Belated Birthday

About 9 days ago, my tiny baby Avery turned 1. Well, she's not so tiny anymore, but it seems like yesterday I had to support her head and wake up 3 times a night to feed her. Now she's walking, sleeping through the night (thank God), eating big kid food, and saying words. She's curious, smart, sweet and so SO beautiful.

Of course this year had a lot of firsts: First vacation, first overnight with Nana and Papa, first steps, first words, first teeth...So many fantastic memories. Your first birthday party was a beach party at our house in land-locked Indiana. It was fantastic! So many people came to see you!

Some days are hard...I get frustrated because I don't get to live by my own agenda anymore. But when I look at my sweet Sugar Bean, and she makes her silly faces at me, I can't imagine it any other way. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for you. Even though I'm not super happy that you're growing up already. Happy birthday Goob.

Love, Mommy

Changes

I am totally happy with my life. I have a fantastic husband, two beautiful, smart, amazing daughters, a sweet pup (even though she's smelly sometimes), and we're all healthy and blah, blah, etc etc.

Now. That being said, I REALLY want to change some thing about my life. First of all, as the wife and mother of this family, it's my job to make sure that everyone is not only happy, but healthy too. I want this so bad. I CRAVE it. Almost as much as I crave cheese, bread, pasta and soda. And chocolate. These things, however, are NOT healthy. Well, I guess in small amounts they are fine, but we don't do small amounts in our house. No siree! We'll stuff you full of carbs and sugar over here! But that totally needs to change. Recently I've found some recipes that are...gulp...vegetarian...that actually sound pretty good. We can't live on salad (boo) but we love to try new things. So maybe I can put a couple of these new recipes in our rotation and get away with it. Hmm. I'll have to keep in on the dl though.

That's 'down low' for those of you who aren't hip to the lingo.

Wow that made me sound old huh? Oh my...I'm saying this in my head and I sound like my dad. Dear lord help us.

ANYWAY.

Also, I need to exercise more. My body is resisting it so much that I almost can't even think about it. But I will trudge on, friends!! Bryan and I walked a few miles today and except for the fact that my feet were killing me at the end (improper footwear), I was happy with the way that I felt. I've started workouts before (Hip Hop Abs, Insanity, etc) and honestly, I get really discouraged really quickly. For one, I don't want to do it while anyone else is in the house. I'm super self-concious that way. Secondly, I find that if I keep up with the instructors, I'm so sore for days after that I fall off the wagon real quick. And if I can't keep up with the instructors I get discouraged because it's too hard.

I'm thankful for the health that I have, the family that I have, the life that I have. But if I don't feed myself and my family the right things, our health will fail. If I don't keep us healthy and active, we will be blobs on the couch. Then my kids will have self esteem issues and it will be my fault. So I will nip this in the bud TODAY.

I am making Bryan make these changes with me. That way he can keep me accountable and then I'll be supersexyhotmama. Awesome. I've always wanted to be supersexyhotmama.

Another thing I want to change is my career path. I want to do something that I enjoy. Is that too much to ask? I want to cook. I want to make people happy with food. Healthy food mostly, but also the occasional (or more than occasional) indulgence. For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that making food is where it's at for me. Besides my family, that's what makes me happy. Maybe I'll take some culinary classes? I'd like to at some point. I love to learn, you know. I guess learning makes me happy too...but there's not much money in being a professional student.

Third Grade

Tomorrow, my little girl - the one that I swear was 7lbs 14 oz like YESTERDAY - is starting the third grade. She's embarking on this journey that I'm not ready for. She's picking out her own clothes, she cares about cosmetics, and she's Nair'ing her legs. Oh, and she's wearing bras. (Not out of super huge necessity, though. I'm pretty sure an undershirt is sufficient.) She's growing up. The last 8 1/2 years just went lightening fast! How is a mom supposed to deal with this? I keep thinking, "I'm not old enough to have a third grader!" But then she skips down the stairs telling me about this movie, or that pop song, or whatever she's into at the moment. I almost had a heart attack when she lost her first tooth. I panicked when she started Kindergarten. Now my baby, my PRIDE and JOY, is all grown up. I have so much more to say about this but it's killing me to think about. I need a good stiff Coke.

A million cannon balls

I. Love. Summer. I love the sun, the warmth, the smell of sunscreen, cookouts, baseball and the 4th of July. I hate mosquitos, sunburns and humidity, but everything else is good. I recently took Kennedy to the city pool to cool off on an above 90 degree day, and it was lovely. I laid by the pool and sweat, even though I was doing nothing. I read. I watched. I enjoyed the breeze.

I love watching the kids play in the pool. Not in a creepy stalker way, of course. Gross. No, I love to watch them because they are so free. They swim, splash and laugh all day and then konk out in the car. My favorite thing though is when they just run and jump cannon-ball style into the water. When was the last time I did that? When was the last time I felt that confident and carefree? It's been a while. Probably 15 years or more. That's really REALLY sad to me. I always talk about how I don't feel like a grown up, but a child playing house. But if I was really a child playing house, wouldn't I join the other children in cannon-ball splashing the real adults? Awww...Now I've gone and made myself kind of sad. Maybe I'll jump in tomorrow.

This Stuff Makes Me Feel Smurfy

One of the things that makes me superhappy (especially the older I get) is nostalgia. For me, that is just about everything 80's. Not only does it bring back tons of memories, but it almost makes me feel like a kid again...even if it's only for a short time. Everything from movies to tv shows to music, toys, pop culture, and even certain fashions makes its way into our house. Much to Bryan's chagrin. He hates the 80's, even though he's a child of the decade himself. It's one of the biggest downfalls in our marriage. But alas, I digress.

How can you not get excited when you see that Back to the Future is the Saturday afternoon movie on tv? Did you NOT want to be Molly Ringwald all throughout the Brat Pack years? I guess if you are a dude though you wanted to be more like Jake Ryan, huh? Recently I watched Teenwolf on Netflix, and oh my...I forgot how in love with Michael J Fox I was. Also? I totally wanna bring back the nickname 'Styles'. Harry and the Hendersons, Can't Buy Me Love (I was in love with Patrick Dempsey LONG before he was McDreamy), and cheesy horror flicks, I love them all.

Back in the 80's, Bon Jovi was cool. Livin on a Prayer? Dead or Alive? Yes please! I still sing into my hairbrush to these songs. Don't even get me started on Michael Jackson!! Billie Jean, Thriller, Bad...I still dance to them. Huey Lewis? Cyndi Lauper? The Bangles? THE BEACH BOYS?!?!?! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy new music very much, but the old stuff...it was just simple and good. It was all about the music. There wasn't all of this studio editing going on. Ok maybe there was a little of that, but not like now.

I'm going to be a kid for a second and talk about, wait for it, SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS. How I long for the Smurfs and Rainbow Bright! Pee Wee Herman, Scooby Doo, Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies, Flintstone Kids and Looney Tunes. I can still sing the theme songs, and I have a bunch of it on DVD. I like to sit indian style on the floor right in front of the tv with a big bowl of Fruit Loops or Fruity Pebbles and pop the dvd's in. Or better yet? I want to upgrade our cable package so we can get Boomerang...that channel plays all the good stuff. Alvin and the Chipmunks, Ghostbusters...Oh man. I get so sad when I watch Saturday morning programming with Kennedy. It's so lame now.

Prime Time television was great in the 80's and 90's. There were shows that I could watch with my parents and they weren't afraid of what I would see or hear. The king of Late Night, Johnny Carson, may he rest in peace, will always make me remember our brown plaid loveseat and popcorn. The Golden Girls was also a favorite. I totes have season 1 on dvd. I'm trying to get ahold of season 2 currently. The A Team was amazing, even though they had horrible aim. They always shot the dirt. Chips, Dukes of Hazzard and Hawaii Five-0 were also good. Silver Spoons, Family Ties, Growing Pains? Good family entertainment, for sure.

