Always In Training

Steps to Cutting Down your own Christmas Tree.

2011-11-25T17:18:00.000-08:00

Step 1:

Find your most Lumber Jack looking shirt, buy a permit, and gather materials.

Step 2:

Go to a forest and find your tree...and walk around for an hour and half looking for that PERFECT tree farm type tree only to find that God grows them differently in nature.

Step 3:

Find a tree and get your lumber jack husband to smile because his wife finally said that this tree will work.

Step 4:

Cut down tree and feel thankful that it is not very thick cause you can't help since you are 32 weeks pregnant. Throw out encouraging sayings like, "Wow, you are so strong and manly!"

Step 5:

Say "TIMBER" as it falls to the ground...for the second time because you asked the Lumber Jack to lift it up and drop it for the camera because you missed it the first time. :-)

Step 6:

Drag your prize to the truck and catch your first child "claiming" his property...what the camera does not show is the second child coming in right after and doing the same.

John and I have enjoyed a live tree for Christmas every year. For the last 4 seasons (I can't believe this is our 5th Christmas together!), it has been tradition to get that special tree the day after Thanksgiving. This year, because we live where the trees are made, we decided to cut our own.. and for $10, we could not resist.

The tree is perfect because of the adventure and the story... definitely not because of how it looks! But we will keep her name her Rosie. (we cut her from MT. Rose)

Happy Birthday Radar!

2011-11-08T14:56:00.001-08:00

HI! My name is Radar and today I turn 2 years old! Isn't that great? This my guest post to let you know a little bit about me and my life. Usually Diesel gets all of the attention, but not today!

I did have to share my treats with brother.. but that's okay.. his birthday is in January and I hope he remembers my kindness.

Me learning patience. (Doesn't mom know I am a boy? Pink? Really?)

OH, I don't care!

This is me sticking my tongue out at brother because he can't have it! You can see him at the top left... he's probably crying inside....

Okay, so that was my little Party, now.. more about me!

1) I love to sleep! I am a great sleeper. I prefer to cuddle with my humans but really anything will do. I know the last picture I picked is of me getting a bath.. but... I slept after that bath!

2.) I love goose poop! I know what you're saying... "MMMM goose poop." Well let me tell you something... we have a buffet of it behind our new home. It is a delicacy in the dog world.. maybe like goose pate for you humans. Mom always yells at me, "DROP! DROP," which I think also means, "CHUG! CHUG!!"...so I do. You can't get this stuff every where you know?

Look, mom is so proud, she caught me in action! JACK POT!!!

3) Mom and Dad have the opportunity to send me back if they don't like me after two years. If they find out that I have hip displasia or some other disease at 2 years, they can return me to KY. Lately, mom has been saying that I love her more and that I have been following her around more because she is pregnant- but really I am just buttering her up so that she will keep me. :-)

4) Now that I am 14 years old, I apparently make funny nosies in my sleep. Last night I howled in my dreams. I even woke up brother!

5) I love to annoy Diesel. I like to steal his toys when he is playing outside. I usually roll around in the grass and eat sticks and wait until he is REALLY tired and THEN I go after him!

They have good sticks in Nevada.

Rollin...

Rollin again..

Mom's favorite part...

and tada.... tired brother!

Don't you dare make fun of my ears!

Other than that, I am just your normal, super adorable, sweet puppy! If you sit down near me, I will sit by you if not on you! Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me!

Love, Radar.

A Tall, Tall, Truthful, Tale.

2011-11-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Once upon time there was a wife who spent too much time looking at DIY web sites. She found a magical inexpensive version of a bed she wanted and waited until her prince charming was finished fighting all of the dragons (a.k.a.- fellowship and oral boards) to ask him if would be willing to help HER build this bed. OF course he said that he would love to be at her service and got to work. Thus the adventure began of the ANA WHITE farmhouse bed.

Okay, so John had to tweak the measurements, and chisel and stain and on and on and on...But we love it. HE did such a great job. HE did ALL of the work! I sanded a bit and my mother in law even got in on the work when she was here visiting. But all of the brains behind this beauty was in the head of the husband. So proud of him. Half way through this project and after many "uh-oh's" we realized that maybe this was a big 1st time project... BUT I THINK IT IS AWESOME.

Last night John got a call that he would have the day off today.. so of course like a sweet wife at 9:30pm, I suggested that we see if the bed could be put together. After an "easy" 3 hours.. it was all done! :-)

NOW the Funny-ish part. IT IS SO TALL! John did everything wonderfully. The bed springs fit in nicely, the frame fits in the head board (after much chiseling and sanding) and the bed is super sturdy.... but here is where we learned a valuable lesson. MEASURE THE DEPTH OF YOUR MATTRESS! Holy cow is this this tall! ANYWAY, I blame myself for picking out the mattress... not John. He was a little disappointed but I think it looks great. Enjoy the photos!

Bringing it into the room..and out.. and back in again- it is not light!

I thought I should at least do something!

Proud John.

Getting here.

2011-09-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to wait to blog until I had taken pictures of our rental home, but.. I keep waiting until the house is completely "finished" and semi de boxed. While it is almost done, I will just move on to the other things that we have accomplished while being here.

John has started his job and amazingly a month has gone by! He loves it. He loves doing his own cases and loves that he gets paid for what you work for. If you don't do a case, you don't get no money. The weather, while "hot" in the afternoons, is wonderful. Nice and cool in the mornings and evenings, we are able to go for long pregnancy walks and able to play with the dogs and not feel like we are melting.

So we made it here after a surprisingly pleasant 4-day drive. When we arrived in Tahoe, we stayed at this enclosed 3 acre retreat place that our dogs were able to play and run around with other dogs for two days.

They had a blast! It was gorgeous! We figure this would be a great place for our families if they ever want to come and hang out with their dogs too. You can rent a one bedroom cabin or the entire place! It is about a 5 min walk to the gorgeous lake Tahoe.

From here, we drove to Emerald Bay...named appropriately for it's color.. GORGEOUS! From there, John and I and the "children" went for a 2 mile, hard for us, hike to a hidden lake named Eagle Lake.

Not working out for a long time, being preggo, 4 days of travel food and high altitude made for a difficult but great afternoon. So worth it!

After our fun times, we moved into our rental and waited about 2 weeks for a our belongings to arrive. In August, we went to something called , "HOT August Nights." Every year there is a huge car show at all of the casinos in downtown Reno...Music, food and of course.. cars.

Okay, almost done, I promise. Later in August, my mom dropped by and we enjoyed a little 2 hour cruise back to Emerald Bay.

It was a gorgeous afternoon and the views were, well, beautiful!

Okay, can you tell I am done?? That's all I have for now except for about 400 photos to go through from a Balloon Race we went to this morning at 5 am! Hopefully I can get those uploaded soon.. not all of them!

Happy Reading.

Oh, and Baby is doing great! It's a girl!

New Collars for a New State

2011-07-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

So of course I would eventually have to write about the puppies. We found a collar for Diesel a while back and I was in search for the perfect collar for our little Radar....and we found it!!! Like I mentioned in my last post, Radar is in love with me so we think this collar is 100% accurate.

First Trimester...this and that

2011-07-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

So as of now, I am at 12 weeks. The baby is the size of a lime and has a diet that none of my healthy, organic friends would approve of.

Here is a list of the things I have learned or become aware of during the first trimester.

1. THE MOST IMPORTANT- I have the most wonderful husband. His food flexibility has amazed me (any time, any flavor.) He tells me all the time that he is thankful that I am carrying this child (who does that?) He never looks down on me when he leaves the house and I am on the couch and when he comes back I am still there ( I guess, technically he is looking down on me but only to smile at me and ask me if I need anything!) Did I mention that he is studying for another test and still is this way???

2. From week 6-12 I went to Subway and ordered a 6-inch chicken breast on wheat with extra pickles.... no more than that.... um, a little more please...thank you, lettuce, tomatoes, vinegar...a little more please, and a stripe of chipotle sauce...... everyday for lunch... everyday. Then one day at Subway, I was sitting outside while John purchased our sandwiches. (they had just pulled out some freshly baked bread which was repulsive smelling) ANYWAY, while I as waiting outside with the puppies, Diesel and Radar decided to eat some leftovers on the ground which I could try to explain to you but honestly I might vomit on the computer. And you know what? That did it! It cured me of the subway sandwich streak.

3. There is a Whole foods at the corner of Cedar and Warensville near our home and if I am forced by the red light to wait, I begin to pray that smell permeating from the store buffet will not get to my car before I begin to dry heave.

4. I am surprised that I have not cried more.

5. When I don't feel gross or tired I get nervous that I have lost the baby. If I wait 2-3 hours, God reminds that I am still INDEED preggo.

6. I have a constant cold and or allergies.

7. I was hoping my food baby that I acquired while living in Cleveland (10 pounds yall) would slowly disappear by week 7 cause I would be showing.... nope... now it just sits on top of my growing hips and belly... and still no baby bump... just a food pooch.

8. Radar is IN LOVE WITH ME! Our dogs have always been everywhere with us, but Radar seems to never leave my side. He waits for me when I am in the rest room, he will not let me go from room to room with out him, down or up the stairs with out him and he is constantly by my side when I nap. It is totally cute.. for now.

9. I sleep ..... a lot.

10. I have had to wear a rubber band around my buttons on my shorts for the last 3 weeks.

Looking forward to what the 2ND trimester brings.

Starting Again...and for good reason.

2011-07-04T20:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, so it has been a while, and I don't think I accomplished any of the resolutions from the previous post. I even started a new blog as many of you know, but once they started charging me for pictures to be uploaded, that seemed to fizzle out. So here I am again, going to give it another go... so here it goes.. I hope it lasts longer than one blog.. okay.. I am going to start now... alright.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the biggest reason I have begun blogging again. Facebook has taken away most of my time with one liners throughout my day, but I figured that most of my family will be interested in the thousands of photos I will soon post of the baby... okay, at least the moms will be.

Happy Reading... hopefully.

2010

2009-12-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

Here we go. It's time for the New Year's resolution list to go up on the blog. That makes it sound like I have done one before, but no, I haven't. I am hoping that it will keep me accountable to those two of you who might read my blog.

1) Run a half marathon.

- Have started a run log and team named NO EXCUSES with other friends to keep me accountable.

2) Read the Bible in a year.

-Have RE-signed up for an internet Bible reading plan. I get the e-mails daily.

3) Master the art of French Cooking

-Inspired (sadly) by the movie Julie and Julia, I have purchased this book and hope to learn how to prepare meals with out using recipes. This book is meant to give you that education.

4) Journal

-I used to do this ALL the time. EVERYDAY. It was mainly prayers and bible study times...I am excited to get back to this tool.

5) Read 4 books

- Not sure yet which ones- but John got a Kindle and I want one too (I think.) I have to prove that I would use it! My motivation should be to EXPAND MY HORIZONS but really I just think the gadget is cool.

And of course the usual:

6) Watch what I feed my family and myself

7) Lose a Gazillion Pounds.

Okay, what are your resolutions?

Christmas Time

2009-12-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Christmas Eve. John and I are just hanging out at the house, just the two of us. I am wondering how many times I can watch "The Santa Clause" (1-3) with out going crazy. Not yet, folks!

Traditionally, (3rd year now) we watch HOLIDAY INN.

Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, I think, equal warm, cozy, holiday feelings.

Tonight, I am preparing for our Christmas dinner. John is smoking a turkey and brisket. I am making my mom's green bean casserole, broccoli cheese casserole, mash potatoes (already made from Thanksgiving and frozen), grandma's salad, and rolls. Then, for the first time ever... I am attempting to make traditional Bread Pudding. YEA!!

Of course Christmas is clearly not about Trees (which we decorated) or lights on the House (which we put up) or lots of food ( which we continue to eat) or even gifts (which we love to give and of course get).

Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary, to take away the sins of the world.. this is why anyone should celebrate Christmas. I think it is interesting that non Christians celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. I wonder what the world thinks about when Christmas day comes and goes? I am very guilty of getting "wrapped" up with the holiday....um , spirit. Tonight, John and I will listen to a Christmas Sermon, enjoy Holiday Inn, and snuggle up with our two sweet puppy dogs. These things are not wrong, but my prayer for my family is that we continue to celebrate the Truth throughout the year. He came to take the wrath of God, which the Bible says that I was born an object of, away from me so that I can enjoy Him and His glory everyday. He came because he Loved His creation. Christ was born and Christmas will forever be known as the day God came to be with the World. Immanuel, God with Us.

Here is a great story with a Christmas Twist. The Innkeeper. Enjoy and Merry CHRISTMAS!

COOK

2009-12-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

Today I cooked 2 orders of bacon and eggs, An order of Pancakes with sliced fruit, fresh guacamole and salsa, and a potato sand which with tomato and basil salad. Yes, I was busy.. and I even got a gold medal for my eggs!

OKAY.. today I got to open an early Christmas gift from John..

Cook or be Cooked from Wii!

It was super fun. Okay, that's all. More to come.

The New Addition

2009-12-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

He has arrived. Our second puppy is finally here! His name is Radar and he is already is showing his personality. He is very different from Diesel. Diesel was shy and would run to someone when anything came towards him... like another dog or if he heard a loud noise. Radar, however, is already showing signs of playfulness and boldness. Diesel enjoyed a his cuddle time but wanted to be out exploring everything. Radar loves to just fall asleep in your arms.... in his crate.. or just in mid walk! Super cute! Here are some comparison pictures. These are Radar at 6 weeks and Diesel at 5 and 7 weeks. I think Radar will be smaller! Can you tell who is who?

Arts and Crafts

2009-12-07T21:20:00.001-08:00

I made this today. No where on my "TO DO" list was and item that remotely looked liked - Home Made Marshmallow Wreath.

It is quite amazing the lengths I will take to not do what is actually on my "To Do" list.

1. Organize Office (for the 3rd time)

2. Organize Guest room

3. Clean off Kitchen table

4. Grocery Store

Now in all fairness, I did go to the grocery store, but I did not purchase the items needed to support my family. I bought 10 bags of marshmallows.. oh yea, and sour cream for the soup we ate tonight.

I think it was in the stars tonight for me to buy marshmallows-- Kroger had them on sale for 10/1.00!!!!

So if you ever find yourself with a "To Do" list that should be done because you have people coming over the next day that you have never met and they will be using your house to watch their small child and it really should be clean.... just think......."What can I make that I saw in a magazine once?"

Hello?

2009-12-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! So much has gone on since.... WHAT????.. JULY!!!! Where have I been? I think Facebook has ruined my blogging world. Why blog about what has been going on when I can update my status and let you know that "my teeth are freshly brushed," or "AHH! traffic was bad today!" or my favorite, "just woke up..."

Why does the world need to know that? More importantly, why am I rushing over to the computer right after I have opened my eyes to let the world know?

Point being, I am going to start blogging again..... at least right now I am.

Since July, I have completed my 3rd Triathlon, refinished our dining room table (maybe not a big deal to anyone out there, but it might just be blogged about!), competed in So You Think You Can Dance, and have traveled to Texas 3 times.

December will prove to be a very bloggable month.

First, we are getting our second puppy, RADAR, on the 19th. Same as Diesel boy but a different mama.

Before that happens though, JJ Heller and her husband Dave are coming up to Lexington to sing at our Christmas party! We are super pumped and totally honored they are doing this!

Okay, so coming soon.. BLOGS, BLOGS, BLOGS!

The easy road...

2009-07-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Isn't nice when someone else writes a post for you...

I know that I am totally cheating, but HERE is what I did two weekends ago!

Thanks Kat!

Heart Healthy Choices

2009-07-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

As of lately, it has been important to me to TRY and be heart healthy...at least in my head it has been. But my eating actions have deviated from this goal. One side of Johns family has a history of heart disease and this disease has shown itself early in the lives of his grandfather and dad.

WELL NOT UNDER MY HOUSE! I want to do my best to provide a healthy, restful home for my family.

My favorite sister-in-law KAT, who is very wise, told me that she wants her home to be the place where her children and husband are refreshed and given healthy foods. She says that the world will provide enough junk on it's own and that her home will be a refuge.

I have already ordered the American Heart Associations cookbook and we have tried many recipes from it. Unfortunately, I still add all the stuff it tells me not use. For example... we

made phenomenal Fish Tacos (thank you Lindsey) that calls for corn tortillas, flaky fish, and home made pico de gallo. MMMMM--- but of course we added sour cream (low fat of course), and cheese.

This is just one example of how I can make anything more fatty.

So now I have decided to try a LITTLE harder to do this heart healthy thing. I know it would be good for me and of course I would be doing my part to keep John around for as long I can. I have "joined" a 12 week program-(Hi, my name is Diana and I have dirty arteries.") that will give me tips, recipes and all the hugs and encouragement a girl could ask for. :-)

I will say that some of it might be cheesy (well, I guess not cheesy b/c that would be unhealthy- oh man I crack myself up!) ANYWAY- some of it might be over the top- but getting daily reminders on my Facebook, and daily e-mails and daily widgets and daily encouraging notes from all my fellow BETTER-U participants, might actually make me want ~~to throw up~~ to remember that this is an important issue that is affecting tons (that is my official statistic) of Americans everyday.

I just wanted to let you know that I decided to get a LITTLE more serious about this after eating at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch and then eating Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. If I set small goals, anything should be possible after that night!

So you think you can dance?

2009-06-30T19:02:00.001-07:00

Well, I finally made it to a SYTYCD audition. I have tried for the last two seasons to get to one, and this year... New Orleans Season 6 was accomplished. Season 4, both of my planes were cancelled, season 5, I got sick the night before and even this season I unfortunately lost my grandfather right before I went to the audition. I have a wonderful family though and they encouraged me to go anyway. I got the chance to say goodbye to my grandfather before he passed away, caught a Thursday flight and Friday morning got the news of his death. I wanted to come home and be with family, but since I was already in New Orleans, I decided to stay and at least try.

It was a lot fun and a very long day. Everyone was really nice and there were a lot a cameras around trying to get everyone to do the best tricks and dance moves. I did get to meet the judges and Cat Deeley. All were incredibly genuine and very encouraging

Make sure you watch in September because you just might see me! I am the girl that cried. Can you believe it? I always make fun of that girl but it happened to me. I am not sure how they will (or if they even will) make the story come alive, but I did cry... oh.. and so did my mom. (how embarrassing for both of us!)

Make sure you watch! SO YOU THINK YOU CAN Dance Dance Dance!!!!!!

My sweet grandparents

2009-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege to get to know my moms mom and my dads dad for 29 years. My moms mom past away in May and and my dads dad past away in June. It has been a lot of traveling back and forth to Texas for funerals.

My family is incredible and the support they ALL bring each other is a testimony of Gods love and of his purpose for creating family.

Front Sight

2009-06-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

Where do I begin? This was an amazing trip and experience. We were in Las Vegas for 6 days. 5 of those days were long 9 hour (1/2 in class room, 1/2 on the range) days of learning all about how to use and defend yourself with a hand gun.The first day, I cried because I had a nervous husband and a gun in my hand! But after some good marriage communication and a long prayer, everything went smoothly. Through this course, I have learned how my gun will and WILL NOT go off. I have learned how to fix types 1,2, and 3, malfunctions of gun and how to do it quickly as if it were to happen during a gun fight. I learned how to load a gun, how to check if a gun is loaded, and the rules of gun safety. (all of those might seem basic but even those who are RESPONSIBLE around guns go over the basics. Guns don't kill people, People kill people.)

I know how to go through out my house safely and check rooms if I feel the need to so.

I know how to shoot my gun at night with a flash light in hand. I know how to deal with a hostage situation and how to shoot with one hand (3 different ways) if I need to (i.e. if there is a child behind me or in

hand.)

I had to learn where to shoot on the body, how many times to shoot, and what to do after wards. They taught us how to act in the court room, how to act IF you had to get arrested, and the mind set of when and why you would shoot your gun. One of the main things that I remember learning was if you can get out of the situation with out using your gun, do that first. Ultimately, if you must use your gun, you want to make sure it is worth it. Am I happy to be alive and is worth loosing my job, my pride, worth going to jail? At the end of the day, you want to go home.

I learned how to conceal my weapon and how to get it to quickly from concealment if needed.

Over all, I feel 100% safer in my house (which already had two guns) knowing how to use and when to use it if I needed to do so. I HIGHLY recommend this class for anyone who has a gun in the house. We are going back again.

The instructors were amazing! They were not conceited at all (even though they deserve to be). They wanted to teach and make sure that everyone there learned how to be safe and protect themselves.

John and I had a little one on one competition. We both lost because we shot the hostage! YIKES! But don't worry, we got better.. see...

It was so fun to do this with John because I saw him grow and he saw me become more confident with a weapon were before I was scared to be around them. It was over our anniversary and I don't regret it at all! :-)

My romantic husband....

2009-05-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

I can not believe it has almost been two years of being married to my best friend! CRAZY! Last year we went to Florida to celebrate our 1st Anniversary. It was a lot of fun getting so sun burned with a rash and getting sick. Ahh...romance!

Well get ready for this year! John saved up his vacation and is able to take off from May 7- 17th. WOW! So we are going on vacation from May 7th-13th.....to Nevada........Vegas you ask? Not exactly. Have you ever heard of the romantic dessert destination location of Pahrump?

OOOO, AHHHH! PAHRUMP!!???

Are we going to a spa retreat in the oasis? Are we hiking on the skirts of romantic Death Valley? Are we staying in Pahrump because hotels are cheaper there than on the strip? NO, NO, and NO.

We are partaking in a luxurious 4 day defensive handgun course with Front Sight Institute. Ohh la la-- I know.

That's right folks, I will be celebrating the bonds of HOLY Matrimony holding a 9mm side by side with my husband. There is nothing that says L-O-V-E like pretending to be in a hostage situation in your own home. I think I even get to carry a fake baby around!

In all honesty, I think it will be very educational and fun. We had some friends do it last year and they loved it.

So instead of dressing up a cute little dress this year, I will be putting on my holster with magazines, flashlight (oh yes, for the night shoot), and of course...my gun.

But don't worry, I still get to put on sunscreen and work on my .....arm tan.

PS- never type in "Girls with Guns" to try and find a picture for your blog. Not appropriate.

Time to organize the chaos

2009-04-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

My goal today is to become organized and feel less chaotic. I have been struggling to get the house "SRING" clean and when I have so many "hotspots" around the house it begins to make me feel like my life is spinning out of control. I have my list made and I am grounding my self until it is accomplished. No TV until I am done with my chores.....of course now that I am the adult I don't have to completely ground my self from everything....like this computer, but I will limit my time on the computer to the evenings.....um, starting after this blog. :-)

Happy Cleaning!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a very busy weekend. We are exhausted! On Friday night we had an awesome time with our youth from our church at "WINGS,WORSHIP, and WHAT-NOT!" It was a chance for everyone to bring some friends that might not normally go to church and for us to get to know the youth a little more. John had a chance to lead worship for the kids. It was good but also that awkward "we have to sing cause it is a small group but we will not sing too loud," kind of singing. Our youth minister is trying to and DOING a great job of explaining who Jesus is.

Saturday we went out to Keenland.

About 20 of Johns fellow residents decide to Tail gate before the horse races. The weather was a chilly with the wind but the sunshine was incredible. We basically stayed at the the tail gate for 4 hours and never made it into the race. Still fun. After that, John and I went to run some errands and hurried home to play with our dog before we headed out to our first INDIAN New years celebration.

Why you might ask??????

Dr. Reddy, (one of John's Attendings), had asked me to choreograph a tap dance to Indian music for 11 girls...who have never tapped before. We have been working on this dance for the last 4 weeks and they did an awesome job. I don't have any pictures unfortunately but they were great and super cute. These kids were some of the best kids I have ever worked with.

