Thanksgiving.

Yes....I know Thanksgiving was a good two weeks ago, but I haven't been able to find time to write..so here it is.

Joshua and I were able to make the trip home for Thanksgiving this year and it was SO good to be home. We did Thanksgiving with his parents, since we'll be going to Michigan for Christmas. Jannelle (mom-in-law) ordered a few things so we didn't have to do a TON of cooking...but we made sure we kept the traditional sides for us! I made Sweet Potato Casserole and Barbeque Green Beans and Jannelle made Ming Salad and Deviled Eggs (a Vincent must have!!). Our lunch turned out perfect and it was fun to have the meal with just the 4 of us.

After a little football watching/napping, Joshua and I made our way over to my parent's house for dessert and coffee. Mom had made pumpkin, apple, AND pecan pie....which meant we had to sample all of them, of course! We went to a moview with my family: Joshua made the choice of Old Dogs...which he later regretted, as it was a typical Disney flick.

Friday we went with both our families for lunch at the Mellow Mushroom! Must get in the local food (though Mellow Mushroom isn't just a Nashville thing...we don't have it in Dallas). Eating was followed by shopping for the women and cigar smoking for Joshua and his dad. I went with Jannelle, Olivia, and my mom through all the stores in downtown Franklin. They have done a great job of bringing in some really cool stores. Friday evening I met up with Kallie and Megan for dinner and had a BLAST catching up and just spending some quality time with them. I miss them terribly and wish all 6 of us could have been together...but there's always Christmas for that!!!

Saturday Joshua took me for a ride on his dad's bike. I was expecting for it to be a miserable ride, as it was FREEZING...but I wore appropriate clothing so it wasn't too bad. Like all rides/drives in Middle Tennessee, the scenery was fantastic! All the leaves had pretty much fallen, but the rural farms are still absolutely gorgeous...especially those big old barns. I'm a big sucker for the landscape! I met up with Olivia during the afternoon to do some shopping for our parents and then met up with Josh and his parents again for dinner with Grandmother, Grandfather, Aunt Lane, Uncle Keith, Suzannah, and Caroline. It's always nice to see and catch up with all of them! I love their family and feel so blessed to be a part of it now! After dinner we went bowling with Jason and Deidre, which is always a good time. They are a great couple and a lot of fun to be around.

Sunday was quite the beast of a drive back to Dallas. It rained the ENTIRE way back. We stopped in Memphis for delicious barbeque. Texarkana had quite the surprise for us on it's side roads. We got off to use the bathroom...and to detour the stand-still traffic due to construction...and found ourselves driving through severely flooded streets. Let's just say we found our way back to the interstate rather quickly.

Now we are enjoying the holidays...just got our Christmas tree last night! Somewhat smaller than last years but absolutely perfect!

Halloween!

I had a very full week of Halloween. We had our big Halloween carnival at work on Wednesday...which was a HUGE success. We have about 300 kids come..and this doesn't include their parents! PinkBerry was there serving samples of their frozen yogurt, which was a huge hit! We had pizza, the bounce house, a cupcake walk, and tons of other fun games. Our little dancers put on a performance to Thriller...and of course the YMCA by the Village People. What a fun event! All of the staff dressed up too. We had a male Minnie Mouse, Grapes, Marine Barbie, a Fortune from a fortune cookie...and I was a bag of Jelly Beans!

Jelly Bellys (me) and male Minnie (Jeff)

Friday night Joshua and I went to our friend Ashley's Pirate themed mystery party, which was a lot of fun. Ashley is GREAT at planning parties and is a wonderful host. She made these really cool boxes for our invitations and delivered them in person. I was the part of "Mad Rose," the beer wench at the Salty Sea Dog and Joshua was Commodore Clearing. Our costumes were really fun and it was fun to act the part of a pirate...pirate accent and all!

Joshua and I dressed up. The picture below gives a better idea of our full costumes!
Saturday was spent at Ikea, looking for some shelving for our office. We then went party hopping...as Johnny Cash and a Cowgirl! We went out to Rowlett, about 30 minutes from Dallas for Stacie and Matt's party and then came back to Dallas, picked up Chris (Josh's friend from Memphis who is in town working for a couple months) and went to Richard's for an SMU party..which was also a good time.

Phew...Halloween is over..and I can say we are Halloweened out!

Bailey's Wedding

It has been about a month since Bailey and Kevin tied the knot and their photographer's pictures are up! After looking through all of them...and seeing what a wonderful day it was, I was reminded that I hadn't written about it yet!

Joshua and I traveled to Georgia for the most spectacular wedding in September. Bailey and Kevin are a beautiful couple and I think that really shined through during their wedding weekened. They love each other unconditionally, the way all couples should, and you can tell how happy they are to be together.

