Wheat Challenge

Hello my faithful readers! Am I doing better on posting? I'm trying my hardest. ;)

Ok so after my fun summer of naughty eating I'm back home and starting up healthy meals again. This afternoon I made a REEEALLY good one. 

My first time trying spaghetti squash and trying to cut the thing in half was quite the experience. I tried about four knives before finally finding one that SORT OF worked. Who knew a veggie could be so hard??
I managed to get it cut and in the oven. Then while I waited the 30 minutes for it to cook, I sautéed some onion, yellow squash, and broccoli. I only let them just become tender in olive oil and garlic salt and parsley. I wanted that "crunch" to still be there. Haha.

The squash came out of the oven and I had a great time mashing it...is that the word? It wasn't "mashed" just spaghetti-ized! :p I cooked up some ground beef and tossed everything together, adding fresh baby tomatoes cut in half. It looked really pretty actually. I sliced half an avocado for go on the side to finish the look.

I don't know about y'all but that looks SUPER to me. Haha, and it tasted even better than it looks. 

If I really take time to prepare veggies and meat in creative delicious ways, it's actually pretty easy to eat good. So I must keep motivated and not get back into the lazy "grab a sandwich" mode. Haha.

Not that sandwiches are "BAD" but they do include bread usually and grains these days are so hybrid they do nothing for you except gather in little rolls on your body. NOT cool. And not only that, they just make your body feel "ick". 

I'm making a pact to cut ALL WHEAT out of my diet. Maybe even for just a trial basis the rest of September. It will be a challenge seeing as I love yummy things like cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, cream-cheese danishes, Subway. Ah the list goes on.

I shall prevail the temptations though and I'll write about the differences I feel when this month is over. And I'll decide if it's worth continuing the loss. So here I go - WHEAT FREE!

Settling In

July 2, 2013 (cont.)

After I got off the plane it was quite the adventure finding my luggage. It seemed everyone was in a rush to get to the baggage claim area and there were times I wondered if I was gonna get trampled. I made it safely though and stood in a crowd of people watching various bags come spinning past.

I have never seen such a fast moving baggage belt before though. People were seriously putting their lives on the line just to grab their belongings. One old man came trotting around to the side I was on, pointing at a rather large suitcase. "That one! That one's mine!!" We all kind of looked at him a second then one brave woman jumped onto the moving belt and tackled the bag. She was victorious and actually jumped to safety just in time before being knocked over to a probable death. ;) A few onlookers clapped a bit. I sighed and continued waiting for my belongings to show up, praying that when it was my turn, I wouldn't have to take such risks.

I waited and waited until there were only two bags left circling around and around. They were quite ugly actually. One was white hard case, with a with Canadian leaf on the front. It looked like it'd had gone through a terrible abusive past - all smudged with dirt and dented. The other was black material bag that looked as if it had had a few run ins with a mad cat or two. I wasn't feeling very sympathetic at the moment and after I gave them both an evil glare I marched off to see where on earth my things had gone.

There were about ten other people marching with the same determined step as myself. I followed them to another belt. We all stood around and more people showed up. Little by little that belt also became empty. I was about ready to have a cow at this point but I hid it well. The others around me.....eh, not so much. We all marched back over to the first belt and waited. More bags came. I stared each one down as they passed. Pink, black, red, white, tan, patterned. NONE OF THEM HAD MY DISTINCT OWL RIBBONS!!!

I was about ready to give up and go demand a free trip to the Bahama's from the airline for losing my bags but then I saw one of them. The once fast moving belt seemed to slow down to a crawl in my mind. I waited and waited and when my long lost luggage finally passed in front of me, I snatched it up and set it down on the ground with a sigh of relief. One down, one to go.

Ten minutes later, I was reunited with BOTH my suitcases and suddenly I had need of the washroom. Oh great. Tiny airport stalls and two gigantic suitcases. What was I to do? Thankfully there was an empty handicap one available and I managed to fit everything inside. After my long morning I kind of wanted to hide in there a while and I almost did after seeing myself in the mirror. I had one word.

Whoa.

Whoa as in....What-Happened-To-You-Whoa. Yeah, it was kinda scary. At least I knew I wouldn't have to worry about anyone wanting to talk to me. I only hoped Sis Joy Hayes wouldn't be terrified at my appearance. OH! Yes, I realized she was due any second and I must get out of the airport and be waiting for her.

Out the big sliding doors I went and immediately was greeted by the beautiful Washington air. I found a place to stand and wait and then just closed my eyes do drink in a deep breath of the air. Cool and refreshing. I opened my eyes and Sis Joy came pulling up. After a quick greeting, to we loaded up and headed north. I was very talkative I'm afraid but she didn't seem to mind. We had a wonderful visit and stopped for some lunch a little bit up the road at Olive Garden. It was great to just sit and relax over a good meal.

We stopped at a shopping outlet and looked around a bit. So many cute things at amazing prices but I wouldn't allow myself anything. Haha, I'd done enough shopping a few days before for this trip and I didn't need any more clothes! After we were done there, we headed home and on the way I almost fell asleep. I probably would have if not for my eyes being glued to the beautiful distant mountains.

