A Day in the Life....

A Update and a Rant

2011-02-02T19:00:00.003-06:00

I have not blogged in a while, and for that I apologize. Lot's has changed in the life of the Pollocks and those who are reading this already know I have a new job that I love, I am still loving being an aunt, and welcomed another nephew in November. The new job is wonderful- I miss the friends I made in Iowa, but being in one building full time, driving 15 minutes to work and working close to my husband are perks!

There is something I would like to get off of my chest. Most of you probably know this, and for those who do not please know this is just a way for me to vent... not to receive pity or make anyone feel bad. Consider that your warning, and know that I really mean it.

In June, Mike and I had a miscarriage. It was hard, sad, frustrating, exhausting, draining, etc., etc., etc. We didn't tell many people we were pregnant, as we were early on. Tears were shed, and we moved forward in the process to try again. Month after month we saw nothing but negatives. That will really wear on you. I keep trying to be positive, hope that it will happen tomorrow, etc., but there is still a lot of guilt. Each month I took an ovulation test daily (yes, daily), and even took pregnancy tests monthly with the hopes that maybe I misread the "smiley" or line, and by some chance I was in fact pregnant. But alas, every day and every month we were greeted by negatives. My mantra has become "Next month will be our month".

The internet is a wonderful thing, but has contributed to the constant thoughts of "what was that weird pain/feeling?" "Am I ovulating/implanting, etc?" Insert any other pregnancy symtom into any of these thoughts, and I guarantee that I have had the thought. Many times. Many, many times. I feel guilty for obsessing with the thoughts, but I can't get them to go away. too much knowledge, I guess. Or maybe its just such a strong desire to be a mom. Logically, its both.

In the meantime, all of our friends have announced pregnancy. And please understand that this is not saying we are not happy for you all- we truly are. But I can't help feel a sting of jealousy when I hear. My heart hurts because I want it so badly. I see the joy, excitement, worry and pride in my friends' face and want to feel it badly. We are at the age where all of our friends are having babies, and beginning the next stage of life, so pregnancy announcements are to be expected, right? I certainly expected them, but selfishly thought I would be one of the first to share the exciting news.

That was our plan- to be pregnant by May-July so I could take maternity leave the last months of school AND have all summer to adjust to being a family, raising our child, etc. Nothing was/is going according to our plan. A good life lesson, but really? That is the only way the powers that be could teach me that?! Really??

After many doctors visits and calls that all ended with " keep trying and after a year we will look into why you are not getting pregnant". Out of stubbornness, I called a doctor for a second opinion, and i am so glad I did. I was immediately diagnosed with PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome), and was put on Clomid (a fertility drug). Elated to finally know that there is a real medical reason why I a) cannot lose weight no matter how hard I try (including training/running a half marathon) and b) was not ovulating regularly, so my chances of getting pregnant are significantly limited. Mike and I are happily exploring this option because we want nothing more than to be parents.

You would think this would be the end of my tale, but it is not. My real beef? Those who feel that they have a right to have an opinion about my life choices. For example, at the dentist recently, the dental assistant (after learning I was on Clomid) launched into a speech about using fertility drugs to get pregnant, and the morality of them. Excuse me?! This is not the first, or probably the last experience we will have with this. We will continue to get the question asking when we are going to have kids. We will give our standard joking response that we are "practicing" and paint our smiles on our faces. But truth? These questions are hard. There is a lot of emotional baggage we are carrying that we are pro's at not letting show....

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2010-03-28T19:56:00.002-05:00

And Recipe #3.

This recipe came out of a craving from a friend who is expecting and combines some of my favorite things... bananas, chocolate and peanut butter! I used mashed banana's in the cake batter and they made the cupcakes incredibly moist and fluffy!

Ingredients
3 overly ripe banana's (ones ready for banana bread)
1 classic white cake mix
1c peanut butter
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
2c powdered sugar
1tbs vanilla
5 tbs heaving whipping cream
3/4-1 c mini chocolate chips
2c chopped walnuts if desired

Make cake mix according to box except substitute masshed banana's for water. In addition to banana's add 1/4 cup water to batter. Add mini chocolate chips. Spoon into cupcake liners and bake according to box. Let cupcakes cool.

Frosting.

Cream butter. Add 1c peanut butter and 1tbs of vanilla. Cream together. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until all in. Add in heavy whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time until mixture is creamy. Whip on a medium speed for 5-6 minutes or until peaks form.

Frost cupcakes. Top with chopped walnuts if desired. Enjoy :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2010-03-28T19:38:00.002-05:00

Recipe #2.

These would be so much more enticing with pictures. They however, didn't last long enough for a photo shoot. Maybe next time :)

Ingredients.
1 chocolate cake mix
Reeses miniatures*

* I recommend keeping Reeses miniatures in your home at all times. They are best in the freezer. If you don't already keep them in your home, don't send your husband out to pick them up. He may stop at Sam's club and get an industrial size box of King Sized Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Kit Kats. Or maybe that's just my husband :)

Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
1c peanut butter
2c powdered sugar
5tbs heavy whipping cream
1tbs vanilla

To Make

Mix cake batter according to box and pour into cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full. Unwrap a miniature for each cupcake and place in the batter. Push down a bit so that they are almost under the batter, but not so much that it is touching the liner.

Bake according to box directions. Let cool.

Frosting.

Cream butter. Mix in Peanut Butter and vanilla. Add powdered sugar in a little at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, add whipped topping a tablespoon at a time until the mixture becomes creamy again. Once it looks creamy, whip on a medium speed for approximately 5 minutes or so.

Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle chocolate sprinkles or miniature chocolate chips on top for a little crunch. Serve with an ice cold glass of chocolate milk!

Lemon Raspberry Filled Cupcakes

2010-03-28T19:09:00.004-05:00

I have been doing some experimenting lately with cupcakes, inspired by my friends who love to eat cupcakes :)

During one of my many baking sessions with friends, I joked about writing a book with all the cupcake ideas I have tried (and succeeded) with. Obviously, no book deal, and have no expertise in writing one so I figured I would take to my blog. Someone out there wants to read my recipes, right?!?

I have to admit though, I cheat. That's right, I cheat. I have made many wonderful cakes/cupcakes from scratch, but I don't often have time to throw together a cake from scratch. The $0.98 cake mix is definitely worth every penny.

My first cupcake recipe to share are Lemon Cupcakes with a Raspberry filling and a whipped frosting. Very yummy, and easy to make!

Ingredients
1 classic white cake mix
Real Lemon Juice
1 8oz jar raspberry jam (seedless)
1 box sugarfree raspberry jello

Topping
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1c sugar

To make Cake:

Make cake according to box. I substituted Real Lemon Juice for the water in the cake.
Let cupcakes cool to room temperature.

To Make Filling

Microwave jelly for 30 seconds in jar (but remove lid!)
Put jelly in bowl, and mix in the sugar free jello (can use regular jello if you want a sweeter filling).
Let cool to touch, and put inside piping bag. Poke tip into each cupcake and fill well. Be careful not to poke all the way through the cupcake. You can also use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cupcake, and pour filling into hole.

For Frosting

Pour pint of heavy whipping cream into mixing bowl. Add 1c sugar. Whip on medium for 6-8 minutes until heavy peaks form. Put in refrigerator until ready to frost cupcakes.

Keep cupcakes cool as there is dairy in the whipped topping!

Happy eating ;)

Life is short...

2010-02-04T11:20:00.002-06:00

As you may or may not know, I commute an hour and 15 minutes one way to work each day. I love my job, my schools and really dont mind the drive.

One part of my commute is under construction, and it is terrifying to drive through. The lanes are narrow, its very poorly lit, and if there is any adverse weather conditions, you just pray you make it through safely. People ignore the posted speed limit, tail gate through the construction, and the oncoming headlights can be blinding.

Yesterday I drove through this same construction site, minutes before this man did. I swerved for the same cone, and almost lost control myself. What a scary thought- that could have easily been me. This cone, while lightweight in retrospect, was dead center of the lane and instinctually I swerved as many did before me.

My heart goes out to this man and his family.

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/83446752.html?storySection=comments

I want....

2009-12-30T10:29:00.001-06:00

This rug. How awesome is it???!!!

28 Goals....

2009-12-30T10:12:00.012-06:00

To follow suit (and more importantly, to hold myself accountable). In no particular order....

1. Read for fun more often. In the last year I have bought so many books, that are just waiting for me to read!

2. Maintain my work website, and make sure people are using it! It really has the potential of being helpful to teachers and parents, if only they would utilize it.

3. Improve my half marathon time. I am not quite sure what I want that time to be, but I know I can improve it.

4. Master some dinner "staples". I dont want my future kids to think drive thru cooks are better than mom :)

5. Keep up with Tae Kwondo. This has been a fun endeavor, and I am really enjoying all the things I am learning.

6. Exercise more. I love the classes at the Y, but I am not great about utilizing them.

7. Drop the weight I put on while in grad school. I have no excuses anymore!!

8. Hike a mountain, or two.

9. Take a cooking class.

10 Take a cake decorating class.

11. Cut soda out of my life! I started drinking it in my schools for no reason other than it was a quick "break" from my work, and now its stuck.

12. Drink more water.

13. Remember to use my reusable bags when I grocery shop.

14. Organize all my photo albums.

15. Take a multi vitamin daily. I always forget to take it!

(holy moly this is hard.... thats what she said, er. maybe that should be goal... act mature!)

16. No snacking after 9pm. Yes Jen, that includes your obsession which chips and salsa after 9pm.

17. Start a flash mob. (okay, a girl can dream, cant she?!)

18. Organize all my recipes.

19. Be better about taking "me" time.

20. Floss more often. My dentist would be so proud.

21.Follow the food pyramid.

22. Take more pictures. I have been seriously lacking in this department.

23. Take time to edit the photo's I take.

24. Spend more time in my day focusing on what went right, instead of all the things that go wrong.

25. Plan ahead for Christmas gifts this year, instead of waiting until December to start my planning.

26. Get rid of the cookbooks I never use, and invest in ones I will.

27. Be better about staying in touch with old friends. As convenient as technology is, I often find myself only using it to communicate with my "new" friends, when I should be using it to keep in touch with my older friends too!

28. Meet all 27 of these goals within the year! ( Is this cheating?!?!)

Holy cow, I am turning 28 this year?? Can you hear me knocking 30??

More Baking...

2009-12-30T09:34:00.007-06:00

Holy macaroni, its already the end of December? Seriously, where did this month, well, this YEAR go???

December is always such a fun month. There's decorating for the holidays.....

(okay so its not a picture of our tree, but its still a cute one, right?!)

...seeing our good friends put on one heck of a fun show called Yesterday and Today. If you like the Beatles, even one iota, this show is for you! Click here to see some awesome photo's done by a good friend of mine.

Other highlights from December? The Canadian invasion, for sure. A good friend of mine is from Canada eh, and her parents, sister, grandparents and two best friends came to Omaha. What a blast!!! I was especially excited because Sarah and Julia love to bake, which means we all got together and had a night of baking. Again, I forgot my camera, so photo's can be found here. We traded recipes- Sarah and Julia taught Christine and I to make butter tarts (so yummy!!) and Christine taught them how to make crackballs (oreo balls, oreo truffles, heaven, whatever you prefer to call them) and I made carrot cake cupcakes from scratch. (not my best by the way, but I am my own worst critic!) I left before the decorating fun happened due to an ice storm :(

Another highlight would definately have to be blizzard NUMBER TWO. Yes, two ridiculous blizzards a week and a half apart from each other. The first blizzard was fine because I was sick with the flu, so I would have been holed up in my house anyway. The second blizzard singlehandedly ruined Christmas for most of the midwest. Mike and I stayed back in Waterloo a couple extra days, and thankfully were able to have Christmas with my family a couple days late. Here are a few "fun" pictures of the blizzard....

Our house from the neighbors driveway....

Looking out our front door....

drifts on our deck...

and a picture sent to me by a friend in Western Nebraska. The snow drift in this picture is taller than a semi! Crazy!!!

This has definitely been a december to remember :)

Uh oh!

2009-12-10T09:08:00.005-06:00

As previously posted, I have started baking pies... and LOVE it. Each time I make one I get a little better the dough is just right, the edges look prettier, etc. Because of this, my mother in alw asked me to make two apple pies for Thanksgiving- I was so excited! Now Grandma could see that pie backing was not obsolete.