I was blessed to be part of such a wonderful day and I loved spending the time primping with Bailey. It's hard being so far away and not being able to be as involved as I wanted to be. That time together was so greatd. There really is nothing like being a girl and being able to take ALL day to get ready! hehe. Bailey, not surprisingly, looked absolutely breath-taking. Her dress was just perfect for her. There was this moment right after she walked down the aisle that you could see how astounded Kevin was by her beauty and grace. He was grinning ear to ear. That's what the dress is all about..the shock factor.

Ok..so I borrowed a few pictures from the photographers site to give a little taste of her wedding. The photographer did an AWESOME job of capturing everything in the wedding and the quality of his pictures is great! His name is Steve Barnhart and here is some of his work:

Just a few snapshots of the night. The first one is of all the girls before the wedding. Bailey is holding one of the shoes she had us sign. The second picture is one of my favorites. It is all of the wedding party with the trolley. The guys are on the inside looking out at us while we pose. The last shot is of Bailey and Kevin serving each other cake. Always fun!

Disciple Bible Study

I've been searching for a good, intensive study of the Bible for a while now...and I'm just not good at doing it on my own so I decided to join a Bible study. As a child, I can remember my parents participating in Disciple Bible Study through our church. When I saw that LLUMC offered the class, I was thrilled! We have has 2 lessons so far and it has been so great. It is a 34 week class that leads you through the entire Bible. Each week there is a focus verse and word and this weeks work was Wonder. What a perfect word for the creation story! One can only stand in wonder and awe at God's awesome and mighty hand. It is only our second week and I've already learned so much!

I've read through Genesis several times, but each time it was in a rushed or hurried manner...as I always felt like I knew exactly what it was saying. This time, it's different. We started with just the 1st 2 chapters this week and I took the time to read the words..as well as the notes my Bible provides. It's so incredible to see how Genesis allows room for the Trinity in it's use of words...and I honestly didn't know Adam means Earth and man. I cannot wait to continue on this journey of learning.

Stationary Obsession

Ok, so I have this deep love for paper goods...I love stationary, notepads, day planners..and I LOVE when they are good quality...and of course pretty. This summer Joshua got me this awesome personalized notepad as a belated birthday present from Linda&Harriett, out of Brooklyn. The great things about their note pads: they can be personalized!! My pad looks a little something like this:

with MILLI VINCENT (in navy) at top center.

The great thing about these notepads is that they are pretty affordable and super cute. You can use them as stationary, or for grocery lists. Their letterpress paper products are little more expensive, but that is too be expected.

I used this one really cool site for our save-the-dates, and come to find out, they also do personalized stationary, birth announcements, party invitations, so on and so forth. Love the site, and here is an example of what you can find there:

These can be found under the Business Stationary.

Just plug in your personal information when personalizing.

They also have some great seasonal invitations or greeting cards!

mmm mmm good!

One of my go to recipes for a delicious, easy, semi inexpensive dinner is by Giada De Laurentiis from the food network. When I was in school I was watching her show one day and she made a delicious looking Pasta Primavera. So, over the years, I've turned to it on several occasions for a good meal that will easily impress people. My mom, the best cook I know, told me it tasted "gourmet." Now, props of to Giada, because I definitely didn't come up with the recipe, but it impressed my mom..and it is just too easy. This pasta will only take about 20 minutes once you've cut everything up. To get your taste buds going, here is a picture of the delicious meal and I'll put a link over to the food network site below that.

Pasta Primavera

picture courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Relaxing, fun weekend

Joshua had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. Friday night was spent at home. Joshua got home late because he had gone out the Rust Restorations in Mansfield, where he gets the Ducati worked on. We ordered a pizza from I Fratelli, probably the best pizza place in town and watched random tv, and then put in a John Wayne western. Now, putting in a western puts me right to sleep so I didn't really watch any of the western. Saturday morning we woke up early (meaning 8:30ish...which is early for us on a Saturday), did some cleaning around the house, ran to Einstein's bagle for a good bagel and coffee out on ther patio, came home and watched New in Town, which stars Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. Now, it was a major chick flick...and IMDb gave it a pretty poor ranking, but Joshua even liked it and I found the plot line to be pretty entertaining. Just about the time we were about to start movie number 2 (as we had dedicated Saturday to movie day), Josh got a call from Matt, my co-worker Stacie's husband. The invited us out to their place to go out on their boat, as we had planned this adventure for the weekend before, but were unable to go due to some illness on their end. So Joshua and I accepted the offer and went out on the boat with them Saturday evening. Man, it was the PERFECT day to be out on the lake and the water was absolutely beautiful! Nothing like good weather and good company!

Today, Sunday, we tried out a new church. We went to the 11 am service at Lovers Lane United Methodist. The service was great and the people were so friendly and welcoming. We definitely felt more at home there than at the church we had previously attended. I'm hoping to get involved in a Bible Study there. Next week we're going to try out heir contemporary service, which I am really looking forward to.

