Archive for July, 2009

Family Pictures

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

I made a quick trip to Somerset this week to see a dear friend from high school.  While I was home I got to spend some time with my family.  I decided it would be a good idea to try and get the three grandkids (Mikayla and my sisters boys, Tyson and Tanner) to take a picture.  Here is what we ended up with…maybe we need the help of a professional!

Tyson had a hard time staying still and poor Mikayla still can't sit up on her own!

Tyson had a hard time staying still and poor Mikayla still can't sit up on her own!

This was a good one of the boys, but Mikayla fell over!

This was a good one of the boys, but Mikayla fell over!

Again, poor Mikayla...maybe we should try again when she is older!

Again, poor Mikayla...maybe we should try again when she is older!

Not too bad, except for Mikayla showing off her belly rolls!

Not too bad, except for Mikayla showing off her belly rolls!

This could be the best one yet!

This could be the best one yet!

Tanner got distracted by his dad's cell phone

Tanner got distracted by his dad's cell phone

Notice Tanner being held up by a mystery hand!

Notice Tanner being held up by a mystery hand!

So we didn’t end up with any good pictures, but at least we had fun!  What is the trick to getting three kids ages 2 and under to sit still long enough for a portrait??

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Summer Favorites

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

One of my favorite plants that we grow in our garden is okra.  I love okra!  I will eat it almost anyway, well except for boiled because it gets really slimy and gross.  Two of my favorite okra dishes are Fried Okra and Okra Stew (and of course Veggie Patties, but we have already looked into that one).  Here is how I prepare both.

Fried Okra

  • Okra cut into 1/2-1 inch stars (as much as you want)
  • Flour (Self-Rising works best, but I mostly use All Purpose because that is what I tend to keep on hand)
  • Oil (enough to fry in)
  • 1-2 eggs, depending on amount of okra
  • Hot Sauce (optional)
  • Seasonings:  Onion Powder, Cajun Seasoning (Tony’s baby), Seasoned Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Cumin, and Garlic Powder (or Garlic salt depending on preference)
  • ZipLock Baggie
  1. Cut okra into pieces.  Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet.
  2. Scramble eggs in small bowl.  If wanted add a couple of dashes of Hot Sauce.
  3. Mix flour with seasonings, roughly a cup or so of flour and 1-2tbsp of each seasoning.  I never measure exactly so this makes it taste slightly different each time!  Pour into ZipLock baggie.
  4. Coat okra pieces with egg mixture.
  5. Place okra in the baggie with flour mixture and shake bag until flour evenly coats all sides of okra.
  6. Place flour coated okra in hot oil and gently toss with tongs until okra is golden brown.  Transfer to plate covered in paper towels.  Serve immediately.  We like to eat ours with ketchup, but they are just as good plain!
Ingredients all ready to go!

Ingredients all ready to go!

Okra coated in egg mixture

Okra coated in egg mixture

Coating the okra in flour, last step before frying!

Coating the okra in flour, last step before frying!

Finished product...doesn't it look delicious?

Finished product...doesn't it look delicious?

Okra Stew (adapted from All Recipes) – beware this is a spicy dish

  • 1 pound Kielbasa sausage cut into bite sized pieces
  • 4 tablespoons margarine
  • 2 green bell peppers, seeded
  • 1 large onion
  • 1-2 cups frozen corn kernels or fresh whichever you have on hand
  • 1-2 cup chopped okra
  • 10 Roma Tomatoes – blanched, peeled and chopped  (you can add more if you wish)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tsp bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 green chile pepper
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • Shrimp (optional)
  • Chicken, diced and cooked (optional)
  1. Fry sausage in skillet until heated through (I like to blacken mine a bit).
  2. Dice vegetables.
  3. Heat butter in a stock pot and saute the green pepper, onion and jalapeno pepper for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent. Mix in corn, okra, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and chili pepper. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the sausage (if using shrimp and/or chicken add it here), return to a boil and simmer for another 25 minutes.
  5. Serve warm

**This recipe freezes very well and is easy to make large servings for.

**We serve ours over Jasmine rice or Minute rice.

Frying the sausage and blanching tomatoes

Frying the sausage and blanching tomatoes

How to Blanch Tomatoes: First boil tomatoes until skin starts falling off. Remove from boiling water and place in ice bath. Once tomatoes have cooled remove skin

How to Blanch Tomatoes: First boil tomatoes until skin starts falling off. Remove from boiling water and place in an ice bath. Once tomatoes have cooled remove skin

Finished product - My mouth is watering!