But the night itself was extremely interesting. The program itself did not begin until 6:30..or at least it was supposed to start then. A little after 6:45, the program began and out came the traditional Indian singers and dancers. It was very neat and beautiful to watch the dancers perform all the hand motions and foot work. There were some boring parts to the night also - an Indian comedian......(not funny if you do not know the language).

John and I did learn a lot about Indian culture and enjoyed some traditional home cooked Indian food.... we were there until 9:45pm.

And of course today.... Easter Sunday. I woke up this morning so thankful for what my saviour has done. Today, John and I were in the nursery helping with the 3 yr olds. OH JOY!

It was eventful..One of the little girls missed her mommy so much that she would not let go of me the entire time. When I went to go page her mommy, John tried to pick her up and she screamed louder. I came back, picked her up in my arms and felt a nice warm sensation on the side of my shirt. I was peed on. What a hard day for sweet little Ella. :-(

After church I came home and prepared four dishes (deviled eggs, green bean casserole, risotto, and cranberry salad) for our Easter lunch with Blake and Brianna (youth pastor and wife). We had a great meal at their house with their sweet daughter...who could not get enough of Diesel.....

FINALLY we are home...............I hope you enjoyed my boring long blog about our weekend. :-)

Our Dog

2009-03-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

I know I have not blogged in a LONG time but I had to put this up. John was outside washing both of our cars (I have a great husband!) while our neighbor was out doing the same. Our dogs are basically best friends and were playing in the back yard. John said that he heard Diesel whining and then he heard the gate rattling. His first thought was that he was jumping up on the gate. Instead, when he came around the corner, He saw this.......

Here we go.

2009-02-28T19:36:00.000-08:00

So I have had so much to blog about that now I have forgotten everything I wanted to blog about! Well, not completely... but you know when you wake up in the middle of the night and you write out the greatest speech ever or write the greatest article or say the most witty things? Well, I wish you were back there in my head when that happened like 4 times last month.

Here is small recap of DIANA'S THOUGHT LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

1. I want to detox my life.... less entertainment, less computer, less tv, more reading, more

yogurt, more veggies, all equal healthier thoughts, healthier energy, happier EVERYONE!

2. We went to a great Youth Conference in over V-day weekend and I learned how self centered I am and how thankful I am to be saved from the Wrath of God and thankful that he has chosen to me know Him and to walk worthy of His calling.

3. John and I have been sick sick sick.... well maybe just sick sick. I think if there are three "sicks" that requires total bed rest. We were both in the stage were we want to be in bed all day but you COULD get out and do the stuff that needs to be done. We are feeling better now, but just so you know... there has been NO P90X for two weeks! Boo HOO!

And my running skills have gone down as well. I am looking forward to this week to get back...."On the road again."

4. DOG vs Shower. John was gone at work and I HAD to get Diesel out of the house. We went to the Dog Park... it was wet and muddy. When we came back from the dog park.... so was my dog. Not ONLY was he wet and muddy, he had caked on mud all over his belly area and back of his legs. So I thought I would wash him because it was the right thing to do for my furniture. I was doing so well in the shower. Dog between legs, being submissive, taking the water, taking the shampoo.... and THEN he decides to escape. Three legs out of the shower, dripping with dirty water and shampoo.......SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE..... goes the dog and the mud all over the bathroom (that I just cleaned the day before). Anyway... he got clean, and then I had to clean the shower and bathroom and then it was my turn.... oh but wait.... all that was left was cold water..... YEA ME!

So.. if you would like more info on any oh the above stories, just ask! I have not wanted to blog because I did not want to catch up... but now I am set free, FREE, from my past!

I am glad to have that off my chest!

I am still here

2009-02-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

So much to blog about that I have to write it down.... so I don't forget all share. See you soon!

The problem with sleeping...

2009-02-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

Is just that.. I have a problem sleeping. Lately.. it has been that I wake up two to three timesa night. (Mom, please do not call because you are worried.. I am fine.)

Tonight I am up because John is at work and I usually like to stay up while he is working so that when he comes home, I sleep while he does. It is no fun to be awake while he is home and we could be playing together. It is no fun for him because I usually go in a lot to find out if he has "slept enough yet."

However, he called me about an hour ago letting me know that he was going to bed.....and here I am typing about it.

Sometimes I stay awake because I am scared to be by myself... but tonight I am just restless. I could put away ALL the laundry that I folded.... but that's just it.. I folded it. So at least I did something. Okay.. there is my "lame, it's so late blog." I am going to attempt to go to bed now.

A Sleepy Dog

2009-02-04T18:15:00.001-08:00

This is just really funny. We were watching a TV show and some how forgot our dog was waiting patiently to be thrown a toy. We looked over and he was doing this sleepy eye, hypnotic look. Luckily we got it again.. apparently he was very tired...... It is kinda dark but so funny.

Dog Crazy......

2009-02-04T10:31:00.001-08:00

So for KY the weather has been a bit crazy. The kids missed an entire week of school last week and got let out early yesterday and stayed home today! All that to say that it has been hard for me to get out with Diesel. We could go for a walk and to the dog park... but it was very slick. The dog park was an ice skating rink... NOT EXAGGERATING!

Thankfully, we have Daisy. Daisy is our neighbors puppy dog. She is a 4 year old boxer that taught Diesel everything he needed to know about playing. She is a very cute and lovable dog. They play for hours! She has been my lifesaver in this weather. Diesel knows her name and goes a little bonkers when we ask where she is.

They like each other. One time, after playing for about two hours... I found them face to face laying down on the ground just licking and sniffing each other.

Enjoy the videos.

Diesel and Chloe

2009-01-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

So I finally had that chance to meet my first blog friend. I am sad that we did not take a picture together... but did get some of our sweet dogs playing...kind of.

We went to the Dog Park for Chloe's 2nd birthday

Go say HI to Erin for me......she is having a baby girl soon!

Look, Chloe is shaking hands!

And now she is kissing.. they move so fast you know?

I am sad that I did not get more pictures.

More ice storm fun

2009-01-28T11:15:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures of our ice storm.... I also hope you enjoy the video of John and coconut. He went to the grocery store with me and I never know what we will leave with.. this time, it was a coconut. So what do you do when you are iced in.... I guess play with a coconut.

As you can see, it went as planned.

We did get some milk out the next time around...can't seem to load the video. Did you know that Coconut milk is gross warm... and a little less gross cold?

P90X preview

2009-01-27T03:59:00.000-08:00

So here is absolutely ridiculous video of John and me.... (more ridiculous of me) working out on day 14. Everyday we move the furniture out of the way and make our dog sit on the couch while we dance around. I enjoy days when we could do the workout together. Most of the time, I do it while John is at work and he does it whenever he can. Some days, we have to do it separately because we have only one set of weights.

The program is good and I will explain more about it in the 30 day update. (They tell us to take pictures every 30 days).

Day 14 is called Kenpo X which is like kickboxing and karate combined. This is my least favorite day because, well- I can't do it right.

Here is Tony Horton who leads all the videos.... John likes him because he reminds him of a good friend of his.....Crazy.

Okay... I can't believe I am posting this.....

Oh goodness! What makes the video even more silly, is that we turned the music off so it would not be so loud in this video...

There is music on the P90X video, but John likes to use his own music. There is option to turn P90x music off and just hear the work out cues... pretty cool...except when you are making a personal video like this one. Enjoy laughing at us!

THE STORM OF THE CENTURY.......AGAIN!!!

2009-01-27T03:42:00.001-08:00

We woke up this morning to what I thought was a little bit of snow but was actually ICE piling up. Crazy! John of course had to go in to save the world. Thankfully, even though my job is up there on the Glamour scale....it was cancelled...and maybe for two days! STORM OF THE CENTURY!!!!

It's just to bad that I can't run outside.. man I REALLY wanted to do that! :-)

I will just have to sit inside with my cup of hot chocolate.....and clean the house.....mmm, maybe I will run.

P90X

2009-01-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

So we bought it..... I have been watching this infomercial for at least a year now. I am a big sucker for infomercials. I think in my life time I have fallen for the ploy maybe once....I can't remember what it was.... I think I was by myself at home and I took my moms CC and ordered something. (Mom did you know this?)

Anyway....we bought THE P90X! For those of you who do not know about this program, let me splain. It is 90 days of intense Muscle Confusion......do I sound like them? Anyway, It comes with a nutrition plan for those who have their own personal chef and a gazillion dollars. But, I figure if I am at least do something.... I am heading in the right direction.

I will post from time to time how we are doing. Don't think that I am about to post my before picture. If the program works I might....MIGHT post a before picture.

I do have goals:

1) I have lost muscle from not dancing everyday....rebuild my muscles.

2) Get in good running shape for the half marathon in April.

3) John and I are taking pictures in March with our wedding photographer......I don't want to look far off from the wedding weight pictures......unless it is better!

4) Actually see if I can push myself and not be lazy.

5) Get back into some kind of Climbing shape.

We started the program on January 14Th so we will be RIPPED (yea right) by the middle of April????? Oh goodness.

Anyone else have any goals for fitness?

It was so cold......

2009-01-15T16:26:00.001-08:00

That they closed the schools!

Not cold AND rainy... not cold AND the roads were impossible to drive on... JUST PLAIN COLD!

Tonight it will get down to -3 and tomorrow the high is 14....with some wind which I am sure FEELS like -100!

Watch this video... maybe it will be cold enough to do this. I really like the kids reaction in the background. It takes a while... but fast forward it. :-)

This actually happened to me with a bottle of water in the car. It had been in the car over night, I went to open it the next morning, and it froze on me!

Planet Earth

2009-01-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

John and I have been enjoying watching the show Planet Earth. We record it...or DVR it every Sunday night when it comes on the Discovery Channel. We find ourselves turning out the lights, turning up the volume and loosing ourselves in awesome panoramic views of places I will never go. We sometimes look at each other and ask, "Are we still cool because we are watching this and actually learning something?" We say yes, but I think we are okay with knowing that this question no longer matters in life.
----This is what non-cool people say.---

Anyway, if you have not seen it, it is worth watching. It reminds me of how creative my God is. How many random creatures can He create to live in a cave...in sulfuric acid....some with no with no eyes??? Crazy!

Has anyone seen any episodes? Which is your favorite?

Happy Birthday MOM!

2009-01-09T21:01:00.001-08:00

Love you!

"Yellow," "Red," "Red," "Yellow"

2009-01-09T20:17:00.001-08:00

These were the words repeated by John and I as we guided Jim and Yvonne (IN-laws) through their first game of Guitar Hero World Tour. They were reluctant at first, but I know they had fun.

"This is fun!" JIM

See- they had fun. Here are some pictures of John explaining some basic Wii instructions, one of them learning what how to hold the remote, and some actual playing time photos. They are playing as I blog...I just cold not wait....and yes.....John is wearing Wii PJ pants. Thanks MOM!

The Most wonderful family

2009-01-05T02:53:00.000-08:00

I just had to show off my wonderful family.....well, part of them. My brother and sister-inlaw have three children who are actually as kind and loving as they are cute

Please enjoy the video.... of the best dancing boy I have ever seen.

You can also see this on her awesome blog...The Secret Life of Kat.

Only 364 days until Christmas!

2008-12-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

Ahh, our sweet dog letting us know how he really feels about wearing my scarf.

What a wonderful Christmas this year! John and I had a great time spending our second married Christmas together. I was very thankful that he had Christmas day off and we even got a surprise day from his boss to have off tomorrow!

This last week has been full of memories. This past Monday, I had 3 of the 5 Northrip family members over to bake from scratch some sugar cookie cut outs...in our pj's.

I wanted to make them for my mom who came into town today. The best part.....I used Saudi Arabian cookie cutters given to me by my dad. He used to live there and I guess he thought I would use them. That was 10 years ago.... Anyhow- they consisted of a very Christmas like sword ( which when baked looked like an alligator), palm tree, genie lamp, and camel.

We also had some pan cake cut outs given to me by my mother in law. Very cute.