So, all in all, its been a good weekend! I'm definitely not ready for the week to begin again. I love my weekends with Joshua and hate having to go back to the real world...aka work.

Back to Running

Thanks to mom and dad (in law), I have new running shoes! As in every good sized city, Dallas has a great running store called Luke's Locker. The great thing about this shop, other than it's HUGE selection of running gear, is their personal service for fitting you into the right running shoe. Now, I have been a Nike girl for pretty much my entire running life. I love Nikes and they have always fit my foot really well. However, this time I actually walked out with something different. The nice gentleman watched me walk and came to the conclusion that I run on the outside of my feet...who knew?!?! So he brought me three different shoes to try on and then I got to pick the one that fit my foot the best and...it was not the Nike. I ended up with a really cool pair of Saucony's They are purple and super comfy.

My new shoes!

There is also this great site the help map runs. You can become a user for free, or you can just use the application as needed. If you become a member, you can keep track of routes, and log all of your runs, which is really handy if you are training for a race. Right now, I am just trying to get back in shape...and get used to running in the Texas heat again. Maybe I'll think about training for the Nashville 1/2 though. And maybe THIS TIME..I won't injure myself a week before the race.

Here's to setting goals and pushing myself to achieve them injury free.

New Digs!

Joshua and I have been busy since mid July moving into our new place, and it is really starting to come together. We absolutely love our new place and we are finally (almost) done doing upgrades/additions. Our new home is a 2 bed, one bath duplex just 5ish minutes from work and 1.5 miles from SMU. It's on the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, which is also home to Ross Perot, and George W. Bush. They, however, live in the mansions of Preston Hollow and though our new place is an upgrade from our first apartment, we are definitely not living in a mansion. Our place is a 1950's design with a really cute yellow tiled kitchen and yellow and blue tiled bathroom. I've taken a few pictures but don't have them uploaded quite yet. They BEST feature of our new pad is the yard and garage! These were two things that were a "must have" for the new place. We've already spent a lot of time out on our patio and Joshua has a nice "man cave," as he calls it, in the garage.

I've already been out running in our new neighborhood and love it. We're no longer on a busy road, so I feel a lot safer running on my own. Joshua and I walked to Blockbuster the other night...but that was a little more of a trek..as it is just beyond school. But, it was good exercise and good talking time.

Joshua's parents came down to visit last weekend and we made a trip out to Ikea, the land of everything one could ever desire for a home, and had fun looking at all they have to offer. Since we only have one bathroom now, I really needed a space to get ready in the morning. So, we bought a little desk/vanity for the office. I now have my very own space to sit in the morning to do my makeup and hair...and then a desk to work at in the evenings while Joshua is doing his school work.

In the next couple of days I'll take some pictures to show the new place.

Big Cedar Lodge with the family

Before I get started on posting about our vacation..I went back and added pictures to the last 2 posts. Make sure to check them out! There are a few from events we've gone to this summer.

Josh and I just got back from a wonderfully relaxing week at Big Cedar Lodge, which is just outside Branson, MO. This trip is somewhat of a tradition for my family, as we've always stayed at Big Cedar after picking up from Kamp Kanakuk. I used to go to kamp there, and Olivia just spent her 4th summer there. We had such a great time with my family and really enjoyed the time relaxing by the pool, on the lazy river, and the day we spent out on the boat. It was also a lot of fun going back to K-West to pick Olivia up! Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

Olivia and I are finally reunited at kamp!
This is just before her all around event.

At Kanakuk you specialize in a sport, because it is a Christian sports kamp (get used to kamp being spelled with a k...that's just the way it goes with Kanakuk!). You can specialize in soccer, basketball, volleyball, dance, cheer, tennis...and I'm sure some others...OR you can do all around which gives you the opportunity to do more electives. That is always what I opted for, and what Olivia has done as well. When your family comes to kamp the first night your specialty puts on a show to demonstrate what they've done for the past 2 weeks. This year, all around did blobbing!

Here is Olivia about to jump onto the blob.

Olivia and her cabin.

Every year the kampers are given a bible verse and 2 words that describe them. The counselors talk about the qualities they saw in each kamper and how they have seen each of them grow in their relationship with Christ over their 2 week stay.

Morning of the tribal ceremony with the chiefs and princesses.

Kampers are split up into 2 different tribes. On the guys side there are the Cherokees and Choctaws, and on the girls side, Kickapoos and Kiowas. At the beginning of each term new kampers are put into their tribes. If you have family members that have already attended kamp, you'll be the same tribe as them. I am a kickapoo, so Olivia is as well! Each term the tribes compete in different activities to determine the winner of the term. This year Kiowas won.

The horse on our carriage ride.