Finished product - My mouth is watering!

Happy Cooking! Disclaimer:  I never really measure spices when cooking so they could be off a bit.  Just use your taste buds and add more or less accordingly.

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Posted in Cooking |

10 Ideas

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

Today marks the tenth and final day of the Top Ten Lists.  Are you a little sad?  I honestly am.  I didn’t think i would enjoy doing these lists as much as I have.  With that being said, let’s move on to the list for today.  Today’s list is going to be Top Ten Ideas That Define Me As a Person.  Ready or not, here we go:

  1. Every child can succeed – This one should be an obvious one since I am an educator, but you would be surprised at the philosophy of some teachers.  This statement is what drives me everyday in the classroom.  Every child can succeed, it is my job to find a pathway for them to follow to reach this success.
  2. It takes a village – This is the philosophy behind Ben and I’s parenting style.  We don’t want to be the only ones to “raise” Mikayla, we want the input and help of those around us.  We don’t know everything so we are relying on seasoned parents to help us out, as well as friends and family to offer a different perspective to Mikayla.  I firmly believe that the more ideas and people we expose her to, the better the person she will become.
  3. Embrace you inner five year old – There, I said it, I am a five year old at heart.  I like to have fun, act silly and say what is on my mind.  If we are too serious in life then we won’t have much fun and be stressed out all the time.  However, if we embrace our inner five year old we will be much happier.  After all, have you ever really seen a stressed out, depressed, bored five year old?  I teach five year olds everyday and have never seen this.  Instead I have seen happy, carefree, loving, hopeful kids!
  4. Love your neighbor, even when you hate them – This is sometimes tough to do, really tough sometimes.  I try to love on everyone around me and put others before myself.  I am not perfect, but this is the way I strive to be.
  5. Don’t wish away today – I have really embraced this with the birth of my daughter.  She is growing so fast, but I don’t want to wish away any stage of her life.  I want to live in the present, not worry about the future or dwell on the past.  We are taking it one day at a time, and I think all better off because of it.
  6. Live simply – In the past two years Ben and I have really made a conscious effort to down size our belongings.  We don’t want “stuff” to get in the way of us doing the things that are most important.  When we move to Africa we won’t have access to as much “stuff” and so we are preparing ourselves early.  Plus, who needs a houseful of stuff that never gets used?  I can’t imagine having storage units full of stuff that never gets used.  If we don’t use it on a regular basis, do we really need it?  If we don’t need it, we are getting rid of it!  This goes beyond just “stuff” too.  I try not to make things too complicated or intense.  Now granted I am not always the best at this, but I try.  Try being the key word!
  7. Take time to smell the roses – This is an old saying that dates way back, but a saying with a powerful message.  Don’t go through life being so busy that you don’t take time out to relax and take a look at what is going on around you.  My life moves at a fast pace, but I try and make time to relax and spend time with those that I hold dear to my heart.
  8. Happiness isn’t found in stuff – Please see Number 6.  These are similar, but still a very important way to live my life.
  9. Dr. Seuss quote:  “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Be who you are, not someone else.  This took me awhile to figure out, but it is so true.  You can’t be anyone but you!  And if you try to be someone else you will be stressed and unhappy.
  10. Food fosters friendship – I love food, and have found that the best of friendships are formed and developed over a nice meal.  Often when we have company we end up in the kitchen around the food because, food fosters friendships!

That concludes my Ten Ideas That Define Me As a Person, and the end of my Ten Top Ten Lists.  I would love to hear yours, if you decide to share.

