Live not for yourself

One small step for man.....

2011-11-21T18:53:00.003-07:00

Ok, so maybe what I am about to post about isn't as big as putting a man on the moon, but it is a breakthrough that I will sit in anticipation for until it becomes the real deal.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed an advertisement on Facebook (of all places to click on an ad), and it sparked my interest. I didn't know this until a couple of days ago, but depending on key words that you put into your profile updates, certain ads will pop up that relate or cater to those words. For example, the other I put the word God in my update, and right after all the ads were centered around Christian-type links. Interesting little site you are, Facebook.

I must have typed something about gluten free or Celiac in one of my posts, because I saw this ad about Gluten Team. What is Gluten Team? So, I clicked. Yes I took a risk, but it turned out to be a good one.

The link took me to a site where it talked about a research study that is being conducted in my area on a new treatment medication that is being tested for Celiac patients. You could fill out a little pre-screen survey to see if you qualified to be in the study....of course I did it.

I didn't expect that anyone would really contact me after entering my name, email and phone number. If anything, I expected spam.

I also didn't expect the phone call I got the very next morning from Dana, the research nurse who read my pre-screen survey. She said based on my answers I was pre-qualified to be a participant in the study, I would have to come Salt Lake for the appointments, and it would last for about 22 weeks (about 5 months). Tell me more, Dana.

I asked her about 30 questions (give or take a few) to find out more about this up and coming treatment drug that will be used to prevent reactions to gluten on a cellular level in the tissues of your small intestine.

What? Prevent reactions? How is this possible?

She explained to me how the drug works, how long they have been studying the drug and testing it on human patients, that it doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream, and that up to this point the studies have proven that the drug works.

It's working. A little ray of hope just flashed before my eyes as I sat there listening to her on the phone. A hope that I could have peace of mind knowing that if I went out to a restaurant and for some accidental reason my food was contaminated with gluten, there would be no worry of a 2 week aftermath that often leaves me curled up in a ball in the middle of the night or making constant, running trips to the ladies room (uh-hum).

There is hope.

The research group (Alba) is to the point in the research where they know that Larazotide Acetate works in preventing gluten from entering the cells when food is digested through the system, they are now researching which dosage of the pill works most effectively in preventing the reactions from occurring.

I wanted in. I was ready and willing to test this puppy out, knowing that this might be the next step in living reaction free and not worrying so much about the long term effects each gluten encounter might be wreaking on my body.

So I scheduled an appointment and a week later I was sitting at the doctor's office of the research group, filling out consent forms, reading, reading and reading some more, asking more questions, and handing over my blood work from 4 years ago that showed I had tested positive for Celiac.

As I was finishing a little electronic questionnaire for the food journal that I was going to be filling out every meal I ate and any reactions I felt I was having while in the study, Dana popped into the room and asked me if I had a copy of my biopsy results.....I did, but I had to call my doc's office to get them. Lucky I know the office receptionist, and she faxed them right over.

A couple of minutes later, Dana said that the report for my biopsy showed a negative result...that there was no damage showing up on the villi of my intestinal wall (you totally wanted to know all that), and that she was going to go talk to the doctor to see if I could still be a part of the treatment study.

At first I didn't really understand what she was saying. My blood panel showed positive, but my biopsy showed nothing.

After she came back and said that the medical assistant could be done with the prepping for the study, I was a little sad. I don't know why, maybe because part of me was excited to be a part of something new, something up and coming, something that would help me and so many other people out there suffering from the effects of Celiac disease who actually wanted to live a gluten free lifestyle but just not worry about cross contamination.

As we talked, I realized that I wasn't alone in this desire to be part of the study by couldn't because I didn't have both of the criteria to be eligible.

Dana explained that in order to be eligible for the study, you had to provide both a positive blood panel and sample from biopsy for Celiac/damage.
What we ended up figuring out was that because I had the blood work done in October of 2007 and didn't have the biopsy until November, my body had already started healing itself and showed no signs of damage caused by gluten intolerance. Thus, the mixed results.

There are actually a lot of people wanting to be part of the study who this has happened to, because part of the pre-screening questions ask if you are currently on a gluten free diet and have been for the past 12 months.....Well, I am, and so it makes sense that of course I wouldn't have as much or any damage compared to a person who may think they are eating all gluten free but maybe just not paying as much attention or are sneaking in gluten foods here and there, causing damage here and there. She let me know that because they were having a more difficult time finding enough patients to complete the study than originally intended, they are trying to get the research group to cut that criteria out of the qualifying conditions. If they do, I am back in the game.

For now, I am waiting, continuing to hope that some time in the next couple of years, I will start seeing ads for Lorazatide Acetate for Celiac patients, and it will be an affordable option for people like me.

What does it mean? Before every meal I can take a pill, and if I just so happen to have a gluten encounter, the medication will prevent the gluten from bonding to the cells in my small intestine and therefore no adverse reaction taking place. Pure bliss for Celiacs and gluten intolerant peeps like me.

One small step......

When you don't have something nice to say

2011-11-10T21:13:00.002-07:00

Recently Chas and I made two visits to restaurants where they sell wings.

Wing Nutz is one of our favorite places to go for wings, mainly because they have several different flavor options, but mostly my reason is because they are good about making sure you know which sauces are gluten free and which ones aren't. If there is a question, they always refer to the trusty GF menu. The manager knows us well enough now that she knows what we like to drink, how we like our appetizer, and which sauce we like on our wings. She pays attention well.

Wing Nutz is one of those awesome places that offers rewards for dining there, something a couple who is trying to save some pennies while still having a date night can appreciate. The rewards are linked to your email so every once in a while they will send you a survey that you can complete to let them know how your experience was. I made a comment on the bottom that we had noticed the last couple of times we had been there that we didn't end up getting our appetizer until our meal came out.....it's not really that big of a deal, but when you are overly hungry, it can be a little frustrating (speaking for myself sine I am the more grumpy one when my blood sugar drops below 50) when you notice they are not so busy that you just figure they are behind or something.

That same day the manager of the Ogden location sent us an Email personally apologizing for what happened. She had actually talked to our server later that day after she got in and he told her what happened. She knew that this had happened before (she has given us many, many free drinks and buffalo chips) and suggested to the servers that they wait a few extra minutes before putting in the wing order, so that the appetizers wouldn't keep coming out the same time as the meal.

To me, that is awesome customer service. To personally be the one to Email a customer back, instead of some corporate customer service rep. who sits behind a desk and doesn't really know what's going on in the restaurant where customers are being served, is huge to me. Maybe it's because I have been on the other end of being a customer, serving patrons and making sure they are the happiest they can possibly be while enjoy a nice meal. Maybe it's because for the past four years I have been overly sensitive to dining out since so much of my physical well being depends on the food I consume.

Which leads me to my next example, which unfortunately didn't end with the same results as our lovely manger at Wing Nutz.

Last Saturday before our gig with Cheatwood, I talked Chas into going to Winger's for a wing dinner (yes I crave wings a lot, I don't know why). We have eaten there before and they advertise a gluten free menu, so I had felt safe in the past.

If there was one word I could use to explain the experience I had eating at Winger's, I would combine the words horrifying, frustrating, and infuriating...perhaps to make a new word horrifrustinfuriating.

It was obvious towards the end of the ordeal that our waitress had no idea what it meant for a meal to be gluten free. It was also obvious, to me anyway, that the manager had no idea what it meant to provide decent customer service.

The dialogue between myself and the server at the beginning went something like this:

me: I wanted to get the boneless wing dinner but I need to know if that is something that I can get gluten free?

server: Oh yeah, we can do that, we have a separate fryer that we do the gluten free wings in, I will let them know.

me: Awesome, I will take that then with the original sauce."

(meals come out about 10 minutes later)

I proceed to cut up one of the chicken wings and start eating it.....in the midst of eating mostly fries because they looked super tasty and they were easier to eat.

I take another bite, just before Chas looks over and with a question in his voice, proceeds to tell me that he has gotten the boneless wings before and he is pretty sure that they looked exactly the same as the wings I was in the process of eating.

I stop eating and wait for our waitress to come by to ask her if it is in fact gluten free.

me: Hey I just wanted to make sure that these wings are coated with the same cornstarch breading as the bone-in wings, can you find out and make sure?

She leaves for about 10 minutes and I have to get her attention to remind her that I was waiting for an answer from her.

server: Oh yeah, I talked to the cooks and they said that those do have wheat in them, but they are made gluten free??? (question marks inserted to reflect the tone of her voice, apparent that she had no idea what she was talking about)

It pretty much went downhill from there. I proceeded to tell her that either a meal is gluten free with no wheat in it, or it is made with wheat/white flour and it is gluten saturated which would mean detrimental things for my body for the next 1-2 weeks.

She leaves with a deer in the headlight look in her eyes. About five minutes later she comes back with the manger, good ol Phil.

There were three main reasons why I didn't get along with Phil, at ALL.

1. Every time I tried to talk to him about what happened, he interrupted me and wouldn't even let me finish my sentence.

2. He asked me what would happen to me since I was exposed, and proceeded to let me spend the next several minutes explaining to him what happens to people with differing levels of severity of Celiac once they are exposed to even a tiny amount of gluten. Then, as to try and sound like he knows what he is doing in the Winger's kitchen, he says that his wife deals with the same issues.....well sir, then why did you ask me what happens, if you apparently already knew since your wife has it???

3. During the time I was trying to explain to him the conversation between myself and the server, it was brought up that my gluten chicken fingers were fried in the gluten free fryer...I tried to explain to him that I couldn't eat anything else that he was offering to have them make for me (trying to at least give us a free meal, which was the only nice thing he did throughout the conversation) because anything they fried that was gluten free in that fryer would now be cross-contaminated. He proceeded to say the following question (insert mocking tone here): "Would you like me to hold your hand and take you back in to the kitchen and show you how we do things back there?"

I was pretty much done and ready to leave after that. Not only was I going to experience pain, bloating and a skin rash for the next several days, but I was mocked and left feeling like no one in that restaurant knew anything about cooking a gluten free meal. So after good ol' Phil told us that he was giving us our meals free, we stood up and walked out.

I decided that after everything that happened, I wanted to write to corporate. I located the online "send us your feedback" website and proceeded to write a very lengthy but very non-aggravated letter about how I feel that the people working for their restaurant/corporation should be better educated on the importance of making sure that if you don't know if a meal is gluten free, don't just make it up and say yes. I also found out who the founder of Winger's is, and sent him the letter as well. The website says that customers should get a response in 1-2 business days.....that was 4 days ago. That's not a very long time, per se, but when you feel like you are trying to defend yourself and the other gluten free customers that may decide to visit their restaurant in the future, it seems too long.

In the back of my mind, I can't help thinking that had it been something positive, they would have most likely Emailed me back that same day thanking me for my words of praise and how glad they were that I enjoyed my visit to their restaurant.

Maybe they are really super busy right now, or maybe they are researching the incident with Mr. Phil the manger....who knows. But I also couldn't help but compare their lack of response to the quick response of the manager from Wing Nutz.... And decide that we probably won't be going back to Winger's ever again.

On a positive note, a research company is very close to coming out with a medication that helps prevent reactions of gluten exposure in people who have Celiac and gluten intolerance....More on that in another post.

A monthly to-do

2011-11-02T20:39:00.002-06:00

I didn't intend for it to take me a month to post about the current happenings with the Burks couple, but for some reason it just worked out that way.

Maybe it was because of my frequent lack of desire lately to continue a blog. I guess I feel like I use other ways on a daily basis to get updates and update others who care to read my FB status on what's going on in life. Therefore, this feeling leads me away from the blog and to other things.

But one thing I have been spending time on and a topic I have been thinking a lot about recently is from a study I have been doing on Esther. The topic of restraint.

During the time that Esther was being prepared to meet the king who would decide if he liked her enough to make her queen, she never took more or asked or expected more than what was suggested of her. She presented herself in such a way that showed more of who she was and the beauty she already possessed without tons of fancy gold jewelry, fake lips and a skin tight dress.

She was the Esther that God had beautifully and wonderfully created her to be. And it was that genuine real-ness that no doubt and more than likely led the kind to "love her so much that he crowned her queen over Vashti".

There is a lot of fake in this world. It is easy for people, women in particular, to get caught up in the who and what and how much and what does it look like on me of appearance and social gossip. It is easy to find a way to blend in and feel accepted, just like everyone else is doing.

I don't think it is wrong to want to be accepted, there is a level of healthiness in wanting to feel comfortable around the people that you like and are friends with. But for me, I don't want to feel I am compromising who I am to short myself of being the person that God has so uniquely and purposefully created me to be. In a place where it is so easy to act like you are just like everyone else, I sense that my heart is striving to find a way to stand out and sh0w those around me that I AM different. But it can be a complicated tight walk to show enough level of restraint to say how you feel and what you believe, and do it in such a way that is not making others feel you are comparing yourself against them. Or that they are wrong and you are right. It's not about that. Beth Moore asked the question at a conference I went to recently, "Do you want to be right, or do you want to have a relationship?" That was a powerful question for me as I seek to find a way to witness to those around me who I feel have been caught up in a way of life that I cannot pretend is the same as what I have grown to believe.

And so as I continue this journey of learning what it means to show Godly restraint, in many aspects of my life, I am finding that He is showing me other awesome things in His word along the way.

You are the best thing

2011-10-02T17:02:00.002-06:00

One year ago today, I married my best friend.

Telling someone they are your best friend doesn't always mean that you agree on everything, handle everything they tell you with grace, or that you always get along when you come home and are just, well, in a bad mood. Best friends are there for each other when you need someone to talk to. They are the person who will tell you the truth in love, because they know that even if it means you will endure a little pain, knowing the truth will help set you on a path to forgiveness and freedom. A best friend laughs with you, and sometimes at you even you think you are cool and not just acting like a fool. A best friend seeks to know what is happening in your life, what your dreams and fears are, helps you achieve those dreams and encourages you to do you best at those dreams, and prays away the enemy when fears become a present reality. A best friend will stay up as late as you need them to, to ensure that after crying for hours, you really will be ok.

And when you are married to your best friend, you even get to wake up next to them every morning, and you know, cuddle and stuff. There is a level of intimacy that cannot be explained outside of a God breathed, blessed marriage that I have been so mercifully able to experience being married to Chas. There has been growth, love, challenge, forgiveness, joy, and happiness throughout this first year of our marriage, and I am praying for at least 70 more years with this man by my side.

Happy 1st anniversary, Mr. Burks.

Facing it

2011-08-20T21:45:00.003-06:00

Out of all the times I have been stung by a bee (4), it was never because I did something to make it mad or because I even knew it was near me and was swinging my arms trying to get it away from me. I was minding my own business when...bam!, there it was.

People talk about how as they get older, some allergies tend to die off and they become immune to things they were once allergic to. Others say that their allergies to things have gotten worse. I was about 3 when I encountered my first bee sting. I don't remember it really, but my mom says that my foot swelled up a little but I seemed to be fine. The last time I got stung, I was about 14 and my entire arm swelled up like a balloon and there was so much fluid in it I had to go to the doctor and receive a series needle pokes for Benadryl and draining. So I dare to say, I feel as though that particular allergy is getting worse over time.

Enter my fear of bees. I know that most of the time, if you don't bother them, they don't bother you. But, due to my past encounters of bees while minding my own business, I tend to forget about that rule and just try to avoid them at all costs. I guess you could say I have a slight fear of bees, mostly of the fact that if stung by one, I could face grave consequences and end up in an ER or have to shoot myself with an EpiPen. No thanks. I don't know that 100% for sure, but those are the thoughts that enter my mind when thinking of what could happen to me if stung by a bee.

Life has a lot of unknowns. Sometimes, it is the fear of the unknown that can cause us the most anxiety in our lives. I can relate the above situation to many circumstances in my life, both present and past, that have caused unnecessary angst in my life. I can also see how giving these circumstances up to the One who has control over all things has allowed me to have a peace and freedom that those who have also felt that peace which passes all understanding can relate to.

Four years ago on August 5th, I experienced a loss that I had not yet encountered in my life. At that time, I watched the person that I had spent the last year of my life with whither away and pass right before my eyes. I had never known grief like that before. I had known OF the Dark Place that people talk about, but I had not experienced the feelings associated with being in the Dark Place until that point. Losing someone you love, watching someone you know in a deep and emotionally intimate way pass from this life and enter into eternity, stings much more than a bee. It cuts you like a knife deep down to your core and exposes everything you never wanted anyone to see about you. It causes you to realize that all the things you thought you have control of, you never really did, and the things you wish you had back, you will never have again. It causes you to see pain and sorrow and grief in a totally different way. I became much more exposed to the loss of others, and felt deep emotional pain for them. I have read stories and listened to situations of others around me who have lost the one they love, people I have never even met, and it has driven me to tears for that person. There is a glimpse of that loss that I can relate to, and I know that feeling of complete emptiness after seeing death head on.

And then comes the fear. When you lose someone, no matter how good of a job you feel you have done at allowing yourself to grieve, praying to God that he would restore your wounds and feeling like you have somewhat come back to a place of real life, there is a lingering fear in the depth of your heart that stirs you like a wild wind. It makes you lose sleep at night, and most of all, it makes you build up a wall that China has nothing on.