I could really go on and on about this. I even have in my mind certain commercials, toys and fashions that I loved, but this post would seriously be forever long if I went into all of that. The 80's were such a simpler time. I loved my childhood decade. Sometimes I'm even a little homesick for it. But until a time machine is invented, at least I have all these things to take me back.

My Momma

My mom is a very special person to me. Lots of people say that about their moms, I know, but really, she is one of my closest friends. You see...my mom got to CHOOSE me. Being a mom myself, I know that you can't choose your family...especially your kids. When they color on the walls or puke on the carpet a mere 6 inches away from the tile, you are reminded of this. But still you love them. Hopefully. My mom and dad picked me. They could have passed me up for a son or an older child with personality. But when they saw me in the office of the adoption agency, all wrinkly and bald (I was only 3 days old, give me a break...I'm much cuter now! Although I'm seeing some wrinkly skin again...), they fell in love. I can totally see someone falling in love with me now...I mean...I'm pretty awesome, but as a baby? I was probably pretty boring. Again, since I'm a mom, I know what it's like to love a child more than you love anything else. My mom felt that for me the first moment she saw me.

Mom grew up in Barberton, Ohio (B-town, holla!) and moved to Frankfort, Indiana when she was about 12. Her favorite place to go was Milky Way, one of those walk-up ice cream stands, and she loved going to church camp back in Ohio with her cousins. She graduated high school in '72...she was a very shy girl. However, her personality shone when she went to ABI (theology school) where she met my dad. They were married in '74 and wanted to have kids right away, but they couldn't. For 9 years they tried to have a baby, and they were on adoption waiting lists for 7 years. Then, on January 3rd, 1983, they picked me up and brough me home. My mom never questioned her love for me. Even in my teenage years when I was HORRIBLE and hormonal and rebellious. My mom always welcomed me back with open arms. Of course, I was always in trouble also, but when my mom knew that I really needed her, she was just there for me. Which is what I needed.

I don't know what I would have done without my mom all these years. She was there for me when I was pregnant with my first baby, even when my husband (EX-husband) wasn't. She took me to most of my doctor's appointments, made sure I had everything I needed for a healthy and happy pregnancy, and she was even there when my daughter (her first grandbaby) was born. She had a stroke 4 1/2 years ago, and I was afraid I'd lose her. I was only 23...I wasn't ready to not have my mom anymore. Her recovery was literally a miracle. Not just because the stroke was so bad, but also because through that battle, we became even closer.

She is now 58 years old (this coming September) and she is still by my side. She is still my closest friend. She still gives me guilt trips, but she loves me just the same. Oh, and she still loves Milky Way.

Love you Momma.

Bucket List

Everyone has things that they want to do before they die. I am no exception. There are SO many things that I want to do! Some things I've gotten to cross off my list...like travelling to Jamaica and New York, and graduating from college. But the more I think about it, the longer my list gets. I want to scuba dive, snow ski, go up in a hot air balloon. I want to travel by train, go to Ireland and discover my family's crest, I want to visit Austria and see the small village that my Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Pamer travelled to America from. I want to spend the night (or several) in a castle and camp in the great American desert. Speaking of America, I want to travel to the far reaches of the country by car (or even better, RV), stopping along the way to experience all that there is to see. I want to be a size 8, run a marathon, maybe even complete a triathalon. I want to learn to play the piano and the guitar. I want to be quadrilingual. I want to travel to Alaska and swim in a glacial lake and see the Aurora Borealis and go whale watching and salmon fishing. I want to tour Hawaii by helicopter and learn to surf. I want to own a restaurant and I want it to be successful. There are just so many things to do and see...and I feel like life isn't long enough for me to experience all of it. What are some of the things that you all want to do? What is your bucket list like?

I am a walking contradiction

The title of my blog is 'Attempting to Avoid Typical Suburbia' (of course, you saw that at the top of the page, so this is no surprise). The reason I titled my blog this way is because whenever I look at (most) of the moms in our neighborhood and ones that are similar, I see people who seem so different from me. These moms are so serious, they drive minivans, cart children back and forth to soccer games, they never go out on the weekends and forget about going anywhere during the week, and they seem so much older than me...like June Cleaver, except snobbier because they don't talk to their neighbors. I'm way cooler than they are, right? We are somewhat trendy with our volkswagons and minimalist furniture, we go to concerts and listen to cool music, go out with our friends, we love a good party, we like to go to clubs, Bryan is a graphic designer, we do cool and fun things with our kids, we act silly about 80% of the time, we're several years younger, and I rock some really fun nail polish. I don't want to be boring. But you know what? I realized that I'm not so different than these other moms. This was a painful realization. I'm approaching 30 rather quickly, so I'm probably not THAT much younger than my fellow suburban mothers. My VW hatchback is like a petite minivan. I'm not a soccer mom, but I am a softball mom. We don't get to go out as often now that we have a 2nd child, and during the school year, forget about going out during the week. We make pains to attend every school function that Kennedy has, even the family movie nights.

My attempt at avoiding typical suburbia is kind of a fail. Someone get me a June Cleaver apron and a pair of sensible heels. I'll start going to the salon to get my hair set and then we'll play bridge on Tuesday nights, while drinking sidecars after a dinner of meatloaf or a casserole as soon as we find people in our neighborhood that wanna hang.

The Royal Wedding

I have to start this post by saying this: I usually don't care about weddings of people that I don't know. Especially celebrities or political figures. But I, along with a bunch of other crazy people, am up at 6 am to watch Prince William and Katherine get married. I didn't plan on getting up to watch it. I was actually going to go to my friend Jayme's house (even though she is completely unaware of that fact) and watch the wedding at a more Kristen-friendly hour. However, the baby woke up at just before 6am and I couldn't go back to sleep. So I'll blame it on my defenseless 8-month-old.

I am SO glad I woke up for this. I turned my tv on just in time to watch Kate and her father driving to Westminster Abbey. All I could think of was that apart from this girl, who is about my age, being on her way to marry a PRINCE, she is a daughter. Can you imagine? Riding in a Rolls Royce with your daughter so she can marry a PRINCE??? If I were Kate's mom, I would so be thinking "I have MADE IT!" Being the mother of 2 daughters, this was my first thought. My second thought was of how beautiful Kate looks. Her dress is so classic! It almost looks understated, but I'm sure if I were close enough to see the detail, that wouldn't be the case. Her sister, Pippa (cute name!) is the maid of honor and her dress is amazing as well. I think the cowl neckline is my favorite part.

When I saw Prince William and Prince Harry walking into the sanctuary, dressed in their royal finery, my hand immidiately flew to my heart. This is the ultimate fairy tale. In less than an hour, Kate will be an honest-to-goodness Princess. Every little girl wants to be a princess. When Kate reached the front of this impossibly long church, Will told her that she looked beautiful. I almost cried...lame, I know, but for my generation of Disney-Princess-movies, this is so romantic. Except for the whole part of the wedding where the bride and groom goes to sit down and they all sing...that's weird to me. But still. She's becoming a Princess. That's the important thing. Wait no...this is her wedding day. Everything else should pale compared to that fact. It's hard to think that this is the wedding of two people because of all the pomp and circumstance. I couldn't handle it for sure. I mean, MILLIONS of people are watching. Trafalgar Square is PACKED and everyone is waving British flags and singing. That is so much pressure!

