Our countdown to moving day is now below one week! We're getting the truck on Saturday, and Jonathan, both our dads and some friends are helping us load it this weekend so we can leave Monday morning.
Our house is seriously about to drive me mad! We've really tried hard to get everything done ahead of time so we're not dashing around like crazy at the last minute trying to get things packed and ready to go. Well, we may have been a tad over zealous! The last few days I've been bored out of my mind! All our books and movies are packed, and I swear I have seen everything that's on tv, (some of them multiple things), which is quite pathetic. Jonathan's been at work for 5 of the past 6 days, so Miss Kitty and I have been been here by alone in our crazy war zone of an apartment. While she is ok with sleeping 22 hours a day, I am not, and am therefore about to go stircrazy looking at nothing but piles of boxes and reruns of Top Chef on Bravo.
With a house full of packed things we've been eating off paper plates, eating food I would not normally eat, (i.e. JUNK FOOD), and sleeping with our bed on the floor instead of on our lovely four poster bed. Jonathan said it's almost like we're in college again. Except that even in college, I had nice dishes, a bed frame, and cooked good, healthy food!
I told my mom about it and she said it's almost like camping! She's too funny! Yes, if camping includes never leaving your air conditioning, having two full baths with running water, electricity, cable and internet!
Later that night as I laid down on our double-pillow topped mattress on the floor (well, on the box springs on the floor), with the no-longer-curtained windows opened because it felt so wonderful outside, sipping my water out of a paper dixie cup, I thought of her camping comment and really had a good laugh. It really is like we're camping out inside of our own house!
I think that's the thing that's driving me the most crazy, this limbo stage we're in. I don't really feel like this is our home anymore, (it certainly doesn't look like our home anymore), but we don't have our new place yet either. I thought I would feel a little sad leaving this apartment, (despite all my complaints about it), it's been our home for over two years now. A few weeks ago I pulled some pictures to the side in preparation of a bittersweet post about leaving, but I honestly can't bring myself to write it. While, I'm sure that I will miss my friends and family, and while we have made a lot of really good memories with our friends and family in this apartment, the memories will come with me, and we can always come back and visit everyone.
Moving has filled me with a full range of emotions, but excitement about the future has really edged out any sadness I may be feeling. I'm really excited about our new house, and Jonathan's new job, and living in a new area.
So, if I can just rough it for 5 more days, we'll (finally) be off, and I can't wait!!
Jennifer
8.26.2009
8.15.2009
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
So, we are in the midst of some major changes in our lives. The biggest one is that we are moving, in about two weeks!
Honestly, three months ago, I would have never guessed that this was going to happen, but here we are. I don't really know how we changed from looking for a house to buy, to looking for rent house three hours away in about two months time, and it kind of makes us seem fickle, but I promise there are reasons, and I'll try to lay them out for you.
Early this year, (I think January), we had looked at moving. Jonathan had even applied and been offered a position. But, the timing was just off, we still had a few months of our lease, we had LOTS going on in the following months, and it just didn't feel right. When all that didn't work out we kind of put the whole idea of moving out of town out of our head and thought, well, if we're not going to move, we might as well get settled here.
Fastforward to the end of June, and it seemed like everything was frustrating us. We'd been searching for a house to buy for three months, had looked at everything in town, and hadn't found anything we were remotely interested in, and our lease ended in June; we don't really love our church right now, Jonathan was getting extremely frustrated with his job for a number of reasons, and I hadn't found a job here for the coming school year.
So, we sat down one night and talked about everything and came to the conclusion, that if you don't love your home, your job or your church, it may be time to reevaluate some things. We thought and prayed about things for a couple weeks, and then started applying for jobs in an area we're familiar with. Within two weeks Jonathan had two job offers, and he actually ended up taking one at the same place he'd applied earlier this year.
We've been very cautious throughout this whole process, because we didn't want to jump into anything we thought we may regret. But, after MUCH prayer and thought, we both really have a peace about moving. Within the next few months Jonathan will be getting ready to go back to school for his Master's and he'll have so many more opportunities there than here.
So, like I said, not really the place that we thought we were going to be in right now, but still exciting. We've found a cute house (not apartment, hallelujah!), to rent signed the lease this week, and will be moving in August 31st.
