Pie

Pie (in the name of love)
Wish I would've had pie at my wedding.

There is a national pie day?

There's a pie council?

I don't know if I can be this serious about pie.

goodbye 2009

goodbye 2009

my favorite thing about this year was making memories and learning how to use a camera so i can remember those times later on!!






saying goodbye to the worst, iciest, snowiest winter my area has seen in many years...



enjoyed spring!!





celebrated independence with friends







enjoyed the company of friends



got WAY more into gardening than i thought i would!



loved seeing my husband enjoy ministry and his job



partied





loved youth ministry and summer events with the youth



HAD WONDERFUL FOOD --- i love living in the pacific NW








had some family time....








enjoyed vacations











celebrated engagements





enjoyed my grandparents





mourned the loss of a family pet



celebrated accomplishments of friend's



hugged my husband as much as i could






this new year, 2010, holds some big changes ahead for us. i am excited, terrified, hopeful, courageous, and my heart is full of love and thankfulness.

josh i can't wait to walk into our new life together this year - i love you

at home

at home

josh justin katie tyler in the living room watching stargate season 4

me and beth at the kitchen table nanowrimo'ing

satsuma oranges on the table

happy scented candles in the house

gluten free spaghetti in my tummy

/happy

diet

my doctor wants me to keep a journal of everything i eat and how i feel
cause they cant figure out why im so auto immuney all the time latey - asthma, swollen painful joints, GI distress. Could be anything, 'cause autoimmuney stuff is like sometimes super hard to diagnose and manifest all weird (yah i dont really know even though ive lived with the stuff since i was a kid)

sooo anyway, i've been off of most dairy (except for a little cheese) for over a year now, which has helped a few things:

-my skin is clearer
-i have less allergies and therefore less asthma problems
-my tummy is not gassy anymore

now my doctor is investigating other foods like gluten and whatnots... i think it's a game to see how many foods she can find for heidi to not eat.

i know some of you must know or have yourself any experience with this stuff? what do you think? i am not really one to go researching the internets or myself, but i think i am almost to that point.

the most i have done so far myself is had some routine bloodwork (including IgA n'stuff which was all normal) and including vitamins which were all looow, so now I'm a super vitamin! regimen!

so advices. what do you think?

rain rain dont go away

i'm such a northwest girl because i'm loving the depressing grey endless rain.

it feels SO like home. that sunshine was foreign.

the only bad thing about it is the cieling over our nurses station was literally caving in today. not good. nooooot gooooooood. so, i had to chart in an awkard position at a makeshift desk in the hall while ladders and hammers and people with overalls on yelled at each other in cieling and made a lot of sterile equipment nonsterile with their toppling of things and spreading of cieling dust everywhere.

however once i got off of work me and josh had a nice impromptu pho dinner (mine was pho bu ba or something, it was suggested by the Vietnamese owner, it was spicy and amazing, i'm not going to describe because i'm not a foodie) and he took me to see the improv show with some friends. that was good times.

but now it's time to watch The Office.

fanta

someone who loves Fanta more than me

food pics

I found this article and the pictures made me think of cassie and kate:

http://bit.ly/hgTPv

i didn't actually read it but it was the pictures that i knew you would love - yummy!

also of note

also of note,
i will be back to blogging more often,
and generally live a happier,
more content life,
no longer depressed,
wish i could quit my job,
but i can't,
so i will keep working,
but at night i will write,
and take photos,
and cook good food,
and love my husband,
and read the Bible and pray,
and love my church,
and teach the kids on the weekend,
and life will be peaceful,
and restful,
for the following reasons:

- there is no more sun until probably April or May 2010 which cuts down on outside distractions and projects and travel.

- it's rainy out a lot and the drizzle is comforting

- it's friggin cold outside (boo!!!)

+ i'm cutting back on my commitments/activities because of BURNOUT!

+ my 365 photo project will be done at the end of October (so tired of looking at my face. srsly.)

+ i get to start on my annual NanoWrimo project in November! I have enjoyed this so much the past 3 years.

