The Travis Family Blog

Preparing for Baby :: The Essentials

2012-01-26T13:43:00.006-05:00

We are in the "red zone" as Phil likes to say. I prefer the home stretch but whatever way you want to say it we could have a baby any day now. I am now past my 37 week mark and we are ready. I think because I have had such an easy pregnancy these last few weeks could be bad. The pregnancy hasn't disrupted my lifestyle or my sleeping habits until now. Monday I had the 24 hour stomach flu and since then I haven't been able to get adequate sleep or rest since.

I am physically and mentally ready to meet his little baby boy growing inside of me. It will be fun to see who he looks like, learn his mannerisms and dress him in all the cute clothes we have collected. I am most looking forward to just cuddling with him and looking over his ever feature with awe and love.

The title of this post is about the essentials, we have them all. Here are the top 5 things that we have ready for baby:

1. The carseat - I LOVE everything about our carseat. It combines two of my favorite colors, green and blue. Phil has had it installed in the car for several weeks and it makes me giddy every time I look at it. Little Monkey is happy to try it out for us!

2. The Crib - My parents graciously purchased our crib for us. Dad spent countless weeks pouring over websites and stores to find the perfect crib for his grandbaby. I think he hit the nail on the head. It was a little bit larger than we thought it was but with some maneuvering of the rest of the nursery furniture it now fits perfectly.Phil helped me to put the sheets on and place the soft blue blanket we got from Two Tulips, a local store owned by a church friend. Mom and Phil helped to hang the lanterns about the crib and I love them!

3. Diapers - We are joining the "granola" world and will be a cloth diapering family. The day our diapers came in the mail was a happy day and over MLK weekend my parents helped me wash and stuff them all so they are ready to be used! We purchased 20 diapers from JustSimplyBaby and are borrowing some newborn diapers from our dear friend Natalie. We also have some disposables to help us get through the first few weeks. I am excited to start this eco friendly journey!
4. Clothes - Little monkey has SO many outfits thanks to the generous hearts of our dear friends and family. I have only purchased a few select items for him and everything else was given or donated. Here is to hoping he stays in 0-3 months clothes for a bit so he can actually wear these cute things! The red basket above holds more diapers (the night time ones with double the inserts), our moby wrap and cute elephant humidifier are also on the top shelf. The hanging shelf on the right holds burp cloths and more blankets :)

5. The Diaper Bag - I am not a huge purse girl but I have had my eye set on a particular diaper bag from Petunia Pickle Bottom for quite some time, however when it came down to actually registering I couldn't justify a $160 bag to carry diapers in so I did more research and visited a fabulous store in Holland Michigan called Tip Toes. They had so many different bags to look at, I found this similar styled bag for only $50 and added it to my registry. It is a JJ Cole bag and I love it. It is very gender neutral and not too girly so Phil won't feel silly carrying it. It is stuffed to the brim with all the diaper bag essentials :)

Now we are officially ready for baby :)

Preparing for Baby :: Food Edition

2012-01-12T13:08:00.002-05:00

I am not sure how soon I will get back in to the kitchen after the baby arrives in early February so I wanted to have some things on hand that Phil or I could simply pull out and make in to a meal. I am not a fan of pre-made frozen meals that you buy at the grocery store. I think they are overpriced and don't really taste that great, with the exception of California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chicken Frozen Pizzas. So I set out with my friend Amy to create our own freezer creations.

The Tuesday before Christmas we spent almost 9 hours in the kitchen cooking and baking and the results were fantastic. For $40 a person we made the following meals:

2 meals worth of Cranberry Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
2 meals worth of Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti
2 meals worth of Chicken Enchiladas
2 meals worth of Beef Bourguinon
1 large chili cornbread bake
24 raspberry breakfast bars that I wrapped in packages of 4 for easy breakfasts with visitors :)
Turkey Pot Pie Filling

I have also been inventorying everything that is in my freezer and will be putting together a list of quick meals that can be made with the contents of our freezer and pantry. This will help keep us organized and limit last minute trips to the grocery store with a newborn.

This afternoon I prepared the chicken I scored on sale last week at Meijer for $1.77 a pound. This price is almost unheard of down here so I bought 2 family packs leaving me with 12 breasts. I cut up 1.5 breasts for chicken Alfredo, left 1.5 breast for grilling, and will use 3 breasts to make Chicken Chili tomorrow night for dinner! The other 6 breasts are currently cooking in the crockpot with some stock so that I can shred them and bag them in 2 cup quantities for chicken pot pie, chicken tortilla soup and chicken tacos down the road!

Food wise I think we are prepared. We just need to stock up on some coffee and Dr. Pepper for the long nights and days :)

Baby Update :: 29 weeks

2011-12-01T12:12:00.004-05:00

Here is a bump picture from 28 weeks. I haven't grown much since this picture was taken and I don't really love having my picture taken right now so this is probably as good as you will get for awhile.

We have been enjoying readying the house for CHristmas and baby! Most days the mailman drops a package by for the baby and we have fun opening it and putting it together. A few weeks ago he brought me my diaper bag, pictured here, and I love it.

Soon he will be bringing me the diapers we ordered on black Friday!

The babies room is coming together nicely. We are patiently awaiting the delivery of our crib and then we will be 100% ready for baby.

We had a doctors visit last week. It went veyr well. Baby weighs 2.4 lbs and will likely triple in weight before it is born. We were able to hear the heartbeat and see the baby moving around on the screen. We also found out that we are having....

We are so excited to begin our parenting adventure with a little boy! Now let the name picking begin!

Our church family is THE best!

2011-11-30T16:10:00.009-05:00

A few weekends ago our church family came together and threw us an amazing baby shower. My dear friend, Gina, grabbed a few of our other friends and they all worked together and pulled together a fabulous party which left us feeling extremely blessed.

It was so nice to have our church family surrounding us and showering us with gifts that prepare us to bring home our "little monkey".

The food was absolutely delicious.
I envy Gina and her ability to take the simplest of treats and make them taste and look fabulous. Here is the spread for the day. My favorite were the pimento cheese sandwiches! YUM!

Here are the lovely hostesses and two of my best friends here in Lafayette, Gina and Becky.

Jennifer and her mom Ginni drove all the way down from Chicago to be here. It was so nice to have them with us even if it was a short visit :(

Philip's favorite gift - Star Wars books from Cole!

My favorite gifts were probably the 2 containers of Oxy Clean I got! Yay! But this gift won for "best wrapped"! Props to Rachel!

Again, we were so blessed to have this time with our church family and we can't wait to bring our little one in to this community! I will say, there was some serious Purdue gear lacking at the shower. UofM hailed again!

Our First Baby Shower

2011-11-16T14:22:00.010-05:00

This past weekend Phil and I drove to Michigan for the weekend for my first baby shower. I wasn't sure what to expect as I haven't been to many baby showers in my life. I was excited to see our friends and family all gathered together in one room to celebrate us and our growing baby. The day was filled with overwhelming emotions and I couldn't have asked for a better shower!

My sister, Krysten, and her friend, Amanda, threw us a "She's Gonna Pop" themed shower.
The color scheme was perfect. Blues and Yellows are always bright and cheery and of course gender neutral. The food was fabulous. We had salad with strawberries, walnuts and poppyseed dressing, popovers, popcorn chicken, white chocolate popcorn, fruit salad and soda pop and punch.