Of course schedules always get a little hectic around Thanksgiving. To accommodate this, I planned on making the pies on separate days so I didnt have to find a whole day to make pies. The first pie turned out well. The second pie was amazing. Seriously. The crust was the best I had ever made, it laid in the pan well, and the edges looked amazing. I laid the top crust over and holy moly it was beautiful!!

I put the pie in the oven and hit my thumb on the 450 degree rack and immediately pulled my hand away, with the pie in hand. In this moment I did something I will never live down... I let go of the pie. Thats right, i dumped it upside down in my 450 degree oven.

This is what i could get out of the oven before it burned to the bottom. There was only one homeade pie at Thanksgiving this year.

Oh my...

2009-11-30T10:55:00.004-06:00

Seeing as how I have not posted in oh, the last two months, I figured a brief update is needed.

I work, a lot. I commute an hour and 15 minutes one way, which means two and a half hours of driving a day. That's a lot. Fortunately, I love the job. It's so rewarding to finally be doing what I love, and facing different challenges everyday. Every day I have another moment where I stop and reflect saying" oh yea, this is why i wanted to be a school psychologist". I hope that never goes away.

I have been doing a ridiculous amount of baking. I learned how to make pies from scratch, and I am a machine. Maybe by next year's holiday season, I can bake pies for holiday gifts. Seriously, that would be so much fun for me. I saw these posted on another blog, and want them. Badly.

I stopped running, and am starting off again, slowly. You see, during my half marathon, the knee problems I had been having the last month of trainings were not the IT band as originally thought (and treated!). Actually, I somehow got a stress fracture right below my knee, about where IT band pain typically occurs in runners. After the marathon I could hardly walk. Not in a " I just ran 13 miles" sort of way but in a "holy crap, this isn't normal" sort of way. Long story short, I ran 13.1 miles on a stress fracture, and obviously, made it worse. I have taken almost 8 weeks off, and am going to jump back into training again this week. I never realized how much i would miss running. Now to get some great winter running gear and rebuild what I lost!

I chopped of my hair... and it looks good. I have never been one to make bold statements with my hair/clothes, etc. but this time I REALLY wanted something different, so much in fact that I told my trusted stylist that she could do whatever she wanted to my hair, and I didnt want to see it until it was done. Consider it my "I am almost 30" panic, but it looks good. Seriously.

I have so many other great things to blog about such as my ridiculously good Christmas card photo session and my husband and my new pastime...tae kwondo. We were recently promoted to yellow belt. More on that to come.

I promise to write more soon. Wait, who am I kidding, the only people who read this are my friends anyway :) Hi, Christine and Jess ;o)

Marathon

2009-10-11T16:23:00.010-05:00

For the first time ever, I have followed through with a new years resolution! Along with two great friends, I completed the Omaha Half Marathon. If you asked me this time last year if I would ever run a half marathon, I would have laughed in your face. Loudly. Uncontrollably.

This was probably the hardest thing I have ever done; yet I am happy to report I would be more than happy to do it again. Maybe once a year for the next few years. It really was that fun. I dont need to set a time to finish, or go crazy about training; I have just learned to love running, crazy, right?!

Enjoy the pictures my darling hubby took while cheering us on! If I look like I am in pain; I am. I ran on a stress fracture (I didnt know at the time! All I knew is that my leg hurt and I was going to finish the God Forsaken race whether I had to crawl across the finish line!)

Tae Kwondo

2009-10-11T16:23:00.006-05:00

I am pleased to announce that Mike and I earned our yellow belt last week! Look out world!

Believe it or not, Mike is excited about the yellow belt. He was not, however, excited to take a picture :)

Pies

2009-10-11T16:22:00.013-05:00

Grandma Duffy made a comment last Thanksgiving that struck me, and stuck with me this past year.

As I helped cut the Thanksgiving pies, Grandma blurted out, "The art of making pies is dying". Boy, is she right. I didnt know the first thing of making a pie... Pilsbury and Mrs. Smith has always saved the day for me. After hearing that, I vowed to learn how to make a pie before Thanksgiving this year.
A few weeks ago, I got together with some of Mike's co workers and their children to go to an apple orchard, pick apples and bake apple pies together. What a fun afternoon! Jill had a delicious apple pie recipe that has been handed down in her family that she so graciously shared with the rest of us. The pies turned out delicious, and were devoured by the rest of the families who joined us for tacos and football.
After making these pies, I have been inspired to perfect my pie making skills, and to find fun ways to share pies with others... mini apple pies! They are perfect for a late night snack... warm and gooey with vanilla ice cream melting on top.

The goods...

mixing the egg, vinegar and water for the dough...

and the dough mixture....

last but not least the crisco...

add the egge mixture and what do you get....

divide it in half and roll it all out....

next task... find a circle cut out for the mini pie pans... thank goodness for an aboundance of tupperware!

into the pie pan it goes...

peel and cut the apples. Sugar, cinnamon, and butter in the pans...

put the tops on, cut slits and into the oven we go!

bake, and VOILA!!!

Yumm-o!

Cupcakes

2009-10-11T16:22:00.006-05:00

Recently, I made cupcakes for my sister's boyfriends sister's bridal shower. (Did you catch all that?!) The bridal shower was a Hawaiian themed shower, hosted by my sister.

And drum roll please..............

ooohhhhhh............

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............

**gasp!**

And the crowd went wild!!

They were a hit! I love that I finally have more time to bake in the evenings! There are going to be many more cupcakes to come ;)

My new favorite snack...

2009-09-16T19:50:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of catching up to do with my blog- I have about 20 entries started, but for one reason or another, they still are not complete. Someday I will have enough time...

Until then, I would LOVE to share with you my new favorite snack.

drum roll please.............................................................................................

Terra Chips.

Oh, and these too. Seriously, I am hooked. They have such a good flavor, and what every good chip needs; a good crunch. I would also like to believe they are supplementing my vegetable intake.

I highly recommend checking out your grocery store for these!

Swim, Bike, Run

2009-09-03T20:52:00.005-05:00

I am not a swimmer. Sure, I enjoy the water, but typically from a distance. Maybe on a good day I will dangle my foot in the pool, and on an even better day I will get in a baby pool. You know the ones... a foot deep, three feet wide, inflated. Typically a margarita is not too far out of arms reach.

Biking and running are more manageable tasks. I mean, who doesn't like walking like a horse after a long bike ride. Or a 5 minute bike ride, for that matter.

And what do you get when you put these activities together? Crazy. That's right, crazy. Whoever would want to do these activities simultaneously, while being timed, and competing for a place is nutso. Trust me, I married him.

But, if you take out the timing and the competition, it actually could be pretty fun event. Trust me I know, because I did it!

That's right, I did a triathlon. And it was way fun! It was even more fun to do it with a friend, Christine. I have no idea how long it took, but I do know I swam 100 yards (with the use of a life jacket of course- I don't live on the wild side, yet!), a 2 mile bike, and a 1.5 mile run. It was such a rewarding feeling to finish!

Here's a few pictures from our adventure! We are so bad ass!

Pre-race: "Whose idea was this anyway?"

Organizing our gear

Gearing up for the swim: - notice our sweet life saving gear!

and the run:

And we finished!

Hell ya!

Ahem, I have a very important announcement...

2009-08-30T18:55:00.002-05:00

I can finally call myself a working woman- I received my first paycheck last week!!!

My career is 8 years in the making, and what a relief it is to finally be making a salary! Good thing I am going shopping in KC this weekend with friends- the money is burning a hole in my pocket.

Oh yea, and now I can pay off student loans. How responsible of me!

I.love.my.husband

2009-07-29T14:51:00.004-05:00

Reason 1249320584 957240947320 4932740932 why I love my husband:

He is a dork. Seriously. It's a confirmed fact.

Reason 1392380320u25940237592843920483204832 why I love my husband:

Who else could dress up as Harry Potter on a Friday night, go out to dinner dressed up and not care what anyone things. Oh, and walk around the mall dressed up too.

Did I mention that this was NOT opening night, but several days later.....

Did I mention I dressed up too?

The things you do for love ;o)

Weekend Warriors

2009-07-29T14:26:00.007-05:00

As mentioned previously, the tail end of vacation #1 was spent painting my brother in law's new house. While the nightmares of painting with my husband the first time came flooding back, I begrudgingly picked up a paintbrush and hopped to it.

To my surprise, it was fun. No catastrophes. This is quite the opposite of the first time Mike and i painted together... I will spare the details but suffice it to say it was no adventure!

Painting my brother in law's house inspired Mike and I to give painting together another go and we decided to redecorate our guest bedroom. When we moved in we decided to leave it alone, and put up a hodge podge of pictures of us with family and friends around the room. No picture frame matched, and there was no order to the pictures display. I got a twitch every time I walked by the room.

Mike and I transformed to weekend warriors. We decided to theme the room around our travel's together and display some of our favorite pictures taken on our travels. Here's the result...

First we painted the chocolate brown and let it dry. Then we taped off the our design (which I may add, was my idea!)

Then we painted.....

and waited....

peeled back the tape and added some frames... (I may also add that I went along the outside of the blue with brown with the worlds smallest detail brush to make it perfectly straight!)

Then we added a canvas antique map to plot out our travels....

and this is our wall in progress... as we travel we will add more pictures. As you can see, the pictures are hard to see, so I will add them here for your viewing enjoyment ;)

Summer of Vacations part 1....

2009-07-07T12:41:00.014-05:00

This summer was very busy for Mike and I as we spent three and a half weeks traveling. The vacations were broken into three parts. The first week of our vacation Mike attended a conference in Wisconsin and I hung out with his parents in Waterloo, IA. That week Cindy and I shopped everyday and went to lunch with Grandma. While in Waterloo, Grandma taught me Hardanger cross stitch. This stitch is Norwegian, and really beautiful. Grandma has always wanted to teach someone in the family how to do this stitch to keep it going, and finally there was an extended period of time where she could teach me. It is tricky, but I am excited to know how to do it.

Here's the project I have started

From Waterloo, I met Mike in Madison, Wisconsin. This was the first time I had driven across the Mississippi river. (A little nerve wracking by the way, if you are not fond of bridges!) The drive was beautiful though! I set the ipod to shuffle and rocked out to songs I hadn't listened to in a while and before I knew it, I was at the Madison airport!

View from the car on my drive into Wisconsin...

We left from Madison to visit friends in Chicago (Downer's Grove to be exact) for a couple days. It was WONDERFUL to see our friends and spending our evenings in the hot tub enjoying an adult beverage to two :)

This game of DDR got a little heated! Don't get two musicians together to a game that involves tempo, rhythm, etc. Amy and I stood quietly in the background and laughed and Erica and Mike!

Here, Amy and Mike are "looking" at a crank organ, or something of the like at the Downer's Grove street festival. It was at least 1 million degrees that day, so we didn't last long at the festival. You'd be surprised how refreshing the hot tub was that afternoon!

We left Chicago to go back to Madison to see friends there. They have two ADORABLE boys that stole our hearts quickly! Our first day there we went to Devil's Lake and hiked around with everyone and the boys. The youngest, Simon and I used our super powers (his power was numbervision... counting all the caterpillars we saw on our hike). My super power was caterpillarvision... I spotted the caterpillars! It was too cute! Not to mention that the hike was gorgeous! It was a hike around a glacial lake... the weather was gorgeous too!

This is Devil's Tower, a rock formation at the top of the trail we hiked that day.

This was taken from the beach around the glacial lake. The water was the clearest water I have ever seen! It was also very refreshing to wade into after our long hike. While on the beach we watched a wedding party (including the bride and groom!) run into the water and dive in for a swim in their wedding attire!! Crazy!

Of course, no hike is complete without an epic battle scene. Nathaniel and Simon (aka Cactus Man) were partaking in battle of good versus evil. Weapon's ran low, so the results of the battle have yet to be determined :)

The next day we went downtown Madison, walked around and did some touristy stuff. The kids went home for a nap, and Mike and I took another hike around one of the many lakes in Madison. We also went to this delicious Mexican restaurant and gorged ourselves!

Downtown Madison.

Mike, Randy, Simon and Nathaniel hanging out in the big chair!

