Trying to Remember

I am hoping I can catch on to blogging again. In the past year and a half I have gotten married, moved to a new city, had two different jobs (at different times) and just haven't had a spare min. to really blog.

I am now a stay at home mommy - although baby K is still in my tummy. She will be here soon and so I am busy nesting and preparing for baby.

Hopefully I will get back into the swing of blogging, b/c I do love it. :)

SO much work...

Hope you all are doing well. It has been awhile since I have posted.
My husband and I have been working on the landscaping of our house and I wanted to share some pictures with you.

Landscaping Project (click here)

The first picture you will see is of our house 3 years ago before the front door was painted, before the storm door, and before anything was planted. We had to use a picture from 3 years ago as the start picture because we forgot to take a before picture just before we started the "rock wall" project.

We jumped into this project because we needed to add some good top soil to our flowerbeds, we had hard clay in there and no amount of compost, sand or stirring in new top soil was helping. A nursery suggested we either raise our flowerbed or dig our beds out 12-18" deep and then refill with good top soil. Both options were a huge task! We chose to raise the beds and it looks great!

We look forward to planting some colorful flowers this spring. Some of our shrubs will be yellow come the end of Spring and Summer, just so you know that everything planted will not always been the same shade of green.

One last note - doesn't my husband do an AWESOME job keeping our yard green?! I think it looks fantastic!

Try This!

New Favortie Recipe! My hubby and I LOVE this new meal!

Basil Chicken Over Angel Hair Pasta

I scaled this down for 2 people. It is perfect with a salad and a piece of bread or any side veggie. Healthy and de-lish!
the recipe is on All Recipies.com if you want to make it for 4 or more people.

Basil Chicken and pasta for 2....

4 oz. angel hair pasta
1tsp. olive oil
1/4c chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
1c cooked & cubed chicken breast halves
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2Tb. Fresh Basil chopped (or 1-2 tsp. dried basil)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp of hot pepper sauce
Parmesan cheese to garnish.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until it is al dente, about 8-10 min. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic. Stir in tomatoes, cooked chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to med. and cover skillet.
Simmer 5 min., stirring frequently until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss Sauce with hot cooked pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper to taste.

***Here's a great idea! I made my pasta ahead, only boiling it for about 5-6 min and then stored it in a zip lock bag in the fridge. Then I cooked up my chicken mixture and stored it in another zip lock bag.
Then later in the week I but the chicken mixture and the pasta in a large skillet and heated them through and then served them up (this will also finish cooking your pasta that you didn't cook for the full time before). You can have dinner in literally minutes with little clean up!

***I have enjoyed taking my raw chicken and seasoning it with a little salt and pepper and then cooking it on the grill, when cooked through let the meat "rest" for a least 5 min (so it will hold it's juice and remain tender) then cut into bite size pieces. Adds a yummy grilled flavor to the chicken.

A NEW fave...

Piztros! (click here)

You've got to eat here. It is fun and funky and not like the typical places to eat around here.

The food is GREAT!

Also the dessert is very tasty.

The ambiance is really cool.

My favorite dessert....

Pana Cotta, a creamy vanilla custard chilled in a chocolate cup with caramlized sugar on top...it is really big and we usually share it.

A Good Night's Sleep...

We just got an AMAZING new bed!!!!!
We were sleeping on a very old, very firm bed. I litterally felt as though I had been hit with a bat on my shoulders and hips every morning when I woke up. My bones and joint would crack and pop for hours.
Finally we both agreed that we were not getting the sleep or rest our bodies need to be healthy so we began to look for a new bed.

We are now the proud sleepers on a Denver Mattress called the Durango.
We LOVE it. I feel about 5 years younger when I wake up, ready to do anything. I can't feel my husband get out of bed in the morning because the bed has individual springs instead of springs that are connected to one another. The top of the mattress is quilted but not a pillow top.
Best of all, we got a King size bed - Oh my goodness, there's a TON of room!

We are sleeping like never before and couldn't be happier.

I'm Back...

