Alex and Amanda Pavlovich

Accomplished

2012-01-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

This was meant to be posted on December 18, 2011.

I graduated yesterday. An event that is 15 years in the making. The ceremony was nice. It lasted about 2 hours but really didn't feel that long. The commencement speaker was amazing. I think she brought a tear to every one's eye. I was able to rein back the tears of emotion right on up to the part where the President of the University stood up and said that what she was about to say was the official part and then she started in on the "By the powers invested in me by the State of Kansas..." stuff.

I can't help but wonder what my grandparents would say if they were still alive. Or my dad. Lately I've been telling this joke that my grandparents didn't live long enough to see my dad graduate, and my father didn't live long enough to see me graduate, so I'm pretty glad that I can't have kids so that the cycle will finally stop. And then I give a nervous little laugh because its more of an appalling statement then a joke. My family wasn't able to make it out for my graduation for a lot of different reasons but that doesn't mean they weren't with me.

It dawned on me that I am the sum of all my experiences. I would love to be able to write that statement out as a mathematical equation but I am not that talented or mathematically inclined. The end result is something that is always growing and always changing but yet sometimes still looks like what it used to be. So with this in mind I decorated myself in some memorabilia on graduation day.

Under my graduation gown, I wore my old initials "AH". These gold broach pins were passed down when my grandmother Amelia Harris passed away and since I was the only one with AH for initials they became mine. I also got a cream pitcher in the shape of a cow but that story is neither here nor there. I also wore the gold cross that was given to me by my step-mother on my birthday. It is one of the three crosses that my father owned/wore. Both are symbols of my past mixed in with a little bit of the future. Both represent a deep love in a trinitarian sort of way.

My mom sent me a wonderful charm bracelet made especially for teachers. Each charm has a special message or meaning. It's a great symbol of my future.

On the outside of my gown I had the honor and privilege of wearing a yellow Honor's cord for Magna Cum Laude and the blue and white cord for the Pi Gamma Mu National Honor Society of Social Sciences.

I'll admit something that sounds a little silly now. The days before the graduation ceremony I would catch myself gazing at my grad gown like I did with my wedding dress. I couldn't wait to wear it and twirl around in it and swing my honor cords around like a 5 year old. I tried the hat on at least 5 times because none of it seemed real. And just like my wedding day, I wore the gown once and time seemed to pass by way to quickly. Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

Alex and I, after the ceremony and moments after I found out that I was Magna Cum Laude

My best and closest friend, Anna

Susie and Jim Hollis, two amazing people that come to see me often at work

Colton and Caden Mason hanging out at the house

The graduation cake

In the last few days people have asked me if I feel "accomplished". I'm not sure what that means exactly. My mind keeps replaying a scene from the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen where Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley are explaining what a young woman must be able to do to truly say she is accomplished. It goes something like this:

"It is amazing to me," said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are."
"All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?"
"Yes all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover skreens, and net purses. I scarcely know any one who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished."
"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy, "has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse, or covering a skreen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."
"Nor I, I am sure," said Miss Bingley.
"Then," observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished women."
"Yes; I do comprehend a great deal in it."
"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished, who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved."
"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

I severely lack a thorough knowledge in music. I cannot sing, carry a tune, or conjure up a melody. I am a master of drawing stick-people. My dance moves look more like seizures. I brag that I known Canadian but this is another one of my bad jokes. But I do read extensively. Probably too much for my own good. So to answer the question... no, I do not feel accomplished. On a more serious note, I'm not sure what accomplished is supposed to feel like. If any thing I feel... humble. It has taken me so long to graduate that I thought it would never come. I never thought I would ever be published in a peer-reviewed journal, or be given an award by the Kansas Department of Education, or invited to an international Honor Society, or graduate in the top 3% of my class. If accomplished means surreal then sure.

But honestly, it really feels like I'm just getting started.

Go On... Just Check the Box Already

2012-01-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

I'm catching up still. I swear, soon I'll write about things in 2012.

I usually take birthday's really well. But this one made me just a little sad and only because today (on my birthday) when I went to church and was filling out the Attendance Record...

I had to check a new box...

And I'm not really to excited about my options.

Goodbye Age 25-34 box. I liked checking you a lot. May the 50+ box come a little slower.

A Little Bit of Talent and a Whole Lot of Illusion

2012-01-04T00:12:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to catch up here. I originally planned on posting this on November 19, 2011.

Recently, my University granted me the Teacher of Promise Award for 2012. It's the equivalent of Teacher of the Year for student interns. Each year they bestow this honor to one Elementary Education graduate and one Secondary Education graduate. I am the latter. I do not know what I did that set me apart from the rest of my fellow graduates. When I received the letter in the mail I honestly read it over and over again for almost an hour because my mind refused to comprehend what it was saying. You see, I am surrounded by some really exceptional individuals who have incredible talents that make me a tad envious. When I hear about the things they do in their classrooms I am always in awe. Most of them teach itty-bitty's- which scare me to death because I'll take a teenager any day. They try to make us Secondary Ed teachers feel amazing by saying things like "Oh, you have it so hard! You have 125 homework papers/tests/projects to grade and we only have 25!" Sure, like that's suppose to make me feel better. I only have 1 subject to teach every day and I see my kids every other day and only test and collect homework occasionally. The Wee One Teachers have like 5 subjects to teach every day and see the same kids ALL DAY LONG. And they have to have procedures from every thing like emptying out the rocks/dirt from their shoe after lunch, and lining up for different activities, and how to do this and how to do that. Nah... give me the kid who knows how to button up his pants (even if he prefers to sag them) and blow his nose. Give me the girl who is heart broken over the jerk boy who just cheated on her or the kid who was dropped off at school an hour and half early by her alcoholic parent. No, I am constantly in awe of those who purposely chose to be Elementary School teachers. Not only do they have to know a lot but they are amazingly creative too. Amazingly.

One of the perks of accepting the Teacher of Promise award was that I was invited to a 3 hour workshop sponsored by the 2011 Kansas Teacher of the Year team. The experience was nothing short of wonderful and a little surreal. It's not that I felt like I was crashing a party in the lack-of-self-esteem sense but more a long the lines of bewilderment because everyone around me seemed so much smarter, wittier, and quicker. I did manage to write down just a few of the best ideas:

Base-10 Villages: using Base-10 blocks have the kids create a village of buildings. The teacher is only to set 2 requirements such as the village has to add up to 4355 and no building can be greater than 300 or no building can have more than 3 stories. Then let them build and create what they think is important in a village. Plus they have to do the math to figure out how many buildings they still need or which building needs to be smaller.
Using dry-erase markers on their desks. Test this one first to see if the marker is going to stain the desk. Compile a list of polling questions, then have the students make a time-line of the answer. They can then figure out mean, median, and mode. The teacher can see if they have spatial abilities. Or have them create an annotated time-line with a small group of other students.
Super Hero: (this one is probably my favorite). Students have to create a super hero based on something that represents the state or region that they are studying. For instance, if I was teaching Kansas history, my super hero might be Sunflower Girl. Sunflower Girl now has to travel through 3 cities in Kansas (kids have to provide the map and tell what she will see in each city), rescue a famous person from Kansas (like actress Annette Bening), and have a hide out (or vehicle) made out of a resource found in the state.
Periodic table: the creation of the periodic table is amazing, even if it seems boring. Kids should appreciate the work that went into it nonetheless. Teachers can have their students create their own periodic table out of anything they want as long as it has the 3 elements that all periodic tables have. I saw some really great student-created examples like: the Periodic table of Hogwarts, a Periodic table of Sushi, and a Periodic table of musicals.

The other perk was a free dinner later in the evening. The food was tasty and before I knew it, I was in a line waiting for my name to be called which prompted me to walk across a stage and take a series of pictures with individuals I had never heard of. A while later they began to list off the accomplishments of those who were nominees for the new Kansas Teacher of the Year for 2012. I'm not sure how in the world they picked the winner for Teacher of the Year because every nominee's list of activities took a solid 5 minutes to read off. At one point the MC asked one young lady when she had time to sleep. Soon after, the dinner was over and Alex and I were on our way home. Here is a picture or two of the night:

Alex and I after dinner

My new spiffy award

So to get back to what I was saying originally- I honestly do not know why I was picked. I tried to ask my teacher and all she would tell me is that it was absolutely unanimous among the Newman Professors. This was of no help at all. It was truly a humbling experience to be given this honor. Truly. I've said it before, but I am surrounded by some amazing future teachers. I always have been.

The other night I was watching "Water For Elephants" and there is a part in the movie where Jacob (Robert Pattinson) is sharing with Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) and August (Christoph Waltz) that he never finished Vet school so he's not a real veterinarian. Marlena and August start laughing and say something to the effect that the 800 pound lady is more like 300 pounds, and the lady with all the tattoos was never tatted up by the Amazons with blue paint but in reality she did the tats herself over a few years. Then they reveal the true secret to show business: all one needs is a little bit of talent and a whole lot of illusion. This scene struck me in such a profound way because for a moment or two I felt like someone had finally revealed the secret about my teaching abilities. I have a little bit of talent. A very, very little bit. The rest... it's just well-played illusion. I'm just hoping I'll be able to pick up a little more talent along the way before the illusion disappears.

Summer Books

2012-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Pardon the reflection, I meant to post this August 8, 2011.

I've been reading a lot this summer. Then again, I think I read a lot every summer. Anyway, as soon as I finished the Harry Potter series I started on my pile of other books that I have been wanting to read. This pile has grown much larger in the last few weeks since Borders is going out of business. I'm having a hard time resisting the 25-50% going-out-of-business sale. So far this is what I've read...

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. This is probably the first mystery I have ever read. Lisbeth Salander, or the girl with the dragon tattoo, is not the main character but definitely has a supporting role. The story revolves around a journalist named Mikael Blomkvist who has recently been hired to solve a murder that happened forty years ago. Lisbeth Salander is more like his assistant but in the end saves Mikael's life. She's incredibly smart, incredibly private, and has a super dark past that won't be fully revealed until the last book. The book is set in Sweden, names tons of Swedish landmarks, and even mentions all the money in Swedish kronor. From what I understand, Stieg Larsson handed in the first 2 books to his publisher and the manuscript to the last book and then died shortly after. I think he never lived to see a single book published. The book is really very good. If I hadn't seen the movies first, I probably would have thought that they were awesome.

The Girl Who Played With Fire is part two to the Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth Salander is a more central figure given that she is framed for murder. Although she doesn't have many friends, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, her ex-guardian Holger Palmgren, and her former employer Dragan Armansky, try solve the murders before the police track down Lisbeth. In the meantime, more of Lisbeth's horrible past is revealed and you find out more about her family. I think I liked this one a little better than the first. Stieg Larsson divides his chapters into days. The book starts on December 16th and ends on April 7th. Many of the chapters happen on the same day but you start to see the same events from the different groups of activity. By the last page, there is no doubt that Lisbeth Salander is one bad ass chick.

Next came Green, the final chapter to what used to be the Circle Trilogy. I read the Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, and White) back in 2004. Green is both the end of the story and the beginning. So the story goes something like this: Thomas Hunter is being chased by some bad guys and gets shot, but not seriously. He runs home, patches himself up, and falls asleep. He wakes up in another world that is as real as this one but its 4196 AD but it could easily be 4196 BC. When he falls asleep in the future world, he wakes back up here. Both realities are moving toward the same apocalyptic end. The things that he learns in the present he can use in the future and vise versa. The major difference between the worlds is pretty neat. Here, in the present time, evil resides in the heart and we all look the same on the outside. In the future world, evil is visible on the flesh in the form of crusty, scabbing flesh that itches and burns when you try to wash it off. Those who believe in God, on the other hand, have smooth healthy skin. The "Scabs" (unbelievers) are always waging war on the "Albinos" (believers) and in Green, the church begins to fracture. Green has two alternative endings and I think I like the second ending better than the first.

I adore Chuck Palahniuk's writing. It's twisted and fresh and real. He writes like you and I talk. Chuck Palahniuk is probably most famous for "Fight Club" but his other books are well worth the read. Survivor is written in first person narrative form and starts off with the main character, Tender Branson, sitting in the cockpit of Flight 2039, dictating his life into the recorder of the Black Box. I don't want to give much of the book away, but Tender grew up in the Creedish Church (which is fictional, a death/suicide cult like the Heaven's Gate of California or Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple) in Nebraska and is the last living survivor of the church. When Tender is discovered by the media that he's the last survivor he becomes an instant celebrity. Think Paris Hilton meets Jim Bakker (the televangelist in the 80's). It's a nightmare but comfortable. It's tragic, and predestined, and your left thinking at the end, "What if...". And it's brilliant.

I usually don't take a break in between books when I'm reading a series, but for some reason I did this time. Hornet is the very last in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. This time, Lisbeth is on trial and Mikael's sister is her attorney. Even more sick and twisted things are revealed about her past- like the fact that the guy who shot her in the head and buried her alive in the last book was her half brother who takes orders from her dad, who happens to be the head of the human trafficking ring in Sweden. There's government corruption and police corruption and media corruption. In the end, Lisbeth finally realizes what it means to have friends. Or something like that, cause I'm not going to ruin it for you.

Davey's First Earthquake!

2011-11-06T07:14:00.001-08:00

Oh yeah baby! If you didn't think I was dorky before then this post will be the final nail in the coffin! :) Here's David shortly after the earthquake yesterday. In no way, shape, or form is he freaked out in the slightest. As a matter of fact, he was patiently waiting for me to stop snapping photos so we could get back to playing.

As many of you probably already know, Oklahoma had a strange outbreak of earthquake activity yesterday. Honestly, I had no idea until the big one rocked the area around 11:53 PM. Officially, this would be my fourth earthquake but for Davey, it's his FIRST! Okay, so this is a little ridiculous-of this I'm fully aware- but when your puppy is almost 3 years old, there aren't many "1st" left to experience.

Strangely enough, I was sitting right here at the computer when the tremor began. It had been pretty windy all day long and its not all that unusual to get an occasional freaky gust of wind that makes you wonder. At first, I thought that's exactly what was happening, but our house has never moved before. So naturally I thought that maybe this was a sign that a tornado was approaching. That is until the blinds started knocking against the window and I began to feel like a long-distant passenger on Amtrak.

Here's the unnatural part- I didn't run for protection this time. Nope. I just sat there and road it out. Weird, I know. But at the same time I trying to be logical. You see, we have a full basement. This means that hiding to protect oneself from a collapsing roof will do you no good if you're just going to end up in the basement because the house shifted right off the foundation and has you plummeting to the depths below. Yep, those are exactly the nice and healthy kind of thoughts I experience during natural phenomenon's. After the rocking stopped, my maternal (albeit delayed) instincts kicked in and I went to find Davey posthaste. Thinking that he needed to be comforted and soothed, I quickly found him in the dining room frozen by the back door staring at me as if he was caught doing something bad. As soon as I started talking to him, he quickly pounced on the closest toy to take full advantage of my undivided attention. So much for comforting the scared baby. Of course, like any good Momma Puppy, I made him sit for a series of photos that would forever mark the occasion.

Yeah, I got to say... I think I captured the mood perfectly.

Lost and Found

2011-08-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

Me: Honey? I just bought some pepper the other day and now I can't find it. Do you know where it might be?

Alex: Nope.

Me: Well, I know that you used it to make the cinnamon pepper chicken 3 days ago, so it's got to be around here somewhere.

Alex: Yeah. No clue. Did you try the spice rack?

Me: Um it's a big bottle so it won't fit there.

Alex: How about the counter top?

Me: Yep. Looked there.

Alex: How about the spice cabinet?

Me: Ah, that was the first place I looked and its not there.

Alex: Then I give up.

Me: Great. Thanks.

I found the pepper a while later. In the fridge. Along with a bag of crasins and the peanut butter.

Cornbread Infatuation

2011-08-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

Cornbread. Oh, how I love cornbread. If I was a poet I would inscribe my love for cornbread on some ancient parchment in hopes that someone would turn it into a delightful song. If I was an artist I would paint, draw, sculpt the many ways in which cornbread has touched my life. Alas, I can do none of these thing so instead I bake.

Last week we received our copy of Food Network Magazine. I was super excited to find that Ree Drummond (aka the Pioneer Woman who's at the top of my blogging friend list) was featured in her super cool kitchen along with a few recipes for my beloved cornbread. After coveting Ree's counter tops I decided to make my culinary obsession. That night for dinner I made pan-seared herb chicken salad...

This salad is extremely easy to make. Make the chicken however you'd like. Sometime I grill it but this time I made it in the pan because of all the different things I was making at once. Tonight I used a romaine based salad mix but it tastes just as good with baby spinach leave. Add craisins, bacon, walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, and fresh raspberries. I usually top it off with Brianna's Raspberry Vinaigrette but this time I made a fresh citrus dressing with the Good Season's dressing packet. Here is the recipe:

Citrus Salad Dressing/Marinade

1/4 cup orange juice

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup oil (canola and oil are the best)

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 packet of Good Seasons Italian All Natural Salad Dressing mix

I did not create this recipe. I merely found it on the Good Season's box. But it is very tasty.

And then there is the cornbread. Ahh... cornbread.

This time I made the cornbread in a cast iron skillet. It turned out really amazing and only took 20 minutes. I have yet to taste a fluffier, lighter-textured cornbread. Here it is straight out of the oven:

I dusted it with some sugar on top, which is a little unusual but it's because this time I topped it off with a freshly homemade strawberry jam. Oohh, the strawberry jam was nothing less than phenomenal. Alex and I have been day-dreaming about all the things we could put the jam on in the future.

It was like desert for dinner and yet it wasn't. This might just be my new strawberry shortcake. Or pancake topper. Or crepe filler. Or cupcake filling/frosting.

Here is the recipe for both the cornbread and the strawberry jam. Both are the brainchild of Alex Guarnaschelli.