The girls planned an activity for the guests to do while mingling. Guests were asked to decorate a onesie or a bib with fabric markers. We ended up with several really fun designs that baby will get to wear from birth through 12 months! It will be fun to tell him or her about the special person that designed the outfit for them! Everyone was VERY creative with their designs!
Our baby is blessed already by everyone who loves him/her and we were blessed with so many wonderful gifts that will come in handy once the baby is born.
Even daddy got in on the present action. My Aunt gave him this fun hoodie that says, New Daddy 2012 and my sister got him a Star Wars lunchbox complete with sandwich cutters for making fun lunches for baby and himself.

The last gift was from my parents. They bought us our crib which we can't wait to get and set up in the nursery! Mom also put together a basket of homemade gifts that she and others worked on. The basket had a clothesline with little things pinned on it. Booties and a snowsuit from when I was a baby, pacifier clips, hot/cold pack for booboos, homemade burp cloths and a beautiful knit sweater. My favorite though is the snowman hat. Can't wait until baby grow in to it!
It was fun to have so many people from my various walks of life present to celebrate our new blessing with us. My grandma flew in from Florida to surprise us for the shower. Several of my aunts and cousins drove from an hour away to celebrate with us. Friends from college came. Family friends whom I've known since the day I was born and my mom's cousins and their kids came. My favorite though was all the families I have babysat for over the years came as well. The Calverleys win the prize for traveling the farthest (except grandma). They drove 2 and a half hours from their new home on the farm in Vestaburg to see me. I started babysitting for Haley and Cassie when they were in elementary school and I was 12 years old! I have so many fond memories made with this family. It was so wonderful to have them here to celebrate with us!

A picture of the Berkley Cousins : Krysten, Taylor, Me and VickyMy godmother with her godchildren: Veronica, Aunt Kathy and Me
Another one of my favorite families, the Gormans, whom I nannied for while in college and now Alexis is getting ready to head off to college in a year and a half!
Two of my favorite moments from the day were opening gifts from people far away. My grandma Gloster recently moved to Florida to stay with my Aunt Patty but they worked together and sent a gift in the mail and my Aunt brought a picture of her to the shower so that she could be present. I love that grandma spent time making these bibs for our little monkey. So precious!

Another present from far and near. My longtime friend Bekka is living with her husband in Cyprus, an island south of Turkey, and she picked out some special books for baby and had her mom and dad deliver them to us at the house. It was special to have her here with us and I know that baby will love reading the stories with us and hearing of how dear Bekka is to our family.

Thanks so much Krysten and Amanda and everyone else who helped and came!

Thankful November 2011

2011-11-02T00:00:00.004-04:00

Last year my friend Kate was issued a challenge on her Facebook to post something she was grateful for each day during the month of November. I quickly jumped on the opportunity to join her in that quest and as most challenges go, it was hard but so very rewarding all at the same time. You can read about my 2010 experiences here.

This year I am issuing the challenge to myself and any one of my friends who reads this blog and wants to make Facebook a place to display their gratitude this November.

In my Wednesday evening Bible Class we are reading through the popular novel, One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp. Anne challenges us to live every day fully right where we are. She challenges her readers to see the world with a thankful eye and allow that view to transform us. The power of gratitude is great and when you embrace it it can do marvelous things for you.

So, I challenge you to adopt Thankful November and start keeping track of the little and big things in life that you are thankful for. Please consider joining the journey for the next 30 days!

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Freezer Clean Out

2011-10-31T14:58:00.002-04:00

In preparation for our next round of beef we purchased in bulk from a local farmer to arrive I decided to organize and clean out our freezer. We have put up a lot of produce from the garden this summer and I wanted to be able to keep a running tab on what was in there so that when baby comes meal preparation can be even simpler!

My plan is to take this list and come up with meals that can be made using the remainder of our beef and some leftover pork and chicken breasts we have inside as well.

Here is what our freezer holds:

2 quarts of homemade chili
3 quarts of homemade tomato soup
1 quart of pizza sauce
8 lbs. extra lean ground beef
sirloin steak
round steak
beef for swissing
3 beef filets
beef stew meat
2 ribeye steaks
rump roast
diced ham
perogis
9 by 9 inch lasagna
lasagna sauce
egg rolls
Hot Dogs
Turkey Black Bean Burgers
blueberry muffins
zucchini
Blackberries - 4 cups
raspberries - 5 cups
cream of chicken soup
Chicken Broth - 6 cups
Vegetable Broth - 2 cups
Sweet Corn - 4, 2 cup bags
Diced Tomatoes - 5, 2 cup bags
Green Beans- 5, 2 cup bags
Swiss Chard
Broccoli
1 Bag of Mixed Veggies
1 Bag of Frozen Peas

With all of that we should be able to make several meals!

Fall Camping Trip :)

2011-10-18T16:39:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we went camping with some of our students at Clifty Fall State Park just outside Madison Indiana. It was beautiful. The weather was perfect, a tad chilly after my 5am bathroom run, but other then that it was great. Not too warm and not a cloud in the sky. It was nice to camp at a time when you actually want/need the campfire to keep you warm. In the morning we ventured in to town for some coffee and downtown exploring. Madison is a very cute little town. After a quick hot dog lunch we took a 6 mile hike around the park. The picture above is proof that I hiked up that hill while 4 and a half months pregnant! I think fall camping is one of my new favorite activities.

Speaking of fall, it has officially arrived. Our backyard grass can no longer be seen due to the massive amount of leaves that were dumped on it this week. The rain has set in today and the temps are barely creeping above 50. It isn't my ideal fall weather but at least I can cuddle up with a blanket and a hoodie and not sweat.

I promise to have better baby bump pictures next week. My friend Kelsey has graciously offered to take some for me this weekend while we still have a few fall colors left on the trees. I have faith that she will be able to capture the baby bump in all its glory.

For now I will leave you with a baby update, enjoy!

Little Monkey Update::
How far along? 23 weeks and 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: 10 lbs gained
Maternity clothes? I am in LOVE with my maternity jeans but so far have been able to keep wearing my same shirts. I still spend a lot of times in yoga pants though!
Stretch marks? Yup :)
Sleep: Still getting up to go potty. I can no longer sleep on my belly but have been able to prop myself up on my side and sleep comfortably for the most part.
Best moment this week: Hiking in the state park
Miss Anything? I am still missing working out. However a friend lent me a yoga and salsa dancing tape for pregnant women and I have been doing that occasionally.
Movement: all day long. Its the neatest feeling
Food cravings: Last week I had a craving for tater tots. This week my snack of choice is carrots and ranch.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.
Have you started to show yet: Yup. Officially showing!
Gender: don't know yet
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: The arrival of our neighbor Baby Kerkhof in just 9 days :)

Simplicity ....a lesson in fully embracing...

2011-10-11T15:15:00.003-04:00

I have a desire in my heart to live a simplistic life. We have a motto that Phil and I have embraced. It hangs on little sticky notes all over the house. It says, "Live SIMPLY in order that others my SIMPLY live". I heard it in a talk I listened to once and loved it.