At first, I thought that being alone was what God had planned for me, and that He would calm my thoughts and make me ok with being single for the rest of my life. Lots of people do it, and being married doesn't define who you are, I knew that. But deep down, I had to get real with my head that part of this facade that I was putting on was in fact of a ploy against myself, to set myself up so that I could not get hurt by losing someone else again. I distanced my relationships, so that a. either I couldn't get hurt or b. if I did lose them it wouldn't hurt as bad because I wasn't 100% in the game, so to speak. I quickly started to realize through a long devotional for about 6 months that this was not how God intended for me to live my life, and desired for me to allow Him to make a change in my heart so that I could fully love someone again.

Choice and free will are still somewhat mysterious to me. Had I not made the choice to start a new path to healing, I know my life would be different. But how, I will never know. But God gave us a choice, even though He already knows what we are going to choose, and continues to lay things out in our paths according to the choices we make. That's the part that blows my mind sometimes. I don't deserve the mercy, grace and blessings that God pours out on me even for the seemingly "good" choices I make in my life, and yet, He continues to lay them out in front of me anyway. I could have made a choice to allow fear to keep me from knowing what it means to love a person like you have never loved before. To miss a person when they are only 5 minutes away, and to wake up knowing that you have someone there who loves you even when you don't say the nicest things to them or when you don't exactly look like you won a beauty contest. When you lose someone, and you make the choice to love again, you gain so much more than a partner for life. And, you learn to cherish the smallest things you experience in your every day life because you know that those are the things that mean the most when you are with the person God has blessed you with to be able to love as long as you are on this earth, or as long as they are with you. I may have lost a friend 4 years ago, but by allowing God to heal the wounds of my heart and teach me what it means let go of the fears I had of losing someone and just loving as best as I possibly can as a human being, I gained a husband that I am more in love with than anyone I have ever known in my life.

That's what I got for facing my fear, here's to praying you are learning how to face yours.

A little ladybug's birthday

2011-07-19T21:15:00.002-06:00

There are so many things in life that you will only get to experience once. Turning one, for example, is an event that parents will get to celebrate once with each of their children as individuals. I am so blessed and so happy to have been able to share in that celebration with my best friend, Amy, and her adorable little family. They really are like family to me too, her house was a safe haven in many ways in high school when my family was going through some pretty tough times, and they have always treated me like their own.

Amy and I have been best friends for 15 years, and I can honestly say that we have seen the best times of each other's lives, and also some of the toughest and most devastating times.

Recently some events in Amy's life left her feeling very overwhelmed, and as a best friend sometimes being there really is the best thing you can do for the person you have shared most of your life with thus far as a friend. I couldn't turn down the opportunity, with the help of some very giving family members, to visit and be a part of a very special birthday for miss Madison Rose Pepper. She is Amy and John's first little bundle of joy, and she is nothing less than a sparkle right down deep in the core of everyone's eye. How could you not love a little ladybug as precious and full of life as her? That's how I feel about her anyway, and she isn't even my own.

Amy has always been the type of lady that when she puts together a celebration, she knows how to bring the spread and has just the right touch for all the decorations that make it look so special and so welcoming. Madison's little ladybug birthday party was just that, as special as the guest of honor herself.

It has been a trying couple of months for Amy, John, her dad and the rest of their family involved in the process of praying and supporting two of the strongest men in their family to my knowledge. At about the same time, both John and Amy's dad found out that they had early stages of two very different kinds of cancer. We both spent time talking about the unknown, and sometimes just how downright scary it can be, trust me I said, I know. Having lost someone to cancer in the past, I know that exact feeling. Where you want to be able to do something to change the outcome so that it is how you want it to be, but in the end you just know that here is only One person in control of every situation, yet He hears the prayers of everyone who calls on His name for help and comfort.

And to Amy's relief, and all the rest of her family, both John and her dad Randy are cancer free at this point.

God IS good, all the time. Even if the outcome would have been different, He is still God and I know He still loves us. But we are especially grateful for this outcome, and we were able to all share together in relief with joy and thanksgiving the little precious life that Amy and John have been given in Madison. Here are just a couple of my favorites of her from the weekend.

She got a bouncing/rocking horse, probably her favorite gift, from John's brother Chad. Loving that look on her face as she rides away.

Tonight....

2011-07-07T21:57:00.002-06:00

That's the name of Cheatwood's first official Album, which we got today.

We weren't expecting to get the shipment of our first 200 CD's until a week or more from now.

Chas was pleasantly surprised when the UPS man pulled up in front of our house this afternoon just as he was getting ready to leave for work with a package. A package for Cheatwood.

Having a finished product and something to show for all the time and effort you have put into something feels, well, really good. Do I expect everyone to like it? Absolutely not. Do I think we are even remotely famous? NO. I work for the state of Utah for heaven's sake. Pffft.

I am just so so so happy and thrilled beyond words to be able to share in the making of something that Chas and love doing together, making music. We have an incredible band of people and I have absolutely loved being able to sing along side my good lady friend, Kelli Jensen. It has caused growth, change and challenge for me to continue to move forward with doing things that push me to my limits of thinking that I can't do things, only for God to prove me wrong.

If you want to check it out, we would love the feedback. Chas is totally the type of person who loves to hear what people love and hate about things, so bring it on, we can take it.

Interested in buying, check out the purchasing option now available on our website, www.cheatwoodmusic.com

Just want to ear shop? You can also listen to a clip of each song on iTunes.

Either way, we hope you enjoy Tonight.

On God's green earth

2011-06-21T21:50:00.002-06:00

I am so excited to post an update on our little growing garden! Things are sprouting and popping up out of nowhere, especially since we have been having so much rain, tomatoes and onions love water! Chas and I were a bit skeptical, we admit, when planting our garden only because it was our first time trying it out and we just weren't sure if anything was really going to grow. But, so far this little box of dirt and goodness has exceeded our expectations, and we feel so blessed to be able to grow our own garden in the beauty of God's green earth.

Here's a little peek at how nicely the plants are growing so far....

Our strawberries are growing, but we are going to have to put something around them to keep the birds off the middle of those sweet, tasty little things. They peck out the innards and leave us with the top and bottom of the fruit, not nice!

Chas is VERY excited that our jalapeno plant is growing our first ever little green pepper. He likes the hot stuff, I will stick to the strawberries and tomatoes.

Speaking of tomatoes, check these little bad boys out! We have two little 'maters growing so far, can't wait to sink my teeth into one of these juicy boys when they are good and ripe.

The tops of our potato plants are pretty huge, about up to my knee......let's just hope there are some nice potatoes growing under that soil...it will be fun to dig these ones up and get nice and dirty in the fall!

And there you have it! We can't wait to show you more pictures later as our little garden continues to grow :)

In a month's time

2011-05-29T18:24:00.001-06:00

Hello friends! (and people to happen to stumble upon these ramblings)

It's been exactly a month since my last blog post, so you know what that means....time for an update!

I can't say I haven't posted for a while because I was too busy, but also not because I didn't have anything to write about. Lots has been happening and will be happening this up and coming summer, including some very exciting and fun shows that Cheatwood will be performing for, so cool! Let's just hope this rainy weather clears up since a lot of the shows coming up will be outdoors.

Here is a listed update of some of recent happenings and things to come (gotta love the lists people :)

- Chas decided to recruit me to sing harmonies with Cheatwood a couple of months ago, so now whenever they gig, I gig. So that means more shows this summer. We will be heading up to Idaho Falls this coming weekend for a show with just the trio (Chas, Kelli J. and me). Next up will be the Ogden Arts Festival, a few weddings, some Sunday gigs on the patio at Wolf Creek Clubhouse, and some other smaller shows including at Huntsville BBQ and Savannah BBQ. One of the ones that we are all especially looking forward to is opening for a pretty big show put on by a lady named Anna Wilson. She travels with a full band, including a horn section and the works, and it will also include the sax player from the Dave Matthews Band......so essentially wheat this means is, there is a chance that Cheatwood would get to do a couple of songs with him, that would be amazing. We are still working out the details, but that concert is set for July 23rd. We will also be playing our usual at the Antelope Island Balloon and Kite Stampede over Labor Day weekend. Definitely a full summer of shows lined up for us, which is awesome!

-Our lovely garden, which is a first for both of us and something that we have loved putting together with each other, is growing! However, the massive amounts of rain we have been getting so far this year have limited the tomato plants from growing as much as we would like them to. But not to despair, we still have some starters we kept in the jiffy that are still growing nicely, so we may be able to transplant those in exchange of the ones that sadly have taken a beating with the hail and sleet storms we have had. Our potato plants recently just sprouted out of nowhere and are now 5-6 inches high out of the ground. I can't wait to see if the bean and cucumber plants will sprout!

-I recently have been seeking out a few possible changes in my career. I have loved my job working with youth at the state, and I will be sad to tears when the time comes for me to leave my job, but I have also felt a slight tugging from God to explore other options now that I can put my masters into full use. This is kind of a works in progress, so I will have to update you on some of this later.

- Serving as a worship leader at the Bountiful Heights campus has been such a blessing and a learning experience. Chas and I continue to head down once every two weeks to lead a team, and I will be honest in saying that every week brings a new challenge to face. Recently some of the leaders have made the decision to step down, either due to moving on to other things or feeling the need to help elsewhere, so that has created much change in the direction of the teams and who plays for what team on what weeks. God has really blessed us with willing people who volunteer their time to serve and use their talents to create music that glorifies God every Sunday. Some of the people on our team change, so that brings a challenge. Some are beginning music players, and some can be very timid. But no matter what, I know that this is an opportunity to work along side others and see in what ways God is using these situations to teach me things as well. We are also just excited to see the outreach having a church in the heart of Bountiful is creating for the community.

-Chas and I got to spend some fun quality time with my family last weekend while my dad was here with his wife. My twin cousins graduated high school, which is so crazy to me considering that when I moved here, they were 7 (almost 8). They are two very bright, beautiful and mature young women, and I was happy to be able to be there to support and cheer them on in finishing this chapter of their life. We have had some really good talks together about their upcoming plans, and I am so excited for them to see what is in store for them.

Those are just a few of the happenings, there are a lot more things going on, but I feel that this post is getting long enough, so I will end here.
Maybe I will wait another month to post, that way I have more to blog about :)

How does your garden grow

2011-04-29T18:06:00.002-06:00

In March, I started a 30 day blog challenge. After that 30 day challenge, I took a little break from blogging, partly because really, truly and honestly I didn't feel like I had anything interesting to blog about. Let me take that back, that I COULD blog about.
Since then, many new and exciting things have been happening, some happy, some frustrating, some sad, all around me. I am grateful for my friends and the time we get to spend chatting. But mostly I am excited for the new things happening in their lives, and I am thankful that I have friends who are true and honest and real, and feel like they can share the intimate details of certain parts of their lives with me.

I have to admit, there seems to be a lot of women around me who are diligently growing babies. Don't get me wrong, it makes me smile inside. I am so excited for them and the little ones to come. But every once in a while, I get that "feeling". You know, the I-Waaaaaant-one feeling. And then reality smacks me in the face. As cute and lovable a little baby Burks would be, we just know right now is not our time. Like, we aren't even close to being ready to try, time.

So instead, we are working on other things together. In one of the blog challenges I posted last month I discussed a goal to plant a garden. Well, that's what Chas and I have decided to spend our time on together this spring (or still winter, or whatever you want to call it). He did most of the hard work by digging and tilling, and tilling again (there was a LOT of grass to get out of this thing) It is also a little bit bigger of a garden than we were thinking it was. Not huge, just bigger then a 10x10. But we have managed to get it to the point where we are ready to plant! We just need some nice weather to accommodate our desire to get down and dirty in the planting mode. We even started a nice little jiffy of tomato plants which, I think, are growing quite nicely.

Here's to our first time planting a garden...together, and ever!

In my spare time

2011-04-10T19:57:00.002-06:00

I was thinking the other day, and I realized that it has been over 5 years since I have had cable. Before Chas I got married, I had never owned my own TV and even house watched for about 6 months for people who didn't even own one.

When it comes to TV, I made a decision a while ago that so much of what is on TV is either a. degrading, b. pure crap, or c. noneducational and a waste of brain power to watch. Case and point, Jersey Shore. I know, people have their shows, and I am totally ok with that. I am not talking about things like the news or PBS or things that actually teach people something. I know there are a lot of good things people can watch that are on TV, but I think Chas and I have just kind of made a conscious choice to save money and not be tempted to just sit in front of the TV all night and not say anything to each other during the time that we are together.

There was also a period of time where I just felt I was too busy (mostly during grad. school), so I knew that having cable would just be a waste of money to pay for every month. So, we have just kind of done without it, and really we feel that we are fine and just as normal as any other American who has cable and watches their daily dose of shows.

However, I recently have found 2 shows that I really like and have resolved to watching on Hulu.com once a week. I get my fill of the Biggest Loser on Tuesdays when I am at the gym, and that I like because it shows people being willing to change their lives and get healthy and lose weight. I like that they are learning how to live healthy lifestyles FOR life and not just get a quick fix. I know some people don't like the show because they think it's unrealistic, which I agree with to a point. I think this season one thing I have noticed is that the trainers have really addressed and tried to do a better job of helping the contestants prepare for going home, living in real life again, and not being able to work out for 6 hours a day like they have been on the ranch. It's a great motivator for anyone who has been wanting to lose weight and learn how to live a more healthy lifestyle, and I personally get great workout and eating tips.

The first show that I have been watching on Hulu is Who do You Think You Are?. I recently got interested in finding out more about my family lineage and where we actually came from. I did a 2 week free trial on Ancestry.com and then printed off the family tree with the names I had found so far before cancelling the trial (otherwise I would have paid $300 for a yearly subscription, no thanks). Then I saw a preview for this show on NBC, so I decided to watch it. It is just so interesting to see people be able to actually go to the places where their ancestors have come from, how they got to where they were going, and get a glimpse into their life and how they lived. I find it educational because they are able to visit all the history and genealogy museums to find clues that eventually lead them to where their ancestors lived. There is a sense of mystery to it that I really enjoy, it definitely keeps you on the edge waiting to see what they will find out next.

The second one is called Secret Millionaire. A lot of people say that this is similar to another show that I have never seen before where CEO's of huge companies secretly work as a layman worker somewhere in their company. That I think it different about Secret Millionaire is that people are finding those in low income and super poor communities who are making a difference and give them a generous portion of their wealth. They have to kind of hide their identity until the last day and pick a couple of places to give their money to. It is so amazing to see how giving these millionaires are willing to be, and it is heart wrenching to see the reaction of the people receiving the money. For me, this show hits a part of me that I know God desires for all of us to be more like, giving. More loving, more gracious, kind and just willing to pour out love to those who are in need without judging them and just showing them what it is like to just love, as Jesus showed love for us.

At the end of the road

2011-04-07T19:28:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 30: Who are you?

It is April 7th, and there is nothing I would rather be doing right now than staying in my house, bundled up, watching a really good movie. Why? Why would I say that instead of being outside enjoying the sunshine? Oh yeah, probably because it is SNOWING outside. It's Utah, get used to it, I know. But I'm just saying, if it weren't for this snow storm, I would not be on this computer at this moment typing out my last post.

Anyway, onto the answer for my last blog post challenge.

Who am I?

I want to say that first and foremost, I am a daughter. A daughter to the only and most awesome God who cares for me and loves me just as He has made me. I dare to say that I would compare myself to somewhat of an Esther. I take a chance on things, and a lot of times I say what I feel in my heart needs to be said, even it it means creating a few ripples here and there. People know I am honest, but I would also truly hope that people also know I care so much in every way about them. Even in the midst of my "slow to warm up" self, a lot of what can sometimes reserve me is mere observation of those around me and how to best respond to them in their own element.

I am a woman who is prone to finding comfort in the rituals of organization in daily life. And at the same time, I often find myself looking for a reason to step out of that comfort zone and take a chance on something, not having any idea how it will turn out.

Simply put, I am my mother's daughter. And a little bit of my father's at time too.

I am a curious person. I think my parents got sick hearing me as why so much when I was growing up, and finally just starting saying "because I said so" as a way to finalize that I couldn't ask anymore.

I am a relational person, emotionally and physically.

I am a person who may be bound by some limitations, such as having celiac and not being able to eat certain things that I want to, or be able to run a mile as fast as I wish I could because I simply don't have a "runner' s body", but i know those things don't define me. They are just parts of what make me individually who I am, for no bad or negative or demeaning reason.

I am a helper. I find great joy in being there for others, helping them, and doing things for them. Specifically as a wife. I have always felt this desire to be helpmate to a husband, and I am so blessed that I finally get to be that.

I am someone who doesn't take no for an answer a lot of the time. I can admit it, I am stubborn. My mom told me once I could totally blame it on her and my dad, because they are both stubborn too.

I am someone who has a musical heart. I can remember a day in 2nd grade where my teacher had to ask me to stop singing to myself during reading time because it made it hard for the other students to be able to focus on their books. I don't always like the way I sound when I sing, but I would rather sing glory to God with a cracked-shrilled voice than never sing at all.