Skillet Cornbread with Strawberry Jam

FOR THE CORNBREAD

1 1/4 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup whole milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE JAM

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

1 lemon (but I used 2 since they were small)

Juice of half an orange (but I used 1/4 cup of OJ)

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup of sugar

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Step 1: Make the cornbread: Place a 9 inch cast-iron skillet in the oven ad preheat to 400 degrees. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder ad baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, buttermilk, eggs ad almost all the melted butter, reserving about 1 tablespoon for brushing the skillet, in a separate bowl. Add the wet to the dry. Mix well.

Step 2: Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and brush the bottom and sides with the reserved melted butter. Pour the batter into the skillet, return to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with sugar for texture.

Step 3: Meanwhile, make the jam: Cut the strawberries width-wise into 1/4 inch thick slices (the slices should be think enough to bend slightly). using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from 1/3 of the lemon with a light touch, leaving the pith behind; transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl. Add the orange juice, salt, sugar and strawberries ad toss. Cover and refrigerate until the cornbread is out of the oven.

Step 4: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the strawberry mixture and cook, stirring, until the juices reduce and thicken slightly, about 10-15 minutes. Slice the cornbread and top off with the strawberry jam. Serve. Eat. Love.

I promise. It is delicious.

June & July Movies

2011-08-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

June and July were slower than average movie months for us. We watched a ton of Blockbuster/Redbox movies but only made it out to the theaters 4 times.

Transformers 3

This was the very first IMAX 3D movie that we have ever seen. It was really incredible. It's hard to believe that almost the entire movie is CG. It's also a huge plus that our IMAX theater is super brand new complete with faux leather seats. I guess it's the largest one in the states. I liked the movie better than the second one but not as much as the first. At the end of the movie, you'll be asking yourself the same question you did at the end of the last one: How in world did Carley (and Mikaela) keep their clothes so incredibly white during all that high-impact action?

Harry Potter 7.2

Yes, Severus, for you it did all end. I loved it nonetheless. I cried. I laughed. I was so sad to see it finally come to an end. I talked about it for a good 3 days straight at work (but that's probably because 90% of the staff is 18 and Harry has been their life). It's a good thing I have all the books and the DVD's so I can read/watch it again and again until my brain has turned to mush.

Captain America

This was an Alex pick and since I dragged him to see Harry the week before it only seemed proper to accompany him. Really, I'm not all that interested in the comic book movies but it was still pretty decent. It was really neat to see how Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America were all tied together. Chris Evans has a super amazing body. Wait until all the credits have passed because there is an extra clip at the very end.

Horrible Bosses

Super funny. Not at all appropriate for individuals under the age of 18. The profanity is off the charts but not in the F U kind of way. I really enjoyed watching Jennifer Aniston play a bad girl. My favorite character was probably Dale. The bad guys all get theirs in the end.

Meow Mix

2011-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about having a dog is that he's a constant feeding experiment. So far I've discovered that he LOVES raw chicken and steak, carrot peelings, white and sweet potatoes, craisins, peanut butter, goldfish crackers, and pizza crust. He does not care for cucumbers, celery, watermelon, lemon wedges, or apple pie filling. This, however, does not make up a significant part of his dietary needs. They are more like snacks, or more accurately, opportunities for us pet owners to entertain ourselves for a few moments. The rest of Davey's mundane food fare consists of Science Diet Large Breed dog food. You know- the expensive stuff. 6 cups a day. A 35 pound bag lasts about 20 days. On super special days, like his birthday or Christmas, I'll buy a super cheap can of Pedigree "Country Stew" and mix it in with the dry stuff. Now watching that is some fun stuff because he knows. As soon as I walk in the house and he sees the can its like watching a heroin addict who's been clean for a week try to get a fix. He whines. He paces. He shakes with excitement. He drools. And when it's finally all mixed together he devours every morsel and then licks the bowl for 10 minutes. Everything in the world is right again and tomorrow's meal of just plain old Science Diet kibble suddenly seems like prison food.

For the most part, Davey is not a picky eater. We use to feed him 3 times a day in much smaller portions when he was a tiny guy but now he prefers to eat in the late evening. He eats at his own pace but that doesn't stop his peculiarities. He ALWAYS removes the first 3 kibbles from his bowl and places them on the carper in almost a triangular pattern. I'm not sure if this is his way of adapting the Italian tradition of placing 3 coffee beans in Sambuca (a Italian Liquor) for good-luck, or maybe its an unknown dog ritual passed on from mother to pup that has continued through the centuries, or if he's offering up some kind of canine tithe. Then he'll only eat half and saves the rest for later, about an hour and a half later. All of it is a little odd, but over the last 2 years I've become use to it.

Okay, so the other day, David really had us worried. We took him running in the morning like we usually do. He had left about a cup of food left over from the day before. When he and Alex got back from their run he drank just a tiny bit of water, the remaining cup of food, and then took a long nap. We both went to work, came home, put out some fresh dog food and water, and continued on with our nightly routine. In the morning we noticed that Davey hadn't touched his food or his water. So now I'm starting to get a little worried. I watch him all day which isn't hard because all he did was sleep. When he was awake I message him down to see if something hurts on him but not a peep. I try to get him to eat ice cubes but he doesn't seem interested. I offer up one of his Salmon treats and that's a big green light but he's not interested in the stuff that he really needs like food and water and its been about 36 hours now. So in my desperation, I walk out to the car, grab a handful of cat food and walk back in side.

Wait a minute, cat food? Yes, I have cat food in the trunk of my car. No, I do not have a cat, officially. I am so very allergic to cats its really not funny. But I like cats. The reason I have cat food in my trunk is because there is a year old, black male stray cat that lives in the storm drain in the parking lot of the restaurant where I work. My co-workers all have different names for the little guy. Some call him Snape, some Midnight, and other call him a slur of profanity because he likes to lounge on their brand new clean cars. Anyway, I call him Kitty Kitty. Honestly, he doesn't care what I call him as long as I feed him. But back to the story...

I walk in the house with a handful of Meow Mix and Heroin Dog greets me at the door. Suddenly he knows. I let him sniff my hand and the drooling and shaking and whining starts immediately. I'm not sure where this comes from since I know for a fact this is the first time that he's ever had cat food. I sprinkle it in his bowl and like magic the mighty appetite has returned. He polished off every morsel of food and slurped down 2 large bowls of water. I breathe a sigh of relief and a dozen thoughts flood my mind. I remember back when my sister was 2 and I caught her eating cat food on the porch. I think back to when we first brought Davey home and all the "food rules" that we agreed on, which by the way have all been broken including the chocolate rule. And I think of all the exasperated moms that come in my restaurant with picky kids. Maybe I should tell them about Meow Mix too.

Chocolate Wasted

2011-07-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

Alex and I went to Harry Potter 7.2 yesterday at the new IMAX theater down the street from our home. I was a little leery about seeing it in super 3D. I'm not totally convinced yet that every 3D movie is worth seeing in 3D. Several co-workers insisted that not only must I see it in 3D but also on an immensely humongous IMAX screen. Let me say, that it was well worth it. There will be no spoilers from me this time. I will only say that I laughed a few times, cried a little more, and was blown away by the 3D effects.

After the movie we headed off to dinner and then home for some dessert. Our desserts are always changing. Sometimes we have lemon and grape granita. I'll probably be making some watermelon granita this week. Sometimes its strawberry shortcake or mousse or a half dozen other things that might strike our fancy. Last night we had a deep desire to get "wasted" on chocolate.

It's pretty simple to do. First, you make a batch of fresh chocolate brownies. Let them rest for maybe 5 minutes. You'll want them nice and hot. Then you scoop out big scoop of chocolate ice cream. We choose Bryer's this time, but there are some nice fancy, rich chocolate ice creams that are just as wonderful. Then, you top off the ice cream with some chocolate covered pretzels and Hershey's chocolate syrup. It's a wonderful chocolaty gooey crunchy divine treat. So divine that I ate some more for breakfast this morning. There has got to be some perks for being an adult, right?

Well, here it is. "Chocolate Wasted". Heavenly for dessert. Glorious for breakfast.

Trolls

2011-07-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

My brother, Tommy, sent this to me yesterday and I couldn't help but publish it. He has the happy talent of telling imaginative stories. I did a slight edit on one or two incorrectly spelled words but the rest is all him.

Enjoy!

MY MIND WANDERS...by Tommy A. Harris

"You see those trees moving over there boy?"

"Yeah!" he states slightly.

"You know what it is? It's an army of trolls rolling through. They're marching following the storm..."

The view spread in front of us was that of an encroaching thunderstorm. To the west the light was punching through but quickly edging it out to the north was the dark rolling clouds that spat lightening every forty or fifty seconds...

"Those are trolls moving the trees over there?! What are they doing that for?" he asked more interested.

"Well, trolls are large and angry and clumsy with reeeaaally bad tempers and fat hungry stomachs. Seeing as they are following a storm, with all that rain the ground gets pretty slippery and the trolls crash into the tree, sometimes even breaking its limbs off or splitting it in two. I've heard of trolls getting so angry they pull trees up and throw them into the storms..."

The trees from the balcony were swaying back and forth at a good pace. I thought for a second I could see the trolls passing! It made me smile so I let out a quick gasp. The storm was making some noise, I think the wind was letting out a ghoulish sound with loud knockings and heavy thuds from the forest getting rattled.

"Did you SEE That!!!" I yelped. "I swear I saw one!"

"Where is it? Can I get up in my chair? I can't see them too good!"

"You better! Climb up here." I quickly assured him. "You don't always get the chance to see a troll. The higher the better!

"What are they doing?"

With a second chance to elaborate on the habits of trolls, I dove all in!

"Trolls can only move during storms. Did you know that? They hide from the sun. A troll has really thick and rough skin but it hurts when they get in the sun. It's like the troll gets a bad sunburn right away. That's why they live under bridges, to hide from the sun. Another reason they stumble behind the storm is the rain keeps them all slippery and it's nearly impossible to cut their skin on branches or sharp stones or even swords..."

At this point I can see him to my side looking down the bay towards the bridge that crosses the laguna to the island which just happens to be blocking our view of the ocean. I just wait for his next question chuckling inside.

"There aren't any trolls under our bridge!" he almost asks me.

"Well there might be now. They move during the storms to stay out of the sun but if the sun comes out right now, I bet they all scatter into the trees on the river or under the docks and probably under that bridge... It will be a real pain to get rid of them then!"

"Why can't we get rid them? Can't you just make 'em leave?"

"I don't speak troll. And I'm not fighting something that will pull up a tree just to lay in some mud! You just have to stay away from the bridge and wait for the next storm so they can leave. I don't think we'll get any trolls this storm though, they seem to be moving that way.

I point away towards the riverside woods. He asks a couple of questions that I don't answer and says hes going to tell his mom he saw trolls. Lightening strikes behind the clouds...

"Did you just SEE that pheonix?! I say as a new smile grows across my face...

New Zealand

2011-06-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Apparently New Zealand has been upgraded from country...

to scent...

I wonder what the "United States" would smell like?

Dead Fraggles

2011-06-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

This picture is a little deceiving. These chewing dog ropes are much bigger than a softball but a tad smaller than a soccer ball. Anyway, Davey loves to chew on them. He'll get a section of rope loose and then use it to fling the ball into the air to practice catching it. He also loves to play tug of war with it. An average life span of the ball lasts about 3 weeks.

The balls are good fun and keep him occupied but they're kind of messy. I vacuum almost every day because in reality it looks like Davey got a hold of a Fraggle in the middle of the night and practiced tossing it around for a bit of good fun. Just in case you're not sure what a Fraggle looks like, here's an example:

Almost always the dead Fraggle is scattered across every inch of living room and hallway space and is in small 4 inch carefully separated pieces. It's kind of like waking up to find that every carpet fiber has been carefully decorated with Christmas tinsel.

Yesterday, I got lucky. This time the stringy wreckage was centrally located in my bedroom and I was able to catch him before his master decorating skills were eagerly employed.

Harry Potter

2011-06-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

I suppose it is easier to start in the beginning. Way back in 1998 when Harry Potter was first introduced to the United States, I was 22 and unmarried. Although I was going to school to become a teacher I was focusing on teaching only high school history, so the idea of reading Harry Potter was, for lack of a better word, not in the least bit interesting. I felt the same as each movie was released. I had no interest whatsoever in spending a single penny on a movie adaptation of a children's book. A few years back my dad gave me the Sorcerer's Stone movie as a Christmas present. I said thanks, but I really was less than thrilled. Okay, so flash forward to about a month ago. We haven't had TV service or cable access for more than 2 years now and its been great. Every so often I go through our DVD collection and watch some of the movies I haven't seen in a while. Out of the very back corner I pulled out the movie my dad had given me for Christmas like 4 years ago. It was still in the wrapper. I was super bored and thought that I had nothing to lose. So I watched it and thought it was okay. The next night I went over to Blockbuster and rented the rest right up to HP 7.1. Each movie got better and better but I had lots of questions. The kids that I work with all grew up reading Harry Potter so I thought that they would be the best ones to answer my questions. Well, after 2 whole days of talking about Harry I decided that it was time for me to read the books for myself. My co-worker let me borrow 3 at a time and I made her proud by finishing the entire series in 2 weeks.

Yes, they are that good. So good, in fact, that I'm going to ruin it for anyone reading this whom have not read them yet for themselves. You've been warned. :)

First, I should say that I am extremely impressed by J.K Rowling's writing talent. The Sorcerer's Stone was her first written book. It flows magnificently. The characters have personality and flair and seem so very real. More importantly each book has a wonderful message. My favorite message came at the end of Book 1 when Dumbledore tells Harry that one of the problems of evil is that it fails to recognize how powerful love really is. I couldn't have said it better myself.

It took me a day and a half to read #1. As soon as I closed the cover on the first, I immediately opened the cover on the second. Again, at the end of this one, Harry begins to wonder what the difference between him and Voldemort since they seem to have so much in common and yet one has become so very evil. Dumbledore gently tells Harry that the difference between good and evil is choice. No matter how similar one's background me be we all have a choice to be one way or another. Harry may have been pre-destined and pre-chosen to defeat Voldemort but in the end the reason he is the one is because he makes the decision to be that person. Of course, this becomes much more apparent as the story progresses.

Ooooo.... I really liked the Prisoner of Azkaban too. I liked all the action at the end and of course, Snape getting knocked out but then helping Harry in the end after the Dementors attacked them. The time traveling part was probably my favorite.

I think the books are getting better and better. I think I liked the ending probably the most when Harry fights Voldemort again and when Snape lifts up his sleeve and exposed his Voldemort scar/tattoo and revealed that he was a Death Eater and double agent. I totally didn't see it coming that Moody was actually a bad guy in disguise. I honestly thought that Bragman was the one who put Harry's name in the pot.

Interesting that Harry is so angry in this book. It might be the age. Last semester I encountered quite a few 15 year old boys that were angry and some of them couldn't really put it into words why only that they just were. So kudos to Rowlings for placing Harry's rage in the right age group. Cho was a little annoying, but whatever. Totally enjoyed Ginny putting Harry in check. She's definitely a good match for him but that won't come until later. A friend at work told me that Rowling's actually meant to kill off Mr. Weasley in this book for some reason never did. I LOVED the action scenes in the end of the book starting with Harry breaking into Umbridge's office and getting caught all the way up to his raging against Dumbledore. I stayed up until 1:30 am to finish this one.

Ahh... the Half-Blood Prince. I think out of all of them, this may be my least favorite. I wanted more Snape or Snape-like training or secrets or something. The Ron-Hermione Harry-Ginny infatuation got a little old and I think it made the story drag a little. I won't deny it- I cried at Dumbledore's funeral. At this point, I can't imagine the story going on without him. He has been such an essential part of the story that its hard to imagine Harry without him.

Finally, the last book. I didn't pick this one up immediately after finishing the previous one like I did with all the others. Honestly, its because I wasn't ready for the story to end quite yet. Reluctantly and yet with high anxiety, I picked it up about 2 hours later and began the final journey. So as you probably all know, Harry 'camps' for about 400 pages. Most of it wasn't a surprise since I had already seen the movie. The last 300+ pages, on the other hand, were fantastic! My desire to know more about Snape was easily satisfied. I cried- alot- during the last part of the book. Dobby dies. Fred dies. Tonks and Lupin die. Neville's grandmother is finally proud of him. Snapes memories are heart-breaking. Oh! and when Mrs. Weasley starts fighting Bellatrix the hairs on my arms stood up. Who would have guessed that she was such a bad-ass this whole time?! It was so cool to see the teachers go from teacher-mode to warrior-mode. My last and final tear came at the very end when Harry tells his youngest son that he was named after Hogwort's 2 finest Headmasters and that Severus was the bravest man he had ever known. Lots of tears there.

So it's official that I LOVE Harry Potter. I'm actually a little sorry that I waited so long to read it. Unfortunately in the during the last 2 weeks of HP adventure I have failed to wash a single load of laundry, wash a dish, or sweep a floor. If only I had a wand and a good cleaning charm, I might be set for life.

May Movies

2011-06-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

With classes officially over, Alex and I have begun a new summer season of going to the movies every Monday night. On May 5th, we started with the 5th installation of the Fast and the Furious. So far I think it's the best one. It was entertaining, funny, had good action, and a pretty decent plot. Even though its the 5th one, it's actually the 4th part to the story. Hang out past the initial credits because there is a sneak peak/extra footage.

Next, on May 9th, was Alex's pick. I'm truly indifferent about Thor. I had no desire to see it to begin with. It was an okay movie. If you really, really want to see it, wait for it to be released at Blockbuster or Redbox. It's not that it was bad, but I'm glad I only paid matinee price to watch it.

On May 16th, I got to pick. I like vampire movies that have a slightly different take on the usual. Like Daybreakers instead of Interview With a Vampire. Anyway, I'm not sure this particular movie will do so well in Wichita since it has such a huge Catholic population. I can't imagine anyone truly watching this movie and saying, 'Yep, that's how it is in the church.' But it does have a controversial tone- like for instance the Priests are trained vampire killers who happen to be celibate. It was a decent intro movie but I'm not sure they'll make another one.