This married life and working really keeps ya busy.
Just to update you all on a few things, I am still working for Victoria's Secret, I actually got a promotion and am now on the management team. I still get to work part time (which is usally about 25-30 hours a week) and I am really enjoying the ladies I work with. It has been a great opportunity to meet some new people and to get out of the house and have something, other than cleaning and going to Target, that I can be doing while my husband is at work.
Also we did find a church here. We are going to Eastside Community Church and we Love it. We are going to be in a young couples small group that starts on Thursday night. There are four couples in our small group counting us and the crazy thing it that I know two of the couples through my former job and we just all ended up at the same church within the last few months. The fourth couple in our group are really great too, I can't wait to know them all better and spend some time learning God's Word and heart with these couples.

The hunt...

Well I am offically married, it was a beautiful wedding a so much fun to share it with all of our close friends and family. My husband (I love saying that!) is wonderful and I love him So much (as I should).

We went on our honeymoon, came home, we have been going through gifts, my husband is back at work and I have been trying to put our house together, Christmas shop, cook dinner, clean and look for a job.

The job hunt is offically ON. I forgot how much work it is to get a job. I was at my last job for almost 8 years so I'm a little rusty. I would love to work with kids, maybe be a para or teacher's aid or work at a daycare or preschool. Jobs are few in those areas at this time of year. I am still applying a hoping for openings but I have decided in the mean time I think I will try out a retail job. Truthfully, I like working retail. It doesn't pay much but you meet lots of interesting people and usually you work with fun people. I need to make some friends around here.

We found a church that we are going to plant ourselves in and try out on a more regular basis, that hunt has come to an end or at least a pause.

I am looking forward to Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Saviour for the first time with my new hubby and my in-laws (who I totally love) and spending time with my family too.
Over the holiday we also hope to do some projects around the house, so if your in town come on by and we'll give you a hammer or a paintbrush or something.

Our next hunt...a new bed! Our current bed has a ditch in the middle of it, we just roll into the middle like we are wrapped in a taco. My back, shoulders and neck are screaming at me to get something different.

Merry Christmas!
love
Correnta

8 Days and counting....

In just 8 days I am getting married, to this wonderful man!



I can't wait to share the rest of my life with him. :)
Wedding details are coming to an end and the day is approaching...
8 days and counting...

Great Friends & Great Finds

My Roommate (top pic, gal on the far left) had a birthday at the beginning of October. Some friends and I surprised her with a trip to Chicago to see her dream...The Broadway musical, "Wicked"
The musical was/is amazing! The trip was so fun I so enjoyed my time running around Chicago with you gals

Ethels Chocolate Lounge...someone please open this store in my town!!! I will work there! I'm telling you people, you have got to check out an ethel's chocolate lounge near you, and if there isn't one, they hop on a plane to Chicago...it is one of the greatest places in America. And the chocolate is amazing!! Oh, if I lived on the same street with Ethel, I could be a city girl just to live by her.
I could go there every day for a taste of chocolate, a coffee and a chat with friends or read a book.

We had lots of other fun on our trip, seeing art, eating out, shoping, the L-train, people watching, laughing laughing laughing, and just enjoying time away from real life. Happy Birthday roommie, I had a blast celebrating you and your day.

Basically, my friends are awesome and Chicago is a great place to visit, I can't wait to go again.

Snap! Quick & Easy

Just to update you on Leviticus and Leprosy...
the traps worked and Leviticus and Leprosy have gone on to mice heaven, or something like that.
I'm going to set the traps again and wait a few days just to make sure they don't have any friends shacking up with them and then I'm going to clean up the mess they left for me. Oh Joy.

Meet L & L

(not actual photos of "my" mice)

Last month when I was getting the lawnmower out of my shed, I saw a little brown field mouse. I jumped and screamed. I meant to put a trap in there and kill it and set a second trap just to make sure there were not any other mice I had yet to meet.

I forgot.

Today I went to get the lawn mower out, which I discovered is not working. Anyway, there are 2 mice in there now, at least that's how many I saw today. They have gotten into the big bags of mulch I stored in there and have made quite the little home for themselves not to mention all the poop everywhere - crap!!!!!!!

SO, I did not mow the lawn, and my yard is embarrassing - beyond embarrassing, like I should be kicked out of the neighborhood, I did set two traps and I am totally grossed out!

I decided maybe the mice would seem less gross if they had names, I am going to name them Leviticus (b/c mice are gross and there are some gross things in that part of the Bible), and Leprosy because it's also a gross word.

I guess naming them didn't make them more likable. Shoot.

