snow

It snowed last night.
And sleeted.
And rained.

It's actually really beautiful outside.  I wish my computer had blue tooth so I could post some pictures! All the trees and branches are white... and the sidewalks and the roads. :) Pretty day!

Hey, Duck!

Someone just called and offered me a grant for some of my living expenses this summer!! And an iPad?
Amazing!

Lately Charlie has been on a duck kick. He wants us to have ducks when we have a house/big yard again.  He was thinking chickens for a long time, but he found out that ducks are cleaner, smarter, lay more eggs, and are just plain cuter. So he's been reading up about ducks and dreaming about our future with them.
Apparently they are good watch-dogs AND can understand simple commands like "Go to bed, ducks" or "It's time to eat, Ducks." AND they have personalities. Chickens do not have personalities.
Considering ducks fall into the goofy-looking-animal category... I am ALL on board with this idea.
I think Punkin is the most excited though. (You know how she is.) She's even already named them all. Duck. Jemima Puddle-Duck. Flava-Flave. and Sir Quacks-a-Lot. She's full of creativity.

NO LIE this is the kind of duck Charlie wants us to get:


Me=SO excited!!

ha.

I had a really good day today.

mondays

up to a foot of snow tomorrow.

do i have to go to work today?

Happy Birthday to You!

Today is my big-sister's birthday! Happy Birthday, Susan! 

Susan, you have always been such a great role-model for me.  I supposed from the time I was born.  It probably wasn't fair that you had to pave the way, but I'm very thankful for that. I'm thankful for all of the good decisions you made that made it easier for me to follow-suit, and have such a good example of what being a good daughter, sister, student and friend looked like.

I'm also so thankful we moved past our hating-each-other-stage (which you could never tell happened from this picture :)) While it may have caused some tension at times, it was definitely such a blessing to be close in age and to get to share so many experiences together.  (We only fought because we were so close.)

Like high school and JBU! Those were such special times... I'm so thankful that, even if we have to live far apart during times of our lives, that we had those bonding experiences. Like when you told me you loved Alan at La Hacidena Dos. Or going to Brookhill together and spending all of Big Lake on the dock playing card games. Or going to get Shakeys EVERY day after track until we didn't have any money left. Or, participating in every track event except the 100-m and 4x100 between the two of us. Or our many car-rides in Maggie. Or mud-fights on the JBU intramural field. Or that time I told you I was engaged (but it was April Fool's day.) You were so supportive. Even when I was playing jokes on you :)  "Oh wow! That's... greeeat... Maaaaybe you should come over and we can talk about it...?"

Sisters are the best. (P.S. Our style was impeccable. Fanny Packs. Glasses. Backwards hats. Yep.)

 We are a blessed family.

You are such a beautiful Mama!  I LOVE watching you with Caleb... you are calm, patient, loving, and his cheerleader.  He's SO lucky to have you as a mom. I'm thankful I'll have you to come to for advice when Charlie and I reach that stage in our life.

 You're inspirational!  You've always had such a heart for the world and I know that has influenced me greatly.  Even your adventure project fundraiser speaks to your love for people and justice.  God has done so many great things through you, and I know he will continue to the rest of your life!  I love you so much, Susie! I pray this is an amazing year for you and your family!

Give the gift of clean water! to Susan's Charity!

soooooo

Looks like I'll be a Minnesotan this summer!! Yay!!
I believe I am going to intern with Otter Tail County Public Health Office in Fergus Falls, Minnesota!
I will get more details as the semester continues on, but it's only 3 hours from Charlie, so I'll be able to see him and the kids every weekend (or at least every other weekend) :) yay!!  *the saving for gas money begins now*



No wait... this one's better.

I am freaking out.

I just found out the girl I was going to Oklahoma with for the summer has gotten re-assigned to a site in the Twin Cities. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

THIS IS NOT HELPING THE ANTSY FEELING.

Ha. And to reference a comment on my previous post, our little endeavor that stemmed from antsiness did NOT turn out well. A boy that did NOT want to go on a blind date with me took me to get an ice cream cone and then called it a night.
Although I seem to remember the date I set up worked out -slightly- better than that? Maybe because... No. I cannot divulge the true meaning behind O.S.S. (Operation Sneaky-Sneaky).

I feel so antsy!