Random thoughts:

The Bishop of London opened the service with the statement, "Every wedding is a royal wedding, for we are all subjects of the King of Creation." I loved that statement.

I thought trees as part of the wedding decorations fit so well in the interior of Westminster Abbey. They looked awesome!

If I ever have a 3rd wedding, there will be a full orchestra, a boys choir and flipping horse-drawn carriage. And a full cavalry. Definately.

**Update: Kennedy is ticked that I didn't wake her up to watch the wedding. She was so into the whole thing when she got up for school. We watched the Prince and Princess travel to Buckingham Palace in the carriage and Kennedy said, "Mom this is just like a fairytale. All that's missing is a dragon." HAHAHA!! Also, she gets so embarassed when she sees 2 people kissing, but she almost missed her bus to see them kiss. Awww. :)

Everything Changes

My mom used to make fun of me for hating change. She is happy to narrate stories from my childhood about how I didn't like to throw things away, even tights with holes in the knees. For the record, I did like to keep things because I was always sentimental, but the tights thing? I don't recall that. But, if Mom said it, it must be true, right? I DON'T like change. I'll admit it. Tradition and sameness (I think I just made up a new word!) symbolize stability for me. Those of you who know me and my family, there were definately some times of instability in my childhood, so who could blame a kid for trying to hold on to things?

Every holiday from my childhood had a certain dependability to it. Tradition, if you will. No only did I want to hold on to that solid stability, but I looked forward to all the fun we always had. On Easter Sunday there was a big family dinner with aunts and uncles and cousins, and usually an Easter program of some kind at church. July 4th (MY FAVE HOLIDAY!) brought a huge picnic with all of the church members, water balloon fights, softball games, volleyball games, and then everyone getting together again in the evening to watch the city fireworks. Thanksgiving had the Macy's parade, getting dressed for dinner at my Grandparent's, watching movies and playing games with aunts, uncles and cousins. Christmas...that was just a HUGE ordeal! Aunts and uncles and grandparents, all nine grandkids (25 people altogether once we all got married), presents stacked to the ceiling, Grandma's Hungarian sausage and eggs and Christmas cookies (clothespin cookies and date pinwheels, omw), and then dinner and breaking out all the cool stuff we got for Christmas.

Does none of this sound awesome to you, my readers? Who would want to change all that?  Even as a grown up this sounds like good times. These days, things are different. Sometimes we go visit the in-laws for July 4th because it's my father-in-law's birthday (still fun, but way more intimate and quiet), everyone is too busy for dinner on Easter, Thanksgiving is just a fractured mess because all the grandkids are breaking off into their own separate family units, and Christmas is pretty much the same way. It's not so much that I hate change, I just want my kids to know the fun of friends and family and holiday hoopla that I knew when I was little. I hold these memories so sacred. Now it's time for our family (Bryan and I and the girls) to formulate our own traditions...but nothing that we come up with can compete in my mind to the big, loud, gettogethers of my childhood.

I don't hate change. I hate the loss of fun, extended family, and of being a kid. So really I think it's the growing up part that sucks so much. If I could have stayed 10 years old forever, that would have been a-ok with me.

Spring Cleaning

April showers bring May flowers. April has been so rainy, I think all the flowers will end up being washed away! We can't have as many softball practices as we need to, we can't take the dog for a walk, and the kids are stuck inside. The perfect activity for this kind of weather? SPRING CLEANING! (I don't really feel that much excitement, but Bryan is super psyched.) So we are going through all of our closets, Bryan is going from room to room with trash bags occasionally stating how much he LOVES throwing things away, and I'm slowly sifting through pile after pile of papers.

You know what was kind of cool about the whole experience? My purses are TIME CAPSULES! Among the dozens of pens and pencils, $5 in change, and TONS of receipts and expired coupons, I found movie tickets from a date that Bryan and I went on in 2005, a bracelet from our honeymoon in Jamaica in 2007, souvenirs from our spring break trip to St Louis in 2008, and subway maps from our New York trip last fall.

All of these items brought back so many memories!! Well, not the pencils and coupons and stuff, but all the other things. The movie tickets were from a theater downtown Indianapolis...it was December, and I remember we took a walk on the canals afterward. It was so cold, but the city looked so beautiful that night. I remember thinking that it would be the perfect romantic time for Bryan to propose. We had been dating for a full year, after all! What was the hold up?  The bracelet from Jamaica of course reminded me of our honeymoon. It also reminded me of the crazy Jamaican who snorkled from the public beach to try to sell us drugs that were in a baggie in his swim trunks. The pin from St. Louis reminded me of our life before we had a second child. When it was just the Three Musketeers going off to find razy little adventures on the weekends. Not that having a second child changed that at all, but it reminded me of how it was to just spoil one little girl. And the subway maps were folded and unfolded so many times, they are wearing thin on the creases. I'm reminded of how I was unafraid to tackle the Big Apple on my own. It was kind of liberating and made me feel so much more confident about myself. These maps saved me on my solo trek through New York while Bryan was at his design conference.

Although I hate spring cleaning, I love the things that I end up finding. They remind me of how lucky I am to have lived in the moments that I've lived in. My Grandpa always says to me, "Make as many memories as you can, because when you're old and you can't really do much anymore, memories are all you have left." He's so right! I wonder what I'll find in my purses when I clean them out in another 6 years?

Huge Weekend Project

Last night I made one of the most unlike-me comments that I have ever made. I was on the phone to Bryan while driving home from work and we were talking about what all we had to do before going on vacation next Friday (holla!) and I said, "Our house is so filthy...I can't STAND it. We have to clean clean clean before we leave because I am not coming home to a dirty house." Those of you who don't know me very well: I hate cleaning. I WILL clean, but I won't be really happy about it. Or I'll start cleaning and fizzle out really quickly. I can't help it. So I was super psyched when I met Bryan because he is VERY clean and I figured that I scored pretty huge when we got married (not just for that reason, though, of course). I have lived in a super clean house since we got married...but we've slacked off recently. We have 2 kids, we work full time, we love to be lazy on the weekends, we procrastinate things that we don't want to do...cleaning just kind of escaped our schedule. That was probably a little on purpose. However, I have recently found myself getting the urge to get on my hands and knees and SCRUB. I even want to wash the walls. Totally not like me. If my mom was home (she's still in Arkansas with B) I know she'd help me, but I always feel guilty asking her to help. I'm a grown woman...I can clean my house all by myself. However there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

So if you hear some really loud whining coming from the general direction of my house this weekend, it's me complaining.

Crazy Town

*Disclaimer: My mom makes fun of me because whenever a situation arises, I always say something like, "That's like this movie I watched..." and then I continue on noting the similarities between the real life situation and the movie. I am doing that today. Make fun of me all you want, Mom.

This cartoon is called Crazy Town and I used to watch it all the time on the good ol' VCR when I was a kid. I LOVED this cartoon. I thought it was so cool that everything was crazy and backward...Guess what? When real life starts to rival the crazy in this cartoon, it's not so cool anymore. I'm not going to go into detail, but Crazy Town is a regular part of my life. Not cool. It drains me. Sucks the joy from my soul. But still, I continue on.

One of the greatest days ever...

" 'Are you a princess?' I said and she said 'I'm much more than a princess, but you don't have a name for it yet here on earth.' "   -Brian Andreas

This is how I feel about my girls. They aren't princesses...They are so much more than that to me. Although I don't have a 'favorite' between my kids, I can't help but be a little partial to Kennedy (my oldest) in some respects. She is my first. She has been with me the longest. Even though I met Bryan before she was even 2-years-old, I still feel like it was Kennedy and me against the world for a while. That's a bond that can't be broken.