On May 23rd, for Alex's 37th birthday, he wanted to go have lunch at the Carriage Crossing in Yoder, Kansas and then go see Pirates 4. We woke up, ate breakfast, took Davey to Swanson Park (a wonderful park by the way) for a long walk, came home, bathed, got in the car and drove a half hour to Yoder. Yoder is the closest Amish community to Wichita. It was started in the late 1800s and currently has less residents then when it began but more businesses than ever. Go figure. Anyway, Carriage Crossing is run by some Amish folk and has really great food and amazing pies and cinnamon rolls. It was well worth the drive. Then we headed back to Wichita to catch the 5 pm showing of Pirates. I liked the movie. It was completely different from the last 3. I really liked the mermaids, probably because when I was 6 or 7 years old I really wanted to be one, but mostly because they weren't very nice. I'm not sure if there will be a 5th movie. I'm completely okay with them stopping at 4. Hang out to the end of the credits. There's another sneak peak for you.

We missed seeing a movie on May 30th because we both had to work, but no worries- we have the rest of the summer to make up for it!

Beautifully Entangled

2011-02-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Valentine,

For 11 years, 6 months, 2 weeks, and 5 days we have been inseparable.

Through thick and thin, good and bad...

And beautifully entangled for 4 years, 3 months, 1 week, and 3 days.

My love, my friend, my flesh, my bread and my wine.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Thunder in January

2011-01-23T07:40:00.001-08:00

Last night, Alex and I went to a Wichita Thunder Hockey game. Initally we got our tickets for free from our real estate lady but decided to upgrade our tickets for a mere $5. It was SO worth it. Did I mention that it was our first professional hockey experience ever?

There were over 4,000 people at the game, most of which were packed into the upper balcony (i.e. the free seats). The Thunder played against the Laredo, Texas Bucks and totally kicked their butts! Our seats were only 5 rows behind the goal so we got to see tons of action. Of course, there were fights- 2 almost fights and one big one that happened right in front of us. Both the Thunder and the Laredos had to sit in the penalty box for the last 2 minutes of the game for that one. Some of the coolest moments were when the refs actually leaped over the puck to keep the puck in play and when some of the locals decided to show off their colorful art of the spoken language. A "lady" (and I use that term lightly) named Cindy constantly reminded the Laredo goally name Jung that he indeed "SUCKED" the entire game, which he did to our benefit. And how could I forget! We even got to witness a "Hat trick". So you haven't got a clue as to what that is? No problem. Neither did I. It's when the same player makes 3 points in one game. It rarely happens unless you're Wayne Gretsky. In honor of the players accomplishment, fans throw their hats onto the ice as a sign of respect. I'm not sure what they do with the hats afterwards, but it was neat to see. In the end we won 6-3.

School is back in session once again. The break didn't seem nearly as long as I wanted it to be. As always, the first week of class is always the easiest. For the most part the classes are shorter and most of the time you discuss the next 16 weeks of homework assignments. I'm excited that the overall work load this semester doesn't seem to be as heavy as in the past and what makes me the most excited is that there is very little busy work. I hate busy work.

The down side is that I have a 30 page research paper due at the end of the semester on ANY historical topic that I chose. It could be a theme, and event, a time period, a person. So far I'm leaning toward the history of Migrant Workers focusing mainly on the Bracero Movement. My second choice is the inner workings of households in the 1870s. And my third choice is Advertising in the 1940s (pre WW2). I have to have at least 5 primary sources and at least 10 secondary sources. In the end I'll have double that. As overwhelming as it seems at this point, I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm always up for some great ideas as to what to write about. What historical topic would you chose?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

2011.

That can't be right, can it? It must be a typo.

So since the last time I wrote, I have finished up another semester of school. Here are my final grades:

EDUC 3003 (Special Ed): A

EDUC 3152 (Middles School Methods): A

PSN 1003 (American Government): A

SOC 3073 (Criminology): B

HIST 4781 (Portfolio Review): A

I made the Dean's List again. I was invited to join another Leadership Honor Society but I declined because of the fee's involved. I'm set to graduate December 2011 which means I have only 2 more semesters to go.

I finished re-transcribing one of my journals for the second time. The dog nibbled on one of the corners and my OCD refuses to allow me to have a tarnished journal sitting on the shelf so I engaged in the tedious task of re-writing each entry word for word for most of the parts a third time. After that, I started to transfer the daily notes I wrote myself from a day planner way back in 1998. That was painful. My spelling was atrocious and my thought process was in desperate need of a dose of maturity.

I also finished reading two more books: Kushiel's Dart and Kushiel's Chosen. Strange fantasy-like books about a courtesan who has an incredibly high tolerance for pain and is also a spy. I like them enough to read the third book but not enough to recommend to just anybody.

I also turned the first year (2008) of this blog into a scrapbook. I finished that project up a few days ago. In the end, 2008 filled 26 pages front and back. I added a sidebar of random facts about us, other pictures, and favorite scriptures. I'm thinking of doing the same for 2009 but this time I will work in chronological order instead of backwards from December to May, or seasonally. I'm fairly happy with the way it turned out.

Christmas was very quiet for us this year. It was the first year that we spent all by ourselves. We did something a tad different for presents. I bought my own presents, Alex bought his own presents, and then we wrapped them up and traded to see what we "bought" for each other. Apparently this year, I felt Alex needed a new belt, a new pair of jeans, and 2 more DVDs. I have to commend Alex for being so observant when he picked out 2 pairs of pajama's that I've been eying for a while, a commentary/bible study on the book of Romans that goes with the series I've been using, a beautiful pad of Christmas card stock, and the fourth book to a series I've been reading.

We didn't do anything for New Years. Alex worked until 1:30 am and I spent the night at home with an eye infection. I spent a good part of the morning on January 1st looking for an eye doctor that was open. The last number I dialed happened to be the home phone number of a doctor. He quickly agreed to see me. I drove down to his office, the visit lasted about 5 minutes, he gave me some antibiotic for free and didn't charge me a single penny for the office visit. I asked him if he was an Angel. He just laughed and asked to see me again on Tuesday.

I usually don't make "resolutions" but I do have a few goals for 2011 (There it is again. I'm still not convinced that's the right date.). First, I'd like to finally learn a second language and since my husband is a horrible language teacher, I think I'm going to buy the Rosetta Stone program and teach myself. Part of me wants to buy Gaelic so when I'm around my in-laws and Alex is being a tushy I can talk to him about it right then and there. But the other part of me wants to be practical and learn something I might actually use on a regular basis, like Spanish. I'd choose Serbo-Croatian but Rosetta Stone doesn't make a program for Serbian.

The second goal is a simple one: to graduate. I feel like I can pretty much check that one right off the list to begin with. It's almost cheating to put it on the list.

And finally, I would also like to pay off two more bills and be that much closer to being debt free. Alex enrolled in his company's 401K last week so we're starting to put away for the future again.

Well, here's to a new year! May the next decade be more amazing than the last!

Mr. Lobster and Shrimp

2010-11-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

My brother Tom and his son came for a week long visit on the 14th of November. We met them at the airport with a sign that read: Mr. Lobster and Shrimp. It was Alex's idea so I made him hold the sign. We got some weird looks while waiting but it made for a really good laugh when Tom showed up. 'Tommy the Lobster' is the nickname Alex gave Tom awhile back given his natural inability to tan and since TJ is just like his Daddy, well, it seemed to fit. Oh! And I really wanted to have a picture of the boys with the sign but Alex left the camera at home. I was totally bummed out about that one.

We were a little concerned that the dog may be a little much for TJ so we brought out the kennel again. Turns out that TJ enjoyed playing in the cage more than anything. He would climb in and out every few minutes returning with another item that was necessary for cozy living. In the end he had 2 pillows, a blanket, a stuffed animal, and eventually some snacks. He would lock himself in and pretend he was safe from the "dragon". Of course, he wanted everyone else to join him too. Here were are: Aunt Mandy, TJ, and David snuggly hanging out in the kennel.

Apparently eating breakfast (and an occasional snack) in a dog kennel is the coolest thing.

David keeping watch. Interestingly enough, Davey never ate any of TJ's food, no matter how long it was hanging out unattended.

Story time! Stories are so much fun! I get to practice on Alex every so often when I come across another kids book he's never heard of like Where the Wild Things Are or The Velveteen Rabbit. If I remember correctly, this is Dr. Suess' Oh the Places You'll Go!. My favorite of the night was Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown.

By the second day, Davey had become TJ's protector. He followed him around everywhere probably because he was waiting for some kind of scrap of food but mostly out of curiosity. One night when TJ and I were reading some books, Tom suddenly appeared in the doorway. In a flash of light, Davey was standing on top of the bed between us and the door growling at the sudden stranger. We all started laughing and Davey calmed down when he realized it was Tom. I think Davey liked having a "pet" in which to share his bed.

So we're all sitting around watching "The Last Airbender" at like 11 o'clock at night and Tommy starts taking pictures of the two of us. I'm sure it was a cute moment but TJ and I were less than amused. Not to mention that the kid was super tired to begin with.

There was lots of coloring of Dora, most of which we sent to Grandma Harris. Davey developed a particular "taste" for Crayola crayons which subsequently lead to an endless supply of new crayons and frequent dog scolding and carpet vacuuming.

Tommy and TJ waiting for everyone else to finish getting ready.

For my birthday we went to the Sedgwick County Zoo. We got really lucky that the weather was nice. I was pretty impressed with the zoo. There were all kinds of things to see like penguins that float around like ducks, Bengal Tigers that are as tall as me! (truly amazing!), buffalo, elephants, giraffes, black swans, lots of gorillas, and so much more. Here we are at the black bear area. It seemed like a good place for a family picture.

After the zoo we headed to the East side of town for dinner at P.F. Chang's and then for two games of bowling. Did you know that Alex and I have NEVER been bowling together. We're both so bad at it that we've never wanted to go, I guess. My first score was like 76 and Alex's was 51. Yikes! TJ did better than we did. The second game was much better. I almost broke 100 and had 3 strikes total while Alex suddenly looked like a Pro-Bowler. TJ held out as long as he could for so much activity without a nap. At one point he was making Bowling Angels with the little girl next to us. The angels picture didn't turn out but this is one of my favorites.

It was so cute watching TJ learn how to bowl with his Daddy.

As soon as he'd throw the ball he'd run away and crouch down to see how many pins the ball would knock over. He'd always get a high-five, of course!

Well, that about wraps it all up. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and is looking forward to Christmas and New Year's.

Regatta on the Arkansas River

2010-11-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

My overly-buff brother-in-law, Z, was down from Creighton for the weekend for a Regatta competition against WSU, KU, K-State, and a few other states. I've never seen a regatta race before so it was really nice to head down to the Riverside Park to watch individual, two-team, four-team and and eight-team races. Both the men and the women teams raced. We were lucky to have really great weather too. Here's the brothers after the first 4 man race. All I can say is Holy Biceps Batman!

It's not the clearest of pictures but Z is the first man in the boat facing you. The person with her back to us is the one who calls out all the motivating words of encouragement. I forget what her official title is but that's the kind of job I want. It pretty much sounds like this: "ALRIGHT! YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE ME A HARD 10 ON 3! (they stroke), 2! (the stoke), 1! ( strong stroke) MOVE IT! (stroke) HARDER! (stroke) QUIT BE A SISSY! (stroke) YOU HEARD ME! (stroke) 5 MORE TO GO! (stroke) COME ON! (stroke) THE DUCKS ARE PASSING US! (stroke, stroke, stroke)" or something like that.

I'm not sure if they placed or not because the races are based on times. I guess I thought that they lined up on the river and raced back up it and whoever crossed the mark first won. They do race against other people but they all have different start times. I enjoyed it all the same and I'm looking forward to going next year if Z plans on competing again.

Dear ________,

2010-10-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

You were right. Two years went by faster then I ever imagined. I don't miss him like I thought I would. Only when I want to know the answers to questions like:

Why are the flowers on the tomato plants falling off?
Should we wrap the A/C unit in the winter?
How do I make Ham-a-la-King again?
Where do I find that verse in the Bible that says...
Or So-and-so is driving me crazy again! What do I say to him?

Fall came early this year. The wild turkey's that live in the hedge row by the house have been checking out the field making as much noise as a turkey possibly can. A month exactly to the day that he left, I saw a huge buck standing guard of the same hedge row. He stood and just watched me for a while before heading back to the creek. He was at least a 10 point buck.

Regardless of how much time has passed, I am never short on the number of reminders that he's gone. I miss you, Dad.

Motivation

2010-10-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been in need of a really good laugh. For whatever reason, I'm struggling to find the right mental motivation to do stuff (which isn't good because I have TONS of stuff to do) and I'm thinking its because I haven't had a good gut-splitting laugh in a long time. So, if you too are struggling to find the right mental mood to get your day going... take heart and scroll down. Hopefully, this will do the trick!

No More Baby Stuff

2010-10-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I brought home a cute little black baby...

Who ate out of cute little baby bowls until he was fat and chubby...

And slept in a monster cage when he was barely the size of two tiny toys put together...

But today is the official end of all the baby stuff. Now the little baby is a massive 130 pound black beast (although a very well behaved one)...

Gone are the days of tiny dog bowls. In their place is an enormous 18" high stand that holds an ungodly amount of liquid and food....

Lately, Davey would much rather nap here instead of in his kennel...

About a month ago he decided that our guest bed suited his taste much more than the couch or the fluffy clean blankets in his cage when it came to napping or resting his head for the night. And, we've been leaving David out of his kennel for small periods of time since his first birthday. For probably the last month we haven't been putting him in it at all when we leave for work and he's behaved wonderfully.

So today, I decided that it was time to break down the kennel. For the briefest of moments, I teared up just like I did the day his sweet baby breath disappeared forever, or when he out-grew his first little collar, or the day he lost his first baby tooth, or on his first birthday when he was no longer considered a "puppy". It's all very silly, I know. He is, after all, just a dog. But I hugged him until he grew tired of being hugged, gave a mom-sigh, dismantled the cage, and dragged it out to the garage. I should be relieved that the baby stage is truly behind us now, right? I know... that's what I'll keep telling myself.

Cowbirds and Castle Path Paint

2010-09-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

Fall is one of my favorite times of year, especially because of this little guy:

This is a Brown-headed cowbird and every year in the fall, massive flocks gather together to feast upon seeds, grubs, and little insects before they head on down to Mexico. (Oh, and just so you know, I am not holding the bird. I got this picture off the Internet.) Anyway, the other day, I was sitting in our library studying something when I realized I was surrounded by tons of little peeping things. I walked out to the living room and was absolutely amazed to find about 300 cowbirds hanging out in my front yard. As my gaze wandered I realized this was no small flock. Every house that I could see had either birds on their roof, in their yard, or both. Here is our next door neighbors house:

The Vietnamese family across the street had a few on the roof but a good couple of hundred in their side yard:

These home are kitty-corner to us and had them all over:

This is a picture of the empty lot by the back of our house. Without exaggeration, there is probably 10,000 birds photographed in this picture (and I think that number is a little low), not including the hundreds that were on the homes in the front yard. I watched massive flock after flock join this horde from the trees that line the creek by us. In a matter of minutes the ground by our pond was completely black. I have no doubt that the numbers of birds reached close to 40,000 birds. It was absolutely breath-taking! There is another empty lot a few houses down from this one and it was packed with cowbirds too. After about 30 minutes of hanging out with the extended family, someone gave the signal and they all took flight. I think it must have taken almost 10 minutes for them all to fly away. It was really one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.

Last summer I painted the kitchen and dining room to give it a more distinct feel since we have a pretty open floor plan. Before school started I decided it was time to give the living room and hallway a new coat of paint. Before the walls were a creamy classic taupe color. I found this paint color (called Castle Path) and really liked how it complemented everything else. It's an interesting color because when the sun is on it it looks like a soft creamy-beige color but on the opposite wall where the shadow is cast it looks silvery-grey like mortar bricks.

I left the bay window the old taupe color and the inside of the TV nook is still taupe too, along with the foyer and wall that leads down to the basement. I decided to go with an Eggshell paint instead of flat paint because it cleans up much better. Amazingly enough, I used one complete gallon of paint in the living room and one complete gallon of paint in the hallway. I thought for sure that I'd have some left over when I did the hallway, but instead I almost ran out before the job was done.

That's it for this years Home Improvement projects. Next year we're debating whether we want to put a wrought-iron fence in the back yard, replace the existing carpet with new carpet or hardwood floors in the living room and hallway, or do a little remodeling in the guest bathroom. Eventually we'll do it all but deciding what we want to do first is the challenge.

Summertime....

2010-09-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'd like to say that life has been crazy here in Kansas, but that would be a stretch of the imagination. The garden has since given us the best that it could possibly give and is in the final throws of the growing season. Some time back in July I was going to say something creative and interesting about the next 3 pictures but must have been distracted and never got around to it. I happened to stumble across this in the Edit Posts section so I'll give it a shot.

So this beauty of a thunderhead was amazing to watch. It never came near our home and I'm pretty sure that it didn't drop a single ounce of rain anywhere near Kansas. I wish that the camera would have caught the exact color. The reds were so purple and the grays were so blue and then the tippy top was this beautiful bright creamy white. I took this while sitting on our back porch while Alex made dinner. It slowly grew bigger for about 45 minutes but never moved. I remember that there was barely a breeze that night. Another thing I really like about summer is how long the day light lasts. I took this picture at almost 9 PM.

While I was outside starring at clouds, Alex was inside making dinner. The summer squash, green onion, sweet cayenne pepper, green bell pepper, and thyme came from our garden. Alex sees these things and sees "potential". I look at these things and see "ingredients for a recipe". That pretty much sums up our culinary differences in creativity. Which is why I have a very hard time even imagining this without some necessary guidance:

I'm not sure exactly what he did. I think he grilled the squash and some other stuff and added olive oil and sprinkled love and fairy dust and wah-lah! our tasty dinner was born. All I really remember was that it was delicious and we've had grilled squash several times since then. I like it best with balsamic vinegar.

...21 Days Later

2010-07-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here's what the garden looked like on June 15th. I was so excited that the plants were starting to grow.