I hate that feeling when I can't quite pinpoint what's going on.
I feel antsy!
My test?
Too much coffee?
My application that is almost due, but not complete?

I don't know! Eek!

pfft

I'm tired today.
We got 2.5'' of snow last night.  It kind of feels like a lot after not having any for so long. And it got warm today (almost 40 degrees!) that's it's pretty much melted off of roads and sidewalks now. Which is nice. Snow is messy. And it makes the dogs track in mud every time we let them out. Our house is entirely too small for all that.
I made all the girls at school today wear Mardi Gras beads with me. I think they liked it. One mentioned going to Mardi Gras in New Orleans next year. That might be a little too wild for me. I like a New Roads Mardi Gras. Me = a big fan of family friendly.
Am I participating in Lent this year? I should. But I'm not giving up makeup OR doing P90X every day. Nosirrybob. I want to do a better job preparing myself for Easter... and fully being present and appreciating what Christ did. Maybe Holy Yoga every day. I just need to find some good scriptures to meditate on.
I have a headache.
And a big test tomorrow. Yeesh! (OBviously that's why I'm on here.)

I really like that I'm combining Public Health with my nutrition education.  I like it because they really have us think thoughtfully about what we encourage people to do AND how we encourage them to do it. We can't assume that everyone has the same access to the same foods. We can't tell people that gluten may (or may not) be bad for everyone so everyone must stop eating it. If people who have the resources to do so want to try it... and feel that it makes them feel better, then that is wonderful, too.  But I would never tell people, until there is pretty convincing evidence, that they should cut bread out of their diet, when in reality, it may be a major source of sustenance for them. Will they be able to find anything to replace that with? And I'm not just talking about wheat here... but any sort of new, "trendy" nutrition information. You know, we're really fortunate if we can choose to make healthy choices for ourselves and our families. Very fortunate, indeed.

2012

http://www.votesmart.org/voteeasy/

This is a really neat tool if you're trying to figure out which candidate (including the current president) you most closely align with.
It asks you questions about the economy, guns, abortion, war, etc and how important those issues are to you.

Unfortunately, Mit and Rick are my two worst matches out of everyone.
Oh well... at least I know!

No, it's not Father's Day...

But I seriously owe my dad a shout-out for helping me with an application this morning. He deeeefinitely went above and beyond! (So sorry for that slight miscommunication!)
But it makes me feel so blessed that he'll do just about anything for me! He may be one of my biggest cheerleaders, but rest assured I return the favor!! I love you, Daddy!
Thanks so much for your help!

How's your relationship with food?

I'm finding this field of nutrition to be very interesting for tons of reasons.
One of them is that everyone (okay, maybe not everyone) thinks they're an expert.
I believe this is because FOOD is something everyone is very familiar with.
We eat every day. Everyone eats pretty much every day. Most of us, many times every day.
Therefore, EVERYONE has this huge history of experiences with food.

This creates a very complex dynamic because it gives all of us so many opportunities to either have a good relationship with food, or a poor one. This relationship is influenced by culture, by media, by our parents' relationships with food, by our friends, by what other people tell us about food, and by our own relationship with our self.

Do you reward yourself with food?
Do you have a hard time eating with or around others?
Do you see restricting what you eat as self-punishment?
Do you separate enjoying food with its purpose? Meaning... can you enjoy food while at the same time understanding that we eat also to nourish our bodies?
Does food make you feel guilty?

This is a process I am learning more and more about and won't pretend to have all the answers.  But I believe how we view and think about food (our relationship with it) is just about as important and the things we put in our bodies.

fellow

So. I'm applying for this Fellowship for next year to work with children and families of neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism, adhd, dyslexia, and down's syndrome. the more i learn about it, the more excited i get. but i can't seem to write a letter about WHY i want to do it and why i'm a good candidate for it. so i thought i'd type out some stuff on here because a blog is less intimidating than a blank word document, and i feel more free to just express my interest.

