Saturday, November 27, 2010
New Blog!
I have decided to expand my blogging to other things besides random chatter. I took one of my new hobbies/interests/loves for cooking and created a new blog all about my adventures in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
28 Years
I just recently turned 28. I am very happy with where I am in my journey of life. I have decided that to celebrate my 28 years I would write a post about the 28 things I have learned while still remembering that I have much more to learn...
28. There is always room for ice cream no matter how full after a meal. Ice cream seems to melt on in there.
27. Shaving your legs for the first time is an awesome feeling...until the next day when you realize that it really doesn't last that long.
26. Teachers make mistakes, the difference between those teachers we loved and those we hated was how they reacted to it.
25. Habits are very hard to break.
24. You will find that more people will be polite and treat you well if you start the conversation with a smile and a sincere "how are you today."
23. It is much easier to clean up the kitchen right after dinner than wait till the following morning to do everything. This is something I have learned but still have a hard time following through with.
22. My Mother makes the best breakfast casserole.
21. The parents that don't worry about being the "cool parent" or their kid's friend are the best parents.
20. Kids will make mistakes...even the best kids will do something wrong once in a while.
19. Being with someone who makes you laugh is far more important than if they spend hours in the gym trying to make "washboard abs." The personality stays...the abs don't.
18. Money isn't everything, but life is much less stressful when you have a job.
17. The family activities and traditions as a kid that I thought were silly or embarrassing are the one's I want to carry on with my own family someday.
15. Swimming is one of the best skills I learned early on when my mom took us to the pool everyday. It is a skill that I believe to be one of the most important a child can learn.
14. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, 2+2=4, and K stands for Potassium on the Periodic Table.
13. Sundays are best spent relaxing and enjoying a day with family or just snuggled on the couch with a good book or movie.
12. Coffee and beer are acquired tastes. I have acquired a taste for both.
11. Men prefer long hair on women. Although once you get married...anything goes :)
10. It is always important to remember your blessings and thank God for everything good in your life.
9. The song Lola by the Kinks needs to be listened to all the way through before playing it at school.
8. When dad says your curfew is 12...he means 12.
7. Every girl has in her head what she thinks is the perfect way she would be proposed to. It's never as good as the way he does it.
6. House plants appreciate water.
5. Those people in high school who were constantly surrounded by drama, are the adults who seem to still have drama in their lives.
4. I would never want to be President.
3. Life really is better when you have someone to share it with. If you don't think so try being alone for a long period of time.
2. Age is a matter of perception.
1. We never stop learning.
28. There is always room for ice cream no matter how full after a meal. Ice cream seems to melt on in there.
27. Shaving your legs for the first time is an awesome feeling...until the next day when you realize that it really doesn't last that long.
26. Teachers make mistakes, the difference between those teachers we loved and those we hated was how they reacted to it.
25. Habits are very hard to break.
24. You will find that more people will be polite and treat you well if you start the conversation with a smile and a sincere "how are you today."
23. It is much easier to clean up the kitchen right after dinner than wait till the following morning to do everything. This is something I have learned but still have a hard time following through with.
22. My Mother makes the best breakfast casserole.
21. The parents that don't worry about being the "cool parent" or their kid's friend are the best parents.
20. Kids will make mistakes...even the best kids will do something wrong once in a while.
19. Being with someone who makes you laugh is far more important than if they spend hours in the gym trying to make "washboard abs." The personality stays...the abs don't.
18. Money isn't everything, but life is much less stressful when you have a job.
17. The family activities and traditions as a kid that I thought were silly or embarrassing are the one's I want to carry on with my own family someday.
15. Swimming is one of the best skills I learned early on when my mom took us to the pool everyday. It is a skill that I believe to be one of the most important a child can learn.
14. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, 2+2=4, and K stands for Potassium on the Periodic Table.
13. Sundays are best spent relaxing and enjoying a day with family or just snuggled on the couch with a good book or movie.
12. Coffee and beer are acquired tastes. I have acquired a taste for both.
11. Men prefer long hair on women. Although once you get married...anything goes :)
10. It is always important to remember your blessings and thank God for everything good in your life.
9. The song Lola by the Kinks needs to be listened to all the way through before playing it at school.
8. When dad says your curfew is 12...he means 12.
7. Every girl has in her head what she thinks is the perfect way she would be proposed to. It's never as good as the way he does it.
6. House plants appreciate water.
5. Those people in high school who were constantly surrounded by drama, are the adults who seem to still have drama in their lives.
4. I would never want to be President.
3. Life really is better when you have someone to share it with. If you don't think so try being alone for a long period of time.
