In the Storm

currently | june 2014 edition

currently:  june 2014

walking regularly with my FitBit on my wrist. realizing I need to walk more.

coming home to a house without my boys for three weeks.

hoping to enjoy 3 weeks of just Jeff and I.

navigating 3 weeks of just Jeff and I.

signing up for a Bible study with Jo Crosby - my all-time favorite Bible study teacher.

wearing sweat pants most days - even for work - because I'm walking so much...and sweating.

needing to complete my last two planned projects for June, but just isn't going to happen

deciding on the next 4 projects for July and July's bold intentions.

anticipating our trip to Florida with family - and fireworks

writing  homeschool schedules for US presidents and government; meteorology syllabus and class welcome letter

knowing I am behind on Project Life and needing to tackle it somehow.

watching the last episodes of the last season of Flash Point over the next couple days.

eating prepared 'leftovers': grilled hamburgers, Roasted Chicken Fettucine, chili; dinners for Jeff and I.

reading Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb - ok, re-reading.

keeping the house cleaned while the boys are gone: dishes always washed, clothes washed and put away, living room straightened, etc.

making to-do lists. I began a month long to-do list of all the projects I want to complete, the homeschool related items I need to complete, the plans I want to keep, and the chores I need to do

loving my new stove (a whirlpool stainless steal) and that we didn't have to buy a new dryer but it just needed servicing - and the service agent said we've got a great dryer that with normal servicing should last at least another 20 years. 

 

 

i love my FitBit.

I have had my FitBit for 23 days now - and I love it!

How can a little wrist band with a device inside actually motivate someone to walk, walk, and walk some more?

But, in fact, this little guy does it for me.

I want to share a few observations I've made over these past 23 days. I will allow some of them, as I recognize them, to motivate me, or make some changes necessary, or just be real excited with my FitBit.

1. I walk more at work. I am more likely to reach 10,000 steps while I'm at work than when I am at home. This is definitely one of those observations that I'll need to swing to the motivate side and make some changes.

 2. Even though I walk more at work, the weather, one way or another, has alot to do with whether I reach my 10,000 steps - unless I am purposeful about walking before work, which hasn't happened thus far.

Take, for instance, last night: I walked each hour when I got to work but then weather began moving closer to the station and my concentration shifted from walking outside to walking to check the weather which is really a big difference in steps taken. Now, when the thunderstorms began rolling in it meant 5-6 trips up to the 6th floor - maybe even more so I'm able to pick up steps during busy weather periods.

3. I'm not yet concerned if I don't reach 10,000 steps but just that I've come close. While I do get super excited when this little wrist band buzzes and vibrates on my wrist and scares the daylights out of me each time, I don't get overly excitable if I've only walked 7,000 - 9,000, or so. It reflects moving more.

 4. I love the FitBit website where I can see by-the-number where I stand, where my successes have been, and yes, even my bad days, for one reason or another.

5. I consider this a successful purchase. Definitely worth the money spent.

visiting the biltmore

On Sunday, Jeff's company drove in, from five different locations/offices, their employees and spouces/significant other to Ashville, North Carolina. The entire trip was 'on the company' and it was a fantastic thank you for a 25 year anniversary. Jeff and I stayed at the Grove Park Inn (GPI), one of the premier hotel/resorts in Ashville. Half the company stayed at the GPI, and the other half stayed at the world-famous Biltmore. We were not disappointed with our accomadations.

The company purchased breakfasts and lunch from Panera Bread and we drove north in big chartered buses, with snacks and drinks for the 5 hour trip. All the buses met at the GPI and we had a short time to explore before getting onto our assigned buses for our afternoon adventure. Some of the options the company set up were visiting the Biltmore and Winery, Tubbing, Golf, and visiting the various breweries and beer tasting in the area. We chose the Biltomore and Winery tour.

We headed to the famed Biltmore for the afternoon. The company purchased tickets for everyone and the audio ticket as well. The tour of the Biltmore was amazing! It takes you from room to room and the individual audio devices share many treasures about each, all centered around George Vanderbilt. There were no photography allowed inside the Biltmore so our take away photo was the outside view seen above.

We enjoyed the tour immensely. Such a rich (no pun intended) history regarding the Vanderbilts and their home.

After our tour we had a short visit at the Vanderbilts winery, where we learned of the Vanderbilts travels before heading back to the GPI.

Our rooms were ready for check-in, so we got showers and dressed for the before-dinner cocktail party. Open bar and hor d'oeurves were on tap for the next 1 1/2 hour where we mingled with the rest of the companies employees. I met some new folks that Jeff has mentioned over time, especially the ones he speaks of highly.

Dinner followed in one of the GPI's large banquet rooms with accompanying  anniversary fare and presentations. I thought the meal was a bit disappointing, but dessert was good. Dinner and presentations lasted until 10:30 when we broke for after dinner gatherings, but Jeff and I decided to head up to our room. We were really glad we didn't have to wait for a ride to the Biltmore.

The GPI was a wonderful place to stay. The room was large and very comfortable. Loved the bed, especially the pillows, the shower was amazing - huge, and loved the sliding wooden barn door on the bathroom - very cool. The large areas for lounging and enjoying the view of the mountains was wonderful too.