Until recently, I had never heard of a "Neurodevelopmental Disability" and was unaware that I knew anyone who fit into this category. It sounds devastating and far-removed from my very 'normal' upbringing. However, I think even the connotation of the label is misleading.  One of my very favorite cousins has Down's Syndrome. She is beautiful. And sweet. And generous. And smart. I love her because she is generous with her love. I also have two cousins with dyslexia and several more with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. One cousin was so discriminated against in her small-town elementary school, that she had to move from the delta to upstate Arkansas and live with my parents for a time just so she could receive an acceptable education. Her teachers called her stupid and lazy; this is not how it should be.
I believe the general public knows very little about these disabilities and therefore causes a stigmatization toward children and families living with them.  As a student of public health, I am dedicated to disadvantaged and underserved populations and believe Neurodevelopmental Disabilities fits into this category.
While I do not have specific medical or clinic experience regarding this area, I believe I can contribute my leadership training, nutrition education, and eagerness to learn to the LEND program.
During my undergraduate studies, I was hired as a student director of my University's progressive four-year leadership program which focused on servant leadership.  I gained invaluable experience collaborating on a small team, planning and executing events, managing groups, leading discussions, and evaluating our program's progress.  In addition, I am both a student of public health and of nutrition and dietetics. My education in public health has given me a very patient-focused lens through which to view health and wellness.  I believe it has given me a very holistic approach to patient interaction, treatment, and goals. As our society becomes increasingly more nutrition-aware, I believe diet and nutrition will play an increasingly important role in research, prevention, and potentially treatment for some of these disabilities.  There is a huge school of thought regarding nutrition and ASD and ADHD, and I want to be able to provide families with accurate, research-based tools they can use to help their children in addition to learning what things families want to know about nutrition and their children! And finally, I am excited about this topic! I want to learn as much as I can and be involved in this dynamic, progressive program!

so blessed.

so so blessed. 

i cannot describe how happy i am to have my husband back!! 

he went to louisiana to see his family... and i am incredibly thankful he was able to do that. he hadn't seen his parents in 4 months and the rest of his family in 6. that's a long time! thankfully, i have never had to go without seeing my parents for that long (although i do know the woes of not getting to see other loved ones for long amounts of time :( including not getting to accompany charlie on this trip!)

living far away from people you love can be sucky. BUT. charlie go to go during the last transition between jobs and had a really great time.  thanks to all of you for entertaining and loving on charlie while he was down! it was rejuvenating for him! 

but as i said before... REALLY glad to have my man back. he is.... the best. yep. 

your love makes me a better woman.

breadhead

loveofmylife right there.
happy valentine's day my valentine of 5 years! :D 75 to go!

blarrrrrfingaaaar

i have been married for over 2.5 years.
so has charlie.
hahahaha
that's cool.

i may or may not be slightly delirious.  and i'm wound too tight to go to bed yet.

i left the house at 7:20 for my school field experience in the south east metro.  worked there on recipes until 12.
drove 30 minutes to the north west metro for a tour of general mills (awesome) and to help the high school students in a hospitality class make the recipes they made up. i LOVE that. i reallllly like working with high school students. well. high school girls.

then i left at 3 and drove 30 minutes home to let the dogs out to pee.
and left 15 minutes later to go to MNT2.
i rode a bis from my class to my car because it was snowing pretty good, and i'm not crazy about 1) walking in the snow or 2) walking in the dark to an empty parking lot at night.

when the bus took off, the bis driver said, QUOTE it's really slippery out there.  don't freak out if the bis slips all over the road. END QUOTE.

WHATTHE.......

so then i had to get in MY car (that is approximately 8trillion times lighter than a double-long bus) and drive on the VERY slippery snow (literally slipping all over the road) to the ghetto neighborhood i volunteer at. where i sat there and didn't give anyone nutrition advice because i'm not allowed to. even though there's a dietitian there.

wow... can you tell i'm really tired? and sliiiightly grumpy? i didn't get to eat food all day. or drink water. that's probably part of the problem.

7:20am-10:15pm is too long for me, thank you.

yay bon iver!

I never want to do another exchange list again.

not fun.

buuuuut i'll probably do about 1 million more of them over my lifetime.

considering 1/3 of our population will have diabetes in the year 2050.

(that's crazy. let's just eat healthfully, people.)

this is the longest case study of all time.
i'm boooooored!

checklist

-1, 15-page case study on Diabetes (including reading about DM type 2)
-one meeting at my house to go over said case study
-one Grant Review (including reading the grant proposal)
-one research project review
-successfully make a recipe with wheat berries
-take some high school hospitality kids on a field trip to general mills
-volunteer as a nutrition clinician at a free clinic
-volunteer in the kitchen at open arms
-apply for a neurodevelopment fellowship (including vocalizing why i want to do it)
-class

yeah... i think i'll keep busy

okay one more oldie...