We try and make choices that are economical, and environmentally friendly. We spend our money wisely and donate to charities once a month. However our simplistic living sometimes has a hard time flowing over to the things we already own, or the things that already occupy our home.

For me this fact lies more specifically in my wardrobe. Simply put I have TOO many articles of clothing. I have a dresser in our room, a full closet, a dresser drawer in the guest room and 2 Rubbermaid bins that hold out of season clothes. With a baby on the way and the thought of being more simplistic in my mind I am determined to get rid of things.

This afternoon I spent time taking the summer clothes out of my closet and placing the fall clothes in. I do this every year but my wardrobe never seems to shrink, instead it grows. This year I am getting rid of things. I have tops in my closet that I have never worn or haven't worn in the past year. If that is the case it gets set aside. I also went through my t-shirt bin for working out and got rid of more than 1/2 of the t-shirts. I only need 5 workout shirts one for each day and that is if I don't do laundry during the week, which is rare.

The next step was to get the fall/winter clothes buckets out. I can't judge if i've worn it in the past year because I can't remember but I can decide the number of sweaters, cardigans, long sleeve shirts, etc, that I think I need. I decided on 4 sweaters, 4 cardigans and 6 long sleeve shirts. Everything else is getting donated.

Do you need to clean out and simplify your wardrobe? If so, consider doing it this year during the seasonal clothing switch. I will take a few things over to try and sell them but most of them will be donated to the Lafayette School Corporation "It's My Closet" charity. Consider donating to them this year as you clean out your closet. Here is a link to their website.

The Nursery :: A work in progress

2011-10-07T15:04:00.005-04:00

Even before we knew we were pregnant we had been brainstorming ideas for the future nursery. We have the perfect sized room right at the top of our stairs with a closet, wood floor, and one small window. We also knew we wanted the room to be gender neutral so that we don't have to change it after the first baby if they happen to be different genders. I spent lots of time on my newest addiction, Pinterest, and found TONS of ideas. I fell in love with the bright and happy colors in both of the rooms below and we decided to use them as our inspiration rooms.

Absolutely LOVE the color of the walls, the rug
and the fun toy boxes in bright colors!

Love the funky curtains and the shelves on the wall with the
giant wall hanging of Phil's favorite Bible verse.

Once we had our inspiration it was time to find fabric. I wanted to make a curtain to hang in place of the door where the closet it so that we have more room in the nursery and easier access to the closet. I also wanted fabric for the bottom of the crib and a curtain. Mom, Grandma and I went to Hobby Lobby and JoAnns and found this fabric!

We also found the fabric that mom used to recover this lampshade and some striped fabric that will be used to make a crib skirt.

The fun is really in the details....

Like this bookshelf that mom garbage picked for me:
and the white and yellow lace doilie that my great grandma made:
and this giant picture that I plan to make to hang over the crib. I may scale it back to a smaller version because the room is already feeling a bit cramped.

and this cute idea on the sheets that I am going to have my sister do for me. Obviously with our babies name and not Finn.

and these are a direct idea from pinterest....and they were SUPER easy to make. I think they will really help with organizing the clothes by size in the closet.

and the Hoosier Cabinet, turned changing table :)

So far we love the nursery. We just need some artwork, curtains and a crib and we will be set. Daddy even enjoys rocking in the glider while playing games on his cell phone.

I am sure there will be more changes and updates as we add more things to the nursery but I thought this would give you all and idea of what we are working with!

Baby Update

2011-09-27T17:17:00.007-04:00

I decided that I need to make this blog a little bit more about baby. I hope to be better at blogging once I am working part time and I have cute and fun pictures of baby to share. Our life right now seems pretty un-blogworthy. Things revolve around church, housework, work, and more church.

Here is the first glimpse we had of "little monkey" as our baby is fondly called. This was at 9 weeks.
We took this picture at 12 weeks to announce to our friends and family via facebook that we were expecting an arrival in February :)

I am finally starting to look pregnant in everyday clothing so I decided to have Philip snap some pictures. Here is what we ended up with.

Little Monkey Update::
How far along? 20 weeks and 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: 8lbs gained
Maternity clothes? Thankfully I work mostly from home so I can wear yoga pants and a t-shirt and be comfortable. When I have to wear real clothes I use my Bella Band over my unbuttoned jeans or wear the one pair I have the fits under the bump.
Stretch marks? a little...
Sleep: I wake up several times a night to go to the bathroom but other then that I am sleeping well.
Best moment this week: When Philip got to feel the baby kicking!
Miss Anything? Working out - I have some serious back pain which has caused me to be able to only do short workouts at home.
Movement: TONS especially between 8 and 9 at night.
Food cravings: Currently I am craving oranges!
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of our unclean dishwasher!
Have you started to show yet: A little bit but I can still hide it pretty well.
Gender: don't know yet
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Our ultrasound on Thursday and shopping with my mom and grandma this weekend!

This weekend while my mom and Grandma are here we will also be doing some nursery prep. So far we have painted the room green, set up the hoosier cabinet we will be using as a changing table, painted a dressed and a bookshelf, hung shelves in the closet and bought fabric. Here is the fabric we choose so you can begin to imagine what the room will look like.

My family has been SUPER helpful in getting things ready. Grandma has been working on recovering the family bassinet and she also made new cushions for my rocking chair. Mom has been sewing like crazy, curtains, crib skirts, etc. I am excited to see the whole thing come together!

This weekend I will be back with an update about the gender of baby Travis!

London :: Part One

2011-08-22T21:22:00.013-04:00

The journey from Paris to London was eventful but that is a story for another time. Let's just say that the United Kingdom customs people who work at the train station should be given an extra dose of happy in their morning coffees. The train ride was neat though and it was nice to be able to just kick back and relax after a whirlwind 2 days at Disney.

When we arrived in London we were all fairly exhausted. We said goodbye to Josh and Gina, after receiving excellent tube directions from them and Kinley, and headed off to our home away from home for the next 5 days! We rented an apartment from a very nice man and his son at Charleston House in West Kensington, two tube stops from the Boyds. The apartment was perfect for our needs. It had a small kitchen, a computer and TV (which we never turned on), a cozy little bed and a bathroom. It was so nice to have a kitchen. Philip made me breakfast in bed most days and we were able to pack our own lunches and buy desserts to eat in the room rather than paying big bucks to eat out. Here are some pictures of our place for the week:

Our first day in London was Monday. We all made the executive decision the night before to sleep in and meet up for lunch. We ate lunch outside in front of the Britan Supreme Court building. It was nice to have the sun join us for our snack. We were also able to snap a picture of the Parliament building and Big Ben with some rare blue sky and sunshine!
After lunch we went to tour Westminster Abbey. We took an audio tour and learned a lot. They had a children's scavenger hunt that was fun to help Kinley complete. We saw several monuments and graves including Charles Dickens, Handel, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The church building itself is oddly set up but absolutely beautiful. The ceilings in several of the rooms are very intricate. One of our favorite things was the prayer on the hour every hour. The Chaplan came over the speaker reminding the visitors that we are in a church building and its primary purpose is for worship. He then asks for silence and says a prayer over the speaker. It was really nice and a great contrast to Notre Dame which felt very unlike a church.