Since Kennedy is more than a princess to me, I had to find someone VERY special to take on the role of her Daddy. Of course I wanted someone that was going to treat me good, someone who was attractive, and someone who made me laugh, but the most important thing to me was to have someone who wanted to be there for Kennedy. I was willing to be with a personality-less troll, as long as he was good for Kennedy.

Cue: God's answer to all my prayers. Not only did God send Bryan to me...Bryan who is handsome, kind, funny, caring, CLEAN, wonderful and super encouraging, but He sent a Daddy to Kennedy...a Daddy who takes care of her financially and emotionally, who plays with her, who cuddles with her, and who has been known to read to her at night and be a little silly (at least when no one else is around).

Kennedy's biological father was an alcoholic. He was a doer of drugs. Although I had done some of these things myself, I became so much more responsible when I found out that I was pregnant with Kennedy. He was a user, an abuser, and he hurt me. He hurt me emotionally and physically. But he was her father...so I tried to tough it out. Fast forward to February 2004. Kennedy was 14 months old, my divorce from her father was finalized, and that was the last time she would lay eyes on him.

I wasn't looking for a new daddy for Kennedy when I met Bryan. I just wanted to have fun...I wanted to have fun for me. But God had something else in mind. I fell in love with Bryan, and he fell in love with us. He's such an amazing man. He sees Kennedy as his own flesh and blood. He adopted her last week, and now she has his last name. That was one of the best days of my life. And I know that was one of the single most important days in Kennedy's life as well. I thank God every day for bringing Bryan into our lives. I love you babe...

My Text Friends

I got this from my good friend Brittney at http://www.lifeviabrittney.com/. I don't usually do things like this...buuuutttt....I thought some of you should get to know my friends. I seriously have a fantastic group of people surrounding me in my life. So this is a big shout out to all of my best pals!

Friend one: Bryan (the hubs)
Friend two: Krystle (her man and my hubs are best buddies)
Friend three: Bitsy (bestie)
Friend four: Brittany (sister)
Friend five: Mom (...Mom)
Friend six: Sam (cousin)
Friend seven: Angie (great neighbor!)
Friend eight: Becky (cousin)

What are two things you have in common with friend number four? We share parents, we are both a little crazy, we both have daughters, we both got married in '07, ummm...I know there's more...I mean, we lived together for like 19 years...
Which one of your top eight have you seen most recently? Bryan
How long ago did you see that person? This morning when we had snuggly time before I got up to go to work.
Which one of your top eight lives farthest from you? Britt. She just had to move to Arkansas, meet a boy and get married.
Where does that person live? I just told you.
How many of your top eight are related to you? Five
Where did you meet number three? At Ivy Tech. We were Ambassadors to the school and members of Student Government together
How many of your top eight is older than you? Five.
What was the last thing you did with number five when you hung out? Browsed the gift shop at the airport before she flew to Arkansas to be with my sister.
What was the last thing you did with number two when you hung out? We just kinda hung out at my house. I think there was cuddling. We're tight like that.
Which one of your top eight is the shortest? Probably Angie?
Which one of your top eight is the tallest? Krystle or Becky
Which one of your top is the youngest? Bitsy
How old is that person? 24
Have number one ever met number six? Yep! We love to hang with her!
Which one of them have been to your home? All of them
When was the last time you verbally communicated with number seven? Monday
Which one of your top eight friends is the loudest? Becky :)
Which one of your top eight friends is the quietest? Bryan
Have you ever kissed any of your top eight friends? Definately #1. I think I've kissed all of them except Angie and Krystle.
Who was the last top eight friend that you hugged? Bryan
Is your top friends list in any particular order? What is the order, if so? No particular order...just the most recent people to text me.
Have you ever committed a crime with any of your top eight? Bryan, Krystle, Sam...The usual suspects.
What are two things that friend four and friend eight have in common? DNA aaaaannnnnndddd...I don't know. We're family. We have lots in common.
What are two things that friend three and friend five have in common? They are the 2 people that are closest to me besides Bryan. My momma and Bits are my 2 closest friends.
Which one of your top eight had a birthday most recently? KRYSTLE'S BIRTHDAY IS SATURDAY!!!!
Which one of your top eight will have a birthday next? I just said...
Has number one met your parents? He has. They weren't huge fans of each other at first. But now he's the favorite son-in-law. :)
What sport does six love the most? Oh geez I don't know. I know she loves her Cubbies though!
How did you meet seven? When our daughters were on the same softball team last year.
Describe number eights hair? It's looooong, medium brown and SUPER soft
Which one of your top eight would most likely do this survey? None of them. Sadly, I'm the only one who gets this bored. Ha!

My Future

Guess what I forgot to register for when I was getting married? A crystal ball. I don't know what my future holds. Will I stay at my current place of employment for years and years? (WILO/WSHW, holla!) Will we have more children? (If only I could guarantee that I would have a son!) Will we say in Corntown Indiana forever, or will we move to my husbands native state of California? No idea. I can, however, tell you what I WANT to happen.

I want to open a restaurant and cook for people. I want to have one more child (preferably a boy...I love my girls of course, but I want a boy too!). I would love to move to a warmer climate, but only if my parents could move with us. (But maybe 20 minutes away from us...You don't want to be TOO close...)

What do I have to do to see these things come to fruition? Moving to a warmer climate would take quite a bit of doing...Bryan and I would both have to get amazing job offers. And find a great house. To have another child...well...I'm not sure I could really talk Bryan into that. He's good with our girls, and he's happy being their daddy. Opening a restaurant? Well...We need money. And to not be lazy. Which we are...lazy, I mean. Well, let me re-phrase: we aren't LAZY, we just don't like to work long hours. We have a really good work ethic, but we like to leave at 5. So really, the restaurant is the least  likely of the 3 wants.

However, I have already planned out (and Bryan has designed) the menu, picked out a name, and decided on decor, general vibe of the dining room and music selections. We would feature local art, wines, produce and music. Once we were established as the most amazing restaurant around, we would cater on the side...and I've got a menu planned, and a separate name, and graphics for the business cards and staff apparel for that as well.

So it's all set. We are going to open a restaurant in a warm climate with our 2 daughters and our future man child. As soon as someone gives us a ton of money. Or we win the lottery. Whichever comes first. So who wants to be our (REALLY) generous benefactor? Anyone? Are those crickets I hear? Huh...

Day 2 (and a little pep talk too!)

Today was day 2 od the insanity challenge. I hadn't done particular workout yet, but Bryan had. He told me it was scarily hard. I didn't believe him. The trainer on this DVD series tried to kill me today. He should be arrested for attempted murder. I sound like a giant baby, and I'm perfectly aware of that, thank you. I know that it's going to take a lot of work for me to get into the kind of shape that I want to be in, but I have mentioned the lazy, yes? But I'm going to put the lazy aside. I don't want jiggly bits anymore.

So that's what's going on today. However, for your reading pleasure, I'm going to add a post that I wrote a couple years ago. Enjoy!