The whole thing started because my mother gave me an actual Christmas cookie cutter but it was too thin and did not work. And since I hosted a little party, I had to come up with something else. So, Saudi and Pan cake cutters would have to suffice.

As you can see, some of the cookies were pre-school quality. I now remember why I don't do this cookie decorating thing.....because I can't!

Christmas day was mucho fun-o too!

John and I had a great slow morning just the two of us. We made waffles and opened our gifts together. We listened to a Christmas poem from John Piper. TEARS. It was about Christ and the sacrifice that he was to us and how it all started at his birth. John listens to it every year and it is becoming our tradition now.

We then enjoyed chatting with our family on SKYPE. I love technology because I got to open my presents from certain family members in front of them through video.

I talked to my dad and younger brother in Moldova (near Russia), I talked to my extended family in Odessa TX, Haslet TX and my brother and family in Brownsville TX. It was awesome! It helps me out a lot because I miss them so much and I was not able to go visit them this year.

Our Diesel dog also had a great Christmas.

Here are some cute pics of our sweet puppy and all of the fun goodies for him. He was so excited. He got Christmas breakfast and was very spoiled by the plethora of toys.

He did receive a special HEMP toy that is supposed to be okay for him if he digests it. AND HE DOES! We think he is addicted to Marijuana because when we take the toy away from him he goes crazy looking for it. Anyway, here is his reindeer toy and how Diesel destroyed some of it in 5 mins. It's throwing up. :-)

I also wanted to share the lovely night gown that my mother gave me. John thinks it is the hottest thing ever. :-)

I hope everyone had a wonderful time with friends and family. my sweet mom came to visit us for Christmas. I am so thankful that she came!

I've been replaced.

2008-12-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

What can I do? I mean, he is cuter. He is sweeter....a better listener, sometimes he smells better, he is always happy when I am home. I feel safe with him,he is obedient, he does what I tell him...sometimes. I guess I can handle being replaced.

Diesel has replaced me with my Husband.

Rebekah Wiggins

2008-12-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is for my very best friend while I was growing up. Today is her 30Th birthday and I wanted everyone to know how wonderful she is.
SHE IS WONDERFUL.

She is married and has two beautiful children...who look just like her. Now that we live in separate places and clearly have different lives, we find ourselves talking to one another maybe once every few months. But like everyone says...."we pick up talking like it was yesterday."

But with Rebekah, the only thing our conversation leads to is Jesus.
When we lived across the street from each other growing up, we would play everyday. She was my first friend at 4 years old. I remember...I was riding my three wheeler- Cabbage Patch.

Not sure how the conversation started, but it has yet to end. She was the first person to ever ask me if I wanted Jesus in my heart. I did not understand at the time, but what she said to me that day began the process of me coming to know the Lord.

Wow! Rebekah, you did a pretty important thing and I am thankful.

I know she is raising her children to be the same way...just read her blog and you will see her desires to serve her family and the Lord.
I wish I could find some old pictures of because I have a ton... but here is one showing her true friendship.

She is the pregnant one to the far left jumping (kinda).....isn't she so cute?

If you want to- go say Happy Birthday to her and maybe you will make a great friend like I did.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBEKAH!.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-16T07:04:00.000-08:00

Diesel woke us up this morning at 3:30am. He was hungry apparently. I was very tired until I opened the back door to see the entire backyard covered in 2 inches of snow. SO FUN! I had to shove Diesel out because he is scared so easily by new things.

Now is was 4am and of course I was wide awake. I got online to see about school closing and to see if the roads were bad. I went and told John that he might want to leave earlier for work, (yikes) to be safe. When you have his job, if you can not get to work, they send the police or someone to come and get you.... to bring you to work. (just thought I would clarify.)

Anyway- the county I live closed it's schools so now I am waiting to see if my work is cancelled. They usually go by what the schools do, but by the time the afternoon rolls around, the streets are fine. BUT- by the time I leave the studio- it is bad again and I don't like driving home at night in all of it.

My friend called me to see if I wanted to go Christmas shopping this morning but I had to inform her that I was grounded until this afternoon to let the roads get a chance to warm up. She said that she learn to drive in these conditions and really she was only concerened about those crazy people that don't know how to drive in it. UM? That would be me.

She is from Ohio... I am from Texas.

ONe more thing. This is so immature I am sorry. One of the funniest things about Diesel and this snow.......yellow snow.
Man, it really looks like a lemon snow cone. :-)

Anyway, DON'T EAT IT!

By the way.. no work tonight. And my friend from Ohio came over and we ate dinner here.

Christmas Sweater Party

2008-12-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well we had our Ugly Christmas sweater party last Saturday night for all of our friends at our church. IT was so much fun. We had about 35 people there and they all got dressed up in their ugliest sweaters. Some of them were not that ugly but some of them were pretty bad.

John and I made a Turduckhen... well, we ordered it and then cooked it. Turduckhen is a de-boned chicken, wrapped in a de-boned duck, then wrapped in a de-boned turkey all stuffed with cornbread stuffing and pork rice. It was yummy. I forgot to take a picture. :-(

But here are some other photos for your enjoyment.
  The Winner- his grandmother was in town and actually got it out of her closet before he came. he won because it was an original still in use.
  The men
  The Ladies
The Chocolate fountain I purchased on e-bay for $15.

two of my favorite boys......

2008-12-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Sleeping on the couch on a Friday night. It's perfect.

John is having such a hard rotation that our weekend nights are the same as the week nights.... early. But at least he comes to the couch so I can "hang out" with him. :-)

something to write about

2008-12-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

We have just purchased two new computers. I have zero pictures and I usually enjoy writing on topics that I have pictures for....so this is why it is hard for me to find something to write about.

However, we just got two new computers...HELLO!

We are very excited to have two new mac babies in the family.

I had an old ibook and it died a few months ago. John has an old PC so we decided to upgrade. He got a great deal through the university and we sure did take advantage of it.

I feel like such an American with new toys and TWO new toys that are not cheap. It is always a bitter sweet moment for me to get new things.

I want to be generous with the monetary gifts we have been given but I also know it is not wrong to have nice things.

I was reading in 2 Corinthians this morning about my Heavenly Dwelling place and how transient this life is and how eternal (which is a very long time) the unseen is.

"Outwardly we are wasting away, but inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

Am I?

I sometimes think that I am so focused on stuff (whether that be material things or my to do list) that I am concentrating so much on the things that are wasting away. I am very convicted that I have ceased thinking that Heaven is way cooler than my ___________. (new computers, christmas party, dog, work out schedule, cleaning house...)

Anyway- there are some of my thoughts for today...I guess I always have something to write about.

Christmas Party Napkins

2008-12-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

John and I are hosting a Christmas party next weekend. It is an overwhelming task to make sure that there is enough food and supplies so that everyone will be happy and enjoy themselves.

This past week, John's mom was in town and w

e decided to go hopping for Christmas gifts and party supplies. We found many cute patterns for plates and cups and

napkins. It is very expensive! We thought it would be fin to have plain red plates and provide SUPER CUTE napkins. We both saw the same ones and loved them right aw

ay. They were colorful and had cute

cartoon characters with just the legs showing and fun little elf shoes. The top read, "Jingle...." s

omething or other.

Well, a few days later, I decided I would gather all of the supplies so I could make a check list.

Plates..Check

Cups...Check

Napkins..Check

I decide to admire my cute little napkin set and thank goodness I did.

Taking a closer look I noticed that my sweet little napkins were not so sweet. Those cute little characters... a man holding his ladies close. The reading on the top,... "Jingle MY bells!"

Can you believe it?

Did I mention this party is for all of our church friends?

After laughing out loud I started to think about my mother in law. Did she think these were appropriate napkins for my party?

John called her and thankfully, she thought the same way we did. Apparently we were both tired from shopping and thought the napkins were simple "Jingle Bells" with fun characters.

Andrew Peterson

2008-12-04T20:30:00.001-08:00

Well I had a blog and realized after I posted it that I accidentally posted it on Johns blog. So go and read it there! :-)

http://sufficientgrace76.blogspot.com/

A hiking we WENT!

2008-11-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

We finally made it hiking this year. I wanted it to be a little earlier in the year so that we could catch the trees in peak color change, but it was still PRETTY. I obviously said this word a gazillion times on the ride there and during the hike because my sweet husband made fun of me.

"Preeeeeety" "WOW, PREEEETY!" "ORANGE, PRETTY!" "Look John! PRETTY"!"

And yes, Diesel did great in his shoes. At first he was walking crazy, but we think that he was so excited by the new surroundings that he forgot about them. He had so much fun sniffing and eating everything! We enjoyed the two hour car ride home with a sleeping dog.

Voting Day Drama

2008-11-04T04:36:00.000-08:00

I am proud to say that I voted! I even got a cute little sticker that says so. But oh what a morning. Here is some advice to all those who have never voted before ...... CHECK YOUR PRECINCT!!!!!

John was so excited that his boss let him come in late today so that he could vote. Late being 6:30am. So we got to our designated building and waited in a line of about 50 people. Of course, the church was not open yet, so as we stood in line for 20 min, the line grew longer and longer and longer. But no worries, we were "in the front." As we walked down a very narrow hallway, we noticed people passing us and getting into other lines... their precinct lines. So we asked a man that was helping which precinct were in, and he said, "Where do you live? Oh? You should be in the correct line." We were in the Town branch line.... 6:05a.

So I thought and pondered what it said on the little sheet of paper in my car. White berry? That sounds familiar. Town branch? That sounds familiar too? Stallion? Sure?

Of course they all sound familiar- THEY ARE ALL STREETS IN OUR SUBDIVISION!

So we decided to ask the guy again to look it up.

"Oh, are you an even number?"

"Yes?"

"Oh, You are White berry." 6:19am- inside the Town branch room to vote, four people a head of us.

End of White berry line- 6:20 am- out in narrow hallway- 50 people a head of us.

I almost cried. In fact, I teared up. John had to leave. I was so sad and upset because in my car, with a piece of old gum stuck on it, was a scrap paper with our building and PRECINCT name.

One hour later, I voted and walked out proud and defeated at the same time. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband that sent me a text message saying I was wonderful and that he prayed for me.

I plan on going to stand in line with him. Because that is what best friends do.

So check your precinct, you'll never know where you might end up.

Pumpkins and Costumes

2008-11-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

Clearly I am behind but I wanted to update everyone one the Halloween happenings at the Drexler abode.

Last weekend we had the Northrip family come over and carve pumpkins. This has been a tradition going on three years now. They did a great job with their pumpkins and I was sad to see them leave our door step.

Let's see what else has been strange and funny at our home? Well, John was invited by a co worker to go to a costume party. We thought it would be fun to go hang and we were encouraged strongly to dress up.

Earlier that week, I dressed up as a doctor for the girls at the dance studio.

I was not about to be a doctor at a Doctor filled party.....unless, I was going as John. That would only mean that John would have to go as me. Then, we could go as "The Drexler's My husband is so confident.... and very funny. By the way.. he did not fight the idea, He thought it was funny.

A hiking we won't go.

2008-10-20T12:36:00.001-07:00

We were planning this past weekend to go on an amazing hike and taking beautiful pictures of all the fall colors. We even bought Diesel some fun shoes because we had heard horror stories of other dogs having sticks go through the paw and how their pads were shredded if they were not used to being outdoors for long periods of time. Even after being made fun of by our friends and families, we still bought the shoes. ;-)

However, the Friday night before the hike, we had the youth church lock-in. I don't know what I was thinking! The last time I stayed up all night long was a church lock-in when I was a youth! Well, I had stayed up to study for a college final but I had also consumed at least 6 cups of caffeine. Anyway, I figured that John would drive to the two hours to the park and I would sleep on the way.

OOPS! John was on call that night and HE went in at 12:45am and came home at 5:30am.
Unfortuantley, we both slept until 2pm. Fortunatly, so did our sweet dog...kind of.

Anyway- here is Diesel in his new shoes...... feel free to laugh.

