The Story of My Life (Lately)

It seems as though a million things have happened since I last blogged. ( I will confess, I go into fits where I despise technology, and feel over-connected.)
 My life has taken some mighty leaps towards future goals this summer...I have been participating in a book study with some friends and it has been really great to reconnect!
I have found a friend that I can have movie/lunch/fun dates with. :)
I got an actual job outside of the food industry: I worked as an administrative assistant for Compassion Pregnancy Center one day per week.

The puppies continue to grow, and develop stranger and stranger personality traits!

Despite these Developments... 
Life is still changing!

In less than two weeks I will waist deep in textbooks once more, as I pursue a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am very, very excited about this...but also nervous. A friend of mine who is also going to Grad School and I discussed whether it will be much harder than Undergrad.... and how it will really test us...
Next Monday, I have orientation for my NEW JOB!! I will be working in a social services atmosphere, counseling folks and building relationships!! (Well, actually I will be training for a bit first! ;)) I am really, really excited... but also very nervous about this as well. I am nervous mainly because it is new and unknown.

It has been heart-wrenching to say goodbye to the clients I worked with at Compassion Pregnancy Center. I had to overcome the feelings that I had, because deep down, I know that I am not abandoning them.

I thank the Lord that the past year has held the experiences that it has. Living back in Northeast Indiana was not what I planned...but I am very thankful for all that I have!
In the past year, I have grown spiritually, and have realized that spiritual growth does not always look the same.
The past year has seemed to drag on and on. And at some points, there did not seem to be much ahead. But there has been a verse that helped me know that the Sun was going to Shine Again:
"For I know the plans I have for you." Declares the Lord,  "Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you; plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE.' - Jeremiah 29:11
    I found myself encouraged knowing that God had a plan of my future. Even though certain points were a little shaded and strained...a bright future was not far off!

I'll Pamper the Chef outta You!

The S'More Cups- one of the recipes we made at the party.

Earlier in the week, I had a Pampered Chef Party at my house. One of my very close friends, has become a dealer. (started selling the stuff). I have never actually been to a Pampered Chef Party before, and I had to miss her's b/c of work conflict. I will say, I was a bit nervous...but it was a really, really fun time!

I think that the thing about Pampered Chef that makes it so appealing is closely related to their motto: "Discover the Chef in you"  

They have products and recipes that make it easier to bring restaurant quality foods and complex recipes into your home more easily. I want to own their products because I want to be a better cook. Or, I want them because I want the cooking I do to be fun.

After cleanup, I was talking with my friend and she said she has really enjoyed doing this so far. She said that she really loves getting to experience people getting together and enjoying one another's company. We then went on to talk about how people spend their time differently now than they did 10 years ago. Folks are either so busy that they are never home, or they are home every night in front of the TV. 

I sincerely enjoyed having a party in my home. For one, I had an excuse to get together with friends and family. Secondly, I had an excuse to perform a deep cleansing on my house. Thirdly, if you host a party you get free stuff! ( I had no idea I would get as much as I did!) 

If you are given the chance to host a party, or even attend one; I would strongly recommend it. 

Who knows, maybe in a different time in my life, I could even participate in this type of business...

Midnight Gardening...

So, the other night, I was talking to my mom about wanting to plant some flowers at our house. So, she took me to the edge of the driveway and started giving me some irises that were overcrowded. I had no idea when I went home how many she had actually given me.
The next day I started to plant the irises. And there were too many to plant before I went to work.
As many of you may know, I am more of a night owl than an early bird. So, when I got off work that night, I decided to plant me some Irises!

So I planted 27 irises between Midnight and 1 AM.

I would like to draw your attention to some of the Pros and Cons of Midnight Gardening.

Pros:
Being that it was blazing, at Midnight it is much cooler...
Because it is not too late in the summer, no bugs!
It is very peaceful at night. :)
Your puppy can help you dig!

Cons:
You should never garden without the proper tools. I actually did not have a proper shovel: just a trowel...
If you have a puppy that has to be tethered near you, they can get tangled in your extension cords...
If your garden is not flat, your lamp can fall over...:)
Puppies do not always understand where to dig...


By the way, I have at least 30 more irises to plant...

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I really love the idea of blogging: tis true. But we have not had internet for weeks, and before that, our computer charger was out of commission, so it has been difficult for me to blog. 


I seem to been only able to do major updates...which is better than nothing I guess. So, here come the updates.


I seem to be having issues with my sinuses. Today the sore throat came, and I can feel the drainage running down it. So, I am steeping my second cup o' tea. 


We updated our internet to a much faster speed so that we could use the Netflix we pay for, but, so far it does not seem to be making a difference. Which really, really sucks.  I will not give up! I have been trying to get it to work for the past hour without much luck, though.


Day after tomorrow, I will no longer be 21, but 22. Hooray! It will be a busy day that I do not want to give all of the details about just yet. 


I am in a very strange position at this point tonight, because normally my husband and I both work 2nd shift type hours and would be spending time together at this point in the evening, but this week he is training to be more efficient on switch-overs between parts on first shift. So my internal clock is very confused. I have been up by myself since he went to bed at nine, and nothing seems to be going exactly right! I put off doing my state taxes because I could not find all of the necessary paperwork (the missing piece fell behind the couch), and now the website is down. 