Simon, king of the Ingimakon (his imaginary land and people).

Mike on our walk next to the lake in downtown Madison.

The aftermath from our food!

From Madison, Mike and I drove up to Minneapolis to help his brother and finacee move into their new house and paint. These were jam packed days, and by the end we were exhausted!

Birthday's and Celebrations...

2009-07-05T19:01:00.003-05:00

Its not everyday you celebrate someone's 90th birthday. What a cause for celebration.... 90 years is a long time. Just think of the history they have lived through; multiple world wars, The Great Depression, and countless presidents come and go. I love hearing all the stories.

Mike's grandma turned 90 in June. The weekend was full of celebrations. Family was in Waterloo, IA from across the country. The weekend was jam packed, but a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures from the weekend's festivities...

I would like to point out the magazine in the bottom right corner. The woman featured is Grandma Dixie. She was often featured in this magazine which sold products for raising chickens (which, obviously was Grandma's livelihood).

This is my favorite picture of Grandma from that weekend. It was taken at her apartment as she opened a few gifts from us before the big festivities. There are few pictures of Grandma smiling- she hates her picture being taken.

Happy 90th Grandma! Here's to many more!

My husband's the bomb...

2009-06-23T15:19:00.006-05:00

I tease my husband about his love (obsession) with races, but I am truly so proud of him. He has the mindset that whatever he puts his mind to, he will complete. He loves to push himself to the limit and exceed expectations. I can't say exactly where this started, but it has been fun to watch this evolve. It has also encouraged me to push myself further than I had previously.

This past weekend, Mike completed the Papillion Days Duathlon. This race included a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, and another 2 mile run. Again, my husband rocked it. Seriously, he was awesome! During the first 2 mile run, he averaged a 6 min pace. Umm, compared to my 11:30-12 min pace per mile, that's incredible. (I should mention that there were a few men there who kept 5 min paces. To those guys, seriously that's not cool. Okay, so its cool, but stop show boating!)

Of 150 participants, Mike finished 9th!! I am really proud of him!

Here are a few pic's from the day...

This is from the end of the bike portion.. I had my camera on "video" rather than picture during the first part of race :(

Going out for the last 2 mile run (and rehydrating of course!)

And finishing strong!! I am very proud of him. Have I said that already?

Look at that smile!!

Adventure Race

2009-06-23T14:38:00.006-05:00

I have mentioned in previously posts that my husband is quite adventurous (i.e. crazy). This summer he is participating in something like 5 different races to prepare for an Xterra race this August.. something for him to cross off the world's longest bucket list. (Note to self: create a bucket list).

A couple weeks ago Mike did his first adventure race. The only thing he knew was what to bring (backpack, bike, firstaid kit, camera, phone, $5, and two friends with a "sense of humor"). He was pretty nervous just because he had no idea what to expect, but ended up LOVING the event. The Omaha Adventure Race was Omaha's first annual, and the participants exceeded the Denver Adventure race! Over 400 participants were registered!

Prior to the race, the teams were given a map of the downtown Omaha area. Clearly, these boys were ready (*ahem*) Dont worry, Mike's an Eagle Scout.

I snuggled up with Dave Sedaris' novel " Me Talk Pretty One Day" and a blanket on the FREEZING morning.

One of the last "adventures" of the race was a tag team paddle in the lake... each teammate had paddles and an inter-tube (or is it inner tube?!). Mike's running with the paddles...

and Mike in the water... he said it was very, very cold.

After all that, TeamTMP (Tim, Mike and Pete!) took second place!!!

Way to go, boys!

Running...

2009-06-16T08:35:00.004-05:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have a goal to run a half marathon this fall. It started as a New Years Resolution; you know, the thing we all make but fail to keep. Crazy thing is, I am half way there. I have a training schedule, I am following it faithfully and I completed a 10K just to prove to myself that I CAN do it.

The thing I never predicted would happen in all of this.... that I would LIKE running. (*gasp*)

But I do. A lot.

There is something to be said for that time to myself. Getting lost in music, or blowing off steam on a long run with a good friend. And the feeling after a good run is wonderful.

But running has come to a screeching hault the past week and a half. I tried to go for my first run after taking a week off, and couldn't finish it. Very frustrating. I can't afford to take many more days off to be ready for the half marathon; I guess Advil and I will be best friends for the next 12 weeks.

Wait, 12 weeks.?! Crap!

Circus

2009-06-14T16:51:00.007-05:00

My aunt won free tickets to the Circus this year, and graciously shared them with my sisters, my nephew and I. I have never been a fan of the circus (clowns creep me out!) but I have to admit it was really fun to watch my nephew enjoy the circus so much!!

Look at how awestruck he is!!! I have never seen him sit so still in my life!

Junior and his momma :)

Jaimie, Jen, and Junior! He's so intrigued, he can hardly look at the camera!

mmmm.... popcorm!

Jess and I! And lastly, Junior's favorite... the "lelephants!"

Going to the chapel...

2009-06-10T17:28:00.002-05:00

Wedding pictures are timeless, something to be cherished forever. There is nothing like the glow of a bride and groom on their big day. Nerves and excitement are high, and its difficult to enjoy the simple moments your photographer is so desperate to capture without your mind wandering to logistics of the day (" I hope the cake got there on time", " I hope we have enough food", etc.).

The solution? Take pictures several months later! Mike and I recently had additional wedding pictures taken by our friend (and awesome photographer) Christine. They turned out beautifully, and it really was fun to get back into my dress and take pictures. We were relaxed, and could really enjoy all the little moments that marriage is all about.

Here is a link to a few of the pictures!

Need a photographer? She's awesome, and reasonably priced. I HIGHLY recommend her!!

Cakes...

2009-06-10T14:17:00.006-05:00

I really want to take a cake decorating class. I have been researching when they are offered, but with the amount of time I will be spending out of town, it doesn't make sense for me to start classes until at least July. Until then, my friend Christine and I have started playing around with fondant.

Here's cake #1.

Not too bad, right?! Not sure if I would pay for it (sorry, Christine!) but we are improving. I gave the cake to my sister to share with her friends at work, and rumor has it, it was devoured.

Our second trial was with cupcakes.

I wanted to make something for my grandma's 90th birthday celebration. The cupcakes were gone very quickly... wish we would have made some more! Fondant on cupcakes is tricky. Especially when your cupcakes are not the same shape and size. Gonna need a lot more practice before I do more cupcakes!

Cake #3.

A friend of mine asked me to make a cake for a friend's baby shower. She wasn't sure what she wanted for color or decoration, just that she wanted a "girly" cake. This was my first attempt.

Cake #4.

I wanted to make one more trial run for the baby shower cake. I also wanted to try for some brighter cake with a bit more "funky" style. This is the style I want to use for the baby shower cake, however, I want to put the baby's name across the top of the flowers and use some polka dots as well.

I have been using this recipe for the chocolate cake and have been using a ganache frosting in between the layers of cake to adhere them together. I have been using this buttercream frosting recipe, and it tastes delicious.

I am having so much fun baking cakes, and it has quickly become a hobby. Its a good thing I have lots of people to give cakes too when I am done making them! I definitely don't need them hanging around the house!

Green Thumb

2009-05-28T16:34:00.012-05:00

This year I decided to test out my green thumb. I figured the house plant we have had for three years and can't kill (despite months of forgetting it existed!) I must have some skills.

In the garden include:

Tomatoes

Green Peppers

Strawberries

Cucumbers

Corn

Of the aforementioned veggies (and fruits!) Mike will only eat corn. Keep your fingers crossed it actually tastes delicious.

Junior loves to help out and give the plants aqua. He also loves that I pour water on the deck for us to splash in.

Who knew gardening could be so fun?!

My strawberries have been doing wonderfully, despite the fact that it has produced a whole two strawberries.

These were the best tasting strawberries I have ever had.

I can't wait for my veggies to come in :)

The little things in life...

2009-05-28T16:34:00.011-05:00

I love little moments where my heart melts. There are three people in the world who can melt my heart on a consistent basis; my husband, and both of my nephews. Sadly, one of my nephews lives so far away, I don't get to see him as much as I would like. Here are a couple recent pictures of Mike and my nephew Junior.

Junior now says "Cheeeessseee" with every picture taken. He also demands to see it, and will exclaim "awwww" no matter what the picture. Too adorable!

Mike is going to make a great dad. I can hardly wait!

Redecorating...

2009-05-28T16:34:00.009-05:00

Mike and I found a great deal on a new bed set, and Mike absolutely fell in love with it. I have such a terrible time imagining something- I need to see it in person, so I wasn't sold on the new set in the store. I LOVE the colors, and how much it brightens up our room.

Reaching Goals...

2009-05-12T12:49:00.006-05:00

I am far from athletic. Shocking, I know.

In high school, I feel down a flight of steps while running for gym class and broke my wrist. After getting my cast off, I went roller skating with my sisters. That trip ended with a visit to the ER to get yet another cast for the same wrist. Most didn't realize I had gotten the first cast off; I was just the girl who had a cast on FOREVER! I have been told I could trip over the pattern in the carpet, to which I agree with whole heartedly.

The thing is, I love being active. I love being outside, climbing, biking, playing sports, etc. I am competitive, and enjoy all aspects of physical activity.

My husband is athletic, in every way, shape, and form. Our first date was to a rock climbing wall. Way fun. I love his sense of adventure, but the man is crazy. Last summer, he completed a half- iron man triathlon... and had fun. This summer, he is competing a half marathon, a duathlon, a triathlon, an adventure race, AND an Xterra race.... all for fun. Crazy kid. He is definitely addicted to running.

Being competitive, I decided that if my husband can do these races, so can I. Well, and the desire to prove to myself I can do it. This meant one thing, I had to start running. Flashbacks to falling down the steps, and skipping the running days in gym class came flooding back.

First step, order Runner's World. That's right. I believe in research. I need to know facts before I begin, such as the best shoe to buy, and the coolest gadget.

Second step, make a play list. I have a difficult time running without music (unless of course, I have a running partner).

Third step. Run. Lets just say, running looks easier than it actually is. Runner's World did NOT mention that :) I quickly realized I need to run with a goal in mind.

Goal: Run a 10K.

My first run was a 10 K. It was awesome, fun, and exhilarating. Lots of shin splints, ibuprofen, sweat, and tears went into that race. My only goal during the race was to finish, well, and to not have a camera catch me taking a walk break.

Mission accomplished.

Coming around the corner to finish the race several thoughts crossed my mind. First, "this is definitely longer that 6.1 miles!"; "downhill is surprisingly harder than one would think", and " as long as I beat Mike (who did the half marathon), I will be happy." As I got in eye sight of the clock, I saw that I could finish in 1:30, and dug deep to finish strong. Crossing the finish line, tears poured down my face! To my surprise my next thought was " Let's do that again!"

Wait, what?!?! Does this mean I am addicted too?

My finishing time for the 10K averaged to a 10:20 mile time.... way better than I had been training at. Its amazing what one is capable of, if you just give yourself a chance to prove it.

Today I began my training for a half-marathon.

Addicted indeed.

Photography Contest

2009-05-12T12:48:00.010-05:00

On a whim last week, I entered a local photography contest. During the month of May, a local news station has a weekly theme for a photo contest. Last week, the theme was "My Life". Any picture that encompassed the theme was eligible. The prize, a digital camera from a local Camera store.

Last friday (prior to my big day at the Children's Museum!) I was woken up to my phone ringing and my husband telling me that all the secretaries at school saw a picture of him on the news that morning. That could only mean one thing.... I won the contest!! Over 200 photo's were entered, and they picked mine!

I called the photo "Laughter, Love, and Chocolate".

I gave the camera to Junior's mom, Jaimie, as she doesn't have a digital camera. It came just in time for her birthday, and made a wonderful gift!

I still can't believe I won!!!!!

Jaimie's Birthday

2009-05-12T12:48:00.008-05:00

If you haven't gathered it already, I am very close with my sisters. As sisters do, we have our differences, but always back each other up when the road gets rough.

(Our outfit coordination was not at all planned. Seriously, we are just that good!)

Last week was Jaimie's 23rd birthday. She decided to get a sitter, so we could go out and have fun for her big day. We started at Roja to enjoy delicious mexican food and tasty margarita's.

