Update

Bonjour chickadees,

I haven't been on here for a loooong time...forgive me. I do not know how people have time to blog or keep up with social media everyday...i just don't have the time!

Update:

I love, love my job. Working with my foster kiddos is going so great. I have had a few kids get reunified with their biological parents and am in the process of trying to get some of the other little pumpkins adopted. This job is no good for my maternal instincts- they are being kicked into full gear and I want to adopt like 50 kids...thats possible right?

Max and I are doing great =] The new job kinda put a damper on us being able to vacation anywhere but we are going to CA and UT this month for a few short trips. I can't wait until I am able to take a vacation with him. I am really in need of a 2nd honeymoon (if you know what I'm sayin'!) I miss lounging in bed all day long, drinking fruity drinks by the pool, eating way too much, and dancing the nights away! I am so grateful for how receptive he is to my advice and how he challenges me to do the same. Almost two years into it I can say marriage is hard work but we try dearly to look out for each other and are the best of friends. He would do anything to make me happy.

My big sister is getting MARRIED in two weeks! And my mom next month! I'm so excited for them. They deserves it. I can not wait to see them walk down the aisle. They are going to look SO crazy beautiful!

MY BEST FRIEND just got engaged. This is a huge deal. Julie has always been one of the best planners I know (Student Council VIP) and I am getting so excited for all of the ideas she is coming up with for her big day. It is going to be one of the most fun, chill, and unique weddings I have ever been at. I can't wait to be her M.O.H. =]

Young Life is going good. I am coming up on my 6th year leading...wow. I am praying for lots of non-Christian teens to be introduced to me and hopefully meet Jesus this upcoming year. I have a few senior girls this year that I am so close to. I can't even think about them graduating or I will lose it! How am I ever supposed to be a mom is I can't let go of my Young Life girls?? I'm pathetic.

The Olympics are really inspiring me to run...I'm seriously thinking about doing this little race. Hopefully it won't inflict any psychological damage on me.

That's it for now..I have to make dinner.


Ciao bella!

New job

I am feeling extremely blessed lately. I have landed the most incredible job. I am working at a foster care agency here in Las Vegas doing social work. Looking around at the people that I am working with, I feel like I do not deserve this job. Some new employees have told me that they have been waiting for years to land a full time job like this that offers great benefits and is impacting children in the foster care system. Hearing the kinds of trauma these kids are going through often leaves my heart hurting and my eyes teary. For some reason that was in His plan. But, do you know what I do when I hear about a new kid? I immediately start praying for them. I pray that God would give them a sense of permanency, a home in which they feel so loved, and a family that is so gracious and kind they wonder why.

Although the work I will be doing will often be daunting, I think the reward is going to be more prevalent in my life. It has been my dream to work with abused children for sometime now. We are not all offered a wonderful upbringing in a safe and peaceful home. Most of the kids I am working with have been abused and will have some kind of clinical diagnosis. This just makes me want to love them all the more. I can't wait to see what God has in store for these little hearts. I just know He has mighty plans to heal them.

Thankful

I'm so thankful that I have a great mom. Truly. There's nothing that I can't talk to her about or any problem I can bring to her that she hasn't faced herself. She is such a strong, sweet woman. She's lived a scary, rough, joyful, and finally love-filled life so far.

I find myself praying for her more these days. She's getting married this summer to an amazing man that loves her and treats her the way she deserves to be treated- with dignity, honor, respect, gentleness, and kindness. Finally! It only took 45 years to find a good one, Mom!

Her fiancé and her lost their wedding venue yesterday so I'm praying even harder. That God would rest her soul, bring her joy, and give her a sense of peace that His way will be and always is better than our own.

One of the hardest times I've ever cried (were talking can't breathe, snot flowing, super puffy eyes) is when our venue fell through two weeks before our wedding. It felt like a cruel joke. But I have to say that the end result was so much more intimate and fun I think our original plan would have been.