In the morning we re-visited the banquet room for a wonderful buffet breakfast, a relaxing lounge on one of the verandas before getting on the bus to return home. The company purchased pizzas for lunch on the return trip.

It was a great trip which turned out even better because Jeff has had some things solidified regarding his work se we were able to go into the trip with comfort and enjoyment.

breakfast potatoes & chorizo with red chili hollandaise

Jeff and I worked together to cook up this new recipe for dinner last night, Breakfast Potatoes and Chorizo with Red Chile Hollandaise. We served this up with scrambled eggs and John and I had sliced tomatoes on our plate.

While chorizo smells pretty spicy it isn't an overly spicy Mexican sausage, but it is very tasty. We boiled the potatoes until almost done so they would brown nicely in the cast iron skillet. Red onions gave the dish an added bite, but again not too spicy.

Then there was the hollandaise we drizzled on the top. Oh my!!!! This is the best hollandaise sauce I've ever eaten - so, so yummy, creamy, and just a hint of spice from the chipolte and cayanne pepper, which was highlighted with the juice and zest of lime. Amazing flavor!

My plate looked wonderful, with the drizzled hollandaise and the chopped pickled jalapeno's for just another layer of flavor. Jeff did an awesome job on the scrabbled eggs, creamy and silky smooth. YUM!

Enjoy!

project life 2014 | week 24

Just a really good week, albeit tiring. My FitBit is motivating, thus I'm walking all the time to reach 10,000 steps each day - not easy to do; and, some days I just can't do it.

God is sending the rains. The storms this week were awesome sights coming in, moving through, and moving out. Crazy weather associated too. It has kept me hoppin' at work.

We ordered NetFlix this week. We began with the television show Flashpoint.

Really good Father's Day too. Simple pages. Keeping it simple and clean is what works best for me.

And another week of our lives is documented. This is such a good feeling.

right now.

right now  John and Jarrod have plane tickets for San Antonio ordered and awaiting check in...in less than a week. It will be strange without my sons around.

right now  the boys have an appointment that will hopefully be successful and shoot them forward in their Eagle projects. We are praying for complete donation of services towards their projects. As project managers, they are responsible for raising funds, products, and services for each of their specific projects. They are moving in unchartered waters but I am proud of them.

right now  I'm considering attending a Bible study in July lead by a lady that I haven't seen in years, and who I used to love as a Bible study teacher. In fact, I consider her a mentor and someone who taught me how to lead Bible studies, which I did for several years. It would be wonderful to attend a Bible study again

right now  we are watching television shows on NETFLIX. Flashpoint is hot in our sights. Up next, NUMBERS - from start to finish. We don't have cable and have never had Netflix so this is all new to us. I'm hoping to use it heavily for their 11th grade American Government and U.S. Presidents lessons next year.

right now  my preferred method of drinking ice water is out of a mason jar with lid and straw I picked up at Walmart, recently.

right now  Jeff finally is getting a raise!!!! Praise the Lord!

right now  I take comfort in the routine: chore lists for each day of the week, our monthly menu plans (adding new recipes to our repetoire regularly), date nights with Jeff, reading aloud to the boys, wearing my FitBit to log my steps, reading through the Bible in less than a year, and serving each Sunday at church. Coffee made and ready to go no matter what time I wake up; working Monday through Thursday and loving my three-day weekends.

right now  I am walking, walking, walking - although it is harder to get in 10,000 steps when I'm not at work - go figure.

What is happening with you - right now?

 

52 gratitudes 2014 | 24

i'm just saying...in june.

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Words speak volumes.

I love these not-so-subtle reminders.

I'm just saying, is all.

date night at the beach.

Jeff and I had a wonderful date night out at Tybee Island. Our dates are simply full of conversation with narry a lull, as we are constantly catching up from a week apart. While we get in some conversation through the week with me working Mon-Thu, 2 pm - Midnight, usually about our day, it is our date nights where the additional conversation, the deeper talks, the dreams, the plans, the hopes, come out.

While we didn't head out to Tybee really late, getting to AJ's Dockside Restaurant we still had a 1 1/2 hour wait time. No biggy! We found a table out on their tiny patio and Jeff got us some drinks to sip on while we talked. I actually had a beer, and Jeff a coke - of course. Time flew and before we knew it they were taking us out to the dock for a table along the water. So nice!

We enjoyed an appetizer of Blackened Shrimp and Grits - devine! We both got the fried shrimp which was very tasty. More wonderful conversation and then we headed out to the beach for a long walk. My ulterior motive, hidden agenda, was to get most of my 10,000 steps in, on our beach walk, but, wouldn't you know it I hadn't charged my FitBit and around 6pm, as we were heading to the island, it died. But, we walked far - at least a couple of miles. I was dying.

But, oh, what a lovely night. Dates with my husband are just the best!

 

the hot italian submarine.

The boys did a stupendous job preparing these sub sandwiches. The tanginess from the pizza sauce to the crunch and flavor of the vegetables to the spiciness of the hot italian sausages on a bed of buttery roll, all smothered in melted, stringy, mozzarella cheese. So good!

These subs are definitely another keeper. We just keep hitting them out of the park.