Here's what it looks like today. I am absolutely AMAZED at how much everything has grown in only 21 days! The squash has totally over-taken the sweet peas and has finally breached the wood container wall. We picked one of the onions yesterday to put in our salad. It was so very yummy.

Here's the 12 tomato plants that I was afraid wouldn't make it. 8 of the 12 have finally passed the top of the tomato cages and come up a little past my waist. Just this last week they finally bloomed tons of little yellow flowers. The bees have found a new place to hang out which is great because that means we'll have Roma, Big Boy (like Beefsteak tomatoes), and Jubilee (yellow) tomatoes growing in no time flat! Oh-and we have a brown cottontail bunny that likes to hang out in the garden. He doesn't eat anything but I think he likes the cool shade and the protection from being seen by the hawks that we have around here.

I wander through the garden several times a day checking out all the little bushes. Sometimes I talk to the plants and ask them when they're going to grow something other than leaves. They must have grown tired of hearing the same question over and over again because two days ago, I noticed that the Hot Portugal pepper plant had a bunch of tiny green peppers. Now they're longer than the span of my hand. They'll turn dark red when they're ready to be picked. This particular bush has about 8 peppers growing on it right now along with the other one.

The jalapeno bush has the most peppers of all. It takes about 88 days for the pepper to ripen. The pepper at the very bottom that is starting to turn black is the very first pepper that I took a picture of back in June. As you can see, lots of little sisters have joined since then.

Here's the second yellow bell pepper that has grown on this particular bush. The first one didn't make it because the plant was too immature. It's put on lots of leaves and doubled in size so now I feel a little better that it will be healthy enough to produce some fruit. I'm not sure how tall pepper plants actually get so I'm only guessing on the healthy part. :)

I can't forget the herbs. The one on the top is sweet basil. The one on the left hand side is cilantro, and the smaller one is mint. The oregano is still struggling a bit but the thyme has really sprouted and is growing marvelously. I'll have to take a picture of it next time. The only one that really didn't grow was the rosemary the second time around. I know what I did wrong so next year I'm pretty sure we'll have some rosemary to plant in the front.

Here is the first of the summer squash! They're huge! and I have 2 or 3 more on the vine that will be ready to be picked next week. I gave the very first one that I picked to Jana and Robert our most beloved neighbors that are moving this weekend. With 3 squash plants I'm sure I'll have more than enough to hand out to all the neighbors. I'm really looking forward to having fried squash with stuffed Portobello mushrooms for dinner tonight. Yum!

Summer Movies

2010-07-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Monday is our "Movie Day" and has been so since the semester ended. Some movies I really want to see, other's I just tag along. If you asked Alex he'd say the same thing.

Iron Man 2 was one of those tag-along ones for me. It was just okay. I wanted a little more action, a little more Iron Man suit stuff and less Robert Downey, Jr. rambling conversation stuff. To me- it wasn't worth the price paid at the movie theater at full price. Save yourself some dough and rent it or Redbox it.

I really, really liked Robin Hood. I liked how it seemed more real, and authentic with all the mud and stone castles, and unbathed people. The story was good and the action was pretty decent.

Prince of Persia was pretty good too. I'm always amazed at how far we have come when it comes to computer-generated creatures. Each movie gets better and better. I'm still not sure why Persians would have English accents, but whatever. I liked the story and I thought the ending was pretty good. It was worth seeing it for matinee price.

I really liked the A-Team too. Bradley Cooper is soooo cute! I think whoever did the casting did a wonderful job. I wouldn't mind seeing an A-Team 2 in the future. It had good action and a pretty decent story.

So the new Karate Kid is just like the old Karate Kid except instead of having a Japanese Sensei for a teacher, he had a Kung Fu Master and instead of being in California they're in China and instead of having a Karate kid you have a Kung Fu kid but the plot is exactly the same without some of the cheesy 80s background music. I was very impressed by little Jaden Smith's muscles but not in the same way I am impressed with Taylor Lautner's. Yum... Taylor Lautner- but that is for another day. Oh, and yes- I did cry during the movie as I had predicted in a previous post.

I LOVED Toy Story 3! Whoever professes that it is not a good movie should never be consulted ever again on what is. Yeah, I cried a tad at the end like I do with all Pixar movies. Bravo to Pixar for writing a brilliant trilogy! They did an amazing job wrapping it up.

So what I noticed about all these movies is that not only were they entertaining and well written but that they lacked sexual content, which would not have been appropriate at all in the last 2 movies but the first 4 could have slipped it in there some way but they didn't. And surprise, surprise- the movies still sold and the masses have been entertained. Imagine that.

Therefore I Cry...

2010-06-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what is going on with me but for the last 3 days now I can't stop crying. It's so bizarre because I feel perfectly fine. Yesterday I was even happy and energetic all day long. I'm starting to look like one of those Hindu gods, except instead of leaking milk or something- I'm leak tears. It's over the most random stuff that soon spirals out of control. Like just the other day, I was at work and 2 very over-weight women wearing outrageous clothes squeezed themselves into a booth. When my eyes were finally able to pull themselves away from the hats they were wearing I realized that some of the other servers and a manager were in hysterics. I guess it would have been less funny if they had sat at a table. I just looked at them and said- "You're laughing at human beings. You know, people with feelings!" I was more shocked at their behavior then anything else. But the tears came anyway. Then I find out from my sister that her cousin-in-law's husband died a day before his 36 birthday, a day before Father's Day leaving her and their 4 children behind. Tears. To make it worse, I go and read her blog. Hysterical tears (this time). And then yesterday was Father-less Day for me. Even more tears. I look at pictures of Davey a year ago. More tears. I drive down to the grocery store and see fresh raccoon road kill and here they come again (really? Road kill? At this point, I'm really starting to worry). I watch Pride & Prejudice for the hundredth time but this time I cry when Jane is proposed to. I've never cried at that part before. I talk to my neighbors who are moving at the end of this month and the seeping starts again. We're suppose to go see Karate Kid today. I'm thinking about forgoing the make-up just in case.

Animal Cruelty

2010-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

I sometimes engage in animal cruelty by doing random experiments on the dog. Before, I put a backpack on David to see how he'd look and how he'd handle it. The other day I decided that he needed a hat to go with the 97 degree weather that feels like 107 with the 80% humidity. He's such a good sport! He played along nicely but was not in the least bit amused by my idea.

I have (sadly?) discovered a new dog treat for David. All I have to do is fill a bowl with ice cubes and he becomes the happiest pup alive. The down side is that he thinks that every time I open the freezer its specifically for his enjoyment. He'd also rather drink his water out of the spicket out side then out of his water bowl.

It's way to hot outside to take our normal daily walks. We usually go around 7 PM but I'm working at night so David has to wait until I get home to go on a walk. In the mean time, I've been watching tons of movies. This is Davey's usual position during the day. He's either watching birds out the back door or watching people out the front window. I'm not sure why he likes to be on top of the couch cushions like this but the Great Dane I had as a child liked to do the same thing.

Life is so tough.

Garden Update

2010-06-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here's the garden on June 1st. At this point I was convinced that the only thing that would survive would be the squash (far bottom left hand side). All the little plants look kind of pathetic.

Two weeks later (June 15th). All 3 squash seeds took and are now actively plotting how they will take over the lawn. Each leave is massive! I'm in all astonishment. The peppers and tomatoes are doing quite well also. Almost all the tomatoes are past the first rung of the tomato cages and should past the second rung by next Wednesday. I plan on pinching off any flowers that appear before they reach the third rung so that the plant will be mature enough to produce good fruit. The pepper plants are doing wonderfully well too. Only 1 out of 15 is really struggling but not enough for me to rip it out and plant a new one in its place.

Here's the first pepper of the year. When its fully ripe it will be an orange pepper, I think. Or maybe a yellow one. I can't remember. It's still pretty small and has a bit more growing to do before we harvest it and give it to the neighbors.

Here's the first jalapeno of the year. This puppy is growing fast and just started to plump out this week. I can't wait for more spicy treats to make an appearance.

I thought I would include a picture of the tree in our backyard. We never planted this little guy. As a matter of fact we mowed over it every week for almost 6 months. One day, Alex got fed up and went to dig out the "weed" and discovered that it was more of a "bush". We let it grow all last summer to see what kind of "bush" it was. Turns out that our bush is really an Elm tree and is now almost 12 feet tall.

The herbs are doing really well too. The basil was the first to come up and then the cilantro came up next. I'll start harvesting them in about 2 weeks. I'm so looking forward to eating my fill of Margarita pizza's (tomato sauce, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese). Pictures are sure to follow!

May's Reading List

2010-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I'm a weak-willed individual, especially when it comes to books. I finally broke. Caved in. Capitulated. I read the Twilight Series. There's more... I did it in 5 days. Yeah, I'm a little obsessive/compulsive when it comes to sequels, trilogies, and series. I insist that the series be complete before I begin so that if I find I enjoy what I'm reading I don't have to wait 9 months for the next addition. Think of it as delayed instant gratification. The down side is that I'm never a part of the first wave of excitement. With that said, I'm guessing that you've all already read the phenomenon but if you haven't then be warned: spoiler alert!

Of course, Twilight was the first. I found it interesting and fast paced. The teenage romance was almost a bit much for me, but whatever. By the end of the book I was fed up with the whole "stay-away-from-me-cause-I'm-dangerous" stuff, and okay, I get it- Edward is beautiful, but it was still interesting, fun to read, and I was hooked.

I liked New Moon. I have to give to credit to Stephenie Meyer- I think she did an amazing job describing the all consuming pain of a lost love. I couldn't help but smile when she used up an entire page for just the word "October" and then followed with the other months. What a brilliant move because I've been there and there just aren't any words for that kind of depression when for a brief period of time you stop existing but keep breathing. I finished this one in a mere 5 hours. Good thing I had the next one by my side.

I loved the action in Eclipse but by this time I'm getting a little frustrated with Bella for being Bella. And when she breaks Jacob's heart for like the hundredth time at the end- I'll admit it- I cried a little for Jacob. This one took me a little more than 6 hours to read.

I took a little longer to read Breaking Dawn because I knew the story was over after this and I wanted to drag it out a little bit longer, not wanting it to end. I loved hearing Jacob's voice in the book, especially since I thought he was the most realistic character out of all of them. I was absolutely breathless when he imprinted on Renesemee. I was waiting for the imprinting thing to happen during the last book and for him to finally become the Alpha. I'm with my brother-in-law on this one- I really, really, really wanted to read all about a knock-down drag-out fight and watch the Volturi destroyed or at least disbanded a bit. I wanted to see all those so-called "dangerous" vampire powers played out that I had been reading about for the last few days but instead I got nothin'. Nothing but a truce and another Stephenie Meyer style introduction into another character and another possible show down followed by the words "The End". Booo! But it ended just as it was suppose to with a happily ever after for Edward and Bella, Jake and Nessie. I hope the movie does the book justice.

And then...

I know, random, right? I suppose Science-fiction is Science-fiction but still, how could one go from a lovey-dovey teenage vampire romance to.... this? I don't know what to say other than I am a sucker. Don't let the movie fool you (but you Twilight lovers already knew that didn't you?) this is another one of those cliche cases where the movie is nothing like the book. Somehow they were able to take a few names and one or two small events in the book and turn it into a movie of sorts. It sadly didn't do the tiny 200 page book justice. It's an interesting thought if you take the idea of a having a permanent military to the next level. What happens when you create a civilization and economy that is dependent on military? I'm not talking about the military governments that we already have. I'm talking about a democratic military government where your citizenship depends on if you serve in the military. It's an interesting idea and Robert Heinlein does a really good job.

And then this book may seem even more random but oddly enough, it ties perfectly into the last 5 books.

Brian McLaren proposes an interesting theory. Perhaps, we are not so far away from what Robert Heinlein wrote about back in the 1960s. Perhaps, we are a part of a suicidal social machine that is running out of control, consuming our natural resources at an alarming rate, dumping destruction in its wake and forgetting that every person regardless of his nationality, race, gender, religion, or country affiliation is important, worthy of love, respect, and is to be taken care of. Isn't that part of what the draw to Twilight is all about? We all want to be loved and taken care of unconditionally in a way that has no bounds and yet is healthy and sustainable. Isn't that what Jesus wanted for us too? McLaren's book is fascinating and has undoubtedly changed the way I see people and the message of Jesus to the world.

I'm not sure what I'll be reading next month. I'll be starting on Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand today. I've put it off a little too long. I'm hoping to get in some historical works and maybe a little more classic literature too. I'd love to hear about what you've been reading. As I said before, I'm a bit of a sucker and easily swayed! :)

Farmville, Part 3

2010-05-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

I know that I said in my last post that "planting would have to wait for tomorrow" but that was a bit of a lie. I just couldn't resist having all that black dirt lying empty for the night. Plus, I had all those Burpee babies just waiting to be planted. So I quickly grabbed a few tomato plants and this monster (summer squash) and planted them in the few remaining moments of fading light.

The next day it rained all day long. In between each shower I managed to plant almost every thing else. This picture is taken a few days later when everything had a chance to dry out a bit. The squash in on the far left hand side with 9 sweet peas, and two rows of bunched onions. The next 3 rows contain a variety of peppers- Sweet Cayenne, Hot Portugal, California Wonder (green bell peppers), Red peppers, and a mystery mix that might produce white, green, red, purple, and chocolate color bell peppers. The last 3 rows (closest to the patio) contain Jubilee (yellow) tomatoes, Roma and Big Boy tomatoes. So far it looks like they're all going to make it with the exception of 1.

I'm really hoping that we get a good crop this year of at least something. I'm really learning a lot as we go along. I started putting down the manure yesterday and in a week I'll start giving them liquid fertilizer. I think they need all the help they can get.

I also planted 6 types of herbs. We go through so much basil, cilantro, mint, oregano, rosemary and thyme every month that I decided it would be more economical and accessible if we grew some ourselves. I set the boxes out the night that we dug up the sod and they completely flooded because I didn't get a chance to drill tiny holes in the bottom so that water could leak out. So I killed all of them except mint. The moisture level was back to normal yesterday, so I replanted all the herbs.

So there's our little farm. I'm really, really hoping that we get some produce this year. It would be great to see all this effort produce something tasty. Next year I might not grow the tomatoes from seeds like I did this year but instead just buy the plants from a nursery. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

Our Little Farm

2010-05-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

So as promised, the story of our little farm continues...

On Monday, the 17th, we decided the time had come to finally plant the garden. Our planting season is a little different than that of Nevada in that we have to wait to plant after the frost zone passes, which is May 15th. Monday was a dreary and cold day. Everything was muddy and soaking wet. Great for cutting up the sod, not so great for picking up the sod and transporting it somewhere else. My job was to push the wheel barrow through the yard, past the neighbors house, and over to the empty lot and empty it. But I couldn't just discard muddy grass in a huge heaping pile because that would just look to ghetto. I mean, really, this is where we live, right? So I carefully removed every stinking piece of sod and turned it up right and laid them side by side. Alex thought I was nuts but I didn't mind because I didn't have to shovel up the sod. Here I am on my way back from the last load of sod.

Remember the little, pathetic patch I dug? It's nothing compared to what Alex did. The entire garden is a little more than 16 feet long and 8 feet wide.

Even though we dug out the sod we wanted to have a raised bed to grow all our vegetables in. To do that we needed a good border to hold all the dirt. Alex took our little hand-held shovel and dug a 4 inch border around the garden. We then headed over to Lowe's to grab all our supplies. We bought 15 bags of manure, 51 bags of black top soil (yes that's right- 51 bags!), 6 planter boxes, 27 tomato cages (two different sizes), vegetable fertilizer, and a massive piece of ply-wood that we had cut into 6 sections to box in the garden. It took us 7 trips to Lowe's to transport all of it home in our little Hyundai.

Here's the garden boxed in with 48 bags of black top soil waiting to be emptied.

And here's our 16x8 garden filled with wonderful black dirt.

We marked the sprinkler with an orange flag. By this time it was 8:30 at night. The sun had just set and we were pretty beat. Planting would have to wait for tomorrow and so will the rest of the story. :)

When in Rome...

2010-05-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Alex and I have been planning to plant a garden for what seems like ages now. I became thoroughly convinced last summer when bell peppers cost $1.50 a piece that we desperately needed to grow our own. Last fall we mapped out an area in our back yard and in March I purchased a 50 piece Burpee starter kit. That's the 2 square boxes you see at the bottom. In the far left one, I planted all the herbs that we use on a regular basis (thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, mint, and cilantro). In the second box I planted 3 types of tomatoes, 2 types of bell pepper, onions, and one summer squash. On the far right, I planted 7 spicy/hot pepper plants. I think next year I'll organize a Garden Party in the neighborhood and see who shows up.

Then in April, when I should have been studying, I decided to start digging some of the sod out of the garden. Under the sod is 100% clay. It's easier to dig up than Nevada clay, but once its wet it sticks to everything. We picked an area in our back yard that gets tons of sunlight but has fairly good drainage.

After an hour, this is how much I had dug. Yes, its pitiful. I grew bored and conveniently realized I had better things to do.

I'll post more tomorrow.

Before I go, I want to wish my beloved husband a wonderful and Happy 36th Birthday! May the next 36 years be more amazing than the first!

A Semester Confession

2010-05-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

For the last 17 weeks my life has revolved around this little thing:

This 1 gig memory stick contains virtually every reflection paper, essay, chapter assignment, PowerPoint presentation, lesson plan, and research project that I have submitted for the last year, especially during this last semester.

I managed to finish off my third semester at Newman University with:

Theology 4443 (Faith and Society): A

Education 3123 (Technology and the Classroom): B

History 3073 (History of Kansas and the Great Plains): B

Education 3162 (Teaching Methods): A

Political Science 3063 (World Government Systems): A

I'll be honest, as I always should, I'm not happy with the results. My professors were wonderful and professional and more than willing to help. This is one of the many reasons why I love my exorbitantly priced, but small university. I was a total slacker this semester. It's actually quite ridiculous how badly I procrastinated. I missed an A in the Education class by .5 points because I decided around week #12 that I didn't feel like writing yet another reflection paper even if it was worth 30 points. The reason for my history class is even more foolish. Put plainly- I didn't study. I produced a research paper that was by far substandard. But that's probably because I started the research a day before it was due and then spent the entire day of the final writing it instead of studying for the final.

