yet a Krispy Kreme donut, I don't think I would take the risk to even taste it and test it's reliability. Meanwhile, this sweet little girl's story reminds me of who is the Healer. Despite my diagnoses, there is still hope of functioning in the real world and being healed. I may not be cured, but I can trust in God alone to fight this battle.

dracula

Well, I'm waiting on FedEx to come and pick up some blood. Yes, that's right, I have a few ounces of blood hanging out in my refrigerator. I'm sending samples in to have testing done for food and environmental allergies. I'm hoping we can figure out what is still causing me some problems. Meanwhile, after the first stick, the nurse missed my vein. With a 9 gauge needle, it was not comfortable for her to dig that thing around in my arm. After 2 tubes, she gave up and moved to the other arm. At least I made it and filled all the tubes. Now, I just wait for the results.

Last weekend Mike and I journeyed out to Wal-mart. Mike despises that place. I was able to stretch out our visit to check out more of their GF products. While searching from some granola bars, I met a new friend. Sarah doesn't have celiac, but has recently discovered her intolerance to gluten. She has been so overwhelmed with the change in diet, she has just ignored it. I cannot imagine still eating that stuff! By one simple crumb I am so sick now. I haven't picked up an ounce of gluten on purpose since I started the diet and wouldn't go back to eating it for any craving. This week has been the worst with all the delicious looking cake floating around for graduation and retirement. So, I ran home and made my own. I just wish I had some whipped cream and strawberries to top it off. So, Sarah has my number and email, but I haven't heard from her. I'm happy to have a new friend in this journey. I think to just be a network or encouragement to her as much as Katie has been to me, would be such a blessing. (And now if we can just help Becky figure things out. As much as I would hate for her to have to deal with this, I can't think of anyone else I would rather go through this journey with. Too bad we didn't figure this out when we were living together.)

Mike and I are spending the next couple days in Durham for Advance '09. I haven't been to a conference since I left Crusade and I am so encouraged by my short afternoon today. This conference is to encourage and equip church leaders in helping America discover the importance and value of the local church. I heard Driscoll speak for the first time today. Oh how I love the truth that comes out of his mouth! No need to sugar coat the Gospel. Tomorrow and Saturday Piper is speaking and Driscoll will speak again on Saturday. A great blessing as our first year in a church plant draws to a close. I was thinking today of the joy of church planting. There are some many things that excite me about this and I see Mike and I gifted in different ways to continue this journey. I think this really could be a lifetime journey for us, except that whole idea of support year after year. Who knows where the Lord will lead us, but I'm hoping support raising is not in our future for too much longer.

Oh yeah, and a high for week, school is officially over! My last day was Wednesday, but I had a total of 5 classes this week. Time creeped by, but I was excited to see some familiar faces drop in to say hello. Graduation last week was much more emotional than I ever thought. I've only been a part of this community for the last 2 months and already miss my students. How do these teachers that have known the kids for 9 years make it through? What a change this has been! I really love my job and I am so excited for the blessing God has given to us. Now, I'm just trying to figure out if I want to help coach cheerleading or start on my Master's.

Next week, R & R! Hopefully, we're able to enjoy the sun and the rain will go easy on us.

chicken and DC

So, what do these have in common? This week.

My week has been a little crazy. The 8th graders from school were on a class field trip to DC from Wednesday morning until this evening, Friday. Even though I'm an 8th grade teacher, my switch came late in the year and I was held back to teach some of the other classes. No worries, with this whole Celiac thing, I think it was the BEST thing possible (besides just having three days off). So, I was covering my 5th and 6th graders, along with a different homeroom, someone else's lunch duties and traffic duty, and covering the headmaster's two classes while he was in DC. I didn't really have extra responsibilities, just as much as different ones. I was running around most days trying to figure out who I was supposed to be when. All in all, I figured it out.

So, we roasted a chicken, again. I thought this would be complex, but most of this post is going to be two of my new favorite recipes. (I also made gluten-free lasagna that was tasty, but most people probably already have a good recipe for lasagna.)

Roasted Chicken
1 small chicken
1 whole lemon (halved)
2 teaspoons celery salt or favorite seasoning (I use rosemary and salt and pepper)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup water or chicken broth

(Empty the chicken of any "goodies.") Trim off extra fat from the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the chicken and inside the cavity. Place the squeezed lemon inside the cavity. Sprinkle the chicken with seasoning and pepper. Place the chicken in a crockpot (or roasting pan for the oven). Pour water/chicken broth in the bottom of crockpot or pan. Cook until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees. This usually takes around 2 hours in the oven or 6 hours in the crockpot. Roasting in the oven gives more of a crispy taste. Crockpot is very moist, but does not brown very much. The first time we did this, we couldn't get the chicken out of the crockpot because every time we would try to pick it up, it fell completely apart. It's DELICIOUS and provides great leftovers...see below.