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Currently Listening Sometimes By City and Colour see related i have been without peace. I figured this out while writing a letter. (if you would rather read this in your letter, probly stop reading now.) right when i figured out my life was lacking peace, i pictured myself teaching swimming lessons. every year when i teach i have between 4-5 young students (ages 3-7ish) that refuse to float. i explain it to them... i demonstrate it... i try to teach them that the more they relax and let me support them... the easier it is to float. both the water AND i will certainly hold them up (especially if the water can hold a "big" person like me up, i tell them.) so then... it's their turn to try it. i securely hold on to them, put their head on my shoulder so they can feel close to me and safe, and tell them to relax... it's just like laying down on the ground. but those 4 or 5 students... just CAN'T do it. they struggle and flail their little arms and legs... they won't lie flat, but are in more of a sitting position. and NONE of this is conducive to floating. in fact, it's impossible to float while flailing arms and legs. you have to be relaxed. after i had this picture... i saw myself as that little flailing child. my arms and legs going everywhere... grasping at my Teacher. He keeps telling me to relax.. that He'll support me... that all i need do is trust Him. yet... for some reason... i can't. for some reason my fear of the water (let's just call it the unknown... the future... ideas and injustices that i can neither comprehend nor grasp) prevents me from having peace. strangely enough, this picture that caused me to realize i am lacking peace was almost God's way of bringing it to me. seeing myself as that ridiculously flailing child has caused me to stop, think, and attempt to be brave enough to have faith and to trust.

6 years ago today...

this was my blog post:

Currently Listening 18 By Moby see related

seeing as my mood directly correlates with the weather, i sure hope it doesn't get any colder.

despite the whole weather/mood thing, though my weekend was really good. i went dancing, hung out with people and made some new friends, played cards, had a cookout, watched road to perdition, used some grapefruit spoons...
here's a picture of our dancing group.


{SIDEBAR: I WAS IN ARKANSAS!  what was i thinking "cold"}



also. i went line dancing.

contentment

I feel so wonderfully, unbelievably blessed.
I just feel gratitude and thankfulness welling up inside of me.
It's a good feeling.

I have a 5 page paper to write..

Therefore, my house is cleaner than usual and I am blogging again.
I'm glad the world knows Charlie watches the Bachelor now :) My life is complete.

AActually... while I AM sucked into this season, I always have tons of thoughts about the show and why I'm watching it and why it's so popular and never seems to stop.  I kind of think it's addicting like Sister-Wives is addicting.  (If you don't know about Sister-Wives, it's a show about a Mormon family... a man with 4 wives and tons of kids.)  The Bachelor is kind of the same.  All the girls are friends (or enemies) and live in the same house... and kiss the same man... and "love" (READ:obsessed with) the same man.. and are trying to figure out which one of them he loves the most.  ACTually doesn't sound so different or less twisted than Sister-Wives.
Yet I keep watching.


BFF's.  All hangin' out together.  WEIRD.

I think it takes three kinds of love to make it... not going to crazy-romantic-someone-else-planned-it dates and calling that being in love.
You have to have Friendship love.  You have to be able to sit on the couch together and have a great time just... being together.  Friendship is a great foundation.
Then, you have to have Commitment love.  No matter what, come what may, you're sticking together.
And lastly, you have to have "Romantic Love".  That's one of the very special parts about being married! It's a connection that is hard to break.

When you don't feel like being friends or you're mad at each other, your commitment and romantic love can get you through.  When temptations come, the fact that you are friends with your spouse and romantically involved can keep you from making big mistakes.  And when you don't feel romantic... your friendship and commitment can get you through.

And we wonder why couples from the Bachelor (or in Hollywood) don't work out.

wow!!

God is so good!  I was just offered 5 more hours a week at my assistantship!
This is huge for me and for us!

Florence

I'm not sure if it's lame or not that I like this song so much... buuuut I do.
I think I've given up on staying "relevant" and cool. I don't know what's going on in the world.
Besides watching the news every morning.
And TMZ eeeeevery once in a while while we're waiting for the Bachelor or Biggest Loser to come on.
As least Charlie enjoys staying in this boat with me :)