Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Crystal!  

I wish I had a picture from the first night I met you... because I remember it really well.  Charlie and I were at you and Nic's apartment... waiting for you, Nic and Risa to come from somewhere.  And I was Obviously very nervous about meeting you all.  But you came in... and you were all so warm and nice and welcoming and you talked to me about speaking Spanish and your time abroad in Spain.  And then I felt silly for being so nervous about meeting everyone.  

And now, almost 5 years later, SO much in all our lives has changed... but I can see how God has orchestrated it all into very beautiful things.  You contributed(?) the most amazing addition to our family :) And live in Pointe Coupee! (Which I love.) And you remain an amazing wife and mom!

You performed miracles for me at Charlie and my wedding. Yours is a talent I am very thankful to have in the family :)

That was during that whole crazy fall of two weddings and a baby! You were a trooper. And I will swat mosquitoes off of your back anytime!

I am so blessed to have you as a sister-in-law!  You have so much wisdom and perspective on things! I'm thankful I will have that to lean on as Charlie and I approach new stages to our life.

I definitely miss having girl-time! 

I love this picture of you... I feel like it really captures how beautiful of a mama you are!  Fox is blessed to have you as a mom, and we're all so blessed to be your family!

I pray this year is full of more blessings, surprises and joy!!  We miss and love you!

:D

Charlie!
I'm so excited for you!
Tomorrow is your first day at your new job.
You're going to learn more about vegetable production.
And Maple Syrup.
And HoneyBees.

You deserve a really great, fun, exciting job.
Thanks for hanging in there until this one came along!!

Iron Chef

Charlie is trying to inspire to chef hidden inside of me, so he got me (upon request) a Cooking Light subscription for Christmas! Great gift.  And I think it's working!

So far I have made Miso Chicken, which was a big hit. I made it in the crock pot instead of marinading it and then cooking it stovetop. I actually think it may have turned out even better this way. YUMMY.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/miso-chicken-50400000118603/


Next, I attempted this:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grapefruit-pound-cake-50400000118562/

Grapefruit Pound Cake.  #1: NEVER attempt to zest 2 Tablespoons of grapefruit zest without proper equipment. OMG. It literally took me 20 minutes. And a sore neck.  And I gave up before I got 2T. And then Charlie didn't like it, and I did... so I had it eat it all. Yuck. So make this one at your own risk.

And finally, I made this:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/shrimp-lemon-saffron-rice-50400000118563/


It was very good.  We used crowder peas instead of sweet green peas, so I added them in at the beginning so they could soften with the onions and bell pepper.  It could have used a touch more salt, but it was very good! We also used plain white rice instead of instant rice, so it cooked longer there, too... I'm sure you could do brown rice instead, too! Charlie got seconds, so I know he liked it!

I think we're both pleased with how this Christmas gift is turning out.  And. Let's face it. We have freezers full of food just waiting for recipes to use them up!

brr

thinking warm thoughts....

Peace

God's peace is so amazing.
I don't think there's a way to fully describe or quantify the affect if can have on you.  And I say quantify instead of qualify because I feel like there's a true tangible element to it.
When I found out I was going to Oklahoma for the summer, I started FREAKING OUT.  Like... crying all the time and my heart was beating uncontrollably, and I was shaky... and I physically felt my mind and body reacting to this very unwanted and unexpected thing.  And I hated my attitude about it.  I hated that I didn't feel peace and even that was confusing because I wasn't sure if that meant it was wrong and I should try to get out of it or if that meant I just didn't have enough faith to believe I would be put in the right spot.
But oh my goodness.  I feel exponentially better now.  Yes, there is a chance I'll get relocated back to Northern Minnesota (yay)!  But I even feel okay about letting go of that and just accepting what comes. It's maybe not what I perceive to be ideal (poor Charlie :( ), but... I can't describe it.  It's just the peace of God that transcends understanding.  
Nothing really changed... just praying, offering to God a sacrifice of praise... and letting go.
Thank you God! That is a MIRACLE if I've ever seen one.

blogblogblog

i still haven't come up with a brilliant answer for the accomplishment i am most proud of or my career goals.  (i don't even know what i want to DO yet except love people.) but i need to get on that.  my application is due soon.

I'm really excited about some new projects I'm working on this year.  once a month I get to help with a neurodevelopment clinic helping (my adviser) with kids with autism-spectrum disorders. i am really looking forward to learning more about that... and it's amazing i get to tag along!  along those same lines, i may be applying for a fellowship for next year working with kids and families of neurodevelopmental delays.  amazing! (and it wouldn't hurt if it helped pay for schooool!)

in other news... we had to make the puppies throw up yesterday.  we ran to target, and when we came back, we found that rufus had devoured the entire contents of my purse. meds. med bottles. lotion caps. walnuts and craisins. maylox. an entire package of peanuts (entire meaning he ate the packaging, too.)  so i went into freakout mode since i didn't know what punkin had eaten... so we decided we had to make them both throw up.  enter hydrogen peroxide.  we gave them their doses and took them outside to run around and make it work!  punkin was the first to go.  but, turns out, she didn't eat anything from my purse.  so then we knew rufus had eaten like 30 ibuprofens and benadryls.  so we gave him more hydrogen peroxide.  still nothing.  so we brought him back inside (since we were freezing) and waited. and gave him more, and waited.  well. he's been throwing up since yesterday. everywhere.  yum! (who eats plastic?)

also. today. i had to drive in LOTS of snow for the first time.  it actually was kind of scary.  interstates had plenty of snow on them... i was slipping around a bit and spinning my tires.  but they do a pretty amazing job of clearing it all... by the time i headed home from the new field experience i have at a school it was all cleared on major roads! Praise God!

today is a better day.