Lastly, I am someone who is committed. It may take me a while to get something done, but if I commit to it, it's going to get done. If a friend needs me to be there, if Chas needs me to do something for him, I will be there. Even if in my mind it isn't something I would necessarily want to do, because it something they need, I know my time will be worth it.

Maybe since I committed to this 30 day challenge, I will now commit to taking a couple of days off from the blogging world....

Working out my brain

2011-04-06T20:56:00.003-06:00

Blog challenge day 29: In the past month what have you learned

One more day left of the 30 day blog challenge, and I am thinking that after this, I may spend the time that I have been blogging and take a couple of walks. Granted, the weather has to be nice enough, but there's always the treadmill too. I may even take a book I have been reading and catch up on some eye-brain stimulation.

What have I learned in the past month......
I have come to a place in my life where I can see myself hitting a plateau of sorts. I know there is something new coming for me, soon, I just am not totally sure what that might be. But, I have started seeking out what that might be, and I am just glad, thankful and blessed that I have a supporting, loving husband who encourages me to do the things that I am passionate about and want to make a difference doing.

Doing a blog a day was a bit more challenging than I had hoped it would be. I knew it would be a challenge, but I guess I figured that if I have friends with way more busy lives than me and blog every day, then hey, I could blog every day. But, as you could tell by my many, many late posts, it just wasn't on my mind every night after getting home from work, eating dinner, getting a workout in, looking up songs for worship, spending time with my hubby and finally falling asleep. I am just happy and glad that I am finishing it. Checking this one off the books (tomorrow, heh)

Signing onto the blog more meant I was looking around at my other friend's blog more too. Which means I had more of a chance to comment on the cool, interesting, and tasty things they have been writing about. I learned that I don't always have to get a comment, but it's nice if I give at least one comment a day.

My bad habit is still just that, a bad habit. You think I would have maybe changed it after openly posting about my tendency to leave clothes on the bathroom floor. But I didn't.

Posting about some of the things I was challenged to post about gave me some good insight to continue thinking about a few things, my goals, dreams, who I would want to trade a day with, etc.

That's all I can think of for now, time to watch some Hulu :) Hey that's what you do when you don't have cable. I think of that as a good thing.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-04-05T18:21:00.003-06:00

Blog challenge day 28: A picture of you last year and now, how you have changed since then

May of last year

February of this year

The most exciting change of all since last year is that this time last year I wasn't married yet, and now I am! That's a big life change too, I would say.

It's hard to tell in the pictures, but my hair is a little lighter and a little longer. Just a couple more inches before I will be able to donate it again. Come on hair!

Last year, I wasn't doing much in terms of music, I was singing for the morning and night service every other week at Washington Heights, but nothing as far as singing out or doing much more than back up vocals for the worship team. Now, I am backup vocals for Cheatwood (Chas' band) with Kelli, and we are even doing a little trio group with just the three of us. Chas talked me into helping him write another song (he only twisted my arm a little bit), so that should be coming out with the CD that we are making this summer.

I also started leading worship more for the "sister" church that we merged with in Bountiful, then called Grace Baptist, now called Bountiful Heights. I lead a team every other week, sometimes more if needed, and that has been a great challenge for me.

Last year, I was soooo close to being done with my Masters from Utah State, and now, I can officially say I am a Masters graduate as of August. Woo!

I am sure there are a lot of other things, smaller things, that have changed, but I will just leave it at that for now, since those are all great and exciting things!

What I got myself into

2011-04-04T18:32:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 27: Why you are doing this blog (post) challenge

As you can see, I ended up getting behind on the days of the blog challenge. I should have committed myself to not posting on the weekends, they are just too busy for thoughtful posts right now!

But, I am committed to finishing, even if I end up doing 30 posts in 35 days, ha.

And that's actually part of why I decided to do this blog challenge. I wanted to see how many days in a row I could actually remember and be able to blog. I did get behind, those who actually read the posts already knew that. But, it was nice to have something to write about, because really there are times in my awesomely entertaining life (joke) where something is worth reading about. Not that everything that the blog challenge had you post about WAS worth reading, but, you get the idea.

It's just nice to blog, explain things you wouldn't normally explain in a normal conversation, or maybe some of you would and just are a lot more expressive and creative than me. Either way, I have no regrets taking on the 30 day blog challenge. It actually helped me to realize that I do want to blog more, but just have to think a little bit about what I could blog about. I think that is the part that gets me sometimes, that keeps me from posting. Things that may seem important to me, may just be petty or of no importance at all to those who read. I want to be honest, but I never intend to offend. I like writing about my experiments in the kitchen with gluten free foods, but often wonder if others care about that kind of stuff....because let's face it, if you aren't gluten free, you probably won't be trying gluten free...unless you believe in the new fad diet like famous people of eating gluten free just for the sake of eating it, to be cool or more "healthy" or whatever it is they want to think they are doing. Anyway, I also like posting about my adventures, challenges and joys of being a part time worship leader, but again, it's one of those things where either you relate to it, or you don't, and I just wonder if it has any meaning if I write about it.

I like to post about music and the gigs that Chas and I are doing with the band, but I don't want to become one of "those guys" who all they ever do is talk about music, playing, singing, gigging, blah blah blah. Music is and has been a part of my life and I am sure it will be for a long time, but I never want it to BECOME my life. If you get what I mean.

Lastly, I do want to be feel like I can post more spiritual type things, and I know that has some meaning, it's just WHAT to post about, again, that I get stuck on sometimes. I started doing a study a while ago (like 8 months ago, it's one of those ones) that talks about your imprints growing up and how having a healthy spiritual walk with God can help you understand why you react to the things you do, cry or don't cry, love or are cold, etc. I would love to be able to express some of the things I have run across with this study, but again, just one of those things that is hard to do sometimes. I guess I will just have to muster up some blogging strength and focus on what it is that is most important when blabbing to the blogging world about the things that are going around in this teeny little grain of sand head of mine.

Thank you for being a friend

2011-04-02T22:35:00.003-06:00

Blog challenge day 26: What you think about your friends

My friends are talented, each unique in their own way, and have differing styles of fashion. My friends are loyal, loving, forgiving, and people I can turn to when things are getting a little difficult. They have great taste in music, and aren't afraid to dance even when people are looking. My friends are accountability partners, sisters, and people who allow me to get it all out and will tell it to me straight when I need to hear it. My friends are irreplaceable, and I am so blessed to have each and every one of them in my life for the reason that God has placed them there.

Whachu got in that bag

2011-04-01T10:16:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 25 (which was yesterday, I know): What I would find in your bag

I try not to be a pack rat. I really do. I think my purse my be one of the few places that things end up in for months and months. Especially ever since I bought a Miche bag. the inner bag stays the same, and you can change out the shells that go around the bag, so essentially everything in the bag stays there because you never have to clean it out to switch from one purse to a different one. So all that to say, my purse is probably the most messy it has ever been in my life.

On any given day, you may find these items in my purse:

Pens, probably a couple of them

Migraine medication, two kinds

My Coach brown wallet that my wonderful husband got for me as a birthday gift, filled with lots of hair appointment cards and old receipts

Foundation, not for my face, but for my lips. Yes, I am weird.

Bigelow green mint lip gloss, gotta have the lips gloss

Business cards, not for me, but for all the places I went around to the past couple of months getting donations for door prizes for the Northern Utah Marriage Conference

Old notes to myself of things I needed to get done, including grocery lists

The good ol' birth control, we're not taking any chances here

A Dave Ramsey starter CD for the Total Money Makeover

Tissues

An empty Orbitz gum holder

A checkbook

Old sermon notes

Two mini bottles of Sweet Pea and Warm Vanilla Sugar hand sanitizer, both of which my husband end up using more than I do

My phone, I typically keep it in the side pocket even if I am at home, so I remember where it is

And lastly, a business card holder with my own DWS Youth Counselor cards

Sounds like a big purse with all that stuff in there!

2011-03-30T19:31:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 24: A letter to your parents

Dear dad,

it has been your drive and determination that has helped me to persevere in times where I have been challenged and faced what I thought was insurmountable hardship. You have always worked hard, and even though there were times where I did wish you had been at home more instead of at the office, I have learned what it means to have a solid work ethic built on integrity and keeping your goals in sight to accomplish them. Thank you for being a dad who provided for us and made sure that we had a place to come home to at the end of the day.
Thank you for allowing me to get a dog, even though deep down I knew it wasn't your favorite thing to say yes to at the time. You can't blame me for knowing just the right time to ask, right after major surgery while you were still doped up on morphine and couldn't have cared less whether we had an animal in the house or not.
Thank you for taking me out on ice cream dates, for being willing to take the time to be a coach for my rec. league basketball teams, and for teaching me responsibility by making me pay for my own car and insurance while still in high school.
Even though I know it made you terribly sad to see me move away and begin a life of my own, I am glad that we have been able to stay in touch and I have constantly looked forward to being able to come home for the holidays to spend time with you. There were some times that were difficult, and I know that we have not always known the best way to communicate. Through the years though, I have learned many positive things from you as my dad, and know that God has blessed me with a caring, loving and dedicated father. I look forward to the conversations we will continue to have as adults and the events we will be able to share together as each of us gets older and more wise in our relationship as father and daughter.

Love you dad,
me

Dear mom,

It is said in the bible that God will not give us more than we can handle, and I know by many of the trials you have been through that God has made you a strong woman to be able to endure the things He has allowed you to experience. You are a mom who has taught me to never give up, even when you think the worst has come and there is no hope. I have learned how to be confident as a woman and how to have a spiritual life that is my own and is based on faith and God's truth because of the things you have taught me while growing up. I am still learning today from you, and I know that there will be many more things for you to teach me even as I get older and some day start a family of my own.
Thank you for always supporting me, no matter what my choices were, and for being a person who has been there through some of my toughest battles I have had to face.
Thank you for being willing to do whatever needed to be done to make sure your daughter accepted herself and thought she was beautiful, no matter how many trips to the dermatologist it took. Something was bound to work sometime. Thank you for encouraging me to sing, even though for a long time I didn't want to have a voice. That little extra push gave me what I needed to know that God had given me a gift and wanted me to use it for his glory.
I know that there are times where it is difficult to be able to catch up, sometimes time slips away and life gets busy. But just know that I think of you often and miss my mom just as much today as I did when I was little and you had to go to work and I just wanted you to stay at home and spend more time with me. As Chas and I eventually start to build a family of our own, we are excited to know that we have family, parents, and a mom like you who will support us and be there for us and will spoil our babies as much as you did me when I was little.

Love you mom,
me

Gotta have it

2011-03-29T21:38:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 23: Something you crave a lot

A couple of months ago, Smith's had a really good deal on mangoes. I recently had also read something online about how to pick a ripe mango, so I thought this would be the perfect time to try out my fruit picking skills and purchase one.

That was probably the best idea I have had in a long time.

I love mango. I could eat it every day.

And now, whenever I go to Smith's, I check the fruit section to see if they have mangoes on sale. They are especially delicious in a black bean, quinoa, and mango salad that I also happen to like.

In my own way

2011-03-28T22:02:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 22: what makes you different from everyone else

Hmmm, let's see.....

I have an older brother named Travis who first inspired me to get into music

I have a husband named Chas, who is by far one of the best guitar players I have ever met and known personally (and that's not just a biased opinion)

I ended back up in the state that I was originally born in, after living in another for almost 12 years

I grew up with a beagle named Pepper who ate pretty much anything she could get her paws on (yes, including other pet poop) and survived all of it, even the 1 pound bag of m&m's she devoured one Christmas

I come from a family of J's and K's: my cousins are Justin, Jerry, Kristy, Karly, Kylea, Kara, Jonathan, Jordan; my aunt and uncles are Jeff, John, Karleen and Karen; and then me, :)

I met my best friend named Amy in choir during my 9th grade year and have been best friends with her ever since. That's 15 years for anyone wondering how long that has been.

I tend to remember the most random details about stories and events that happen in my daily life.

God made me the way I am and like no one else He has ever made before. And that same holds true for everyone else, we are all uniquely different in wonderful and awesome ways.

Picture this

2011-03-27T19:57:00.003-06:00

Blog challenge day 21: A picture of something that makes you happy

This is the beach on Hilton Head island, South Carolina. This makes me happy because a. it's a warm sandy beach, b. it's a sunny place, and c. it's where Chas proposed on June 29, 2009 and we started the process of bringing our lives together for life.

You had me at a note

2011-03-26T22:25:00.003-06:00

Blog challenge day 20: Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future (this may be modified)

Well let's see....I am glad I don't have to think much about this one. :)

I already married the person that I wanted to spend my future with, so I get to check this one off and head to bed. But, I also want to say that I am so thankful for the way Chas compliments me and my own personality, and how I can see the ways that I compliment him in a positive way too. We create music together, which I think has a special bond all of it's own, especially since it is the thing that initially brought the two of us together in the first place. Even if we have nothing else, we will still have each other and we will still share the love of music together. And no one can take that away from us.

We enjoy spending time outdoors, hiking and camping, and I am thankful for those similarities. But I also am glad that we both are able to have our own outlets that allow us to just be who we are, and accept each other for what we like as individuals. We can come home at the end of the day after spending time apart and know that we will be coming home to each other and sharing what we did that day with each other.

And lastly, I am thankful that Chas is the type of man who verbalizes his feelings for me, who expresses how much he loves me, when he misses me during random moments of the day, and lets me know that he enjoys spending time with me, even if that time is just sitting on the couch doing nothing but being together.

And that's only some of the reasons why I see myself being with Chas for the rest of my life :)

What's in a name

2011-03-26T07:06:00.002-06:00

p.s.: I am totally pretending that it is 11:59pm Friday night.

Blog challenge 19: Nicknames you have, why you have them

I think my first ever nickname was started by my grandpa when I was still a little girl, and he has never stopped calling me this since. Instead of adding the "b" to my name, it was omitted and thus came the nickname Kimmer.

In high school a couple of my choir and basketball friends started calling me Kimbo...that one I haven't really been called since I moved to Utah.

When I first met my friend Brittainy after moving to Utah and working at the Target Portrait Studio, she started calling me Kimberloo....that one has seemed to stick and she still calls me that once in a while.

Lastly, since being married, Chas has more often been calling me Tootie.....I don't think I even have to explain that one, and out of embarrassment, really don't want to :)

I have a dream

2011-03-25T11:26:00.002-06:00

Yesterday ended up being a little bit more busy than I expected, so, I didn't get to blog last night before I finally went to bed.

Here I am, a day late again, but you will get two posts today for your reading pleasure. I know, yay!

Blog challenge day 18: Plans/dreams/goals you have

I will start with a goal because this one was relatively easy for me to come up with.

I would eventually like to go back and get a Ph.D, preferably in some sort of family therapy or childhood development setting, and probably not in the state of Utah. It has been a goal of mine ever since I started college, and I definitely think it is something that God wants me to pursue. When though, that part I don't know yet.

Another goal that somewhat daunts my mind as I think about it is running a full marathon. I have completed 2 half-marathons so far, and I know what my body feels like after 13.1 miles. I can't imagine at this point pushing my body to do twice that amount of work without wanting to fall over and pass out. But, it is still a goal that I would like to achieve...maybe in the next 5 years. It's going to take me a while to work up to that one.

Plans: Chas and I have plans to grow a garden this year. There is a little box in our backyard that we are pretty sure at one point in time was built for a garden. It is overrun with weeds right now and definitely needs a lot of love and work. That's where we come in. We both have been talking about it the past couple of weeks and decided it was an activity that would be a good experience for us to do together. We got some great starting tips and have some family friends that have gardened for a long time so I am sure with their help we will be successful.

Chas and I have also starting talking about tackling our debt and using Dave Ramsey's debt snowball to start getting rid of some of the debt we have both accrued over the past couple of years. We have somewhat started this process since being married and so far have eliminated 2 small debts. Our plan is to eventually be debt free so we can start focusing on saving for other things.

Dreams: When I found out I had celiac, I also found out that in order to have a safe eating environment, I would have to cook a lot more. In doing that, I starting thinking a lot about how amazing it would be to open my own gluten free restaurant and bakery. I am sure there are states out there that have already started this trend, when Chas and I were in Tennessee for Christmas his mom took us to a 1/2 gluten free deli and bakery. Half of the deli was gluten free and half was non gluten free foods. But how cool would it be to have a completely gluten free setting for people with celiac and gluten sensitivity to be able to come to and feel safe knowing there is no concern of cross contamination. At one point in time I told myself that if I could create 20 flavors for gluten free cupcakes, I would open a bakery. I obviously have a long ways to go for that, as my baking and creating skills have been put on hold the past year or so since planning a wedding and getting married. But, that's definitely a dream of mine, to own a gluten free restaurant.

I'll be you

2011-03-23T20:54:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 17:Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

So...I thought about this one a little bit, it's kind of a big decision to make.
I came to the conclusion that if I was going to switch lives with anyone, honestly, it would be with my husband.
That probably sounds weird, at first. I would still be living in the same house, sleeping in the same bed, visiting the same places we visit. I know what you're thinking.