After the chicken is removed and cut up, drop the bones and some other fatty pieces back in to the crockpot. Add water (8-12 cups) and any extra veggies and seasoning around. (onions, celery, carrots, parsley, etc.) Let boil for a few hours and remove from heat. Skim all the extra things (bones, meat, veggies, etc.) out. Refrigerate overnight and remove fat from top in the morning. Store chicken broth or freeze it in separate containers for something else in the next few days.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

2 cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon mexican seasoning
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (I use a lot less than this...2 tables spoons or so)
2 cups shredded chicken (I use the leftovers from the roasted chicken and cut it up before I refrigerate it)
1 1/3 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 tortillas

Preheat oven to 400. Grease 2 pie plates.
Combine tomatoes, seasoning, and cilantro to make a sauce. Stir in the chicken.
Place one tortilla in the first pie plate. Top with 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture and 1/4 cup of cheese. Repeat three times and top with 5th tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top. Repeat for the second pie plate.
Cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 12-15 minutes. (Until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.)

I eyeball this entire recipe. I hate measuring for things and I only make one pie plate for Mike and I. The recipe says it feeds 4. When I made ONE pie plate, it will feed us for at least 4 meals, maybe 5. I think this recipe feeds more like 6 growth spurt men or 8 normally.

You can also top with black olives, beans, sour cream, and extra cilantro.

DEFINITELY a new favorite in our household!

***Thank you Carol Fenster!

to infinity...and beyond

The last week has been quite rough for me. I spent most of last Sunday in the bathroom and managed to make a doctors appointment for monday afternoon.

Although we are grateful for my diagnosis of Celiac Disease in December, I have continued to have rough days and weeks. i went back to the doctor to investigate another chronic disease or some other culprit. Mike and I are realizing that there have been great milestones since December, but there are still several days (or even weeks) that I can hardly function in society. After last weekend, we went back to visit the doctor.

After waiting for an hour to see the guy, he came in pushed on my stomach a few times, and said "We can send you back to the GI." Again, I'm grateful this guy was willing and ran a million tests on me for a few weeks, but I really don't enjoy seeing him or paying him money to send me to someone else. Why couldn't he just tell me this on the phone?

Tuesday and Wednesday were great days. We celebrated Wednesday by having a gluten free pizza from one of our favorite places in town. TASTY! I even added my homegrown fresh basil. Delicious! Well, Thursday came and so did the pizza. Apparently, since I have now been GF, I am more sensitive to it. So, simply by baking the pizza in the same oven (or touching it with contaminated hands) I was MISERABLE. 1:00am - 1:00pm I was leaning against cold metal fixtures and walking laps around the block. Luckily, once I made it to the bathroom a couple times, all was over and I even regained some energy.

On my way home from work, I called a new friend. Katie has been diagnosed with Celiac just about a year longer than I. She has figured out some tricks of the trade and found that going GF was not quite enough for her. I took some notes and was encouraged by our conversation. The next day, I was back to normal and even went out to pick up Elisabeth Hasselbeck's new book, "The G Free Diet." I read nearly half of it within 24 hours. I've realized that although I thought I had eliminated gluten from my diet, it was still creeping in to my body. Now, with lots of help, encouragement, and prayers, we are continuing this fight against Celiac. I've learned that the 100% GF diet is more like 110%, and HAS to be. I never want to feel that nausea again, especially when I can do something to prevent it. The silver lining, I don't know if i have any other chronic disease or anything else, simply just an elastic grain that haunts me everywhere I go.

Since it is Sunday and some of you haven't made it to church, I'll leave you with some action points:
1) PRAY! Pray for me and my body. Pray for Mike to continue to have patience and understanding with me. Pray for a good dietitian and wisdom from him/her and wisdom for me and understanding my body.

2) Get tested. Nearly 1 in 133 Americans have Celiac Disease. However, less than 5% of them know they have it. Many people will never experience symptoms. That might seem like a good thing, but there are many more complications of Celiac, especially if people continue to eat Gluten. A simple blood test can help identify if you are at risk or not. If a first degree relative has CD, your chances are 1 in 22. If a second degree relative has it, your chances are 1 in 39. Again, it's better to be safe than sorry. Can you imagine finding out you have cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, infertility, thyroid disease, colitis, etc and then realize you may have been able to prevent it, just from changing some things in your diet? Next time you go to the doctor, ask them to draw some blood. Americans are FAR behind the times with this one, but more and more research is being done. Thank you to Australia and Europe for leading the way! (Even Italians with all their pasta and pizza have more GF options than we do.)

And a side note, thank you Katie! You've helped me see some hope in this and I am grateful that hopefully my other chronic pain and headaches will go away as well. Who knows, maybe even I'll realize what it feels like to not have my skin hurt.

singleness...

