great chili recipe

yo. matt and i enjoy making tacos, all sorts of tacos. we have recently made some new types of chili as well. our last bowl of chili we made was the best, ever. i took a picture and it just never looks as good as it tastes.... so here are the words instead. we cooked some cage free no hormones added deliciously fresh chicken, than we added in a big pot pinto beans, small tomoatoes (1 can), sliced bella mushrooms, cilantro, splash of fresh lime, half of a red bell pepper and green pepper, then stir in the cooked chicken and let it simmer for ten-ish minutes. for real, delicious.

monthly game night

last night we went to our friends dj and lori's house for our continued game nights... everyone taking a chance to host, new food and different games. such a fun easy concept. it was really nice getting together with a good group of friends, catching up, getting a little competitive, and lots of laughing of course. we've had a lazy sunday and it has been wonderful. we are about to go celebrate my nephew's very first birthday. i can not believe it has been one year that he has been with us! he is so entertaining and it is amazing watching him develop into the cutest, sweetest little boy. matt and i are ready to make our decision on our venue and date... so exciting! i bought my dress yesterday, i love it. and i love that i don't have to worry about getting it, or the shoes, got those too. peace out.

Happy Inauguration Day!

It's a good day people, whether you voted for him or not I think we need to look around and realize that it is time for a change. A positive, hopeful change. Just watching all the festivities at the Lincoln Memorial and Washington monument have been an amazing insight into most Americans coming together for the same reason. Having the chance to celebrate their uniqueness, and diversity... individuals standing side by side for the greater good of our nation. I think it's important to not be naive about the challenges left at the White House door step, but it just makes sense to me to believe that things are going to get better. To believe that we have much more in common than the things that separate us. To engage in non-judgmental and peaceful actions. Even during the cheesy "we are the world" recreation of all the singers and famous people on the Lincoln Memorial stage, I couldn't help but be relieved, and will continue to overuse the word hopeful because I think it's a good thing to be. To have such a leader to look up to for so many people, I think it's great. The big Inauguration is playing of course all day long starting with what the Obama's had for breakfast (overkill?) so I decided to turn the station this morning only to have Matt walk in the living room and catch me not watching the news and Inauguration coverage but watching Cool Runnings the 1993 classic John Candy flick, (and really I could quote it for days).. feel the rythme, feel the rhyme, get on up, it's bobsled time! Happy Day!

wedding stuff

Alright, so we have begun searching for our favorite venue to host our wedding. We are scheduled to visit seven more places tomorrow, I know it may seem crazy, but I would rather see as many as we possibly can now... and then be comfortable picking our place soon. Places are already filling up! It's nice because Matt and I have very similar tastes on what we are looking for and what is not a necessity at all. It is such an involved process choosing a menu, flowers, linens (things I would never normally care about) now take some real consideration but it really is and will continue to be a fun journey. However, these dreams about the wedding are already starting... I don't know if I can take another 8 or 9 months of this. I was rocking my nephew to sleep earlier today and all I could think about was seeing all our loved ones gathered at the same place, and walking down the isle with my dad... seeing Matt's reaction to how hot I look :) But really, it makes me smile so wide every time I think about it. Tomorrow night we are having Matt's nephew, soon to be mine too over for dinner, out for some games, and a sleep over. We are trying this new thing of having one of the boys over for their own special night on their own. So far so good. Hope everyone has a good weekend, stay warm!

spirit driven life

hi there. weekly blogging is a process, people. and if more people are reading this than my fiance, sister, and friend jamee, then i will try harder each week. the weeks seem to be going by faster, and that makes me sound old just typing that. Saturday we did our first round of visits to possible venue places for our wedding. it is a bit overwhelming because the options are plenty, not necessarily realistic options but many many places to look at. we saw anything from the low end all the way up to $25,000 to rent. and i know that even if we had that much money to spend, there is no way i could bring myself to do it. we will continue to look for that place that speaks to us, has some character, and is near the realm of what we would feel comfortable paying.
i have had a few interviews this past week, and one went really well. i look forward to working back in a school, however having so many friends working in schools i know the germs and sickness side to it will be something i'll try to avoid. i have several friends and loved ones in my life that are currently looking for a new job or at least to revamp the one they've got. i think we are all becoming more aware of what we want to do with our lives and what truly makes us happy. i have always believe that you are not your job, your job does not define you, in fact i've never thought of careers as anything more than jobs. but i realize that if you have a desire to do something (help kids, paint, teach, take photos) than to be able to transcend that into your every day working life is key. the more that i feel i am working with a purpose, the more fulfilled i feel. i think it is vital that we become aware of what those things are, and steer clear of the things that pull us away from our "spirit".
on another note, last monday i watched my nephew by himself all day long and we had the best day together. we have never laughed so much. he was cracking me up all day long. he would dance a bit, then laugh, he would crawl away and i'd chase after him, the whole time he was laughing up a storm. he also really enjoys when i attempt to juggle some blocks. what a gift that little guy is, i am so very grateful to be around him.

iowa

This past weekend Matthew and I drove to a tiny town in Iowa. The weather there was rainy and cold and icy in spots (my least favorite road trip weather). We stopped in Cameron, MO. and stumbled upon an old Victorian home that was turned into a very cute bakery/cafe and apparently they had a winery upstairs (didn't have time to see it). We had the best breakfast out that we have ever had... fresh, healthy and delicious... oh yea and we got a ton of food and it was only eight bucks which just makes it more fun. It was such a nice way to start the drive and set a fun tone for the rest of the trip. We ate lunch and hung out with Matt's extended family, learned how to play cribbage, and just relaxed the rest of the evening. Sunday we woke up to fresh air and sunshine. We decided to drive to Nauvoo, Il. they are famous for their fudge (the shop was closed) winery (very cute and located deep in the woods past a gorgeous campground) and a historical Mormon site. We spent the morning exploring, got really close to 4 huge golden eagles (beautiful!) and eventually made our way back home. The dogs were very excited to see us and it feels good to be home. But, wow!! What a fun weekend!

christmas time

christmas has lasted for about two weeks for us... which has been amazing! we started last saturday, the 20th at matt's mom's house for her famous dinner... um, i call it jambalaya only because i like saying that word. she cooks a big pot of corn, potatoes, sausage (i think?) and the largest shrimp i have ever eaten. she lays out a table cloth, and then pours it all out in the middle of the table. it is a messy, delicious family style of a meal. wednesday we spent christmas eve at church, then to my sister's house for a lovely meal, and a few gifts. thursday was a perfect christmas day because i was in my pj's the entire day. played a few intense games of ping pong, ate even more good food and opened the rest of our gifts. it's fun having a baby (kestan) around crawling over all the bows and boxes.. which he loved way more than any of his actual gifts. friday night we had dinner at my sister's again but this time we celebrated with my dad and his wife. and a new game called "imaginiff". imagine if my dad was a kind of car, which would he be? (multiple choice answers) imagine if matt was a character from winnie the pooh.... cute game, and even more fun seeing everybody's guesses. i love this time of year and it seems to just be getting better.... hope you all had a wonderful christmas too!