But, here's the why.
I have often wondered what it would be like to have to live with, well, me. And there is no other person on this earth that knows what that is like better than my husband. He is there in my good moments, and there for my worst moments. I think it would be really good insight for me to see how things are from his point of view when he is dealing with all the aspects of me. Plus, it would also be nice for me to see how he thinks about things, because let's be honest, boy brains can be 1.hard to pick sometimes, and 2.a bit on the weird side at times. I am not saying Chas is weird by ANY means (ok, sometimes when he randomly says things and makes up pretend voices to fill his time in the car since his radio doesn't work), I am just saying I think it would really help me, us, if I were put in his life and could see his aspect for a while.

So, that's who I want to be, and why :)

I'm so vain

2011-03-22T18:29:00.004-06:00

Blog challenge day 16: Another picture of yourself.

Ok, you asked for it.

Showin off my mad singing skills, yeah.

Girl put your records on

2011-03-21T21:30:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 15: Put your ipod on shuffle: first ten songs that play

1. Paul Wright- Sunrise to Sunset

2. Corinne Bailey Rae- Put Your Records On (Not kidding you, I named this blog before I hit shuffle on my iPod, and this just happen to come up)

3. Jeremy Riddle- God Moves in a Mysterious Way

4. Just a Vapor backing (played by Ben Smith)- Still Love You

5. Azusa Pacific University Choir and Orchestra- Crown You With Praise (Gotta love the worship practice songs, lol)

6. Matt Redman- Never Let Go

7. Hillsong United- Freedom is Here (One of my current personal favorites)

8. Starfield- I Will Go

9. Casting Crowns- Until the Whole World Hears

10. Mute Math- Noticed (also a current personal favorite)

And there you have it. I will say that right now the majority of the songs on my iPod are either workout or worship songs. So, it makes sense that I got the nice variety that I did. Ha.

We are family

2011-03-20T20:54:00.003-06:00

Blog challenge day 14: A picture of you and you family

It's a good thing that Chas and I got married recently so that I have all these awesome photos for these picture blog challenge. Otherwise, I honestly don't think that I would have any pictures around my house to use, I am pretty sure my parents have all the old pictures of us as family.

Starting from left to right: My older and biological brother, Travis. He was an usher for our wedding. My mom, Rhonda, and her husband Jeff. My dad, Ron, and his wife Karen. Then my step-brother Michael, he was also an usher for the wedding. That's my immediate family that were at the wedding, we have lots more relatives but I will just leave it at this for now :)

Dear friend

2011-03-19T18:31:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge day 13: A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

"Dear Friend, what's on your mind

You don’t laugh the way you used to
But I've noticed how you cry

Dear friend, I feel so helpless
I see you sit in silence
As you face new pain each day
I feel there’s nothing I can do

I know you don’t feel pretty
Even though you are
But it wasn’t your beauty
That found room in my heart

Dear friend, you are so precious Dear Friend

Dear friend, I'm here for you
I know that you don’t talk too much
But we can share this day anew
Dear Friend, please don’t feel like you're alone
There is someone who is praying
Praying for your peace of mind
Hoping joy is what you'll find

I know you don’t feel weak
Even though you are
But it wasn’t your strength
That found room in my heart
Dear friend, you are so precious, Dear Friend"

These are the words of a song written by Stacie Orrico, a girl who started very young as a Christian artist and has an amazingly beautiful voice. I thought of this song a couple of years ago when going through a tough trial with a very close friend. Though the hurt was minimal on my side, I still wanted to share how I felt at the time when our friendship was coming to an end. I still love my friend from the bottom of my heart and would happily be their friend even today. I love you, just like I loved you back then.

If you have never heard this song before, you should listen to it here

In the know

2011-03-18T18:56:00.002-06:00

Blog challenge for day 12 is: Tell how you found out about blogs and why you made one

Hang on, I have to rack my brain for a minute to think that far back. I think I started officially blogging about 5 or 6 years ago.

I am pretty sure that I started blogging after my friend Claire (then Cain, now Teter) keyed me in to a blog that she started. She was in college at NYU at the time and was also doing some writing on the side. I found it super intriguing and also thought it was a great way to keep in contact and up to date with others who I didn't talk to or get to see on a regular basis. So, I decided to start one of my own.

And that's my blog story for today :)

I've got friends

2011-03-17T22:56:00.004-06:00

Blog challenge for day 11: (finally on time!) Another picture of you and your friends

This was taken 3 Valentine's Days ago. Blaire, the lovely lady with the pretty curly hair, had a party at her house. The other blonde beauty is my friend Kristin M. And someone decided to stick their head in the picture, I honestly cannot remember her name.

A day behind

2011-03-17T09:09:00.003-06:00

So this whole trying to blog when I get home and have dinner and try to catch up with Chas after he gets home from work thing isn't really working out very well. Ha.

So, here I am, posting for day 10 on the morning of day 11. Let's see if I can even remember most of the songs I listen to without my iPod here with me :)

Blog challenge day 10:Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad

Happy: Pretty much anything that has an upbeat tempo that I can picture myself listening to while riding around in my car on a sunny day with my windows down
Paul Wright- Rock the show
Ray Lamontagne- Trouble
Mutemath- Reset
Chris Brown- Forever

Sad:
Nora Jones- Feelin the same way
Sufjan Stevens- Casimir Puliaski Day
Barlow Girl- Here's my Life
Brooke Fraser- Scarlet
Mae- Giving it Away

Bored- I don't really have a specific type of music for this, because honestly I haven't felt bored in a reeeeeally long time

Hyped:
Daft Punk- Around the World
Barlow Girl- No One Like You
Hillsong United- Freedom is Here
Rhianna- Disturbia, Please Don't Stop the Music

Mad-:
Mutemath- Break the Same
Mae- This Time is the Last Time

Stand proud!

2011-03-15T22:05:00.004-06:00

Blog challenge day 9: Something you're proud of in the past few days

After everything that the Japanese people have been through over the weekend, enduring a major earthquake and devastating tsunami, I am proud of the response of so many to offer aid, supplies, food, blankets, shelter and just overall help to their country. With a country in such a state of tragedy, it is heartwarming to see people reaching out to offer assistance in a time of such need. It offers hope to sometimes doubting hearts that there are people in a world that often seems so full of evil, greed, power hungry leaders, and ongoing turmoil between countries willing to sacrifice for the needs of others. I am proud of the people who have offered to lend any type of helping hand they can to Japan.

Technical difficulties

2011-03-15T07:47:00.003-06:00

So, again, I am a day behind on the blog challenge. I came home last night after teaching a class and was getting ready to post, and realized quickly that our internet wasn't working. By the time Chas got home and made the easiest fix in the world to turn it back on (that's why he's my husband), I was too tired and it was too late to post.
But, I'm not giving up on you day 8! I will do one this morning for yesterday's blog challenge, and one tonight for day 9.

For now, blog challenge 8: Write what your short term goals are for this month and why

Woo a list!:
1. Start teaching something new
I am happy to say that I just barely started doing this last weekend, so I am glad to know that I am actually reaching the small goals I set for myself. A girl at church expressed interest in learning more about singing, so I have started small vocal lessons with her on the weeks that I lead worship in Bountiful. We had our first lesson on Saturday and it was all kinds of fun!

2. Make coffee at home more, buy out less
This is mostly an effort to save a little bit of cash, due to the comparison of coffee made at home versus coffee bought at the SB or other local drive-thru.

3. Start preparing for the upcoming Ogden Marathon, well, the 5K portion of it anyway
I signed up for this last October, 2 weeks after the marathon registration opened and was disappointed to find out that the 1/2 was already full. But, I still want to work on my running, so signing up for the 5k was the next best thing. My ultimate goal is to train for the 1/2 in hopes that maaaaybe someone won't be able to make it and I can sneak their spot :)

4. Start a food journal and keep it for 30 days
This is something I have done before but was not good at keeping up on it. I want to be able to really track what I am putting in my body and seeing if I can consume just a little bit less calories each day. Yes, even if that means skipping out on Sweet Cake on the weekends.

Well, that's it for now, I think I will go write up what I had for breakfast :)

six and seven make two...

2011-03-13T18:25:00.002-06:00

Ok, so, Saturday was an incredibly busy day, and I didn't end up getting to post, so I am putting days 6 and 7 of the blog challenge together today.

Blog challenge for day 6 is to post your favorite superhero. Well, I have to go with Yvonne on this one, I don't really have one. If I were to pick any superhero, even though technically he isn't a real superhero, I would pick Mario. Super Mario that is. He defeats evil dragons and always saves the princess. That's my kind of guy :)

Blog challenge for day 7 is to pick someone/or something that has had the greatest impact on you.
Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of one of the person who has had the greatest impact on me, because her impact occured almost 20 years ago. My mom probably has a picture of her somewhere, but for now I will just have to tell you why I picked her.

When I was nine years old, I attended my first Vacation Bible School at Sunrise Baptist Church in South Hill, Washington. I attended a class with a teacher by the name of Danielle Mahnkin. That lady was the person who explained who Jesus was to me in such a way that I understood the meaning of his death and why it was such a sacrifice for my life personally. It was at that time I became a believer, and was then baptized as a Christian. Had it not been for her heart for kids and teaching them about the way to Life, who knows when or even if I would have ended up a believer today. I am sure I would have, with other influences in my life inclduing from family members (mom, brother, etc), but obviously the path to get there would have been much different.
I am grateful for people like Danielle who use their gifts to teach others, for she had one of the greatest impacts on my life at that point. I remember her because for years after that she and my mom were friends and we visited with her family and kids frequently until I moved away. Both she and her husband Skip are amazing people and have such great, kind hearts for others. A great example to those who are learning about what it means to follow a life for Christ.

Day 5: Here and there

2011-03-11T18:49:00.003-07:00

Blog challenge for day 5 is to post a picture of somewhere I have been.
I choose.....this one!

This is the secluded beach that Chas and I got to see while in Jamaica for our honeymoon. The crazy thing is that we weren't even supposed to go to Jamaica, but because of a "storm" (aka hurricane) that hit St. Martin, our cruise got diverted back up and our captain was lucky to find a spot open at the port of Montego Bay. This was probably one of two of the nicest days we had while on the cruise, which made for a perfect beach day!

Day 4: get rid of it!

2011-03-10T21:11:00.002-07:00

Day 4 of the blog challenge is: a habit that I wish I didn't have

This may come as a surprise to those of you who know that I am somewhat of a perfectionist and pretty organized (but remember, I am a pocket organizer :)

I leave my clothes on the bathroom floor after getting ready in the morning, sometimes for days.

I know, so horrible, ha ha. There definitely could be worse things.

But now you know one of my bad habits.

Day 3: That's what friends are for

2011-03-09T20:25:00.003-07:00

Blog challenge #3 is to post a picture of your friends. I have to say, these 5 ladies are probably the bestest of friends a bride could ever have on her wedding day. And, on every other day of life.

Why do I say 5, you ask?
Because there is also a woman behind the camera taking this picture that is most definitely included in this bundle of woman greatness.

Amy Pepper on the left, my best friend since 9th grade and Matron of Honor in our wedding

Claire Teter (aka: CCT) whom I have known for about 8 years now, and oddly enough, is married to a man I once dated. Not ironic, just God doing his thing.

Elizabeth Ross: Work friend from the good ol' DWS. I have to say we may have cried more times than laughed during the first part of our friendship, but the laughing has been more abundant lately and I like that

Brittainy Harris: One of my first and still best friends in Utah when I moved back here in 2000 to go to Weber State. She technically was my boss of sorts, but never acted like she was above me. She even made a pretty decent roommate for a while (due to the fact she was hardly ever there :)

And Melissa Oholendt, the woman behind the beauty that was captured in so many details on our wedding day. Her work is just a glimpse of the wonderful woman that she is on the inside.

God truly blessed me with wonderful friends.

Day 2: The blog name

2011-03-08T18:20:00.002-07:00

A couple of years ago I decided to change my blog name.
Maybe it was during a time that I realized that I should be living my life more for others and not so much being concerned with what I wanted.
Sure, we all have things that we want in life, for our own lives.

But, sometimes I need that reminder that it's not always about me, or ever, even.

It's a challenge to myself, and those who care to follow the random thoughts of what I blog about, to live your life as if you were living it fully for Christ, loving and serving others the way Jesus did when he was here on this earth. God sent His son as an example for us to follow as they way we are to treat others.

It's not, in any way shape or form, a sounding board for me to say, "hey, look what I am doing," most of the time I don't write about the things I feel God has lead me to do to serve others and not myself. It's just a place I go to free my thoughts and expose some of those things to those who care to read them.

So, my friends, that's the meaning behind "Live not for yourself".

Day one: 15 random nothings about me

2011-03-07T18:17:00.002-07:00

Day one of the blogging challenge, so exciting! Ok, here we go....

1. I was born in Utah, not Washington (hey, some people really didn't know)
2. I love making my own homemade soup (like the tasty one I just made tonight, yeah!)
3. Being sick is the absolute worst feeling for me...I am one of those people who wait as long as I possibly can to get sick, hoping that if I wait long enough the urge to be sick with magically disappear (it doesn't work)
4. I am allergic to Hazelnut
5. I lay in bed on my right side until I am almost asleep, and then I turn on my left side and pull the covers up around my face and then fall asleep.
6. Once when I was little my mom said that she was having to "go around Robin Hood's barn" to find somewhere we were going....and I asked her where Robin Hood's barn was
7. I never considered myself to be a solo singer, more of a back up. In fact, the first time I was ever supposed to sing a solo for contest I was so nervous I puked. And I didn't sing for the solo/ensemble contest
8. My absolute worst pet peeve is when people smack their food.
9. Purple is not my favorite color. Honestly, I don't think I even have one. I just like what looks good together.
10. Someday, (not anytime in the near future though, just getting that out) I would love to have a daughter and name her ______ (yeah right, like I am going to give out my awesome name idea)
11. I think I have some of the most talented, wise and Godly friends a woman could ever have. They cook, they write, they take pictures, they take care of people....I am set for life!!!!
12. I almost never finish the last 10 or so pages of a book I am reading, I have done this for SO long and I really have no idea why.
13. I secretly watch the trainers at the gym so that I can get good ideas for better workouts
14. White chocolate is and always has been my favorite flavor in coffee
15. I am what some people might call a "pocket organizer"...I have little pockets in my life that I like to keep organized...other things, eh, who cares.

Day one complete!

I like challenges

2011-03-07T10:15:00.002-07:00

Fun challenges, that is.
I am totally in for completing this challenge, after being inspired by my friend Yvonne on her blog, thanks friend.
Feel free to play along too, if you want to. :)

The 30 day challenge: I probably should have started this on the 1st of the month, but hey, who says challenges have to start on any particular day. More coming on my first post later tonight!

1. A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
2. The meaning behind your blog name
3. A picture of you and your friends
4. A habit that you wish you didn't have
5. A picture of somehwere you've been
6. Favorite super hero and why
7. A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
8. Short term goals for this month and why
9. Something you're proud of in the past few days
10. Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
11. Another picture of you and your friends
12. How you found out about blogs and why you made one
13. A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
14. A picture of you and your family
15. Put your ipod on shuffle: first ten songs that play
16. Another picture of yourself
17. Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
18. Plans/dreams/goals you have
19. Nicknames you have; why you have them
20. Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future (this may be modified)
21. A picture of something that makes you happy
22. What makes you different from everyone else
23. Something you crave a lot
24. A letter to your parents
25. What I would find in your bag
26. What you think about your friends
27. Why you are doing this 30 day (post) challenge
28. A picture of you last year and now, how you have changed since then
29. In the past month, what have you learned
30. Who are you?

Not normally a fan

2011-03-06T21:38:00.003-07:00

I grew up mostly in Seattle, so I had not really been a fan of bluegrass music.... until I was introduced to some pretty amazing groups that my husband listens to. I guess growing up where grunge originated you get used to liking the alternative style that started in the land of the Emerald City. Not to mention all those boy bands that pretty much every girl loved growing up. (come on, you know you like at LEAST one of them). But then, someone comes along who expands your knowledge of great music and makes you step out of your listening comfort zone and you experience something awesome.

Example: The Punch Brothers

Their lead singer and mandolin player is probably one of the most famous bluegrass mandolin players in the world. No really. Any musical ability that I think I have, got dwindled down to nothing on Saturday night after listening to this guy's mad skills. Chris Thile played with the band Nicklecreek for about 15 years, and won an Emmy 2002. That's freaking impressive to me. Now he plays with the group Punch Brothers, who came to play at Peery's Egyptian Theater on Saturday night. They are jaw dropping good.

Thanks to my southern husband, I am now a fan of bluegrass music. Well, some of it anyway :)

Why I love today

2011-02-25T23:32:00.002-07:00

1. It's snowing, a lot (I know, a few of you probably think I am crazy for that. And, I don't care).

2. I had an awesome night leading worship for the Youth Worship Gathering at Washington Heights. God is always right on time.

3. I had an unexpected and great conversation with a friend who lives a thousand miles away, but I felt like was right here with me (thanks, CCT :)

4. Lives are changing, for the good, the better, and the healthier (yes I may have just made that seem like a real sentence).