We spent the late afternoon exploring the British Library. A free attraction and a must see in my opinion. Inside the library they have an excellent gallery. They have a display of Handel's Messiah written out in his own handwriting, Jane Eyre, Beethoven's tuning fork, Henry VIII's prayer scroll and other really neat artifacts. We could have spent several more hours there but unfortunately they close at 6pm. We enjoyed Indian food for dinner before heading back to the apartment for some much needed rest.

Day 2::
This morning we visited with my grandpa's cousin's daughter Caitlin. She showed us around some of her favorite places in London. We walked through Hyde Park and the visited the National Gallery before having a picnic lunch in Trafalgar Square. Pictured below.

In the afternoon we met up with the Boyds and explored the British Natural History Museum. They had a fabulous display of gems and jewels which included a display with 12,000 different colored diamonds. After the museum we took a walk to Hyde Park which is HUGE and really quite pretty. We went to see Princess Diana's memorial fountain which was closed for annual maintenance (in June, weird). We stopped at a cafe and had our first tea experience. Delicious!

Then we walked on to see Peter Pans statue and Kensington Palace. We took a double decker bus home and sat on the top. It was a really neat way to travel the city and see some of the sights.

The best part about apartment dwelling while on vacation is that you can enjoy fabulous home cooked meals with friends. Gina graciously cooked for us on several occasions. Tonight we had pancakes with nutella and strawberries!

Stay tuned for more London posts :)

Disneyland Paris

2011-08-20T15:01:00.012-04:00

First I want to say thanks to my sister-in-law Abi for giving me a swift kick in the pants to get back in to the blogging world. Summer is now gone in a flash and there is much that has happened between now and the Europe Trip of '11 but I want to pick up where I left off and continue blogging about our trip.

We spent the last 2 days we were in France at Disney with our good friends Josh and Gina and their two kiddos. It was one of my favorite visits to Disney. I enjoyed visiting Disney with Phil but also the Boyds know how to do Disney. They have been to every Disney park in the world and have secrets of how to make the most of your time at the parks. Because we are lucky to call them friends they were willing to let us tag along and learn some of their secrets.

Now I would consider myself a seasoned Disney visitor. I have been to Disney World at least 6 times if not more in my life and I have ventured to Disneyland in California. I have a list of favorite rides, must sees and things I can pass on. There are things that are just Disney and you deal with them. I would consider the wait in line for Peter Pan one of those. Peter Pan is by far one of the best rides at Disney because of the detail that is put in to telling the story. On all my trips to Disney I have never once waited less than an hour to ride Peter Pan but with the Boyds this sort of a wait is unheard of. We never waited longer than 30 minutes to ride anything and we rode almost every single ride in the park, some twice. I am still not 100% sure how we accomplished this but we did and it was fabulous.

Enough talk about Disney, here are some pictures from our time spent in the park.

The first picture is of a ride that I have never experienced before. They do not have this ride at DisneyWorld and I don't think we rode it at DisneyLand. It is the Pinnochio ride. Fitting since we were in Europe where the movie is based.

The next picture is a picture of me in front of Aurora's Castle. It isn't nearly as large and regal as Cinderella but I love the way it sits up on a mountain. Also, there is a cave underneath that you can go in where Malificent the fire breathing dragon lives. They actually have a mechanical dragon who breaths fire. It is pretty neat.

After visiting the main park, most similar to Magic Kingdom, we went over to the Disney Studios Park, similar to what used to be MGM in Florida. This is where you will find the most difference between the USA parks and Paris. There are several rides here that they don't have in the USA. This is also where you will find most of the "thrill" rides. We were able to utilize the fast pass option to ride Kinley's favorite ride the Tower of Terror twice. Knox insisted he wanted to join us the first time so we let him but decided against it for the second round. Here is a picture of all of us on the ride. I think I look more scared than Knox in this picture. We are all in the front row.
I took the following picture for my sister. It encompasses two of her favorite Disney things in one....Fantasia and Peter Pan. It is pretty neat.
Knox was excited to be able to ride in Lightening McQueen on the Cars ride. In this picture Kinley drives her parents around the track. I was in the back seat of Knox's car because Mr. Phil needed to sit up front in case Knox wasn't a very good driver. The boys had fun hanging out with eath other as you can see in the pictures following this one.

Knox and Phil spent a few minutes sword fighting throughout the park on our way to ride the Haunted Mansion.
One of my favorite parts of Disney Studios was Toy Story Land. It was pretty neat. I loved all the decorations. They had several pretty cool rides as well.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip to Disney Paris. I encourage you to try visiting a Disney in another country. It is really quite fun!

Paris (Part 3)

2011-06-23T10:37:00.008-04:00

Friday was our last day in Paris with Jennifer and Adrian. The next morning they were leaving for Normandy and we were headed to meet our friends, the Boyds at Disneyland.

Phil and I were able to practice some of our own french then we stopped to get the breakfast goods at the bakery. I learned that food words, numbers and your pointing finger can get you a long way!

Our plan was to spend the morning exploring the neighborhood where our hotels were located. We were going to walk a few blocks to the Bastille Market, pick up lunch and head out to a local park to explore and enjoy a picnic. After we walked about 2 miles in the rain we learned that the market was closed. This was the first Rick Steves fail of the trip. It ended up working out. We explored the Bastille area a bit.

The Bastille

We spotted this hometown restaurant called .....Indiana. How random and picture worthy!

I had found the park we were visiting online on a blog I was reading prior to the trip about fun places to go in Paris for free. The park is called Buttes des Chaumont. It was simple to find with its own metro stop. The only downside was there were 148 steps to get up from the Metro!

It was quite a large park for being in the middle of a city. It even had a waterfall. Our favorite part though was perched up on the hill in this gazebo.From that hill you could see Montmarte and Sacred Heart. Over to the left.

We noticed throughout our visit that Paris has some signs that are different than the USA. Here are some examples that cracked us up:
1. We thought this sign meant no children allowed. Instead it means that you are nearing the end of a pedestrian only street so now cars can drive on the road so you should watch out.
2. At perfect dog height this sign is a picture of a dog pooping with a red line through it. So no dogs pooping here...I guess.
3. This is a sign outside a blocked off area with a stick in the middle. The sign shows a dog peeing on the stick. So I think this is the dog bathroom area.

Again, so strange but helpful for people who have dogs in Paris and don't speak or read French.

Paris (Part 1)

2011-06-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

Aer Lingus airlines took us from Chicago to Dublin to Paris. This was my first long flight ever and it was great. We watched movies, read, slept, ate and enjoyed ourselves. Once we arrived in Paris we were a bit tired but after a 20 minute rest on the hotel bed we were ready to hit the ground running.

We stayed in a tiny tiny hotel room in the Marais area of Paris. Our hotel was called Hotel Saintonge. It served its purpose. Allowing us to sleep, change clothes and take what we call "ShaBaths". We learned that hotels in Paris don't always come with showers. The elevator was the smallest I have ever seen. It was fun to try and fit both of us and our luggage in on that first night.

We were blessed to visit Paris with my best friend Jennifer and her husband Adrian. Jennifer speaks fluent french so on top of being my best friend she was also our handy dandy interpreter. It made experiencing the culture so much more enjoyable. I am terrible at french and felt really rude not being able to communicate with people we met along the way.