Well, I have realized I really need to upload some photos on the blog. I tried for the last post, but apparently the files were way too big. I'll have to try again later.

So, Mike's off for Gospel Coalition. Lot's of boy time...but I even got to talk to Lisi this morning. I wish the girls got to have some time like that. I'm already realizing I get bored too easily. As a teacher and pastor's wife, this should be a nice change. However, I just don't know what to do with myself. In addition, I don't like the idea of being in charge. Laundry, food, cleaning, hosting, all that jazz is even worse when it's just for you. Why bother?! Oh, but I do have to eat and clean since we are holding small group here tomorrow. I guess it's good that someone else will be able to enjoy my cleaning besides me.

As for another thing, Five Guys. If you haven't had their burgers yet, you are missing out. We were thrilled to find out there's one in Raleigh. I don't know if I ever ate there before I was diagnosed with Celiac. After that, eating out has been cut to a minimum. I took 45 8th graders on their reward luncheon tomorrow and found out everything at Five Guys is gluten free...except their buns. Well, I had a burger with no bun and all the extra goodies, a small fry, and a coke. DELICIOUS! I kept eating, and eating, and eating....I don't think I should have to exercise self-control with a gluten free diet AND watch portions. That's asking way too much. Well, I was pretty miserable the rest of the day and night. I woke up this morning feeling incredibly nauseous. I figured I would go in to work and hopefully feel better if it was associated with Celiac. Well, I made it, but I felt worse by the minute. I found someone to cover 1st period and put in a request for a sub. Great...a bug from one of the kids. I'm on a tight schedule with my classes so this was NOT ideal. I made it home and hit up the bathroom. Within an hour, I was feeling back to normal. That's all good except I used a sick day for that. So, I took a nap and I'm still feeling better. I finally ate some food and the headache is going away. Celiac is annoying. Luckily, that's all it was. But Celiac is not something to take lightly either. :::sigh:::

On an exciting note, we booked our vacation! YEAH! Plus we get to share the week with some of our best friends. We can't wait. This deal is the best deal I think we have found yet. Now if we can just get a decent flight... This week I've been starting to think about starting a traveling blog. hmmmmm..................

He is Risen!

Happy Easter!
This time last year, we were celebrating Christ with Fellowship Raleigh, but we had no idea if we would ever see these people again. We had flown up for the weekend, an interview weekend of sorts, and they were holding their first Sunday morning service. I remember meeting several of the smiling faces. We had lunch as a church and most of our time was spent answering questions from all the locals. They were all just as curious about us as we were about them.

We were in an unfamiliar world. Today, things were very different.

Our church looks very different now. Faces are still smiling and it is a familiar place to us. Several of those people we met a year ago have changed churches, moved cities, or were gone traveling this weekend. We now are a big part of the behind the scenes, set-up and break down. We we're their early and stay late. We spend most of our Sundays at church. We also shared lunch with the body this afternoon. We invited people over, broke bread, and even enjoyed the warm sunshine with Bocce Ball and football. (Last year it was nearly snowing.) Conversation never seemed to stop. We weren't the newbies or in the spotlight all afternoon. We greatly enjoyed our time with our friends, our family.

As for other ministry, the church is growing. We have seen several couples commit to making Fellowship Raleigh their home church. We have seen one family, with older and wiser, parents and 4 children (their son leads worship for us) commit as well. The Lord is not only hearing our prayers, but we are seeing them answered faithfully. He is moving through this city - and the world!



As for personally, things are going well. Sara has been fighting off a cold most of the week and had an upset stomach all last night. Overall, her health has improved by the Gluten free diet. We both have been working quite a bit. Mike hasn't found much down time, but enjoyed having some guy time while Sara was visiting her sister and her family over her spring break.

So, Sara has another day of tomorrow for spring break. Although half of her students will be gone to DC for a few days in May for their class trip, she will be covering one or two other classes for other teachers. Then, come June 5, SUMMER! Hopefully, this summer will lead itself to some photography income. (Those of you in Florida, we'll be down for a couple weeks in June/July, so schedule an appointment or pass the word around.)

As for now, we're exhausted! I'm not exactly sure what happened, but as soon as Tiger Woods sinks his last putt, we're off to dreamland....

a little overwhelmed

I didn't really realize I was working only 20-25 hours each week. I was still taking multiple naps, rushing to get ready for work on time, and felt like I couldn't take on any other responsibilities. Well, switching to a full-time job (again) seemed to be much more time demanding. I didn't realize how much time this was going to take, until after I started.

So, I've been at the new school for just over two weeks. I LOVE it! The students are great. The faculty is great. The parents are great. I have quite a bit of freedom of to how and when I teach things. I have 4 different preps and really only teach 4 out of the 7 periods. The day seems to fly by and I never seem to have time to look at the clock. I even spent this past Friday at a movie theatre with 150 students watching the ACC tournament.