Have you had Roja margarita's?? they are deliciouso!

Mike and I had spent the day graduation party-hopping for all his seniors. Needless to say, we had already eaten everything in sight, but managed to make room for Roja. Doesn't Mike look miserable ;o)

We ended up at Lit lounge for a couple drinks. Dancing was involved :)

Here is the photographic proof that dancing occured. Somehow I lost the picture of me dancing..... weird.

Then we headed back to our house so the DD's could partake in a drink as well. More dancing ensued, as well as some Jenga!

Clearly, I put a lot of thought into Jenga. This was such a fun night! We need to do it again really soon!

Summer Reading List

2009-05-12T12:47:00.017-05:00

I have a relatively short to-do list this summer. Much shorter in years past. The nice thing about this list? It contains things I want to do for myself, not things I have to do for school, others, etc. I think its so important to have balance in your life, and finally, I am practicing what I preach, and taking time for myself this summer.

My list....

1. Run a 10k.
2. Train for a half marathon.
3. Take a cake decorating class.
4. Read. A lot.
5. Photography class.

Number 1 and 2 are in the works. Just a daily schedule/routine I need to stick with. So far, so good. My 10K is this weekend. I have to be honest, its gonna be a lot of walking and running, and not straight running. We all start somewhere, right? I hope to have a time goal for the half marathon. Number 3 needs some action. That is, I need to call and figure out when the next one is an get registered for it. Christine, are you still in?! I am going to have to find people to eat all the cakes I make during this class... any takers?? I will throw in free delivery!
I finally made my list for number 4. I am always open for additional suggestions. Here is my list, in no particular order.

Eat, Pray, Love- Elizabeth Gilbert

Naked- David Sedaris

Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris

Dress Your Family in Cordoroy and Denim- David Sedaris

When you are Engulfed in Flames- David Sedaris

Tipping point- Malcolm Gladwell

Take the Canoli- Sarah Vowell

Assassination Vacation- Sarah Vowell

A Wolf at the Table- Augusten Burroughs

Possible Side Effects- Augusten Burroughs

Dry- Augusten Burroughs

Running With Scissors- Augusten Burroughs

Sellevision- Augusten Burroughs

Love is a mixed tape- Rob Sheffield

Hot, Flat, & Crowded- Thomas Friedman

Middlesex-Jeffery Eugenides

Water for Elephants- Sara Gruen

I Was Told There Would Be Cake- Sloane Crosely

Currently, I am reading Eat, Pray, Love. I cannot put it down. I have started Running with Scissors, Naked, and Middlesex before, but have never finished them, for whatever reason. I have a bad habit of starting books and not completing them. Not this year, no sirree.

The photography class is a work in progress. First, I need to get a SLR. I have my eyes set, now I am just searching for a deal I can't resist.

I love nothing more than making lists, and crossing things off. Can't wait to finish all these books this summer, and do things I want to do!

Now to find a pool to lounge next too :)

Children's Museum

2009-05-12T12:47:00.015-05:00

I love my nephew to pieces. This summer, now that he is old enough to really have fun on outings (and not nap through them!) my sister Jess, and I have decided to try and get as much quality time in as we can with Junior. A few weeks ago we took Junior to the zoo, and had a blast. Last week, we ventured to the Omaha Children's Museum. Honestly, I wasn't sure if there would be enough to do that would capture his attention, but my oh my, was I in for a surprise!

Junior's mom, Jaimie was able to come with us, which was a pleasant treat as she typically has to work on Friday's. We met for lunch, and then headed down to the museum. After Jess and I got our bearings straight (and were clear on where exactly we were going, haha!), we were in for a lot of fun.

Junior couldn't stop running back and forth, deciding what to play with and do first! We started in a play room that Junior loved.

Next, Junior played with a water display. He enjoyed watching what the other boys were doing, and imitating them. Nothing makes the school psych aunt happier than seeing those steps in play emerge! But I am geeking out....

Junior loved the slides. While sliding down with mom was fun.....

its was fun for Junior to go by himself! I promise he's laughing!

We got to milk a cow....

We got to play with balls! Junior loved when they floated magically....

Junior got to watch Aunt Jen put on a puppet show for him. It lasted a whole two seconds before he realized it was me, and he wanted a puppet too :)

And of course, Junior's favorite activity was the fire truck. He loved to drive it, and would make the siren sounds. Here he is, driving and supplying his own sirens !

There is so much to do at the Children's Museum, I am sure we will be back again soon! Hopefully Junior isn't too upset that the fire truck was a traveling exhibit :(

End of an era...

2009-05-12T12:47:00.009-05:00

Saying goodbye to a chapter of our life is never easy. This year was my last "end of the year BBQ" as a student in the School Psych program. This event is always a lot of fun.... full of food, desserts, friends, and laughs. Its a great time to reflect on the year, share summer plans, and continue building on our friendships. This year was no exception.

To start the evening off, some of the second year students unveiled the cakes they decorated especially for this event. While they are only humorous if you are affiliated with School psychology and our program at UNO, they were delicious and enjoyed by all :)

I mean really, what school psych party is complete without a cake dedicated to the RtI process? Does the acronym strike your fancy? Learn about it here.

And what can I say about WAK??? During lectures Brian always reminded us what was "walking around knowledge". While I cannot recall who began calling it "WAK" I can confirm we all enjoyed bringing that work back into our daily vocabulary!

Plenty of food was had, desserts devoured, and laughs were abundant. I am sure going to miss everyone. As some of us still anxiously await our internship placements, others are making plans for positions across the country... one as far away as Alaska!

Cheers to good friends. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Bittersweet

2009-05-07T10:43:00.003-05:00

Last night, I gave the last presentation I will give as a graduate student. Sure, I will have responsibilities next year to the university, but for all practical purposes, I am done. Eight year's dedicated to one thing, furthering my education and finding a career that is "me".

This journey has not been an easy one. I have questioned who I am, who I have become, and my ambitions, only to uncover the true me- hidden deep within. Finishing has been bittersweet. I am ready to enter the "real world" full of idealistic goals for the future, but I will miss academia. I will miss my peers and the comfort of a professor's guidance.

My eyes look towards tomorrow with an open mind and an open heart. I am ready for the joys and challenges my career will bring. I look forward to making a difference. I am anxious to test my idealism in a world full of realism, and finding the happy medium.

I am content as I settle into me....

Zoo!

2009-04-25T13:56:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was one of the most beautiful days in Omaha this year! While the weather danced with 90 degrees, the breeze was refreshing and the humidity was low. My sister Jess and I decided to take our nephew to the zoo. Now that he is two, he is at the age where he can really have fun with it. He was so excited about the zoo!

Here is Junior starting the day; equipt with his shades and truck.

The monkeys, gorilla's and orangutans were very active. Junior loved them. My biggest fear was one would run by the window, bang on it, and scare the daylights out of Junior. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

We took time in the petting zoo. Junior loved to feed the goats by putting the straw on their back. After some coaxing, he was happy to pet the goats. Every time he saw a baby kid (goat) he would shriek "awwwww, look!" Too cute!

Junior also rode the carousel. He wasn't too sure what to think of this.

We spent time in the Lied Jungle, but left soon after a bat dodged at my head, causing me to scream, and drop to the ground. Literally. Who knew bats just flew around there?? Certainly not me!

In the aquarium, Junior didn't seem to excited. That is, until he saw this large fish which he lovingly named Mike. Lucky guy.

After three hours of walking around the zoo, Junior happily got back into the stroller to leave. We went out for ice cream, which was the perfect way to end our day at the zoo.

After all this, guess what Junior's favorite animal was?

He's pointing to them now....

any ideas???

Ducks.

He LOVED the ducks, and ran towards them, whenever he saw them.

Go figure!!

There will be a lot of duck feeding in our near future.

Sorry...

2009-04-23T09:13:00.003-05:00

To the three people out there who read my blog, I apologize for my blogging hiatus. I also apologize for my out of order posts. You see, I had this brilliant idea of starting a bunch of blog drafts to help me get caught up after all my traveling this semester. This would have worked out wonderfully, had I thought through the process, and created drafts in a logical sequence. I am trying to figure out a way to put the blogs back in order, but until then, good luck navigating my disorganized blog! If you have any suggestions on how to reorder my posts, I would welcome any assistance!

Happy reading ;o)

Exhaustion...

2009-04-23T08:57:00.004-05:00

I haven't been sleeping the greatest lately. Tossing and turning, odd dreams, etc.

In fact, last night I dreamed that Ben Lynus from LOST was my waiter at a restaurant. He was trying to kill me for knowing who he was. He then asked me to be in his wedding and be his best man, to which I happily obliged.

I really shouldn't watch LOST so close to bedtime.

A couple years ago I had this great idea that if I made a mixed C.D. of all my guilty pleasure songs, I would wake up in a better mood. I appropriately called it "Jen's Mega Mix '06". Its full of Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, N'Sync, etc. One would think that hearing "Right Stuff" or "Hangin' Tough" would be an excellent way to wake up. Don't you???

There is little data to support this brilliant idea. In fact, I am sure if you ask my husband he would quickly respond that this idea has had no impact on my mood in the morning. Oddly enough, I don't wake up with a smile, reminiscent of my childhood and dancing to New Kids on the Block while roller skating up and down my street. I instead, shush the alarm, either verbally or with forceful slams at the snooze button.

Take that, Jen's Mega Mix '06.

This morning was no exception. Utterly exhausted, I made my way downstairs to make myself some coffee and breakfast. Coffee, you are my hero. In my exhausted stupor, I made an English muffin- loaded with peanut butter and caramel.

Wait, what?!? Yes, you read that right, caramel. You see, Smuckers lids are all the same; the adorable little checker pattern, therefore my strawberry lid (red checkers) and caramel lid (brown checkers) look identical to half opened eyes. Wanna know what's more sad then that? I didn't realize it was caramel until I bit into it. That's what checking your email while spreading "jelly" does to a person.

I am happy to report that peanut butter and caramel english muffins are actually tasty- just make sure you have plenty of liquid to wash it all down with :)

I need a nap...............

A look back...

2009-04-23T08:49:00.004-05:00

As my last semester of graduate classes comes to close, I find myself in a reflective mood. I am amazed at how fast the past three years have come and gone, and how much I have grown over the past three years. I am more a more confident, passionate person. I accomplished something that many thought I would not be able to do. I did it for me. I am proud of who I have become, and look eagerly to the future with a long to-do list. Who else but me, has a list of 30 career goals before even having a job? Probably next to no one, but I say, "bring it on!"

I am optimistic that this eagerness will not disappear. I will strive to maintain my enthusiasm for my career, and want to always be a "mover and a shaker". I look forward to answering the question everyday, "So, are you a school counselor?"

(and to answer that, No, I am not. Wanna know what I do, check this out!)

Cheers to the past three years, and the many more to come.

Rest of Seattle...

2009-04-22T20:58:00.007-05:00

Other experiences in Seattle included, Tillicum Village. The boat ride to the island was a bit chilly, but gorgeous!

We also spent a lot of time at the Experience Music Project. Don't know what that is? You should definitely check it out! This is the enormous piece of art you see when you walk in. Pretty incredible.

We also spent time at the Locks.

We also visited Safeco Field.

Lastly, we took the underground tour of Seattle. Also, very cool.

I can't wait to go back to Seattle and spend more time. We saw so much, but I feel like there is still so much more to see!

Ice cream and my family...

2009-04-19T16:23:00.004-05:00

My sister recently moved. In honor of the new apartment, we went for ice cream :)

DQ holds a special place in my heart!

During our DQ adventure, Junior wanted nothing more than to talk on his mommy Mike's cell. Of course, the video feature on my camera was available to capture this adorable moment!

Here are a few more candid's of Junior. He love's Bob-bob (Spongebob) and looks like a stud sporting the backwards Bob-bob baseball cap. He is definitely the talk of 2 year old's everywhere!

Yeah ladies! You know he looks good ;o)

Bike Riding and other Sunday traditions....

2009-04-19T15:31:00.013-05:00

Today was a beautiful day... a little windy, but b-e-a-utiful day! In honor of its beauty, Junior came over to ride his bike.

Running to his Uncle Mike. It always looks like a scene out of a movie...

Uhhh mom, that's mine!

All tuckered out...