The first night we decided to keep ourselves awake as late as possible to ease the jet leg. We headed over to see the Eiffel Tower and take a boat cruise. We took the metro to the Eiffel Tower area and when still on the train we came up from underground and there it was. We snapped several pictures of the tower throughout the week. It was fun to see if from various locations.

After staying up until 10pm we all crashed and slept until 9am. Each morning we met Jennifer and Adrian at their apartment. Just a short walk from our hotel. We enjoyed breakfast their together. One of the best things in Paris is the abundance of bread and bread shops or boulanger's. On the second morning Phil and I got to stop and pick up the bread. The lady in the shop did not speak English so I was a bit nervous but we were able to manage. Luckily one of the first things you learn in French class are the names of foods and how to count. We also used our pointer finger and left with several goodies for breakfast including a piping hot fresh baguette for only 80 cents! Below are some pictures of our breakfast treats.

Our first full day in the city began at 9am. We then set out to the French Army Museum and Napolean's Tomb. The museum part was not my favorite but I enjoyed looking at the architecture and the paintings inside the chapel were beautiful. The place where Napolean's tomb is actually used to be a part of the church. The following are pictures from our time at this museum.

In the afternoon we ventured across the river to go on a walking tour of the Latin Quarter. This was both mine and Phil's favorite part of our time in Paris. Our tour guide was great and best of all the tour was free, although we ended up giving a donation of 5 euros at the end for great service. We learned a lot of different facts about the city. We saw the oldest church and the oldest tree in Paris.

One of the oldest churches in Paris - St. SeverinA sign telling us where the Latin Quater is

Our tour guide was nice enough to take a group photo for us!

We enjoyed our first morning/early afternoon in Paris. Come back in the next few days to see pictures from our trip to Notre Dame, and Montmarte.

Paris (Part 2)

2011-06-21T22:04:00.007-04:00

Seeing Notre Dame was one of my most anticipated moments of our trip. We did this on the second day. It is such a beautiful church from the outside and on the inside. I can't help but feel sentimental whenever I enter a Catholic church. I am not sure what it is but I just feel closer to God. I tried to keep that mindset when at Notre Dame but it was so very difficult. While it is a church the whole place feels so disconnected to God. There are people walking around talking loudly, taking pictures of personal sacred things. As my friend Jennifer put it, It just feels dead. The architecture was beautiful and I spent some time taking pictures of some of the stained glass inside but for the most part I walked through and left quickly.

Once back outside we were able to take some fun pictures. The courtyard behind the church is beautiful as well and a nice place to have a picnic.

After we left Notre Dame we headed for a snack. I told you we ate our way through Paris didn't I? We found a cute Italian gelato shop that was recommended by Rick Steves as just as good as the famous "Bermillion" but cheaper and they let you try flavors before committing. Philip had Nutella and I had Black Cherry. It was delicious and the perfect treat for the warmest day we had in Paris.

This picture cracks me up. We had the zoom in too far and Jennifer
is in the background totally oblivious to what is going on :)

We hopped on the Metro again for a trip north to Montmarte. This is known as the city on a hill. It is on a hill that is 450 feet tall. The view from the top is absolutely breathtaking almost literally since you have to climb so many stairs to get there. At the very top is the Basilica of the Sacred Couer. Or Sacred Heart.
We went inside for just a short while. Pictures are not allowed inside this church but that is okay because a picture probably wouldn't do it justice. The murals are beautiful. If you click here you can see a picture taken from the internet of the inside. We left the church after a few minutes because Mass was going on and we felt weird intruding. Most of the tourists there did not share our same feelings which made me want to leave even more. We went outside and snapped a few photos.

After walking around outside we set off to find a meal at another Rick Steves suggested restaurant - Au Relais. We arrived at 7pm in hopes of not needing a reservation. Something we learned the first night is required at most places if you get there during the normal French dinner house (8pm-9pm). Luckily they had some tables we could sit at. We all ordered our own meals after practicing how to say them in French with Jennifer ahead of time. I ordered my first croque monsieur. It was delicious!

We really loved Montmarte and I would add it as a must see. This part of the city is full of character and Sacre Coeur is a must see!

We're Back!

2011-06-21T12:37:00.003-04:00

As many of you know Phil and I spent the past 12 days in Europe. It was fabulous. I have hundreds of pictures loaded, edited and ready to share and several stories about our visit. I am going to try and update as quickly as I can but I know that I won't get all the posts done in a day.

We are adjusting slowly back to reality. We had an unplanned overnight stay in Ireland that sucked away our vacation day from our vacation so we were both forced to step in to reality right away. I slept for 12 hours on Sunday night and tried to do some work in the afternoon and then was in bed again by 8:30 last night. Today it has been hard to get back in to a routine but I am trying. I made a huge to-do list which helps.

Our garden is out of control. Everything shot up while we were gone. We have some pruning to do and we need to pull the spinach and lettuce plants as they are done for the summer. I hate to see all that waste but what are you going to do. At this point they are too bitter to be eaten. We enjoyed our first carrots and broccoli from the garden last night. I can't wait to have more broccoli! It was so good. I think next year we are going to plant a few more broccoli plants. Our tomato plants are huge. They all need to be pruned back or we are going to have a problem.

My family comes in two weeks to visit so we are getting our "honey do" list ready for Grandpa. On the agenda is repaint the ceiling in the guest room and hang a clothes line in the basement.

I will leave you with my absolute favorite picture of our trip:

A weeklong trip to Michigan

2011-06-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago we were able to take our annual May trip home to Michigan. We made a quick stop on our way in Toledo where I left Phil to attend his friend Jared's bachelorette party and my sister came to pick me up and we were able to enjoy some serious sister time. We visited our favorite childhood restaurant....the Spaghetti Warehouse. It was delicious! After enjoying a meal there we went to Somerset mall for some shopping at the Detroit Shoppe and Anthropologie.
Sunday I went to a baby shower with my mom and grandma and then we did some shopping at Kohls before Phil and I headed out to Lake Orion for dinner at our good friends the Magnussons and the Walters who were in town from New Jersey. It was so nice to catch up with them and see MJ and Zoe.

This year our trip was extra long because were were able to attend a conference for Phil's work at our alma mater, Rochester College. We really enjoyed the conference, catching up with friends and spending some time walking around campus and soaking up the memories.

Tuesday morning we went a picked up our favorite breakfast. Coffee and Bagels from Elaines. They have the BEST coffee!
In the evening we met my sister down at Comerica Park to watch the Detroit Tigers play the Toronto Blue Jays. After 2 hours of walking around the park and enjoying some traditional coney island food the game was cancelled due to rain. We were still able to catch a cute picture!

Wednesday morning we started out with Turtle Mocha and a Hot Chocolate from Caribou before heading out for our last day at the "Streaming" conference.
We had lunch with Phil's friend, Mark and his new fiancee Laura. It was really nice to spend some time with them both and catch up on life. After lunch we went to watch the Van Hoosen Middle School Track meet. We watched Ashley run a race and caught up with Rich, Kim and Alexis. It was so good to see him. After that we met up with our friends David and Laura to meet their new baby Grayson. My friend Karina came too. It was great to catch up with them and meet Grayson, who is adorable. Here's proof.
Thursday Phil and I slept in, cleaned moms house and then met her for lunch at the Onion Roll Deli for some traditional delicious Jewish deli sandwiches.
Afterward we headed to the coffee shop to do some work. In the evening I went to see my cousin Taylor off to her high school prom at the same location that I had mine at 9 years ago. It was fun and sentimental all at the same time. Doesn't she look beautiful!