The Tao of Kristen

Current mood:blessed

I pushed snooze one too many times. It was freezing outside. I had to scrape my windows (and of course I scraped Bryan’s too because he wasn’t up yet and I love him). I had to be at work an hour earlier than usual. Of course I was late. Spilled coffee all down my pants on the way into my office. When I got here, my computer monitor was dead. I didn’t get enough sleep last night. I didn’t get my homework done. It’s so quiet in my office that it sounds as though the clock is yelling the "tick tocks" at me. Caffeine is not helping.
This is my day so far. I sure hope it gets better.
But who has the most positive attitude in the world?? ME! :) Yesterday (Easter) was great...exhausting, but great. People love me. I’m not being egotistical, just making an observation. I think that’s how I keep myself so positive. I got about a million hugs yesterday. Sometimes I don’t realize how many people care...I am extremely blessed to have these people in my life. No matter what decisions I’ve made, no matter what path I’ve taken, they are always there.
So, no matter how many days like this I have...No matter how much coffee gets spilled on my pants, they can be washed (I JUST WASHED THEM YESTERDAY!!!). Life is full of snags...Full of bad hair days, or just bad days in general. That’s LIFE. The trick is to look past the little things. Look past the people who annoy you. Look past coffee spills and bad drivers. Look to what really matters: good health, a beautiful day, your family (yes, even their faults), your friends, the kindness of strangers. Life is what you make it. If you focus on the negative, that’s how everything will look. That’s how everything will be. I mean, let’s face it...there’s a lot of negative out there to focus on. But focus on the positive, however little you can find. Love and be kind, even though you don’t want to. It pays off...And that’s not just the Xanax talking!!
I know I sound like a dirty hippie, but I’m not, I swear!  :)

It's not called 'Insanity' for poos and giggles...

OK, so I stated in a previous blog that I was going to share my journey to a healthier and more fit body with you guys...so...Here we go.

Last Tuesday we started the Insanity workout. And guess what? It's INSANE. The first workout is a Fit Test. I actually think that it's just a chance for you to see how sadly out of shape you actually are. I could barely stand up after, and by the next morning, I was trying to figure out how to get to work without walking down the stairs. I couldn't work out Wednesday (mercilessly) because I was making dinner for some of my family. Thursday, I did the next workout, but something was different. I already felt better. My legs were really sore, but it felt great. For any of you who have known me for any length of time at all, you know that my enjoying a workout is harder to believe that an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Because of the craziness of last week, those were the only workouts I could fit in. So I vowed to do better this week. I started over. I wanted to start from the beginning and do it right. So I started the first workout again. Guess what? Totally not as hard as it was last week. It wasn't easy...but I wasn't wanting to be put out of my misery at the end.I'm actually looking forwardto tomorrow's workout. WHAT?!?! I know...So not me! I can't wait to feel my strongs comin on. And Im super psyched that I've got you guys to whine to.

Kennedy's Valentine

Our 8-year-old Kennedy is VERY shy. Like, so shy that once when I was dancing in the living room (it was just the 2 of us) she bit me. I asked her why she did that and she said, "You were embarassing me and I wanted you to stop!" So, pretty shy. Well, this super shy little girl decided a few weeks ago that she wanted to give a very special Valentine's gift to a very special boy. She has always had boys that are her friends, but there is one boy that she's been friends with for a couple years now that has caught her eye. (His name is Bryce and he is ADOREABLE.)
Anyway, I picked Kennedy up from my mom's and we were on our way to Bryce's house to give him his present and his Valentine's card, and Kennedy said, "Oh no!! Don't be mad at me..." This statement usually makes me twitch a little. I get a little facial tic. "I left his Valentine at school!" By now it was already 5:45 and I KNEW there would be no one in the front office. But we drove around back to where they have after school care and my good friend that works there let us in. Whoo!! Crisis averted!
We get to Bryce's house and Kennedy walks to the door...with me behind her because she was too shy to go alone. When Bryce opens the door, she practically throws the card and present at him and then scurries around behind me to hide. This is so unbecoming of a young lady. So I push her out in front of me and she reaches out to receive her card from him (which he was holding out quite shyly as well), says "Happy Valentine's Day!" then runs to the car. Bryce's mom and I just smiled at each other and shook our heads.
Kennedy was on such an adrenaline high after that. She was a ball of nerves before we got to Bryce's, and relieved and excited when we left. Then Amber (Bryce's mom) texted me and told me that she told Bryce, "Buddy, you're really lucky to have such a pretty girl that likes you!" And to that, he smiled really big. Too cute!

Fast forward to later that evening...I realize that I just facilitated the beginning of Kennedy's "boys no longer have cooties" stage. Oh no. I'm definately not ready for that!!! :(

DISLIKE!!

Some More Recipes!

I love my mom. That being said, she didn't teach me how to cook. She doesn't like to cook. Never has. I, on the other hand LOVE to cook. I remember sitting in my bedroom when I was a little kid, maybe 6 or 7-years-old, watching infomercials about food or cooking shows. I was fascinated by it. So when I met Bryan, I decided that if I was going to learn, I'd have to figure it out myself. Well, by myself with the help Food Network, anyway. Once I had Food Network, I was inspired. The first time I made dinner for Bryan, I was hooked. I get a lot of my recipes from other people, the internet, or cookbooks, but I always tweak them to make them exactly what I want. I always feel like there's something that I can do to make it a better recipe. Every now and then, I come across a recipe that I don't have to do anything to. Oh, and everything that I make is easy. Remember that whole 'lazy' thing I have going on? Recipes that people ask me for the most are fish recipes. I didn't know that fish was so hard to make?? I make it all the time...Here are a few of my favorites.


Chili-Rubbed Tilapia Sandwiches
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 tablespoons ground thyme

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

4 (10-ounce) tilapia fillets

4 Kaiser buns, split, buttered and toasted

Store bought mango salsa (optional)

Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise, recipe follows

In a shallow dish, combine first 6 ingredients.

Pour melted butter into another shallow dish. Dip fish fillets in melted butter and coat with seasoning mixture.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook prepared fish, in batches if necessary, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Spread Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise evenly over toasted buns. Place blackened fish on bottom half of bun, top with mango salsa, and cover with top half of bun.

Cilantro-lime mayo:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

This dish is SO good! It's a little smoky, light, and the mayo and mango salsa is cool and refreshing. It's perfect with fries or a salad in the summertime. It is satisfying without leaving you feeling too full.

Grouper Fromage ('Fromage' is French for 'cheese')

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)

1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows

4 grouper fillets, about 8 ounces each

1 lemon, halved

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1 stick cold butter, cut into 8 slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


In a small skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter or oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.

To the bowl, add the cheese, mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce and 1/2 teaspoon House Seasoning. Mix well and set aside. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the fish with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon House Seasoning. Place the fish in the baking dish and squeeze the juice of the lemon over it and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Top fish with slices of butter. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until fish is almost done; the time will depend on the thickness of your fish. Remove the dish from the oven and cover each fillet with 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture. Return to the oven and bake until cheese melts, about 8 to 10 minutes.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder


Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.


For this recipe, I have to thank Paula Deen. I used to watch Paula so often that kennedy knew who she was, even at 2-years-old. The only thing that I would have to say about this recipe is that the sauce is pretty rich. Cutting back on the mayo a little helps with that. This pairs well with roasted asparagus (coat asparagus with a little olive oil, then salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes) and maybe some form of rice or potatoes.


Mustard Roasted Fish
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper (you could also use tilapia or swai)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces creme fraiche (a good substitute for creme fraiche is sour cream with a little heavy cream mixed in)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 teaspoons drained capers

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.


Again, Food Network is awesome. I got this one from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). It just looked so easy. And it totally is! Again, pairs well with roasted asparagus and roasted red potatoes (with a little fresh dill....mmmmm). Really, is there anything that doesn't go with roasted asparagus? Not really...


These are just a few of the reasons that Bryan and I are a little more padded today than we were 6 1/2 years ago. My love of cooking is a 2 edged sword. Delicious food every night, trying new things...then we have to work harder to be healthy. The Grouper Fromage is the only dish thats really heavy, but if you go easy and don't have it too often, you should be fine.