So why did I decide to sabotage my own grades and eventually my GPA? I just couldn't get motivated this semester. I was talking to two of my friends that I had in almost all my classes with last semester and they were feeling the same way. I think because last semester was SO intense and overwhelming with all the things that had to be done that when I looked over the requirements for this semester I thought, "Piece of Cake!" and then took a 14 week nap. Then I started a new job at a restaurant about 3 miles from my house. The money is not so hot but they were willing to work with my school schedule and I can ride my bike to work. Then there is house-work. I don't care what anyone says-that's a full time job in itself. I can't leave off the dog. I used him as an excuse to step away from whatever project I was working on at the moment to go on a 2.5 mile walk every day or play Tug-of-War. When it comes right down to it I put school at the bottom of the list when I should have made it my main priority. The worst part is I don't think I'll make the Dean's List this semester.

I did do stuff this semester that was pretty labor intensive, so it's not that I completely slacked off.

I put together a 106 page, 8 lesson plan Unit on 8th grade Economics complete with Kansas standards, Goals, a visual map of the Unit, a pre-test and final test, a newsletter to the parents, 2 extensive WebQuests, a PowerPoint presentation, countless hand outs, and detailed 2-3 page lesson plans. I created about 99% of this massive portfolio and I worked on it all semester long.

I created a WebQuest for the first time ever. I had never heard of a WebQuest before. Basically, it's a way to incorporate the Internet and technology into a classroom. Instead of giving the students a list of questions and just letting them roam through the Internet at random to find a bunch of information that's probably not reliable, the teacher creates a list of websites for the student to explore. It can be done as an individual assignment or as a group activity. I chose one of my favorite subjects: Christopher Columbus and the Colombian Exchange.

I wrote my first 15-page research paper. Truthfully, it was a huge challenge and I don't think I did a very good job. My topic, Human Trafficking, was vast enough and I broke the paper down into 7 parts but next time what I think I'll do is write 3 5-6 page research papers on 3 different aspects of the topic and then combine them together to form 1 large paper. (Something to think about: we currently have 27 million slaves in the world today. That's more slaves then we had at the peak of the Atlantic slave trade from Africa to the Americas. Human trafficking is every where, including here in the United States. As a matter of fact, last year Chicago was named the #1 hub for human trafficking in the States. Thousands of extremely poor people are promised a "better life" if only they would come work for So-and-So. In the end they are transported illegally and put into a life of debt-bondage where they are required to do whatever it is that their Owners tell them too. They might work in a factory, a mine, clean your house, or be sold into prostitution. It's sad. It's tragic. And I am amazed that this isn't being addressed in every single church across the country.)

I was invited and accepted into the Pi Gamma Mu, an honor society for the Social Sciences. I got my graduation cord, certificate, members card and pin just the other day.

So there it is. Next semester I will be taking 1 on-line class and will be working on my Senior Historical Portfolio, in addition to taking an Economic Class, another Political Science class, and 2 more Education classes. Until then I have the summer to recoup and get re-directed. That should be fun.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

Wishing all my friends and family a wonderful and delightful Mother's Day!

Margie Harris

Linda Burke

Boba Pavlovic

Anna Pavlovic

Corey Byington

Donna Harrold

Civony Hill

Amy Larson

Jana Maldonado

Anna Mason

Sara Patchett

Britney Rimes

Stacy Shaw

Mindy Tillack

Jennifer Welsh

and all my Aunts

You are all amazing women and fantastic mothers. This world would not be the same without your nurturing, guidance, love, strength, and humor.

Afternoon Break

2010-04-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Today, I took a break in between classes to go see a movie. I think I chose wisely because I LOVED "How to Train Your Dragon"! It's the first 3D cartoon I have ever been too. It was worth the $10 per person matinee price and after a moment or two I totally forgot that I was wearing 2 pairs of glasses. I'm sure it would have been just as great in 2D but since Alex has never seen a 3D movie I figured what the heck.

This past weekend saw "Clash of the Titans", not in 3D. It was okay. If you really want to see it, wait until its out in the Redbox. It wasn't horrible, it was just...eh. I was hoping for better action scenes but I did like that there was no nudity or bloody violence.

On a completely separate note, my 67 year old father-in-law is in the hospital for a possible lesion or hole in his large intestine. The doctors are not sure what is going on as of right now, but tests are being conducted. Prayers are always welcome.

In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion

2010-03-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

I slacked off a little. Actually, I've been slacking off a lot. I'm working again, but only part time, and I'm struggling with my ability to manage my time effectively between work, school, the dog, house-work, and spending time with Alex. So far school work and blogging seem to be at the very bottom of the list.

Winter has managed to keep its icy fingers dug deeply into the Kansas sod this year. The temperatures are finally starting to creep into the 60's and 70's. Yesterday was beautiful 72˚ and all the natives were out in their shorts and Birkenstock's. The mad race for "Best-looking Yard" began about 2 weeks ago. Half the neighborhood men were out in hardly 50˚ weather mowing, fertilizing, and watering their barely-dormant-barely-dead grass which caused a panicked frenzy in the other half of the males to rush over to Lowe's and Home Depot to see how they could out-do the others. Alex is of no exception after consulting no less than 5 yard-patriarchs as to what he should about his "dead grass".

Davey celebrated his first birthday on March 13th. I was sad for a moment that my puppy was now a dog but that only lasted a few minutes. I did find some of his first puppy treats in the doggy-bag we used when he was just a wee pup. As you can see his appetite has grown just a bit.

And, of course, in the doggy-bag I found his old collars. The one on the top left is his first collar, the one on the right is the one he's wearing now.

For his birthday I bought him a rubbery Frisbee. He LOVES it! He's not much of a fetch kind of dog. You can throw it and he'll go get it but he brings it back to you so you can play tug-o-war. He loves things that crunch and squish and make a plastic squeaky noise.

He doesn't lay on the carpet very often. He must have been eating a doggy treat when I took this picture.

The other part of his birthday present was that he got to sleep in our bed with us that night. Which meant that I slept curled up in a ball at the tippy-top of the bed with Alex on the left side of me, a night stand on the right side of me, and a warm dog-mass on my feet. It took him less than 3 minutes to fall into a deep sleep once we let him on the bed. I thought that he'd wake up around 4 AM to go to the bathroom and then I'd get the rest of the bed to myself. Nope! The bugger slept all the way until nearly 6 AM and hardly moved a muscle.

We went up to Chicago for a few days over Spring Break. While we were there we met up with Mike & Amy and Joe & Sara. The last time all 6 of us were together was at our wedding so it was great to hang out for a night. Here's a picture of Joe, Mike, and Alex at Anyway's Bar & Grill.

Here we are all together again.

(Amy Larson, Joe LePore, Sara LePore, Mike Larson, Amanda Pavlovich, Alex Pavlovich)

Amy planned this great surprise 40th birthday party for Mike. Tons of people showed up including his mom and dad from Pahrump, Nevada. Joe, Sara, Alex, and I stood in the back of the room waiting for Mike to make his way to the back of the group. When he finally saw us standing there staring at him- well, you could have knocked him over with a feather! It was a great surprise. We stayed at the party until almost midnight and then headed back to the massive hotel suite that Amy got for us all to stay in. The party finally came to an end around 4:30 AM when we found Mike passed out face down on his bed. In the morning we had breakfast together and then went our separate ways once again.

On our way back from Chicago, we stopped by to see my brother-in-law, Zoran, in Nebraska. He's attending Crieghton University. We treated him to dinner at PF Chang's, got to see his dorm room, and hear all about his exciting college life before jumping back on the road, but not before I was able to get a picture of Alex with his "little" brother.

That about sums up March 2010. It came in like a Lamb and went out like a Lion.

Naked Kisses

2010-02-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

I opened up our semi-empty cabinet today and to my amazement discovered this:

On closer inspection, it appears to be a plate of naked Hersey kisses on top of a bag of raisins.

I'm not sure why they're naked. Perhaps it cuts down on the time required for impulse eating. Perhaps the Kisses were playing a game of "I'll-show-you-mine" and I caught them in the act. Or maybe the sneaky naked Raisins convinced them that they would acclimate to the temperature of the cabinet faster if they joined them in their nakedness. I was hoping to buy some Dove candies from the grocery store later this week but I'm not sure if this is a random act of strangeness or chocolate debauchery.

Another Fave

2010-02-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

I think Lady Gaga's newest evening gown is growing on me. First, it's the plainest thing she's ever worn. Second, it looks comfortable. Third, it's a nice color that easily matches her hair. Fourth, its very modest. And finally, its amazing what three table covers can do to hide one's troubled spots- a universal fit!

Umm.... yeah. So Lady.... I hate to break it to you, but I wore this same thing on my wedding night. Big hit, let me tell you!

Just kidding.

Two Types of Beauty

2010-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Natural Beauty:

and

Man-made Beauty:

We got some more snow 2 days ago. About 6 inches this time. It was so beautiful watching it fall on Sunday night. Huge flakes that came straight down with barely a breeze. The weather report said that at one point it was falling at an inch an hour. I believe it. It was so soft and powdery and then some fog rolled in shortly after I took these pictures and made it all crunchy. Boooo! Oh well. They (and I'm not sure exactly who "they" are) said this should be the last of the snow storms for us but last year we had a snow and ice storm on March 30th. I'll be enjoying it while it lasts.

Oh My

2010-01-31T16:57:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when Glinda the Good Witch melds her DNA with Jane Jetson.

Lady Gaga, I have to say, I like this Armani creation much better than the bedazzled neck brace and the 12 inch high shoulder pads. Your hair needed to be a little more space-age regardless of the color. I'm just saying.

The Things I Do to Amuse Myself

2010-01-30T14:13:00.000-08:00

The snow from Christmas Eve finally melted about two weeks ago. I think we were the last house in the neighborhood to have some left in our yard. After that we had 2 full days of fog which I think is the neatest thing. When it finally cleared it left behind hoar frost every where. I took other pictures of the frost but this one turned out the best.

We had some beautiful weather the other day. It was in the mid-50's for sure. Just warm enough to tease you into thinking that spring was coming soon. Nope. Not a chance. The weather forecast said that on Thursday at 6 PM the snow would start to fall and right on the button it did. Of course, the amount of snow fall kept decreasing but in the end we had quite a bit of soft powdery snow all over the place. So much that school was cancelled yesterday, even for us college kids! Aren't snow days wonderful! There wasn't too much wind this time so our snow dunes were pretty high. In some areas of our yard, we have a little more than a foot of snow and in other places about 3 inches. For the most part, I would have to say that we got a good solid 8 inches this time with no ice. Davey is in heaven. No pictures this time of the snow. I figured it would look the same as all the other snow pictures I have posted before.

I'm just about to begin week 3 at school. This semester already seems a million times easier than the previous one. The two tasks I am not thrilled about doing is a 15 page research paper for my Theology class and making a trip down to Oklahoma City to go to the Historical Archives to do my Kansas History research project. It's not the research part that bothers me, it's the trip itself. It's only an hour and a half a way but I'm trying to look for a job and if I get one I'm not sure how I will fit it in if I do find work. I guess everything will work itself out in the end.

In my free time I've been trying to find ways to amuse myself. I can only read so many books and watch so many movies and take so many walks, you know. So last Saturday, I strapped my empty backpack on Davey to see if he'd like it. Not so much. He bucked up and down like a green horse for 2 minutes and then just froze and stared at us.

Probably because Alex and I were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. Look at his poor tail. He's not hurt by any means, except for maybe his doggy pride. I think he would have stood there like that forever until I took the backpack off. As soon as it was off, he was as right as rain. Oh the things I do to pass the time!

How Do You Take Down Your Christmas Tree?

2010-01-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas tree... Oh Christmas tree...

How lovely are thy branches...

A little unconventional, I know. But look how happy he is!

Christmas Recap

2010-01-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

Alex and I had a very nice and quiet Christmas this year. It was the very first time we spent the day all to ourselves. We made a huge turkey dinner the night before and had left overs for almost a week. We decided to only exchange a few presents between the two of us, but we got lots of gifts from our families. My mom sent us a huge sampler from Omaha Steaks.

It included 2 filets, 2 pork chops, 6 hamburgers, 2 sirloin steaks, 4 twice baked potatoes, and a chocolate cake. Each one tasted AMAZING! Not one item was freezer burned or stale and all the meat was probably of the highest quality that I have ever had. It also came with a huge block of dry ice. I filled the kitchen sink and watched the smoke billow out of a good 20 minutes. I was so giddy that you would have thought I was 5 or something. I guess for a moment I was and it was great. The dog was not impressed at all.

My mother-in-law came down for Serbian Christmas which falls on January 7th. From what I understand, Serbian religious holiday's are based on the old Orthodox calendar which fall about 2 weeks after ours. Christmas is the 7th, New Years is the 14th, and I forget the date of Easter. Now I know how Santa delivers all the toys to all the boys and girls around the world. He has a two week delay for all the Orthodox families in Europe to meet his dead line. I guess his night isn't that long after all. Anyway, Mom wanted to cook dinner for Christmas Eve (January 6th) so I turned the kitchen over to her. She made some incredible baked beans, the best cheese pita I have ever had, a cabbage salad, Serbian peppers, and grilled salmon.

Then for dessert we had an assortment of stone fruit (raisins, dates, figs, cranberries, prunes), walnuts, oranges, and chocolate. We barely had room to snack after dinner and we still have left overs.

Of course, Christmas day is not the same without a few presents. We surprised Mom with a few little trinkets before we headed out for a day of shopping at the mall. That's one of the great things about Serbian Christmas... you get to take advantage of ALL the sales and then some.

On Mom's first day here we had a fajita feast complete with freshly made mojitos. I couldn't resist getting a picture of Mom with her extra large drink standing nervously next to the dog. She looks somewhat comfortable here but really she's scared to death. She hid in the bathroom twice when she couldn't find me only to discover that the dog waits outside the bathroom for you to come out. By the end of her stay she felt a little more at ease. I hope by the end, she realized that Davey is completely harmless, regardless of how big he is.

Here is the fajita buffet line. The menu included beef and chicken, sauteed bell peppers and onions, refried beans, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, sour cream, Mexican style rice, and Alex's tomato salsa and freshly made guacamole.

Mom loaded up her tortilla and then picked up her fork to eat everything off her plate but was quickly reprimanded for doing so. The fun part of enjoying fajitas is eating with your hands. Never having enjoyed one before, it was quite a delight to watch her try to keep all the good stuff where it belonged. We giggled a bunch and ate until our hearts were content, watched a few episodes of Mad Men, ate some pie, and then called it a night.

As always, it was great to have my mother-in-law come for a visit especially for the holidays. It seems this time all we did was eat and watch movies but it turned out that's exactly the rest and relaxation that we all needed. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that 2010 will be more amazing than anyone would have ever guessed.

Ugly Bread

2009-12-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what the heck got into me yesterday, but I decided that I was going to make bread from scratch for the very first time ever. Out of all my cookbooks only one had a few recipes that did not require currant berries, orange peel, or freshly grated nutmeg. I followed along as best as I could. It seemed easy enough. The recipe called for some yeast, some water, a tablespoon of sugar and salt, and 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups of flour. Not the exact measurement I was looking for given the fact that when I bake, or follow a recipe for that matter, I am as Type A as they come. At least for the first time because how else will I know if I did it right, right? Well, a semi-rational person would probably start with 3 1/2 cups of flour and add more. Nah, not me. I went straight for the 4 1/2 cups. I reasoned that it must truly need all 4.5 cups of flour or else the recipe would have stopped at 3.5. (Oh. Okay. Sure.) What I got in the end was the ugliest bread I have ever seen.

It was impossible to mix, impossible to kneed, and was hardly the light and fluffy dough that I remembered as a kid, but it did expand at least half its size in 2 hours. I tossed it in the oven and presto! 35 minutes later I had one super-dense, lumpy, bread-looking clod. The outside heel wasn't too bad. It tasted like a hot fresh pretzel but that's probably because I used kosher salt and it didn't really mix in all that well. The rest was, well... it was so dense that my jaw ached after chewing a few bites. And I don't think it was cooked all the way through. Needless to say, I tossed it this morning and decided to try again except I used a slightly different recipe and only used 3.5 cups of flour and not an ounce more. I even basted the top with an egg white and water glaze. Attempt #2 turned out to be delightful and fluffy.

Bread try #2 tasted so much better but not quite as good as my Dad's bread. It's a strange thing. I can't tell you exactly how his bread tasted or even really describe it but I know that when I bit into this bread my memory taste buds said, "Good, but not quite right." I decided to drown their little voices out with a nice, steamy bowl of corn chowder.

On another note, I must have ran out of body lotion some time this week. For whatever reason, I take much warmer showers in the winter which over dries out my skin to the point of an irritating discomfort. I dug through all of my secret stashes for something that resembled lotion. Nothing, not even a single drop of body butter left over from the ghosts of Christmas past insight. I wasn't about to use my small, yet expensive bottle of Clinique facial moisturizing gel or my even tinier bottle of Mary Kay Satinhands hand cream to douse the fiery dry skin that was slowly spreading across my body. All I could find was a huge bottle of Clinique's Water Therapy Foot Smoothing Cream that my mother-in-law gave Alex a year ago for his heels. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So I generously lathered it all over myself and now smell like I jumped into a hot tub with my good friends, Burt's Bee's Peppermint Lip Balm and Vick's Vapor-rub. The dog keeps licking the air as he walks behind me. I haven't breathed this deeply in months.

Two Lifetime First's

2009-12-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

{Sung out of key and in various octaves while dancing throughout my house causing an unnatural stirred frenzy in my ever-growing puppy}

I GOT STRAIGHT A'S!

And one of my professors wants me to submit my research paper on Julius Caesar for competition! Plus, with all these A's I've made the Dean's List again. Two lifetime first's in one month! I can barely stand it!

Go Ahead. Call Me a Dead-beat.