Friday Phil and I treated grandpa and mom to 18 holes of golf at Kensington Metropark. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. It was my first time out for the season so I didn't play as well as I would have liked but it was fun anyway. Here is Phil and I out on the course:

Saturday we celebrated my grandpa Flynn's 80th birthday with a surprise party that my sister planned with her friend Amanda. The party was vintage baseball theme (a whole post for this will come later). It was really a great time. We visited with friends and family, enjoyed delicious hotdogs and even played a little bit of softball. Here is a picture of the table that welcome everyone to the party.Sunday evening we drove back down to Toledo for Jared and Elizabeth's wedding. Jared was Phil's roomate in college. It was so special for us to be a part of their special day. Catching up with friends was fun as well.

Here we are with the beautiful bride and groom!

Roomies :) Jen, Liz and I

Roomies :) Adam, Jared and Phil
We spent the stormy night of the wedding with our friends Katie and Ryan, Jen, Liz, Joe, Keri and Adam playing Catch Phrase and Apples to Apples before going to bed and heading back to Indiana. It was a wonderful time at home making memories!

Trying our hand at homemade Indian food

2011-05-31T21:23:00.003-04:00

We love Indian food and we love cooking so we have decided to put these two loves together and try out some homemade Indian food recipes. Jen came over and we did some serious cooking. We used both of our recipes from Katie Goodman's blog Good Life Eats. We made the Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice and homemade whole wheat naan.

The naan turned out so great! It was bubbly and really quite easy.

Close-up

How does your garden grow.....

2011-05-06T15:51:00.003-04:00

If you remember I posted a while back about the beginning stages of our garden. A little over a month and several weeks of rain later things are beginning to grow! Here is what the garden looks like now:

Spinach Plants :)

Hopefully it will be warm enough this weekend for me to get the pepper and tomato plants in the ground outside. They take field trips out there for an hour each day.

Easter with the family

2011-05-05T16:43:00.011-04:00

We have started our first real tradition as the Travis' of Indiana. Every year since we have lived here my family has come down to visit for Easter. Usually the trip involves golf, good food, some shopping and lots of fun. 2011 was no different. Some of our plans were foiled and golf had to be rescheduled due to the great monsoon of 2011 that we experienced here in central Indiana.

We visited the flour mill bakery for some popcorn and other baking supplies during one of the crazy rain storms and then made Easter dinner a few days early. We cooked a ham, cheesy potatoes, green beans, corn, and had trifle for dessert.

The boys eventually got their golfing in early Saturday morning while I drug Krysten to the gym for my workout class. Afterward we picked up mom for some Goodwill shopping and then drove down to Turkey Run State Park for a picnic and a hike around the park!
Little did we know that the park was actually flooded! All the rain we have had has made the trail into a river. We were able to navigate our way around most of the water and we ended up having a really great time. We can all add to and check off "climb down a waterfall" on our bucket lists! Here is our day at the park in pictures:

Krysten and I in the bear cave at the beginning of our hike

Mom and I took the high road.

The first set of ladders.

Here we go...down the first waterfall.

...and the second waterfall....

After the park we took a drive around to see some covered bridges and then headed for
dinner at the Beefhouse in Covington, Indiana.

Sunday we went to church, had an egg hunt and enjoyed leftover ham sandwiches before saying goodbye to our family. Hope you enjoyed this post about our new Easter tradition!

My favorite pasta recipe :: Leek and Pea Orcchiette

2011-04-01T21:30:00.006-04:00

This is one of my favorite dishes. My mom and I first made it several years ago. We found the recipe in a Real Simple magazine. It combines three of my favorite things: Pasta, Lemons and Leeks. It is the perfect spring pasta dish. The first thing you need to acquire for this dish is some orecchiette pasta. They have it at Target locally or if you are lucky enough to have a Trader Joes you can find it there for pretty cheap. We have made this dish before with mini shells and it turns out just fine. A bowtie pasta would also work. Cook your pasta according to the directions.

Next you will need 3-4 leeks. Leeks are usually available at your local grocery store near the turnips or green onions. They look like a large green onion. You use only the bottom light green and white part of the leek. They chop up nicely into 1 inch pieces. Add the to the olive oil and cook them for about 4 minutes or until soft and translucent.

Once the leeks and garlic have cooked you can add in your peas. Add as many as you would like. The recipe calls for 10 oz but sometimes I only have 7 oz. because I have already used the other 3 from the bag. This part of the recipe is flexible.

Check on your noodles. You want them to be slightly el dente because they will finish cooking as you are combining all the other ingredients.
Next you will need to grab your cheese and cream (I used half and half because it is what I had on hand). Just use whatever you have - cream, half and half, whole milk. The cheese will make it thick enough to create the "sauce". You want to put your cream in a saucepan along with the cheese. Stirring constantly on medium heat wait until the sauce becomes thick.
Once the sauce is thick you can turn the burner off and let it sit. Now you will want to zest your lemon. Stir the zest in to the cream sauce.
Add all ingredients in to the drained pasta and serve in individual sized bowls. Enjoy!

The Recipe::

1 pound oreccheitte
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 leeks, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 - 10 oz. package peas, thawed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup Italian cheese
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (optional) - I only add this when mint is in season

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain it and return it to the pot.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the leeks to the saucepan, season with the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and peas and cook for 2 minutes more.
Stir in the cream and ¾ cup of the cheese. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes.
Add the sauce, lemon zest, and mint to the pasta pot and toss. Divide among shallow bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pepper.

CSC Gourmet Cupcakes.....

2011-03-31T17:03:00.008-04:00

Phil and I have both been having a great time experimenting in the kitchen with somewhat "gourmet" recipes. Mostly that just means making things from scratch. We have ecspecially loved baking from scratch recipes. Since the first of the year, Phil has been perfecting his baking creations by making the CSC birthday desserts from scratch. This week's creation was a new recipe for chocolate cupcakes and raspberry cheesecake butter-cream frosting.

They were absolutely delicious. While ours do not look as fancy as the piped icing cupcakes on the website that we got the recipe from I am sure they tasted just as good. The icing is fabulous. I love the fresh raspberry taste mixed with the rich chocolate. I would encourage you to head over to this site and try these out for yourself!

We made a few changes. We made our own buttermilk using lemon juice and whole milk. We also just used vanilla instead of the seeds of vanilla beans.

Garden 2011 :: The beginning

2011-03-29T10:11:00.006-04:00

This year we decided to get serious about our garden! Our first year we tried a raised bed garden that failed miserably. Working full time away from home and several weekends out of town made it difficult to keep up on the weeds and watering. Last year we decided to try our hand at the community garden offered by our 4-H County Extension Office. It was $20 for a plot and some of our friends had great success the summer before. It was a waste. We never made it out there to water and we had a CRAZY hot summer. But this year we are committed. We feel convicted to grow our own produce to freeze to help sustain us through the winter and that is just what we are going to do....we hope.