Mom and Grandma on our carriage ride.

Most of the afternoons were spent by the pool relaxing and working on our tans. But, one afternoon mom scheduled a carriage ride for us girls. It was a nice ride around the property.

This is a picture of "Devil's Pool". Just to the left of the pond there is a pool and restaurant.

Big Cedar is a Bass Pro Shop lodge and this big fish is part of their little putt putt course. It is the final hole.
We saw a ton of turtles on logs while on our carriage ride...

Wednesday was spent out on the lake. We went tubing, skiing, and bluff jumping. Table Rock lake has some amazing bluffs! It was so nice to be out on the water! I'll have to put pictures of the bluff jumping up later. I was doing the jumping, so there aren't any pictures of that on my camera.

Me and Olivia on the boat.

Mom and Olivia tubing!

On our way to dinner the last night.

Dad's birthday was Friday, the day after we left the lodge, so we surprised him with a cake at dinner the last night! The weather was gorgeous, so we sat out on the patio for dinner, it was SO nice in comparison to the heat of Dallas!

Me and Josh at dinner.

Mom and dad at dinner..it was obviously a little sunny!

One last picture of the lodge...the flower gardens around the main building are absolutely gorgeous, so here is a picture of the main entrance to the registration lodge.

We're now back in Dallas and getting ready to move!! We are moving out of our first apartment together and into a really cute little duplex. We'll have a yard, a garage, and a cute little vintage kitchen and bathroom. Once we move in and get settled I'll post pictures!

Summer is Here!

Summer has officially started and boy can you tell here in Dallas! Most days are in the high 90's...if not 100 degrees. The good thing is, I'm not really out in the heat much...since I have an indoor job, BUT it doesn't really cool off at night either. It just stays HOT. Last night the sun set around 9 and it was still around 93 degrees. This is pure craziness for June! Summer activities are also in full swing. The YMCA is busier than ever, with summer camp on site, 2 camps off site, swim lessons all day long, families coming to the pool, and our normal crowd is here too. I'm working my usual hours at the YMCA, but I'm teaching Art Think Jr. for the little ones at 2 day camps. Art Think Jr. is basically the same thing as the Art Think I taught during the school year..except it is geared towards elementary students instead of high schoolers. I must admit, I love those little kids!! They have such fun, interesting answers to the images and they don't complain like the high schoolers do. In addition to showing slides, we also do a little art project at the end...which I find super fun. Hands down, love the little kids!

Josh on the other hand...is not loving the little kids. He is working with summer camp at the Y this summer. And though he is getting VERY tan, he isn't enjoying the fact that they aren't allowed to really discipline the kids.

We've had a few fun weekends, with Beth's Wedding, a Motorcycle Race Watch Party, a Frisco Rough Riders game (they are a minor league team that feeds into the Dallas Rangers MLB team), and in a couple of weeks we will be joining my family at Table Rock Lake in Missouri for a much needed week vacation! We'll be picking Olivia up from Kamp Kanakuk and then spending time at Big Cedar Lodge, one of the most relaxing places on earth. I can't wait to relax with the family..and SEE them! I haven't seen my dad or sister since OCTOBER!!

Here are some pictures from Beth's wedding and the Rough Riders game. Unfortunately, my camera died at Beth's wedding, so my pictures are limited.

Beth's Wedding

Though a little blurry, this is a picture of all my dear college friends! Left to right: Jackie, Sarah, Beth (the beautiful bride), me, Shay, Emily

Two of my college roomates, and bridesmaids in my wedding
Me, Jackie, and Sarah

Sarah, Emily and me

The wedding party, post wedding pics.

Rough Riders Game
Self photo before the game began.

Picture of the field from our awesome seats!

Deuce, the team mascot...not quite sure what animal he is.
The other mascot is Daisy, the female..she was cute too!

Joshua and his helmet of Dip 'N Dots, a baseball tradition.

One thing we both definitely enjoy about baseball games is the food! Nothing can beat a hot dog, coke and some Dip 'N Dots...or funnel cake in my case!

Week of my birth!

This coming week has a lot of exciting things going on...including my birthday! Though birthdays aren't quite what they used to be (meaning..no big sleepover party)...I still get so excited for birthdays. I love celebrating others' birthdays, and I love celebrating mine as well. It is that one day a year that can be totally focused on that individual...which I think is so special and wonderful. Joshua and I don't have anything exciting planned, as we're leaving the next day for ATLANTA!! We'll be heading out for Beth and Ramsey's wedding! I can't wait to celebrate with them and see all my beloved friends. Since that is going to be our big cost for the week, we're going to do a small dinner, just the 2 of us.