Well, with all the good changes, it hasn't come easily. Matt and Kristin had their beautiful little girl last Sunday. I've been working from 7:30am until almost 5 most nights. Mike spent this week doing overtime to make sure everything was in order with Matt being at home and preparing his sermon for this morning. Last weekend I spent several hours planning and prepping for school and I haven't had time to even begin to gather my bearings. Mike is off to Georgia this weekend to officiate a wedding and I couldn't take the time off. Although I will miss all the fun, I am need of some rest and still have planning day after day.

So, with Mike and I both working overtime this week, we needed some rest. Yesterday, we did NOTHING. It was well needed. We rented Australia Friday night. It was a good movie, but not quite what I expected. Oprah had painted a false picture for me. However, I would still recommend it.

So, after rereading this post, I've realized I haven't recovered from the week. This has no structure and is too mush of a stream of conscience. So, I'll continue the trend by saying I am not a fan of the new Facebook. I'll also say that I am excited about March Madness, but have no idea who half the teams are. There are way too many big teams missing and this could be a VERY interesting tournament. I'll conclude by saying that I LOVE my job and I am extremely thankful for God's provision. Although I extremely busy preparing, grading, and earning the respect of the community, I know my load will lighten up soon enough. Three more weeks until spring break and 50 days or so until the summer.

better late than never

After yesterday's snow day, I had a two hour delay. I have decided that a late arrival is a win-win situation. I'm able to sleep in, but I don't have to figure out a good reason to get out of bed. More so, some snow days have to be made up. Delays - they don't. I can get used to the idea of working a 6 hour shift and getting paid for 8.

So, through all of this and several contemplations in changing jobs recently, I have decided that teaching really is an ideal profession. Here are several reasons why: 1) 180 work days (minus sick/personal leave) 2) Great benefits, at least for the employee 3) An almost guaranteed raise each year 4) Always a demand, especially in the right field 5) An incredible ministry opportunity 6) Endless amount of opportunities, for extracurricular or even advancement 7) Several other ways to ear extra money (extra duties, or hidden benefits, or continuing education, etc) 8) More than decent pay for an average of starting at nearly $25 per hour 9) Getting off by 3 or 4 in the afternoon 10) SNOW DAYS!

So, the moral of the story: teaching is a great profession to consider. I really can't imagine doing anything else right now. I work a lot less than most other people, and may make less than them as well. However, if I needed to bring in more, I could easily tutor for $40-50 an hour, find a part time job, or even work full-time throughout the summer. Don't get me wrong, there are some good and bad positions in teaching. I've experienced both to some degrees. Find your fit with classroom management and finding the administration that fits with your style will help make it more enjoyable. Teaching isn't for everyone. But, it's worth considering.

groundhog day

So, remember back to February 2nd? The little rodent apparently determined we still had 6 weeks of Winter left. I'm curious as to how accurate Groundhog Day is. Anyone have any incite on his accuracy?

Well, after 60-70 degrees, I was ready for the spring and summer. I was not very excited about giving up my spring break or finishing school in to July. Fortunately, by switching jobs, I have no make up days. :) I think the private schools have some better discernment when it comes to cancellation.

So, today, I spent the day at home. SNOW DAY! It seemed like a long shot when the head master mentioned bad weather on Friday. They called a 2 hour delay around 10pm last night and at 6am this morning, I (well actually Mike?) received the cancellation call. I enjoyed the day to rest and didn't even get too bored by myself. I did make it to the doctor as I changed my appointment from tomorrow to today. I'm so glad I did! I had quite a bit of dizziness and light-headedness so spent the rest of the day of the couch. That's what I call a productive snow day!

So, as for other things. Our March update is in the mail. If you want an electronic copy, please let us know. We've been in Raleigh for nearly 7 months and in another month we will mark the longest we have lived alone as a couple.

I have a spring break coming up in April. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth making a trip to see the family in Cincinnati or some friends in Orlando. I think that might be my only chance to see the family for awhile. We should be headed to Orlando for a couple weeks this summer. Mike will be tying up his last three classes! (Anyone in Orlando that wants some photos, let me know.)

So, for the rest of the evening, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and the Big Bang Theory. For all of Mike's nerdy friends, I highly recommend checking out the Big Bang Theory. I don't think it would be nearly as entertaining if I wouldn't have married Mike. Oh how Becky was right, "Nerds make good husbands."

again?

So, back in July when we moved to Raleigh, I had a great story regarding my first interview. I had remembered to keep out an interview outfit, but most everything else was in the moving truck. Well, as I went to my interview I had matching shoes - at least the color. All I had was black flip flops. It made for an interesting interview.