Pot Sticker Fun

2008-10-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

John introduced me to a small edible delight know as the POT STICKER.

When I tried to make them, they turned out VERY soggy but still had great flavor. When John made them they were perfect. We ate about 5-6 each and then we froze the rest for later. Here

is the recipe and some pictures for you to enjoy.

INGREDIENTS
100 (3.5 inch square) round wraps
1 3/4 pounds ground pork - I used a pound of Lean pork- Fatty Pork is better for taste though.
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root - I bought ground ginger in a bottle
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
5 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage - I used 1/2 of a green cabbage.
1 tablespoon Veg/Canola Oil

1/4 cup water - I used Chicken broth because I had it in the fridge.

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the pork, ginger, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg and cabbage. Stir until well mixed.
Place 1 heaping teaspoon of pork filling onto each wonton skin. Moisten edges with water and fold edges over to form a triangle shape. Roll edges slightly to seal in filling. Set dumplings aside on a lightly floured surface until ready to cook.

In preheated vegetable oil, cook pot sticker approximately 1 minute per side, until lightly browned. Place water into skillet and reduce heat. Cover and allow pot sticker to steam until the water is gone.

For dipping sauce, we bought a POT STICKER dipping sauce. however, there are several recipes on line.

John did about 8 at a time- turned out great. If you want to freeze them, place them on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper in the freezer overnight. Put them in a Ziploc bad and store.

Fun Fall Weekends

2008-10-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Before we move from Lexington Ky, which I am not sure when that is happening, I have been determined to enjoy the fall weather and the "entertaining" KY venues.

Last weekend, John and I went to the Maker's Mark distillery and to Boyd Orchards. It was a gorgeous day other than it being hot for a fall day in KY.

At the Maker's Mark Distillery, we had the chance to take a free tour of how they make and bottle the bourbon.

This is the process of Fermentation. John thought it would be fun to share this process...I hope you enjoy it.
Wasn't that fun?

John is standing in the room with all the bourbon doing its thing for three years.

After the tour we went to the gift shop to buy our own bottle and had the chance to dip it into the wax ourselves.

John is dipping his bottle in the wax now, my bottle is the one drying there on the table...I did the technique called the "Slam Dunk." (yes, there is technique.)

Now, besides the fact that I do not like bourbon, I was so excited to buy a bottle and dip it into the hot wax. Whoo HOO! It kind of reminded me of being at the Renaissance festival and dipping my hand in the wax.

Afterwards, we drove towards home and stopped at Boyd Orchards. It was about 81 degrees when we got there and it happened to be their Fall Festival. It was crowded and hot and I felt like a little kid who wanted to go home. We picked some apples for baking and eating and found our perfect pumpkin.

Go ahead John, take the Apple!
I think his back braking position is for dramatics.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. This weekend, we are headed to Cumberland Falls for some hiking with our puppy!

By the way- I made a fantastic pumpkin cheesecake with sour cream bourbon topping! I got it off of the Maker's Mark website. It was very yummy. I have no pictures only because I was so excited to eat it.

Diesel Update

2008-10-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is for all of you who care about our sweet child...yes, our dog.

He loves comfort.

He loves to eat. Just kidding! He actually does not eat very much, but we went crazy with buying dog food so he thought he would enjoy some too. ;-)

HE loves to play with his friends!

Isn't this place gorgeous? This is the view from one of John's Attendings home! Must be nice.

And..he loves to make hideous faces when he is super excited.

I made it!

2008-10-05T09:54:00.001-07:00

YEA! I Did IT! We woke up early this morning, ate breakfast, and headed out the door. After setting up my station, We walked to the pool and got ready for the swim.

The swim portion last year was my hardest, this year, it was my easiest. Last year, I biked every other day, this year, I did that with the swim. I am not sure of my individual times, but my overall time was 2 h and 11min. Last year, 2h and 10 min. At least I am consistent. I guess you can add a min for the added year older. :-)

It was a bit colder this year so when I got on the bike and rode a little, I began to notice that my toes were freezing! It is hard to bike with no feeling in your toes. It is also hard to run right after that! I had to walk a little more during the run than I wanted, but I did get a boost of energy around the 3rd mile. My friend Kathryn (who made me do this all over again this year...and I am thankful) cut 15 mins off her bike time! WOW- she placed 3rd in her division. Go Kathryn!

ME after the swim- all smiles.

Me after the bike...where is that smile now?

Miss Kathryn and I after the race.

Diesel Dog...who is still sleeping after 2 hours of being home. Apparently he was very popular at the race.

And of course, Susan B Cox of the Susan B Cox Triathlon. Who by the way told me she would see me at swim practice tomorrow. :-)

WISH ME LUCK!

2008-10-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, I will wake up around 5 am and head out to complete my second triathlon. I feel like I will finish, but not sure how I will compare with last year. My dad has driven up from Alabama and John will of course be there to cheer me on. And we could not forget the amazing super dog Diesel! It will be fairly chilly for the bike ride and nice for the run. I am a little anxious but also very excited! Let you know how it goes sometime after the race.

This is me setting up my area last year. Hopefully I will get the end spot again!

This is the pool that we swim in- most Tri's are open water like in a lake... thank goodness for walls to push off of!

Yes, I know I look cool!

And the final leg.. running. Last year a did an 8:43 mile... we shall see how it goes this year.

How to eat healthy...

2008-09-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband found this great website that figures out all of the things I hate to figure out. "How many calories is this?" "What is Trans fat? " "How much protein do I need?" Spark People even tracks how many calories you burn when you do certain exercises. It is really cool.

In efforts to stay within our range of calories, John and I decided that we would stay in and cook our Tilapia fillets. A while back, John and I went to a French cooking class with my dad and we made Blackened Tilapia. It was fantastic. French, I am not sure, but very tasty.

When I went to visit my dad last August, I made it there with him and it was perfect. I was so excited to make it for John. It requires three ingredients: fish, Old Bay Seasoning, and PAM. The other best part... it takes 3 min on each side.

So to answer the title question of how to eat healthy....

BUY THE WRONG SEASONING! As you can see, the containers look very similar if one was in a hurry and did not know that there were TWO, and YES three kinds of seasoning. :-)

I prepared the recipe as planned, however, the original OLD BAY seasoning is to be used more like salt, not like a coating or a COMPLETE COVERAGE as you would the blackened seasoning.

I watched John put the first bite in his mouth and as every anxious newly married person would be, I asked how it was.

"Good, a little over seasoned, but the fish is cooked well," He said. I put the bite in my mouth and quickly spit it out.

HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. It felt like I was eating the ocean salt. My amazing husband sweetly scraped off the seasoning and continued to eat. I tried and it was still infused in every bite, well at least the one other bite I ate...and spit out.

So there you go, how to eat healthy, ruin it and eat less.

He's Alive!!!

2008-09-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

Well, of course he is. He did great in his surgery and he did great at the follow-up appointment. In fact, he did so great that I thought I would get sick and have him take care of me! I felt so bad but I have had this bad cough for a long time. I haven't had a good nights sleep in three nights. Today, while I planned on taking care of dad, he let me sleep for two hours. Oh well- good thing he was feeling "fine" or I would have really been in trouble.

I guess your parents will always take care of you.

Visiting my Dad

2008-09-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, my dad is having surgery on his nose. He has really bad allergies and they are basically going to clean him out. So here I am in Alabama. I thought it would be fun to take care of my dad for once. I get take him to the hospital and make sure he gets his pain pills, feed him chicken noodle soup and fluff his pillows. Just call me "Nurse Diana."

Tonight, he did everything for me. He cooked dinner, washed the dishes and even made my tea...mmm, I guess he was trying to show me exactly what I would be doing for the next two nights. :-) I might try to find him a little bell to ring.

Swim Coach

2008-09-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

I am doing my second triathlon on Oct 5th. Tri For Sight is a sprint distance triathlon which includes an 800 meter swim, an 18 mile bike ride, and a 4 mile run.

I did this last year and I loved it. I was so surprised that I accomplished it. Previously I had never participated in anything that I had to actually "work" for. Anything I ever did with dance always came naturally but running, swimming, AND Biking.....definitely not in my area of expertise.

About 3 weeks ago my friend Kathryn called me up to see if we were going to do it "together" again. I say "together" but really she was so kind to go before me and make sure that the track was safe. Anyway, if it wasn't for her, I would have not done it this year. When I went to get my bike down off the rack, I had to take the race number off from last year... that is the last time I had ridden the bike!

So far the running is slowly coming back, the biking is not as easy as last year and the swimming has had to start all over. BUT- this year I signed up for something called Masters Swim. It is a swim group that meets with a coach and you do certain workouts and receive critiques from the Master Swimmer. The Master Swimming coach of my group happens to be Susan Bradley-Cox. If you click on the Tri link you will see that the event is named after her!

On Friday I went into my second practice and she was there. She looked at me and said, "Okay Diana, let me see you swim." She then proceeded to tell me with each lap every thing I was doing wrong. I swam for an hour non stop repeating drills over and over again. It was awesome and exhausting. I was so excited that I got a private lesson with her but it was completely unexpected.

This lady is amazing. I remember swimming at a local pool this summer and there was a woman wearing a 2 piece SPEEDO. She swam an hour and half longer than me with out stopping. She being Susan B Cox is 71 years old. This is a lady that I did not want to disappoint while she was coaching me.

She will be there tomorrow to see if I have improved on my stroke. I am nervous.

Our dog has been made neutral.

2008-09-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Diesel had the surgery last Wednesday. He did great. They said he was very well behaved. John and I were looking forward to a few calm days around the house. The vet said he would be kinda sluggish and tired so we should take it easy on him and keep him from heavy exercise......THANKS A LOT! Here is what our sweet out patient did with no exercise.

He was definitely aware that he had done something wrong because when we entered the room, he kept his head low and his eyes looking up at us. IT was really ~~cute~~ disappointing.

So he got a new bed and a long walk the next day. :-)

He also got a new toy.

Notice how he has gone from sweet boy puppy to neutral demon dog!

In the Dog House

2008-08-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

John came home from work yesterday and while I was in the office he decided to take a nap.
HE would like to mention that the our dog WAS in there when he first got in. I guess that makes it okay. :-)

DOG TOYS

2008-08-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

For the past two days, John and I have been on the "spoil" mission for our Diesel. He has come into a new era called, "THE DESTRUCTION ERA!" Thankfully, it is only on his belongings. Let's see, we went to a pet store to buy some more treats and left with the treats, four new balls, and something called a WUBBA.

It actually looks and sounds like he is torturing an octopus. After one hour with the toy last night, he had already rip all the "tough" technology stitching and found his way to the squeaker.

Today after church we needed to stop by PetsMart and get a cover for my back seat since I am driving to Alabama and my seats are slippery leather. Most times when Diesel is with me I think he going to break his neck sliding around in the back of my car. Anyway, we not only left with the seat cover, but of course more toys. IN FACT- we found a toy that I have been searching for since John broke the squeaker on it. Let me take you down memory lane.......

This was me waiting for our sweet puppy to arrive.

This is sweet Diesel cuddling up to the cutest little dragon toy ever! See, He loves it!

Unfortunately, soon after this cute moment, sweet husband stepped on "Dragie" and crushed the squeaker. Poor Dragie.

Anytime we went to the pet store, I looked for a new Dragie. No bueno.

But, on August 2, 2008 at a brand new PetsMart, we found him. A brand new Dragie...with friends! We decided to go with the original. I was so excited I started to tear up. Isn't that ridiculous? But Dragie was there even before Diesel was so I was ..okay, a little dramatic.

Excuse me dragies, please turn to the left.

OUCH!

2008-07-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

My body is so sore I can't even lean my head back to kiss my sweet husband. I am headed to a hot bath! My fingers even hurt, so I am finished typing. :-)

Dancing Days

2008-07-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the beginning of DANCE FUSION week at our studio. I was/am so excited to finally take class and actually dance.

Dance Fusion is a dance company out of California. They come every year to give the students... and teachers choreography and to challenge them in their technique. It is awesome opportunity as a teacher because we are there to "supervise" yet we get to take class for FREE!