5. I don't work on Fridays, so, essentially I almost always love Friday for that reason.

6. I got to spend a Friday night cuddled up on the couch with my favorite person in the world laughing together at a funny movie. The best stay at home dates are when you never get sick of the person you are spending them with. Man, I am so sappy.

Here's hoping you are having a great weekend, already, too.

I like to win

2011-02-15T08:36:00.003-07:00

I like to win things. I don't win very often, but, it feels nice when I do.

You have a chance to win something, too.

Just head over to my friend Yvonne's cooking blog here , and enter to win the baking dishes, they are awesome.

If you like to cook, you will definitely want to win these.

Too hot in the kitchen

2011-02-04T17:51:00.003-07:00

It was bound to happen sometime....
With as much as I cook, I am actually surprised that it didn't happen sooner.

Last Friday I wanted to try out this yummy Asian Chicken Salad that I had heard about from my friend Yvonne who runs the website www.triedandtasty.com
I also thought it would be good to try it with those little crispy rice noodles that come on Asian dishes....so I went to the store and tried to buy some. Little did I know that they don't come pre-made, you have to cook them yourself to make them puff up and be the way you want them to be when you put them on a dish.
So I went home, put on a small pan of oil, let it heat up, and proceeded to head into the living room to finish an e mail I had started writing before I went to the store to let the oil heat up.
Then, I heard a strange noise....
In my curiosity, I got up and went into the kitchen to see what the noise was.
Apparently the oil had gotten too hot and combusted on itself and started on fire...and everything else that was around it. It started to melt a plastic piece that was on our range hood, hence the noise of the plastic hitting the top of the oven as it fell and splashed oil everywhere.

So I walked in to find a fire flaming higher than our cabinets and melting everything in site. The cabinets were starting to burn so I knew I had to be quick about putting this thing out. I screamed to Chas for help, who happened to be napping in our bedroom and had no idea I was attempting to burn the house down.
Even though it was a grease fire and we knew that it is a no no to put water on oil, we just had to get this thing out fast before it was uncontrollable. So, he ran outside, grabbed a pile of snow (in his skivvies, uh-hum), and dumped it on the main part of the fire.
Lucky for us it worked, but it was too late for the range hood and the smoke had already filled out entire house. Opening up the windows was good to let fresh air in, but it immediately made the soot go everywhere in our house, and we spent the next 4 hours cleaning it off the walls, cabinets, bed, dresser, etc.
I will just say that we are blessed, and very lucky. Blessed that we have such a great landlord who merely laughed and replaced the range hood the next day and supplied us with paint to touch up the ceiling in the kitchen. Lucky that it wasn't worse and neither one of us was hurt and it didn't burn anything worse than it really could have.

Lesson learned. I will never cook with oil like that (ok at least not for a while), and, I will never leave it unattended. Just in case it decides to start fire on itself again in the future.

Wholesome

2011-01-21T18:32:00.003-07:00

Sometimes, you just need something that is a little wholesome.
Not store bought wholesome, homemade wholesome.

Every once in a while I can tell when my body needs a bit of refreshing, and I have been feeling that way especially after the holidays.
Don't get me wrong the gluten free cupcakes in Tennessee were great(not Sweet Cake great, but good), the home made gluten free cookies, dinners, dinners, and more dinners. All the food was delicious.
But the last couple of weeks, I have felt a bit sluggish. I just wanted food that was good, pure, good for me.

Insert Shauna at this gluten free website.

She has some of the best gluten free recipes, hands down. And her most recent post was just what I needed.
Nothing artificial, a slight amount of brown sugar, some walnuts, this whole grain muffin recipe satisfied my soul today, my gluten free wanting to really have something delectably gluten free but not overwhelmingly doused with sugar satisfying.
Even if you aren't a celiac, I would challenge you to try this recipe just once. It's healthy, it's wholesome, and it goes really well with just a touch of honey on top.

Sing a new song

2011-01-17T20:12:00.003-07:00

Since October, our church has done a lot of growing, including merging with another small church in Bountiful, formerly called Grace Baptist. Now called Bountiful Heights, Chas and I have been helping out with getting the worship ministry set up by going down every other week and leading a team for worship that Sunday.

It really has been a great experience and God's obvious opportunity knocking for spiritual growth, as I find myself nearly every time I lead asking myself how I can be a better leader, pick songs that reflect His glory, yet assist in leading the rest of the congregation to a place where they too can worship. Whether it is by their own mouths in song, or just by hearing the words and reflecting in them within their hearts, the goal is not and never had been for me to engage a response from the congregation to spring up my own ego that I am actually doing something right. I know that I could do everything possible to create a perfect picture of what worship should look like, but in the end, I know it has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with God and his timing for creating a response from his people depending on where their hearts are at during any given time of corporate worship.

However, I often find that during the times where I feel I have had the most worshipful experience, the words of the song have hit my heart so deeply that I couldn't help but express a heartfelt worship toward my creator and the one who has built my heart to have a deeper desire to know Him more. I often find myself choosing songs not for their musical creativity, but for the message that the words bring from the author who has put those words together.

I recently read an article in a Worship Leader magazine about what it means to worship. Worship is not about a song and how well you play it, what it sounds like after you have done everything you humanly can to "perfect" it and make it sound exactly how you think it should sound so that the congregation will respond to it because it is a good song. Worship IS, and the very end, our response to God and his greatness, goodness, grace, mercy, and love for us. It may not always be easy for people who are struggling to offer a song of worship to God, and it might be those days where they just sit back and don't sing anything at all. But regardless of how our personal hearts may be feeling, we have been made to recognize the amazing-ness of our awesome creator. In the end, it's about God, and worship is merely our response to Him in those times of recognition. That's what I got out of the article anyway.

Even the rocks will cry out to God in worship to him.....

For He has made known through His creation....so that no man is without excuse.

What's your reason for worship?

If you had a song that you could sing every week that best represents how you see/feel/respond to God, what would it be?

Something a little new

2011-01-11T13:29:00.002-07:00

I decided it was time for a change on the ol' blog.

I picked the background to reflect the season in Utah right now. Friggin cold.

Hope you like it :)

I tried it, and it was tasty!

2011-01-05T21:11:00.005-07:00

So first of all, happy new year!

I have been looking back on 2010, and as many of my friends have also attested, last year was probably the best year of my life yet. Obviously you probably know the main reason why....getting married of course! But I also finished up my masters and ran my second 1/2 marathon just a tad bit faster than I did my first 1/2, so I was pleased. I got to see a lot of my friends from out of state thanks to their dedication and support of the now Mr. and Mrs. Burks, and got to spend the holidays in Tennessee with Chas and his wonderful, loving, and giving family.

We then ended the year by playing a show together with Chas' band Cheatwood. Their lead singer took the rest of the year off, so I got to sub in for the first time. It was fun to get to be able to sing with the boys and be with Chas as we rang in the new year as a married couple :) Lots of firsts happened last year, it was nice.

I am also happy that so far the goal to try at least 3 new gluten free recipes a month has been successful. I have yet to pick out the meals that I am going to try for January, but, it is only the 5th, after all.

I did, however, try my luck again at a wheat based recipe, provided by yours truly over at www.triedandtasty.com , and was shocked to find that the results of the gluten free version were mouthwatering and taste-bud pleasing. I have tried to convert a couple of regular recipes into gluten free recipes in the past, only to be disappointed. But this one, it was delicious! And, I just happen to love poppyseed loaf! I didn't make the actual loaf though, more like a round cake-type dessert. Either way, it was awesome.

Note to self, use about 1/2 a cup less of GF flour when making a wheat based recipe.

From a Southern mouth

2010-12-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

"Ya'all can go Honkey Tonkin later on the strip if you want to."

"Uh, what is Honkey Tonkin?"

"You know, to the bars and stuff."

Only in the South.

As Alabama would say....

2010-12-20T23:15:00.001-07:00

I'm going to have my first Tender Tennessee Christmas...

Starting, tomorrow!

Merry Christmas everyone!

No kid hungry

2010-12-16T10:02:00.004-07:00

I recently came across an E mail (not sent on purpose, and forwarded by someone that I don't even know) that started with the question, "Can someone please tell me what the hell is wrong with the people who run our country???" Now I know this question is probably meant for those who are in the government and political system of America, but, even those people are part of our population who have the opportunity to give and donate and assist those who are in more need than those of us who have more to give.

It proceeded to rant about the fact that America gives millions and millions of dollars to other countries in need, and yet whoever originally started this "chain" e mail obviously felt like people in America aren't doing enough to help their own, and we need to stop giving to other countries and help "US" first......

I felt a couple of things after reading this E mail. Mostly a bit of disgust, ok actually a lot, that this was even started in the first place. America has an overwhelming abundance of "stuff", and ecomically speaking, we are more wealthy than any of the struggling countries who have been hit by natural disaster this last year. We are a county that at least HAS the ability to set up a system that allows disabled elderly, veterans, and others who are unable to work an ongoing income to be able to live off of for the rest of their lives. So, so SO many other countries don't even have that option. They have dirt, living in a "tent house" made with a rope and a piece of bedding.

And, I also don't believe it's ok to stop giving to a country just because they happen to have one of the worst terrorists alive living there. Should the rest of the country be punished for that? I would say no. For what we do to the least of us, we have also done unto Jesus. We ought to be giving, because we have way more to give to others than a lot of other countries have even for themselves.

But, I do not skip that fact that even in America, we have poor, starving and struggling people, children, elderly, veterans, etc., who go without food and often shelter, though there may be available resources to help them. I have pondered why, in all the abundance, people don't have food to eat, a place to live, water to drink. Is it lack of knowledge of where to find these resources? Do they feel humiliated at the thought of walking into the Salvation Army and receiving something they themselves have not worked for to earn? Is their pride getting in the way?
We all make choices, but whether or not it is our place to judge those who are in need and why they have gotten to the place where they are needy, I believe is not our place to go. God just calls us to give and have compassion, and those who live out the consequences for the choices they have made to get them to where they are in life, well, that is between them and God, if they so choose to believe in Him.

I write this to say, as a response to whoever decided to write that not-so-nice E mail about America needing to help their own more, that if you were to just merely google the words "giving in America", you will find multiple ways we as Americans find ways to give to those in our country who are in need.

Luckily, I didn't even have to do that. While looking at the most recent post from my trusted Gluten Free blogger Shauna Ahern from http://www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/ , she posted about this

To know that 1 in 4 children go to bed hungry in America is astonishing. Why? Because I truthfully feel that living in America, we have way more resources financially to prevent this from happening, or at least lessen the burden.
But, to know that something like this exsists, for me, is a punch in the face to whoever started that silly little E mail, and I say to you, " Nothing is wrong with us, sir/ma'am, how are you finding a way to give to those in need in your own country, instead of merely complaining about it in an E mail with no action?"

Spice up your life

2010-12-15T08:12:00.002-07:00

Last night, I made my 3rd and final new gluten free recipe for December! I knew that since I was not going to be baking much after this week, I had to get them in before the weekend. I will probably do some cooking while visiting with Chas' parents for the holidays, but, probably nothing super hard and most likely nothing new.

The Jerk Chicken was tasty! Even though I wasn't feeling super great last night (hoping I am not coming down with something), it still had a nice spice flavor complimented with the brown sugar and the mango/black bean salad. You can check out the recipe on the food blog that I contribute to http://recipeco-op.blogspot.com/

But, I also wanted to try something else that I had not yet made since going gluten free. Actually, I don't think I have EVER made my own snicker doodles before. So, I guess this is a first in many ways!

Anyway, I stumbled across a tasty looking snicker doodle recipe on the GF blog I follow the most, www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com, and she had posted two ways to make the cookies. I ended up trying both, because I was curious as to the difference between using a pre-mixed all purpose GF flour and mixing the individual flour ingredients yourself. Truth be told, the cookies that were made with the individual flours turned out waaaaaay better. More fluffy, not hard, but just crispy enough on the edges to want to eat 3, or 4. Or 6. I made the second batch for the Washington Heights pot luck that Chas and I went to on Sunday, and I am sure no one even knew that they were gluten free, since by the time we got through the line to the dessert table, they were all gone.

I am just glad to know that I have one more victory to add to my list of tasty gluten free receipes.

In the world, not of it

2010-12-09T15:51:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, the heart of human fate creates a debacle....

What is a debacle, you might ask?

A sudden downfall, or disasterous fallout.

That's what sin is, a debacle. Otherwise known as a ludicrous failure.

Sin is a part of who we are, but not what defines us. I believe.

I know my heart, and what is in it. But, more importantly, God knows all the depths of my heart, and why I do the things I do. And sometimes, why I don't.

Why I have an internal and deep down desire for positive reinforcement, to be noticed, to be liked.
Why when I don't get that reinforcement I tend to start blaming others that they aren't doing enough, instead of looking at myself thinking, do more for them, dummy.

There are simple things in life that make me happy. Sharing my thoughts and goals and things I want to be held accountable for and having people actually acknowldge that I am opening up myself enough to even share those things in the first place, makes me happy.
The why behind that, though, is a very complicated and deep rooted issue from the way that I was raised.

I place no blame on those who simply take a gander at my readings, and then continue to pass on by.

But, just for the sake of my sanity, if you do desire to keep on reading the knowings of what is going on in this petty little tiny seed of life that I tend to live in every day, please, just make a comment.

Thank you from the bottom of this sinful debacled heart.

The things you miss

2010-12-06T08:22:00.003-07:00

When you miss oatmeal, you are thankful for companies like Bob's Red Mill for Certified Gluten Free Oats.

When you miss pancakes, you are thankful for people like Shauna Ahern who learn how to make things like oatmeal pancakes that are so delicious, even someone who doesn't have to eat gluten free like them. More like, love them.

These pancakes will definitely become a staple in our home for weekends to come. That blueberry compote, soooo good with this little tasty morning breakfast treat.

Find the recipe here if you are interested in trying it.

(Side note: I have yet to buy actual oat flour. I have just been using my handy little food processor to make the oats into oat flour...it really works well)

Two recipes down, one more for December to go. Next up, Jamaican Jerk Chicken.

A staple for Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T15:13:00.004-07:00

This Thanksgiving, Chas and I did a few things that were pretty traditional, and we also did something not so traditional.
I don't know many people who make home made sushi for Thanksgiving, but that's what we decided to do.
It's all about being different for him. Plus, I really like sushi, a lot.
Of course, I had to try out my pumpkin pie recipe as part of the three gluten free recipes that I will be making in the next month. This crust was a little different than one that I tried a couple of years ago, mostly and only because it contains a couple other flours that I hadn't used before. Lucky for me I had just enough almond flour left, and Good Earth thankfully carries Teff flour. Notice all those flours I started with on the counter.....
And then, on to mixing the sandy dough....I learned a neat trick for adding in the butter to the flours too, thanks to www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com . She recommended that the butter be frozen and grated into the dough. I tried it and it worked really well.

The ball of dough ready to be rolled out and of course the most tasteful part of the pie, the filling.....Thanks to the side of a Libby's pure pumpkin can.
And, the finished product! It turned out really good, for my taste. Chas liked it too, so I would say overall it was a success.
Thanksgiving would not be complete for me without deviled eggs. I will tell you a family secret, in case you ever decide to try it, or maybe have already. I think deviled eggs taste the best with dill pickle juice added to the mix. Just sayin.
And now, onto the sushi rolls. We didn't want to get too crazy, so we decided to go with a salmon roll with cream cheese and cucumber in the middle and a little bit of spicy mayo on top. Check them out, I think they turned out pretty darn good.
Chas cutting up his outside salmon roll. I decided to roll mine on the inside with a few very small slivers of lemon in them.
And here's all three of our sushi rolls. We made a spicy california too with crab meat and some mayo and Sriracha mixed together, one of Chas' personal favorites, besides the wasabi.
And here is our table for two Thanksgiving spread. We ate every last piece of the sushi, didn't get sick, had room for pie, and ended the night with the latest Harry Potter movie with a good friend and her family. Even though our meal wasn't super traditional, we made it our own for our first Thanksgiving and enjoyed making dinner together.

What I am thankful for

2010-11-24T14:25:00.002-07:00

Even though there are moments where I curse under my breath (or cry to my husband in the middle of the night when we have our "pillow talks") that I am a celiac, I do know deep down that it is a blessing.

Had I not been diagnosed a celiac, I would probably be eating horribly like I was in the months before I first found out I had the now more growing disease.
Had I not cut gluten, including all wheat, white, barley, rye and some oat flours out of my diet, I would probably be well over the 200 pounds that I was closely reaching back then and on my way to a self-inflicted early death.

But I did find out, and it changed my life. After watching someone die of colon cancer, you bet it changed my life.
I think about food a lot differently now than I did before.
I am thankful for healthy foods.
I am also thankful for sweets that are gluten free. Yes I still eat them, but no, no nearly as much as I used to.

I am thankful for the people who found out they had the disease before I did and were smart enough to figure out how to make gluten free foods that taste good.
I am thankful for the iternet and blogs full of recipes that I can steal, bake, and taste in the comfort of my own kitchen.

I am thankful for a husband who is willing to go gluten free with me, even though I know he doesn't have to.
I am thankful for people who love me enough to go out of their way to accomodate me with gluten free goodness when I come around for meals. I know first hand how difficult it can be to know HOW to make a gluten free meal. There are lots of meals out there that don't, and never have contained, gluten. But, it's just taking the time to figure out WHAT gluten is, that's the challenge sometimes.

