playing hookey

Monday night I went wakeboarding for the first time this year. (so fun!) And then the girls watched the Bachelorette. It became a very late night as we started late because of going out on the lake, and then kept having to pause it for the kids to have their time-outs. Every time I start thinking, well maybe my dream of being a mother has gone away, I instantly see that it is still there. It has been really cool to watch my friends become mothers and to see them raise up their children. I still hope I get that chance. My one friend's daughter was funny, she had to go sit in a chair for time out, and her little voice was whining: "but it's not comfortable!" haha

So on Tuesday I had only had 5 hours of sleep and I was tired, cranky and SORE. Still today even. I cancelled my ortho appointment and skipped small group. It's really not like me to skip stuff, but I was feeling crummy and knew if I went I wouldn't get home again till 10pm and have no time for anything. So I went home. Swung by Trader Joe's. Made this yummy stuff:

With leftover beans and chicken. That gnocchi was SO good, had to resist eating the entire package. And washed it down with a strawberry-lemonade slushy.

Made from blended crystal light lemonade and some frozen strawberries my friend Liz gave me from the farmer's market. Yum.

Then I went for a long walk around the neighborhood, paid bills, got stuff in order, it was a good night. I also took a look at my sister Elizabeth's wedding website. Honestly I felt a little sad reading it. I learned a lot about her from a website, and felt like a sister failure. I'd really like the opportunity to "live life" with her, and get to know her future husband better, but they live in California and have no plans on ever coming back to Michigan. I really hate being so far away from my siblings. Especially with my baby niece coming, and Elizabeth getting married and probably soon to start her family. What to do.

Almost one month before she becomes a Mrs. I loved this picture of them.

weekend update

This weekend was pretty low-key. Friday after work went to a friend's house for dinner and games. We sat in their screened porch all night and ate, caught up, talked & laughed. It was really a fun night. We played a fun game called Smart Ass. I won twice! It was a great night with good friends.

Saturday and Sunday were super low key. It was really hot and hard to get motivated to do anything. I pretty much just lazed around, read my book club book, did some cleaning and laundry, went to a friends to watch a movie, church, napped, did a wal-mart run for some stuff for my Guatemala trip, and then the weekend was over!

Last Basketball Class

I'm so sad. Basketball class is over.

I'm really glad I did this class. It was a lot of fun. My last class I played 4 games, and during those games I actually made one of my three attempted baskets, yay! I even earned my first bruise when this girl body slammed me. Ouch. But so fun.

Would I be totally crazy if I signed up for another class next semester??

So during the last class, motorcycle guy asked me out again, this time he upgraded it to dinner. I again said no, but we had a nice little chat about it- no fake boyfriend was called in this time and I felt comfortable. Then as I was walking out the other guy who had asked me to dinner chased me down the hall and told me, "you handle yourself with class and humility and that is a rare find these days." Wow, what a great compliment!

I am getting better about how I let the words people say to me effect me. Guy at the bank: "What is today laundry day?" Me: ignored. My boss: "You're almost to that age where guys won't like you." Me: ignored. Basketball guy: "Class and humility." Me: Thank you!

And mostly remind myself that God created me fearfully and wonderfully and calls me good.

I got my new school schedule today and I am so excited to go back! Still 8 weeks away, which I'm sure will fly by with my mission trip, and sister's wedding, but seems far away now. Mental health and ob/gyn here I come!

Recent eats:

Made a Bush's cucumber chickpea salad

It was ok, not fabulous

I like that obese grape

Tasty lunch

Veggie burgers

I love these things so much

Tried this new Quinoa Pumpkin Seed Granola

mixing it up

Stirring in the honey, coconut oil, and cinnamon

Whoops, a little more 'dark' vs 'golden' brown

Had it on some yogurt this morning, tasty!

Life Thoughts

The service this last Sunday at my church was really great. It was Father's day,and the sermon talked about a man's role to follow God like a son, and lead his family like a man. The four takeaway tips were to 1) reject passivity (have a vision/mission statement for your life); 2) engage with God (besides just Sunday mornings); 3) accept responsibility (stop blaming other and lead/confess/change); 4) lead courageously (have the courage to say no/ask for help). It was really good.

Looking back at my marriage I sometimes feel bad for Andrew. It seems hard to be a 'real man'. Being a Christian man is a big responsibility, and I wonder if being a new Christian with a new job, a new wife, and feeling the weight of trying to be a family leader- I can't help wondering if he felt overwhelmed and if that played a part in the divorce. He said it wasn't, but I honestly don't know how much he actually thought into it. Whatever the reason, I wish he would have been willing to do those things above and not just walk away, but it didn't go that way.