2. Age is a matter of perception.
1. We never stop learning.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Beer and Wine
There seems to be a social divide between those who like wine and those who prefer a frosty beer. The stereotype tends to be that the wine drinkers are willing to spend more money for each sip of alcohol. They slowly swirl, smell, and let the wine breathe before taking a nice long sip. The dinners are pared with the type of wine that will compliment the flavors of the dish. While the beer drinkers are the "common folk" of the drinking world. They congregate in local bars and eat deep fat fried foods while cheering on their favorite sports team after a long, hard day at work.
Which one am I??? Both.
Sometimes I think I have split personalities (my husband may agree...). When faced with making decisions, I tend to struggle with my wine side and my beer side. For example...
Decorating the new bathroom:
My Wine Side...wants a neatly decorated and coordinated bathroom with all the matching colors and towels that are perfectly folded and layered.
While my beer side...thinks that is crazy! I want a bathroom that is usable. One where people can use and not be worried about drying their hands on the fluffy towel that just sits there. As long as it's clean, who cares...
Cooking Dinner:
My wine side...wants a simple pasta dish, light salad with a vinaigrette dressing, while the table is neatly set and the dishes all match with napkin holders and of course big pretty wine glasses at each seat.
And my beer side...wants to make pepper-jack stuffed hamburgers with homemade french fries dipped in a beer batter (of course) and fried in the hot oil deep fryer.
Decorating the Christmas Tree:
My wine side loves the pretty color-coordinated trees with a theme and matching Angel topper. Even the wrapping paper compliments the colors of the tree. Every bulb, light, and bow is evenly spaced and the lights add a perfect glow to the living room.
The beer side of me thinks of my mother's tree...nothing about it is in order. The tree is filled with ornaments that my brothers and sister and I created throughout our youth. Popsicle stars and glitter snowmen with our awkward 4th grade picture a spaced throughout the tree. It is like looking back on my life through craft projects and hot glue. I love that tree...
Going on Vacation:
My beer side wants to get a camper and spend our vacations from one camp site to the next, swimming in the lake and roasting marshmallows by the fire.
But my wine side says "you hate bugs" and wants to stay in a nice air conditioned hotel room with a pool and concierge who recommends all the best restaurants.
However there are times when there is no decision to be made. Sometimes it is just a beer day or a wine night...
After coaching a basketball or volleyball game...beer
Cooking Thanksgiving dinner with my mom and sister...wine
Fourth of July...beer
My birthday...wine
Colorado Rockies baseball game...beer (Coors of course)
Get together with the girls...wine
Olive Garden...wine
Granite City Brewery...beer
Rio de Janeiro...Capriahana
Weddings...Jack and Coke!
Which one am I??? Both.
Sometimes I think I have split personalities (my husband may agree...). When faced with making decisions, I tend to struggle with my wine side and my beer side. For example...
Decorating the new bathroom:
My Wine Side...wants a neatly decorated and coordinated bathroom with all the matching colors and towels that are perfectly folded and layered.
While my beer side...thinks that is crazy! I want a bathroom that is usable. One where people can use and not be worried about drying their hands on the fluffy towel that just sits there. As long as it's clean, who cares...
Cooking Dinner:
My wine side...wants a simple pasta dish, light salad with a vinaigrette dressing, while the table is neatly set and the dishes all match with napkin holders and of course big pretty wine glasses at each seat.
And my beer side...wants to make pepper-jack stuffed hamburgers with homemade french fries dipped in a beer batter (of course) and fried in the hot oil deep fryer.
Decorating the Christmas Tree:
My wine side loves the pretty color-coordinated trees with a theme and matching Angel topper. Even the wrapping paper compliments the colors of the tree. Every bulb, light, and bow is evenly spaced and the lights add a perfect glow to the living room.
The beer side of me thinks of my mother's tree...nothing about it is in order. The tree is filled with ornaments that my brothers and sister and I created throughout our youth. Popsicle stars and glitter snowmen with our awkward 4th grade picture a spaced throughout the tree. It is like looking back on my life through craft projects and hot glue. I love that tree...
Going on Vacation:
My beer side wants to get a camper and spend our vacations from one camp site to the next, swimming in the lake and roasting marshmallows by the fire.
But my wine side says "you hate bugs" and wants to stay in a nice air conditioned hotel room with a pool and concierge who recommends all the best restaurants.
However there are times when there is no decision to be made. Sometimes it is just a beer day or a wine night...
After coaching a basketball or volleyball game...beer
Cooking Thanksgiving dinner with my mom and sister...wine
Fourth of July...beer
My birthday...wine
Colorado Rockies baseball game...beer (Coors of course)
Get together with the girls...wine
Olive Garden...wine
Granite City Brewery...beer
Rio de Janeiro...Capriahana
Weddings...Jack and Coke!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Honesty
Two people commented on my appearance this week...