Joshua, Ashley, and I went over to see Kristi and Greg yesterday and did a mini birthday celebration for Kristi. Greg is in school with Joshua and Ashley, and we've all become pretty good friends. It's always nice to have another married couple around! Kristi's birthday is today, and she is on bed rest due to her pregnancy...sooo, we took her some Yogilicious (mmm, so good) and balloons. It was great to see both of them and be able to spend some time catching up with Kristi. Joshua and I plan on taking them dinner in the near future, just to help out while Kristi is out of commission.

I also got my haircut yesterday! It's pretty short..above the shoulders. I really like it though, it is the perfect summer cut. I'll have to post a picture later!

As promised...here is a picture of my new hair style. It has grown out a little since the original cut...but still pretty much the same!

Week of rest...

This time last week Joshua and Van (my father-on-law) departed on their 9 day trek to Vegas and back! It has been interesting...and a little lonely...living on my own. I've gotten to catch up on all of my girly tv shows, which include...but are not limited to...Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and the new episode of the Bachelorette! Last Monday I totally vegged in front of the tv for all 3 of these shows, it was awesome! I've also spent some time reading, cleaning, resting, and exercising. Last week I walked to the grocery store to grab dinner, something that was actually really rewarding. The weather here has been so gorgeous..so I've tried to spend as much time outside as possible. After teaching on Thursday I spent some time relaxing pool side, getting a start on my summer tan.

I was also able to catch up with some dear friends! This week I had some lengthy phone calls with Sarah, Emily, and Hawley!! I definitely don't get to talk with these girls enough, so it was nice to be able to sit on the couch and chat with no time limitations. Haha, that makes it sound like Joshua sits there and times my phone calls..totally not the case. But, when we are home together I usually don't answer my phone and just enjoy my time with him.

My weekend was spent being a total bum. I rented "The Reader" and the old "Marie Antoinette" film with Kirsten Dunst and also watched a few movies that came on TBS. "The Reader" was very interesting, though I have to admit I fell asleep towards the end..it got a little slow. "Marie Antoinette" was SUPER slow..and though the costumes and music were awesome...it was kind of a waist of a rent. I did get some exercise in this weekend, which is always good. I also spent some time by the pool, and then Sunday I went in to work.

Though I've enjoyed the time alone...I defintely prefer living life with Joshua and having someone to spend my time with every evening. 9 days has definitely been a little too long to be seperated, but I'm glad Joshua and his dad were able to take this trip together. I know it'll be a great memory to look back on.

Well..that's it for now! Next week I head to Atlanta for Beth's wedding!! I can't wait to be there for her and share in such a special event. I'm also really excited to see all of my dear friends from UGA! I'll also be celebrating my BIRTHDAY next Wednesday! Woo hoo for 24!

Optimisim

There was an AWESOME special tonight on ABC called Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. As everyone knows, Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's disease...but rather than keeping him down, Fox's optimism and positive outlook on life has kept him going. Yes, he does have great resources for the best doctors, the best medicines, etc...but without that positive attitude, who knows how well he would be doing now. This special explored optimism, not only in the United States, but also world wide. And you know, it was just a great reminder...a REFRESHING reminder to live every day with a big smile on your face, loving life, giving thanks for all that you have, thanking our Lord for all the gifts he has provided, and just generally enjoying life.

I've have be stressing a lot recently...mainly focused around finances...and this little special reminded me to relax, take a deep breath, and focus on the positive. Though Joshua and I don't always have the funds to do everything we desire...we DO have each other and that is the biggest thing to celebrate every day! So rather than continuing my stress on finances, I am going to focus on the good stuff...friends, family, free fun, and the Lord.

Ok...so that is all for the moment. Hehe, just wanted to share a breath of fresh air. It's always nice to see someone so happy, that has reason to be so angry. Thank you Michael J. Fox for your inspiration!
Oh...and as a last note, Michael J. Fox has a book out: Always Looking Up. I am definitely putting that on my list to read!

Spring!

It has been quite a while since I've updated the site...so sorry about that! Joshua and I have been busy with lots of different activities. Work has been pretty demanding recently..and it feels like I can never quite catch up. I don't mind though, because then I'm always busy! Joshua is starting finals this week...which is keeping him busy. I have gotten back on the workout wagon and I'm trying to workout every week day. It seems like it would be really easy, since I WORK at a gym...but it's really hard to get away from the desk sometimes.

Other than work and school, Joshua and I have just been trying to spend time together doing things we love...like going on walks, watching movies, and going on occassional long drives. This spring has been wonderful so far and we both feel like we've grown closer with all the time we've spent together. This past weekend we went to one of my co-workers for her birthday and we had a lot of fun! Stacie lives out in Rowlett, which is about 1/2 hour from Dallas and she lives really close to the lake. Josh and Stacie's husband got along really well. He is a Dallas Police Officer and I think they have a lot of the same interests and life values. I think we'll definitely have to hang out again.