At this point we have about 80% of our house packed. I've moved enough that I consider myself a packing pro, but I'm about to the point where it's more frustrating than anything else. If you've ever moved, I'm sure you know the point I'm talking about. All the easy stuff you don't use all the time is packed and the only things left are either things you're currently using or just random stuff that seems like it doesn't fit in any box. At this point I'm just really ready for it all to be over! I'm tired of having to drive back and forth a couple of times a week trying to look at houses, (thankfully that's done!), or take care of business there.
So, bear with me a little if you don't hear much out of me for the next couple of weeks!
Jennifer
Honestly, three months ago, I would have never guessed that this was going to happen, but here we are. I don't really know how we changed from looking for a house to buy, to looking for rent house three hours away in about two months time, and it kind of makes us seem fickle, but I promise there are reasons, and I'll try to lay them out for you.
Early this year, (I think January), we had looked at moving. Jonathan had even applied and been offered a position. But, the timing was just off, we still had a few months of our lease, we had LOTS going on in the following months, and it just didn't feel right. When all that didn't work out we kind of put the whole idea of moving out of town out of our head and thought, well, if we're not going to move, we might as well get settled here.
Fastforward to the end of June, and it seemed like everything was frustrating us. We'd been searching for a house to buy for three months, had looked at everything in town, and hadn't found anything we were remotely interested in, and our lease ended in June; we don't really love our church right now, Jonathan was getting extremely frustrated with his job for a number of reasons, and I hadn't found a job here for the coming school year.
So, we sat down one night and talked about everything and came to the conclusion, that if you don't love your home, your job or your church, it may be time to reevaluate some things. We thought and prayed about things for a couple weeks, and then started applying for jobs in an area we're familiar with. Within two weeks Jonathan had two job offers, and he actually ended up taking one at the same place he'd applied earlier this year.
We've been very cautious throughout this whole process, because we didn't want to jump into anything we thought we may regret. But, after MUCH prayer and thought, we both really have a peace about moving. Within the next few months Jonathan will be getting ready to go back to school for his Master's and he'll have so many more opportunities there than here.
So, like I said, not really the place that we thought we were going to be in right now, but still exciting. We've found a cute house (not apartment, hallelujah!), to rent signed the lease this week, and will be moving in August 31st.
At this point we have about 80% of our house packed. I've moved enough that I consider myself a packing pro, but I'm about to the point where it's more frustrating than anything else. If you've ever moved, I'm sure you know the point I'm talking about. All the easy stuff you don't use all the time is packed and the only things left are either things you're currently using or just random stuff that seems like it doesn't fit in any box. At this point I'm just really ready for it all to be over! I'm tired of having to drive back and forth a couple of times a week trying to look at houses, (thankfully that's done!), or take care of business there.
So, bear with me a little if you don't hear much out of me for the next couple of weeks!
Jennifer
8.06.2009
Books vs Movies
I have a real LOVE of children's books. I really loved to read when I was little, (still do, there just doesn't seem to be as much time). I really identify with Meg Ryan (as Kathleen Kelly), in "You've Got Mail" when she says, "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does." I think this is SOO true! The books I loved as a child are still so important to me, I feel an odd attachment to them.
I'm sure you may be wondering what brought all this on, and it comes from the fact that two of my all-time FAVORITE children's books are coming to the big-screen this fall! I knew they were making a live-action "Where the Wild Things Are" which I think looks pretty stinkin' cool, but I just found out today there is also an animated film of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs."
While I'm giddy in a super-childish way that both of these are coming out, I'm also a little defensive. You see, "The Polar Express" was also one of my all-time favorite books, and I HATED the movie. It probably wouldn't have been a bad movie had I not had such high expectations for it. I'm really hoping they don't thoroughly butcher these two movies, or I might have to write some nasty blogs aimed at the movie studios.
I still haven't seen the movie version of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" because I heard the movie was nothing like the books, which I thought were so cute. My friend Angela, who also read the books, has warned me that I would hate the movie, and I've not been brave enough to take that chance yet.
Do you like when movies are very similar to books they are based on, or does it not bother you when the movies change things up a little? Or a lot (as in my absolute least favorite book to movie, "Cheaper By the Dozen"- there was nothing about the charming book in the movie with Steve Martin except the name and the fact that there were 12 kids in one family)?