We pulled into the drive and Jingo, my buddy, came running out to meet us. In the garage I opened my door and he attacked me. Trying to jump into my lap and kiss me. In his scramble he managed to knock my phone out of my lap and onto the floor. It scattered into three pieces. Front. Back. Battery.
Silly dog! I got out of the car and knelt to the ground so he wouldn't have to jump anymore. He practically sat in my lap and it was quite the job trying to stand up again. :p

Now the Hayes have one of the most beautiful houses I've ever been too. Sis Joy actually runs a Bed and Breakfast there and if any of my viewers are wanting a beautiful place to stay then I HIGHLY recommend Blackberry Trails. Check the website out, eh? Sis Joy is an amazing hostess and will make you feel more than welcome anytime. :)

This is the everyday view from all the front windows of the house. <3

So after I got my stuff in my room, I took a shower then crashed for a few hours before church. It was a wonderful sleep. The bed was big and fluffy and I was surrounded by feather pillows and a feather comforter. Ah, it was SO comfy that I didn't hear my phone trying to wake me up and when I finally did come to, it was almost time for church!! AHHH! I made it in time......ok, it was like three minutes after Sis Joy was ready but still. For the little bit of time I had, I did pretty good. Hair done, clothes pressed, bible, purse, passport. Yes, very good.

I was super shy and nervous about seeing everyone. At the border line-up I was thinking how all my friends didn't even know me anymore and I'd have to try to and talk to them and they wouldn't want to talk to me.
I got to church and we went right into the sanctuary. I walked in and went to my usual seat, with the Frey family. (Well, actually only with Sis Kim and Caleb since Nicole was gone) Shyness left me for a moment. Caleb gave me a nod of greeting then when I smiled at him he rolled his eyes. I felt like I'd never left. Sis Kim smiled at me and I could have done a happy dance right then and there. Then I looked over to my left and saw The Beautiful Tiffany Grunert. I'll never forget her smile that moment. She looked like she was going to burst with excitement and I wished I could run over that very second and give her a big hug! I sighed and opened my bible to try to settle my thoughts.

Bro John Andes preached a wonderful message about Love. It was great but I'll admit, I had a hard time concentrating the entire time. Hahaha! When we were dismissed, I felt the shyness coming over me again - I was suddenly terrified at the thought of facing all my buddies.

HA! I never should have thought twice about reuniting with my friends. We all squealed and hugged and then talked and talked then hugged and squealed some more. :) Well, my GIRL friends did that. The guys just came said "hello", shook hands and smiled cordially. It was great to catch up with everyone.

Sis Joy and I got home late and I went straight to bed and slept amazingly, dreaming of fun times and the Hayes' chickens.

Trapper's Singing Debut

Behold my adorable canine and his epic talent. ;)

Flyin'

July 2nd, 2013.

Just a few hours of sleep and then mom knocked on my door to wake me. I remember waking up and noting the fact it was still dark out. What's going on....?! OH! YEAH! It all came back to me. Melissa's wedding invite, ticket buying, wardrobe restocking, packing, planning. Yes, today was the day I flew out to West. I smiled and quickly finished any last minute things before we headed to the airport.

I remember puzzling on the way and wondering why I wasn't going crazy with excitement. It seemed like a dream and maybe I wasn't willing to believe it quite yet.

Arriving at the airport, I checked in and then after saying goodbye to my parents, I headed across the shuttle to security - always something I dread. My turn came and I took a deep breath before walking into the scanner. I did the "Frozen Jumping Jacks Pose" and whoosh! The scanner swung around me and it was over, I had passed and I was free to go find my gate and a bite to eat. I sighed my usual relief and set out to find my plane.

It wasn't hard to find, seeing as it was the gate closest to security. I had almost an hour to kill so I went to the bathroom to check my hair, then wandered about debating breakfast options. After much thought and pondering I decided on a delicious looking parfait. It was even better than it looked. Creamy vanilla yogurt topped with a fabulous assortment of berries, including raspberries.

I found a seat and settled down to eat my breakfast and read until they called me to board. We all filed on and I found an exceptionally good seat - second row back on the aisle. The middle seat beside me stayed unoccupied and the windows seat was taken by a jolly elderly lady. We ended up having a great conversation on and off the entire flight. She'd laugh and chat then doze off. She snored in the most adorable way, she'd wake herself up with it and then be ready for another five minute exchange. She had grown up on a ranch and used to ride horses and cut cattle with her father. She was very open about her old fashioned beliefs and had a very good outlook on today's world. I really enjoyed sitting with her.

So I had a lay over in Las Vegas and boy, oh boy was that........interesting. Sparkling slot machines, rich 50-60 year olds trying to look 20. Bleck. They were trying hard but failing completely. I pity them actually....cause they seemed so confident about themselves. I felt extremely out of place and so I found a empty hallway, hid behind an electronic charging station and called up my niece for a little chat. We talked for an hour or so then I said farewell. 