Sure, there are times where I gauck at a hambuger and drool, thinking how good it would taste to bite into a real, bunned buger. But then, I also take a step back and realize how much I am saving myself by no longer eating those types of things. Do I still eat fat? Yes. Do I still eat sugar? Yes. But, do I make a more conscious effort to eat better, including using gluten free flours because they are not as processed and are better for your body? Yes. Definitely yes. And sometimes, it's not just beacause I have to. It's because I want to. I want to eat healthy. I want to take care of the body that God has so graciously given me, because in reality it's not entirely mine anyway, it's just on loan. For now.

So, Happy Thanksgiving to you, and you, and you.

This next month, I will be making a couple of things, including these tasty recipes:
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2009/11/gluten-free-pie.html (this will be used to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving)

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2008/10/winning-him-over-to-oatmeal.html

and this http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2005/08/loving-kitchen.html (this will be my attempt to make something that Chas and I had in Jamaica on our honeymoon)

From that, to this

2010-11-21T09:26:00.002-07:00

You just never know what kind of fall you are going to have in Utah.
It can go from that....

To this, in a day.

The second time around

2010-11-19T18:23:00.006-07:00

There are not very many things in my life right now that I would say I find difficult.

Confrontation is difficult.

Running more than 3 miles when I only want to run 2, is difficult.

Making gluten free cinnamon rolls.....beats all the current difficulties in my life.

If complaining that it is hard to make gluten free cinnamon rolls is the worst thing I could say about my life right now, I consider myself to be very blessed. I have been through much worse than wanting to cry over cinnamon roll dough that is so sticky that I can't touch it with my hands or place it on anything because it will stick to it like glue, so I would say I am far from complaining. More like merely stating a fact.

Ok, to the details of this baby that I tackled last weekend.

The cinnamon rolls were the third attempt at my commitment to make at least 3 made-for-gluten-free recipes. I saved the best, and the most difficult, for last.

First, you have to combine about 5 different gluten free flours/starches, including corn flour (which was for some reason hard to find) and almond flour (which is expensive).

While doing that, you should be letting the luke warm water and yeast puff up, like so...

Then you mix all the ingredients together, with eggs, milk powder, etc. And then you let it rise for an hour. Insert painting our room from dark green to grey for the weekend.

Just before getting ready to attempt to create these ooey gooey goodness of a cinnamon roll, you make the filling. Mine, for some reason, decided to stick together, making it very hard to spread the filling more than about an inch in the middle of the dough once I got it rolled out.

Which leads me to my next disappointment (but hey, I still made them and they got eaten, I am just saying....) I didn't have parchment paper. So, I tried wax paper. NOT the same. The dough seemed as though it was rolling fine through the saran wrap and the wax paper. Until I tried to roll it off the wax paper. Insert 4 letter swear word here (under my breath because Chas had a 12 year old in the basement doing a guitar lesson)

So, I put it back in the bowl, and I run to the store. Bought a roll of parchment paper, $3.49.

Brought it home, rolled it out on the counter, proceeded to try again with the rolling of the dough between parchment paper and saran wrap.

SAME DAMN THING HAPPENS. The first batch of cinnamon rolls end up looking like this....

I stand for a minute with my eyes crossed, trying not to seethe through my teeth. I think for one second. The only thing that the dough seems to NOT be sticking to is the saran wrap. So, I take a piece of saran wrap, put the dough on it, take another piece of saran wrap, put it over the dough, and roll out. Success.

I take a piece of dental floss, yes, you read that right. I cut the rolls into pieces and put them in the pie pan. These ones look much better, right?

To be honest, by the time I got done rolling the dough out and putting the rolls into the plate, I was so hungry, could not stand to wait another hour to let the dough rise again. I put them in the oven and baked both batches for 30 minutes until the filling was bubbling.

Add creamy, sugary cream cheese frosting. Take a break from painting, bite into gluten free cinnamon roll heaven.

This recipe is one of those projects that I would think about tackling maaaaybe one, or twice if Chas is lucky, a year. But, if you are wanting to try GF, or you are GF and are up for a challenge, you can find the recipe for these bad boys at www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com

On deck

2010-11-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

Soon to come......

A new space and a three hour cooking project.

I am sooooo glad I got a four day weekend.

Under the knife

2010-11-04T07:49:00.003-06:00

Some of you have met my mom. Some of you have not.
Even if you have not, it would be super greatly appreciated if you could say a little prayer for her today.

My mom has had bad knees for a long time, even to the point where I remember her falling once in a parking lot in wedges, for no apparent reason other than her knee went out and buckled underneath her.

She will be having surgery to repair one of her knees today. If things go well with the surgery, they will soon repair the other knee as well. I guess one at a time is better, though I have heard getting both knocked out at the same time is nice, but then you have to be in a wheelchair, and that's a boo.
Since I know my mom, I know that she has a hard time and does not do well with surgery. She takes a while to come out of being put under, so I am just praying that 1.The repair surgery is a success, and 2.that she does not have complications from being put under.

That's all for now, thanks for those of you who pray for her!

Two down and fall is here

2010-10-27T20:26:00.004-06:00

Sometimes, when it starts to get cold, I crave chocolate. Warm chocolate.
That's why I am glad I chose to make the flourless chocolate torte second in my attempt to make at least three gluten free recipes each month. (And let's be honest, the cinnamon rolls are going to be harrrrrrrd. Harder than the first two recipes).

This is actually a simple recipe to put together, but the cooking of the three ingredients used is somewhat tricky.

Here's a little preview of how it's made:

First step, melt 2 sticks of butter and a pound of chocolate (I used dark) together. Lucky for me I got a double broiler as a wedding gift, they are amazing. Christmas is going to rock your socks off.

Whip together 8 eggs, which took me about ten minutes with a hand mixer to get to the consistency I wanted. Having a Kitchenaid stand up mixer would have been so much easier.

After the butter and chocolate is melted, stir these three ingredients together, like so.

This is where things get a little weird. First, you have to make sure you have a springform pan, like the kind you use to make cheesecake. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. I didn't have any, but I had wax paper which worked just fine. I cut a piece big enough to where I could close the springform pan around it and then ripped off the edges that were sticking out on the outside of the pan. Next, you have to grease the sides of the pan considerably. This baby will stick like glue if you don't. Then, you take foil and wrap it around the edges of the pan. Lastly, you put boiling water in a baking pan and fill it up until the water reaches about half way to the springform pan. Then you bake for about 25 minutes. You are supposed to let this baby sit overnight in the fridge and get nice and thick, but really, when you smell that chocolate baking you can't even help but want to shove it in your mouth with a big glass of milk. Instead of milk though......

We ate it with ice cream instead. Very tasty. In fact, so far I think it is Chas' favorite gluten free baking item I have made. He does have a weak spot for chocolate though, so that could be a small bias.

I may attempt at trying the cinnamon rolls this weekend, though I know that it is going to take a trip to the grocery store to make sure I have everything I need, along with some patience. These babies have like a three step process starting with making the dough and letting it sit for an hour. It's a good thing I don't mind waking up a little early on Saturdays. Especially if it means home made goodness in my mouth.

One down, two to go

2010-10-21T11:50:00.003-06:00

You didn't take me seriously, did you?

Totally just kidding, but really, I actually surprised myself yesterday at the thought that I would tackle my first gluten free recipe with dinner last night.

But I had a total craving for cornbread. And chili. It was just the right temperature for chili, and with the leaves turning color here I couldn't help but want a tasty fall meal. So, I made chili. And you have to have cornbread with chili.
I actually think I may have tried GF cornbread before, but it was long enough ago that it's a flighting thought in my head. Last night's attempt came out pretty good, though I will say if I decide to ever make it again I will probably try to find a more finer ground cornmeal. The one I used was good, but just a little bit too gritty for my taste, and teeth.

The consistency was really good though, the flavor was very comparible to non GF cornbread, and maybe even a little better because I decided to use vanilla yogurt in the mix instead of plain. I told you I have a sweet tooth.

Anyway, just so you believe me, here is a picture of the fruits of my labor (this recipe was very easy compared to some I have tried)

If you are a celiac, or, if you just want to try this recipe out because you are curious as to the difference between GF and non GF and believe with the rest of us that GF REALLY is more healthy for you, you can get the recipe here

Making goals, as a married woman

2010-10-20T08:47:00.002-06:00

Some events in life just happen on their own.
Some things need a little push from you to make them happen.

Goals are one of those things that don't just happen, you have to create them, you have to shape them, and in the end it feels really good when you meet and finish them.

Chas and I have been married for a whopping 18 days, which means that realistically we haven't had a lot of time yet to set up goals for "us" as a married couple, for setting up our home, for making sure we include Christ in our daily lives, every day. But, we have gotten a few things accomplished, which feels really good. Like setting up the living room, putting furniture together, making sure the fridge is stocked with the must have essentials for the both of us, not just one.

I decided that as a wife, and someone who loves to be in the kitchen and cook, I wanted to have a few goals of my own, just for me. Goals I know both of us will appreciate though because, well, they involve food. And when food is made good, everyone is happy.

I have realized that as someone who loves to cook, cooking takes time, and planning. You can SOMETIMES just pull something together out of nowhere with the ingredients you just happen to have in your kitchen and it will come out tasking somewhat like a recipe that you intended to make.

But for all the other times, cooking requires that you go to the grocery store, purchase what you need, prepare those items, take the meat out of the freezer in enough time to let it thaw, cut, dice, and slice, and then make a meal the way it is intended to be made.

Truth be told, I have never been that great at following directions. Some of you may gasp at that, others may know that is the bold truth about me and you still love me for it anyway. I just have always liked finding my own unique way of doing things, figuring certain things out.
But as I have come to try making gluten free foods, and some of them coming out very badly, I have realized that it is so much more important to prepare and create a gluten free recipe the way it was instructed to be made. Sometimes, as much as I want to, I can't just add a little of this and a little of that. A little of that just might ruin what you were intending to make.

So, with all of that, here is my first goal as a married woman, the start of what will hopefully be a better way for me to express what I am aiming for, have some sort of accountability, and make my husband a happy man :0)

I have really been thinking about making more gluten free recipes. Like recipes that were created with the celiac in mind, prepared with gluten free ingredients (not a regular recipe that I try to substitute GF flours into and come out feeling disappointed), and are meant to be enjoyed and indulged in whole stomach-ly.
I want to try at least 3 gluten free recipes a month.
These can be anything, a salad, a treat, a main meal.
But at this point, the three I am starting with are more treats than meals, blame that one on my sweet tooth. Ha.

So, I will be starting with these three, thanks to Shauna, the creater of the blog Gluten Free Girl. I had gotten away from reading her posts for a while, but I am so glad that I went back. She really has some amazingly tasty recipes on there.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
Gluten Free Cornbread
Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake

If you are at all intrigued as to what gluten free is all about or how to make these recipes yourself, you can check out her place here

Here's to a great start of a gluten free marriage.

In case you didn't know

2010-10-18T07:58:00.003-06:00

Some of you know, some of you don't. Probably because I had to keep things somewhat on the down low because it was a suprise for Chas.
Back in August, the 12th to be exact, I had bridals done. This was a surprise because I ended up using some of the pictures for a gift to Chas the day of our wedding. I originally wasn't going to do them because my favorite photographer (that being Melissa Oholendt) was not going to be able to do them for me. After talking to Mel and giving it more thought over the summer, I decided that I really did want to bridals, and I am so glad that I did. And that I asked Jacque to do them for me.

Jacque Lynn did a great job, and she has commented to me on how much she loved doing the session at the mansion next to the church where Chas and I got married.

She posted a TON of pictures in her password protected site for me to be able to order and view. She also recently posted a blog of some of her favorites from the shoot.
So, instead of asking everyone who hasn't had a chance to see the bridals (which I really, really loved) to log on and trudge through the 177 pictures that she uploaded, if you feel inclined and decide you want to check a few of them out, you can do so by going here instead.

Back on land

2010-10-14T07:49:00.003-06:00

We are back! And I am a Burks! Well, not officially, but probably by tomorrow I will be :)

After a couple of days of horrible vertigo, I finally feel like myself again. We had a wonderful time on our honeymoon, we were gifted a Celebrity cruise that sailed through the East Caribbean, making stops at Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Jamaica. It was an amazing time and we are so blessed to have such great family.

We don't have a ton of pictures from the wedding yet, but here are just a few to start with. My step-brother Michael is working his way into the photography business, and got a couple of great shots post wedding. Great job Michael!

Taken by Michael with our handsome ring bearer, Caleb Allen, Chas' nephew
Great picture of Amy and me, my awesome Matron of Honor, again taken by Michael

A little surprise I put together for Chas at our wedding reception. I sang "Some kind of wonderful" to him just as dinner was finishing up. He was totally suprised, in a very good way :)
And a picture of us finishing up our last meal on the cruise at one of the specialty restaurants. I posted more on Facebook so if you want to check those out, you can get more details of the entire trip.

It is great to be back and we are now in the process of getting OUR house set up and gifts put away. If I haven't said it enough, it feels great to be a Burks.

Ten days

2010-09-22T07:53:00.002-06:00

A lot can happen in ten days.
And for many people, ten days can seem like a long time.
But, when you have waited over 450 days for one special day to come, ten days doesn't seem so long at all.

All the little details are coming together, and even things I didn't expect to come together somehow made their little debut and turned out quite perfect. Perfect for us.

God has blessed us in so many ways, ways that we don't even deserve because of our human filthiness. But He shows us grace and love, all of us, because He wants us to know how much we mean to Him.

I know that I am loved, and I know that I love. And in ten days, that love will become one with another.

A little of this, a little of that

2010-09-15T07:27:00.002-06:00

There are those few moments in life.
Where you just know, everything is right and good and as it should be. At least in your world. Maybe not all over the world, but in your teeny little heart filled with emmense amounts of joy.

In 17 days, I will no longer be single.
I will no longer be Kimber Peart.
I will no longer have to wish that special someone could crawl into bed with me after a long day's work instead of falling asleep alone.
In 17 days, I will be a wife. A wife.
What exactly does that mean? Well, for me, it means a lot of things.
But mostly, it means that God had prepared me to be in the place in my life where I will be a companion and a helper for the rest of my life, while still serving Him with my heart and in return will be able to fully give myself to another.
I find no greater joy in my life at this point than knowing that. That I will be what God has so beautifully created me to be, in Him, and for Him.
And that my husband will be the same.

I will give you just one sneek peek of what's to come. In 17 days, many of you will see this in person.

The countdown

2010-09-05T15:23:00.003-06:00

It seems like I have so much to post about since the last time I was on here. Too bad that I am still trying to get caught up on getting the house arranged and in order before people start coming into town for the big day. That's right! Chas and I found a cute little house to rent, and it's just what we were hoping for. I am getting moved in, while still working on wedding projects and starting to meet with everyone for finalizing things for the week before and the day of the wedding. Lots of exciting things going on, it definitely does not feel like after waiting for over 15 months that it is just 25 days away. So crazy. But also so cool.

I don't have any decent pictures of the inside of the house, since I am not quite finished putting everything together and we are most likely getting some upgrades in the kitchen and bedroom soon, but as soon as things are all set, you can see! Here is just one of the outside for now.
That's the front view, we also have a nice back yard and even a shed with an overhang and a swing (not that we have had time to use it yet, but maybe we can get one sitting in before the summer ends)

The weekends are pretty packed right now. Just lots of running around getting things to finish up final projects for the wedding, and Chas and his band have a couple shows this month to keep him busy too.
In fact, they just had a show out at Antelope Island last night. It was a great turn out and even though the performers were running late it totally worked out in their favor because it ended up being the best time to catch everyone there before dark and the balloon glow/fireworks. I had a great time, and didn't even get bit by one bug. That's a record for me.
Hopefully I can post a couple more times before the wedding, but I also know things are going to get pretty crazy the last couple of weeks before, so maybe it will end up being honeymoon pictures that you get to see next time I am on here.

Here's to soon being Mrs. Burks.

New beginnings

2010-08-21T22:05:00.004-06:00

These last couple of weekends have been so busy that it has been hard to keep up with the posting, especially when you are having so much fun being busy. Ok, maybe searching and searching for a house was not exactly fun, but, we DID end up finding a place, TODAY, and so it has been fun seeing how many places we did have to look at before finding "the one".

I don't have tons of pictures to post, mainly because I wasn't the one taking most of the pictures, so I don't have many of them yet. But, I did steal this one of me and princess Madison while Amy and John were here visiting last week. She is such a doll, and she hardly ever cried when I held her. It's nice to know that babies like sleeping when I hold them :)

This is at my shower that Amy threw for me (my matron of honor). She, John, and baby Madison traveled in a car from Washington for 15 hours (yes, with a baby, she did awesome!) to hang out for a couple of days and for Amy to be able to have a shower for me before the wedding. She is the bestest friend a lady could ever ask for, and Brittainy was also so welcoming by opening up her house to have it at. It turned out so, so great and everyone seemed to have a good time.