+ i pulled out all my tea and coffee and cocoa set and it sits out all the time now for everyone to enjoy a nice hot beverage

+ i like halloween and fall

+ soon it will be thanksgiving and good food

+ soon it will be Christmas which will be full of decorations and lights and celebrations and Happy

+ i'm going to take Josh out on dates because he has done that for me the past couple of months and it was really fun ^_^

+ i may actually paint the living room.... nahhh.

+ maybe i will finally find a cheap sewing machine. still looking. that would open up a whole new world of good home/house stuff to do that i've wanted to do for a long time.

pizza

josh and i kinda splurged, and got DELIVERY pizza. whoa. hadn't done that in a long time. so much fun. we ordered ONLINE. craziness!

he got his meat lovers bringer of death to all known animals pizza, and i got my thin crust veggie extra sauce no cheese pizza. heh.

okay, so we ordered it online, and then it arrived at our door! i was like, whoa. it even came with soda.

the delivery guy however was super creepy. and it stayed like, an awkward amount of time. he reminded me of "The Lingerer" (character on Jimmy Fallon's show). we were just like, dude, leave, okay, we'll sign, yes, we have a pen, okay, there, bye.

the pizza was really good.

mostly because we didn't have to go to the store or deal with anymore people (except for creepy pizza delivery guy) and there were no easter eggs or matzah cracker involved and no work and it was just like magic. and just in time. and we were refreshed, and played video games, and felt like real live people again.

the end.

greek independence bash

I think you need to see pictures of what it's like to celebrate Greek Independence Day with people who don't really know a lot about Greece, Greeks, Independence, or Days:

Don't have Greek Garb to wear? May substitute nearest island community apparel:




At least I know how to make the Greek food, sorta:



Jen had never had Greek food:




And like any good holiday, it should be ended by reading the FetaFilter Blog.

testimony

last night i really enjoyed bible study with my girlfriends - we took a break from bible studying (we finished the peasant princess series and next up is a workbook one that hasn't been shipped from the magic interwebs yet). anyway, last night i got to hear their testimonies (and share mine, which is like, blech, but whatever) and what God had been doing in their lives recently - it was really awesome.

and we had greek food. made by a mexican. i'm not so good at the names, so i call it greek salad (feta!!!!!!), cassie's soup (i think its avgolemono but it's just cassie's soup to me) and uhmmm pita bread and hummus and tzatziki and kalamata olives and ohhh man i'm getting hungry for leftovers....

post storm

Well the storm turned out to be not so bad afterall. We have power, we have seven inches of new snow and still falling, but no trees fell on our house, no shingles off the roof... it's great!

Church was cancelled again due to the fact that we're not going to make people drive in snow flurries, and I doubt they could get into the church driveway anyway. This really sucks for my hubby, I think his heart aches to cancel church, especially at this time of year, Christmas is when everyone wants to come to church, and we will not have a Christmas Eve service... which is very sad for me, because all past and recent memories of my happiest memories include Christmas Eve service at a church - the beautiful music and nothing lighting the hall but hundreds of tiny white candles held in the hands of the people while they sing "Silent Night" or something peaceful like that. Sigh. Oh well. Christmas Eve at home has always been very special too, so that will do.

However, the weather came at a good time for my hubby, too. He has a horrible, awful cold bug, that has really put him down and out, which rarely happens to him (well, compared to me anyway, I get a cold like every two weeks). So I've been making him comfort food. It may not be vitamin C tablets, but I think it's much more beneficial for his overall recovery. And I'm a medical expert, don't forget that.

I'm listening to Feliz Navidad play on the radio while I cook in the kitchen and write a little bit on the lappy - it's a happy day.

saturday sleep in

Today was wonderful. I finally got a good night's sleep, and I even took a nap. I feel like all the sleep I lost in November finally caught up with me. That and I have a cold.

So today so far hasn't been oh so productive practically speaking. I made fudge which made me feel Christmas-y. I'm planning the rest of the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow.