2009-12-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

$9,800 spent on books and tuition

54 class periods

12 books

139 chapters read (sorry, I'm not counting the number of pages for you)

5 science labs

2 map quizzes

52 chapter activities

4 3-page reflection papers

7 8-page research papers

1 presentation

1 interview with the Department of Education

3 tests

4 mid-terms (the icky take-home essay kind and 2 of them had to be at least 7 pages long)

3 finals

12 all-nighters (at least)

12 headaches (at least)

and 16 weeks later...

I can finally sleep in for a month.

I had sensational teachers again this semester. I could tell you all the things that I've learned but then I'm sure you'll be bored to death but I have to hand it to my professors. They have inspired me in great ways. This was by far my most difficult semester because I've never had a work load like this before, and honestly, I hope that it will be a very, very long time before it ever happens again. I'm crossing my fingers that the above list equals a few A's and a B. The 2009 Fall semester is officially over and done with! Only 4 more semesters to go...

All Things Chicago

2009-12-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

Last night we were craving pizza. Not any old pizza, but good old fashioned, Chicago-style deep dish pie. We've tried this at home before but this time it was sooo much better. I think we've finally got the recipe down right. We cheat a little. Instead of making the dough from scratch I buy two Pillsbury thin-style pizza dough's. I line the spring form pan with the first dough and then Alex adds grated cheese, caramelized onions and green peppers, and sausage, and some more cheese. Then I put the other dough on top, shape it, cut it, and pinch the two doughs together. Alex adds the sauce and some seasoning. Here's what it looked like before we put it in the oven.

We baked it for about 25 minutes and then let it rest for about 10. Here's what it looked like out of the spring form pan.

And here's what the inside looked like after we had our first piece and were going back for seconds.

It was so tasty and it cost about $15 to make instead of the regular $28 or so that we would have paid to a restaurant.

But all this food got me thinking about the things that I miss about Chicago (other than the pizza) so here is my list of top 5 things that are unique to Chicago.

1. Dad's Cooking:

There is only one word for Dad's cooking: Yummy! Nothing can replace creativity, experience, and the secret ingredient: Love.

2. A fenced in backyard for my pup to run around in:

He was so tiny and wrinkly here. And it just so happens that he and the stick were the same length. He is a good 6 times the size now and maybe next year we'll have saved up enough for the rod-iron fence we'd like to put in our back yard so he can run free again.

3. Forest Preserves:

Chicago is filled with these little havens for rabbits, deer, and mosquitoes. Anna, my ma-in-law 2, says that they are the "lungs of the city". She's probably right. I would have liked to walk down more of the trails that had been made over the years but the mosquitoes were just to thick even when I was covered in an entire can of Deep Woods Off. Maybe next time.

4. Decorated cell phone towers/water towers:

This one from Randhurst is just one of the dozens of painted and pretty water towers scattered across Chicago-land. There's no reason why a water tower (or cell phone tower) now-a-days should be an eye sore or ugly. A good can of paint and a little creativity goes a long way. Plus there are enough struggling artists out there that would love the chance to advertise their talent. Should it matter if it's 20 stories in the sky and can be seen from space? Nah.

5. Blue fire hydrants?:

Yep, that's right. Not only are they blue but I've seen them green and yellow too depending on what village I'm in. Plus, they all don't look like the typical shape of a fire hydrant. I thought they only came in one size, shape, and were all painted the color red. I guess not.

30 Days of Thanks: Jesus Christ

2009-11-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

Day 30

Jesus Christ (the Anointed)

How do I sum up my undying gratitude for what Jesus did for me (and for you) in one little blog? In a little more than a month the Christian community will be celebrating the 2009+ year anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. This tiny babe, born of a virgin and raised by a poor carpenter, would soon prove to be exactly what we all needed- a Savior. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He was tempted in all areas. He taught, and loved, and cared for every one's needs. He died in my place so that I could be with him forever. He had the power to heal and transform lives then, and he has the same power today, and will have the same power tomorrow. He is Holy, Righteous, Just, Meek, Merciful, Humble, and Forgiving. He has been called Almighty (Revelation 19:15), Alpha and Omega (Revelation 21:6), Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9), the Author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), Eternal life (1 John 5:20), Glorious Lord (Isaiah 33:21), God, our Savior (1 Timothy 2:3), Great God (Titus 2:13), the great I AM (John 8:58), Lord God Almighty (Revelation 4:8), the Word (John 1:1), the Word of God (Revelation 19:13), and the Word of Life (1 John 1:1), just to name a few. He is the lover of my soul and is the source of my eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Without him I would be lost not only in this world but for eternity. Without him I would have no hope. Without him I would have no life. Someday, I will get to thank him face-to-face. Someday, I will get to lay down my crown at his feet because I don't deserve it. For all the things that he has already done for me and all the things that are yet to come, I am eternally thankful!

30 Days of Thanks: The Holy Spirit

2009-11-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

Day 29

The Holy Spirit

Here is a short list of why the Holy Spirit is so very important to me. First, He anoints and serves alongside the Messiah (Isaiah 48:16, 61:1; Luke 4:18-19); he ushers in the "last days" (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-36); he unifies the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:1-16); he gives new life (John 3:5-8); he convicts me of sin and enables me to repent and come to faith in Christ (John 16:8); he testifies to Jesus as the Messiah (John 14:26, 16:14); he guides me into truth (John 16:13); he bears fruit in my life (Galatians 5:22-25); he gives me supernatural gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14); he prays for me (Romans 8:26); and he is present in all Christians (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19). Even from this very brief list you can begin to see how crucial the Spirit's role is in my life. As Jesus said, He is my "Helper" or "Comforter" (John 15:26) throughout all the moments in my life. It is because of the Holy Spirit that I know the truth about how much God truly loves me, and for that I am eternally grateful.

30 Days of Thanks: God

2009-11-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

Day 28

God

I am thankful that I have a God who is the Most High (Genesis 14:18-22), Lord (Genesis 2:4), Almighty (Genesis 15: 2,8), Everlasting (Genesis 21:33), Eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27), Holy (Isaiah 43:3, 14, 15), Incomparable (2 Samuel 7:22), Unchangeable (Numbers 23:19), Unequaled (Isaiah 40:13-25), Infinite (1 Kings 8:27), All-Powerful (Jeremiah 32:17, 27), Ever-Present (Psalms 139:7-12), All-Knowing (1 John 3:20), Wise (Acts 15:18), Perfect (Psalms 18:30), and loves me so incredibly much that he would sacrifice his only son so that I could be with him for eternity (John 3:16).

30 Days of Thanks: Unanswered Prayers

2009-11-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

Day 27

Unanswered Prayers

There are so many things in my life that I've asked God for that I am extremely grateful that he never answered. Well, I shouldn't say that he didn't answer them it's just that the answer at the time wasn't what I really wanted to hear. It's funny how things work out for a reason. It's funny how we give our hearts to people and things that never deserved our love and attention and devotion but at the same time was totally necessary so that we could finally recognize who and what does. If that makes any sense. I think about all the boys that I've liked that made it into one of my prayers one way or another. I thank God that he didn't answer my little 5 year old request that I would grow up and marry a little boy name Brian and we'd live happily ever after in a mobile home in Florida. True story. I'm happy that God said, "Not yet" when I really wanted to buy that house in Las Vegas. There are many, many other delightful (and some painful) prayers that were never answered for reasons that make sense now only decades later. I am appreciative of the God that loves me enough to say "No" when what I ask for is not in my best interest. I am grateful to have such a loving Heavenly Father that has my back every day, in every situation, and in every request big or small.

30 Days of Thanks: My Vacuum & My Favorite Fruit

2009-11-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

Day 24

My Dyson Vacuum Cleaner

How women ever made it through the 1950s without this magical miracle, I will never know. As cheesy as it sounds, I enjoy vacuuming the house every day. I'm thrilled to see that nearly a year and half later all the attachments are, well... still attached. I'm over-joyed (and disgusted) to see the clear, bagless bin fill up with stuff and can hardly contain myself when I empty the canister by the push of a button! This little beauty was worth every penny and I'm really thankful that it has made housework a little more entertaining.

Day 25

My Favorite Fruit

So what I'm really thankful for is my laptop computer. I never thought that I would ever, ever, ever get a laptop because I really didn't want one. When our Dell finally headed over to the garbage mound, we headed over to the Mac Store and what seemed like moments later, we were carrying this little lady home.

Why do I love Mac? First, it's what I grew up on. Second, it's awesome! It runs fast. It's programs are easy to use and figure out. It has tons of tutorials just in case. It's easy to personalize. The programs work the first time and all the time. I don't have to worry about viruses or bugs or junk like that. It's compact and works just as well in our library as it does out in the living room on my lap. I live in a fantastic age of technology where a wealth of information is literally at my finger tips! Our computer is just one more thing that reminds me everyday how blessed I really am.

30 Days of Thanks: Pedicures

2009-11-25T14:35:00.000-08:00

Day 23

Pedicures

I love pedicures! I would be perfectly content with having one at least once a month for the rest of my life. But, alas! I have only had 3 my whole life but I look forward to the number increasing. I am truly lucky to be able to indulge in life's little luxuries every so often.

30 Days of Thanks: My Car & My Bed

2009-11-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

Day 21

My Car

It's not much and its probably too small for our needs now but this little car has been a big blessing in disguise. It has carried us through a few road trips, from Las Vegas to Wichita, to Chicago and back, through extremely high flood waters, and back and forth to the grocery store a million times. It's not fancy or high-tech but it gets us around and through God's good graces will continue to do so for a couple more years to come.

Day 22

My Bed

This is probably one of the few things that I thank God for every single night when I climb into bed. It seems kind of funny to so excited about a bed and mattress but my previous beds felt like cardboard on concrete and for a time we slept on a single, beat-up and broken mattress directly on the floor. We saved up our money and took advantage of our Four Season's Hotel employee discount and ordered their custom-made mattress. I have been sleeping on clouds ever since! Our bed has truly been a glorious blessing!

30 Days of Thanks: My Country & My Education

2009-11-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

Day 19

My Country

I am so lucky to live in such a great country. I have so many freedoms that I honestly take for granted every day. The mere fact that I have the freedom to worship, and to vote, and the right to an education invokes such deep gratitude from the bottom of my heart.

Day 20

My Education

I'm just about to finish up my first year at Newman and I have to say that I really like attending a small, private University. It was a little bit of a culture shock coming from UNLV with 22,000 students to Newman with 2,100, and the class sizes really are much smaller, but I've learned so much more! Maybe because I'm taking my education a little more serious this time around. I'm completely thrilled that I have an opportunity to expand my knowledge and learn about new things!

30 Days of Thanks: Paid Bills & Food in the Fridge

2009-11-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

Day 17

Paid Bills

There was a time when our debt far exceeded our income. I have been working in restaurants since I was a senior in high school so I've grown accustom to relying upon daily tips to pay my bills instead of waiting for a paycheck every two weeks to cover our expenses. Because of that, I developed a system where I wrote down the days of the month and then filled in the bill and the amount on the day that it was due. When the bill got paid, I marked it off with a high-lighter. As a constant reminder, I've posted it on my fridge, for at least the past 10 years, for all to see. It keeps me humble and accountable and it's worked. I can honestly say that at one time every single line was filled with some kind of debt between the two of us. With the exception of our student loans and mortgage, we are nearly free of credit card debt and loans. Statistics say that a majority of Americans are 3 weeks away from declaring bankruptcy. 3 weeks! Early on we resolved to no longer be a slave to debt because it is a cruel, cruel master. I am so thankful that each month we are that much closer and even though it has been difficult, we have persevered.

Day 18

Food in the Fridge

Perhaps it is hard to imagine, for some, opening up the refrigerator to find little to nothing inside. For years, that is how it was in our cabinets and fridge. My parents would often come over and open up the big white beast to find only half-empty condiments. There were two reasons for our lack of food supply. First, money was really tight and second, because of our lifestyle we bought food as we needed it. Since moving to Kansas, I have been working on a food storage and try my best to keep our pantry stocked up, you know, just in case. But there is another amazing thing about this. There are thousands of people living in this world who will never have the luxury of having any kind of food surplus because that is not a reality in their desperately impoverished lives. I am truly, truly grateful for each and every meal that God provides for us every day and freely give away my surplus whenever charity calls.

30 Days of Thanks: My House & My Dog

2009-11-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

Day 15

My House

(14217 W. Hunters View St, Wichita, KS)

I love my house! There are times when I still can't get over the fact that I own a house and that it's so perfect for all my needs. I love doing yearly projects in it, and watching the grass grow, and all the little types of wildlife that passes by, and all our neighbors are fantastic! Every day I am thankful to have a sturdy roof over my head, walls to keep out the wind, windows to let in the light, and carpet to squish my toes in.

Day 16

My Dog

(8 month old Davey getting his belly scratched while lying on the couch.)

I've always wanted a dog of my very own and in April of this year I got just what I asked for. Davey has brought a new sense of wonder and happiness and excitement to this quiet little house. He has managed to melt my husbands heart and extend my patience. He loves every moment of attention that we lavish on him every day and makes it all worth it when he runs in circles from joy when we come home. He may be the only pet I ever have but I love him so!

30 Days of Thanks: My Birthday

2009-11-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

Day 14

My Birthday

I have two birthday's. The first one was 33 years ago today. I'm excited to be alive and thankful for all the great gifts that I have been given.

The second one is March 3, 1999. This is the day I became a Christian. I have always known of Christ all my life. I knew what he taught, I knew the timeline of his life from church, and that he was coming back someday. But I never had a real relationship with him until the end of 1998. 1998 was not a very good year for me. It was filled with heart-ache, disappointment, confusion, anger, and great sadness. There were moments when I had to force myself to breathe. There were moments when I begged to fall asleep so that I could escape from this world only to be tortured by my dreams. No amount of work, or detailed house cleaning, or long walks in the desert, or empty relationships could fill the God-size whole in my soul. I had finally come to the end of myself. One night, I could no longer stand under the weight of sin and despair. I fell to my knees and begged God to love me and make me new, to wash me clean, and let me start again. I cannot fully explain the immense peace and calm that washed over me instantaneously. The pain was gone and in place of emptiness I found hope. Each day was better than the last. The most amazing part was experiencing my soul healing from the past. I was free to forgive myself and others. My intense anger and bitterness and jealousy melted away and was replaced with compassion and love and mercy. My old nature was fading away while the new me began to shine.

I was baptized on March 3 and my life has been amazing ever since. I have seen God work many miracles in my life. There was one time when it was the very last day of the month and I needed to make exactly $117 in tips so that I could make rent on time. I can remember saying a prayer and telling God my need and that I didn't think it was possible because it was one of the slower days of the week. At the end of my shift, after paying the house and tipping out I had exactly $117! Can you imagine my glee! I have seen God work in other peoples lives to and transform them in astonishing ways. I still make mistakes, I am human after all. I am not perfect-yet, but I am forgiven. And that makes all the difference!

30 Days of Thanks: Friends

2009-11-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

Day 13

Friends

(Bottom: Joe LePore, Mike Larson, Tommy Harris, Alex Pavlovich, Nick Mavradas, Zoran Pavlovic. Top: Sara LePore, Emily Brashear, Amanda Pavlovich, Anna Mason, Jennifer Welsh.)

The countless number of friends that I have made throughout my life have enriched my world more than I ever could have imagined. Each one holds a small snippet of who I am and a delicate place in my heart. Without them, my life would have a whole lot less joy. I am so thankful for each and every one of them.

30 Days of Thanks: My Brother's-in-law

2009-11-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

Day 11

Jake

I love my very first wacky brother-in-law. He has the cutest little giggle, always cries when the National Anthem is played, and is the only person I've ever met that willingly gave up his parental rights to name his children for the opportunity to run for a politically elected position. He has a good heart and knows when to laugh at himself. He has always been there right on the spot whenever we needed help. I'm glad that my sister has found such a nice companion and I'm happy that he's a part of my family.

Day 12

ZJPJ

I have known Zoran since he was 8 and barely knee-high to a grasshopper. Way back then, he wanted to be a great and mighty architect but now he's grown taller than the average tree and thinks being a doctor would be just dandy. We've wrestled, we've talked, he's tortured me with smelly socks, and yet turned around and gave the most wonderful speech at our wedding. I love my little brother and know that he'll be successful at whatever he does whether its in medicine, graphic arts, or as a plumber.

30 Days of Thanks: My In-law's

2009-11-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

Day 10

Ma-in-law 1 (Slobodanka)

Alex's mom is really amazing. She has always been very loving and gives so much of herself to her family. She welcomed me into the family from the very beginning and has always treated me like a daughter.

Pa-in-law (Zoran)

Alex's dad is usually full of life and is always looking for the next reason to celebrate. His interesting twist of wisdom, street-smarts, and impulsive determination always makes for a good conversation filled with amusing stories.

Ma-in-law 2 (Anna)

Alex's step-mom is pretty fantastic too. (She might not be too happy that I put this early morning Christmas picture on the internet for all to see, but I just love this picture. It's full of pure joy because this was her very first Christmas stocking EVER!) Ma-in-law 2 is zany, quirky, and really quite brilliant.

Each one of my in-laws brings a spark of love and energy into my life. I love them all dearly and I'm so proud that they are a part of my family.

30 Days of Thanks: Emily

2009-11-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

Day 9

Emily

What would life be like without our sisters? Probably a little less bright. I've got to say that I wasn't too thrilled 28 years ago when I realized that a baby sister was, well... a baby and not a baby doll. I have been blessed with a beautiful sister that is extremely intelligent, easy going, a little mischievous, and totally gets me. I love you, Em, and only want the very best for you. I hope you have a wonderful 28th birthday!

30 Days of Thanks: Tommy & TJ

2009-11-15T10:43:00.001-08:00

Day 7

Tommy

I love my little brother. There are times when he can be very understanding, loving, and generous. Even though we don't always get along or see eye to eye, I am thankful that he's been a part of my life.