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10 Websites

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Today is day nine in our Top Ten Lists.  Today we venture into CyberWorld for our Top Ten Websites.  I am taking mine a little different route than Ben, I am going to do my Top Ten Blogs.  So here are they are in no particular order:

  1. Happy in the in Between – This is my dear friend Catherine’s blog.  We have been friends since elementary school.  She is one of the few people in my life where I can be completely real with.  We have been through so much together, and she knows me almost as well as Ben!  She is going to have a baby in December and I couldn’t be more thrilled!  Mikayla and her little one are going to be great friends I just know it!  Her husband is pretty great too.  He has a blog, but hardly ever updates it!  They are one of Ben and I’s favorite couples in the whole world.  Ben and Dave actually grew up together as well.
  2. My Charming Kids – This dear family has endured so much, but throughout it all keeps a positive attitude.  I started reading MckMamma’s blog about a year ago.  She is a mom to four adorable children, the youngest of which has SVT (a rare heart condition).  They have battled her son’s SVT since birth, but even throughout the heartaches she remains positive.  She is also a wonderful photographer, I love looking at the pictures.  Even though I don’t know this family personally, I feel like I do because I read the blog so often!
  3. The Diaper Diaries – In case you didn’t read this post on Ben’s blog, Mikayla is being cloth diapered.  At first people thought we were crazy, but after awhile people just wished us luck!  So far I haven’t had a problem with cloth, I honestly can’t imagine spending fifty bucks a month for disposable diapers.  Anyway, I digress.  This blog is a great resource for those using cloth diapers.  These are also some of my other favorite cloth diapering blogs:  this and this.
  4. Cake Wrecks – I think this blog is hilarious!  The author finds cakes that have huge errors, or are just ridiculously funny and post pictures and comments about them.  The author is very witty.  If you need a good laugh, check this one out.
  5. Joy the Baker – Another funny/witty blogger.  Joy loves to bake and take photos, and combines both in her blog.  Her passion for life really comes through in her presentation.  She has some amazing recipes, and whether or not they are tasty, they look delicious!
  6. Meal Planning Mommies – This is a group of three mommies and their adventures with meal planning.  Recently they have take a blogging sabbatical, but when they were more active they would plan out weekly meals.  They would post the frugal meals on their blog including grocery list, recipes and pictures.  Their recipes were always easy and crowd pleasers.  I hope once they all have their babies (they all had kids and were pregnant at the same time), they get back into the blogging routine.
  7. Jenny Bakes – Another random baking blog (cooking blogs is somewhat of an obsession of mine).  She is not afraid to experiment and admit her mistakes.  I love the honesty.
  8. Friends Blogs – I also stalk read  a lot of blogs written by friends.  Here are some of the more visited ones: Katie, Jenny, Jason, Michelle, Stephanie, Sarah, Cheyenne, and Bella/Jennfier.
  9. The Africa Mercy – This is Ben’s cousin Jana’s blog.  She is not afraid of adventure and will often take off for six month adventures.  Her most recent adventure is working on a Mercy Ship in Benin, Africa.  She is a physical therapy and has been using her expertise to help the people living there that can’t afford expensive medical assistance.
  10. Other favorite websites – Even though I mentioned at the beginning of this post that this would be my Top Ten Blogs, I decided to make Number Ten, some of my favorite websites.  They are as follows:  Craig’s list, Amazon, Autism Society of America, Facebook, The Weather Channel, All Recipes and Google.  I know I am kind of boring, but that is just who I am.

If you are a blog reader and have not discovered Google Reader, you should check it out.  It makes it easy to organize and keep up with all the blogs you read.  Check back soon for Day Ten of the Top Ten Lists.

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10 Activities

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Well, we are nearing the end of our Top Ten Lists.  Are you sad?  Today brings us to one of my favorite lists, my Top Ten Activities.

  1. Cooking – If you have read any of my old blog posts you will be able to tell that I love cooking.  I love any and all cooking, but especially baking.  I am somewhat of an experimenter when I cook.  I like to start with a basic recipe and adapt it to my taste buds.  However, I hate to taste food until it is completely done.  A good chef tastes throughout, but I don’t like to taste really until the end.  This presents problems sometimes.  If you are interested in past recipes read here and here.
  2. Painting (I am a novice) – I started this a few years ago.  I haven’t painted much in the last year, but I find it somewhat relaxing.  I also like to do other art projects like mosaics.  Here are a few of my favorite projects:
    This is one of my favorite pieces. The painting part is finished, but overall it isn't complete yet. I am hoping to do a multi-media piece on some old wood with pictures of Africa.

    This is one of my favorite pieces. The painting part is finished, but overall it isn't complete yet. I am hoping to do a mixed-media piece on some old wood with pictures of Africa.