On the brighter side of life... I AM LOVING MY VOLUNTEERING!  For those of you who do not know, I have been working with Compassion Pregnancy Center since last June. Currently I am "consulting" 7 different clients! It gets better every week as my relationships with them grow stronger and stronger!
CPC is a not-for-profit that offers pre-natal/parenting lessons to parents who are unexpectedly pregnant. As the clients attend their appointments and do their homework they earn "merits" which can be used to fulfill their physical needs with items like diapers, clothes, etc. 
Visit the website: http://www.cpcni.org/ 


Um... that is all. (Oh, and we started watching M*A*S*H* again.) :)

Sharing is Caring.

Share Bear: The root of Sharing is caring. :)

I am not really sure where I was going with the Care Bear...I feel like I have really been wanting to share what's been going on for the past couple months...but I am very easily distracted.

Could I have A.D.D.? Nah. Just got a lot going on, and I must have a very malleable brain. I have the TV on...

    So, I think Ryan and I have come up with some more concrete plans than we have had in the past...
A. Ryan likes his job... so we are not in any rush to move from the area.
B. I came in contact with an old track coach at work and when asked what I was up to, I replied : "I am saving up money for Grad School."  So, I guess that is in the forefront of my mind.
C. We are very happy with the puppies right now, so any plans for babies have been postponed! We will not "be trying" or anything of the sort.

I could never understand how some people could become so attached to a pet, I mean it is not a person. Then I got dogs, and my husband started working third shift and having a different sleeping schedule than I did. So, I now understand: I spend more time with those two puppies than any other mammal. They have really become my buddies. I now understand why dogs are listed as man's best friend.

They look like little angels right? Well, they aren't but... I love them just the same.



On a completely different note: a while back I bought The Five Love Languages at Good Will. It was very, very interesting and a good read as well as very understandable. I read it in one day. :)

I found out some interesting perspectives about myself, although it was not as clear about Ryan.

I watched a video about the Love Languages in High school at a youth group function. Everyone there insisted that I must have physical as my primary love language...and knowing me in high school, that is not a surprising assumption. But, as the years have passed and I have become a bit more reserved, I discovered my  primary is definitely quality time. I place a high importance on togetherness. I feel loved when I am given personal attention. While physical touch does come in second...I could not get by on just that. I think that this is the reason that I love photos so much. I can look at a picture and think back on time we spent together.

Another random fact: I am really loving this COOLTV stuff. So I have never been a real music video junkie, but this free station has a really nice mix: Madonna, Bruno Mars, John Mellencamp, Rihanna...Bowie.
Good stuff.

So, I am hoping to bring out my more creative side now that I have a bit more free time. Remember how I posted about a cooking course book? And how I was going to start it... still haven't. :( But I did create my own version of a Chicken Pot Pie that I improvised and was very easy to make as well as tasty. :)

So, if the cooking thing is going to happen...I have changed my focus. I bought a calendar with stupid pictures, and instead of posting that in my home, I am going to create my own. Like a scrapbook page for each month! I am pretty excited! I really hope it does not turn out stupid.

Final and actual original train of thought:
Journaling. I have always been the journaling type. Probably because I have so many thoughts and I would overwhelm the world If I actually said them all out loud. :) I have been receiving journals as gifts for years for all occassions: bridal showers, graduation gifts, Christmas, birthdays, etc.
Not that I am ungrateful, slowly I have been working my way through my collection.
I received one from a very nice young lady while at Purdue: Miss Jackie. She gave it to me as a bridal gift, and wrote a lovely note in the front cover:
"Dear Toni Kay, 
This is a journal for you to write your thoughts, prayers, and emotions in during your first few years of marriage. Marriage is an amazing gift from God. He is so excited for you and He longs to be a part of the journey that you are about to embark on. Run to Him when You Need his Comfort. Sing praise to Him when He Blesses your marriage. Cry to Him in moments of weakness. And Glorify Him for everyday of your Union. I am so excited for you! I am thankful that I was blessed to get to know you this semester. Never forget that you are first and foremost the bride of Christ. I love you My dear friend. - Jackie"

The sweetest thing ever, right?  Well, the first of February, I filled the last page of this journal. And being the pensive being I am, I looked back to the first page. And what was it dated? February 1, 2010. It took me exactly one year to fill that Journal. Then I began thinking of all the things that happened in those 365.

This year has definitely been a year of Spiritual ups and downs, a lot of Changes: 
Graduation, Moving North, Being Ashamed to not have a Job using my degree, Living with my Parents, Encountering Relationship Struggles, Acquiring Prudy, Getting New Jobs, Getting a New Place, Acquiring Dinah, Being Lonely, Having a Love-Hate Relationship with Once Again living in the Area I Grew Up in, Losing 20 Pounds, Starting a New Year and a New Decade with New Friends and Growth in Old Friendships. 


After looking back I prayed that I would learn from the experiences I encountered in that Year, and I hope with all my being to grow stronger, braver, more reliant on God, to live more joyfully, to love more deeply, to trust more freely, and to know that God has a place for my life.
The future is a bright, sunny day; a winding path of experiences yet to behold, not a jumble of nothingness.

New Year...Newness?

So, it has definitely been a while. So here are some new things in the Life of us since I posted Last:

-Ryan has a new Job
-I got a promotion to Managing/Cooking a few days a week
- We have a New House!!!! (Renting)

- We got a Darling New Puppy
- New Sleep Schedule
- New Decorating Scene
- New Perspective....I am realizing more and more that life is fleeting, and that love is the greatest thing in existence.
A Song That I am Loving:
Years Go By Like Stones Under Rushing Water


- And Internet Connection!

More photos and descriptive responses to follow.