And lastly, on a kind of related note, I am really excited that Julie & Julia finally comes out tomorrow! I've been wanting to see it for months now! I love the premise of the movie, and judging from the previews alone, I think Meryl Streep is going to do a wonderful job as Julia Child. I debated getting the book that the movie is based on, but it has some pretty harsh reviews on Amazon. I think this may be one examples of a movie actually being better than a book. What do you think?
Are there any of your favorite books that you'd really like to see made into a movie?
Jennifer
8.04.2009
Favorite Summer Recipes
In honor of the GORGEOUS summer day today. Here are some of our favorite summertime recipes.
This sweet lady is my Nana, (with my cousin Chris at our house last Christmas Eve), and she's just about the best cook I know.
And this is Nana's recipe for baked beans which I have had at hundreds of cookouts throughout my life. If you like baked beans, (I'm not so much a fan of them myself, but I eat these), I hope you'll like these.
Nana's Baked Beans
4 cups (2 cans) pork & beans
1 onion
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
several slices of bacon
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet half cook the bacon. Retain 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings and discard the rest. Saute onions in 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings remaining in the skillet. Add beans, mustard, brown sugar, ketchup, lemon juice/vinegar, and heat until hot.
Pour into lightly greased casserole dish. Arrange half-cooked bacon slices on top. Bake until bacon is done.
This next recipe sounds absolutely crazy, but I PROMISE it is so good! I made it once this summer for a family dinner, and have been asked to make it for every dinner since then! I know it's two things you would never think to put together, but I think it's a great alternative to the mayo-based coleslaw, and you would never guess the dorm staple Ramen noodles are in any way a part of it!!
Ramen Coleslaw
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 Tablespoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
5 green onions, chopped
1 3-oz package chicken flavored Ramen noodles, crushed and seasoning packet reserved
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, ramen noodle season packet, salt and pepper to create a vinaigrette dressing.
Place sesame seeds and almonds in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes or until lightly brow. *You can also toast the almonds and sesame seeds in a dry skillet on the stove, which I prefer because there is just a minute between toasted and burned almonds, and I always forget about them when I put them in the oven!*
In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions, and carrots. Pour dressing over the cabbage and toss to coat evenly. Top with toasted sesame seeds and almonds.
Immediately before serving add crushed Ramen noodles. *Don't add them early(like if you make the coleslaw a few hours ahead of time) or if you know you're going to have a lot of leftovers. They absorb the moisture from the dressing and get soggy.*
The last one is one of my absolute favorite summer dishes. We seriously eat this about once a week all summer long. It just tastes like the epitome of summer to me.
Cucumber Salad
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
2 1/2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except cucumbers. Whisk until combined. Add cucumbers, and stir.
Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Drain liquid from cucumbers and serve.
And finally a dessert to tie it all together, the richest banana pudding ever. Luckily, it's very easy to turn it into a dessert with very few calories very easily! I also make it in a trifle dish instead of a 9x13 pan, because it looks pretty and more impressive. ;)
Banana Pudding
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 5-oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8-oz container Cool Whip, thawed
4 bananas, sliced
1/2 12-oz package Nilla Wafers
1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip.
2. Line the bottom of a 9x13" dish with vanilla wafters. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Chill.
Enjoy!
Jennifer
This sweet lady is my Nana, (with my cousin Chris at our house last Christmas Eve), and she's just about the best cook I know.
And this is Nana's recipe for baked beans which I have had at hundreds of cookouts throughout my life. If you like baked beans, (I'm not so much a fan of them myself, but I eat these), I hope you'll like these.
Nana's Baked Beans
4 cups (2 cans) pork & beans
1 onion
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
several slices of bacon
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet half cook the bacon. Retain 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings and discard the rest. Saute onions in 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings remaining in the skillet. Add beans, mustard, brown sugar, ketchup, lemon juice/vinegar, and heat until hot.
Pour into lightly greased casserole dish. Arrange half-cooked bacon slices on top. Bake until bacon is done.
This next recipe sounds absolutely crazy, but I PROMISE it is so good! I made it once this summer for a family dinner, and have been asked to make it for every dinner since then! I know it's two things you would never think to put together, but I think it's a great alternative to the mayo-based coleslaw, and you would never guess the dorm staple Ramen noodles are in any way a part of it!!
