Friday, September 22, 2017

Apartment Living



I was quite nervous about moving to a much smaller town aaand from living on 3 acres to having a 5X4 ft back yard. But, honestly I quite like apartment living. We walk in the mornings to the apartment gym where there is never any one else so the kids can play around while I get a quick workout. We have to take our laundry room a little ways but, I can do as many loads at once as I need to. We actually have a fenced in "backyard" and the gate opens up to dairy queen parking lot so... way too many blizzards over here. There is a lot of closets and storage space. We live on the first floor and usually have parking right in front of our place. I still have not unpacked all of our boxes but I am getting more and more settled in every day. We had a lot more stuff than I realized packed in that tiny 2 bedroom!

I am getting to know Abilene a little more as well and I have really been pleasantly surprised by how much this little town has to offer. Wednesday night I met with some new mothers and doulas at cute cafe downtown called Monks. The group was called Big Country Birth Network, we got to hear a few vbac stories and some other quick birth stories as well. It was so great getting together with women who have the same passion and I am really looking forward to getting to know the group more!

Anyway, hope you all have a good weekend! I plan on spending this weekend in my parents pool as much as possible and going back to that cute cafe and exploring downtown Abilene!



Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Abilene oh Abilene



We moved here a little over a week ago and I have been sick for most of it. Kingsley is a little sick as well but her spirits are still up! Right now she and Elijah are playing super heroes running around our tiny new apartment. 

We all like our new little place quite a bit. I will post some pictures when I have things together better. Right now it still looks like were moving in... no pictures on the walls, boxes everywhere, dirty clothes ... also everywhere. I love having a dishwasher for the first time since we've been married, and also having a bathtub again! and normal size showers!!! The kids have a playground and a pool and a tiny backyard that they already escaped out of once(don't worry we caught them quickly and made a childproof lock for the gate). 

Recently I discovered that what I originally thought was gallstones was actually a stomach ulcer. After that news and watching What the Health on Netflix (must watch) we decided to try eating plant based as much as possible. So we don't buy dairy or meat but we will eat whatever we are served if were eating out of the house. It has definitely been the best diet for my stomach and has been really fun trying to find new recipes to eat. Tonight I will be making my version of these Crispy Potato Tacos with a homemade corn and black bean salsa. They are delicious and very filling!

Anyway I will try to keep posting more consistently to keep everyone involved that we don't get to see as often as we want!


Friday, February 1, 2013

I'm Engaged!

Well I suppose it has been a while since I've updated, and what better time than now!
I'm newly(LAST SUNDAY!) engaged and leaving for Africa tomorrow!

The engagement story

Nathan went home to Texas for a few weeks to paint his parents house build a fence and such like that. He told me he was going to be gone til the 29th late or the 30th. Which let me tell you bummed me out. This was the longest we had been away from each other since we started dating. The first time ;).
So... Sunday my sister and mom ask me to come over to my parents house early to do our nails and finish sewing my skirt. I got there a little late... like normal. I was talking to everyone and facing the front door when out of the corner of my eye I see Nathan walking up to the front door. So naturally I dropped everything and ran right to him and gave him the biggest hug possible and fought off the tears that were coming up. When I finally let go he immediately dropped to his knee right on my front porch! I started hyperventilating and finally let all those tears flow free and he ask me to marry him! I don't remember exactly what he said... I was kind of in a state of hysteria but I know he ask me and I know I said yes. I've never seen him so nervous in my life. It was the sweetest thing ever and just so us. I never thought he would be able to surprise me but boy i was wrong. We were both shaking so much it took a while to get the ring on my finger!
So here are a few pictures...




More post to come from Africa!

Friday, April 20, 2012

24 Life Changing Facts

Everything you ever needed to know to fix all the problems in the whole wide world. I found these on pinterest and thought I would share.







1.Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
 2.Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold.
3.Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
 4.Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat.
5.To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
6.For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a minty frosting.
 7.Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic, and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic.
 8.Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.
 9.Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy.
10.Easy Deviled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
11.Expanding Frosting: When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
12.Reheating refrigerated bread: To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
13. Newspaper weeds away: Plant your plants in the ground, work the nutrients in your soil. Then wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go, cover with mulch, and forget about weeds. 14.Broken Glass: Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
15.No More Mosquitoes: Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
16.To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
17. Flexible vacuum: To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
18. Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip to eliminate static cling. It works; you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks.
19.Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. 20.De-fog your windshield: Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser.
 21.Re-opening envelopes: If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. It unseals easily.
 22.Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.
 23.Goodbye Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. flies are drawn to the cup and gone forever.
 24.Wash your dryer filter: dryer sheets cause a film over filter that will burn out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. The best way to keep your dryer working for a long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take the filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush at least every six months.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Blog Finds

Today I wanted to post some blogs that have inspired me. These are the few that I read... everyday. So, here are a few...

Hair and Makeup by Steph. Full of great ideas for... hair and makeup.



Say Yes to Hoboken. Great DIY and fashion ideas.

A Cup of Jo. The first blog that got me hooked.


The Day Book. Always so cute and funny. Love reading her awkward moments they really make me laugh out loud because I can sympathise with every. single. one.


These are just a few of my favorites but they are fantastic if you feel the need to spend countless hours in front of a computer screen. Or just a quick few minutes if you have good self control.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Cute Finds


Sosie
Great Colors. Cute style. Very affordable. Sosie

Anthropologie


 Classic. Anthropologie.

Standard Style

Friday, March 23, 2012

Hunger Games

Well last night I did something I NEVER do. I stayed out til 3:30. On a week night no less!
 ...To see the midnight showing of Hunger Games. So right now im running on 3 hours of sleep and no coffee. How am I still awake you might ask? Well... I have no idea. Im feeling a crash comin on strong and quick.

So was it worth it? Im still trying to figure it out. I liked the movie but ... I feel like I should see it one more time when I am more aware. And this time I'll try to watch it as just a movie instead of one of my favorite books.


Anyways have a good weekend and go judge Hunger Games for your self!