Day 8

I absolutely LOVE my nephew! He's grow so much since this picture and I wish that things would have worked out differently so that I could have been closer to him as he grows up. I'm hoping that someday he'll get the chance to know just how important and loved he is by his grandma, aunt's, and uncle's. Because of him, I have the privilege to feel one of the deepest loves I have ever experienced-instantly! I love you little Tommy!

30 Days of Thanks: Step-Parents

2009-11-14T07:50:00.000-08:00

Day 5

Brian

Brian has been a part of our family for a little more than 10 years now. He's a lot of fun to talk to about all kinds of interesting things, is a fantastic Master carpenter, has a cute mischievous laugh, and a great smile. Most importantly, he makes my Mom happy, and for that I am truly thankful.

Day 6

Linda

Linda is an amazing cook, a marvelous seamstress, and has a strong enough patience to deal with the innate, stubborn streak that we Harris' have. Circumstances cut short her time with my Dad but I am thankful that he had such a caring person with him right up to the very end.

30 Days of Thanks: Mom & Dad

2009-11-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Day 3

My Mom

My Mom has given me everything. I could not have asked for a better Mom. She never gives herself enough credit because she's really smart, has a great sense of humor, and can accomplish just about anything that she sets her mind to. It is through her guidance, love, and nurturing that I am able to be as she says "an island in the middle of the ocean".

Day 4

My Dad

I could not have been blessed with a better Dad! Even though he's been gone for a just a little more than a year now, I can still hear his little bits of advise, love, and kindness in some of the quietest moments. He was my model of faith, justice, and integrity. And because of him, I probably tell the lamest jokes in the world and think they are hilarious!

30 Days of Thanks: Alex & His Job

2009-11-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

I've decided that for the rest of November I'm going to focus on all the things that I'm thankful for. Of course, I'm borrowing this fantastic idea from a friend who borrowed it from her sister. Why re-invent the wheel, right? I have some catching up to do if I'm going to name something for every day of the month so I'll probably post 2 things a day to catch up and I'd better hop to it. So, today I am thankful for...

Day 1

My Husband

I really do love Alex. There is no doubt that there are days when he drives me absolutely crazy but those moments are far and few between. He is a wonderful companion, a great kisser, absolutely hilarious, so darn handsome, and I can't think of another person that I want by my side for every single major life event and every mundane task. Because of his support and love I have the strength to grow and dream impossible things. With him by my side, my future seems brighter and it's definitely more adventurous.

Day 2

Alex's Job

The seven months that Alex was out of work were indeed trying times filled with perplexing questions and uncertain answers. It is a difficult place to be in when you are waiting and trusting in God to answer a million prayers. I have to say that in the process we grew closer to God, realized the value of saving (we lived off our savings account for six months), and how much our families and friends truly loved us. Alex has since then found a home at the Wichita Country Club as the Director of Food & Beverage Service. The job comes with a unique set of challenges but doesn't everything in life? Through this, God has continued to provide for our needs and even some of our wants (like me going back to school) so for all those little things that add up, for this I am grateful!

VICTORY!

2009-11-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I finally had my Labor Board case heard by a judge. The Compton's/Eaton Steakhouse conceded in the case and the judge awarded me the total amount of my final paycheck, plus the NSF fee's accrued from the bounced checks, and interest! All in all, I was awarded $950.37. The process from beginning to end took 10 minutes tops. I should receive my first payment on December 30, 2009 and my second payment on January 15, 2010. (Let's hope these checks don't bounce too.) The restaurant finally shut its doors on October 23 but there are rumors floating around that they are planning on opening up again at another location down the street. Sadly, in this case, it is not the location that will cause them to fail, but the shear fact that they have no idea how to run a restaurant and that Mrs. Stephanie Compton is probably the world's worst accountant. I will be even more over-joyed when 8 months from my last day of employment I will finally be able to wash my hands of the situation for good. As far as I know, all the other employees with wage claims have been awarded their full payments too. It's an awesome thing when justice is served!

Our 3rd Anniversary

2009-11-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

We had a great anniversary this year.

First, we went on a tour of the last Prairie style home that Frank Lloyd Wright built.

It was very nice and had a beautiful kitchen and a subtle Asian theme. This was built in 1918, if I remember correctly, so it was very modern for the time period. Then we went to my favorite place for lunch!

Then we went home and relaxed a little, played with the dog, and then started getting ready for the main event. We decided to go to a fancy steakhouse for dinner.

Scotch & Sirloin is one of the nicer steakhouses in town. Our dinner was delicious! Alex had a ribeye and I had a small filet topped off with crab meat and Bearnaise sauce. And then we were off to see "Wicked".

This play is absolutely AMAZING! It is worth every penny that you pay to see it. The actors were phenomenal! I have to say, my favorite part would be when Galinda decided that she was going to make Elphaba popular. It's not exactly like the book but that's okay. It still has a lot of the same elements and tells a fantastic story. Alex loved it! I'm so glad that we had an opportunity to see it while it was here in town. It was a perfect way to celebrate a total of 10 years together!

{Out of the Blue}

2009-10-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes

Out of the blue

My husband

Will think of me

And bring me

A beautiful

White Rose

From

Someone else's

Wedding.

Love it

Just

The same.

Karma?

2009-10-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

I busted my pinkie toe last night. I caught it on the coffee table while running around the living room. It took a good 15 minutes to catch my breath. I've got to say, I've learned a few lessons since then.

Karma Lesson # 1: I immediately heard the echos of my parents childhood warnings of why I shouldn't run in the house. It turns out that Mom was right.

Karma Lesson #2: What goes around, comes around. For all the little toes I've stepped on in the past I now have a painful reminder of my own.

Karma Lesson #3: Pinkie toenails are a little over-rated. Or at least they are for the moment. The impact of the crash sheared my clean off. What you see here is one pinkie toe, twice the width as it used to be with the circular remnants of what will probably grow back in 2-3 months.

Ouch!

My Broken Puppy

2009-10-13T10:22:00.001-07:00

Davey is 7 months old today. He weighs an amazing 82 pounds and is longer than my refrigerator is wide. He's now up to eating 8 cups of food a day. I've starting running again, which hasn't been that bad, and I'm even entertaining the idea of someday running in one of the 5K+1 mile (4.10 miles) events that they have in Wichita in the Spring and Fall. But that's not the reason why I started running again. I started to run as a way to run down the energy-meter on my puppy. When he started using our living room daily as an obstacle course for his "Zoomies" (or what we used to call them as kids- Rampages), I realized that the 1.3 mile walk that we were taking everyday just wasn't enough. It's helped tremendously! I'm still finding it a challenge to get him to behave when another dog or human comes around and I'm holding out hope that this stage won't last very long. On the other hand, I really love how curious he is. Everything fascinates him. Like the electric can-opener, and the bath tub water spout, and the taste of UFO's (Unidentifiable Field Objects). He has developed an incredible smell and taste for random articles of junk (and Goose poop) in the back field and thinks nothing of devouring it quickly only to puke it back up 2 days later. Have no fear! I don't take pictures of that.

But, I kind of broke my puppy the other day. We were walking back home after a long walk when he started to slowly limp. As we got closer to the house the limp got worse. When we got in the house he immediately laid down. He wasn't to thrilled with me when I examined his foot and discovered that his pinkie toe was really swollen and the toenail was cracked from the top almost to the bottom. It's the white streak on the black toenail.

I'm not sure if I stepped on it when we were walking or if he did it on something out in the field. I felt horrible. He was a good sport about letting me play doggy nurse when I propped up his leg on a rolled up blanket and fed him ice cubes. He slept like this for a good 2 hours.

Have no fear! He was back to his normal self today as demonstrated by the picture below. He likes to walk around the house with a long strip of an old fleece blanket hanging from his mouth. He'll chew on it, toss it around, lick it, and happily place it soaking-slobbering wet on your lap when he's all done. For all the "Eeeeewwww" moments that I have with him, he makes me laugh and give him lots of kisses everyday.

This is what it's looked like outside for the last week. The weather channel says it will look like this until Saturday.

It's one giant formless grey cloud that doesn't seem to move. Now I know what it would be like to live in a nuclear winter, minus the falling ash and the radio-active burns that would randomly appear on my body. It's dreary and dull and 7 AM feels the same as 5 PM. Plus, it's really not raining either. It's just constantly misting so everything stays damp and cold all the time. It's wonderful hot-cocoa weather and the fall color on the trees are really beautiful!

Mid-terms are almost over. I'm glad last week is over. It was probably the most difficult, most stressful 2-week stretch that I have ever had in all my college experience. I had a major research paper due for my upper-division Roman history class on Monday, a mid-term in my Science class on Tuesday, a major take-home mid-term 8 paged essay for my upper-division Asian history class due on Wednesday, along with an autobiography and another essay about my conceptual framework of teaching for the College of Education that was due on Monday, and random homework assignments for my Educational Psychology class. For two weeks I slept 4 hours a day, 2 hours from 2-4 AM and 2 hours from 2-4 PM. Did I mention that how well I did on my Asian history mid-term would determine whether or not my professor would write a letter of recommendation for me? No pressure there! Plus, I have put an immense amount of pressure on myself to get the best possible grades so that I can make the Dean's List again this semester. I have to say, at the end Wednesday's classes I just about threw-up from the amount of stress and nearly had an anxiety attack/break-down in my car. Honestly, I think the running helped most of all in the stress department. I have another mid-term tomorrow and on Monday, so the grades should be posted soon!

I hope you have all had a wonderful October so far. Any Halloween/Fall parties planned?

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2009-09-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since I've posted a recipe so here is one of my very favorites.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

4 boneless chicken breast halves cut into 1-2 inch cubes

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

4-6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes (I like the Delmonte diced oregano, basil kind)

4 cups of chicken broth (I use bullion cubes because they add more flavor)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup of frozen corn kernels

1-2 (9 inch) refrigerated roll-out pie crust (Pilsbury is the best)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prep all ingredients first.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add chicken and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned on all sides. In a large stock pot heat 2 teaspoons of oil, add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken to the onions. In a small bowl combine flour, thyme, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add flour mixture to the chicken and stir to coat. Stir in carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes including the juice, chicken broth, and Dijon mustard and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in corn and immediately transfer to a large casserole dish. Place pie crust on top of the casserole (you might need to use 2 depending on how long your casserole dish is) and pinch around the edges to seal the crust to the dish. Prick the surface 1 to 3 times with a sharp knife or fork to allow steam to escape during cooking. Place casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden. Let rest for about 10 minutes or you can eat it immediately.

*If you don't want to use the pie crust or you don't want to wait an extra 10 minutes or so you can make Bisquick drop-biscuits (my second favorite to the pie crust) or the refrigerated canned biscuits. After stirring in the corn, cook for a few minutes more and serve the pot pie stew over biscuits.

I've made this several, several times and the cooking depends on how thick your carrot and potato cubes are. I've served it over biscuits and cooked it with the pie crust. Both ways are fantastic. For a cold autumn or winter night, this comfort food is awesome!

For This, I Am Grateful That I Can Remember

2009-09-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 8 year anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. It feels like it happened decades ago. We all have our own memories but this is what I remember the most...

I was sleeping when my brother, Tommy, woke me up suddenly. He was calling for me to come downstairs. At that time, Alex and I lived in a town home and Tommy had stayed the night and had crashed on the couch. It was kind of an overcast day, if my memory serves me right.

I remember sitting in shock on the stairs leading down into the living room as I watched the footage of the first plane hit the first Tower. It was around 9 am PST so the action was already in motion by the time we were aware of it on the West Coast. I remember thinking that it was so movie like while both Tommy and I quietly listened to figure out what was going on and what the newscasters were saying.

Then the second plane hit the second Tower and you could hear and feel the shock of the reporters who were absolutely dismayed at what was going on. I wouldn't be surprised, if at first people thought that a plane had lost control by accident and collided with the building. I did, at least. I guess I couldn't believe at that time that someone would purposely plan so much destruction of human life. I was hoping that mechanical error was the true answer and not that Man could be that evil, but when the second plane hit, it became apparent instantly that this was not the case. At this time we didn't know exactly how many (or how few) people were on board each plane or in each Tower. I was immediately moved to tears and sadness by the massive amount of lost lives. So yes, I cried. I wept openly. I wept for those on the plane that lived the last moments of their life in terror. I wept for the people busy at work who were taken by surprise by the high-impact collision that would soon take their lives. I wept for the countless number of families that would never see their loved ones again. I wept for all the boys that I worked with or ever knew because I felt that soon they would be pulled into a war the likes I had never seen. I wept because a tad bit of my innocence was forever gone.

I remember the push for donating blood, although, I didn't understand why. Maybe people need to feel like they could do something, something to make them feel less helpless in an out-of-control situation. Maybe.

I remember that I called my Dad that morning and told him that I felt like packing up my bags and going... somewhere but I knew that I would just be driving to drive and I would have to come back home eventually. I remember calling my Mom but I don't remember the conversation.

I remember the American flag being flown by almost every home.

I remember the silent and empty skies that followed for the next week.

I remember the panic, the speculation, and the genuine fear of not knowing or comprehending what was next. But most of all, I remember that for a short time our nation put aside all its differences, all our problems, all our past hurts, and for a brief moment in time we acted together as a caring community. For this, I am grateful that I can remember.

A Painting Adventure

2009-08-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

I finally decided last week that it was time to paint the kitchen and dining room. I've been playing with the idea for more than a year but I just couldn't seem to commit to the idea whole-heartily. This is what our dining room looked like when we first moved in:

We were still waiting for the blinds to be delivered and installed, but once the blinds, curtains, and decor were all in place it became apparent that I had been leaning toward various shades of green all along. I pounced on the opportunity when Alex asked if I wanted to tag along to Home Depot last Monday. Before he knew it, I had about 10 assorted paint palettes in hand and a list of prices for the supplies that I would need. It only took me 24 hours to determine which ones I liked the best and less than 10 minutes in Home Depot to get all the things that I needed. I started on the kitchen first but because of the corners it took me longer to finish. This is what the dining room looks like today:

I always use Behr paint so I chose "Twig Basket" for the dining room and "Grasshopper Wing" for the kitchen both in a Satin finish. The builders originally painted everything with a Flat paint. Eventually I will paint the living room wall a tad lighter taupe color but that will have to wait until the semester is over. Here is a cross-section of all the colors ("taupe" on the left, "twig basket" in the center, and "grasshopper green" on the right):

If I had to describe the colors I would say that the dining room is more of an olive-gray than a taupe color. It's a little more difficult for me to describe the kitchen green. It's not grass green at all but it's not avocado green either and it has a soft powdery green feel to it. This is what our kitchen looked like when we first moved in:

And here it is as of today:

This is the best picture I could take and I know it doesn't show off the color all that well. The wall on the far right hand side is also painted "twig basket" because I felt it was more a part of the dining room than the kitchen. But this next picture is pretty accurate color wise. I included this picture because it was the second hardest place I have ever painted. I actually had to climb up on top of the refrigerator and carefully balance kneeling on one knee and paint at the same time and not fall off the side. I nicked the the ceiling a tad but our painter-friend Rob is coming over on Monday to help me touch it up.

Alex actually had to paint this corner because no matter how hard I reached I just couldn't get it. He did a wonderful free-hand job where the wall meets the ceiling. Any ceiling nicks that you see are all mine.

I included this picture of the center cut-out because I had to hang over the edge from the other side of the wall and reach in to paint. I'm sure it didn't look all that safe from any angle but it really wasn't that hard once I was up there. I was more afraid of dropping the brush full of paint then I was of falling off either end.

Well, there you have it. The weather is beautiful today and so I think I'll go and enjoy some sun. School starts tomorrow which in my mind has always been the beginning of Fall. Therefore, I hope you have a blessed last day of summer!

Rapidos Chihuahua

2009-08-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

We've decided to embark upon the adventure of purchasing another car. We have been sharing/carpooling since we moved out to Kansas and with Alex working 20 miles away with no set schedule it has become very difficult to get around economically. I really hate shopping for a car. It's even more difficult when Alex doesn't even really know what kind of car he wants. After spending the morning driving around to a few car lots and spending most of the time at CarMax we decided to grab some lunch and refuel. As we pulled into the gas station, we were suddenly face-to-face with probably one of the most comical advertisements I have seen in a long time (or maybe it was just the combination of the sun, stress, and hunger). I had to take a picture.

Here is a list of destinations the Chihuahua will take you to. Either they're based in Wichita or they are really, really lost. Maybe that's why the dog looks so sad.

For a moment I truly appreciated the genius behind the marketing of the Greyhound bus. I found some more "Before & Now" pictures of our own rapidos chihuahua.

Look how cute! He could fit in his dinner bowl...

Now his foot fits in his dinner bowl...

A wee-bit of play-time...

Now play-time has a kick...

I started painting the kitchen and the dining room. I should be finished with the kitchen by today so I'll post some pictures of the finished project soon.

How to Properly Bathe a 5 Month Old Great Dane Puppy

2009-08-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Davey is sprouting like a little weed. How big is a 5 month old Great Dane? Large enough to take up the width of our queen-sized bed.

We've been taking 2 mile walks for the last week to burn off as much puppy energy as possible. All of his baby teeth have finally fallen out which makes me really excited because now I can give him all kinds of other chewy treats. I also discovered a new place to stick my husband when he needs a "time-out".

Ha! Ha! Of course, I'm kidding. I can't remember exactly why Alex decided to climb into Dave's cage but it was pretty funny watching Davey wonder why his personal den had been invaded and yet try to share some space at the same time. Here are some before and present pictures of our puppy:

First day at home...

4 months later...

A little bigger than my foot...

4 months later...

Davey has become a bit of a water lover, but not exactly the type that we had expected. He loves to run in the rain and chase the water and is just crazy about the sprinklers. Here's a small snippet of his sprinkler love. It's hard to tell because he has short hair but he's completely soaked. He had already been playing on the other side of the house for about 15 minutes.

Maybe next time I'll lather him up before hand so that he's nice and clean afterwards. School should be starting soon so I hope all your pre-school shopping is turning out to be rewarding and smooth-sailing!