Part of the sermon was a video about a guy in our church who has an amazing story. Some background is him finding Jesus, deciding to stop living with his girlfriend, they both became Christians and are now married with 3 kids, and in September they are moving to India to help rescue women and children out of the slave and sex trade. Who does that?!?! So amazing. The sermon is here (I can't find the video, but the guys story starts at 32:30).

I've been thinking about it ever since.

It's hard because I find myself struggling with wanting the typical 'American dream' of house, family, job... but I just keep thinking about how I want my life to be an adventure and to do something that matters. I want a man that is strong enough to lead me and take me on an adventure with him. And if God doesn't have one for me, I want to be able to love Him enough that I will want what He has for me most of all.

From this aspect being single does seem kind of exciting. I can literally do whatever I want. I am free to go where God takes me. Do whatever He has for me.

It's also scary. I remember reading a book on Joni Eareckson Tada about 6 or so years ago and in her book she prayed and asked God to make her fully trust in Him and increase her faith - and within a week she was paralyzed from the neck down. I remember being so scared and saying I'm never going to pray for that! Now in my own life I have dealt with something I didn't want, and it has been amazing to see how God has provided and led me through. I often find myself praying and just being overcome with how good God has been to me. He is amazing.

Anyway. Now I need to listen to Him and see what it is that these plans are!

...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15b

Father's Day and Movie Weekend

Spent time celebrating this guy this weekend. Had a picnic in the park, rode bikes, went to the movies. I had entered my dad in a grill contest at my church by writing a poem, mine was pretty corny and I didn't win, but I gave a copy of it to him in his card. He got sniffly and said I should have won :) haha, my dad is great, I am very blessed.

The movie we saw was Mud. I had never heard of it, and it was kind of fun sitting down to a movie that was going to be a total surprise, usually I like to read about what I'm going to see first.

It was really good. And Matthew McConaughey even grungy and with a chipped tooth, ow ow! But really good movie, we all liked it.

Another movie I watched this weekend was Warm Bodies.

I have been waiting for so long for this to not be sold-out at the redbox. I loved this movie! Cutest. Movie. Ever. I watched it twice on Saturday, and then again last night with my friend. It's sweet, funny, romantic, some good indie music. Sighhhh, I want a zombie boyfriend! It's going straight to my bday wish list.

This weekend I also went to the theater with my friend for our last show of the season tickets, good times, crafted on stuff for my future baby niece(!), talked to my siblings, made some good food, church, and read. Our book club is reading so many fun books lately. We just read Uglies and that was after reading some in the Divergent series. They're all kind of similar in their storyline of a futuristic society where our world was destroyed. But so good, now I keep hoping they'll make them into movies!

Lately

The invitation to my sister's wedding arrived!! I know she had been working hard on her invites, and they looked great. The hardest decision was between the dinner options, but ultimately I chose chicken because I'm sure the beef would be more on the red side and last time I went veggie it was a mushroom dish. Backfire! I still have to go try on more dresses, but it has been a very low key wedding, which is nice. I was listening to my friend last night at book club talk about her sister's upcoming wedding and it was getting out-of-control. The money, the expectations, stress!

Earlier in the week I made this:

Pan fried broccoli, cilantro-lime sweet potatoes and BBQ chicken. It was really good. I didn't used to like BBQ sauce, but now I do. I just have to make sure to find the no high fructose corn syrup version, that stuff is in everything!

I went home on the weekend and my mom sent me home with this gorgeous bouquet of peonies. My favorite flower. They are so pretty and smell wonderful.

Other huge news is I'm going to have a baby niece!! Just found out yesterday and the craft ideas are getting racked up :) My brother and sister-in-law are very thankful for a healthy baby so far!

The Postal Service

I'm so excited!! Tonight I'm going to see my favorite indie band. The Postal Service. I have loved this band probably since 2003, or shortly after, when my brother burned me their cd. I have, no joke, probably listened to this cd at least 100 times. (except song #8 which I always skip). For awhile it was funny because I would go pick up my brother and the cd would be playing in my car, then the next year he'd be in my car again, and it'd be playing, and again the next year. So good.