AND it's snowing. today is a good snow day.

accentuate the positive

when you don't know what to say, talk about the weather.

it's going to be -12 tonight. i can honestly say i think that's a first for me.

Hebrews 13:15

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

great expectations

It's so amazing to me how many expectations we put on things. Even when we don't try... even when we (maybe just me) try to keep an open mind about how something might look, we still internally have this expectation about what it will ACTUALLY be. I want to be more open-minded. I don't want to impose how I think things should go onto situations or people or circumstances. God is wild. His ways aren't our ways. I know that because He usually *coughnever* does things the way I think they should go. It's not bad. It's just not what I would have thought. ENTER: Ada, Oklahoma. 14 hours from Saint Paul. 4 hours from Russellville, AR. 9 hours from Oscar, LA. 7 hours from Kansas City.

Beginnings

Okay semester #2. Let's do this.

this stinks. i'm going to write a very detailed memoir of our tragic journey, but for now just know we have a fixed car.. and are sad this didn't work out, but know something good can come of it all. :( doesn't make it feel much better.

if you haven't heard.......

We're making a trip south!! wooo! I would LOVE to see YOU! This trip is going to be very eventful. And PACKED. Charlie really wanted to make this trip a drive, so hold on to your tires because we're going to be burin' up the road. Wednesday: Leave at 5am when Charlie gets off of work on his night shift for inventory. Charlie naps while I drive, I nap while Charlie drives... Spend the evening with my parents. (12 hours of driving). Thursday: Leave early morning for Louisiana... spend the afternoon and evening in Pointe Coupee! And hopefully see a nephew that lives across the street! (7.5 hours of driving) Friday: Charlie wants to hunt, crawfish, and take the doggies to the back to swim and play. I also hear we are picking up two nephews from school, and having a bonfire. Saturday: Again, Charlie wants to hunt, crawfish, and be a Pointe Coupee man! Aaaand I think there are some other things planned? Sunday: head out early for Arkansas. Stop through (hopefully) to see my Aunt and Uncle in Eudora. Then finish the trip up to Arkansas. Spend the evening with the folks. (7.5 hours of driving) Monday: Leave EARLY for Kansas City... spend at least the afternoon with Susan, Al, Caleb and friends from JBU. Leave in the evening and finish the 7 hour drive back to Saint Paul! (12 hours of driving) LOTS of driving. 2 dogs. New tires :) LOTS of family and friends. Lots of Pointe Coupee! (well.. maybe not LOTS, but it's all we've got! So let's enjoy it!!) Can't wait to see you!!

Really, Pointe Coupee?

You had to be THE worst in the country?!




*EDIT* I failed to attach the article that goes along with this that mentions Louisiana is last in childhood nutrition, and Pointe Coupee is the worst in the state. Wow.

Surprise!

I love nutrition.
I spent the last two days at a pediatric nutrition conference we could opt to go to.... Not many girls in the program went (I know people are busy and work and it's break) but I just loved it.

If I know you, I probably thought of you at some point during the different topics. Ask me and I probably have a tip for you :)

It feels so good to be doing something I love, am passionate about, and am good at, too!

I have impeccable taste

Impeccable. When it comes to animals.
I was actually just pleading with Charlie to stop buying pork. I don't know what it is, but that is one animal I just can't eat... for the animal's sake.  Look at this pig!! Look at him!  Generally speaking, I really want Charlie and I to be stewards of whatever meat we eat.. meaning things he hunts... or raising our own chickens and turkeys.  I like this because we then know the animal has been treated fairly, fed healthfully, and had a good life.  Charlie thinks I'm dorky (although he's on board with eventually raising all our own meat).  But he says I have terrible taste in animals. Dorky animals, he calls them.

Just look at that face!

Camels, too. LOVE them.

You know I'm obsessed with a platypus.

king cake season

Dear King Cakes,
I miss you.  Very  much! They pretend like they make them up here in Minnesota, but they're fakers.  They're not real king cakes. Look at that.
However much I miss you, I'm kind of glad you don't live up here.  Or else I would be eating one of you every week (probably).  Not cool.  In fact, I'm giving up sugar alltogether.  We'll see how that goes, but not having you around will certainly help.
Mmk. Love you,
Stephanie

Help!

So. I'm applying like a mad-woman to scholarships for next year. 

And I'm stumped by a question... so here's a shout-out to anyone who reads this blog (since you probably know me best)

What is my most significant accomplishment? In less than 100 words.

This is a dietetics scholarship application... so I'm thinking they want something nutritional? But I'm not sure?
HELP?

Welcome 2012

You have a lot to live up to.

This year, I want to be more confident.  I know my confidence has to be rooted in who God is and that He is living in me.  He supports me, shapes me, and is always with me.  We are separate and yet unified.

I also want to walk in complete obedience.  In everything. 

God, open my ears so I can hear you clearly.

Deuteronomy 28

Blessings for Obedience

 ¹ If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:  ³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
 ⁴ The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
 ⁵ Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
 ⁶ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
 ⁷ The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
 ⁸ The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
 ⁹ The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him. ¹⁰ Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. ¹¹ The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
 ¹² The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. ¹³ The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. ¹⁴ Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

i know it's dorky...

but here is 2011 in facebook status updates!
some favorites?
SANDWICH (as in charlie made me a chocolate chip sandwich)
SOUTHERNERS
BELLY
FLURRIES
HOGS
RAZORBACKS
DIGITS (As in single digit temperatures)
PUNKIN