I got on my plane and even though I didn't get as nice of a seat as last time it really wasn't too bad. A sweet Asian couple maybe in their early 60's. Only the man spoke English but the woman gave me plenty of smiles and friendly nods. I read an classic Louisa May Alcott book on the Kindle to pass time and before I knew it the captain announced we would be circling down into Seattle.

Taking off and landing have always been my favorite part of flying. It's so fun to wait for the moment you either leave the ground or touch it. This time was no different.

Waiting.... 

Everything that was once tiny became normal sized.

Waiting....

The ground became almost level out the window.

Waiting....

There. Was that it? The airplane's roar confirmed it. We had landed.

Then it hit me. Oh my goodness! I'm actually here? It had to real because I was about to walk into land and wait.....I looked out the window once more and the beautiful mountains in the distance confirmed what seemed to be unreal.

It was true, after a year of waiting I was finally back in Washington State.

I Have Returned

 As some of you may already know, I have just returned home from a two month adventure in the North West! I completely failed to update my blog regularly since I was so busy on my trip. BUT!! I have TONS to share and now that I'm home and have time, I will try and write something every day or so and tell you all about my adventures this summer in little bits and pieces.

Stay tuned!

Alphabet Questions

Heh, heh, I stole this from my best friend Karen's blog. ;)


A: Available or Married?
I've been single for a long time now....it's going pretty well.....I think I'm the one!

B: Book?
Not really into books these days but at the moment I'm listening to the audio book - Anne of Avonlea. It's not too bad. :)

C: Cake or Pie?
Oh, man. This is a hard one. It all depends...plain yellow cake is fab. Then there's pumpkin pie and that's like....whoa! My favorite. Ok, ok, pie wins.

D: Drink of choice?
As of late? Lemonade. I'm completely hooked on it. I love sweet tea too and once in a while Dr. Pepper.

E: Essential Item?
Music. I don't go a day without it. Singing, listening, guitar, piano - it's all so fun!

F: Favorite Color?
Dark Teal.

G: Game to watch or play?
Watch- Hockey! It's exciting and intense. Play- Lasertag. It's amazing y'all.

H: Hometown?
That awkward moment when I'm not sure what to put. I've had so many "hometowns" I'm not sure which one is legit. I'll just say Sarasota, Florida. Don't live there at the moment but it's nearby and the place I've lived the longest. :)

I: Indulgence?
Cinnamon Rolls. My new obsession. I am completely in love.

J: Job?
Oh, I just spend my days being fabulous. ;) Hahaha, in reality...? I'm the domestic type. I cook, sew, clean.

K: Kids and Names?
Not there yet, but I love the names Juliana and Logan.

L: Life is incomplete without...?
God, love, music.

M: Music Group or Singer?
Oh dear....I have way too many to list. Here's five randoms that come to mind right now:
Piano Guys
Selah
Mike Allen
Brian Littrel
Celtic Thunder

N: Number of siblings?
Two sisters-ish, one brother-ish.

O: Oranges or apples?
Oranges all the way!

P: Phobias and fears?
Spiders.

Q: Quotes?
"Character is built in waiting." -Danny Stemen

R: Reason to smile?
Many, many reasons. But certain things are extra special.
Trapper when he's sleepy and wants to snuggle, riding a horse full speed, holding a baby, and Lizzy praying.

S: Season?
Winter!! Christmas and cool weather, ah - gotta love it...

T: Travel Dreams?
Oh boy, I could go crazy with this. Well, first on my list is South Africa. To go there would be a life long dream come true. My buddy Charity and I are gonna go there one day. ;)
Second, would be Ireland. And no, I don't just wanna go for the accents. (Hehehe, Tiff and Charity. :p)
Third is Alaska. I dream of going there, camping out under the stars and watching the northern lights.

U: Unknown fact?
I'll never tell! ;)

V: Vegetables you love?
Eh, raw? Carrots. Cooked? Cauliflour, Brocolli, Asparigus, Kale, Greenbeans,
Yellow Squash, the list goes on. I LOVE veggies.

W: Worst habit?
Daydreaming. My mind is most always off who knows where and I don't focus on things around me.

X: X-Rays you've had?
Just for my toofers. :D

Y: Your favorite food?
You've got to be kidding me....I have to choose something?! Hmmm. Sorry I can't. I love all food too much to choose. I will say I do NOT like sushi. ;)

Z: Zebras or Elephants?
Elephants alllll the way!

I'm not afraid for I know that He is with me,
Whether I fall or if I fail, if I follow I know
He's living right inside me, He promised not to leave me
And if I ever feel alone my hands I'll raise and give Him praise
For I know He takes care of His own.

I'm not afraid for I know that Jesus chose me!
Before the world began He called out my name.
And though friends may fret and even cry that they give in
I won't be afraid for in Him my hope lies.
He promised to take care of me.

Proverbs 3:25-26

25. Be not afraid of sudden fear,
neither of the desolation of the
wicked when it cometh.
26. For the LORD shall be thy confidence,
and shall keep thy foot from being taken.