Best news of the day?? Junior FINALLY said my name!! He also learned Jess, but refuses to say it to her! Soon enough...all we need is some good ol' behavior modification! Here we come M&M's!

A Scenic look at New Mexico...

2009-04-19T15:31:00.009-05:00

While in New Mexico, we took the time to do some sight seeing- always an adventure. Here are some fun shots from the many places I visited while visiting Brian, Zemmie, and William.

This was taken in B&Z's backyard.

I really liked the rustic look of this sign and post. I need to spend some time in photoshop enhancing the rustic look of this picture, but no time :(

I took this and enhanced it by adding a little cyan to it... just like the contrast it gave the view.

The same view, in true color.

The same view (almost, minus the trees) in black and white. Can't get enough mountains.

Fountain in downtown Albuquerque.

Oh, the signs of spring!

"Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows fall behind you."
---Maori Proverb

Pikes Market, Seattle

2009-04-19T15:30:00.018-05:00

These images were all taken at Pikes Market. Imagine the photo's I would have gotten with a cool camera :)

More Seattle

2009-04-19T15:30:00.013-05:00

Shots from the Space Needle....

Mt. Ranier in the background...

walking up to the Space Needle...

Sunset from atop the Space Needle...

My handsome husband and I...

Leaving the Space Needle... check out the moon

and the moon again... sweet, huh?!

This was an absolutely gorgeous day! Thanks for cooperating Seattle!

Toe Painting

2009-04-19T15:30:00.009-05:00

One Sunday afternoon while hanging out with my nephew, I decided it very important to paint my toenails. You know, sandal season is here... and these babies ain't painting themselves.

While painting, Junior rushed over to see what he was missing. Then, with his adorable face and soft whisper said, "please!". When those handsome eyes look up at you with such soft words as "please" its all over.

I happily obliged.

It started with just the big toenail and his mother laughing it off. Then she left the room, and I got to work. Two minutes later, we had matching pedi's. While Junior helped blow on his toenails for a quick dry, mom entered the room. Let me just say she absolutely loved the toe transformation (please insert adequate amount of sarcasm here. Now multiply it by ten. And by ten again, and you will understand how truly excited she was.)

What can I say, they will look great in the photo album at his High School graduation!

Easter Chicks....

2009-04-19T15:27:00.003-05:00

Oh Bakerella, how I wish I possessed your talent. You're creativity is endless!

Aren't these adorable?

Mine pale in comparison in both looks and execution, but they taste delicious nonetheless. Here's proof.

Can you taste them?? Deliciouso!

Anyway, I love spring, and love how the season always makes everyone happier. In life we all have our ups and downs, but a sunny day always brings a smile across a once frowning face. For the first year school psych grad students, this semester is pretty tough. Not only are you having to acclimate yourself to a full load of grad classes, but are faced with both assessment and statistics. This is the semester where one learns how to really prioritize and persevere. After all, grad school is 90% perseverance and 10% training. Okay, so my breakdown may be a bit off, but that's definitely how it feels sometimes. Because of this, I really felt that our program was lacking a mentoring system, and I set out to change that this year, helping to create a mentoring committee; pairing first year students with second and third year students. This year has been a big success. Throughout the year, we try and meet with our mentoree's- grab a coffee, dinner, or whatever, and find out how things are going and how they need support. Sometimes its just bending an ear, sometimes its just providing reassurance that "it" can be done, other times its brightening their day by leaving a card or goodies in their mailbox. This time, I made these cute Easter pops and gave them to everyone right before the dreaded stats test #2.

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. ~Walter Elliott

Baby Showers

2009-04-19T15:25:00.009-05:00

This weekend I helped throw a babyshower for one of Mike's coworkers. Her and her husband have been trying and trying for years, and have finally had success. I can hardly wait to meet this bundle of joy! The parents have chosen not to know the sex of the baby, and will not share names with others; the suspense is killing me! (On a related note, I am terrible about waiting... I am dying over here!!!)

The shower was very small, and the food was delicious. My friend Jill made this wonderful chicken salad with an amazing dressing. She also made this wonderful "pull apart bread" that took every ounce of restraint to not eat the entire thing. Lastly, there were melt away sugar cookies and baby cake pops.

Yes, that's right, more cake pops. I have mentioned my admiration for Bakerella in previous posts, but I just cannot get enough of her creativity. Expanding on her vast list of creative ways to use an ordinary cake mix and can of frosting, I sketched out an idea for making them into babies. I am sure I have probably seen this elsewhere, and its not an original idea. However, I would like to speak to the person whose original idea this was- because these were incredibly time consuming. I consider myself a patient person, but man alive, did these take a long time to make. Nonetheless, they were very yummy, and of course, super cute.

Here's the materials (and pardon the blurriness, I apparently didn't check the photo before using the products!)

I baked the cake according to the box and let it cool. Once cooled, I crumbled the cake and mixed in the can of frosting. I put this mixture into the freezer to make the mixture moldable. After about 45 minutes, I rolled the mixture into ovals and put the mixture back into the freezer. In the meantime, I melted white almond bark to make the diaper. Then I dipped one end of the oval cake ball into the almond bark and put the sucker stick into the the cake ball and put it into styrafoam.

I allowed the almond bark to set, and dipped the top end into the corresponding color, either pink or blue. Once this set, I used icing to draw faces and to stick the flower sprinkes to the cheeks.

Next time, I would use an edible pen to draw faces, but I just couldn't find one in time. The gel icing never set, so I couldn't individually wrap the cake balls. That made it a little difficult to present them nicely, but thankfully, no one seemed to mind!

These were a hit at the party! There is a lot "cleaning up" I need to do to make them look amazing.

Seattle

2009-04-19T15:20:00.012-05:00

My husband is a high school band director at a nearby high school. He is forever surrounded by students who work hard, and look up to him on a daily basis. He strives to continually provide his student's with musical experiences that will inspire them to achieve their best. When everyone's patience is fried, Mike can find a positive and relate to the student. Teaching isn't a job to Mike.

Every 2 years, Mike takes his students on a band trip. Two years ago was Chicago. This year, Seattle. What's in Seattle, you ask? Everything! The students had three jam packed days in Seattle performing and sight seeing.

With the economy being the way that it is, busing was the only realistic option for travel. From school to Seattle, it was a 36 hour bus ride. Yes, I volunteered to chaperone. On our way out to Seattle, we experienced snow, and lots of it. At 4am we rolled into Sundance, WY to a blizzard. The interstate was shut down and were were stranded at a gas station for 4.5 hours! Thank goodness Smoothie Island was located inside- this entertained students for a long time. You know what the coolest part of being stranded in Sundace, WY was? The students. Why? Because their optimism was contagious. Just when I was feeling my patience begin to dwindle, a student would find excitement in our predicament. This was absolutely contagious! I am confident that our caravan of three charter buses will keep that little gas station open for the next 10 years... no stimulus money necessary. We FINALLY arrived in Seattle around 4am, pacific time- just in time for breakfast and to start our day! Here are a few fun pictures from our trip...

Safeco Field

The student's Performance

My roomie and I...

Downtown Seattle

Easter...

2009-04-19T15:20:00.005-05:00

What a busy time of year! How I love spring!

This year, Easter was held at my house. Because of time, I opted for a finger foods and desserts. As always, there was more food than necessary, but no one ever argues to left overs.

Junior is getting to an age where hunting for things is fun. Of course, hunting for things is way cooler when your Uncle Mike is not far behind. I video'ed the easter egg hunt, so these pictures are from Aunt Jess. What a fun day had by all!

"Look, I found another!"

"WOW!"

" C'mon my mommy Mike!"

(Junior call's his uncle Mike, my mommy Mike! Too cute!)

After all that work, there better be something good in here!

Mom and son- aren't they beautiful?!

Hanging with family in New Mexio!

2009-04-19T15:13:00.004-05:00

This semester has been overwhelming in so many ways. I have grown sentimental as I watch my educational career come to an end, and and begun to embrace the idea of not spending all my moments writing papers, reading for class, or studying for exams. I am ready for a lifelong career of helping all students succeed in school. Sure, there will be bad days, but the good moments will surpass those day's without batting an eye.

To get away and give myself some much needed R&R, I opted to ride with my in-laws to New Mexico to visit my brother in-law (Brian) and sister-in-law (Zemmie) and adorable nephew William for a few days. The drive is long (14 hours!), however, it gave me time to read for pleasure, and listen to great music as the scenery passed me by.

Sadly, we don't get the opportunity to see William often. The last time I held him was when they were back for my wedding in July. Boy oh boy is he growing quickly! William runs around non-stop and is talking up a storm! My heart melts whenever those big brown eyes look up at me! How could you not fall in love with this kid everytime you see him. And trust me, despite what his parents say, he can do no wrong :) Here are some candid shots of my handsome nephew. Warning- your heart will melt; he's a flirt too = )

Here's William taking a break from running around the back yard to pose for the camera!

Who knew a garden hose could be so fun!

Another break from playing! He loves being outdoors.

Has your heart melt yet? Because mine is gooshing all over!

Mothers, watch your daughters- he's gonna be a heartbreaker!!

More Cupcakes

2009-03-10T20:49:00.005-05:00

I will be doing a lot of baking this week, and I am excited to be doing it! Today was one of my professor's birthday, and since we have her class on Tuesday nights, we thought it would be appropriate to throw her a food party. Little did we know she had the flu over the weekend, so she still wasn't back to 100%. We enjoyed the food anyway!

Here are the cupcakes I made, and let me just say- delicious! I am not creative enough (yet) to come up with original ideas- but I love trying new recipes. These were easy to make- and all the ingredients were hanging out in my pantry (well except for vanilla frosting- but that was easy enough!)

Here's what you need...

I took the easy way out and bought cookie decorating frosting for this... It made the job go by quickly, but I cut the tip on the blue in the wrong location and didn't have the fine line I wanted.

Next the frosting. I really loved this... maybe even better than ganache. The jury is still out on that. The recipe recommends dipping them in the frosting, but I tired of that pretty quickly.

Now decorating. I may not surprise many when I say I am not artist. I envision great things when it comes to decorating, but fail miserably :) Here are my failed attempt at flowers (or oddly constructed geometrical blobs), a flower I salvaged into a butterfly, my fail-safe design and a smiley face. Oh, and the pitchfork looking thing is a symbol representing Psychology. Geeky. I know.

And the final product....

and the delicious inside...

Of course I sampled this one :)

Next up... cupcakes for Grandpa's birthday! I am pretty excited to share my treats with my family.

Boston

2009-03-05T12:16:00.009-06:00

Last week I had the really wonderful opportunity to travel to Boston for the annual National Association of School Psychologist Conference. More than 5,000 School Psychologists from across the country were present, taking over three hotels.

While there, I presented my research which looked at Online Aggression (cyberbullying) and how it impacts schools. As I have mentioned previously, this project was a large undertaking, and I poured my heart into writing this manuscript and creating a research project that I am very proud of. Geeky, yes.

Adequate time was spent at the conference- but sight seeing was high on my list. While there, we walked Newberry St, saw Quincy Market and Fennel Hall (pronounced Fenuall) and saw many of the stops along the Freedom Trail. We also had our own Boston Tea party equipt with "New Orleans Long Island 's" on Mardi Gras. This was immediate followed by a "cheer off" between a friend and I and a long journey to find more adult beverages. We also visited the Museum of Fine Arts, which was really cool.

I spent the entire trip frustrated that I didn't bring my "good" camera in an effort to conserve space in my carry on, but I am pleased that my pictures turned out alright. I guess its hard to screw up buildings and architecture... its doesn't change much!

I had a great time with friends from school, and enjoyed meeting other school psychologists from across the US.

Here are the highlights with captions :)

Myself, Brian (my advisor), Megan and Trina in front a poster we worked on together.

Myself in front of my EdS Poster which I presented on Thursday.

This was taken from inside the Boston Library out to a church. I am terrible at remembering names... so I am not sure what church, except that it was a tourist attraction!

Newberry St. A fun afternoon of shopping.

On Boston Commons.

Standouts at the Museum of Fine Arts.

At the beginning of the Freedom Trail. This is the first public park.

Another view at the start of our trek

State house.

View of the public park on our trek back to the hotel. As you can see the weather changed drastically from 50's and gorgeous to 30's and cloudy/windy.