Well I hope Leviticus and Leprosy die soon so I can clean up the mouse poop, clean up the mulch and set more traps in hopes that if more mice come they will die upon entry.

Let's hope Leviticus and Leprosy haven't started their honeymoon!!!! Yikes! Baby mice are more nasty than grown mice, b/c they don't have fur, they are naked!!! Ok, I have to go throw up now (just kidding).

Yea, I'm Engaged!

How exciting! Last night I thought I was going to the movies with my roommate. I also thought that my boyfriend was driving to KC to meet up with his friends before they leave for their Guys Vacation weekend. I was out running errands, getting ready to go pick up my roommie for the movie when I got a phone call from one of my students. She told me she had been at Old Stadium and her car would not start. She asked if I could come help her out, jump-start her car or call AAA. Of course I said certainly and I headed over there. I called my roommie to tell her I would be running late.
When I arrived at Old Stadium Nessa was there waiting and I said, "Hop in, I'll drive you to your car." She asked, "Hey, can I show you something?"
I was puzzled. It's 107 degrees outside and I'm thinking, "Don't you just want to get your car moving and I am trying to make the 7:30 movie?" I could see whatever she wanted me to see she thought was important and worthy and that I would possibly enjoy it, so I went along. I parked the car and followed Nessa. She told me that what she had seen and wanted to show me was really cool and that I would love it or think it was neat (not sure what words she used but that was the general idea).

I said, "Oh my gosh! Can you see the new Jumbotrons at the new stadium from here?! Those things are awesome, can you see them all the way from here?!" I am such a dork! That is seriously how excited I get about K-State football we're at the old stadium and I just assume whatever she has to show me is related to football some how. She laughed and said, "What's a Jumbotron?" (by the way you can't see them - there are far too many trees and buildings and it's several blocks away...I'm a nut, what was I thinking? Duh!)
Nessa told me what she was going to show me was better than that. Now, I like to try and guess things and my imagination goes crazy when I know a surprise is coming...so as we're walking I start to think of a 2nd guess...think think think...I ask "Oh my gosh, is Bill Snyder sitting out here or something?" (My mind is really getting into the football spirit here...but it's a random mind b/c Why and When has Bill ever hung out at Old Stadium, especially when it's 107 degrees outside) I am Crazy, which I realize after the question came out of my mouth, so I laughed it off. Nessa said, "Just wait, you'll see in just a second."

Ok...here's the part of the story you really want to know. We turn the corner and start to head up the stairs to the top and as I look up there he is, My Boyfriend! He had been sitting and he stood up and we saw each other and I yelled from the bottom of the stadium, "SHUT UP!" Then I looked at Nessa and said, "SHUT UP! Are YOU Serious?" I was cracking up and very very surprised. Nessa gave me a hug bye (thanks sweetie for being such a special part of my day, I'm so glad you are part of my engagement story, I love sharing life with you!). I climbed to the top to be with my man. (sorry no names I always change people's names in my blog to keep a little privacy and I haven't come up with a good pseudo name for him yet)

So we are standing together at the top of Old Stadium, my favorite place in Manhattan (see Feb. blog archive) and he shares with me wonderful things about me and us and how wants to share life with me. We are both really excited, a little teary and shaky. Oh, he said, "I know this is one of your favorite places, so I wanted to surprise you and meet you here, and I'm hoping that this place will no longer be your favorite place, but that it will become one of our favorite places." Aaahhh...

Then he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife and I said, "Yes, Yes, Yes." He put the ring on my finger and we told each other, I love you, about a million times. I think I may have jumped up and down a few times like a little kid.

It's so amazing to me how much in life has changed in the past year and I am sure that I will be more amazed after this coming year passes.
I love the Old stadium. I have spent many hours over the past seven years going there on nice days, lemonade or coffee in hand along with my Bible and sometimes a journal - climbing to the top and sitting there hanging out with God.

I was just thinking the other day about how this time last year I went to Old Stadium early one morning. I was so sad and just needed some time with God. I remember crying out to Him, wondering if he was dismissing the desires of my heart (some of them being to be married, to be seen and loved) feeling like good things were only happening to those around me. I remember crying also b/c I knew God was blessing me every day but I couldn't "see" it and I didn't "feel" it. I prayed he would help me to see where he was at work in my life. I was crying so hard that day and I didn't have any tissue to blow my snotty dripping nose so I took my socks off and used them - they were soaked (gross, huh).