Monday at school:
Teenage girl: You look really pretty today Mrs. Weber, there's something different about you.
Me: Why thank you! (It's probably the fact that I wore make-up for the first time in over a month...)
Monday night at home:
Ethan: You have a zit on your face here and here.
Me: Thank you... (eyebrows raised)
I wonder which one was honest and which one was trying to get something out of me.
Actually knowing my student, she was being honest and knowing my husband he was being silly. Both comments made me smile!
Monday at school:
Teenage girl: You look really pretty today Mrs. Weber, there's something different about you.
Me: Why thank you! (It's probably the fact that I wore make-up for the first time in over a month...)
Monday night at home:
Ethan: You have a zit on your face here and here.
Me: Thank you... (eyebrows raised)
I wonder which one was honest and which one was trying to get something out of me.
Actually knowing my student, she was being honest and knowing my husband he was being silly. Both comments made me smile!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Barefoot in the Kitchen
Over the last few years of my adult life I have enriched and embraced a stronger friendship with my kitchen. I have always had the general knowledge of how to do things in the kitchen, but recently I have found myself really enjoying the time I spend over the stove.
Now, I am no Martha Stewart by any means. I prefer an easier way of doing things (and more lively...sorry Martha, but I'd watch golf on TV before you). My culinary skills are more a cross between my mother and Rachel Ray. Now, I have my issues with Ms. Ray also, so I don't want to be too connected to her, but I have found some of her methods useful and recipes tasty.
I can thank my husband for the increased interest in cooking...for two reasons.
#1: We used to have "Dinner Date Nights" when we were just dating where we would find a new recipe to try and cook it together. I found myself really looking forward to those nights and those recipes. Out of all the new meals we tried, there was only one that we didn't add to the normal rotation. Not too bad of a record.
#2: There may some truth to the old saying "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I didn't purposely fix meals that would make him love me, but I took a great amount of pride in cooking a meal that he liked. I found myself looking for recipes that I knew he would enjoy, or that I could modify to make spicier or saucier the way I knew he would like it. And I will admit...I have a few recipes that I know to make if he's had a particularly rough day/week.
I enjoy cooking and I hope that this love stays with me through the years. Since I am sure this is not something I am likely to stop doing anytime soon. :)
Now, I am no Martha Stewart by any means. I prefer an easier way of doing things (and more lively...sorry Martha, but I'd watch golf on TV before you). My culinary skills are more a cross between my mother and Rachel Ray. Now, I have my issues with Ms. Ray also, so I don't want to be too connected to her, but I have found some of her methods useful and recipes tasty.
I can thank my husband for the increased interest in cooking...for two reasons.
#1: We used to have "Dinner Date Nights" when we were just dating where we would find a new recipe to try and cook it together. I found myself really looking forward to those nights and those recipes. Out of all the new meals we tried, there was only one that we didn't add to the normal rotation. Not too bad of a record.
#2: There may some truth to the old saying "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I didn't purposely fix meals that would make him love me, but I took a great amount of pride in cooking a meal that he liked. I found myself looking for recipes that I knew he would enjoy, or that I could modify to make spicier or saucier the way I knew he would like it. And I will admit...I have a few recipes that I know to make if he's had a particularly rough day/week.
I enjoy cooking and I hope that this love stays with me through the years. Since I am sure this is not something I am likely to stop doing anytime soon. :)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Home Sweet Home...
Not long after Ethan and I started to become more serious in our dating relationship and began talking about the future, we realized that the wonderful home he owned would not be big enough for the family we wanted to have. We knew we would be left with one of two options. Move or add on.
We opted first off to try and add on. There are some things we both REALLY like about the house we are in now. One acre lot, in the country BUT 10 minutes away from West Wichita, all brick home with finished basement and HUGE kitchen. We decided that all we needed to make this the "perfect" home was a master bedroom/bath suite. Of course that meant turning our garage into a master bedroom and adding on a new 3 car garage. We were happy with that and sought out contractors to see what the damage might be. It didn't take long to realize that our dream of adding on a simple garage and master bedroom was going to be WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. We might as well try to sell and build if we're going to have a house worth that amount of money.
We have now set our sights on something different. We are going to try and sell and look to either buy existing or build something new. Right now we are focusing on getting our house ready to sell. So...if anyone out there is looking for a cute little ranch home just West of Wichita...let me know!
We opted first off to try and add on. There are some things we both REALLY like about the house we are in now. One acre lot, in the country BUT 10 minutes away from West Wichita, all brick home with finished basement and HUGE kitchen. We decided that all we needed to make this the "perfect" home was a master bedroom/bath suite. Of course that meant turning our garage into a master bedroom and adding on a new 3 car garage. We were happy with that and sought out contractors to see what the damage might be. It didn't take long to realize that our dream of adding on a simple garage and master bedroom was going to be WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. We might as well try to sell and build if we're going to have a house worth that amount of money.