Here is the church I showed earlier (the shot taken from inside the Boston Public Library).

Inside the Boston Public Library.

Inside Quincy Market.

Boston- night scene.

I'm leavin' on a jet plane

2009-02-23T17:30:00.003-06:00

So, as many of you know, I am leaving for Boston tomorrow for a conference. And by conference I mean presenting for an hour and then seeing all I can see in Boston.

You may also know that my husband is helpless in the food arena. And by helpless I mean that every fast food joint within a mile of our home will see an surge in business.

Being the wonderful, doting wife I am I bought and made several meals for my husband, which will still be located in the fridge when I return. To continue on my pathway to awesome wife-dom, I made my favorite meal for dinner tonight. Because that what every wife does; makes HER favorite meal before leaving her husband for a week. On the menu, lemon pepper chicken, stuffing and mashed potatoes.

What about dessert? Well, I had hoped to make some chocolate chip cookies but, we apparently are out of brown sugar. Solution; DQ took care of that for me.

If my husband shows up on your doorstep with sad puppy dog eyes, please feed him- and know there were pre-made meals at home waiting for him ;)

New desserts...

2009-02-20T18:18:00.003-06:00

I have three night classes that meet over the dinner hour. To solve this problem, my peers and I rotate who brings "snacks" to class. This week was my week in two of the three classes. We typically stick to snacky foods, and I like to bring in new desserts for others to try (and more importantly, get them out of my kitchen!).

First, I took the delicious brownie/chocolate chip cookie bars I have mentioned in previous posts and made them into cupcakes. They are a lot easier to eat this way when you eat in a classroom with no utensils. They cooked for what seemed to be forever, and since I forgot to spray the cups, the paper stuck some. I will definitely make them this way again, but next time I will steal Christine's idea and use break and bake cookies, they would be the perfect size and remove human error.

Clearly you can see my husband sampled them :)

The second recipe i stole from kraftfood.com. I used the left over ganache frosting for these, and they were delicious.

Finally, I made these while rocking out to a Moses Prey rehearsal. Haven't heard of them? You should check them out!

Apparently there was a run on Neufchatel cheese at three stores I stopped at. Cream cheese was an obvious substitute, and they turned out just fine. No picture though... they didn't last too long. This baking thing is pretty sweet!

Valentines Day

2009-02-20T18:17:00.010-06:00

Mike and I are not big on gifts. Go ahead, make your assumptions now.

"You're just saying that, every girl likes gifts", "Who are you kidding, you're lying", or better yet, " are you sure you didn't want anything for ____". I have heard them all.

Its true. I enjoy giving gifts, but have no need to receive them. Occasional surprises are fine, but flowers die, I eat chocolate regularly anyway, and I like to pick out my own clothes/jewelry/etc.

This being said, Valentines day consisted of Mike and I babysitting my nephew Junior. Pretty fun day to me! We spent the afternoon sledding. followed by a rejuvinating nap, and the evening playing with every toy (and non-toy) in the house.

Cute kid story: Junior called Mike " My mommy Mike" all weekend. My heart melts every time he says it!

It was the perfect valentines day!

Snow Day...

2009-02-20T18:17:00.007-06:00

After finishing my thesis, I was rewarded abundantly. How you ask? SNOW DAY!

Typically when the phone rings anytime before 8am on any given day, I am not a happy person. Being awake without a pot of coffee in me before 8 am sends me into a fit of curse words I am too lady-like to share with everyone; but you get the idea.

This is my snow day....

measuring the snow fall with a cup o' joe...

eating waffles...

(yes, out of boredom I took a picture of the box!)

and hanging with the hubby...

Don't be too jealous. Although you should be!

Why I haven't Posted...

2009-02-20T18:16:00.002-06:00

Its been a while since I have blogged. Why you ask? One word... THESIS. This mother of all projects has been a large part of my life for the past three years and I am happy to say that it has been revised countless times, defended, and submitted to a journal and awaiting their ruthless slaughter of all my heard work and dedication.

Countless hours or hard work, reading, revising, writing, and crying have been poured into this. The weight that has been lifted completing this project...priceless. (Literally, there is no way in hell I am buying the cheesy blue bound book they stick in the library with gold writing... scrapbooking it on the otherhand... thats a thought).

My sweetheart of a husband should have invested stock in kleenex over the past three years. Wait, maybe not in this market, but lets just say I went through a lot. He did invest in these beautiful flowers and a sweet card to say congrats...

When people ask, "what was your thesis about?" I begrudgingly sigh and try to come up with an easy way to summarize everything I have done in as few words as possible. I fail miserably every time. Its not easy to shove 60 pages and three years of work into five words or less that are meaningful to others. The title : Online Aggression and Victimization: Impact on School Involvement and School Satisfaction. What it means- kids have found new ways to be mean, and its terrible for both the kid getting picked on and the jerk doing it. Kids can't get away from being picked on, teased, or berated by their peers- cell phones lay at our nightstands at night, go into the pocket of our favorite sweatshirt or jeans the next day, they even follow us into the bathrooms. Pretty sad. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that dealing with this day in and day out is not good.

Starting grad school, I never thought I would actually enjoy research. I loathed the thought in fact. Life is pointing his finger at me and laughing now... I enjoy research. So much in fact, I am embarking on a statewide study of teachers in Nebraska to see how they feel about "cyberbullying" and what they think should be done to fix it. Lots of work, countless tears already, but it should be pretty sweet.

Next task... landing a job and making money.

I think I can, I think I can.

Education bailout??

2009-02-05T09:08:00.002-06:00

Begin rant.

Perhaps I am extraordinarily pessimistic today, but when are we going to bailout the educational system? When are we going to invest the same amount of time and resources into our future as we do into our economy? Last time I checked, education was critical to the wealth and advancement of our nation, yet by and large, its always placed on the back burner.

We are so concerned right now with what big CEO's are going to do now that their salaries are capped when the field of education only dreams of making six digits. Our priorities are really messed up, and it ticks me off. The day we really take a good hard look at the world of education, and start rewarding our educators the same way we do our CEO's will be the day that the US makes the best "bailout" decision ever.

End rant.

Junior's 2nd Birthday

2009-02-03T11:09:00.005-06:00

After a chaotic week, it was FINALLY time for Junior's birthday party. Of course there was lots of goodies!

First, the cupcake bites. These were a hit again, and now I am wanting to come up with ways to change it up... perhaps with an oreo ball center?

Second, Cindy made these for Junior. Ingore the one without a scarf :)

He got lots of fun gifts...

Junior loved his new monster truck from Grandpa, and all the other gifts paled in comparison.
We certainly know how to throw a party!!!
After all that fun, I was exhausted :)

Snow!

2009-01-25T19:32:00.004-06:00

There is nothing I love more than a beautiful snowfall...

I lied.. I love snow days more :)

Graduating...

2009-01-24T11:50:00.002-06:00

Its almost here... 3 years of graduate level work and now my career is on the horizon. I will defend my thesis on Feb. 11th and immediately begin to start applying for jobs. Lets hope there are jobs still available for the taking. I know grad school is all about perseverance, but this will definitely be the most stress invoking semester yet- second to stats :)

Any good luck vibes you have... I will take :) This "real world" thing is not fun!!!

Game Night

2009-01-17T19:05:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, Jess and Erich came over to play The Office Trivia game. We had some pizza, drinks, and I made some Peanut Butter Cheesecake bites which were delicious!

Erich kicked our butts both games! We also played a game of Clue, which he also won!

It was a lot of fun (and Mike played too!)

Junior's Piano...

2009-01-17T18:54:00.003-06:00

Junior loves anything musical. Obviously this includes our piano. Here are a few pictures from his last visit :)

Playin' a duet with mom.

Finally, it was time to go... Junior wasn't too happy :(

More Baking...

2009-01-17T18:14:00.006-06:00

I have really committed myself this year to learning new recipes, and baking and cooking more. I have always been curious, but never tried it, afraid I would fail.

What I have really been catching onto more than anything is baking/cooking is therapy for me. This week (and sadly this whole semester until I get a job) will be stressful. At least I have something to pour my anxious energy into.

Two of the recipes I found from another blog... Bakerella. (Thank you for these FUN and easy recipes!)

First, were these delicious brownie/chocolate chip bars. If you know my husband, or my family in the slightest you know that we LOVE chocolate. This recipe is a perfect combination of two great foods... brownies and chocolate chip cookies. The best part of this recipe is how easy it is... its simply from boxes!

Here is the recipe as posted by Bakerella. Super simple to make, and trust me... delicious!!

Here is my attempt...

The second menu item were peanut butter cheese cake bites. I found this recipe on the Food Network website, and LOVE them. I made a batch a week or so ago for "game night" and they did not last the weekend!

This time I made them in mini muffin pans rather than your standard muffin pan size. I like them better as smaller bite size. I cut the peanut butter cups in half to better fit in the pan...

Here they are...

Before adding the cheesecake mixture.

With the cheesecake mixture...

and the finished product...

I forgot to take pictures of the mini's.. but you get the idea.

Finally, I took a stab at these cupcake bites- also a bakerella recipe. Again, such a fun recipe! Here are some pictures from my attempt. I am really excited to share these with others!

I used a yellow cake mix instead of red velvet- because that is what I had on hand. My sister gladly crumbled the cake and mixed in the cream cheese frosting.

Next, into the almond bark.

And the candy melt toppers with some fun sprinkles.

How yummy does that look! Trust me, they tasted as great as they look.

And after literally hours of baking (oh, and a run for cream cheese frosting and Culver's), I had quite the mess on my hands!

Baking is great therapy!

FREEZING!

2009-01-14T11:41:00.003-06:00

Holy Antartica, Batman!

I have to admit, when I heard the wind howling this morning all I could think was "SNOW DAY!" (oh the joys of working in education!!)

To my dismay, I am at school, freezing from head to toe, despite my many, many layers! BRRR!

Last night I went to go running at the Y and it was packed. Not a parking place in sight. I parked a half-block or so away and hauled my gymbag down the icy street in my heels-defying death, really and proudly present them my membership card. The proud presentation was met with a half hearted " are you here for a class or for the machines?" They were so busy that they were taking names for the next available machine.

"what if i want a treadmill or eliptical only?"

"there will probably be at least a 45 minute wait for both. There are 10 others waiting for treadmills ahead of you."

Back up the icy hill I went, in my heals. Guess I am back to my 530 AM workouts...

Wii Time...

2009-01-09T20:12:00.006-06:00

Over Thanksgiving Mike and I introduced his parents to the wonderful world of Wii gaming. Bob lost all of his energy in boxing, and loved bowling. Cindy is hooked on bowling... she loves it! Again over Christmas, Mike and I brought back the Wii and there was a lot of bowling. We tried Guitar Hero World Tour with Bob and Cindy. Bob didn't like the drums because he couldn't hit whatever he wanted "like a real drummer" and Cindy liked staying back and watching us hack away at the songs.

New Years Day, Bob and Cindy came to town to visit. Again, we had more bonding time bowling on the Wii. Cindy was hilarious! She KILLED us in bowling, and knocked her Schmirnoff Ice off the table TWICE while playing. After whipping us in an undisclosed number of games, we convinced Cindy to test out her fitness age. We turned it into a pseudo contest. Here are the results.

and the results....

Okay, okay. So it probably wasnt too fair. She had never played anything else other than bowling. But it was entertaining to watch her play the games! She seemed to have fun too!

Now its Mike's turn. Mr. Athletic (seriuosly, he is super athletic!)

And the results.....

Alright! Not so bad, right?! Now its my turn...

Please notice how remarkably close I look to my Mii character...

I WON!!!! Okay, so it was never really a contest... but I NEVER beat Mike at anything, except if you count drinking beer- and I win by default.

Oh the taste of sweet victory ;o)

Totilla Crusted Chicken

2009-01-09T15:10:00.003-06:00

Tortilla Crusted Chicken

For those who have been asking for the recipe... I made it off the cuff, so I eyeballed everything.

(by the way, this would also be delicious with fish... but Mike doesn't care for fish)

To make this I first mixed bread crumbs with very finely crushed tortilla chips.
I seasoned the crumbs with taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Then I seasoned the eggs ( I used egg beaters) with more spices (taco seasoning and garlic... I love garlic!).
I dipped the breasts in the egg mixture and in the bread crumbs and then drizzled a little butter over the top of the breasts to help make the outside really crispy.
I baked on a cookie sheet at 350 for about 25 minutes. VERY delicious and simple!