    I made this for my nephew, Tanner's room

    Mosaic made from broken pieces of tile. I made this for my nephew, Tanner's room

    Painted flower - acrylic on canvas

    Painted flower - acrylic on canvas

    Lampshade I decoupaged with old photos from giraffe calendar...can you tell I love giraffes?

    Lampshade I decoupaged with old photos from giraffe calendar...can you tell I love giraffes?

  3. Being a mommy – This is a recent development (as of April 28), but I am loving it.  I start back to work full time on August 3 and am not looking forward to it.  However, Mikayla will be in good hands with my loving husband.  I love everything about being a mommy for Mikayla – playing with her, talking to her, changing her, bathing her…the list goes on.  I mean how could you not love being a mommy to this cutey?
    Hanging at the lake with her second cousins

    Hanging at the lake with her second cousins

    Pouty face - I love it!

    Pouty face - I love it!

  4. Playing disc golf – In this post I mentioned that the disc golf course was one of my favorite places to be.  So naturally, playing disc golf is one of my favorite activities.  I love taking Shiloh out and playing by ourselves, or playing with a large group of people.  I even like walking while everyone else plays!  It is a relaxing atmosphere.
  5. Playing with my nephews – In this post I mentioned that I have two nephews:  Tyson (2) and Tanner (almost one).  They are the sons of my older sister.  I think they are the cutest and sweetest boys in the world.  Judge for yourself:

    My sister and her two boys!

    My sister and her two boys!

  6. Goofing off with my husband – If you know Ben at all you know he is one goofy guy.  I love to wrestle with him, sit around and exchange jokes, play games, run into town, and many more.  He can make almost any situation a fun one.  Here are some funny pictures of him goofing off:
    This is my goofy husband in nothing but a child's size lifejacket. Quite humerous!

    This is my goofy husband in nothing but a child's size life jacket. Quite humorous!

    Trying to fit into my peacoat...he didn't quite make it.

    Trying to fit into my pea coat...he didn't quite make it.

    Goofy husband...enough said!

    Goofy husband...enough said!

  7. Going for a walk with Mikayla and Shiloh – I haven’t done this very often because lets be honest, I am lazy!  However, this is one activity that I thoroughly enjoy!
  8. Reading – Again, this is not one I have gotten to do very often, but I do enjoy it.
  9. Playing Settler’s of Catan – Cody and Amanda Chapman introduced us to this fantastic game.  In my opinion, it is a cross between Monopoly and Risk.  I loved it so much after we first played it that I downloaded an online version and would play myself.  I am ridiculous I know!  Just recently, the Pavey’s introduced me to Catan the card game.  It is the same concept, but only a two player game and much quicker than its counterpart.  There are many other variations of Catan games.
  10. Being married to Ben – This isn’t really an activity, but I really enjoy being with my husband.  I love him very much!

That’s it, all of my favorite activities in the world.  Well, not really all of them, but at least the Top Ten.  I think I will go and enjoy one of those activities right now!

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10 Random Facts

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Today’s Top Ten List is 10 Random Facts.  By the end of this post you will probably know more random facts about me than you bargained for.  Some of you may know some of these, but hopefully you will learn something new about me.  Ready or not, here we go!