At 9 am we started Ballet. At 9:05 I was already sweating. NO JOKING! For an hour we did ballet, then another hour of tap, then another hour of jazz, and another hour of turns and jumps. I left early. I figured I needed to save my muscles if I was planning to attend the rest of the week.

It was an extremely humbling experience. Let's just say I could not do anything without falling down or getting dizzy. It is crazy that it has been a year since I have really trained.

BUT!!! I am looking forward to the end of the week because my super sweet husband purchased a massage for me. WHOO HOO!

I will keep you updated on my progress and injury status.

WEEDS!

2008-07-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

We have been "those neighbors" for too long! Finally, our great next door neighbor said, "Hey, I am going to Home Depot, do you want me to pick you up some Mulch?" Hint Hint- "PULL YOUR WEEDS!"

Hope you enjoy our hard work!

Some dog updates

2008-07-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

John and I have both been gone so much this summer that sometimes we get a little obsessed with our dog. Well, I would never do this....

Sometimes, he (John) stays in the crate after our dog wiggles his way out.

One day after church, we decided to give our 6 month old puppy a chance to show us how good of a dog he really was while we took a desperatley needed nap.

I guess Diesel saw it has a chance to show us how he can make our couch a puppy play land.

Here is a fun video of Diesel helping with trash pickup.

My Father-in-law

2008-07-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

John's daddy passed away July 15 2008. John was working a 24 hour shift when he got the call that his dad was not doing well. He came home Tuesday and we then got a call that David had passed away.

My mom was able to get us tickets to Dallas and John's work gave him as much time off as he needed. Today is John's first day back at work.

David had colon cancer for 4 years. He found out when he was 54 and died at 58.

Please pray for John and his grandmother. She is super sweet and misses her son very much.

We had so many family and friends offer their support and their love. John had some friends that he had not seen since med school and college come up to love on him. My Texas family even came. It was amazing.

There are so many parts to the process of dealing with the death of someone close. You need to grieve but you are forced to be responsible at the same time. Packing, flying and making funeral arrangements within 24 hours of finding out is a lot to deal with. John is his only son so a huge burden was placed on him. Thankfully, our families helped out financially and that burden was released immediately. I say that, but I found myself telling everyone how expensive it was! Totally tacky. I am not sure if that was my release from it all and I needed some sympathy, or I was in total shock of how death has turned into a business! So I apologize for my lack of class.

The service was as good as any funeral service could be. It was sad. It was uncomfortable. It was quick.

We flew in Tuesday night, made arrangements Wed morning and afternoon, had the viewing on Thursday night, graveside burial Friday morning, funeral that afternoon, packed up his apartment Saturday and Sunday, and flew out Monday night....AND ONLY THEN- you start to grieve.

John did great- whatever that means. He was not afraid cry but he knew he had to get things accomplished while he was there. It meant a lot to him that people loved his dad and that he heard such great things about him.

You can click here to view some info on the service

http://www.mem.com/Story.aspx?ID=2536152

Life lesson number..... I've lost count!

Happy Independance Day!

2008-07-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

(This is not my dog- I would never do this to him.)

So, it has been a while since I have been in school, but that is no excuse for the way that I acted today on the way to taking my husband to work. Here is our conversation:

JOHN: Happy 4th of July Baby!

ME: Yes! Happy day of throwing tea over the ship!

JOHN: No?

ME: Happy no more Civil War!

JOHN: ?

ME: We are separated from the French?...... BRITAIN! YES! I know we signed something and now we are free! Oh, and did you know that there is a treasure map on the back of the document? (that was a joke).

JOHN: You need to go look this stuff up.

When I got home, I did look it up and remembered all the wonderful things I learned in elementary. I blame this airhead mentality on my lack of educating myself daily. I truly have no interest in politics, or what is going on in the world. Well, It's not that I don't have interest, it just stresses me out! My new goal is start reading again! I feel that since I have been dancing and out of college, I rarely pick up a book and if I do, I get just past chapter one. It is pathetic. Unfortunately, I can tell that my brain is fading fast. It is harder for me to remember things and harder for me to think. I can tell that it is even harder for me to communicate sometimes in conversation! Crazy! My goal is to read a little bit everyday. I will let you know what book and how is goes.

Texas Fun

2008-07-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! Being gone for almost three weeks can take a lot out of you...but we had so much fun!

I wish I could put all of the photos up here and I wish I had taken more photos with everyone!

Here are just a few of some some fun family and friends.

Hanging out with some of Johns Church friends from Med school days. What a lot of fun we had. We played Rock Band and I learned a few funny stories of Johns pre-married days.

We spent a day hanging out with John mom and grandparents. His mom is moving closer to them so it will be great to see them more often. We went to ONE of their favorite restaurants. Of course I loved it... it was MEXICAN! Good thing we only stayed one day, the other favorite place is Whataburger!!! (Of course I would have loved to stay longer. It is just a joke!)

We spent a good part of a day hanging out with Johns dad. He has had cancer for four years now. He was in great spirits. It was actually the longest amount of time I have ever spent with him. We also saw Johns other grandma and and Aunt. Please pray for Johns daddy.

This is me and my sweet husband. We were on the way to my Aunts house and we saw a sign that said, "BLUEBELL FACTORY!" Many of you know that Bluebell ice cream is made in Texas and that it is Johns favorite and that it cost $7 a half gallon here in Lexington! So at 10am, we pulled of our route and headed towards the factory. An hour later, we had two t-shirts, a magnet, and four scoops of ice cream for $2....at 10am. It was a very fun detour.

This is Laura and Kristen. I use to live with this family in between cruise ship jobs. They have become a second family. I have many second family's. I blame them, well Kristen, for all the weight I gained during my trip home. She has become a little chef while in college and forced me to eat her delicious home made cakes. (They we honored to wear the Bluebell hats.)

Meet Jason and Marla (and Sadie). This is one of Johns best friends from Med school and Marla is one of my good friends from Jr high and High school dance. They are a huge reason that John and I decided to meet. They drove down to Houston to see us! We hung out on his dads amazing boat and got to spend some time playing Guitar Hero and some other Tetris game. Marla and I went to our 20th anniversary Dance recital together and got to see a lot of familiar faces. Jason is on his way to Iraq in August, so keep him and his beautiful wife in your prayers. No need to worry though- she is a certified, licensed carrier. Bang Bang!

I have more family photos and stories, but that is a small update on travels to Texas.

It is great to be home and back into the routine of things.

Diesel

2008-07-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Our sweet puppy is growing fast. Here are some photos at 6 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, and now 6 months.

6 weeks

8 weeks old

12 weeks old

6 months old

We are BACK!

2008-07-01T10:17:00.001-07:00

I got home late last night and I am very busy today cleaning house and unpacking and doing laundry and....PLAYING WITH MY HUGE DOG! I can not believe how much he grew in the three weeks I was away. He is super cute though and still the sweetest he can be.

I have incredible amounts of blogging to do, but for now- just wanted to touch base.

Future blog content:

-Becoming obsessed with Guitar Hero and Rock Band

-TOO MUCH CAKE and Mexican food

-Family
-Goals

Have a nice day!

In Houston

2008-06-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

I made it to Houston! Yea! It was hard to leave my sweet Diesel, but it was well worth to see my even sweeter husband and mama. I will be doing tons a travelling, so if I don't blog for a few days, do not fear. I am sure I will have many stories to tell.

Tomorrow, I will be heading to a little family reunion. My aunt just retired from the military and is back from Australia, my grandma is turning 75, and my grandpa had surgery this morning for appendicitis. So we have many reasons to celebrate.

Afterwards, I will head back to Houston, then head to Austin to see some good friends. after that, I will be in Houston on Wednesday to help out with my old dance schools recital! Hopefully I will make this one on time! :-)

So there you go, my very $$$gas guzzling schedule! Talk to you soon.

Thankfulness

2008-06-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

"How great is your goodness, which you have
stored up for those who fear you, which you
bestow in the sight of men on those who take
refuge in you. " Psalm 31:9

So lately I have been dishing out on all of my dramas. Via PH and her constant encouragement, I am going to change it all around and be THANKFUL!

Even though I might have locked my self out of the house, I am thankful that we have the money to pay to let me back in.

I am also thankful that my boss at the dance studio was so forgiving about me not showing up to my job. She didn't even think twice about it. In fact, everyone there complete understood and we all laughed it off.

HELLO! Did I mention I found my debit card? I prayed about it and not 5 min later I found it in the wallet I already checked at least 10 times.

I am thankful that my lawn mower is fixable and I do not have to but a new one. I have a great neighbor who said he would come over and fix it today! I had not even mention it to him, he just said he would come over and do it. We have great neighbors. They take care of John and me all the time. Our dogs play together, they let us borrow tools (i.e. mowers), we play cards together- They are just great people. Since we have had Diesel, our relationship with them has grown. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a Christian to them.

I am thankful that while John has been gone, I have been able to sleep at night... and with only one light on in Living room. :-)

God is sovereign and in control of even the littlest things that go on in my life. There is always reason to be thankful.

I couldn't resist.

2008-06-08T18:47:00.001-07:00

This picture is too adorable.

Just one of those weeks!

2008-06-08T15:20:00.001-07:00

Let's continue with my little show I like to call, "Diana on her own."

Last week, we watched as Diana locked her self out of the house wearing nothing but a tank top and shorts. Her hair, disheveled, her face, swollen from allergies, but through it all, she faced the POP A LOCK man.

We also watched Diana tear her house and car apart to find her poor lost debit card. She looked up, down, left, right...still, no Debit card. Thankfully, as she was just about to call the bank to cancel her card, she opened her wallet and saw the edge of it gleam from another compartment that she must have looked over.

What will happen next? Keep Reading....... Dun dun duuuuuuu!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday I decided it would be nice to mow my across the street neighbors yard. They have a huge front yard, but I traded them to edge my yard because I don't do that. I don't mind mowing, but I just don't know how to edge. So I began out on my adventure across the street. Up and down the grass. "Why is my mower spewing grass everywhere?" Just then, Mr. mower decides to stop. GREAT! Now, I have a stopped lawn mower and a half mowed lawn.

HOWEVER, across the street there were some PROFESSIONAL mow men with their fancy riding mowers. So what's a lady to do but say, "Excuse me, can you come look at my mower?" (once again, wearing the best mowing clothes available)

So picture this scene.

MAN: "Well mam, yer mower is broke."

ME: "Um, do I need to buy a new one?"

MAN: "Nope. Just get ya a man to come over and unscrew this, pull this off, grease this, put this back up there, put this back on, and screw this back on and there ya go."

Well, there you go. I just need to find me a man to fix my mower. :-)
So I had to call John and yet again, tell him another thing that had gone wrong. BUT WAIT- there's more!

Today, was my first night of the three dance recitals. There are 4 nights, but I only have girls dancing in 3 of them. Every night is at 7 pm and we are expected to be there by 6pm. Well, on Sunday, today, the recital started at 2pm. I found this out, just as I was about to get in the shower at 5pm.
I feel horrible! My poor girls. :-( The only reason someone called me was to see if I was okay and alive! I did find out later though, that the recitals where planned at 7pm but then later changed. However, that was 5 weeks ago! AHHH!
I can not wait to get to Houston and just put these weeks behind me.

*I forgot to mention that on John's first night gone, we had a huge lighting storm that I thought zapped our computer. So after calling John and telling him all of our memories were fried... I soon realized that it was just the main fuse that went out!
OH THE DRAMA!!!!

I hate folding t-shirts...

2008-06-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

But check this out! How cool is this?

How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds

My hubby showed me this. I guess that means he wants this job now. :-)

One of those days

2008-06-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, today has been one of those days where I have lost my mind.

Drama #1

I decided to mow that lawn today. After mowing the front lawn and before heading to the back, I decided that I would lock the front garage door because I have seen way to many CSI episodes. (I do not watch these types of shows anymore for this very reason.) As soon as I locked the door, I remembered that the keys I brought out of the house no longer had a house key on them. OOPS! My keys, my cell phone and my dog where all inside. Luckily, my friend and across the street neighbor, Hannah , was home.