Yesterday, reminded me of the same thing. I was getting ready and noticed the rain outside. I decided on my crocs (shut up Brittney) and just needed to decide on which color. I tried a left black one on and a right red one on. Well, the black worked better so I made a record breaking decision. I brushed my teeth, put on my make-up, and ate some breakfast. I was running late to pick up two students and it was still pouring rain. I pulled up to the first house and ran up to the door. I had to knock four times before he answered, but it gave me enough time to look down and notice two different shoes still on my feet!

We hurried through the rain to my car and as I pulled up to the next place, this student was watching for me. She climbed in the car and we took of to the office. I dropped them off and made a quick run back home to fix my mistake. Am I really that dumb? I have no idea what is going on with me. At least all those pregnant women have a good excuse. I have NOTHING!

Love Sweet Love

So, it's official - I have a new job. I will be leaving my current place of employment (n2n teaching what is basically an alternative school) and switching to teach middle school math for a local private school. I am sad to say good-bye to my co-workers. They have been a great place of love, especially Richelle. She's great. They have been so gracious to me and comforting, especially in dealing with Celiac. A crazy life changing event that I never knew I was going to have to deal with.

I am super excited about my new job. It seems like a great community to be a part of and I have tutored several students from the school already. I have some great classes and schedule and of course love keeping a true school schedule.

On a side note, I'm not feeling well again this evening. I'm not sure if it is really "sick" or something with Celiac. Plus, I think I pushed myself too hard too soon with overcoming the flu. I think my body is just hating me, but I don't know if there's really a bug or anything I have. (I hosted a baby shower and I am praying against the PLAGUE from Orlando.) Mike and I spent ALL day yesterday running around town and sanitizing the house. I'm hoping that the half bottle of bleach and Lysol killed anything left in the house.

So, on with my title: LOVE. Yes, today is Valentine's Day. Mike and I are sitting on opposing couches both with a computer in hand. We made a run to Kroger, Target, Chik-fil-A, and the mall earlier in the evening. We couldn't find a movie we wanted from the movie cube. We bought a little gift from Target and something for the house and tried to make a return to the mall, in which we were unsuccessful. Chik-fil-A was not much of a help. Mike ate a full meal, including a cookie-and-cream milkshake while all I could enjoy was some fries...and now I'm second guessing that decision.

Love, it's not all about romance or something special. It's about serving and enjoying one another. Yes, romance is good, but not necessary for each holiday or night together. With both of us sick earlier in the week, we needed rest. So, we're resting. We're together, that's what matters. After I finish this post, we're spending some quality time reading and praying. Something we love to do, but rarely make time for as quality and committed. This serves not only us, but the Lord as well. We're happy spending out Valentine's day this way. He didn't even buy me flowers, and that's ok. I bought myself some though. :) I think love is enjoying each other in the moment of what is best for both of you in the season. This week, rest and random things around the house. We're hoping to get away (maybe next weekend) to enjoy more rest, but more of each other.

So, with all of that said, I'd also like to say I love you to my wonderful husband! He is sooooo patient and servant hearted. We never knew I would be going through so much physical crap, but he has always been by my side to serve me any way I needed. He's the best. I love spending my days (and nights) with my best friend. With Valentine's Day, it's also entertaining we don't make a big deal out of it. It's basically our "anniversary" for when we became an official couple - 4 years ago. But again, we're ok with where and we are doing to celebrate. For our first Valentine's day, we both (without the other one knowing it) sent each other gifts across Europe. We sent our packages as friends, but by the time we had received them, we were dating...however that works. Anyhow, I don't remember much about that gift. I remember just being smitten and amazed that a guy could think that far in advance. And to somehow grasp that small things can mean so much. The other thing I remember, I bought Mike a journal. Little did I know you need a magnifying glass to read his writing and he would NEVER get to use another journal in this lifetime, but a journal was part of his package. I also remember the girl fully coming out in me. Somewhere in the pages I hid a little, very little heart. When we talked after he received it, he asked me about it. (How did he ever notice such a thing?!) I lied. Denied it. Said I had no idea what he was talking about. Years later, maybe even after we were married, I had to confess that to him. He forgave me with a genuine smile, and laugh. I LOVE YOU!

silver lining

So, I'm beginning to think the flu shot is a hoax. I really have hold true to them, especially because I can get them free and as a teacher I experience lots of germs. However, I think this year they missed the mark a little on the strain. I thought maybe I was just the one, but I have already heard from several other people that have had the vaccine and experienced the flu, even worse than me. I'm not excited about that. A reminder that must trust needs to be put in something else...