Other than that, we're just doing our normal routine and looking forward to a few trips this summer. Joshua is going on a 9-10 days motorcycle trip to Las Vegas and back with his dad right after school ends, which leaves me in Dallas all alone..but I know they'll have a good time and their time together is always important...father-son bonding time! We'll be heading to Atlanta for Beth and Ramsey's wedding, which is June 6th! I can't wait to go and witness their marriage and as a bonus see all my wonderful friends again!! Then we're going to go to Branson, MO to see my family and stay at Big Cedar Lodge after Olivia gets out of camp at Kamp Kanakuk! I'm pretty excited about this because I haven't seen my dad or sister since October! Plus, I went to Kanakuk when I was younger, so it'll be like returning to childhood for me. We're still trying to figure out what to do for our anniversary, but it'll be special no matter what we do.

Ok...I better get back to work. Just wanted to do a little update!

Wrapping Up the Week

So this week has been nothing out of the ordinary.  I taught on Monday morning...which was like pulling teeth.  We missed two weeks of class, first because I was out of town, and then they had spring break.  After two weeks of not discussing art, I think they got a little clammed up.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  There is a group coming to "observe" my classroom to approve a grant for the Art Think program.  I am a little nervous about that...but I think it will be completely ok.  I am starting at a new school this week as well.  I'll be teaching on Thursdays from 8:45-2.  That means I'll have to work Saturdays at the Y, but I think it'll be worth it.  It's only a 6 week program, so after that 6 weeks, it it was too hard, I'll know not to take on so much in the future.  This program is really giving me a better feeling about teaching.  I think I would be a great teacher and I would love teaching children.  I know I'm not called for high school, but it really gives me a better understanding of what it takes.

One of the front desk supervisors at the Y is leaving to go work at the association office.  Sooo, we had a going away party on Saturday.  We went and played the gam called "Whirleyball" and had SO much fun!  Joshua went with me and we summed the game up as "basketball, polo, and bumper cars" all rolled into one.  So, there are two teams in bumper cars (each with 5...I guess we were players??) and we each had a stick, similar to that used in lacrosse.  Ok, so there was a wiffle ball that we had to throw into a hole, about the height of a basketball bet, but parallel to the wall instead of parallel to the floor.  Oi..that sounds so confusing.  Anyways, you drive your bumper car around trying to score...AND trying to block the other team.  Needless to say, I am ridiculously sore today.  It feels like I've been in a car wreck, which I guess is partially true because each time you were bumped it felt like a massive collision.  We all laughed the entire time!  What a fun game.

Ok, so my last note of the night:  I just watched "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" and it really made me miss all of my girls.  It made me miss those great nights of friendship from when we were young (yes, i know we are still young..be we are grown-ups and have responsibility now..boo!), staying up late, talking about total non-sense.  I miss having those friendships near and close at hand.  I love and cherish them all so dearly and I don't think I tell them all enough.  The end.

Weekend at the library

Josh has been working REALLY hard on his brief for his Legal Writing class.  He turns it in tomorrow and that will count as his one and only grade in that class.  Oh the stress and pressure! He hasn't been able to get work done at home, and therefore, as been spending lots of time at the library.  Well, being at home night after night can get pretty lonely, so I've chosen to come spend some time with him at the library.  I know...sounds like no fun at all, but it really has been nice.  I picked up a new book today titled A Faith and Culture Devotional: Daily Readings in Art, Science and Life.  The layout is pretty cool, offering readings in Bible and Theology, History, Philosophy, Science, Literature, Arts, and Contemporary Culture.  The book breaks down the reading into 15 weeks. Each week there is one article from each category, which really provides for a balanced read and you don't get overwhelmed with one topic.  At the end of each category there are questions for reflection or discussion.  I love books that include questions because it really gets you thinking about the topic.  I'm really looking to the coming weeks as I explore and learn through this devotional.  Here is what the back of the book says, just to provide a better note as to what the book is about:

Kelly Monroe Kullberg and Lael Arrington offer a daily guided tour through many of the paintings, laboratories, rock arenas, great books, mass movements, and private lives that have shaped the ways in which we think and live.  mass movements, and private lives that have shaped the ways in which we think and live.  This educational devotional will inspire us to go beyond critique to creativity as we discover the wonder of God in seven subjects--theology, history, philosophy, science, literature, art, and contemporary culture.

Explore significant ideas, people, and events from a Christian worldview in a format that fits your busy life.  A Faith and Culture Devotional will help bridge the artificial gap between learning truth and loving God--inspiring you with the wonder at the genius, power, and beauty of Jesus Christ.

I think it will be interesting!

busy bee...