  1. Evens OCD – Most people are semi-aware of this one.  Everything I do has to be in evens.  This was worse in college, but still exists today.  When I eat, I eat two of everything and if I am only eating one (like a piece of chicken) I take an even number of bites.  I don’t even realize I am doing this half the time.  If I touch something, I have to touch it twice (for the most part).  It is an obsession I know, but I manage it!  I mean in some way we all have our little OCDs
  2. Alarm clock – There are only certain numbers I can set my alarm clock to.  I can’t really explain the madness, it is just that way.  Obviously odd times are out (see Random Fact Number 1).  Then when it comes to even certain numbers are out as well.  Times ending in zeros and eights never get set (i.e 3:00 or 3:08).  That leaves 2, 4, and 6 (i.e. 4:06 or 4:14).  Six is by far the most common time to set my alarm clock, but two and four are acceptable as well!
  3. Cutting split ends – This was a favorite pasttime in college.  When I got bored in class I would search my hair for split ends and cut them or break them apart.  I ran a contest against myself to see how big of a split I could find!  I think my biggest split was 10 on the same hair.  Again, I know it is strange, but this list is Ten Random Facts.
  4. Picking things (scabs, scalp, sunburn, you name it) – Who doesn’t like to pick scaps and sunburns?  Oh wait, is that just me?  As a child my sister and I would take turns putting sand in each others hair so we could pick it out.  It was a challenge to find all the grains of sand.  Even today I love to pick at things.  Just ask Ben!  I have to restrain myself from picking at the scratches Mikayla has made from her fingernails!
  5. Nostril sizes – This is probably Ben’s favorite flaw to pick out on me.  My nostrils are two different sizes.  One is short and fat and the other long and skinny.  If he hasn’t already shown you, next time you are with us, just ask him about it.  I think it comes from all the years of him picking my nose (ask anyone we hung out with in highschool and they can explain), but I am not sure!
  6. Birthmark – This one is a little personal, but hey we are all friends!  My birthmark is located on my bottom.  I think Mikayla has one on her eye (we can’t tell if it is going to stick around or not), she is much luckier than me!
  7. Name sake – I was named after my Great Aunt Ann Elizabeth.  My parents named me Elizabeth Ann.  My daughter is named after Martin Luther King, Jr.  Both are pretty cool if you ask me.
  8. Nephews – I have two nephews that I adore!  I don’t get to see them very often, but when I do it is priceless.  Tyson, or T-bone as some call him, is two and full of energy.  He makes me laugh.  He is talking up a storm these days too.Tanner, on the hand, is almost one and lazy!  He isn’t really lazy, he just seems it compared to his big brother.  Tanner just learned to crawl.  I can’t wait to see it!  My sister has her hands full!
  9. Great Grandparents – When I was born I had six great grandparents that were living.  I only really knew four of them, but thought this was a fun fact.  Sadly, I have since lost all of these great grandparents.  I spent many days with my Great Granny Carew.  Lillian was her first name and we used it for our daughters middle name.  Granny Carew would make us grilled cheese sandwiches when we came to visit.  She would also make yellow cake with homemade chocolate syrup for us to enjoy.  These are still two favorites of mine today.  People think I am funny when I make a yellow cake and put chocolate syrup on it instead of icing, but this is the way that Granny Carew used to make it!  My Great Granny Clark (fondly known as Leila Belle) was a collector.  Two of her most famous collections were corn husk dolls and a stuffed doll (I am not sure of the exact name of these).  Both of these collections were passed down to grandkids and great grandkids when she passed away.  Mikayla has 7 great grandparents alive today!
  10. Fingernail wart – This last fact is really random, but I am running out of ideas!  I have a massive wart under my ring finger on my right hand.  I have tried to put wart remover on it to get rid of it, but it always seems to come back.  I have had warts in some capacity forever it seems like, I actually think I passed this on to my loving husband unfortunately.  In high school I had a planters wart that was so bad I had to have it dug out by a dermatologist.  I couldn’t condition for basketball (bummer 😉 ) and had to walk around with socks on one foot and bandages on the other.  It was attractive!

Well, that ends my ten random facts.  How many did you already know?  Is there anyone besides my husband who knew them all?  What about you, what are some random facts about yourself?

Here is a random family photo to go along with my Ten Random Facts

Here is a random family photo to go along with my Ten Random Facts

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Look at her grow!

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

My little baby is growing up so fast.  On July 28 she will be 3 months old!  Can you believe it?  Here are some recent updates on the little doodle bug:

  • She is consistently, although not every night, sleeping through the night.  She will eat between 9 and 10 and then sleep until 6:30 or 7.  The other night she went to bed at 9:30, woke up at 7 to eat and then fell back asleep until 9:30…fantastic!
  • She rolled over 3/4 of the way the other day.  Her little arm got stuck, but it was fun to watch.  I think she has a way to go before rolling over all the time, but this was a fun thing to experience.
  • We think she is beginning the teething process.  She has been drooling like crazy and nawing on everything in site.  Fun times ahead for us.
  • She is starting to outgrow some of her 0-3 and 3 month clothing.  Crazy how fast she is growing.
  • Check out her growth:
    Mikayla - One week old

    Mikayla - One week old

    Mikayla - A little over One month old (sometime in June)

    Mikayla - A little over One month old (sometime in June)

    Mikayla - Two and a half months old (mid-July)

    Mikayla - Two and a half months old (mid-July)

    Has she grown at all?  Tomorrow will be Ben‘s first solo day with Mikayla…wish him luck!