God heard my cry and the prayers of many others on my behalf. I witnessed him answer those prayers over and over again this past year, but never did I even think he would redeem that day a year ago with a marriage proposal a year later at that very place were I had cried out to Him. I guess Old Stadium is an Ebenezer in my life now - a monument to remind me of the faithfulness of my God, my Jesus, and a reminder that God hears his people and cares for them deeply.

Praise you Father for your faithfulness. Praise You Praise You - May my heart never forget it!

Finally I just want to say that we are getting married in Manhattan on Nov. 18th (of this year!) and our reception will be at the Alumni Center...located nowhere other than...THE Old Stadium...
How cool is that?!

(there is a pic of Old Stadium in my Feb. blog archives if you want to check it out...my blog is not cooperating right now for me to post the pic again)

Aaahhh.....

What a cute couple! :)
I love this picture.
It's silly and off center but really sweet and I just had to share it with the blog world.

P.S. Honey, I hope you're ok that I posted this without your permission. ;)

Update on Matt...

This is a journal entry from Matt's dad. He posted it about 4:30pm today.

Day +7 (July 20)

Matt had a pretty good night, but had rough morning. He needed platelets to try and get the internal bleeding (in his vomit and stools) stopped. They have actually raised the threshold of needing platelets from 10K to 40K, so he will likely be getting more transfusions until he can maintain that level.

He was doing well non-the-less, so Di and I decided to both head to the National Marrow Donor Program to speak at their monthly staff meeting. (They had asked us if we would last week) There were about 200 in attendance and another 150 on the phone. It was great to finally meet so many of the people that we've talk with over the last 5+ years. Alexandra even stood at the front of the room and said "thank you" to the crowd. We left right after our talks and headed back to the hospital.

Unfortunately, Matt was throwing up when we walked into the room. The mucusitis is getting worse and his lips are swollen and the pain has increased in his stomach and lips. This pain is the cause of his getting sick. He continued to have a "bad day" until about 2:30 and then turned the corner. He is doing pretty good right now. Hopefully that will continue through the night.

His hair is starting to fall out, he said, "I'm just not ready for that yet, dad" I told him he only had a day or two of it left but not to worry, it will be back before he knows it. More later.

Pray

Click here to view video from a St. Louis News Channel about Matt.

Only a few more hours until Matt will recieve his Bone Marrow transplant. The offical time of surgery is scheduled for 1:30am July 14th. Today there is a woman somewhere in the US who is having cells drained from her body and later they will be flown to MN. for the doctors to give them to Matt.

The road ahead is long. Matt is already sick from treatments to prepare his body for transplant and it is only going to get worse before it gets better.

If you watch the news clip you will be able to see and hear from Matt's parents and you will see Matt in his hospital bed taking medicine.

On their Web Journal they have asked that you take time to pray for Matt today, but also that you would take time to hug your loved ones and celebrate life today - for Matt.
Something to pray:
(a quote from the web journal)
"just believe with us these cells can take over this little child's body and make it new again. He is moaning from the pain fighting high blood pressure and fever as I write. The nights are long as he needs so much care and constant monitoring. He will be on morhine soon for the pain and is on TPN through his IV line for nutrition but he insists on standing in the shower and walking to the bathroom as much as possible. His sweet spirit soars with hope and more love for his family and friends than any of you can imagine. Thank you and celebrate life for Matt today."

Alex & Matt

Thanks for ALL your prayers.
Praise God we have Hope!

Yummy!!!

My new favorite recipe...and who would have guessed Salmon! Not me...but I love it. I actually made it twice last week and truthfully I'd eat it again tomorrow, but I don't want to burn myself out on it. I don't really enjoy eating fish, but I feel like I should for certain nutrient reasons. Well, now I get the best of both worlds.
You have to try this recipe - even if you're not sure. Let me know what you think.
Props to All Recipes.com and to Arnie Williams, who submitted the recipe.
Also, we have Dillions (Kroger grocery) here and they sell individual portions of Salmon for $1/4oz serving...amazing price!
I served it with roasted potatoes, and a spinach salad w/ dried cranberries and a sweet vinaigrette dressing.