I was feeling quite a bit better last night before bed. I didn't sleep very well (nor did Mike) and my scratchy throat quickly returned. I woke up this morning to barely be able to make it to the shower. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to help the aches and pains. The Ibuprofen did help and may be my new favorite drug. After making the phone call in to work, refilling my water bottle, and transferring downstairs to the couch, I was back asleep within an hour and a half. I slept for another 1.5 hours to wake up in time to see Mike over lunch and get something in my own stomach. Nap #2 lasted for 2 hours and I'm on a streak for being awake for over 3 hours now.

Update, I' think I'm on the road to recovery. I said that last night though. Everything feels better except after my baked potato for dinner starting to feel nauseous. I'm really hoping to make it through this without throwing up. Each day is a new day and I'm hoping to sleep better tonight and feel better in the morning. I can't remember the last time I had the flu or HAD to take time off work. I know this could be worse, so I'm thankful, but I know it's not over yet.

So, the silver lining for the day: my website is up and running! I am so excited! David has done a wonderful job and was great to work with. He listened to all my thoughts (and critiques) and filled in all the gaps PERFECTLY! If you ever need design work, let me know and I'll give you a nice referral. THANK YOU!

So, with a working website and business cards, I'm excited to see where the Lord takes this photography business. It's been difficult with the cold weather, but it looks like we'll be keeping pretty warm for now.

weather

This time last week, I was doing the snow dance. I was anxiously awaiting the white covering, even an inch or two would close down the city. Since I wake up a million times throughout the night, I hurried to the window each time - NOTHING. The same snow storm that wiped out Kentucky was headed our way, but missed Raleigh. Several schools called a 2-hour delay, without a single drop of snow, but I was not affected.

Well, yesterday, we toppled over 70 degrees. I even took a little jog around the block on Saturday. My usual route was cut short when I stumbled upon the railroad tracks. I ran back to the house to grab Mike (and the camera). We went back to the tracks, and there it was the Barnum & Bailey Circus train! It was huge! It kept going and going and going! We didn't see anyone or anything come out, but I was ecstatic!

So, Saturday began the other weather change. Mike started coughing and sneezing. Some body aches and fatigue. We took it easy for the day, but Sunday didn't seem to get much better. No fever, unless you count 99.3. Next thing I knew, Sunday night I was up with a scratchy throat, even going to bed at 9pm. Tylenol cold I think helped us both get a better night's sleep, but today wasn't any better for me. So, Mike took another day easy and seems to be doing better. For the moment, I'm doing ok. Regardless, I made doctor's appointments for tomorrow and hopefully we'll kick this in the butt. As long as we're not throwing up, I know I can get through it.

Grocery Shopping

Let me start by saying I HATE grocery shopping. I never did much of it growing up, even though I was the "woman" of the house. It only got worse when I went overseas and had to carry my groceries home from the store. Really...AZDA (British version of Wal-mart) made it a nightmare. I have never viewed the grocery store the same.

Well, just as I'm finally starting to deal with the store, I'm diagnosed with Celiac. As if the grocery wasn't bad enough, now I have to read EVERY label EVERY time. Apparently manufacturers change things all the time and I can't really take any chances. We now hit up 4 different places over two weeks to stock the kitchen. Well, to my surprise, I headed to Costco for the usual purchases.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I've been craving some Italian sausage. As Mike and I searched through Kroger's and everywhere else, we have yet to find something without Gluten. Well, what do you know - I find TWO different brands at Costco that not only don't contain gluten, but are certified Gluten Free. Then, I find some chips, similar to Doritos that are Gluten Free. And next, rotisserie chicken GLUTEN FREE. I couldn't believe my success at the grocery! No, not because of me. But someone, somewhere, has paved the way. I am so sick of eating the same 5 "safe" things. Now, when I need something new, I'm headed to Costco.

January?

Really, January is over? February is here...and spring is on its way? As much as January creeped by, I can't believe the winter is almost over and that we have been in Raleigh 6 months. January has been quite busy and full of surprises. Most of those, are not really exciting nor worth sharing, but church planting seems to bring some good competition to STinT as far as random goes.

As for writing, I have little to say. I've been dying to blog about something, but could not come up with anything. I finally had a great topic the other night, but never made it to the computer. And now, I can't remember it for the life of me. So, I'm leaving this post with a list of 25 random things for January. (You can blame Facebook for this boring post.)