Luckily we are blessed with some GREAT friends who are willing to help us out and know a thing or two about farming. Our adopted college student, Jen, and her dad, Bill, came over this week to help us dig up some dirt and put in 3 raised bed planter boxes. They also supplied us with free composted soil full of all of the wonderful things a garden needs to help it grow including some sheep manure! We were able to get all the work done in 2 hours thanks to their help.

We started the project a few weeks ago when Phil put together the raised beds. We used decking supplies to help keep the boards together. We purchased 4 face-mounted double joist hangers for each raised bed. These should help keep the boards in place. The total cost for all three raised beds was about $65.
Next Jen's dad took off the top layer of soil and some sod to make way for the raised beds. The bobcat was excellent at taking the sod off and flipping over the dirt that was already there. We were able to use the sod we scrapped off to fill some dead patches in our front yard. After the area was cleared we put the beds together and spaced them evenly apart before filling them with the composted dirt and a small layer of soil over top. Here is the finished product.

They are ready to be planted! We need to plant some grass seed in between. I can't wait to get the seeds in the ground. We have one more smaller box to add to the end. It will be filled with dirt and hold the asparagus plants we bought this year.

Our seedlings are growing beautifully. Our tomato seedlings are pictured here!

We plan to grow: Sugar Snap Peas, Green Beans, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Carrots, Basil and Spinach. The Asparagus will be in a separate box and the Raspberry patch has been moved to the other side of the yard.

We can't wait to share more pictures of our garden with you as spring continues!

Recipe :: Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

2011-03-26T14:06:00.005-04:00

I made this recipe out of a combination of several other recipes. I have had a burst of confidence in the kitchen during the Lenten season. I took a recipe that I got from my mom and a couple I found online and made them my own. I wanted something I could make in the crockpot so it would be ready when I returned from an afternoon of shopping in Indy with some friends. I also wanted it to be a double batch but I didn't have enough of all the ingredients to double. You can make this on the stovetop as well. You will just need to brown the sweet potatoes and onions in oil before adding all the other soup ingredients.

So here it is::

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 peppers (red, green or orange), seeded and chopped
2 cups of water
4 cups of black beans (or 3 cans of black beans drained and rinsed)
a few squeezes of lime juice
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This recipe will make a LARGE batch but it will freeze well for later use. Enjoy!

Mission Trip to D.C

2011-03-15T10:00:00.002-04:00

For the past two weeks the class I am teaching at church has been studying the landmine of insecurity. Insecurity is something that we all struggle with and often times we are tempted to dwell on. As you are reading this I am on my way to participate in an experience that I feel the most inadequate to do - evangelism.

Some may think that mission work is different than evangelism but in urban ministry they are closely connected. Throughout the week Phil and I along with 4 of our Purdue college students will be surrounded by opportunities to sit and talk with the people of Washington D.C. We have the opportunity to evangelize. I am nervous and feel inadequate but I find comfort in a passage that a friend shared with our class this past Sunday.

Acts 17:26-27
²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. (NIV)

This passage reminds me that our purpose on this earth was planned and thought out. God is in his creation, he is close to every one of us and he is in control. This verse comforts me specifically when I think about talking with people who have had a rough time and are mad at God or can't believe that God is there for us. This verse brings us back to the purpose of our existence as human beings. It answers the questions why here?, why me?, why now?

God has called me to this mission work at the CSC and he has since called the CSC to Washington D.C. He put me in this position to minister to these people so that they will seek him and perhaps that they will reach out to him and find comfort in his loving embrace. These words of Paul help me to feel confident in my abilities as an evangelist. With God's guidance and support I am going to show the people of D.C the love and constant presence of God.

Please join me in praying for our mission trip this week. Please pray for the people that we will meet. That God will meet us on the streets of Washington D.C and that he will use us to do his Good works!

Spring:Cleaning and Cooking

2011-03-12T16:49:00.009-05:00

I am in the mood for spring. Even though it isn't feeling much like spring temperature wise I have caught the spring bug. I am in the mood to organize, clean, dig in the dirt and bake spring foods. So that is just what I spent my Saturday doing. From 11am on I was baking, prepping, cleaning, reorganizing, pulling weeds, trimming trees and doing more baking.

Phil has the bug too. Which is great because if we both have the cleaning bug we are able to get a lot more accomplished. He spent time cleaning in the garage, planting grass seed, watering said grass seed and pulling weeds.

I was able to bake some delicious
strawberry muffins. I adapted them from the pioneer women's Awesome-est Blueberry muffins. I used rapadura instead of sugar and I used 1 cup white whole wheat flour and added an egg to help with the consistency. They turned out delicious! I think next time I will add some sugar to the strawberries before adding them in as they were a bit tart but not too bad. I can't wait to share them with the college students going on the mission trip to D.C.

After baking the muffins I started dough for rolls to go with dinner. This was my first time baking rolls from scratch. Luckily I have a recipe from a fabulous cook and my friend, Nicole. They were simple to make because you prepare the dough in the bread machine then break them in to pieces, roll them in to balls and place in a 9x13pan to rise again. I was able to let them rise in the cooling oven from the muffins. They plumped up real nice. After letting them rise for 2 hour I popped them in the oven for 18 minutes. They were delicious! They tasted just like Texas Roadhouse rolls! I even added some honey butter. They were the perfect compliment to the Indian Stew we had for dinner.

Speaking of dinner...I am having a great time planning for and
preparing vegetarian meals. It has been fun to seek out new recipes and try them. On Thursday I made Hoppin' Johns Cousin without sausage and it was delicious! A few weeks ago I tried a recipe that I am sure we will make again. It was called Southwest Stuffed Red Peppers from my favorite cooking blog ourbestbites. They were yummy. I froze half of the "stuffing" so I could make them again later. The best part is that they are SUPER filling and fairly healthy. Once red peppers go on sale again we will add these to the menu plan.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my cooking adventures as much as I have enjoyed writing about it. I want to encourage you to try some from scratch items this month or try to make an adventurous meal that you normally wouldn't try. Good luck!

The three-fold purpose of Lent

2011-03-08T22:48:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent, both of which mark the beginning of the observance of the Easter season. Every year this day sneaks up on me so this year Phil and I were determined to have a plan of action. I wanted to make sure that I didn't just pick something randomly to give up. Instead I wanted to really focus on the true meaning of Lent and the three-fold purpose. Everyone knows about the sacrificing portion of Lent but we don't often focus on the other practices. It isn't just about "giving something up". There are in fact three ways in which we are called to change throughout this season. We are called to sacrifice something, food or a bad habit, refocus or re-energize our prayer life and do something for the Lord.

This year Phil and I approached Lent early on. In fact we started talking about what we were going to do right after Easter. We focused on it again during the retreat we went on with our 20's something Bible Study and again at Christmas time. I want to share our Lenten promises with you now. I hope that you will receive inspiration from these but more importantly it is my hope that you will lift us up in prayer as we journey to Easter together.