Ramen Coleslaw
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 Tablespoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
5 green onions, chopped
1 3-oz package chicken flavored Ramen noodles, crushed and seasoning packet reserved
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, ramen noodle season packet, salt and pepper to create a vinaigrette dressing.
Place sesame seeds and almonds in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes or until lightly brow. *You can also toast the almonds and sesame seeds in a dry skillet on the stove, which I prefer because there is just a minute between toasted and burned almonds, and I always forget about them when I put them in the oven!*
In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions, and carrots. Pour dressing over the cabbage and toss to coat evenly. Top with toasted sesame seeds and almonds.
Immediately before serving add crushed Ramen noodles. *Don't add them early(like if you make the coleslaw a few hours ahead of time) or if you know you're going to have a lot of leftovers. They absorb the moisture from the dressing and get soggy.*
The last one is one of my absolute favorite summer dishes. We seriously eat this about once a week all summer long. It just tastes like the epitome of summer to me.
Cucumber Salad
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
2 1/2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except cucumbers. Whisk until combined. Add cucumbers, and stir.
Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Drain liquid from cucumbers and serve.
And finally a dessert to tie it all together, the richest banana pudding ever. Luckily, it's very easy to turn it into a dessert with very few calories very easily! I also make it in a trifle dish instead of a 9x13 pan, because it looks pretty and more impressive. ;)
Banana Pudding
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 5-oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8-oz container Cool Whip, thawed
4 bananas, sliced
1/2 12-oz package Nilla Wafers
1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip.
2. Line the bottom of a 9x13" dish with vanilla wafters. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Chill.
Enjoy!
Jennifer
8.01.2009
Summertime...And the livin' is easy...
Any Gershwin fans out there? Yeah, I'm gonna guess a big fat No. I'm probably the only person around my age that knows words to a Gershwin opera from the 1930's. Blame my mother and grandmother who made me and my brothers listen to classical, jazz and the like music all the time when we were little. As a result anytime I hear the word summertime, I hear it in the sing-song voice from Porgy and Bess. Yes, I am that big of a dork.
Anyway, my summertime livin' has been QUITE easy as of late and I feel like such a lush. I really haven't accomplished a single thing that is blog post worthy. Everyday I log in to read everyone else's post and and cringe that the last post I wrote is still what is coming up at the top of my blog. Such negativity and not at all the type of post I want to be front and center for over a month. And yet, everyday I log on and draw a complete blank as to what I should/could actually write a semi-entertaining post over. I feel like after taking a month's hiatus I should at least be able to come up with something that is so great it seems like it has been building for over a month.
All I've been able to come up with is a post of pictures of highlights of my summer thus far, or rather those that I've had the film developed for thus for, so everything up to about two weeks ago. ;)
While in Austin for our friends Forrest and Katy's wedding we walked around UT and downtown for a few hours, and saw the capitol building.
I don't have a good picture of me and the husband at the wedding, because I had someone take one and it turned out blurry. :( Jonathan was a groomsman though, and here he is with the bride and all the other groomsmen. (He's the one on the bottom right). They got married at a beautiful country club outside Austin, Tx.
I never take pictures of the actual wedding ceremonies; that's what the pros are for. The only way I got this one was by playing papparazzi while the real photographer was taking the posed pictures. Meanwhile, I was sitting under a covered patio sipping a margarita and being super thankful for a good camera and a big zoom lens. ;)
This is Forrest'st brother, our friend Austin at the wedding with his lovely fiance Robin. They are getting married Labor Day weekend, but I'm not sure if we're going to be able to make it because the wedding is in North Carolina where she is from and he's stationed right now.
After Forrest and Katy cut the cake at the wedding we had to leave early and drive through the night to make it to Little Rock by the next day for another wedding! Once again the husband was a groomsman and they took all the pictures of the guys before the wedding, so I got bored and walked around and took pictures of random stuff. They got married at a park on the river north of Little Rock, it was really pretty!
It was such a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding!
Me and the husband at Sam and Angela's wedding. This is not my favorite picture because I look so freaking pale and largo and yet Jonathan looks freakishly skinny! SO NOT FAIR!
Angela about the throw the bouquet after the wedding. It was such a cute, relaxed and sweet wedding. The girls in the orange dresses are two of the bridesmaids, all the flowers were yellow and orange gerbera daisies, Angela's favorites, and the whole wedding party wore flipflops.