I had to call POP-A-LOCK because John is Houston and his keys were inside. An hour and half and $55 later, I was allowed into my house. By the way, did I mention that it was very hot outside and I was mowing the lawn- therefore my attire was not appropriate for strange men to come over and unlock my house! (Yes, he even did a double take on the Driver licence- NO JOKE!)

These people are getting paid to break into my house- have you ever thought about that? What did these guys used to do? What kind of resume do they have?

DRAMA #2

NO other way to say this - I have MISPLACED my debit card. Now this is a big deal. An even bigger deal is that I did this same thing last month!

I loath having to retrace steps and second guessing my self. Last time, I called the bank, cancelled the card and found it 10 min later in my back pocket. This time I think I am out of luck. Maybe I should call the bank and wait 10 min?

Overall, this day has been humbling with my Sweet husband. HE has been very patient with me but even I can see how this "drama" is a burden.

So there you go, one of those days.

Late Night

2008-06-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first long night of Recital run throughs. The girls did great! It was a bit chaotic for them being it was maybe the first time to dance with out a mirror, but they did a good job.

What makes me laugh the most is when the parents freak out. The girls are just happy to be there and the parents get so funny. We have multiple meetings through out the months before to explain the tights and shoes and when to be where and yada yada. Yet, It never fails that you get parents that don't really know whats going on. We pass out a lot of notes that some parents never get.

I wonder if I will be one of those parents. If my kids dance, will I be a know it all mom or a crazy mom? What if they do soccer or something? I wonder if I will go crazy over orange slices?

I already freak out over Diesel. Who knows?

We have 6 more days of crazy recital stuff- and then- I AM GOING TO HOUSTON! YEA!

STUFF

2008-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Passionate Homemaking has once again stirred me to watch another video. This one is 20min long, but I think it is well worth it. Also well worth it, the counter argument. Whenever anyone says, "Go read this." or "Oh, this is great, watch this," I tend to look for the opposite review. Anyone trying to make a convincing point will be, well... convincing!

First, watch this.

Now read this.

So there you go. As Christians, I think we should become different and be less obsessed with stuff. But I also know that God will one day destroy the world. :-) (That is to be taken as a joke.) I just thought I would be an extremist. OHHH, AHHH.

This one is just for fun.

The saddest thing you have ever heard...today.

2008-05-30T19:57:00.001-07:00

I am allergic to my sweet Diesel. :-(

See, he is bummed too.

When he jumps on me or when we are playing, he gives me little scratches from his claws. Well, his little doggie oils get on me and I break out in to hives! YIKES! It is very attractive.

It is not so bad that it is uncomfortable, but I do have some sort of reaction.

So there you go, the saddest thing you have ever heard...today.

Flight Aware

2008-05-30T03:22:00.001-07:00

My sweet husband left this morning. You can pray for him because he is very stopped up. Head congestion can make your flight miserable!
Right now I am being a obsessive compulsive wife and tracking his flight. John found this web site, Flight Aware, a while back and has alway tracked my flights. Of course I would make fun of him, but now I am finding a lot of comfort in knowing exactly where he is. It is kinda fun. Plus, at 5:00am when you drink an entire mug of coffee, you must find an outlet before having your blood sugar crash.

Here are some funny stories about flying I found wasting time on the internet.

PA left on and needing hot woman
This classic joke, with variations, can be found in almost every book with airline humor. And it must have happened somewhere, somehow...
During a particularly rough flight, the airliner pilot addresses his passengers: "The turbulence we passed through was rough, but we have passed that now. The rest of the flight is expected to be smooth." The pilot was unaware that his PA switch was stuck on, and leaned over to the co-pilot and said "Boy, was that rough! What I need now is a hot woman and a cold beer."
A flight attendant in the rear of the aircraft heard this, and ran forward to warn the pilot.
As she neared the cockpit, an elderly woman passenger stopped her saying "Don't forget the beer!"

Pilot flies better than driving
In an attempt to keep the passengers from standing or moving around before taxiing was completed, the purser of a SouthWest flight said over the PA:
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Our pilots FLY much better than they DRIVE so please remain seated until the captain finishes taxiing and brings the aircraft to a complete stop at the terminal..."

See This Red "S" On My Chest?
The rich-and-famous don't always succeed in flaunting the rules, as the world-boxing champion learned on one flight. While the aircraft was pushed back, the flight attendant asked him to buckle his seatbelt.
The champ replied, "Superman don't need no seatbelt!"
Without missing a beat, the savvy flight attendant replied: �Superman don't need no airplane, either!"
The boxer buckled up without another word.

Have a good flight!

John's Last Night

2008-05-29T16:47:00.001-07:00

John is leaving for one month. He has a rotation in Houston. I am very sad and and not looking forward to staying home alone. The good news is that in two weeks I get to go to Houston and be with him and see all of my family and friends. Please pray from me.
Tonight, John picked me up from work and we went to a nice little outdoor patio restaurant. We came home and decided to eat the little cake from my mom. I hope you enjoy this very embarrassing video. We were being goober heads.
Um, we are both completely stuffed up so it sounds very funny.

Happy Early Birthday!

2008-05-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Look at this cute little box I got from my mom today in the mail! It comes complete with candles, noise makers and a button that says, "Make a wish!" (Sorry mom. I will not wear this to church on Sunday.)
Unfortunately, I feel horrible today and when I tried to blow the noise maker, I almost passed out! Also, this morning we made brownies for all the people that take care of Diesel at the vet clinic. Of course some of them fell apart in transfer to the plate so of course I had to dispose of them...in my mouth. Now I feel sick to my stomach and all the goodies in the box made my stomach turn just enough.
Anyway, here it is! Thanks mom- you are the greaest!

Ahh..Ahh.. Ahh.. Allergies!

2008-05-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

I can not stop sneezing! It is crazy. I almost had to pull off the side of the road because my eyes had to keep closing. After a a while you start to get an ab work out! Next time you sneeze, put your hand on your stomach- Maybe that should be my next video... "Want great abs? Just sneeze! Offer only good during allergy season."

And oh my eyes! They are soo swollen and puffy and RED! AND THEY ITCH!!!! I feel like I have dirt in them. IT's horrible.

At the moment, my husband and I are on Claritin. I am thinking of switching to Zyrtec. It seems to be the trendy way to go.
What is your allergy remedy?

Frank Bob

2008-05-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Introducing FRANK BOB! This is my husband. He has a blog but he is a little behind. I guess since I came into the picture he has had no time for anything he used to do... hehe. I am going to enjoy reading all of his past entries.

HE does not remember what his log in name used to be, but he changed it to FRANK BOB when he knew that those names would never be used on our children.

Hope you enjoy!

Cruise Ship Fun

2008-05-23T21:01:00.001-07:00

I came across this video on my friends Myspace page. This is when I did my last contract on the Jewel of the Seas. I was not hired as a singer, but had to fill in. OH man, we had so many replacements and so many rehearsals. I think I will try to write a post every now and then on my cruise ship days. They were fantastic and dismal, my best days and my worst days. This is where I learned how to be a hypocrite and stand my ground...and do it all over again.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little video that the three singers and I performed at the end of each voyage.

Alberto, Brooke, Chris- I miss you!

Getting out of Debt

2008-05-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a goal of my ours to get out of debt. I guess our goal should be sticking to the goal. Anyhow, I got this video off of Passionate Homemaking (great blog). Hope you enjoy and laugh at the message that should seem so easy!.

My Best Friend.....

2008-05-22T13:53:00.001-07:00

is not my dog. I know you might think that but Diesel is just a dog and,... well, of course he is not JUST a dog. ANYWAY- MY Best friend is my husband and I am going to share with you why I am so thankful for him.

HE is my super hero. He kills spiders while admitting that he doesn't like them either.

He is a hard worker and he never complains. He gets up every morning at 5:15ish to go to work and usually has no idea what time he will be home. His job requires more brain power and skill than anything I have ever done.

HE is humble. HE would never tell you how cool he really is. :-) He never asks anyone to call him by his title, though he deserves it after all the years of schooling and test taking. He is just John or Mr. John. One of the units at the Hospital threw him a going away party when he left the rotation!

HE is kind hearted. HE is not to cool for anyone. All of his friends love him (I guess they wouldn't be friends if they didn't). HE plays guitar and very well at that. HE sings like a rock star.

HE tells me I am beautiful EVERYDAY and ALL DAY. HE even makes me tell him how beautiful I am so I will know it (but I don't because that's strange. But then he thinks that is cute) "Tell me!" HE makes funny noises, no not gas, just strange noises like "egh" and other things I can't seem to figure out how to spell. He has me making them now. HE answers my phone calls every time with either "Wife" or "I love you!" or "Egh!" HE even sends me text messages during surgery!

HE reads the Bible with me. HE prays with me every night before we sleep. HE waits up for me on my long work nights just to say goodnight. HE greets me at the door to say "hello" and gives me sweet hugs and kisses. HE goes to church with me every Sunday that he can. He goes to Bible study every time that he can. He wants to lead our family towards Christ.

HE likes to sleep outside with our dog and the umbrella. HE loves to grill. HE watches "So You Think You Can Dance" with me. He loves to go for spontaneous SONIC runs with me.

HE taught me how to ride a road bike safely. HE organizes my training schedules on EXCEL spreadsheets. HE taught me how to swim more efficiently. HE encouraged me during my first Triathlon. I would not have finished the first portion if were not for him cheering me on.

HE IS PATIENT! Oh my goodness is he patient with me! Wow.
There is so much more.....

My husband is my wonderful friend. I have never been so comfortable around any one. We always joke that he had no idea I was like "this" when he asked me to marry him. Frankly, neither did I.

Our dog.

2008-05-16T17:07:00.001-07:00

It has been a while so I thought I would post some pictures of our cute Diesel. He is getting big. He is about 4 1/2 months old and a little over 40 pounds. Crazy!

We are taking him to the Farmer's market today. We will see how he does. Yesterday we bought a pinch collar. They look horrible and mean, but they do not hurt, they just "remind" the dog to not pull on the leash. IT took 15 seconds and Diesel was walking right by our side. AMAZING!

We have been training him, but we are still thinking of doing some official obedience training. He is very smart and I think that is the problem. He is stubborn and comes when he wants to and sits when it works for him. We have been training him to "heel" for quite a while and already it is hard for me hang on to the leash- so it was either this or the SHOCK COLLAR... we can not bring ourselves to do that. :-(

Happy Anniversary Part 2

2008-05-13T20:28:00.001-07:00

I have been dreaming of how to make our first anniversary memorable and sweet. I want to have a story to tell the kids you know?

For our lovely sunburned Anniversary dinner, we decided to go to the Melting Pot.

What an adventure. We knew that the hotel offered a tram service to and from this huge outlet mall near the Melting Pot. "Near" you say? Well, about 1/2 a mile. This is not a far walk, but when in my head I am thinking of wearing a new dress with nice shoes- I did not want to walk 1/2 a mile on a major road, AT NIGHT, for a nice romantic dinner.

After pouting and changing into FLIP FLOPS, we caught the the tram headed for the outlet mall. The driver was nice enough to take us to the restaurant but informed us that we would have to walk back to the mall to be picked up. Everything was looking good.

The dinner was great, the dessert was better... the best. It was very $$$ and I know that it was more for the ambiance than anything else- but My husband was sweet enough to take me and we enjoyed it.

WARNING! If you easily turn your nose up to bathroom humor, please read no further.

Like I said earlier, our driver told us that we needed to walk 1/2 a mile down the scary, marshy, unpaved unless you walk on the highway "path," to be picked up. So with our extremely full bellies, we headed off into the alligator infested swamps of beach town Florida.

OBSTACLES:

1. Slowly walk across grassy area and sink into marsh.

2. See that your only option is to walk through more scary uncharted territory or choose oncoming traffic.
3. Begin to panic and go for slight jog.