This Is How I Know:

How does a person know that the companion that they have chosen to marry is the right one? This is one of the questions that a person asks herself (himself) before they get married. How do you know? What if this person ISN'T the one? I never really asked this question when Bryan asked me to marry him. I knew I wanted to marry him after our second date. I even called my friend's mom and told her that I had just been out with the man I was going to be with for the rest of my life. Last night, the unwavering faith that I am with my "one" was reaffirmed.
Last night I had a dream that Bryan left me for another woman. (OK, this isn't the point of reaffirmation, keep reading. I'm getting there.) I was so devastated. In my dream, I literally felt nauseous. I felt like I didn't want to live if I couldn't be with him. I know that I COULD live...exist...without him. But the quality of that life would be severely lacking. When I woke up, I made him promise that he would never leave me. Although I know that this is a hard promise to keep because things happen...unavoidable things...I know that he will keep it. Just like I will keep the same promise to him.
I know our marriage has it's faults. I know there are no perfect marriages. Each of us has certain flaws that that the other is annoyed with. But through all of our issues, we are always on each others' side. Always in each others' corner. Sometimes we aren't 100% super happy with each other, but we have never loved each other any less. It wasn't just the dream that made me feel this way. It was the resounding feeling that I had all day after I woke up. Without Bryan, I am only half of a person. He truly is my other half. As long as we have each other, we can get through anything. Anything.

So Not Me

I am a couch potato. Any of you who have known me for any length of time at all knows that I am not one to exercise much. Ok, at all. But for some reason, my husband has signed us up for a mini-marathon in May. I KNOW! So crazy. What was I thinking to let him do this? Now I'm obligated to make it 13.1 miles ON FOOT in under 4 hours. I have done a couple of 5ks, but that's only 3 miles. Not a big deal really. But it still took me about 38 minutes. So 13 miles will probably take me...almost 3 hours. Of running. Ew.
Anyway, I figured that this blog could serve the purpose of following my journey. Plus, I feel like it will help keep me accountable. We are doing the Insanity workout while it's so cold outside, but when the weather starts to warm up a little, I'm planning on walking/running every day. Who knows? Maybe after this I'll be really hot?? That would be cool. Plus, Bryan deserves a super hot wife. I've always wanted to wear shorts in the summer...
My plan is to eat healthier, exercise more and be an all-around better person. I need to be a better example for my kids, and I plan on watching my great-grandkids grow up. And the only way to do that is to take the best care of Bryan and I as I can. First, things first though...I have a bowl of cherry cordial ice cream topped with magic shell. What? I'm gonna start tomorrow!

Stupid Valentines Day

My husband is amazing. He is my best friend, a great dad, a faithful provider, a laundry doer AND folder AND putter-away, he is responsible, funny, and a great cuddler. But I have come to realize something: if I want a romantic Valentine's Day, I'm going to have to plan it myself. Men (most of them) either don't care for gooshy romance, or only do it for their girlfriend/wife's sake. I'm not a super girly girl, or really flowery or anything like that. But a girl likes a little romance every now and again. I asked Bryan if he had planned anything for Valentine's day so I could line up my mom to watch the kids. Valentine's day is on a Monday, so I figured we'd go out over the weekend. Here it is, Wednesday, and there are no plans. No reservations made.
I realize that I shouldn't be really upset. My husband is seriously amazing. I have nothing to really complain about. But I want him to surprise me. Plan a surprise for me. He's a horrible liar, so this is next to impossible even if he were to plan something. Valentine's Day makes me sentimental. What girl isn't like that? All I'm asking for is a reproduction of our first date, the first time we said "I love you" or the night that he proposed. Make dinner for me, light a fire in the fireplace and have a picnic in front of it. Send me on a scavenger hunt to find you waiting with flowers. I don't require anything super intricate or involved (although the scavenger hunt idea is kind of involved...). I just want to be surprised. I have given you children, I bring home (some of) the bacon, and I make dinner every night. Surprise me a couple times a year, that's all I'm asking.
I love Bryan. I couldn't have picked a better man for me even if I had designed one myself. He makes me feel loved and appreciated. And really, that is good enough for me. Better than enough, actually. But the commercialization of Valentine's day has me feeling that on this particular holiday, I need more. It's not Bryan's fault. I blame it all on Hallmark.

My Day Ended With Tomatillo Chicken

Despite having a very busy couple of days at work (ok, basically I've been busy since I started the job a couple of months ago), I've been in a really good mood. I've handled the stress and the constant interruptions with good humor and chocolate. I usually handle stress fairly well. Unless it (stress) happens ALL THE TIME. Like it does at work. Anyway, I've been in a really great mood. For no particular reason. This is a novelty. My good mood lasted until this afternoon. There was an altercation with a co-worker which I won't get into in this post, but I'm sure it will come up eventually because this altercation culminated with me walking out of the office in total flabbergasted frustration.

Like many people, I stress eat. I HATE this about myself. I'm getting a little better...I limited myself to 3 Hersheys kisses. But then I came home and ate almost an entire cheese ball with crackers. Before dinner. Do you know why people stress eat? Because food makes one feel comforted. I don't know why mashed potatoes, mac n cheese or yummy cheesy chicken spaghetti makes me feel comforted, but it does! So tonight I decided to make a slightly healthier version of comfort food. I could have made it healthier, but where's the comfort in that? Tonights menu: Tomatillo Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Tomatillo Chicken
Prep: 25 minutes
Grill: 10-15 minutes
Makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (so 2 chicken breasts, butterflied)
4 slices of provalone cheese (or more because it's so yummy)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
6 tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
1/4 cup of lime juice (plus a little extra for the rice)
6 pickled jalapenos, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup minced, fresh cilantro (plus a little extra for the rice and garnish)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Hot cooked rice (with a bit of lime juice and cilantro mixed in)
Sour cream, optional

Grill the chicken (or broil, however you prefer it) until done. Top with cheese and cook another couple of minutes until cheese is melted.
in a large skillet, saute onion in the oil until tender. Add the tomatillos, lime juice, jalapenos and garlic; cook  3-5 minutes longer. Stir in the cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Serve tomatillo mixture and chicken with rice and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

This is SO easy to make and it tastes amazing. Am I full? Yes. Did I still want seconds? Yes. Am I comforted? Very. That is, until tomorrow. But tomorrow, I'll comfort myself with something new.

Favorite Books

I know that in previous posts I've talked about how much of a nerd I am about reading. It's totally true, by the way. It's no secret that I've always wanted to be a writer, and I know that people who love to write, also love to read. Plus, every author that I admire has a 'reading list' post on their blogs. I am pretty sure that I inherited my love of reading and writing from my dad. As far back as I can remember, my dad was happy as long as he had a good book.

Side note: My dad would write, produce and direct plays and dramas for our church every year for Christmas and Easter, and skits for our Halloween parties. The actors would perform for audiences that packed the church, and we would even have to put on multiple shows because so many people wanted to come, but there wasn't enough room. I know this is off subject a little, but I think its awesome. I really feel that my dad could have gone places with his talents. But I digress.

I like to read all genres of literature. I'll read anything from Harry Potter to Twilight to Huckleberry Finn (I own all of those, by the way). Memoirs? Yes please! Dramas? Sure! Chick lit? Oh yeah! Murder mysteries? Ok! (I think you get the idea...) Here are some of my long time favorites that I just keep going back to time and time again. They are perfect for curling up by a fire or stretching out on a beach towel.

Julie by Catherine Marshall

Julie is one of the few books that I have read more than once (well I guess all the books on the list are books that fit that category). It is based on the true story of the Johnstown flood of 1889 in Pennsylvania. However, in the book, the story takes place in the 1930s. It's about a teenage girl who's minister father has taken over a small newspaper in Pennsylvania. For people of my generation who didn't experience the Great Depression, this book is a great look into that time.  

Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck

This is a beautiful memoir about a girl who goes through way more than any child should. Jennifer wrote this memoir as though she were writing it while she was living it. It doesn't feel like a re-telling of a story. It feels like you are right there with her. Jennifer is blessed to be born to loving parents and live in a lovely neighborhood. But after she turns 5-years-old her mother becomes very ill. This is the beginning of a downward spiral in her young life. Blackbird is extremely inspirational in the fact that Jennifer is so resilient. The follow-up to Blackbird, Still Waters, follows Jennifer through adolescence and into adulthood. Still Waters is a great read as well, but Blackbird is the one that I have read over and over and over.....etc. While I'm on the subject of memoirs (and Jennifers)...

Bitter is the New Black by Jennifer Lancaster

If you haven't read Jen Lancaster, you are severely missing out. Not only did she appeal to me as an author because she is from the same general area of the country as me (Indiana), but because she's just so stinking funny. Bitter is Jen's break-out bestseller following her through her fall from a successful career in Chicago after 9/11 and her subsequential journey to becoming a writer (new career path), and she has followed up with several other equally-awesome memoirs. All of her books are so funny, that I'm no longer allowed to read them while I'm in bed because I keep waking Bryan up with all the laughing. Apparently he's not as amused by Jennifer's neighbor-spying and f-bombs as I am.

Sphinx by Robin Cook

I first read Sphinx when I was about 12 years old. Let me just say, I adore Robin Cook. I have read almost all of his novels. Most of them are medical mysteries, but he has a couple that are a little different. This is one of them . Sphinx follows Erica Baron, an Egyptologist, to Egypt (because that's where Egyptologists go) so she can fulfill her dream of seeing the ruins of ancient Egypt. Erica witnesses a murder and is plunged into the world of black market profiteering. At 12-years-old and 28-years-old, I couldn't put this book down. Interesting fact: This books original release date was the day after I was born, which was my original release date.

Acceptable Risk (also) by Robin Cook

Edward, a scientist, is dating Kim, a nurse, who is researching her family's history, which just so happens to date back to the Salem witch trials. While they are on Kim's family's land, they come across a mold spore growing in the basement of a cabin that Edward tries to develop as a drug. During clinical trials, however, odd things start happening and the drug turns out to do horribe things to the mind. The movie for the book kind of sucks, but don't let that deter you from reading the book!

PS....obviously I got the picture from Amazon....

The Circle Series by Ted Dekker

The first three books of this series are A. MA. ZING. (I have not read book # 4, Green, so I can't speak for that one.) They are of the sci-fi/fantasy genre which can either be really good (Twilight, holla) or really bad. My favorite is Black, but for some reason, anytime there is a sequal, I always prefer the maiden-voyage book. The book that gets you INTO the story to begin with. Anyway, the lead character, Thomas Hunter, is hit in the head by a bullet and he wakes up in an ulternate universe. One where giant bats are the enemy and they live in a creepy black forest. There's an awesome place called "the colored forest" whose inhabitants don't know anything but happiness and awesomeness. Every time Tom goes to sleep in one world, he wakes up in the other. One reviewer put it like this: two worlds, one hero to save them both. In the alternate universe, there is a battle between good and evil and it has some similarities to CS Lewis books where there is a Lion who is symbolic of God. The religious ties gave me goose bumps.

A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins

A Walk Across America (or Walk, as I call it), is the true story of Peter Jenkins and his, wait for it, WALK ACROSS AMERICA in the 1970's. Peter had pretty much lost faith in America in the 70's and decided that he wanted to travel and meet as many people as he could to restore his faith in our nation. So Peter, along with his trusty Malamute Cooper, walked across this great country of ours, beginning in Connecticut and finishing the journey years later on the west coast, and met and lived with several different people and families along the way. At some point, National Geographic got wind of his journey and gave him a camera and asked him to document his adventures for the magazine. Which. Is. Awesome. Again, Peter has written several books since this one about his travels, but I keep coming back to Walk. You fall in love with Peter and his desire to uncover the true spirit of America's people. Also, Cooper is the cutest, most amazing dog to read about. He is a very important character in the story. This book is so amazing and so beautifully written, it will make you want to put on your Nikes and grab a big ol' pack and hike across the country. You may not actually DO it, but you will WANT to.

The Last Guardian by Shane Jenkins

Again, I got this picture from Amazon.

T.G. Shass comes across an artifact of otherworldly power, but he can't remember how he came to possess it. He is transported to an alternate reality that exists as though the Flood of the Bible had never happened. Once he finally makes it back to this reality, he discovers that his love, Jenni, has vanished. He becomes convinced that she has somehow been taken to the alternate reality and tries to return there. I can't say enough good things about this book! I couldn't put it down! I think I read it in something like 2 days.

Well, these are some of my favorites. I didn't want to review books like Twilight or The Da Vinci Code (both of which I adore) because everyone has either read them or has seen the movies. So please, try one of these books, if you haven't already. I know that you'll love them! Also, if anyone wants to borrow them, I own all of these. I was reading them so often that it got annoying to go to the library to get them. Ownership was the only way to go!!

Recipe of the day-ish

Ok, so here's my idea: Im going to post my favorite recipe/band/tv show/movie of the day. I might not actually get around to doing it EVERY day (I am a full-time parent, wife and employee after all), but I will do my best. Today, I bring you a recipe. We had this for dinner tonight and it was oh-so-yummy on a cold, frosty evening such as this.

Prep: About 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes approximately 6 servings. (Four if you eat like we do!)

Defrost Your Bones Pork Stew

Small amount of vegetable oil (about 1 1/2 tbs)
1 lb pork loin, cut into 1" chunks (I used chops, but you could certainly use chicken)
1 green bell pepper, medium diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (you could also substitute potatoes. Red potatoes would be good because they aren't as starchy as russets.)
1 cup cole slaw mix with carrots (praise Jesus for the pre-packaged cole slaw!)
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning*
2 cans of chicken broth (I actually used a mix of chicken and vegetable broth)

(*If you can't find Cajun seasoning in the store: 1 tbs back pepper, 2 1/2 tbs salt, 1 tbs cayenne, 1 tbs paprika. 1 tbs dried oregano. It will make plenty of extra which you can save in an air tight container.)

Coat the pork in the Cajun seasoning and cook in the oil until browned.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

That's all there is to it, kids! It's delicious, warm and just a little spicy (leave out the cayenne if you don't dig spicy). I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! Bryan liked it too, but he can't taste anything because he's sick, so I dont know if that counts. I've got tons more to share, so stay tuned!

Blogs

I have decided something recently, and here it is: A person can be addicted to some really odd things. In my profile, I stated (quite proudly) that I am not a watcher of reality television. I'd rather have a STORY that is scripted on my tv. Which, ok, most reality television shows ARE scripted...I'm pretty sure after the first or second season of The Real World, there have been scripts, but I digress.
I am not addicted to smoking, drugs, drinking, exercise (ha!), or any of those things that people seem to glean to so easily. I prefer to lean more to things like chocolate, cheese, pasta...food in general. But I have a new found obsession: Blogs. Yes. That's right. I get to look into people's lives via my favorite medium. I love words. I like to be able to read about a person or a place and have a picture constructed in my mind. I guess I like to use my imagination. I like it when I read to Kennedy at night and she takes her eye mask off her face (yes, my 8-year-old diva wears an eye mask to bed) and says, "Mom! It's like there's a movie playing in my head! Cool!" The only way that blogs could be better is if they were in book form (umm...I guess that would be a memoir, huh?). I like the weight of the book in my hand, I like the smell of the bindings, I like to turn the pages. Once, when I was about 10, I went to Barnes & Noble with a wad of Christmas cash and blew it all on books. Glorious books! The cashier asked me if I was going to jail or something. I don't know why that's the first thing that came to his mind, but whatev. I had a stack of about 15 books, fresh, never opened, bindings that had never been bent, and it was all mine! Yeah. I'm a nerd. What of it?
I've been reading a lot of memoirs and autobiographies lately, and on the authors' web sites there are usually links to blogs that they write as well. So one day last week, I had decided to check some of them out. I couldn't imagine for the life of me a) a writer coming up with something to write about on a regular basis ASIDE from their books, and b) that there would be something interesting and worth my time to read. I figured it would be all about book signing dates and book tours, etc. Which, don't get me wrong, that's is interesting, but not as much fun as a story. But, oh my. The world of blogging has opened up a whole new can of obsession for me. This is my "Real Housewives of (insert city here)", my "Keeping Up with the Kardashians", my "American Idol". Yeah. I'm a nerd. And this, friends, is my nerdy version of reality television.