Sam and Angela leaving surrounded by bubbles. About a month after their wedding, shortly after getting back from their two week honeymoon to England, (again, no fair!), they moved to the same town where we live! We are so excited to be in the same town as them, and have really enjoyed getting to see them more regularly!
To celebrate Sam's birthday last week we went to a Texas Rangers baseball game!
Here we are in front of the ballpark.
The birthday boy and his lovely wife.
My beautiful and sweet sister-in-law Anna and her boyfriend Steven went with us too!
Me and Anna at the game! Is she not so stinkin' cute!?! Man, I wish my hair would cooperate when I want it to, it's looking pretty gross here.
So, I think that brings things pretty much up to speed. Within the next couple of weeks, I will be making an annoucement, but everything's not quite set in stone yet, so I don't want to prematurely spill the beans. I will tell you this, I an NOT pregnant, we have NOT bought a house, and I have NOT found a new job! haha ;) It is pretty big news though.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
Jennifer
Anyway, my summertime livin' has been QUITE easy as of late and I feel like such a lush. I really haven't accomplished a single thing that is blog post worthy. Everyday I log in to read everyone else's post and and cringe that the last post I wrote is still what is coming up at the top of my blog. Such negativity and not at all the type of post I want to be front and center for over a month. And yet, everyday I log on and draw a complete blank as to what I should/could actually write a semi-entertaining post over. I feel like after taking a month's hiatus I should at least be able to come up with something that is so great it seems like it has been building for over a month.
All I've been able to come up with is a post of pictures of highlights of my summer thus far, or rather those that I've had the film developed for thus for, so everything up to about two weeks ago. ;)
While in Austin for our friends Forrest and Katy's wedding we walked around UT and downtown for a few hours, and saw the capitol building.
I don't have a good picture of me and the husband at the wedding, because I had someone take one and it turned out blurry. :( Jonathan was a groomsman though, and here he is with the bride and all the other groomsmen. (He's the one on the bottom right). They got married at a beautiful country club outside Austin, Tx.
I never take pictures of the actual wedding ceremonies; that's what the pros are for. The only way I got this one was by playing papparazzi while the real photographer was taking the posed pictures. Meanwhile, I was sitting under a covered patio sipping a margarita and being super thankful for a good camera and a big zoom lens. ;)
This is Forrest'st brother, our friend Austin at the wedding with his lovely fiance Robin. They are getting married Labor Day weekend, but I'm not sure if we're going to be able to make it because the wedding is in North Carolina where she is from and he's stationed right now.
After Forrest and Katy cut the cake at the wedding we had to leave early and drive through the night to make it to Little Rock by the next day for another wedding! Once again the husband was a groomsman and they took all the pictures of the guys before the wedding, so I got bored and walked around and took pictures of random stuff. They got married at a park on the river north of Little Rock, it was really pretty!
It was such a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding!
Me and the husband at Sam and Angela's wedding. This is not my favorite picture because I look so freaking pale and largo and yet Jonathan looks freakishly skinny! SO NOT FAIR!
Angela about the throw the bouquet after the wedding. It was such a cute, relaxed and sweet wedding. The girls in the orange dresses are two of the bridesmaids, all the flowers were yellow and orange gerbera daisies, Angela's favorites, and the whole wedding party wore flipflops.
Sam and Angela leaving surrounded by bubbles. About a month after their wedding, shortly after getting back from their two week honeymoon to England, (again, no fair!), they moved to the same town where we live! We are so excited to be in the same town as them, and have really enjoyed getting to see them more regularly!
To celebrate Sam's birthday last week we went to a Texas Rangers baseball game!
Here we are in front of the ballpark.
The birthday boy and his lovely wife.
My beautiful and sweet sister-in-law Anna and her boyfriend Steven went with us too!
Me and Anna at the game! Is she not so stinkin' cute!?! Man, I wish my hair would cooperate when I want it to, it's looking pretty gross here.So, I think that brings things pretty much up to speed. Within the next couple of weeks, I will be making an annoucement, but everything's not quite set in stone yet, so I don't want to prematurely spill the beans. I will tell you this, I an NOT pregnant, we have NOT bought a house, and I have NOT found a new job! haha ;) It is pretty big news though.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
Jennifer
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