Mostly all of the errands were put on hold today. It's stormy outside and all the cold canadian weather is hitting us. I'm hoping for snow, lots and lots of snow. Josh is not so excited about the whole thing, he is in the church driveway right now spreading snow and ice melt. :-( Tomorrow we have to see how much snow and ice there really is, and warn the older church members to stay at home. (Our church driveway is wicked steep!)

So, nothing left to do except watch the snow fall, sip on tea, eat fudge and watch a good Christmas movie with my hubby.

lime

i like lime. if i have limes at home, i'll slice them and then squeeze lime juice on practically everything i eat or drink.

i think i have limes disease.

vince brought over this amazing cheesecake that was homemade with ghiradelli's chocolate and he left me some to eat and it tastes really good with lime squeezed on it.

the end.

lunch

Nothing exciting is happening at work today. I mean minus the heart attack and the heart failure and what not.

So I shall tell you about my lunch today. That I can eat at my desk, because there isn't anyone here to relieve me for lunch.

I went cwazy in the produce section. Apples sweet clementine oranges black plums bananas bing cherrries.

Mmph. I'm tired. We're going to fondue tonight!

monkeymunch

i was watching reruns of jon and kate plus 8 while i was sick the other day and i was like zoning out to it and then all of the sudden i saw her making something called "monkey munch" and i was like whoa, we totally used to make that all the time, except we called it chocolate chex or something, but anyway it's super good and at work today that's all i could think about was monkey munch, monkey muuuunnnccchhhh....... MONKEY MUNCH!! ....

so i made some.


and it was awesome.


i mean, still is awesome. cuz there is no way i can eat the whole bag in one sitting. that would be gross.


Ingredients
9 cups Chex cereal (I USE RICE CHEX MMMM)
1 cup
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Put chex in a large bowl

Put the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into a microwavable bowl.

Stir the ingredients together.

Microwave uncovered for a minute. Stir until melted. Microwave more if your microwave is wussy.

Pour over the cereal and mix in!

Put it in a big Ziploc freezer bag

Add powdered sugar, close the bag and shake until covered well

EAT IT ALL UP


**the internets says there is vanilla in it too but i dunno about that...

bok bok

We had bok! choy! tonight! bok! bok! choy!

Anyway, I think the month of April deserves some applause. It has been the most dreadful, snowy, rainy, coldest and LONGEST winter I have seen in my 23 years living in the Pacific Northwest. It wasn't particularly the MOST snow, the MOST rain, or the coldest EVER - or anything, just the most of all of the above, for an extended period of unrelenting time. And now, finally, the last few weekends in April, some sun here and there, and tolerably above freezing (most of the time). And flowerbuds.

Bad weather or not, we lived April to it's fullest and I have no complaints about the past month at all, it's been an immense lift to my spirits:


Josh took a full weekend off, so we both had the same two days off which never happens, and he took me to Seattle to be tourists and stay in a nice hotel. I always heard couples (usually older) talk about how it's important to get away, together, and how just getting away helps and whatever, I don't really know what they say about it exactly that is about the point that I start drifting off -- anyway, they are probably right. I felt like we were on vacation for five days, and I got home so refreshed, and felt closer and that I got to know Josh even better, and made memories - it was just, awesome.

Okay more pictures from that because all parts were fun:



We had brunch at the top of the Space Needle thus giving us free admission to the observation deck and much snapping of fotos.



The Seattle Center, Monorail, and downtown shopping are always fun, and I liked being Josh's tourguide (somewhat not so expert but lovable tourguide).





We met up with Michael Saturday night to see the Mariner's play what you could call baseball and catch a comedy show.

Weekend after that:



Took the train to stay with Lynnae (cousin) in Portland. Happened to be Earth Day weekend (Earth Day is a two week long event in Portland I guess). So, I saw pretty much the hippiest of the hippies, I'm pretty sure. I could be mistaken. But I'm pretty sure I'm not. It was fun though, but very cold. It was snowing at my house but luckily I was much farther south at the time - but Lynnae travels via bicycle, and so in all my pictures you see I am bundled up. FOUR layers. Brrr.