During my divorce I often felt like I couldn't do anything at all. I would drive to work in silence crying and praying. Then one day I finally played one of my indie cds, and it really did help me start to feel like myself again. (not underplaying the HUGE role of God healing me of course!) But it helped me feel like me.

Anyway, my boss got me tickets and I am SUPER excited.

The rest of the weekend was good. Went dancing with my co-worker girlfriends, fun; breakfast with a friend who moved out of state, fun; errands, not so fun but necessary; movie night, fun; and day at my parents' house, fun and nice. A good weekend.

surgery watching

In my last clinical rotation my class (of 8) had the evening shift, so while our other classmates got to go watch surgeries, we didn't. So my dear mother asked around and found a doctor that would let me come watch some stuff. Today I watched a shoulder scope looking for a rotator cuff tear, and then 2 knee scopes. It was pretty cool. When I got there the patient was already prepped and looked kinda scary sitting on the table

Since no cameras allowed, it looked like this

They have a big tube in your mouth, eyes taped closed, and her gown was falling down while they were arranging her arm so she was pretty much topless. Then they kept draping her so eventually just an arm was sticking out of a massive blue pile of drapes. During the procedure the joint is continually flushed with saline (to keep it open in there), then the doctor makes 3 cuts and inserts the camera and then his tools into the other holes. But whenever he would take a tool out, the hole would spurt water like a geyser. Kinda gross, kinda cool.

Everyone was really nice to me, and the doctor kept showing me things on the screen and explaining everything to me. It was interesting. Next week I go back to watch him do a joint replacement, not sure if it will be knee, hip, shoulder, we'll see! I'm more nervous about that since that's when my mom said she fainted when she was going thru nursing school....

Last night was basketball class, I am really enjoying this class. We had a 'shooting skills clinic' and then played. I have to say this class has been quite the ego boost, last night another guy asked me out to dinner. This never happens!! Anyway, and later I played 3 on 3 with some classmates and actually made a basket! They totally went easy on me, but I was happy all the same. It's been really fun.

After class I made the tequila lime burritos, I do love me some mexican food, but I'm not sure I could really taste the tequila lime? I don't know if I'd necessarily make it again.

made some guacamole

it was very pretty!

cheesemaker?

Yesterday as I was looking at pinterest for the first time in several months, I stumbled upon this post and remembered how at one time I wanted to be a cheesemaker.

I love cheese and the thought of me in a barn with these big wheels of cheese that I made sounded very country and whimsical.

I tried to go on a 'cheese tour' once, but it wasn't the actual making of the cheese as I had hoped - it was pretty much just a cheese store. Lol.

Now after reading that post, and seeing how it's made, I'm not sure I want to try it. Whole milk, rennet (which is from the stomach of killed calves), I do eat store cheese and it's all made from that - I just don't like thinking about it.

I'm not sure if I'm going to be a cheesemaker anymore.

catching up

I haven't been up to much lately.

Made 2 more grocery bag holders. I have more craft ideas brewing, but mostly for gifts so might not post until given.

Made these ginger cookies (yum) and potted a basil plant my friend gave me.

I waterproofed all my leather shoes, I can spray = 7 pairs shoes.

Me & Becks hung out while I was doing my women's small group reading homework, he's Mr. Snuggles again lately.

I've been a little frustrated because I've kept my 2 school days off work and the plan was to do some 'nursing' type of job on those days. A few things fell through, and I have been lined up to be a 'nurse aide' (although it's not really any skilled nursing) but they weren't calling with shifts. Finally they called me today and I'm lined up to go later this week. I do need to get something on the resume besides paralegal and just my school clinicals.

Also this week I am going to go observe a surgeon do some scoping of the knee and/or shoulder joints. I'm not sure yet, but I'm excited. So it has been helpful having these days off to get caught up and be free to do that, but if I wasn't going to get something soon I was just going to go back to work. I get bored easy!

I've been planning on making tequila lime chicken and black bean burritos for awhile now, but I didn't have any tequila. I thought about pinching some from the people I babysit, but they only had Patron and I didn't feel right taking some of that since it's so expensive! So today I stopped at the liquor store and got some. I was looking at the mini bottles and asking the guy which ones were tequila and what I could use for the marinade and he sold me this one and said it's usually $4 but gave it to me for $3. Ok, thanks!

Hopefully they're tasty.

This last weekend I hung out in Ann Arbor with my cousin and we went to some stuff downtown and then contra-danced. It was super fun, and I found out there is a place closer to me here that does it too, now only to find some friends to bring!!