I have quite the busy, and fun, past couple of weeks.  It started two weekends ago with a wonderful trip to Orlando, Florida with my mom.  We met up for a mini-vacation with my grandma and two aunts.  Mom had a conference being held at Disney World, so we had a free room for part of our stay!  Before heading down to Florida I didn't really think we would spend any time at the parks.  I mean...we are all grown women, it would look pretty hilarious for all of us to be parading around Disney without toting kids around.  BUT, to my surprise, everyone wanted to go to the parks.  So parking we went.  Saturday was spent at Epcot, traveling the world while conveniently staying safely inside the Disney World resort.  We had churros in Mexico...a delicious fried treat my aunts and grandma had never tried.  Aunt Nancy kept exclaming "I would like one of those chimichangas, or chalupas" after having one.  To which I replied, "they are called CHURROS."  Saturday evening we went to Magic Kingdom for the light parade and fireworks.  My grandma has seen the light parade on tv several times, but has never seen it in person.  She was very excited to see it...and we had front row seats, right on the curb.  The parade was wonderful..a the characters were aglow with lights.  It was truly magical.  The fireworks following were also pretty spectacular.  Fireworks are always great..even if there is no special occasion.  Sunday was going to be spent at "Disney's Hollywood Studios" (Formerly MGM Studios)...but apparently when MGM went, so went many of the attractions.  Disney's Hollywood Studios=a bust. So instead, we journeyed through Animal Kingdom.  We passed by "The Tree of Life," went on a Safari, ate at an African "outpost," and saw "It's Tough to be a Bug" in 3D.  f you haven't ever seen the Tree of Life, it's a really huge, awesome fake tree with lots of animals carved in it's trunk, branches, and roots.  My grandma and aunts left Monday, at which point my mom's conference started.  I slept in a little, then went out and laid by the pool for a while.  Monday afternoon mom and I went to Magic Kingdom to go on some of my favorite rides.  These include, but are not limited to:  Pirates of the Magic Kingdom, the Swiss Family Tree House (even though it isn't a ride), Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain.  Mom was such a trooper.  She doesn't like roller coaster's...or heights...but she went on the rides with me anyways and we had a great time.  Tuesday was departure day, and though it was sad to leave the fun and family behind, it was nice to get back to Dallas..and most of all my Joshua!

I didn't have much time at home with just Joshua because on Friday Megan and Kallie came to visit!!  Megan is a teacher and her spring break is this week, so she called me up to see if she could come visit...and of course I said YES!!  They were my first friends to visit Dallas and we had a great time, despite the disgusting weather.  I have to applaud them because they spent 12 hours getting to Dallas, a drive that should only take 8 or 9 hours.  The girls got in late on Friday so we just picked up some pizza and drinks for a relaxing evening in.  Saturday there was a huge St. Patty's Day parade on Greenville Ave, which I happen to live approximately 100 yards from.  So, after sleeping in a little, we decided to go check it out.  We loaded our cooler and walked down to the end of my street where we caught the end of the parade.  There were many odd characters and some wonderful costumes as well.  After the parade passed we just decided to follow along and see what there was to see.  I've decided that St. Patty's is like a belated, mini- Mardi Gras.  Beads are thrown...and alcohol is consumed.  The rest of the weekend was spent showing them around the city.  We went to the West Village, a trendy spot in town with some boutiques and shopping. I drove them through part of Highland Park, with huge houses and designer shopping center.  Then we headed back to the apartment for a little down time before dinner.  We went to Cuba Libre (because Chuy's was packed) for dinner and drinks and then back to the house.  Sunday was going to be our day at the museum...but we again, slept in.  So instead, I drove them around downtown (which I'm not very familiar with) and then we went grocery shopping for dinner.  I thought it would be fun to cook at home and have a nice meal in.  I made individual baked tortellini dishes and mom's delicious salad with home-made balsamic vinaigrette, spicy pecans, strawberries, and blue cheese.  Monday I had to work so they spent the day exploring Dallas and then Josh and I took them to Burger House!  The best/our favorite burger place in Dallas.  After dinner we went back and watched tv and just hung out.  It was so nice to have friend here and be able to spend so much time with them!

This week, in comparison has been pretty slow (after the girls left).  Work is completely dead because all of the kids are on spring break, which means all of the families have gone on trips.  I am, however, looking forward to a slow, relaxing weekend.  It will hopefully be nice out so I can go to the lake or lay out by the pool!

I'll upload pictures from all of the adventures later.

Teaching!

I had my first day of teaching on Monday and it was so incredibly wonderful and refreshing. Don't get me wrong I love my job at the YMCA, but it is a little monotonous...so a break from the norm was so great. I taught 2 classes at Hillcrest High School and absolutely loved it. I was a little nervous about teaching high schoolers, but it really turned out ok. They were very respectful and responded well to the "session." Ok..so I'm not really TEACHING them anthing huge...but I do think it's an important exercise. Every class we go through four pieces of modern art. I give them 5 minutes to sketch, or take visual notes. This allows them to take down the important things in the image. The we discuss the work for 5 minutes. They tell me what they think is going on in the image and why (what do they see in the image that leads them to their opinion).