It was YUMMY!

Food Network Addict....

2009-01-07T17:19:00.003-06:00

One of the joys of working in the schools is getting long breaks... no need to take a vacation for the holidays; I get one-paid. Well, for now "paid" is a modest description of the peanuts I earn, but next year, watch out (okay, again, modest- I work for the schools...)

Anyway, I spent a LOT of time watching Food Network. I mean, take what you think is a lot of Food Network, and multiply by 10. I am in that ballpark. And while watching I typically had two responses...

1. What the heck is a _____

or...

2. I can do that/ It would be really good if you added _____.

Now let me back up. Growing up, I hated cooking. I hated being in the kitchen, but in retrospect I think I was intimidated by the kitchen. When I lived on my own, I was teased that I would never cook or that I couldn't cook.

This summer that all changed. I really started to enjoy cooking. I especially loved grilling. I started to experiment. I perfected a burger. I got genuine compliments about what I made. People asked me for a recipe... ME!

Then school started- and there went my time to cook. Getting home at 8pm is not a prime "I want to cook dinner for you" time.

Over break, I cooked when I had time. And I made another really good dish... Tortilla Crusted Chicken and rice. It was good, really good. I tried it with fish today (Tilapia) and it was darn good.

Grocery shopping today I decided to turn things around from my usual in a bag meal. While usually pretty good, they are overpriced. I could make the same thing at a fraction of the cost. I left the store today with staples.... and it felt good.

Move over Rachel Ray, put your shoes on Barefoot Contessa; 30 minute meals- I got you beat at 20 minutes; and Good Eats, I got what you're lookin' for!

(okay cheesy I know... I am excited though!)

Ice Storm

2009-01-03T19:27:00.002-06:00

Got to love the Nebraska weather... nothing like being stranded at home on a Saturday night!

At least we have drinks and The Office to keep us entertained :) Nothing like Michael Scott to brighten an evening. Now for dinner...

A New Year's Celebration

2009-01-02T18:00:00.004-06:00

This year is the first year Mike and I have not had a New Years Eve party. While they have always been fun (if I do say so myself), it was definately nice to not play hostess. Instead of hosting a party we started by going to the Holland Center to watch Gordon Goodwins' Big Phat Band.

Let me just say- AWESOME!!! We were surrounded by silver hairs who didn't know when to clap, cheer or actually enjoy the music. Mike and I made the most of it and loved it.

After that, we went over to a friends house and hung out. It was fun! I enjoyed watching their kids... several of them were in dance and kept putting on little dances for us, which was adorable.
Finally, we spent the rest of the evening with Matt & Christine. It was laid back, and very fun. I have to admit, its the first time in a really long time I was up until 4am!

New Years day we spent watching The Hawkeyes play, and lounging. Mike's parents came into town, and are helping us with some fix-er up projects around the house. Its always fun to spend time with Bob and Cindy.

Hope everyone's New Years was what they expected. Happy New Years to all!

Pretzels

2009-01-01T16:15:00.003-06:00

I made chocolate pretzels for Christmas this year, and they were a hit; giving my oreo balls a run for their money. My soon to be sister-in-law said she thought peanut butter and caramel would be good with the pretzels, so I decided to experiment.

I started with the caramel ones. The caramel was trickier than I thought. This is probably more because I have never really baked with it before. I recommend using the caramel bits by Kraft... they made melting a lot easier. They recommed using water while melting, but I used butter instead to make the caramel a bit richer in flavor.

Next up was the peanut butter. I used peanut butter chips instead of peanut butter from the jar. I think that I need to actually make the peanut butter a bit thinner to help in dipping the pretzels...any suggestions?

Dipping in the chocolate is pretty easy- I have figured out the perfect consistency (chocolate to almond bark ratio). The caramel pretzels were harder to dip because I didn't spray the wax paper before setting the dipped pretzels down to set. Note to self, thats an important step!!

The pretzels made their debut to a few New Years Eve parties, and seemed to go over well. I am still not sold on the caramel ones... it may take some work to perfect it. Christine suggested marshmallow fluff for the prezels too; that sounds delicious!

Temper Tantrums....

2009-01-01T16:04:00.003-06:00

My nephew is 2, and may be the master at temper tantrums....

All he wanted was the dust buster. Poor kiddo! I can't wait until he is older so I can show him these pics :)

Our Newest Family Addition...

2009-01-01T15:56:00.004-06:00

Sorry to disappoint, no kiddo's yet. But here may be a close runner up!

Welcome to our home, Dwight! Thanks Matt and Christine- we are happy to have him :)

2009 Goals

2008-12-30T10:34:00.002-06:00

1. Papillion Half-Marathon. I just want to finish.

2. Omaha Half-Marathon. I want to set a time goal for this one.

3. Corporate Cup Run. Why not?!

4. Get an internship.

5. Get published. I have two ( I think) really interesting research areas, and some even more interesting findings. I would love to reap the fruits of my labor!

6. Take some photography classes.

7. Get better at grillin' and bakin'.

That seems sufficient for now :)

Our First Christmas Tree...

2008-12-28T18:12:00.004-06:00

This year Mike and I celebrated our First Christmas together as husband and wife with a new Christmas tree. We have not had one in years past as we have never been home for holidays. This year I was able to talk Mike into a tree because I wanted one for my Family to enjoy at Christmas. I won :)

I talked in a previous blog about these really cool Martha Stewart ornaments, and these really cool greens and such for a tree. I even mentioned an upside down Christmas tree... I am not bold enough for an upside down Christmas tree. Plus ours is a prelight tree, so it wont work upside down!

I found our tree 30% off at Target, and fell in love with it. I also found these really cute blue and silver ornaments, and I knew then, it would be the perfect tree.

We tried way too many of these shots on my camera. First I looked like a marshmallow....

Then Mike did this goofy head tilt thing... Maybe this is why i prefer to be behind the camera and not in front of it!

So this picture probably wont make it to Christmas cards, but it was worth a shot!

We put the tree up the Friday after Christmas since we bought the tree late and were out of town. We enjoyed it today at Christmas #3.

Tomorrow we pack him up.... Now that we have a tree, he will make his appearance BEFORE Christmas next year ;o)

Christmas- round 2 (and one more to go!)

2008-12-25T18:25:00.007-06:00

This Christmas has been very busy this year. First was Christmas with my extended family at Mohoney. Mike and I then went back to Waterloo, IA to spend the next few days with his family. Christmas Eve is the big event; a huge open house with TOO MUCH delicious food!

While the ladies got food ready, Mike shared some quality time with William reading a book. Willam really loves his Uncle Mike!

Grandma got an early gift; stackable cake carriers. William thought this was the coolest gift ever, and it immediately became a climbing toy. He LOVED sitting on top of them!

Then the open house began. The house was PACKED! To paint a picture, its a small two bedroom ranch. Bob, Cindy, Chad, Megan, Brian, Zemmie, William and two dogs all stayed here for 3 days. Then the open house began and we had upwards of 25 people in the house at one time. Can we say zoo?! It was a lot of fun to see everyone though, but man, its a lot of work!

Cale and Jenny welcomed baby #3, Brody (JB) into the world in September. Brody is a big kid... 10 lbs at birth, and is already in 1 year old clothes! Here he is with "aunt" Zemmie.

William and I were on the kitchen for goodies and decided a photo op was necessary. Who would have thought taking pictures with a 1 year old would have been tough?! Of the many we took, this is the best we got! I am REALLY excited for some reason. I am guessing its the baileys in my coffee.... Thanks, Brian ;o)

Of course, once the open house died down, we took the obligatory family picture. Its rare that all the Pollock boys are in the same HOUSE let alone the same room. I didnt get the best picture on my camera, but this will do! At least Willam looks cute!!

And then gift opening begins. We all got Bob new snow pants for snowmobiling. Snowmobiling, by the way, is really fun! I went for the first time while we were back this year because there was actually snow on the ground. I had a blast! Bob goes every year to Eagle River, WI for a weekend of snowmobiling and races. Anyway, he REALLY needed new pants. Megan works for Polaris. PERFECT!

Bob had a bit of a struggle getting these on... I am happy I captured the struggle on film. We had WAY too much good food!

Megan got a panini maker that she was really excited about. Chad is excited too... he has someone to make panini's for him. Lucky guy!

Grandma banked this Christmas... here are the sheets that she wanted. She is really excited.

William needed a break from the action (and I needed a refill of my coffee!) so to the kitchen we went. Here he is wating ever so patiently for me to take him back to the action in the living room!

And Christmas morning Santa came with stockings and a sled for William. Willam got free rides around the house. This is the coolest sled ever. It is has a protective shell to keep him warm and out of the elements. WHen I was a kid, I dont remember ever being cold outside...

After over-eating for three days straight, its back to Omaha for one final Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

William's 1st Birthday

2008-12-25T09:56:00.014-06:00

William is Mike's nephew (and mine too!) He lives in New Mexico so sadly, we don't get to see him much. He turned 1 on Dec. 20th. The lucky kid had TWO birthday parties... one in New Mexico and one in Waterloo.

Grandma Cindy made him a two layer chocolate cake with delicious homemade frosting. We also enjoyed Dairy Queen ice cream- William's favorite!

William had more fun sitting on his boxes than unwrapping them! He got a lot of cool stuff!

We sang happy birthday and over-endulged :)

And this was William's favorite gift, by far! He loves to play with the buttons and talk on the cell phone it comes with. Gotta start them early!

Happy birthday buddy!

Christmas- round 1

2008-12-21T17:01:00.009-06:00

Yesterday I celebrated Christmas with my extended family. We have a tradition of getting cabins at Mahoney, lots of good food, and hanging out together. As we get older, its harder to coordinate everyone being there.

This year, my sisters and I were in charge of the veggie tray. I also whipped up some desserts with the help of my sisters.

It took many tries to get the M&Ms to work, and i am so glad they did! Dont they look yummy?!

The chocolate ones were covered in sprinkles! Very festive!

And of course, Oreo balls! This was the last batch. Junior sprinkled these... I am still finding sprinkles all over the kitchen. He had fun doing it, so thats all that matters, right?!

After too much food to handle, we hung out and played Guitar Hero. My nephew Junior got in on the action and walked around with a Guitar- dancing and playing along! Super cute!

Uncle Mike and Junior rocking out!

Junior's solo!

Julie's turn...

...and Jaimie's turn!

And of course there was time for plenty of photos!

Jaimie and I....

Julie and I....

Junior sharing his cookie with the camera....

Junior using my shirt as a plate...

Uncle John....

Mike and Junior....

and the car ride home :)

Merry Christmas!

Good Day Sunshine

2008-12-16T14:16:00.003-06:00

I love the Beatles. Always have, always will. It is rare that I wake up without a Beatles tune stuck in my head. But enough of that.

I have good friends who have this amazing show... Yesterday and Today. Its sort of a Beatles Tribute, by a group of brothers who live and breathe Beatles. They pour their hearts out their on stage, and its simply amazing. Its the closest I will ever get to a Beatles show, and I can hardly wait to see it again. I recommend that everyone go see it. You will not be disappointed.

http://omahaplayhouse.blogspot.com/2008/11/interview-with-billy-mcguigan-from.html

Holiday

2008-12-16T13:49:00.006-06:00

Now that I am officially done for the semester, I am finally taking in the season. Shopping is done. Cards, done. Baking.... going to start tomorrow! I want to make goody bags for friends, so I really need to get on that!

Here is what I plan to do:

Delicious oreo truffles. I will make some regular and some mint flavored ones. They go really fast!

I will also try my hand at fudge this year. I want to make peanut butter and regular. Hopefully it comes out well!

Finally, I want to dip some pretzels in chocolate and almond bark. I love the idea of decorating with candy! They look so pretty!

The next thing I want to do is the tree. We wont decorate until after Christmas, as we wont be home for the holidays. I have heard a lot about the upside down Christmas tree... a fad from Canada (or so I hear!) They are really cool looking! What do you think??

I have been looking at Martha Stewarts website for other fun Christmas Ideas. Here are a few I really dig and hopefully will get around to trying this year!