Snow storm

I have mentioned that I hate winter, yes? I hate getting out of a nice, warm, cozy bed and freezing my little piggies off when I walk downstairs to let Zona outside. Most people would just say, "Hey Kristen, just put on a sweatshirt and some slippers!", but to that I say, "I was built for warm weather." We are currently under a level 1 snow emergency, which means emergency vehicles are the only ones allowed on the roads. Last time we had an ice storm like this one, our town had no power for THREE WEEKS so after the first couple of nights, my family peaced out and fled to Arkansas to stay with mom's brother and his family. It was MUCH warmer there. I was MUCH happier. The older I get, the more I realize cold weather isn't as bothersome to kids as it is to adults. For a kid, there are snow days, sledding, french toast breakfasts and snowball fights. For adults, there is driving through the yucky weather, slipping and sliding to work and worrying about your kids getting sick. However, we still have the french toast breakfasts, so there's that at least.

With this horrible winter weather, I had at least hoped for a day off of work. I've been really stressed lately, and really, it all stems from work. The kids get multiple days of no school, but us adults have to still somehow make it to work. This week, I give adulthood a great big thumbs down.

For tonight at least, I am going to cuddle up with my family, watch a movie, and maybe play some games. And maybe, JUST MAYBE, us adults in the midwest will have a snow day tomorrow too.

Happy Birthday Brooklynn!

One year ago today, I became an Auntie. I had no idea how much I could love a child that didn't belong to me. But from the very first time I saw her wrinkly little face and her huge ton of black hair (which she would lose most of later, of course), I was smitten. Let me tell you how my day went on February 1st, 2010 (it's very brief):

My sister, Brittany, had called me Sunday night and told me that she was going to the hospital to have her baby. This was very bittersweet for me. Sweet because I was oh so excited to meet this tiny brand new person, but bitter because my sister had cruelly decided to move to Arkansas (a 10 hour drive for us), marry Blake and settle down. So I was in Indiana when she called me to tell me she was going to the hospital. Anyway, Monday, February 1st, I had classes all day and I couldn't miss them because it was my last semester of school before graduation and I really needed to be there. I drove home as fast as my little VolksWagon could take me (which is pretty fast), picked Kennedy up from school and sped to my parent's house because they have a webcam and I do not. We finally got the call that Brooklynn had arrived and Blake took Britt's laptop into the nursery so we could catch our first glimpses of the new baby. And I cried the whole time. I was emotional all day because I really wanted to be with my sister (also because I was pregnant at the time), but I somehow managed to not cry...at least until I saw this beautiful, chicken-legged baby with a huge mess of black hair that looked like it had blond highlights. It looked like she had gone to the salon to prepare for her grand entrance into the world. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

I don't get to see little miss Punkin Head as often as I would like. I've only gotten to snuggle with her on a handful of occasions in this last year. But I couldn't love her any more, even if she were mine. I love my sister for so many reasons, but mostly because she gave me the most wonderful neice south of the Mississippi.

Happy First Birthday Punkin Head!!!

Love, Auntie

The Wertz Family

Our family is composed of 4 people and a dog.

Bryan (aka Dad) is a 31-year-old graphic designer. He's a brilliant artist with a great eye for detail. He exudes coolness, but it's totally effortless. He is VERY introverted, but I feel that I have brought him out of his shell a little in the 6 1/2 years we have been together. Bryan is the cleanest man I know without being OCD about it. He's a fantastic dad and husband, and he's my very best friend.

I, Kristen (aka Mom) am a 28-year-old traffic director for a local radio station. Traffic meaning 'radio traffic', not 'road traffic'. I've always been kind of chubby...ok very chubby. I have low self esteem about my physical appearance, but I'm very confident about my social skills. I'm kind of lazy, but I'm working on that. I graduated from college last year in the field of phlebotomy, which was really difficult because of the whole lazy thing. I couldn't find a job in my field so I looked elsewhere and found this job in radio. I've been a reader my whole life. I taught myself to read when I was 4-years-old, and I never stopped. Another hobby of mine is cooking. I just had my first paying catering gig a few weeks ago. I've cooked for groups ranging from 4 people to 300 people. I LOVE IT. I'm passionate about my food and I love to try new things. Be sure that there will be at least a few blog posts about food. I'm very much into music and finding new things to listen to. I like NPR, movies and tv, but I'm not very fond of reality tv beyond things like the Food Network or the Discovery channel. I think I'm a pretty good mom...I love my kids more than anything and I want the very best in life for them. Of all of the things I have done in my life to make me feel good, nothing compares my kiddos giving me hugs. It's like a drug. I wonder if there's a sticker that says, "I get high on hugs"?

Kennedy is an 8-year-old 2nd grader. She has inherited her daddy's shyness. However, she warms up to people pretty easily and then shows her true self. She's a pretty smart kid. She likes to ride her bike, play her Nintendo DS, play with her friends, and her favorite band is Weezer. She's a very good swimmer and she can hit a softball like you wouldn't believe. It's fun watching her develop into a little adult. She's figuring out who she is, what she likes, and what her boundaries are. Kennedy is very tall for her age. She's about a head taller than all of her friends. I'm not tall so I don't know where she gets it from. We are currently in the process of Bryan adopting Kennedy. Hopefully that will be finalized soon!

Avery is the newest addition to our family. She is currently 5 months old. Ave will take after her big sis in so many ways, I can already tell. She loves it when people sing to her, and she has recently discovered her hands and what to do with them. Aves is a very sweet and pleasant baby most of the time. However, when she does get upset, she has a vile temper.

Zona (short for Arizona) is our 2 year old pit bull mix. I don't know what she's mixed with, but it's something smaller than a pit. She's a beautiful dog, and she picks up on things pretty quickly as long as you keep up with training. But again, I'm lazy. Zones (as Kennedy likes to call her) is afraid of almost everything: the vacuum, hairdryer, any loud sudden noises, soccer balls and boxes. Yes, boxes. Like if I am carrying a box in from the garage, she runs from me. We think she may have been abused before we adopted her. Maybe abused by boxes? Or maybe soccer balls?

This blog will cover our adventures as a family. We don't lead terribly exciting lives, but we have a lot of fun and we do lots of stuff together. We aren't the typical suburban family like the rest in our neighborhood. We don't have a minivan or SUV and I'm definately not the soccer mom type.  I wish I would have thought about blogging way before now. Last year was a very exciting year for us. We had a baby, I became a college graduate, Kennedy got 2nd place in her science fair, I became an aunt TWICE, we adopted Zona and Bryan and I had a superfun adventure in New York. Maybe I'll go back and re-live some of these adventures in this blog. They are definately worth sharing.