I think this is an amazing exercise because there is no right or wrong answer and it allows everyone to have a voice about art. A lot of times art is open for interpretation and I think giving high schoolers a voice is really important and it helps reinforce their creativity and thought pattern.

The other great thing about these classes is that I don't need to know anything specific about the work. I'm not there to lecture on the history of the work or tell them what the artist was aiming for. I am there to simply create conversation about some great contemporary works of art.

So here are some of the works we looked at the first week:
















Cindy Sherman. "Untitled Film Still"
Unsure of correct title, I'll update it later!















Kelli Connell. Giggle. 2002




















Xinpeng Chen. Self Portrait. 2004




















Pablo Picasso. Weeping Woman. 1937
Femme en pleurs

The theme for Week 1 is "Be." The use of self portraits is great for this becaues it shows the students how the artist is wanting to portray themselves to the viewer.

If you have any questions or ideas just give me a shout!

Good Reads!

So some of my dear friends included me in their venture at GoodReads. It's a really great site that allows you to share what you've read, what you are currently reading, and what you have on your list TO read. You can also review the books you've read, giving others an insight to what you thought. I've loved seeing what others have read and I've added many of the books to my books "to-read."

I've just finished Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. The books is similar is subject to The DaVinci Code, but I still really enjoyed it. It's a book loaded with suspense, and although most of the "facts" are not entirely true, or just completely fabricated...I do see an underlying theme or message. The big story line of the book is "Science vs. Religion" and the other desire for them to work together. I really do believe you can have both...not one without the other. God created us with the ability to think and expand our knowledge and, to me, science is just a tool to further understand God's amazing creation.

The next book on my list is Love and Respect (The Love She Most Desires and The Respect He Desperately Needs)by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I really want Joshua to read this one as well...but that might have to wait for summer...or maybe I can just give him photo copies of the passages he should read..haha. It seems like a great relationship strengthening book.

Ok, that is all on my book talk. If you haven't already, you should go check out "Good Reads" and get connected!
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In other news....I start teaching my own classes next week with the Dallas Contemporary! I had all of my training last week- a half day at the studio and a half day at a school- and I feel confident that I am going to do a good job. I may have to practice on Josh Sunday night just to make sure I've got it down. I'm so excited though! I'll definitely let you know how the first day goes!

Art Auction

This weekend the Dallas Contemporary held their annual Wish Auction. The pieces in the auction were donated by artists throughout Texas. The event was so much fun! I worked the check-in and check-out and I loved seeing all of the great outfits. They always pick a color for the theme and this year it was green! I was able to wear my beautiful dress from Hawley's wedding along with the great gold shoes! Who ever said you can never wear a bridesmaids' dress again? I have to give Hawley props for picking such a stylish dress. All of the money raised went towards the gallery's operations.

Just to give a little background: The Dallas Contemporary is a non-profit, non-collecting gallery that shows emerging Texas artists, as well as some national artists. They also do this great program called ArtThink. It is a program that teaches high school kids how to think and approach contemporary art. It helps them relate to the subject matter and take their personal experiences in to consideration when interpretting art. I've recently been asked to to participate in this program and I am SO excited! I am going to be TEACHING art!! I will only be doing this once, maybe twice, a week but it's still a great start. I'll post back abou this later!

New Year!

So I am a little late in the update. Work has been SO busy lately. Everyone is in full swing with their New Year's resolutions and we are included! Our main goal this year is to be healthier and eat more meals at home. So far, we've been doing really well and I've made some delicious meals! I have to give my thanks to all of the online recipe collections, as I've gotten most of our meals from sites The Food Network and Cooking Light. So far, our top three favorites are "Wake-up Smoothie," "Orange Glazed Chicken," and "Spiced Chicken and Greens with Pomegranate Dressing." Below is a picture of the delicious salad, along with the super easy, quick recipe:

mmmm...so good!
"Spiced Chicken and Greens with Pomegranate Dressing"

Chicken:
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used chicken tenders instead)

Dressing:
1/3 c. pomegranate juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Salad:
1 package mixed salad greens
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion (optional...I didn't use because I don't like onions)
3/4 c orange sections (I cut these up into smaller pieces)
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/4 c crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:
To prepare chicken, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chili powder and salt over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; let stand 3 minutes. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; set aside

To prepare dressing, combine all "Dressing" ingredients and whisk well.

Make salad. Enjoy. The end. I promise, you won't be disappointed!!

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I also made my mom's DELICIOUS blueberry muffins this week. They were definitely a great start to the day!

We have more resolutions and I have so much more to update on...but for now I am going to leave it at that.