4. Digestion begins

5. Begin to panic... again.

6. Begin rocking chair dance (lean forward from thoughts of throwing up, lean back from thoughts of squeezing your EVERYTHING!)

Now, everyone has had those times in life that they have had to use the restroom quickly. However, I have never had a time in my life where I thought I was going to have to use the highway as the restroom. OH MY GOODNESS. One should never jog after a very $$$ meal- what a waste.

I seriously believe that I could sell the next exercise BUTT routine. I would call it, "The Squeez-inator."

As we were approaching the Heavenly lights of bathroom salvation, I seriously thought I was not going to make it. "How romantic," I thought. Nothing says "Happy Anniversary" like hot and steamy, um, poop in your pants. Luckily, we made it to a restroom with ZERO time to spare. I mean, zero, zilch, barley time to lift your skirt and be proper in an unfamiliar place kind of time.

Ahh! I feel better just thinking about. I quickly washed my hands and tried to not be seen as the "one who just left the stink." We headed back home with thoughts of having a nice glass of wine and walking on the beach at night....Romantic.

The real story- we were so burnt and tired, we fell asleep. Ahh... it's official, I am married.

So there you have it. We have a story.

Happy Anniversary Part 1

2008-05-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

YEA!

We got back from our very first anniversary celebration. John and I were married on May 12, last year. I can not believe how fast a year goes by.

We decided to go to Destin, Fl. I have been craving the beach and John's best man lives there with his wife and two precious children. They are moving overseas in a few months so it worked out great to get away and see some good friends.

We left Friday afternoon and had to fly via Houston with a 4 hour lay over. Being from Houston, my excellent mother picked us up and we headed to some delicious Mexican food. AND my best good friend Lindsey met us there with her charming little boy. YEA!!! Too cute and the biggest eyes... wow!

The first two days in Florida we hung out with our friends, ate good food, celebrated mother's day and had a great dinner on a deserted, little cove at NIGHT! Crazy. The last two days we stayed at the Hilton with a room overlooking the beach. It was awesome. We slept with the doors wide open and even had a few bird friends come and visit us IN the room.

After a quick trip to the beach the first night, we headed to a eating/shopping area and I swallowed down my first RAW oyster! SLIMY!!! I really can not tell you how they tasted, they straight back to my throat and down. BUT I DID IT!

The next day, I was determined to get the tan of the century... in one day... so we were out at 8 am walking the beach. After a quick trip to the grocery for some snacks, we were sprawled out and soaking up the rays... the HIGH POWERED, UV, white skin should never be allowed out in, sunshine, happy rays. 40 min, ocean break, turn. 40 min, ocean break, turn. We headed to the pool and once again, 1 hour, pool break, turn, 1 hour, GO INSIDE OUCH IT IS ALREADY HURTING! I was so thorough about the sun block. We put it on 15 min before heading outside. After that, I put it on my face and arms about every 15 min. That' s right, face and arms. I guess I would be missing over half of the body. The tan of the century is pleasantly on my face and arms. The medical burn of the day is on the back of our legs. OH what a wonderful flight back we had. :-)

Oh, I can't forget that lovely rash that I picked up from somewhere. YIKES

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL FOLKS!

Long overdue

2008-04-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

WARNING- Random pictures and videos of Diesel that have nothing to do with BLOG.

I was just getting the hang of the BLOG thing. I have been having a rough couple of weeks with work and getting used to a dog and not letting him rule the day. But- after a refreshing week of SPRING BREAK- things are so much better.

For the last two months, two big things (one bigger than the other) have been missing!

I have not been MAKING time to read the WORD and I have been so lazy. I have done ZERO exercise.

So while I was depressed and making life miserable for myself and my sweet John, I did not want to blog. All of my free time was spent sleeping and eating and wasting time.

However- now I have a different routine and things are getting back to normal.

Did I mention that is is finally sunny outside? A cloudy day for 3 months can do something to a girl who is used to 300 days of Caribbean sunshine a year!

My schedule used to be:

3:30a- let Diesel out
5:15- wake up with John (quick breakfast for him, let the dog out, say goodbye)

6:00- put Diesel on the couch and fall asleep (kind of)
7:00- wake up and let him out
7:15- feed him
7:30- sleep again with Diesel and wake up at 10:00 - 11:30
11:30- feed Diesel

12:00- Take Diesel for a walk

12:45- Diesel sleep.... so must I. I guess?

1:30- play with Diesel.

2:00- get ready for work, while watching Diesel

2:30- try to figure out what to cook only to realize everything is still frozen.
3:00- sit around and wait for work

4-8:30p - WORK

9:00p- come home say hi to john, take Diesel out, go to bed.

HOW DEPRESSING! (he was just told NO for chewing on John's Flip Flop)

NEW IMPROVED SCHEDULE

5:15a- wake up and fix John breakfast

6:00- out of house- go to gym
7:30- to Starbucks to read and pray

9- go home to dog- let him out , feed him and let him play- by himself
11:00 Walk Diesel

12:00 feed him and HE sleeps

(Isn't this picture funny? Scary?)

Basically- NOW I am free to do whatever. It is great that he sleeps through the night now..8 hours the other night!

The point being, that by 9am, I have already accomplished more that I had in any given day. Now I don't feel run down or Guilty to do other things because my main two things that are good for me have been accomplished.

So nothing real exciting to say in this blog except- YEA!!!!!

This Diesel and our friends 1 year old pug. That was about 3 weeks ago- Diesel now towers over him. :-)

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN.....get to Milwaukee?

2008-03-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well- that WAS the plan.

After getting only two hours of sleep on Wednesday, John and I got up at 3:30 and headed to the airport at 4 am. When we checked in they said the flight might be cancelled due to Maintenance. So my friend Hannah and I waited at the gate. About twenty min later, we were told it was cancelled. I called John, who had just turned into our neighborhood, and told him to come get me.

While we were waiting for our bags back downstairs we overheard a crew member say something like, "Okay, Cleavland is a go, have a nice flight!"

ME: "Excuse me. Did you say that the Cleavland flight is going?"

CREW: "Yep, getting ready to pull away for the gate."

I called John letting him know the "great" news.

CREW: "Oh, but you can't make it, it is already leaving and they took you off the flight because you said you weren't going."

WHAT!!!!!

The Lexington Airport is small. The same people that check you in also let you on the plane at the gate so you would think they would know what is going on and be able to communicate with.... well, themselves!

Anyway, we tried to reschedule flights, but by the time we would have arrived at SYTYCD, we were not sure if they would have still let us into the audition.

Luckily, we lost no money on the flight or the hotel. We did loose $50 in snack foods but I gladly ate them anyway.

THE good news was that I got to spend the rest of my week with John who had the week off. I was worried that I would not get back in time for Easter and that in itself would have been disappointing.

I was not THAT upset about the whole thing. I basically decided on MONDAY that I would give it a shot. I was not prepared and was planning on making up the dance as I went.

Maybe next year.... if I can still move I guess.

So You Thing You Can STILL Dance.. Dance.. Dance.. Dance..

Cross centered songs

2008-03-18T21:23:00.000-07:00

John and I have been asked to help out with the Youth service on Friday for worship. We have been asked to have some "cross-centered" music for the Youth to sing.

Any suggestions?

I have some news....

2008-03-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

And no, I am not pregnant. But I am going out of town (Milwaukee) so you will have to wait until Sunday for me to tell you. MMM what could it be?

You will just have to wait and see. :-)

clue: I will have to wait all day long and then only a few minutes.

What do you think it is?

Music Monday:Debbie Gibson vs Paula Abdul

2008-03-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

So it's Music Monday over at TSLOK and the topic is, What is your Musical Genealogy?

I could not decide between Paula Abdul or Debbie Gibson because I have fond memories of both. So here you go...

Debbie Gibson- Electric Youth

I loved this album. I memorized every song. I remember making up so many dances in my living room with my friend Sara from across the street. We even broke my moms coffee table. (I don't think she knew that?) IT was just crack..... sorry mommy. There were three of us in the area that would perform dances for the neighbors. We were so cool.

I also remember every time I flew across country to see my dad, I would take my WALKMAN and play "Lost in your eyes" over and over again thinking about some boy in Elementary school.

I even had the perfume called Electric Youth.
It was treasured!

Paula Abdul- Forever Your Girl

That's right America! Not just your sweet judge on Idol...but a true inpiration to an 8 year old girl leaning that "Opposites Attract", and he was "Cold Hearted" to begin with...that's right.... a SNAKE!

I asked some of the girls from the dance studio if they knew any of her songs and they just looked at me like I was crazy!

So many dances to this Albulm! I think I even did one of them at a school talent show....or, err, Church CHOIR CAMP talent show. Unfourtunatley, Opposites Attract did not suit the theme.

Emergency Surgery

2008-03-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

I thought this was blog worthy. I was on the phone with a friend of mine and turned to see my husband doing this...

But who wouldn't for such a cute little Diesel.

You wouldn't think that he actually plays enough with "Dougie" the duck to rip a whole in his neck, but he does.

Diesel doing what his mommy does best!

Snowman Saga pt 2

2008-03-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Snowman!

Going......

Going....

Gone!

The Snowman Saga

2008-03-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are both from Texas. That being said, we get a little giddy when it snows. This past January we had a little snow fall and decided to make a little snowman for our neighbors.

I had the scarf and hat from a jar of cookie mix that was made to look like a snowman. It worked out perfectly.

Little did we know that we would be getting "The WINTER STORM OF THE YEAR" two months later.

For all of you out there saying, "Oh, that's nothing! I lived in some place with lots of snow and we had 40,000 inches of snowfall....."- Stop reading and go shovel your snow. This is my winter wonderland.

It was so much fun. We spent our entire Saturday inside nice and warm.

On Sunday however.....

John decided to go outside and make snowballs...BIG snow balls....So big that we spent and hour and a half making this.

Aren't we so cute! Our little family with an 8 foot snowman!

Here is an entertaining video of us working hard for no reason. It is just A part of the process. We made the middle part so big, we cut it in half (with a knife) and had to lift it in sections. It was so heavy! It is a long video but the best part is the beginning so I won't feel bad if you stop it. IF you look closely to the left of the snowman, you will see the knife block John made for our kitchen knife that we used to cut the snowball in half. ENJOY!

He is already melting and falling over.

And of course....a picture of our sweet Diesel. He LOVED playing in the snow. We had to keep changing our snow location due to his artistic abilities with YELLOW coloring.

He said, She said

2008-03-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

I think it was this past Wednesday night that John and I were ~~complaining~~ chatting about the rest of our week. He did not want to go to his work and I clearly did not want to go to mine. I asked him if he would be willing to switch with me for the day.

JOHN: Sure. Go early and set up your room.
Make sure you have Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Nitroglycerin, and Insulin drips setup and pumps primed. Reassure the patient that you know what you're doing...they'll probably be anxious; give them midazolam if you need to. Place their arterial line awake, and then induce them with thiopental, or if their EF is too low, use etomidate and fentanyl. Put the endotracheal tube in the top hole, and then place the MAC introducer and PAC in their Right IJ. Give them some heparin before going on CPB, some protamine/CaCl2 after coming off. Optimize your drips while coming off CPB, and drop the patient off in the CTICU. Voila! You're golden...

ME: Okay, first you're going to make your cookie. Roll out your dough. This is while sitting in your straddle.Ask each girl what they want on their cookie. Put in the oven, make sure you blow on it.. EAT IT! Ask them what color butterfly they are today and where they would like to fly. They love the butterfly catcher! Let them each do this once- that would be 13 times.
Make a table, one broken leg, another broken leg, One broken arm, oops, fall down!
Now say "hello" to your knees. "Hello" ceiling! Now Make an "X" and snore. WAKE UP!
Clap your hands and Hug each other....all 13 of them. Now line them all up in a straight line. They don't know what this is.

Now kiss you feet in first position and....

Needless to say, we were thankful for our jobs at the end of the conversation.