Meanwhile the church had sader, seder, sedar service and Josh will talk you ear off about it and how great it was, etc. etc. - Josh being the new pastor it was the first time this church had participated I think in a all-church thing, like this. Our sister church is messianic church and they do the whole sh-bang, so we will probably be participating more with these things I think. At least we would very much like to. I wish I had more to say about this but unfortunately I missed it due to me taking the train home. Which was a very enjoyable ride. Ahhh. Cars, never again.



Last weekend we stuck around and learned more about the history of our town. Not really though because the festival that was celebrating the town's founder was like a nonevent and we must've gone at the wrong time or something because there was no-one around except a guy selling kettle corn. But we stuck around town anyway, and it was fun. And people stacked rocks (impressive, actually, you should really check that out. I tried, so did Josh, but it was not half as impressive as those other rocks. For a few minutes I dreamed of what it would be like to stack big pointy rocks on top of little smooth round rocks for a living. But then I realized you can't make a living off of that.)

I really do like living up here, but I also like getting away and seeing other places. April, you've impressed me - but I am so ready for SPRING weather. Please?




P.S. I added photos to our "new home" set so you can see what it looks like with furniture and things, for those of you not able to come stop by!

tweekend

At 5:10 pm my weekend staaarts!

Yesterday was adventurous. Beth took us all (all including people I had never even met before) to a border town near Canada where it snows a lot. To eat chinese food. The best chinese food in the world. I think the place was 12 x 15 - and surrounded by other restaraunts that had "for sale" written on them. There was a lot of people in the restaraunt. There was one waitress for all of them. It was really good food - possibly because by the time you get there you are very, very hungry (because it takes so long!).

I had the #2 special with cashew chicken, fried rice, some sort of noodle something and prawns. It was delicious. The guy next to me I had just met ate the rest of the cashew chicken off of my plate. That was weird. But I didn't care cuz I was full.

We took another adventure to a farm type border town to a friend's house/workshop thing and made ice cream Sundaes and listened to history grad-students discuss things.

I'm back in the city now and I've had enough country for one week or two, or three. I haven't lived out in the country lands for a year or two now and I forgot already how dark it is at night, and what cows smell like.


Tonight should be fun when we decide what to do! Michael and Justin are coming to visit so you know it's going to be fun/ridiculous.

I'll catch you up on a few things since I haven't had time to post in awhile.

The most exciting thing that happened for Josh this week is that he got a new trash can. I've had this horrible long week at work so Josh was being nice and going "grocery shopping" for me (I usually do the shopping because when Josh does it somehow it ends up being much more of an expensive trip). Josh comes home very excited about this:



So, I really don't know what it is about guys and stainless steel step on trash cans, but apparently they are "the coolest!! thing!! ever!! must!! have!!". Josh explained to me his dilemma at Fred Meyers, does he get the $99.99 one that has a flat back and step on feature? Or the one that costs half that is round? (Apparently a flat back is much more desirable since it goes flush against the wall.) Josh chose the cheaper, which saved his ears much harmonics from me about the subject.

Josh also brought me home flowers one night:


And food. Food is very important. He knows I love Olive Garden to go.

The rest of the week I really haven't done anything but work it seems like - we did have people over for dinner and Bible study Wednesday like we always do, which is becoming my favorite part of the week. I like having people over and eating food together. Grilled cheese tomato basil sandwiches with tomato or butternut squash soup is good, or this week we had never ending pasta bowls, linguini or spaghetti with red or alfredo sauce. I think I just like cooking for more people than just two. It's 6 x more fun.

Yesterday I came home from work (late) and laid down on a pillow on the living room floor, and that's the last thing I remember. I was so tired that I instantly fell asleep and woke up only to get into bed and sleep there the rest of the night. Probably the lamest Friday night ever. I'll try to make it up tonight.