Remind Me Of Us

First harvest of the season!

Hmm...what can I make with banana peppers?

Now if only my tomatoes would get with the program...

In It To Win It

Food. Food. Food. This is my fridge after a Saturday afternoon grocery shopping adventure. Complete with Jason pretending the shopping cart was a bobsled, and in his best "Cool Runnings" accent, counting down to launch the bobsled. The fridge is now nice and full, ready for a week of new breakfasts, lunches, dinners and midnight snacks.

I've really gotten into planning, cooking and preparing meals lately. I know I've mentioned my planning ahead of meals by the month (now down to two weeks because of lack of apartment space to keep four different bags of potatoes). And I've also discovered a love of food blogs. I really have found a lot of them to be informative, witty and interesting to read.

A few favorites:

www.thepioneerwoman.com (thanks Liza!)

www.101cookbooks.com

www.joythebaker.com

www.annies-eats.com

There's something calming about reading through these recipes, the photography they use and the time they spend to make homemade, nutritious meals for their family. It inspires me to take more time to put effort into this part of life. Taking the time to enjoy and experience things. Not just food, but books, events, travel, etc. I think it's time I do more of this.

I've always wanted this blog to be a place to extend myself.

And it's time I extend into new places in this blog. A refresh is in order. Let's go!

However Long I Stay

Close enough to start a war,
All that I have is on the floor,
God only knows what we're fighting for,
All that I say, you always say more,

I can't keep up with your turning tables,
Under your thumb, I can't breathe,

So I won't let you close enough to hurt me,
No, I won't rescue, you to just desert me,
I cant give you the heart you think you gave me,
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables,
To turning tables,

Under haunted skies I see you, ooh,
Where love is lost, your ghost is found,
I braved a hundred storms to leave you,
As hard as you try, no, I will never be knocked down,

I can't keep up with your turning tables,
Under your thumb, I can't breathe,

Next time I'll be braver,
I'll be my own savior,
When the thunder calls for me,
Next time I'll be braver,
I'll be my own savior,
Standing on my own two feet...

-- [Turning Tables], Adele

Next Time I'll Be Braver

So...we've done it. We've officially made our first move as a married couple. We decided, after a alot of discussion and searching that moving to a new place was the best thing for us. It happened fast and furious, but we learned a lot through it all...

• I learned that no matter how hard I try to change things, my husband is usually right (bleh). His calmness and zen-like approach to life got us through a very stressful move and made all the rockiness and upheaval seem like an adventure.
  


• Jason learned that I do not like to leave empty houses. I cried on almost every one of our 8 trips in the Uhaul back and forth because I was sad, because I was happy, because I was hot, because I was hungry...on and on. And I cried the most when the house was empty and we said goodbye to our first home. It was just so....empty.
  


• I learned that sacrifice most often leads to new opportunities.
  


• Jason learned that his wife is a hoarder in disguise.
  


• I learned that my husband has a serious connection with his high school gym shorts, and even though they are covered in paint stains, ripped and would be best suited for a dish rag, there they remain, in one of our few drawers, right next to his socks...and I think there they will remain forever.

And we both learned that even in a first year of marriage, filled with many "firsts": first holidays, first hospital stays, first stitches, first quiche explosions, first moves, etc., that our first year was the best year yet! Here's to many more....years together, not house moves :)

Just Another Brick In The Wall

Hiya. My name is Sadie. Most of you know me as the hyper, loveable mutt that resides with my owners, Stephanie and Jason. But, I'm like an onion, peel those layers away...and you will see so much more deeper inside of me...let me explain.

1. My stomach is not just for show; it is a magical place where if you rub it, your dreams come true 2. My tongue is like a soothing wave, and if I lick your toes, the clouds open and the skies rain down heavenly manna for all to enjoy

3. The couch is not for humans; it is a scary place that if you sit on, you will fall to depths of the earth and never return -- therefore I advise you to sit on the floor while I keep the couch safe from falling humans. I'm just looking out for you, you know?

4. I may throw up more than a normal dog, but it's just to bestow my magical juices to the world; they have healing powers for carpets and floors.

5. I also have a super-dog stomach; give me anything -- Tums, chocolate, fiber, chapstick, christmas ornaments, laundry soap, pine cones, squirrel poop -- you name, I can down it.

6. My owners think that I'm a little left of center, because I would rather lick the couch cushions than play with my very expensive toys...but I believe that the couch cushions (albeit dangerous for humans) offer magical strength for my day long sleeping sessions. And I don't appreciate being laughed at during a commercial showing all these super dogs doing super-dog like things, and my owners look over at me while I'm licking the couch cushions and laugh....not cool guys.

But all in all, I'm a good dog. Come over and visit me sometime, I promise to jump on you and lick your face and invite you into my home.....no not the laundry room, the full house is at my disposal to entertain guests. Because as we all know, I'm the queen of this castle, and Jason and Stephanie are just paying the rent.

Halfway There

...moving...

...changing...

...renewing...

...loving...

...understanding...

...happening...

...feeling...

...seeing...

...being...

...doing...

...going...

...coming...

...embracing...

...refreshing!

To Close The Door

I made a promise to myself during the recent Women's Conference at my church. And I wrote it on a little card and placed it in the book of Ruth (the book we were studying). It was a promise to myself, and to God that I would daily weep and rejoice forward. Forgetting what is behind and trusting daily that God is taking care of me and my life. A day-to-day reminder that I needed to DAILY give my concerns and worries to Him.

That was three weeks ago. I did well for the first few days. I felt lighter. Positive. Joyful.

But I've twisted myself all up again. Sometimes I feel like a bobbin on a sewing machine as it is being wound. It goes so fast, and winds so tightly against the spool it's like a tasmanian devil. I feel like I'm being wound really really tight at a furious pace, then I don't have control over. My foot isn't on the pedal. Sickness. Moving. Worries. Anticipation. Stress. Unknown. Money. All of the emotions and circumstances in life are flying pretty hard at me and it feels like it won't stop.

But then, I realized something. After all that fury of winding the thread, you place the bobbin in the right place, and as you begin to slowly sew, the thread is loosened and guided by the artist's hands, and begins to create and shape new and beautiful things.

That same foot that wound me so tightly, will slowly and graciously release me and my life to create new and better things. This made me remember exactly why I made that promise to myself.

So here I am, back to my daily habit of remembering who is in control and letting go. It is difficult, but not impossible. Unwinding to His new mercies and forgiveness for my stubborness to want to control it all. Yielding to the Artist's hands and vision, not my own.