So most of you know Chas and I have spent the entire month of August looking for a place to live. I was beginning to get very, very disheartened last night when we looked at a house and it was less than anything that we would want to live in. It's one of those things that sounds nice on paper, but when you see it you just know that it isn't for you.

So we were feeling a little defeated.We had prayed the night before together that God would lead us to the place the He knew would be just right for us. After the disappointment of the house last night, we prayed again at dinner very boldly that God would provide us with a place to live, a place that would meet all our needs, wants, and desires. We decided to take one more stroll on KSL and just see if there was anything else that might catch our eye. Chas called on one house and didn't get an answer, so he left a message and we looked some more. It was getting late but we saw one more that was a potential, but we decided to leave it until the morning to call on. We got up this morning and I took him to a condo that I had looked at earlier in the week, that was new and fairly nice, but just in a weird location. We called on the house we had seen on KSL the night before and left a message. We went to the gym, and I couldn't help but think and pray the whole time that the lady would call us back. The first thing I did when we got out to the car was ask Chas if he had any missed calls from the lady, the lady with this quaint little white house in South Ogden.

He did! He called her back, set up a time to go see the house, and about an hour later we made a deposit on it! As soon as we walked in the door I just knew it was the right one for us. Simple yet decorative, lots of storage space, and a basement. All that we knew we wanted, and needed, to start our life together as a married couple in just 5 weeks. We immediately starting texting our family members to let them know that the search was over, and we were so elated to be done searching. I don't have a lot of good pictures of the inside of the house since I took them with my phone, but here is one of the front of the house, pretty cute if you ask me.

So we are just about ready for this little adventure that is about to begin for us as a married couple. We are pretty much in the final countdown stage, and are in anticipation every day that gets closer to our lives going from a me, to a we, and us, and all the many enjoyable things to come that go along with be a Mr. and Mrs. And, of course we could not begin this journey without a good dance lesson or two, so just in case you were wondering what kind of moves I have to offer on the dance floor, I will leave you with one example of my grand movements on that 20x20 piece of wood flooring that we can't wait to get down with everyone on at our own wedding. Hopefully you all know that I am totally joking.

When you're smiling.....

2010-08-13T08:58:00.004-06:00

you know that you have a lot to be thankful for in your life. Not that everything in your life is going absolutely perfect, but that you can take a minute to look around at the things you have done, are doing, and are about to do, and just be thankful for the fact that God has blessed your life in so many ways.

After Monday and Tuesday of last week, I came home from Logan in somewhat of a stupor for the fact that the work and time I had put into the last two years had come to and end. I am happy that I decided three years ago that I would continue on in school and get a masters, even though I knew it was going to be hard, hard work, and even though after my first semester I didn't know if I was going to make it through the entire program. But, I stuck it out, and in the end I have realized how blessed I am that God has given me the ability to have the brain I have, to learn at an extended level past a high school education, and that He also gave me a great job to help me pay for school, great friends and family who supported me through the tough times, and a fiance' who has been nothing less than patient with me through the most grueling of assignments. And he even paid attention when I rambled on about class topics that were obviously of no interest to him, but he lent an ear anyway.

So now I am homework and paper free, and it could not have come at a better time. It has been in the works that my best friend, her husband, and their now three week old baby would be making a trip from Washington down here to Utah this weekend for a bridal shower. My mom is also here, and my dad and his wife Karen even decided to come out this weekend to spend some time with family and for Karen to come to the shower.
I cannot imagine what my life would be like without these wonderful, supportive and caring family members in my life, and feel so blessed that God has placed me in the family that I have and given me the friends I know and love so much.

Meeting Madison for the first time was nothing short of wonderful, she is a delicate, sweet, calm and enjoyable baby to be around. Yes she fusses a little, but only if she wants to be fed or maybe needs that stinky diaper changed. She spent all day with us (me, my mom, and Amy) yesterday and most of the time you would never know that there was a little baby in that car seat, and yet when you look into those eyes you know that there is a beautiful person in there waiting to be held and loved on, like we all so willingly love to do.

We spent yesterday enjoying each other's company, running errands, planning surprises, and getting trial runs done of the wedding hair, make-up, flowers, the works. It was so much fun. Sometimes, you just need to be a girl and it really helps you to feel pretty. That you really are the beauty of God's creation and that you are wonderfully made in His image and are nothing short of His best.

This weekend I will most likely be spoiled beyond imagine with a shower that Amy has planned and put together from over 800 miles away. I am so thankful that I have a friend like her that is gracious and willing to do these kinds of things for her friends, she truly is amazing. I am also so blessed that my mom gets to be there despite her own personal struggles and situations in life right now. She is an amazing mom and I know that God has blessed me with her greatly. I am also so glad that my dad and his wife made it out and will be able to share some time with us over the weekend as well, getting know Chas a little bit more, and hopefully just enjoying some good food and beverage together and relaxing.

One thing that I have been thinking about since Amy and John have been here for the last day and a half is that little baby of theirs. Though I have not spent much time with Madison since she has arrived, just spending the little time that I have with here these past couple days has really made me think about a lot of things. Most people know that I am a pretty content and happy person, and I know that God plans things for a reason at the seasons in our lives when he knows we are ready. And I know that should Chas and I never end up having children of our own that it would not mean because we weren't good enough to be parents, or that because we don't have children that we are whole people. But I do know that being around a baby just makes you think. You think about all the work that goes into that little person, and how dependent they are on your for every single need. And, I think that in my perspective of God and his relationship with us, that we should strive to understand just how dependent we SHOULD be on Him, for most things in our live. Babies are beautiful and wonderful, and as I spend time with this little sweet pea I can't help but think how incredible it would be, some day, when we are "ready", to have one of our own. Some day. Read it people, not in the next year, or even two or three years. God gives us so many blessings in our lives, that I can't help but just stop and thank Him for all that he has given, and possibly will give me, in my years of life to come.

Recipe Blog

2010-07-19T19:42:00.001-06:00

It's been a while since I posted any recipes on the recipe blog. But, since a few of you asked, I posted the recipe for the cupcake bites today. Read, make, and enjoy!

Why I love Utah

2010-07-16T15:45:00.006-06:00

Views like this

With my favorite person

And enjoying the sun.

Tasty treats I like to eat

2010-06-27T15:01:00.001-06:00

I have a lot of good friends, I have to say. I also have friends who are especially good at cooking and baking.
Thanks to Yvonne for teaching me how to make these. They are soooo delicious.

A sneak peek

2010-06-21T13:04:00.003-06:00

A great big thanks to this wonderful lady for taking some of the most amazing pictures I have seen in my life!

These are just a few of our favorites.

And of course, you always have to have a little fun with each other.

103 days to go.....Mrs. Burks to-be.

Weekends are my favorite

2010-05-22T08:00:00.009-06:00

There are those times in life where you can pinpoint the exact things that bring you happiness. The reason for that is because there are a lot of things that make you happy in the midst of the things that bug the crap out of you.

Weekends make me happy. Why? Because weekends are the time when I get to spend more than a hour hanging out with my hubby to-be and not already getting ready for bed by the time he gets off work. We started a ritual, probably last year sometime, where we don't see each other Mondays and Tuesdays, so having the weekends to be able to actually hang out and do FUN stuff together is so nice. And, I find pleasure in being able to get the things done on the weekends that I normally don't have time to do on the weekdays.

Things like wedding planning.
Things like being able to run a marathon.
Things like attending a graduation ceremony and getting engagements pictures done by one of my most talented and kind friends that I am so blessed to have in my life.
Grocery shopping.
Getting our favorite gluten-free cupcakes at Sweet Cake bakery in Kaysville.
Those are just a few of my favorite things.

And because I know that blogs are better with pictures, here are just a few to re-cap some of the past couple of weekends that have been so, so great.

Because I am done with attending classes, I got to walk for the Graduate Ceremony at Utah State. I have a project to finish up over the summer, but my goal is to be completely done with this by July.

After graduation we met up with some pretty awesome people and had a great dinner at Rooster's. You can obviously tell by Kaytee's face that the food is good.

www.melissaoholendt.com

A big huge shout out to Melissa for coming from MN and shooting our engagement session. These pictures give me a glimpse of what we have to look forward to on our wedding day, and I cannot wait for that.

I love you Mel, and I just had to post this picture.

I think this picture was taken somewhere around mile 3, which is why I am still looking pretty happy that I am running at this point. A picture at mile 12 would have probably shown a little different face. But, I am still so glad that I was able to run, run the whole race, and overall be in good health to be able to make goals like running a 1/2 marathon and be able to conquer them.

And last but not least, a tempting photo of one of my personal favorites from the bakery, the vanilla coconut gluten-free cupcake. Yum. YUUUUM.

In three weeks

2010-04-20T20:46:00.002-06:00

This post is long overdue.....and so is my hair coloring. Blegh.

Anyway....the list.

In three weeks:

I will officially be done with my last "class" for my master's degree

I will walk for Utah State graduation. No I am not really done, I have a final project to complete and some internship hours to do until August, then I am officially done with my master's level education. I can't wait for August 3rd.
I will get to see one of my best friends, hang out, get some pictures taken by her with my fiance', go to Park City, eat at PF Chang's, and just have a dang good time with her. Yay for getting to see Melissa!
Chas and I will be getting our engagement pictures, done by that lady mentioned above. So excited for this!!
I will be one week away from getting ready to run the 1/2 half marathon for the 2nd time. My goal is to be 30 seconds faster than my per mile time from when I ran it in 2008. That means I have to run a 9:30 mile for 13 miles....In the words of Michael Jackson, "Don't stop til you get enough." I ain't stoppin.
May will be here and I am about 90% sure that I will finally get to plant some flowers to liven up our back porch that has been o' so bare for the last 9 months. Man, winter seems long here.
My best friend of 14 years will be that much closer to having her first baby girl, going to be named Madison. She is due July 12th. I cannot WAIT to meet her. Here's to Amy and John and their first encounter at being parents. I love you guys.

That's all I can think of for now. Hopefully I will update again soon.... instead of in another 2 months from now. Heh.

Tick-tock and a run around the block

2010-02-28T15:58:00.004-07:00

As many of you may know, I am running the Ogden Half Marathon again this year on May 15th.
I started my training two weeks ago, and so far this are going fab-u-lous. Last time I ran the 1/2 (which was May 2008), I averaged almost exactly 10 minutes per miles for the entire race. This go-round, my goal is to beat my old time, thus have a NPR (new personal record). I am happy to say that in the last two weeks of running, I have been able to increase my running speed almost every single run. The last run I went on I was down to an 8'47" mile for three miles. Next I will be increasing the length of my runs and attempting to keep that pace. It's not quite nice enough in Utah yet to be running outside every time I run, but with days like today (50 and sunny), I gain more hope that spring is coming very soon and I will be able to enjoy runs with scenery instead of the wall of Crossroads Gym.

The reason I am so stoked that the running is going so well is because, well, I was a little worried a couple of weeks ago that I was going to have to cut down on the running and take it easy for a while.
I went into my stomach doctor for what ended up being just a really nasty virus (thank goodness it wasn't something else, it really could have been way worse), and in the process of doing a physical exam realized that I had a heart murmur.....hmmm. How long I have had this little noise coming from my heart, I have no idea. No one has ever said anything about it before.
So I went to a cardiologist and had it checked out, Echo, EKG, the works. Turns out my heart does NOT have a hole in it, and functions properly. VERY good news.
I HAVE been having weird heart palpitations, knows as tachycardia, for about 8 months now, which I discussed with the cardiologist. He recommended that I wear a heart monitor for a week to see if they can catch this little hiccup in my heart beat and see why it is happening.
I am now on day three of wearing the heart monitor, and besides getting worrisome looks from people who know me, I feel good knowing that when I do have episodes, they are being recorded and hopefully we can get to the heart of what is going on, no pun intended. I think more than anything it will just put me at ease knowing that I had it checked out and if it turns out to be nothing and is just the way my body is "wired", then this girl is going to continue to keep on running her heart out, again no pun intended.

I recently got my graduation papers in the mail so that I will be able to walk in May commencement. WALK. With a Master's. If Claire is reading this, which I almost know she is, then she knows exactly how it feels to say those words. I have never wanted something more in my life, besides knowing that I am getting married to a wonderful, loving, supportive man, in 7 months. And at the same time, I can't lie that I am not even just a little bit nervous knowing that there is going to be an end to this madness of the last two years and wondering what is going to happen next. But, I DO know that God has plans for each and every one of us, including me. So I just wait, and pray, and prepare for what IS to come.

On a wedding note, things are at somewhat of a lull right now. My friends who have been married told me there would be times where there just isn't a lot of planning going on, and I told myself that I wasn't going to purchase anything wedding related during lent. That's a big feat for a woman who has spent the good majority of her savings over the last 8 months on wedding "stuff". Heh. My dress should be here any day, and I can't WAIT to try it on and start the process of making it fit oh so perfectly for that special day. I am sure Chas is even a little excited for that day too ;)

The only somewhat of a hang-up we have experienced with wedding planning so far was the sad news that we will not be able to hold our wedding ceremony at our church. Washington Heights is planning a renovation, and it very well may be happening this year. We were advised by Roy, our pastor who is marrying us, to start looking for another site. I can't say that I wasn't bummed to hear this news, of course, knowing that our church was the place Chas and I met and have been attending for the last 10 years. It does have special meaning to us. But, we also know that this is a very small thing, and we have plenty of time to look for another place. We actually were given the suggestion of having the ceremony at the very cute and quaint Episcopal church in downtown Ogden. This place would honestly be perfect for our wedding (I say that because of the decor and colors I have chosen, it really just would all go together so perfectly). So I have made the call, and am waiting, patiently, for them to return my call so we can get things hopefully underway quickly. ( I have heard they are very hard to get a hold of and very slow to call back). A visit to their Sunday morning service may be in my near future.

That's all I'm gonna post for now, I am singing at church tonight and still need to take a look at the music. I will leave you with an awesome picture of my get-up from the Ugly Dress Party I went to last weekend. The song may come to mind "If you want my body and you think I'm sexy, come on baby let me know." Yeah, I know you want my 90's style.

The weekend

2010-02-15T17:06:00.007-07:00

It's always nice to plan. That's what I think. Chas is more of a fly by the seat of your pants kind, it keeps me guessing what is going to happen, or if something is going to happen at all, heh. But he did a really good job of planning out a Valentine's date on Saturday for the two of us. It started with one of my favorite meals, sushi. Now, some people say that it is the place that makes the meal, but I say it is the company you are with that makes the meal. And just an FYI, Ahh Sushi is NOT somewhere you want to plan a date for if you are looking to impress anyone. It's just a good thing that I love Chas, and I love sushi. Not only was it a sushi bar, but, it was also a bar. Interesting. But we made a good time of it, and even overheard a great name-dropping conversation about this guy and how he met Jim Carey. He must have been this guys idol because he wouldn't stop talking about it. And there were some youth there talking about getting lit. It was awesome.

Place number 2, Chas wanted to see an IMax movie on the really big screen, so we headed over to the Gateway Mall and decided to pick the movie on going to the moon. I liked it, and we even got to wear some really cool 3D glasses. I really wanted to keep mine.
Then we headed over to the news station where I got to pretend to be weather caster for the night, I always wanted to be on TV.

Even for being sickly, Chas was still a trooper and took us on a trip to Mars. Yes, we made it to Mars and back in one night, the flight was amazing. Don't believe us, check us out. (there is an oxygen bubble around us to prevent from suffocating)

It was a fun evening, and I even got some pretty flowers out of the deal. Now let's just hope I don't catch Chas' awful cold. I still love you though honey :)

Pretty things

2010-02-15T16:59:00.002-07:00

Just a couple things I like about Valentine's day....

Making pretty cupcakes

Getting pretty flowers

What a girl wants

2010-01-29T23:08:00.006-07:00

These are just a few of the things I have been craving lately...maybe because they are a bit out of my reach, heh.

One of these.....

And one of these....

And a pair of these.

Hey, a girl can have a wish list, can't she?

I know you're out there

2010-01-09T09:57:00.002-07:00

The color green.

It sounds so simple. And yet, this color, this hue, is the only thing so far that is causing me any kind of planning angst in my life. But no, not to the point where I am pulling hair out or anything.

Kellly Green. Hunter Green. Willow Green. Shimmer Green. There are so many to choose from, and yet, I only desire one of you.

I know you are out there, colored paper in the green that I have been searching for to accompany our wedding announcements. I just can't seem to find you.

My compromise? Since you won't reveal yourself to me, I am cutting you out of my life (wah wah), and making friends with a nice little piece of ribbon that is in the color that you so rudely are keeping from me.

And yes, I am talking to a piece of paper. How's that for crazy.

Holidays and 2010 and things to come

2010-01-02T14:49:00.005-07:00

So yes, I have been home from Seattle for almost a week now, but no, I have not had hardly any time since being home to catch up on things like blogging and cleaning my house. Good thing today is a lazy mellow day and I CAN actually figure out what all I need to do before starting back up school next week and my internship for the next two semesters.

The holidays were fabulous. I spent time with both my parents, my best friend, and of course, Pepper the dog, he he. I spent Christmas at my dad's this year, which was great because as always, they made prime rib and I have never been disappointed with their choice of food. I also got to have a tasty turkey dinner at my mom's the Monday before Christmas so that was a double bonus.