First, I really dig this drum christmas tree! This should be simply enough to make, and simple enough that Mike will not hate the "clutter".

I LOVE to save cards. Mike HATES that I save cards. The solution... these recycled cards Christmas ornaments! Perfect idea, and seems to me to be a fair compromise!

These origami picture frame ornaments are really cute! The template is on Martha Stewarts website, and doesnt look too hard to make! Could be a fun craft.

Finally, I really love these button ornaments. They may take a bit more skill, but would look really simple on the tree.

Merry Christmas! I have my work cut out for me!

My Wedding

2008-12-15T20:27:00.010-06:00

As I have recently begun blogging, I missed my opportunity to talk about one of the best days of my life... our wedding.

Mike and I were married July 12, 2008. The whole wedding process was so much fun. From the moment we started planning the wedding, Mike and I vowed not to get caught up in details, and just enjoy the time. So many times throughout the process people asked questions about the wedding and made comments such as "...well, let me ask Jen, how is .... going...?" As if Mike would know nothing of the plans. Mike however, was heavily involved in the planning process from picking colors and cakes, to decorating etc.

As the date approached, I somehow came down with shingles. The irony? I was not stressed at all. Not in the slightest. I have been more stressed with school than the wedding. C'est la vie. My mother in law was awesome; came into town a week early and would not let me lift a finger. Up to the rehearsal dinner, I was in a great deal of pain and on a lot of pain medicine. And how did I feel on the wedding day, you ask? Awesome- no pain!

No one believed that I was getting married that day. When I was getting hair and makeup done, everyone commented that I was entirely too calm to be getting married that day. I was far from nervous or anxious. I was excited. Sure, there were many things that went wrong, but who cares?!?! I was getting married!

Kathryn was the most awesome flowergirl. We went shopping for her dress... found it in 10 minutes. It was under $30. We went for ice cream. She wore silver flip flops and was totally comfortable :) She is such a sweet girl!

The Pollock Boys. Its not often they all get to be in the same room now that everyone lives on separate ends of the earth! William was a stud that day! Look at that winning smile.

My sisters and I. We look good :)

Junior and I. He just learned to give kisses :) He is pretty cute, isn't he?! I am so glad the photographer captured this. It just may be my favorite picture.

*****************************

I was completely chill until the doors of the church opened, after that there was no hope for me! I could not stop crying- I was just so excited! The ceremony was beautiful. A good friend of ours wrote us a gorgeous song and sang it for us. One of Mike's students played Transformation on Pachebels Canon, also beautiful. Another dear friend, Mark Irvin sang for us. Obviously, music was a large part of our big day.

The best moment? "I do!" of course! I was so excited, I literally began jumping up and down and clapping :) Pretty sweet moment for sure!

Look at those smiles below! We are pretty happy :)

The rest of the night was great... nothing like a party with your closest friends and family. Getting together those who mean so much to you- simply wonderful. It was everything I dreamed.

And we will live happily ever after...

Photography

2008-12-13T09:08:00.009-06:00

Last weekend I went with my friend Christine to practice my photography skills. It was frigid cold, but fun! Here are some of the pictures I took.

This is sort of a "classic" shot of downtown. I really like the shadows in this picture.

One of the things I was trying to practice was taking a picture that wasn't "full on" and capture the detail. This is the best shot I got doing this.

Another thing I was trying to practice was capturing small details in a larger objects. I spent a lot of time trying to get it with the bridge... I still need some work. Cool angles though.

I really dig this one. It would be a perfect picture (in my eyes) if it were fall and those colors were a part of it...

This may be my favorite. Very "midwest" but I think it captures a lot!

I cant wait until spring to try again!!

Life

2008-11-13T17:27:00.002-06:00

I have had a lot on my mind lately, and no time to take time to get it out.

School has been incredibly chaotic- and its the time of year where deadlines are fast approaching. Some days I am incredibly optimistic and I know I can make through it; other days I am ready to drop out all together- and hide under a rock. Besides this stress, I have had people in my life that I considered to be a good friend get mad that I never have time to hang out with her- more that she thinks that I don't WANT to hang out with her. Although that is as far from the truth as it can be, it hurts to think that she thinks I have devalued our friendship that much. My schedule is incredibly hectic this year, and my free time is at a minimum. When I am done at the end of the day, I want to go home at 8 or 9 pm after a long day, hang out with husband, do homework, and do it all over again the next day. When I have free nights on the weekend, I take time to myself to relax or chill. It is in no way a reflection of our friendship. I am sad and sorry that this is what it is to you.

I have decided to run a half-marathon. I always set a lot of lofty goals, but they are never ME centered goals they always are good for something else or someone else. I have been really consistent running a minimum of 4 days a week and cross training at least one day a week. I am feeling great- I have never felt so good about myself. I have been keeping track of my workouts, my food intake, and just feel good. I feel like this goal is so far away, but that I will actually be able to do something selfishly for myself. I don't care if I am first or last as long as I finish.

I am thankful for friends. I have some really awesome ones. Ones that would do anything for me, and understand who I am and what I stand for. Who respect my life goals and will build me up on my bad days.

On another note, my wedding pictures are back today. Mike is picking them up as we speak! I cannot wait to post them and share them with all!

Photography

2008-10-24T09:35:00.005-05:00

I have always really enjoyed pictures. I love looking at them, taking them and sharing them with others. I really want to take a photography class to enhance my skills. I feel like I have a pretty good eye for it, but I also think I have room to learn more, better develop my eye. I love being outdoors, and love taking pictures of nature. Its such an easy subject to capture. Dont get me wrong, my nephew's are pretty awesome to take pictures of, but they are not pose-able yet :)

Here are a few of my favorites I have taken over the years. Some are scanned because they are older, but I hope you enjoy them!

This was taken at Garden of the Gods this July while on our honeymoon. Garden of the Gods is one of my most favorite places - its absolutely breathtaking.

This was taking in "Little Mexico" in San Diego. The color quality is not as vibrant as it is in the original picture due to scanning. This was such a fun area of town, and was my first experience with the Southwest.
Beaver Lake... another favorite spot in Colorado. It is always absolutely gorgeous every time I have made the trek to this beautifully hidden lake.

This is just a random lake I was driving by near Vail, Colorado. I hiked just a bit to find the best spot for the picture, and am proud of the results.

Another shot of the Garden of the Gods. Gorgeous.

My nephew's first birthday. Lovin' him some cupcakes....

He loves the marimba, and as a crawler, would do anything to be near it. Now he plays it like a pro. Uncle Mike is his favorite by far!
Snuggle time with Uncle Mike :)

And the perfect blackmail pictures... temper tantrums... such a faker :)

Just another day....

2008-10-22T19:22:00.002-05:00

I despise day's where I come home more stressed than I left.

Today started off typical... until I drove to practicum. I was running a few minutes behind this morning but wasn't too concerned- I only have a 5 minute drive. During the torrential downpour we experienced this morning my car just decided to die. At a red light while rocking out to Moses Prey, my battery light went on, followed by all the dashboard lights and a second later, my car completely died. I had no time to react- it just died. Of all the days to forget my cell phone! So, in the pouring rain, dress shoes and khaki's and stranded in the middle of the intersection I put on my hazards and run into the gas station nearby. The attendant delightfully greeted me with a "out for a jog in this weather?" and I explained that my car just died in on a very busy street and I needed to call for help.

"Bummer- here's a phone".

I called the police to help direct traffic (because those driving in rush hour morning traffic LOVE cars that breakdown in their route tremendously!). I waited patiently, in the rain for 15 minutes. Literally hundreds of cars drove by- not a single one stopped to help. A sheriff drove by- no offer for help. Two, count them TWO tow trucks drove by- not even a glance in my direction. Now had they not had to drive around my car to get through the intersection I wouldn't have been angry- but they had no choice but to see me or rear end me. Finally, two very nice men offered to push me around the corner into the gas station so I was no longer blocking traffic. To them, I am so grateful. They however, did not have jumper cables and soon left.

I spend the next hour or so at a gas station, trying to remember every phone number in my cell phone to get some help. I asked everyone who walked into the gas station if they had jumper cables, and if they did, if they would give me a jump start. Not a soul for about an hour. Finally, a man, very reluctant to help caved in and jumped my car. Very kind in a terribly cold rain. He said I reminded him of his daughter and he would be "pissed" if anyone ever treated his daughter that way. I am very thankful for his kindness.

I had just enough power in my battery to get me the 1 mile to my practicum site. I was able to get parked and my car completely died. I spent the rest of the day at the Middle School working diligently and feeling sad at the lack of trust that is present in our world today. It breaks my heart that people dont just stop to help another. We live in a world where we rush through life- but for what? I am no one to talk or point blame- I am not the first to help someone on the side of the road. Its just sad to think how much we hurt ourselves by rushing through life, thoughtfully trusting nothing; no one.

I try my best everyday to live by the golden rule-today I was reminded why.

What a day....

2008-10-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am tired of my mind running wild more than it should. If only I ran as much as my mind does....

I am list person. I carry small post-it notes with me everyday so that I can jot down everything I need to get done. Recycling a post it note feels much more rewarding than crossing things off a list... the list looks messy, and that bothers me. I am often teased, but back-off, it works :) I may be slightly OCD when it comes to organization, but I accept that!

This "list" thing seeps into all areas of my life, not just school. I have lists of life goals. I have mental lists of top 10... move over John Cusack! I have folders within folders, I color coordinate labels, folders, etc for topics, subjects, and whatnot. I am bothered when people are not organized in the same fashion as I am. I have re-organized countless materials to my organization. Its a guilty pleasure.

My love for organization leads me to my difficult day. My jump drive is my life. It is beautifully organized into many folders, folders within folders and folders within folders within folders; you get the idea. After loosing track of time I left Mr. Sony in a computer in the computer lab. You can all figure out what happened next. After anxiously sitting through my class, I went back to the lab, and of course, it was gone.

I didn't know what to do with myself. I sent out a search party, but had many failed attempts. I had a long list of things to do, and all that I needed was on Mr. Sony jump drive. I checked my email every 5 seconds, played around on Facebook, and paced around. Literally, I could not sit still for longer than 10 seconds.

Thankfully, my faith in humanity was restored and a wonderful woman returned to the lab with Mr. Sony jump drive. It is refreshing to know that there are good people out there! A bad day turned good!

Blogging

2008-10-15T17:19:00.000-05:00

As my life gets busier, and finding time to catch up with friends becomes more of a challenge than it ever should be; I figured blogging may be the best way to bridge the gaps.

School is very busy. I am enjoying a school based practicum in a nearby district. I am placed in both an elementary school and middle school which has been an enjoyable experience. I still find myself wondering where I should be in the future. Each level has a wide array of pro's and con's, but they all balance themselves out in the end. I still have such a strong passion for working with children with Autism, and am working towards my BCBA certification. If anything, this certification should make me more marketable globally.

I have become even more involved in the School Psychology program this year than I have been in years past. I am chairing the Mentoring Committee this year, which has a broad focus. Not only do we work with the new first years, but also in recruitment efforts, and the interviewing process. This has been a really fun and rewarding experiencing. I have learned a lot about building committee's, and have the opportunity to share with others my love for the UNO School Psych program.

I have developed a knack this year of having ideas that spring into larger than life projects. Some call it innovative, but some day's I call it a curse! From my EdS project (cyberbullying/online aggression and victimization) I have developed a strong research interest in the topic. Not only is this my EdS project, but I am also doing an evaluation of teachers, and other school personnel's view of cyberbullying policies. Hopefully I get a large number of respondents! I think the findings will be very interesting. Wish me luck :)

I love being a married woman, although I am having a terrible time learning my new name! Too many times to count where I have been called Mrs. P, and wasn't aware that other's were addressing me! It always makes me giggle. Mike's a pretty awesome husband I may add. He is currently married to a figment of his imagination because I am never home. I can't wait for the chaos to end so I can spend more time with him. And despite the fact that he hardly gets to spend time with me, he is super supportive and loves me just the same. I am a lucky gal. I may also interject that if he asks me again "Have you heard?" and bursts into the Bird is the Word Song as seen on family guy, I may revoke all Family Guy privileges! I fall for it every time to make him laugh, but I don't know how much longer I can do it :)

Life is great :)