1. My (almost) 4 year old niece shoved multiple pieces of toilet paper up her nose thinking it would somehow release the booger that was stuck. My sister spent the next 4+ hours with a doctor for a house call.
2. I embraced 2 days off school for a few inches of snow on the ground.
3. Mike built his first snowman.
4. Mike drove to work blindly as he used water instead of windshield wiper fluid to try and melt the ice across the windshield.
5. We discovered the marvelous "Movie Cube" at Krogers. $1 for a movie/night
6. We have played more games of Settlers of Catan during this month than any other game in our life.
7. Sara's photography website was purchased along with business cards.
8. Sara introduced her students to the blogging world. They now never complain about "journaling", but I have to watch like a hawk to make sure they're not on MySpace.
9. We actually started working out consistently...but only because of the Wii Fit.
10. Sara was able to catch up with a high school friend for the first time in 3 years or so.
11. Sara bought her third pair of Crocs.
12. Mike played a real game of basketball for the second time in three years.
13. Sara made only ONE visit to Staples this month.
14. Our credit card bill was the lowest it has ever been during our marriage.
15. We found the desk under everything in the office.
16. We finally put up all of our Christmas card pictures and such of family and friends.
17. Mike's car continues to fall apart.
18. We discovered the joy of Costco and freezing food in bulk.
19. Sara bought her first label maker! :)
20. We hooked our iPod up to speakers so we can actually use it around the house.
21. We bought our first fresh pineapple.
22. We have adopted a very bad habit of staying up late, college student style, and try to keep our regular schedules during the day.
23. Sara has eaten 3 boxes of Rice Chex during the month of January.
24. Sara found her sunglasses after 6+ months missing.
25. Both of Sara's sisters joined Facebook.

and let the games begin...

Yep, it happened. Our first set of friends has announced the birth of their daughter. She was two weeks early and from all that we know, mom, baby, and family are doing well. The countdown is beginning for numerous other families. It is sure to be an eventful spring and summer. Can't wait to meet all the little ones (and maybe take pictures).

Mike spent this morning with the guys playing basketball and then a little cookout. I spent the afternoon in Chapel Hill catching up with a friend from high school. Gill is one of my dearest friends, but after I moved to Ohio, England, and Florida, it was pretty difficult to keep up with everyone. Well, now Gill is around the corner (Boone) and working at Appalachian State. She was working her magic at a track meet today, so I went up to join in the fun and catch some action. A little disappointing as I was hoping to find the Jamba Juice listed on campus, but for the time I got to see Gill, it was well worth it. Thanks for inviting me!

I'm hoping to post some snow pictures soon. Mike and I are spending the evening alone together and maybe carving at some business stuff. Things are rolling with the new website and it shouldn't be too long before it is up and running. We might play a game of Settlers with our imaginary friend, Bob, but tonight is a quiet night to ourselves. This next week is already starting to fill up and could be very eventful and draining.

Saved Alone

I'm really looking forward to an extra day off from work. I'm even crossing my fingers that this cold rain turns in to ice or snow for Tuesday and gives me a two day work week. I love days off and sleeping in!

Mike's off at a meeting and I'm able to enjoy some solitude. It seems rare, but well needed. I've fixed myself some lunch and the drifted through some things on the web. I've found myself stuck on savedalone.com David is a friend of ours and leads worship at Fellowship Raleigh. I soon found myself listening, and enjoying, some of his music, photos, and thoughts. It's a refreshing moment of worship to God that makes me realize the grace found in Jesus. If you have some time and want a new song to listen to, I'd encourage you to check out his stuff. I'm excited to see how and where the Lord takes him.

Alligators and Crocodiles

No, this is not a post about the National Championship or Tebow. This is a special entry just for Brittney.

My new shoes - crocs. I know. I know. I know. You either love them or you hate them. I'm pretty much somewhere in the middle. I don't have a pair in every color. I don't have little things to decorate them either. I don't think they are a trendsetter, but I do have to agree they are comfortable and practical. I do have three pair: alice, prima, and mary janes. When I need a new pair of flats, I think they should be comfortable and not too expensive. With crocs outlet (and a coupon code), I think it's typically a good buy. My primas and alice, are great with jeans, pants, and even skirts. My mary janes have yet to be worn, but I think theyre great for canoe trips and such.

I think some people need to give them a chance, maybe just buy them as house shoes or gardening shoes. I also think there are some people that need to give the crocs a rest and not wear them every day. However, I do tend to think, like most things, there is a time a place where they are appropriate.

If anyone is looking for a gift to buy my near British friend, please look up the most hideous color and design possible.

a not so relaxing day off

So, it's Friday. I typically don't work on Fridays and Mike and I try to use the afternoon as our productive time around the house, errands, bills, etc. Saturday tends to be more of our Sabbath. Today, was a bit different than usual.

I had a meeting at work at 3:00pm. It last for 2.5 hours. Needless to say, I wasn't much up for the game night or girl's night out I was invited too. Luckily, Mike took care of all the Christmas decorations and was ready to take me out to eat when I got home. Unfortunately, eating out is an adventure with Celiac. Red Robin is my friend though. (I dreamed about their french fries last night.) So, off we went. Since I didn't pull myself out of bed until 11, I skipped lunch. By dinner time, I was starving. I did manage to enjoy some peanuts during my meeting at work though. Well, Red Robin was packed. I ordered my usual burger (minus the bun) gluten free. The waiter was pretty swamped and had no idea what I was talking about. By this time, I was feeling pretty sick. I wasn't sure if I needed some food, or a bathroom. The first round of fries were a good choice. But by the second round and cheeseburger arrived, I was ready to leave and my stomach was ready for.....not something to be in it.