I love you mom. Don't worry, God's got cha!

Happy Easter!

Bonjour! Happy Easter jolie!


I am having a great morning remembering the real reason we celebrate today. Not because of the eggs. Or the Easter bunny. Or the chocolate (even though I'd always welcome a holiday in which chocolate were present). I'm thankful I have a living God that loves me and You too, whether you realize that or not.


I made the most delicious, carby, cheesy, thing yesterday....


...Four cheese faralle with proscuitto, carrots, and peas.

I believe I will be attempting Jerk Chicken tonight. Oh, the wonderful memories from our honeymoon in Jamaica! I need to go back there. I think Max and I decided on our summer vacation though. After trying to find a Mexico cruise that would work with that dates we had off we decided we would just go on a week long road trip up the west coast. Isn't that such a good idea? I'm SUPER excited mostly because I know that will allow me to visit my momma in CA and I have been dying to go to Oregon forever!


Hope you have a great, relaxing Sunday.

Fin

Spring Break is almost over for me.....sad. That went by way too fast. Today was great though. I had a great date night with Max and caught a movie with our friends. My friend, Ryan, got voted Teacher of the Month at his school and invited us to eat dinner with him at Outback Steakhouse...yum-o!Congrats to him! I love their sweet potatoes that are loaded with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. So needless to say I didn't cook dinner tonight but I did make Seafood Paella for lunch, Pumpkin Almond Coconut panna cotta (the consistency didn't come out as I'd hoped, but oh well), and used up the rest of a baguette by making Peanut Butter French Toast (so filling! One serving had me full for about 7 hours!)

 Peanut Butter French Toast loaded with powdered sugar

 Seafood Paella (check out that steam!)

Pumpkin Coconut Almond Panna Cotta

drizzled with honey

Do you have any weekend plans? How are you celebrating Easter?

May your tummies have a Happy Thursday

Brian Head was sooo much fun! I am so thankful for fun trips and learning opportunities. This was only my third time skiing and I didn't want to slow down Max or our friend, Chris, so I told them to go ahead and do their runs without me- big mistake. I went on the easiest run and got stuck up at the top because I psyched myself out. It loooked way steep and I did not want to fall! So I sat on side on the run for about half an hour while kids, their parents, and other beginners whizzed past me. It was NOT a good feeling. But somehow I got my phone out and managed to text Max and tell him how freaked out I was. He coached me down and I made it back without falling! From that point all three of us went down the same runs, varying in difficulty, and I did pretty darn good. I love that my husband is such a great coach and really does inspire me to do better. Life would be pretty sucky if I was all alone and not even willing to try for fear I might mess up. Although my butt and calves are very, very sore. I got 5 hours of skiing practice in and had some very funny falls as well.
Pia, our 2 year old pup, absolutely LOVED the snow! She even managed to escape from our condo a few times and we found her jumping around in it. Looking for a white dog in snow pretty much stinks.

So since we were there all day yesterday I didn't get to cook, but Max, myself, and Chris all did put our brain power together to make the most delicious pizza I've ever had. Artichoke, bacon, and pepperoni deep dish pizza after 5 long hours of skiing/snowboarding was INCREDIBLE!

Here's the creations I have made so far this week:

Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon and Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

French Onion Soup with baguette and Gruyere cheese

Sugarcane Rum shrimp skewers with Poblano peppers and Pineapple

with parsley orzo

Today's dish will be seafood paella!

May your tummies have a happy Thursday!

Spring Break

Heeeeeelllllllllllooooo (Mrs. Doubtfire voice)

Julia Child

So for Spring Break I have decided to go on a Culinary Exploration. I am going to be trying recipes I have never tried before and Max and I will be enjoying them together.

First one the list:

• Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon and Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
•  French Onion Soup

.....Look back for pictures!

I am so happy I have a WHOLE week to cook WHATEVER I want!

We'll also be spending a few days up in Brian Head so I can practice some skiing!

What did you do/are you doing for Spring Break?