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10 Books

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Disclaimer:  Nice Sunday at KY lake with Ben’s family (pictures to come) + last day at KAP was insanely crazy (every student was out of sorts, it was basically crowd control) + entertained KY Kickert’s and Steve tonight = One tired Sugar Mamma.  Post is going to be short and to the point.  The equation above should explain why I am two days behind on this one!  That being said, enjoy today:  Top Ten Books.

In the past year or two I haven’t had the chance to do much “free reading”.  I was working on my second masters, pregnant, and working full time, so free reading was non-existent.  However, I do teach kindergarten and so I read a lot of children’s books.  I thought I would make this list my Top Ten Children’s books.  They are as follows:

  1. The Secret Garden – I read this book over and over as a kid.  I am not sure why I like it so much, but it is definitely a favorite of mine!
  2. Any Dr.  Seuss book – Ben says this is cheap, but I love them all, just ask my kids at school.  We actually spend two weeks during the year doing nothing but Dr. Seuss activities!
  3. Little Women – I just re-read this a couple of years ago, what a great story.  I read it as a kid, but I think I missed out on a lot of the story.
  4. The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein is a great author and this is one of his best books!
  5. Runaway Bunny – A classic children’s story of a young bunny who tries to run away from his mother, but his mother follows him every step.    He discovers that he can’t run from his mother because she loves him so much.
  6. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – This is one of my favorite read alouds, the kids really get into this one.
  7. Charlotte’s Web – This is another one of my favorite chapter books from my childhood.  Wilbur is hilarious, and Charlotte is very sweet.  I cry at the end everytime.
  8. Bread and Jam for Frances – I am not sure why I like this one so much, but I really enjoy it.
  9. The Polar Express – Another one of my favorites to read aloud.  We also make a train and enjoy hot chocolate while listening to the story.
  10. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day – Why?  Because sometimes we just have a bad day!

I have several other favorites, and maybe when I am not so tired I will share those, but this is my list for now.  This tired Sugar Mamma is going to bed!  Night all!

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10 Places

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

These are my Top Ten Favorite Places to be:

  1. My bed snuggled with Ben, Shiloh and Mikayla – This one should explain itself.  Two of my favorite people, my dog and my comfy cozy bed.  Does it get any better than this?
  2. Waterfalls – I love them all, big or small.  I could sit and watch a waterfall for hours.  I think they are some of the prettiest things God created.
    Frank Lloyd Wright House built on a waterfall

    Frank Lloyd Wright House built on a waterfall

    Ohiopyle Waterfall

    Ohiopyle Waterfall

  3. Guatemala – Spent a summer here with Amy and fell in love with it, the people and the culture.  The food is awesome, the people are so loving and accepting and the countryside is gorgeous.  My brother just led a group down there for 10 days.  I couldn’t go because of commitments here (mainly Mikayla), but I relived my summer there when I saw pictures.
  4. Coffee shops – While in Guatemala I developed a love for coffee and cute coffee shops.   In college coffee shops were a popular hangout spot with friends and mentors.  Today I enjoy heading to a coffee shop with a good book or some good friends and enjoying a nice, steamy cup of joe!  In Bowling Green, my favorite coffee shop is Spencer’s on the square.
  5. Outdoors – I love being outside on a sunny, slightly breezy day.  You can do so much outdoors (and a lot of my favorite places are outdoors).  In the summer time we love to start a fire and sit around the pit watching movies on the side of the house.  In college we would spend an entire day rock climbing.  Walking through the woods on  a crisp fall afternoon with the leaves crunching underfoot is another favorite.  There is so much to do outside, why would anyone want to be glued to a tv screen?
  6. Anywhere with family and friends – I love spending time with family, even if it is just a quick trip to Target!  My love language is quality time and just being together is enough for me.
  7. On a disc golf course – Steve and Luella introduced me to this fabulous game about three summers ago.  I have been playing it ever since.  BG has some of the best courses in the state.  We actually have 8 courses.  If you unfamiliar with disc golf check out this informational video.  I have some fond memories of times on the disc golf course – like the time I played disc golf in the rain in Florida with Cat, Dave, Ben and Potter…good times!.  Check out these photos:
    Disc golf in Ohiopyle with some great friends

    Disc golf in Ohiopyle with some great friends

    Disc golf woth some of my favorite kiddos! The love it asmuch as me!