Baked Dijon Salmon
Submitted by: Arnie Williams Rated: 5 out of 5 by 993 members
Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 35 Minutes Yields: 4 servings
"Salmon fillets brushed with honey and Dijon mustard, coated with bread crumbs and baked."

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 teaspoons chopped fresh
parsley
4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.
In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
3.
Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.
4.
Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Matt

It's me again...posting for Matt, my little cousin I told you about in my previous post titled, "a must read"

Matt very much wants strangers and friends to sign the guest book on his website. He wants to hit 500,000 signed guests before the 13th. He is getting close.

Please take a min. or two and sign his book, tell him how you found out about him, the city, state you live in and anything else you may want to share (an encouraging word, a prayer, a funny story, anything is fine).

go to www.alexandmatt.com
you can click on the guestbook link there.
also you can click on "journal" to read daily updates of their journey and prayer requests. Pray pray pray for this life saving transplant!

Matt will have his transplant on July 13th, they have been wrestling with the insurance company who did approve his transplant and then yesterday told the hospital it was not approved. I think they are back on track again and insurance is back to their previous verdict to cover the expenses. What a ride!

Thanks again for your prayers - also don't forget to sign the guest book - even if you don't know him he would LOVE To know you are praying and thinking about him.

A Virtual Pet??

Yeah, read my previous post entitled, "opps" then read this one.

So meet Sweetness...who it turns out is not so sweet but ended up costing me part of my blog template. Now underconstruction. Sweetness is a boring pet. All she does is eat fish and fall of the ice and jump back up. Sweetness also looks depressed, probably from the boring life she has. Who comes up with these things and how did I get sucked into it? Good thing Sweetness comes free and can be deleted. ;) Shh...don't tell PETA.

opps...

Well I am silly and in some down time today as I was cruising through some other blogs I ran across a blog that had a virtual pet on it...I thought this is silly but I think I will put one on my blog. Anyway I got it on here and it messed up my whole blog template. Then I deleted it and somewhere along the way I ended up deleting my "favorite Blogs" link and my "links" link.
Crap!
Well one of these days I'll get them back on there but it's not gonna be today.
Sorry.
Technology!

Here I am...And this is a MUST read...

Oh my, how time flies! I cannot believe it's been a whole month since I posted last - although I'm sure some of you feel as though it's been much longer than a month. I actually feel like I have several post ideas in my hip pocket these days, so I hope to be blogging more.

Currently I do not want to post about myself, but about a sweet little boy and his family that would appreciate all the prayers you could pray for them. The little boy is Matt (9 years old), my cousin, and he is in Minneapolis for a bone marrow transplant. After 5 long years of searching they have not found a perfect match but they have found a match that is close so they are going to try it. We are trusting God for Big Big things. We have seen the faithfulness of God in many ways, not to mention His healing touch in the life of Alex, Matthew's big sister, who is now five years past her own bone marrow transplant for the same health reasons.

I could type and type about how precious these children are (like all children). Please Pray, link to their website, just a click away, look left and click "Alex and Matt" or www.alexandmatt.com

Matt's mom, Diane, keeps a jounal on their webpage so you can keep posted of how things are progressing. They are now at the Ronald McDonald house and Matt is recovering from some surgery prep. like procedures to prepare his body for the actual transplant. Things are difficult, his body is under a lot of stress - this seems like such an understatement.

Actual Transplant is Scheduled for July 13th.

The journal entry Diane posted today reads:

I am happy to report, Matt is doing much better..still very sore from surgery and worn out, but pukes are gone and he is recovering as expected. The kid is one tough cookie...he scrunches up his face with pain, but hardly cries. His nurses are amazing and they share good jokes. So, it is getting better...can you imagine how many times I have repeated, "All things are possible with God" in just three days? I will detail more later as the day is packed with more tests. Alexandra is coughing a little, but got some arts and crafts time yesterday here with the RM crew and today gets to go Strawberry picking up at White Bear LAke with them, too. She needs a good distraction and is the best little nurse for her brother...I am quite proud of them both to say the least!

A few days ago Diane posted this verse, I think it is a good word to be praying for all of them.

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27
Posted by Diane Pearl

From left to right:

Austin (big brother), Diane, Mark

Matthew and Alex