We have now set our sights on something different. We are going to try and sell and look to either buy existing or build something new. Right now we are focusing on getting our house ready to sell. So...if anyone out there is looking for a cute little ranch home just West of Wichita...let me know!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
I'm Back!
At least I hope...
It has been awhile since I've sat down at my computer and written about what goes on in my not-so-interesting life. When things start getting crazy around here, the first thing I forget about is blogging... So while I lay awake early on a Saturday morning (because my body does not recognize the time change and that I actually can sleep for another hour) I will do my best to catch you up!
~ I got married. Yep, all those previous posts about the engagement and preparing for a wedding never got followed up by the actual event. It was a perfect day, even with the rain!
~ I traveled internationally for the first time. Ethan and I went to Rio de Janeiro on our honeymoon. Such a once in a lifetime opportunity and we had a great time.
~ I started my 5th year teaching...which sounds unbelievable to me that I've not only been part of a great school for 5 great years, but also that I've been out of college for 5 years. It feels like just yesterday.
~ Ethan has started the second bathroom project as we prepare to get our house ready to sell. I am confident that this bathroom project will go much quicker than the last because there is not near as much tile work that has to be done.
~ I received a new mixer from my in-laws for a wedding gift. You know one of those wonderful, do everything for you, Kitchenaid mixers. I LOVE IT! I'm doing things I never thought I would...making my own pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, and baking. Turns out baking is much more fun when you have a machine to do most of the work for you!
~ I was once again so very happy to be a part of the Cheney Volleyball Team, as they made their way to Salina for the state tournament for the 3rd year in a row. It is always such a great experience and I love that I get to be a part of it.
~ And once again since we made it to state in volleyball and since middle school basketball overlaps the high school season (I coach both sports), I have switched gears from volleyball to basketball in one day and coached my first bball game of the season after only 3 practices. We won! I love this time of year!!!
~ November has arrived, thankfully, as October is always such a busy, stressful month for me. I always rejoice on November 1st!
~ I'm looking forward as always to Thanksgiving again this year. We always spend Thanksgiving with my parents and we are a fun bunch to be around! I can't wait!
~ The dogs are doing great...they're spoiled rotten and have learned some new tricks. KC can jump the fence when there is something out there she REALLY wants, and Breck can scaled a brick wall. Yup! Your read that right...she looks like "Spider dog" as she scales up the wall to get a tennis ball that's been placed in the window.
It has been awhile since I've sat down at my computer and written about what goes on in my not-so-interesting life. When things start getting crazy around here, the first thing I forget about is blogging... So while I lay awake early on a Saturday morning (because my body does not recognize the time change and that I actually can sleep for another hour) I will do my best to catch you up!
~ I got married. Yep, all those previous posts about the engagement and preparing for a wedding never got followed up by the actual event. It was a perfect day, even with the rain!
~ I traveled internationally for the first time. Ethan and I went to Rio de Janeiro on our honeymoon. Such a once in a lifetime opportunity and we had a great time.
~ I started my 5th year teaching...which sounds unbelievable to me that I've not only been part of a great school for 5 great years, but also that I've been out of college for 5 years. It feels like just yesterday.
~ Ethan has started the second bathroom project as we prepare to get our house ready to sell. I am confident that this bathroom project will go much quicker than the last because there is not near as much tile work that has to be done.
~ I received a new mixer from my in-laws for a wedding gift. You know one of those wonderful, do everything for you, Kitchenaid mixers. I LOVE IT! I'm doing things I never thought I would...making my own pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, and baking. Turns out baking is much more fun when you have a machine to do most of the work for you!
~ I was once again so very happy to be a part of the Cheney Volleyball Team, as they made their way to Salina for the state tournament for the 3rd year in a row. It is always such a great experience and I love that I get to be a part of it.
~ And once again since we made it to state in volleyball and since middle school basketball overlaps the high school season (I coach both sports), I have switched gears from volleyball to basketball in one day and coached my first bball game of the season after only 3 practices. We won! I love this time of year!!!
~ November has arrived, thankfully, as October is always such a busy, stressful month for me. I always rejoice on November 1st!
~ I'm looking forward as always to Thanksgiving again this year. We always spend Thanksgiving with my parents and we are a fun bunch to be around! I can't wait!
~ The dogs are doing great...they're spoiled rotten and have learned some new tricks. KC can jump the fence when there is something out there she REALLY wants, and Breck can scaled a brick wall. Yup! Your read that right...she looks like "Spider dog" as she scales up the wall to get a tennis ball that's been placed in the window.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)