So, I asked for a box. Mike asked for the check. I think he was able to finish his meal. And we were out the door. I felt really nauseated and dizzy and weak by this time. I warned Mike that we might have to make a pit stop on the way home. We made it home ok and I hurried to the bathroom and requested some pajamas from my dear old hubby. After a somewhat normal trip to bathroom and a couple checks of my temperature, I was feeling normal again.

The cause: I think the peanuts are apparently NOT gluten free. No, they don't have wheat or that in them, but I think they must be manufactured/packaged in a wheat plant. Otherwise, something else didn't agree with me. (I had some rice cereal for breakfast.) ::sigh:: It's still great to know the reason I'm sick, but does NOT make it any more enjoyable. Thank goodness tomorrow is another day to sleep in!

Roasted Chicken

I had such a good experience with my chicken, I thought I would share the recipe.

Buy a whole chicken.
Trim any excess fat off and remove the gizzards and such.
Pat dry with a paper towel.
Pour 1/2 cup wateror chicken broth in roasting pan or crockpot.
Place chicken in crockpot.
Squirt fresh lemon juice all over the chicken and inside the cavity. Insert lemon inside chicken.
Sprinkle with spice and herbs (my choice was salt, pepper, and rosemary)
Cook for 3-4 hours on high or ~8 hours on low in crockpot.

Check on the chicken at least once during cooking. Use a baster to squirt liquid on the chicken.
If the liquids dry out, add an additional 1/2 cup water or chicken broth.

WARNING: use caution in removing the chicken. The meat will be so moist that it will literally fall apart.

New Beginnings

After the trip around Florida, we settled back in and I attempted to get my life in order. I hit some speed bumps along the way, but I think I can look back with a smile and feel productive, for the most part. I now have a schedule of 42 main courses for dinner that will double as lunches the next day. And yes, these are all Gluten free. Most of them are already gluten free, but a few had to be altered. I've started to work on a daily schedule and weekly schedule to help keep us moving and intentional with our time. As an extra, we also went over some "chores" to divide them up and seem to very pleased with where things are headed.

Tonight, I'm making my first new dish - Roasted Chicken (a whole one) in the crockpot. Becky and Graham managed to do this a few times and I was inspired to try it myself. I do have to say that it doesn't seem like a money saving idea compared to the rotisserie's at the grocery. Unfortunately, I can't do those anymore, so I'm off on my own. I managed to even take out the organs by myself (and bare hands) and had it set up to go before work. It cooked all day and was ready to go by the time I returned home. Now, I'm trying my second dish - sweet potatoes and carrots. Once, those are done baking, we're off to dinner.

I'm pretty impressed by my new system, but let's hold off to make sure that the theory is as good in practice. With this chicken, we'll eat it tonight and some for leftovers for lunch. A new meal is tomorrow, but using leftovers from last night. On Thursday, we'll add the leftover chicken to paella and even use the chicken broth I'll make from the juices. I'm pretty excited to see how well this works.

So, back to school for me. A week FILLED with extra duties here and there too. These are all things I'm excited about, but had no idea how much I had on my plate at one time. So for now, I'm off to dinner and to spend time with Mike before we head out again.

Happy New Year!

This time last year, we were on our way back from Ireland. Although it was a great vacation, we spent most of the time, at least day lit hours, site-seeing. We did not get the rest we needed or desired. However, we were just beginning to understand our love for photography.

Well, this year, we barely made it to midnight. We feel the weight of life a little more than last year, but we think we are rounding the top of the hill. Some diet changes and exercise plans (thank you wii fit) have already shown some small changes in our lives. We are grateful for the eye opening procedures, but sorry it took us so long to figure it out. (My wii fit age was 47.)

So, with a new year, comes new things. This year, like last, one of my biggest resolutions is to spend more time in the Word of God and grow in my relationship with Christ. I have struggled to get through the Bible in a year and have decided to try the chronological reading plan for 2009. I'm pretty excited about that, except for making my way through the entire Old Testament before on to the New.

Most of this week was spent organizing my life, meals, guest room/office, and cleaning. The Christmas tree is still up, but will be finding its way to a box shortly. (sad) Back to work on Monday. The church move in to a new office...and it is a BIG step up from before. Lot's of changes are coming our way.

Next on the list, photography. Some friends are working on a logo and website for me. I hope to have that up and running in a month or so. Business cards will soon follow and I'm hoping the spring will bring some new life within the business. Ideally, I would love to concentrate fully on photography, but otherwise I will be looking for a new job over the summer. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.