Pepper tries to look innocent, but we know better. She got in a little fight with some of the kitties that day and just about got her head knocked off. That hopefully will teach her.
I went to a Seattle Thunderbirds hockey game with my bestest and Matron of Honor Amy while I was up there just for something different to do. She also told her family Christmas weekend that she is almost 3 months pregnant, which means I am going to be an aunt, yay!
I went with my dad and his wife Karen to our cousin Tom and Shelly's house for their annual Christmas gift exchange. This year was a good year for me, since they changed the rules of the gift exchange and I ended up with something that I actually wanted, a really nice coffee pot. Now Chas and I can scratch that one off our registry list.

Chas and I spent New Year's Eve driving around to a couple different places to check out shows that friends were putting on to play in the new year. We then ended up at Ben and Tiffany Smith's house at mid night to celebrate together.
Brett T. at the Rainbow Saloon. His song style fit really well with the crowd, they really liked him.
Just after the new year.

And today I got my monthly Email from TheKnot.com that today marks the exact 9 months before Chas and I will be married. I love those little reminders.

Merry little merries

2009-12-15T18:16:00.003-07:00

Oh Christmas goodies, how I love to make thee.....

In the clear

2009-11-16T21:09:00.002-07:00

I guess I better update the blog, since the last time I wrote I was waiting to get an MRI.
Well you know what they say, no news is probably good news. And it was in my case. I called the doc's office just to make sure, and everything came back normal.

So now, now what? I guess I am supposed to start experimenting with medications to see if any of them will help "prevent" migraines. Ha. Yeah, have you ever heard of the side effects of Topamax or Depacote? UHH, No thanks.

But, on a better note, the doctor did recommend a natural supplement that I can take everyday that has shown to be effective in migraine prevention. That, and cutting out even more foods from the diet.....sausage, anything with MSG in it. Well, I guess that explains why I have lost 5 pounds already this month. Eh.

The next two weeks will be full of school bliss, yes I just said those two words in the same sentence, thanks to both my professors canceling class this week, and Thanksgiving is next week! And after that, only one more meeting of class, and the semester is officially over for us.
December here I come.

Also, I have a question for Kaytee, if she is still reading my blog....
You lived in the heart of Seattle way more than I did. For Christmas, I don't want to get my family "things", I want to spend time with them by going places with them.
What would you say are the top 5 places (minus the spaceneedle), to take them while I am home for Christmas break?
Thanks in advance for the input!

Take the bad with the good

2009-10-27T21:20:00.002-06:00

The bad news is that I can no longer log into Blogger from work. I can't imagine why the state wouldn't want me updating my profiles on government time......

The good news is:
1. Only five, count em', 5 more class times before the END of this semester. Christmas break here we come.
2. I will get to be in Washington for what will be the LAST Christmas I will spend in Washington with my family as a single person for a whopping ten days. SO weird to say that.
3. Halloween is in three days, which means I get to dress up as something silly and not be a complete idiot for doing so.
4. This weekend is also my mom's birthday!
5. We are well on our way down the list of wedding plans, double woot!

The only other piece of slightly bad news..... I have more migraines right now that I can keep track of. My hope is that this MRI I am having next week may shed some light on what may be going on. Not that I want ANYTHING to be in the MRI, but, at least it will rule out possibilities, and I can look for a preventative treatment.

That's all for now, more updates to come after the Halloween, Sheriff and Bandit weekend, yeehah!

You know a man loves a woman when....

2009-10-19T21:44:00.003-06:00

He sends her flowers just to say, "I love you".

And I love him too.

A shout out

2009-10-04T09:08:00.001-06:00

Dear Sottero and Midgley,

I love you, and your dress is worth every penny.

Love,

Burks to be

Conversations with a stats teacher

2009-09-27T10:40:00.003-06:00

A student from class says, "so on the code that we are supposed to use to make that graph, how do you do that?"

Teacher says, "Well I've already showed you how to do that, but I guess I will show you, again." (insert crinkled nose facial expression here)

Students in the class agree with each other that this was NEVER showed to us.

Another student from class says, "I tried to input the data like the book said, but it would not come out with an answer in the R program."

Teacher says, "Oh that's easy, it's because you can't put character data into R. You could have just used Excel and then imported the information."

Student says, "Well it might be easy for you, because you have done this before, but this is our first time using the R program."

Teacher says, "Well you just have to learn it as you go, but some of the stuff we didn't get to last class time, so we can go over it now."

Student says under their breath, "yeah, thanks for telling us that NOW one day before the assignment is due."

In session

2009-09-18T14:50:00.012-06:00

I have been back in school for about 4 weeks now, which means I most likely won't be posting as much, thanks to the textbook reading and statistic assignments in a code based program that is nothing but awkward to use. I took my first quiz today, which I felt I did a little better on after busting through the first 15 questions and then realizing that there were only 3 short answers, yessss.

I am getting excited to see my bestest Amy Pepper and my mom, who are flying to Utah on October 2nd so that I can get my first experience of dressing shopping done! It will be a great girls weekend.

These are just a few pics of what has been going on the last couple of weekends. The Antelope Island Balloon and Kite Stampede was the first weekend in September, and since the drummer of the band I am singing in was the events coordinator, we got to play on Sunday. Chas' band played as the head liners which was cool too, except for the outrageous wind that picked up right at the end of the night.

Since we both had Monday off, we decided to take a little drive up to Bear Lake. I had never been up there before and wanted to see just how blue the water really was, and it was a gorgeous day, we even had a little picnic on the beach, so fun!

Last weekend, Chas and his band Cheatwood played up at the Spur in Park City, one of the top hot spots to play if you are a band in Utah. I posted a couple shots from the night.

Lastly, most of you know, but I finally got another car! As much as I loved the Honda and it has been so, so SO good to me over the last 7 years, she had a lot of miles and was starting to need a lot of work, so I had to put her down. I am very happy with my 2007 Mazda 3 purchase though and am glad I know people in the dealership industry.

Here's the pics from the last couple weekends...

getting back into it

2009-09-03T22:41:00.006-06:00

Singing, that is. Chas and I took a little drive up to Wanship (ok it really took us over an hour because it was pretty much on top of a mountain) for a music festival at Big Canyon Ranch. It's kinda up there in the middle of nowhere, but still close enough to Park City that we stopped in for dinner on main street.

At first we had no idea where we were going to eat, because we know most places on main street in Park City are expensive. But, we got an excellent tip from the bartender of The Spur (a lovely cowboy-esque bar that Chas's band Cheatwood will be performing at in a couple of weekends) that during the off season, many of the restaurants run 2-for-1 deals on their dinner entrees. Well he was absolutely right, and we picked 350 Main Street Restaurant. Let me tell you, the coffee rubbed pork that I had was THE best birthday dinner I have had, ever. This piece of meat was tender, had amazing flavor, and came with tomato Bearnaise sauce, salted greens, mashed potatoes and carrots. Every bite was filled with flavor, if it wouldn't have been such a huge meal, I would have eaten two. And, since we got two meals for the price of one, Chas's wallet wasn't hurting too bad either. It was a very enjoyable weekend birthday meal, and I was so happy to be able to spend time with him for my birthday, but not on my birthday, heh.
Here are a few pictures from last Saturday....

I was getting very excited to sing. My cousin Eric even came up to see us play, how nice, and he took the best picture of me, right?

I like Chas and his facial expression in this one, he always gets a little crazy when he starts gettin really into what he is playing.
Not really sure what we were smiling about, maybe I said something that was actually funny while being nervous on stage, like always.
And a few of the birthday dinner, great action shot of the bite Chas got...
Can you see the tenderness oozing out of that pork? Can you smell the aroma? It is oh so heavenly.
So this weekend will be full of more singing, Saturday and Sunday. The Antelope Island Balloon Festival is this weekend, and both my band and Chas's band has been booked to play Sunday night. It sounds like it is a pretty big event, which means I will probably be getting nervous around 3pm to get ready to go on stage if that is the case. Either way it will be a great time and something new that neither one of us have ever done before. If you are in the area, and want to come check it out, do it! It only cost $10 per car (limit 8 per vehicle) to get in, and they will be having all kinds of festivities going on throughout the day.

And of course yay for a 4 day weekend!

Just a few

2009-08-22T09:17:00.006-06:00

Last weekend Chas and I went up to the mountains of Wyoming to perform and celebrate with my old roommate Michelle at her wedding to Mr. Beau Miller. The weather was less than cooperative, but it didn't seem to put a damper on anyone's mood. We had a great time chatting it up with everyone around the campfire, and luckily the storm that rolled through on their wedding day didn't happen until after the ceremony and pictures. Here are just a few from the weekend.

Nicole Winters enjoying the fire, maybe a little too much.

It's a little fuzzy but it still works. :)

One thing about being so far away from civilization is that there is much more of nature to see. There were hummingbirds just flying around everywhere! I was waiting for some random animal to come out of the woods behind me at any second.

Just after the ceremony when the family started taking pictures. I thought this was so cute of Michelle's little niece holding her hands out for a hug, so cute!

Time for a poll

2009-07-29T08:20:00.004-06:00

Now you get to interact with my blog, and I expect lots of feedback.

Time to do some wedding polls :) Come on, you know this is going to be fun.

I am starting to get some ideas for flowers and wedding cakes, and I need some feedback on what YOU like :0)

So, let me know which one of each you like the most, your help is greatly appreciated.

Flowers #1

Flowers #2

Flowers #3

Cake #1

Cake #2

Cake #3

Ready, vote!

Done ditty done

2009-07-29T08:04:00.003-06:00

I am doing a little dance in my chair right now.

I turned in my last assignment for the summer semester, and that means I have a whole month of no reading, no assignments, and no papers.

So now, on my list of things to do in the next month.....

Take one of my bestests out for a birthday lunch.

Go see baby Jane for the first time, finally.

Attend Stacy Bair's baby shower. Oh boy, a bundle of joy is coming! Hee hee.

Check out Cheatwood at Roy Days

Clean, clean, clean my house.

Check out potential reception sites. There are three on my list that I have my wedding radar on: Davis Conference Center, Eccles Conference Center, and The Wight House

Hang out with my dad :) He is coming for a visit in a week for his birthday, yay!

Drive to Wyoming and sing for my old roomie Michelle's wedding

Attend Michelle's wedding reception in Utah

Bake my heart out

Run my bootie off

Put some new work out songs on the iPod, this is so needed

Sing at the Big Canyon Music Festival- more details on this coming soon!

Start looking for wedding decorations, fun fun! This is so exciting, he he

Purchase books for my fall classes, in enough time to get them before class starts this time

Celebrate my birthday, woot!

Hike Mount Ogden

Backpack in the Uintahs

I don't know if I am going to have enough to do during my break from school :)

These are special times

2009-07-15T20:37:00.011-06:00

So here's our story....

Chas and I had planned to take a trip to Knoxville to visit his parents over 2 months before the 10 day vacation was to take place. In the process of planning, his mom suggested that we take a driving trip with them down to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. This is a great place for families , retirees, and golfers to hang out and soak up sun on the beach all day. It was very secluded and it was nice because you can ride bikes on the beach, catch crabs, and visit all the different ports around the small island. I was sold.

About three weeks before we left on the trip, Chas and I started reading questions from this book,

It was a great way to have meaningful conversations at the end of the day and just find ways to connect with each other. And no, we weren't reading the booking thinking that after 101 questions we would get engaged like clockwork (obviously, since we are engaged now, ha!)

So I took the little book along with me on our trip, only to realize that I left the book at Chas's parent's house in Knoxville and wouldn't have it during our stay on the island. No worries, I would just come up with my own intriguing questions to ask.

So I am sure by now you are wanting some pictures, so I will flavor the blog with a few.
This is the day we left Knoxville for the 7 hour drive to Hilton Head. Notice the fog around the camera.....it was so humid that day my lens fogged up when I opened my camera. Talk about a hair humidifier.

So, fast forward a little bit to the second night we are on the island. We had spent the morning hanging out on the beach, and Chas's parents treated us to a very exquisite dinner at a place called Red Fish. Best Mahi Mahi I have EVER had. Hands down.
Here we are on the way to dinner, hanging out in the back seat of the Audi.
After dinner we all visited one of the ports that had amazing ice cream and cheap sunglasses. Of course I bought a pair. Chas was acting himself, so I totally didn't expect anything.
I thought we were going to end the night with a bike ride on the beach, like we had done before. Little did I know, previously in the month he shopped online here and found the perfect ring for me. It was exactly what I had hoped for.

So, back to the book. Since we didn't have the questions from the book to ask each other, I had decided the night before to come up with a random question on my own. I thought I was getting pretty good at it. Well, Chas decided to run with that idea while taking a stroll on the beach after our lovely little bike ride up the shoreline. While getting ready to walk back from the beach, he told me that he kind of had a question for me that he had been thinking about.

No sooner had I turned around and saw him pull something out of his pocket was my heart beating profusely out of my chest as I managed to get an "oh honey" out of my mouth. He was knee down in the water, holding that little black box. This was it. I couldn't believe it. THIS was it. On the beach, in the moonlight. How could the moment be more perfect. He said he screwed up the words when he asked me. I was too awe-struck to even remember. All I remember was jumping up and down, crying like a baby, and saying yes while I held his face in my hands. Yes, of course I will marry you.

And just to give you a scenic picture of where we were that magic filled night, here is a day picture of the beach where Chas proposed. It was nice at night because there were hardly any people out at all, probably since it was totally dark and we were under the moonlight as our only means of lighting. Well, except for the flashlight he brought so he made sure I could see the ring before saying yes.
We spent about 5 days total at the island, and before heading back to Knoxville, TN, we took a small detour to Savannah GA (yes we stopped for fresh peaches on the side of the road. Delicious). There is a restaurant there called A Lady and Two Sons. We didn't eat there, but we did get to take some pictures with famous TV people. Like.....

Paula Dean! Ok just kidding, it's only a cardboard cut out. But, I did get to meet her son Brian, for real.

Once we got back to Tennessee, Chas was determined to show me the ways of the southerners by taking me to Dollywood, the Dolly Parton/cowboy theme park of Tennessee. It really was a lot of fun, here is a picture of us on one of the rides with his sister Andrea and fearless niece Gracie Kate.

We ate lunch at the Chicken House, only to be serenaded by the "chicken lady" who made Chas do the chicken dance, it was the best part of visiting Dollywood by far.
This year we continued the tradition of running the Pilot moonlight 5K by the University of Tennessee. The only difference this year was that it was better because Chas's sister decided to join us. And we all finished!

We spent 4th of July morning up in the Smokies at a park that has camping and picnic sites with Chas's family and his great Aunt Sue. What a sweet lady she is, and even for being in her 80's she is still getting around like she was 60. We had a great time, and it definitely was hard to come back to Utah after the chain of events that took place on our vacation adventure. But the nice thing about being home and back in our own world is that we are starting to envision what life will be like togeher, for the rest of our lives.

When you vacation for ten days

2009-07-09T09:11:00.004-06:00

You get a little behind on things, like homework and blog postings. I know I promised pictures from my trip with Chas to Tennessee and S. Carolina. Most of you have probably seen them on facebook anyway, but I will post some on here soon, like this weekend.

For now, I will leave you with a picture of my favorite souvenir from our trip :)

I was wrong

2009-06-29T14:11:00.000-06:00

It got better.

SO much better.

Details when we get home. :)

Dollyworld here I come

2009-06-25T17:05:00.003-06:00

The assignments are done, turned in.

The bags are packed, almost.

I have a little tan, not enough.

I will be in Tennessee tomorrow, with my fabulous boyfriend.

I will be in South Carolina Saturday, with my fabulous boyfriend and his family.

It can't get much better than that.

It's a party

2009-06-15T10:16:00.003-06:00

A surprise pary that is. Check out the video here of when we walked into Rooster's for Chas's 30 birthday party, set up by yours truly. There was about 45 people there, it was an awesome turn out. And he was completely surprised, he had no idea, he just about fell over.

In other news, I will be heading to Seattle this weekend on Thursday for a wedding of my brother's best friend Jeremy and his fiance Sherah. Jeremy and Travis have known each other and been best friends since 7th grade....so that's about 17 years. Crazy. Jeremy is like a brother to me, of course I couldn't miss his wedding.

After that, Chas and I will be heading to Tennesse and South Carolina for 9 days for a summer adventure. A much needed vacation for this school crazy girl. I can't wait.

Time....

2009-06-09T22:39:00.004-06:00

is not on my side right now. Boo. At least I am getting time and a half at work for overtime, the state hardly ever approves overtime. But we need it, in a bad bad way.
School is kicking my butt, due to trying to get the assignments done which will be due during the 9 days that Chas and I will be in Tennessee/South Carolina at the end of the month.

For now, a picture of a lifetime memorable moment.

I surprised Chas for his 30th birthday, the turnout was great. He was so surprised, he was completely speechless for about two minutes. The video should be coming soon.

In the meantime, here's the video of when I surprised my mom for her 50th last year, in case you haven't seen it yet. I must be good at the surprise party deal. I am two for two.