    Disc golf woth some of my favorite kiddos! The love it as much as me!

    Disc golf in Hartford with the Pavey's

    Disc golf in Hartford with the Pavey's

  8. In the garden (vegetable garden that is) or a pick your own orchard – As mentioned earlier I love being outside.  What better way to spend the day than harvesting fruits and veggies?  This is mine and Ben‘s third year gardening.  This year we have our garden at our house.  Check out this post. I also enjoy a good pick your own orchard.  As a kid we would go with my grandma to Haney’s and pick apples.  Last summer I went with Dana to The Orchard to pick blackberries (which were made inti blackberry jam) and snagged some blueberries across the street.
  9. The Farm – My grandparents farm holds some great memories for me.  We always argued over which route to take (1, 2, 3, or 4), even to this day I will say let’s go Number 3!  Then we would take turns driving up the driveway (this was before we had licenses of course).  Even as a little child, dad would put us behind the wheel and let us “drive”.  Fishing, family dinners, gardens, blackberries, horses, golden retrievers, cinnamon rolls (but only at Christmas)…so many memories!
  10. KAP (Kelly Autism Program) – I just discovered my love for  KAP this summer (read here).  I hate leaving Ben and Mikayla everyday, but I have really enjoyed my time there.  Contrary to popular belief I get energized (most days) when working with these kiddos!
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10 Things (to do before I die)

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Well we have reached day four of our Top Ten journey.  Today’s topic is Ten things to do before I die, my bucket list of sorts.

  1. Deep sea fishing – As a kid we would go fishing regularly on my grandparents farm.  They had two ponds stocked with catfish and bluegill.  We would catch them and then my grandma would fry them up.  Deep sea fishing wouldn’t be quite the same, but I think it would be fun.
  2. Travel to all fifty states – I have made a pretty good dent in this one, but still have a few to go.  I have traveled to 32 of 50.
  3. Go exploring in old castles – This has been a dream of mine since I was little.   I am not sure why, but I have always been fascinated by old castles.  Especially those castles in Germany
  4. Visit historical Holocaust sites – Speaking of Germany…If you know me at all you will know that I have always enjoyed learning about the Holocaust.  I can’t really explain why, I just have been.  I have read books, watched movies and lived vicariously through Anne Frank and others.  To see the historical sites in person would really make an impact I think.
  5. Travel the world – I love to travel, except for the whole driving or getting there part.  I love seeing new things and experiencing a new culture.  If only I could see every corner of the world, wouldn’t that be fantastic?
  6. Live abroad (perhaps in Africa) – Ben and I are actually in the process of working towards moving to Africa in the next few years.  If you are more interested in this check out his post here, here and here.
  7. Adopt a child – When Ben and I first started talking about kids, we made the decision to adopt.  To me this seems like a no brainer.  There is an estimate of 100 million orphans worldwide.  I just can’t imagine not adopting one of these children.  I have a passion for helping others and to me this is the greatest gift I can offer to a child.
  8. Open a bakery or some sort of small shop where I can cook all day everyday – I love to cook, enough said.  Even when I am extremely tired from school or stressed out over something, I come home and cook.  For some reason cooking relaxes me.  For others it might be a nice pedicure or a nice soak in a bubble bath (although I do love a good bubble bath), but for me it is cooking (especially baking).  It would be a dream job to get to cook all day everyday.
  9. Figure out a cure for autism – This one is a long shot considering no one really knows the cause of autism.  In case you didn’t know I just recently finished my second masters in Exceptional Education with an emphasis in autism.  I have also spent the summer working at the Kelly Autism Program (read this for more information about my experiences there).  Autism is another one of those things that fascinates me.  It also troubles me.  Often individuals with autism are extremely bright, but they struggle with communicating their thoughts and ideas.  If only there were a cure, then their brilliance could be shared with everyone.
  10. Go scuba diving – Imagine seeing the beauty of God’s creation up close and personal…that would be awesome!  Plus, fish are cute!

Of course I wouldn’t want to do any of these alone.  I would want my wonderful husband alongside of me every step of the way and perhaps even the Little Misses.  Even if that means we have to wait fifty years to cross off some of these.  What would you add to your Bucket List?

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