What's In A Name

2009-07-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

A New Name Game for anyone who wants to pass it on:

1. YOUR REAL NAME:
Amanda Eileen (Harris) Pavlovich

2.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names)
Mary Duff

3.NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Anthony Thomas

4.STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Pavam

5.DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Celadon Elephant

6.SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, town where you were born)
Eileen St. John

7.SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Blue Tea

8.FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Ampa

9.ROCK STAR NAME:(current pets name, current street name)
Davey Huntersview

10. AE NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on)
Ginger Monmouth

11.YOUR GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of real name plus izzle)
Amaizzle

12.YOUR IRAQI.. NAME:(2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, first two letters of your middle name, last two letters of your first name then last three letters of your last name)
Mveidaich

13.YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Beauty

14. STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume, fav candy)
Fragile Reeses

Good News!

2009-07-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

We've been settling in nicely now that we're back home in Kansas. I have some great news... starting on August 3, Alex will be working at the

as one of the newest Food & Beverage Managers. I'm really proud of him and this is something that he has wanted to do for a long time. It's a little difficult to break into Golf Course Management without knowing someone and his interview process has taken almost 3 months. You'd think he was applying for the FBI or something. This is one of the most exclusive Country Clubs in the area and not just anyone can join, you must be invited. It opened in "1900, and is the longest running private club in the state of Kansas, and to this day, continues to be the premier social and athletic facility in Wichita." Or at least that's what their web page says.

Also, I'm a soooo excited because on November 4 we're going to go see

for our 3rd anniversary! I really enjoyed this book and have been waiting forever for the chance to be in a city near enough to go see it. When I lived in Vegas I heard it was playing somewhere in California but it was already sold out. Imagine my excitement when I saw the full-page ad in the Wichita Eagle that it's coming from October 21- November 8! I plastered the refrigerator door with the ad so that Alex couldn't possibly miss the hint. Then just today, I got an email from Newman University saying that Newman students get priority pre-sale tickets! Yippee! I was so bummed at the beginning of the summer when we decided to go to Chicago because that meant I would miss the entire season of the Wichita Music Theater (Broadway actively recruits from this music theater department-they are that good) but this more than makes up for it!

Anything new with you?

Aisle 8

2009-07-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Aisle 8 is my Kryptonite. It is my weakness. It is my budget-busting downfall. It is my Siren or Circe and I am it's Odysseus. What is Aisle 8 you ponder? Simply put, dreaded Aisle 8 is the laundry/cleaning supply aisle in my Dillion's grocery store.

I should set the record straight by saying that I'm very strategic when I go grocery shopping. I try to exert self-control. I know enough to make a list but I don't just make any old list. I plan out each and every meal for two weeks ahead of time. I imagine snacks, and lunch, an occasional breakfast, and Alex's sweet-tooth. I day-dream my way through coupons to see if any of them will fit conveniently onto my list. Then I begin to organize the items depending upon the department I will pass through from beginning to end. Before I know it an hour has passed. Oh, it gets worse. When I finally get into the store, I write down on my list how much each and everything costs. I have budgets inside of budgets. I bargain shop to the point that Alex will no longer come grocery shopping with me and I'm perfectly fine with it. I even organize my grocery cart to get maximum storage without squishing the fruit on the bottom and yet allowing enough leeway to unload it in such a manner that all the meat, and boxes, and cans are all placed on the conveyor belt in the appropriate categories. I tell myself it helps the bagger. I tell myself a lot of things. I travel only down the aisles that I know hold the items on my list. That is until Aisle 8.

Aisle 8. Aisle 8.

It haunts me. I pass by it casually. Maybe it won't see me. Then, as it never fails, something will catch my eye and before I know it I've turned my cart around and I'm walking nonchalantly by it again. I begin to talk to myself (hopefully just in my head) or more likely talk myself out of why I need an Arm-pit stain remover. I walk past it again, only to take a quick glance over my shoulder to see how much the price of Tide is this week and the before I know it I've turned around again. I give in and turn down the walkway.

I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to this particular section. I'm lured in by new fabric softener fragrance and matching dryer sheets. I am seduced by cleaning products promising lemony-fresh disinfected surfaces and new-and-improved garbage disposal cleaning agents. I am fascinated by the question, "Why would I buy a 6-pack of Scotch-Brite scrub sponges for $6.49 when I can get two 3-packs of Scotch-Brite scrub sponges for $5.00?" I yearn for the days when I stumble across the Fabreeze scented candles that have been knocked down $2 in price. I nearly jump for joy when I find a particular soap on clearance and figure out that YES!, I can by 5 bottles of whatnot for less than the price of just one whatnot. Before I know it, I have spent nearly $80 on enough cleaning products that I could scrub the entire city clean after a nuclear holocaust.

I can't help myself. I need help. Really. It's gotten so bad that I will find someone who is working there and beg them to go down the aisle for me to get the occasional item that manages it's way upon my list. Oh, I beg. I have even managed to squeak out my horrible lack of will-power to the poor 16 year old bagger that just happened to innocently ask me if I "needed any help?" I think the pacing back and forth between Aisle 9 and 7 probably put him on alert. He did his job with a smile and I'm sure that I was the topic of much laughter later that night in the break-room.

Well, now I've done it. I've confessed it all. Anyone else out there have a secret, strange obsession? Please tell me I'm not alone. :)

When in Doubt... Find a Stump

2009-07-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

When you're a puppy and all the chew toys, chew treats, fuzzy slippers, red squeaky puppies, human flesh, rubber balls, tug-o-war ropes, plastic water bottles, Nylabones, Kongs, fake rubber sticks, and real sticks won't due get creative and find a stump in the backyard to chew.

Chicken Wire, Our Little Beast, and the Fourth of July

2009-07-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today, Davey lost his two front teeth on top. He looks pretty cute toothless but I couldn't get a good picture because he kept moving around.

We're heading back to Wichita on Sunday. Our almost 2 month vacation away from home is almost over. My in-laws have been more than generous and accommodating, but school will be starting soon for me and it is better for me to look for work now and get settled in before the real work begins. Plus, Alex can fill out applications on-line from home just as easily as he can in Chicago. We've been saying lots of prayers that he'll get a job at one of the Country Clubs in Kansas since he really wants to break into Golf Course Management.

Our dear little puppy has been quite a little boy lately. After a few days of him playing a frustrating game of "I-bet-you-can't-get-me-here-in-the-garden" we decided for the sake of my father-in-laws health to put up a fence of chicken wire. The fun didn't end there. Little Davey has since found out that its loads of fun to squeeze in between the chicken wire fence and the wooden fence while my blessed father-in-law screams profanities in Serbo-Croatian. Good times. Good times.

Then one day, I go inside to make myself some lunch. I'm gone for maybe 10 minutes. I come back to find the little beast enjoying a nice glass of Gingerale, cigarette ash, and God knows what.

He immediately knew he was in trouble and attempted to make a mad dash to safety. No luck there. I like this picture because although he's jumping onto the chair it looks like he's mid-air about to crash dangerously onto the pavement.

Then later on that week, the house became very quiet all of a sudden. Being the half negligent, half caring pet owner, I seek out the devil to see what joyous fun he's in the process of creating for me. Instead, I discovered him lounging on our bed with his favorite red squeaky puppy. It was worth the peace so I let him stay and nap. He was too darn cute to make him get down.

Right before we picked up Davey from the breeder's home, Alex and I talked about some "rules" that we wanted to establish with our black baby. One of them was to not let him sleep on our bed. Someday, he'll be as long as us and I just can't imagine sharing anymore of my bed space with yet another creature. "No problem," says Hubby. On a random day, Alex says I can have the day off from Davey. I spend a few hours watching random TV programs, movies, and checking the Internet. I wander down-stairs to discover two quiet guys enjoying their afternoon. Alex's response was that it was worth the peace to let him stay and nap. What can I say? Now we've both broken the "rule".

Last week we needed to escape for the day and explore. The weather was perfect and so we packed up our Doggie-diaper bag and headed for the Indiana Dunes. There were quite a few people there but not too many. The water was wonderfully warm. Davey loved the sand and hated the water. He wanted nothing to do with the crashing waves but he couldn't keep his face out of the sand. It didn't take long for his jowls to become a gooey sand-trap. I was able to get some kind of a picture of his sand-face, which doesn't look bad at all because right before the picture was snapped he managed to lick off some more sand. Weird dog.

Sand paws.

It looks really cloudy and over cast but all of it was miles and miles away in Chicago. The beach was really clean too.

Davey is struggling to get away from the water here. We exhausted him just by dragging him past the water for a few hours. I would really like him to be more of a water dog but some things you just can't force.

Here is a bit of the forest that we drove through to get to the sand dunes. I thought it would make a nice screen-saver.

Then came the third of July. Alex's Uncle Zika invited us over to his penthouse on Lake Michigan to watch the fireworks, mingle with his friends, and eat some food. Sure, why not? (Warning-my Chicago friends/family are about to cringe.) We left the house at 8 PM. Yes, that's correct- 8 PM. "But why, Amanda, would you ever think of driving down-town for a fireworks show at 8 PM?" Because Dad was convinced and certain that the fireworks didn't start until 9:30. He swore he read it in the paper. He swore that Zika had told him the same. He swore, and he swore, and then he swore in Serbian. It took us an hour and forty-five minutes to drive 12 miles to down-town Chicago. Yes, traffic was that bad. No, the fireworks never start at 9:30. They start at 9 and are all over by 9:15 and shortly after 8 million Chicago residents pile back in their cars and head home around 9:30. I saw one measly firework explosion in between two gigantic sky-scrappers while sitting on a highway. Okay, so things happen. Traffic happens. People even get the times wrong. No big deal, there is always tomorrow... just in case you didn't notice, the fireworks show in Chicago happens on the 3rd of July so that everyone can do their own family thing/Village thing on the 4th of July. Okay, cool. What was not cool was the hour and forty-five minute argument between my in-laws that got so ridicules that we 3 kids couldn't help but laugh and crack jokes in text messages back and forth to each other. The wonders of technology in the midst of a stressful situation. We got the to the penthouse safely, enjoyed some company, and then headed back home around midnight. This time it only took us 20 minutes to get home.

Here are the boys before the journey down-town. Too bad I don't have a picture of the boys when we got home.

The Fourth of July came and went in an uneventful manner. I sat out on the front porch with Z for a few hours and yapped about all kinds of stuff while the neighbors attempted to reenact the shelling of Fort McHenry in 1814 (the event that prompted Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner) or in reality show off how much money they spent on highly-illegal fireworks. Either way, it was a good time.

How was your Fourth of July?

An Small Tribute to Mrs. Allen

2009-06-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got a very sad phone call from my dear, long-time friend, Civony Hill. On Wednesday, June 17, around 9 o'clock AM, her mother finally lost a long, hard battle against Cancer. My heart truly goes out to the Hill/Allen family for the great loss of their beloved Mom. I know that she will surely be missed, as she already is. I have nothing but wonderful memories of Mrs. Allen which include, but are not limited to, how eloquent of a speaker she was, her eclectic style of fashion, and her deep and passionate love for God and Jesus Christ. She leaves behind 3 children, 3 grand-children, a deeply devoted husband, one ex-husband that held the keys to her past and friendship, a church community, and a countless number of friends.

On a personal note to Civony... I wish with all my heart that I could make it better, that I could take away the loss, the tears, the ache. There are no words that can truly give comfort but please believe me when I say that you are not alone and that someday "he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces..." and on that day you will be reunited forever, to never part again.

"Summering" in Chicago

2009-06-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything in a while but that is because of some technical difficulties that hopefully will be resolved on Tuesday. This does not mean that the last few weeks have been uneventful.

We are officially "summering" in Chicago. I like that phrase because it sounds so aristocratic when in fact, it is not. After many, many months of searching for employment Kansas, we decided that Alex's chances of finding a job in Chicago may offer more potential. My father-in-law reluctantly offered us to stay with him and we took him up on the offer, I think to his surprise. I say "reluctantly" because he hates dogs. He thinks that they are filthy, disgusting wild beasts that should not be pets to begin with and if they have to be then they should only stay outside. Have no fear! Davey is slowly turning his heart to moosh.

My last day at the Eaton Steakhouse was on May 15th. After almost a year, I had had enough along with 90% of the staff. Everyone, with the exception of 1 server, a busser, and 3 line cooks walked out the day after Mother's Day for lack of pay. I am still waiting for my last paycheck to clear. One of the employees called the Wichita Eagle and a story was written but it had little to no effect in helping the staff receive their well-earned paychecks. The Labor Board has been contacted several times. I'm glad to say that I no longer have any part in that business.

With that said, Alex and I packed some stuff up, cleaned the house, passed our keys over to a well-trusted neighbor and friend and decided to take the long way up to Chicago with an 10 week old puppy who travels amazingly well! On our first trip up to Chicago we travelled south to Oklahoma City because why not? What else did we have to do? It's a nice little city. We stopped to walk through the Botanical Gardens for about an hour with the dog. Then we hopped back into the car and headed toward Tulsa which we drove around for a few minutes before heading toward Joplin, Missouri. The drive was very nice and quite beautiful. We spent the night in a decent hotel, ate breakfast and headed to St. Louis.

I can't believe how BIG St. Louis is! It seemed to stretch on forever and ever. We stopped for a much need break at the Jefferson National Expansion Museum to stretch our legs and walk the dog. He was a HUGE hit. Everyone wanted to touch him and tried to guess what breed he was. We heard everything from Black Lab to Sharpe. Only one other dog was interested in playing with him.

Here's our first glimpse of the arch while driving in the city:

In the shadow of the arch with the Mississippi River behind us. It was pretty swollen from the rain and some of the streets were closed off down by the banks.

While at the Jefferson Museum, we parked in the parking garage. Okay. No big deal. When we were done with our tour of the park we went back to the car only to find out that they don't take debit cards. We didn't have a single cent on us. I handed the guy my driver's license, pulled over to the side, and Alex walked around down town St. Louis for more than an hour trying to find an ATM or restaurant that would give us cash back. This is after we spent a half hour on the phone with both our bank and Citibank trying to get our pin numbers. What a mess. Alex finally found an ATM, we paid our parking bill, and got out of there as fast as we could.

The day before Z's (my brother-in-law) graduation he had a track and field tournament. It was pretty neat to watch. I have to admit that I've never been to one before. I cheered for everyone. I think my favorite event was the 2 mile race. This one kid kept the same pace the entire time. For the first mile and a half he was almost a lap ahead of everyone but in the end he took 3rd place. It gave me chills. Then there was a relay race that was really incredible. On the very last lap this other kid from another school hit his internal nitrogen button and flew by everyone and took first place. I could not believe the speed and power that this one kid had. I just about cried.

Here is Z and I before one of his 2 relay races. Not only is this kid super smart but he is incredibly fast.

It didn't take us long to settle in. We decided to stay in the room in the basement for a bunch of different reasons. First, we'd be closer to the puppy. He's allowed outside and in the basement and once in a while when my father-in-law isn't home we let him upstairs. Of course, we're out of the way in the basement too. I've rearranged the furniture to make it feel like a little apartment. I did some deep cleaning and we packed up a bunch of things that haven't been used in ages and claimed the space as our own. It doesn't hurt that the basement is the coolest part of the house too. Anna (my mother-in-law) likes it to be very warm in the house and we love to sleep cold, so it only seemed like a natural solution to stay downstairs.

Here is Davey attempting for the first time to climb up on a chair. He actually got up there but was way to scared to jump down. He whined like a big baby until I helped him down a few minutes later.

My stepmom was coming down to visit for a day, so a week later we drove back down to Wichita to see her. She didn't stay for long because the drive up to Michigan is a long one, but it was nice to be back home and see family again. We had a chance to catch up with the neighbors, pack some more stuff up, and head on back to Chicago. This time we drove directly there and it only took about 11 hours. The puppy slept the entire time. We actually had to wake him up to exercise him. We did take him for his 12 week check-up while we were back home where he officially weighed in at 30.2 pounds!

He has commandeered the little chair down stairs. He'll curl up and nap here for a good 2 hours if we let him. I figure this will only last for about 2 more weeks until he out-grows the space. He's getting pretty stocky and his back comes up about an inch past my knees.

He tries to eat just about everything. He finally found this stick the other day while we were taking him for a walk and adopted it as his very own. I peeled off all the bark. He'll sit in the sun for a good portion of the day chewing on it.

He's finally started to play "Fetch"! Getting him to let go is a little bit of challenge but he's catching on. I love how happy he looks when we play games with him.

Z graduated on May 29. It was a typical high school graduation with the exception that the Valedictorian didn't give a speech nor did the Honor students walk first. That's probably because 98% of the graduating class was an Honor student. Every single graduate has been accepted to a major university. A couple of them will be attending Creighton with Z in the fall and one of his best friends will be attending West Point.

My mother-in-law graduated today from De Paul University. We convinced her that she should attend her graduation ceremony and experience walking across the stage to hear her name announced to the entire audience with the title "With Distinctions" afterwards. This is her 4th and 5th degree. I'm not kidding. She is really quite brilliant. She has a B.S. in Chemistry, an M.S. in Chemistry, a Ph.D in Organic Chemistry, and today she earned a double MBA in International Business and Marketing. Holy Moly! I give it 3 years before she's back in school again just for the sake of learning.

We went to a Polish restaurant for dinner, one of her favorites. I hate the way I look here, but out of all the one we have this is the best one. Alex is actually leaning on me and I'm falling forward. Plus, the lady who was taking the picture refused to tell us when she was taking the picture. We stood there for a good 3 minutes with permanent smiles waiting for some kind of cue. That's so annoying!

Dinner at the Warsaw Restaurant: from left to right: Alex, Amanda, Zoran Jr., Anna, and Zoran Sr. Pavlovich.

I'm sure your eyes are ready to pop out of your head from staring at the computer for so long. I'll try my best to make sure the next couple of posts are more like Haiku's instead of short novels. I hope you have all had a great past couple of weeks!

Just in Case You Were Wondering...

2009-05-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

A quick note: I wanted everyone to know that neither Hell froze over nor did Jesus return the moment a dog set foot in my Father-in-law's home. More on that later.