Our Food Sacrifices
This year Phil and I wanted to honor God with our food sacrifice by practicing solidarity with the poor. We are giving up meat as our official sacrifice but we are also wanting to follow a few other guidelines to help us think more about others who do not have the food priveledges we do as middle class American citizens. We take for granted so much that when we wake up we walk down to the cupboard pull out a bowl, fill it with whatever we want, and chow down. Every day we eat 3 meals and usually a snack or two. But there are many who wake up in the morning hungry and have no idea where there next meal is coming from or if they will even eat a meal. Our hearts were broken for the homeless and working poor when we began taking yearly urban ministry mission trips with our college students and we want to in one way put ourselves in their shoes. We are going to be more mindful of the thing we eat, when we eat, and how we eat. We are going to cut back on our sugar/sweets in take, snacking and processed foods as well as cut out meat entirely. We hope to be reminded through this of the true blessings we receive from God and to continually remember that he has provided us with more that we could ever need.

Deepening our Prayer Life
I am going to be brutally honest and say that aside from before meals, in Bible class on Wednesday, and Sundays and an occasional quick prayer for a hurting loved one or stranger I rarely go to God in prayer. I do not pray each night before going to bed, or each morning when I wake. I want to be that girl but I am just not. I hope to grow one day in to that girl. But one thing I know struck a cord with me is writing prayers. I have received several in the past month and written a couple as part of a Bible Study and Women's Retreat exercise and I really loved it. For me it was a great way to get it all out there and to bless others and be blessed. So for Lent my goal is to write one prayer a week to someone in my family. I am not limiting myself but I am also not setting the standards to high. I hope that this can get me in the habit of making prayer a part of my daily life.

Our gift of service
As part of our 2011 financial goals Phil and I have set aside money to donate to a ministry or program for each month. For the month of April we will be donating to a ministry for the poor in honor of Lent. I want to do something else that will allow me to have a more active role in the service aspect of Lent. I plan to prepare a meal for a family or invite a family/friend to a meal once a week during Lent. It is going to be challenge since I have to think of vegetarian guest friendly meals but I am excited for the challenge and the blessing of getting to know people better. This is also perfect for me as my 2011 ministry goal is in home hospitality. We already have lunch/dinner dates set up for the entire month of March. We just need to book April! I am excited to bless others and allow others to bless me with their company.

I hope that this gives you a good idea of what you can be doing this Lenten season. A blogging friend wrote something last year that I jotted down in my journal to reflect on for years to come and I just love how she put it. She said, "Lent inspires me to stand in awe of the greatest mystery ever seen." So whether you are participating in the season of lent for the first time or not it is my prayer that you are able to draw closer to God, and improve your prayer life while learning the value of sacrifice.

So while we are technically less than an hour away from the start of Lent I encourage you to prayerfully consider what sorts of prayer challenges, sacrifices and works of service you are called to participate in this year.

Grinding our own Wheat

2011-02-18T13:22:00.002-05:00

Call me crazy but this *new* trend of grinding your own wheat REALLY intrigues me. It is the hot topic on several of the blogs I read about simple living/real whole foods. It is cheaper, tastier and some say more nutritious. You can click here to read more about the nutritious value. I am not sold enough to spend the $250 on a grain mill but I have started putting some money aside from my monthly fun money to save up to one day buy one and a bread machine as well. However I am intrigued enough to know that if I were to win a grain mill particularly a Nutrimill I would be VERY excited.

So, I have entered to win one over at one of my current favorite blogs - Kitchen Stewardship. You can enter to win one too by clicking the following link - WIN A GRAIN MILL!

I have been reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and learning more about grains, soaking your grains, spelt, etc. My brain is a bit fried. If you want to start small though I suggest starting at Katie's site with this article about the different types of wheat and what they contribute to our bodies.

Enjoy!

A Valentine's Day to Remember

2011-02-14T22:45:00.004-05:00

Phil and I have never really been ones to make a big deal out of Valentine's Day. Last year we babysat overnight for a friend and ordered Qdoba to go and watched movies all night. This year was no exception to the simplicity. We wanted to keep it simple and just spend the day like we would any other day, making sure our love for one another was made known.

Phil began the day by making me breakfast in bed. It wasn't a surprise (mainly because our kitchen is next to our bedroom and it is LOUD) but mostly because Phil was so excited to do it that he told me the night before that he was going to. He woke up 2 hours before he normally does and went downstairs to prepare my favorite pancakes (Lemon Ricotta Pancakes) with Raspberry sauce. He even made coffee! It was really very sweet. We enjoyed eating together and spending time in the presence of one another before continue on with our daily duties.

Inspired by one of my friends husbands telling me how special it was this his wife made a delicious cheesecake for their valentines date over the weekend I decided to surprise Phil with a homemade pie. I am not really a pie person. The pies were always my sisters job so this was a BIG deal! I found a recipe for whole wheat pie crust online and was able to make enough dough for two pie crusts! The cutting in of the butter was NOT fun. I need to add a pastry cutter to my list of must have kitchen appliances! For the filling of the pie I used this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. I also added 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips. It turned out delicious. I am going to try to make pie/dessert making part of my normal monthly cooking routine!
Once Phil got home from work we set to work preparing our own Valentine's Dinner. Phil and I love to cook together but it is something that rarely happens with my workout schedule and our evening church activities. Usually I start a meal and leave it on the stove for him to finish when he gets home but tonight we wanted to take our time and cook together. We enjoyed Roasted Red Pepper Hummus as we cooked. We made strip steak, green beans, mashed potatoes and salad. It was really yummy! I also prepped tomorrow nights meal while Phil was out at the grill. We enjoyed our meal by candlelight.

Valentine's Day is often thought of as a silly Hallmark holiday but I think it is good for all of us to have this yearly reminder of love and the blessing it is to share love with someone else whether it be a spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, parents, child, aunt, or uncle.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

2011-02-14T22:44:00.003-05:00

Several people have asked me for this recipe. So I decided to just post it. We have made the sauce from blackberries and raspberries. I am sure that any berry would work!

Sauce:

12 oz blackberries
1/4 c. sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP cold water

Combine the berries and sugar over medium heat. Stir until simmering.
Whisk together water and cornstarch in separate bowl until smooth.
Add to pan. Smooth. Wait until it thickens and comes to a low boil.
Remove from heat.

Pancakes:

1 c. ricotta
1 c. milk
3 eggs, separated
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 c. cake flour (3/4 c. regular flour and 3 TBSP cornstarch)
1/4 c. sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks (save the whites), lemon zest and juice in a bowl.
Add in flour, powder and salt. Mix until just incorporated.
In another bowl beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually and continue beating until peaks form
Fold in 1/3 of egg white mixture into batter. Add remaining.
Heat over griddle, grease, 1/2 c. batter per pancake

ENJOY!

Chicago :: Soup and Chili

2011-02-07T10:42:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I ventured to the snowy north to visit my best friend, Jennifer and her husband.

Jennifer and I have been friends for almost 25 years, which is crazy to think about because that means our little sisters are turning 25 years old this summer! We have created many memories and we hope to continue to do that throughout our lives. We played My Little Pony together, cheered each other on in sports, trick or treated together, studied together, went on family vacations to Traverse City together and stood up in each other weddings. Our next adventure is going to take us to Paris together with our husbands for 3 whole days! We are beyond excited, mainly because Jennifer speaks fluent french so it will be like having an interpreter for free! Jennifer is hands down the friend I can count on and turn to for anything. I am so blessed to have her in my life!

In October Jennifer came down to visit and we decided that we are going to make an effort to see each other ever other month. Living only 3 hours away is the next best thing to our dream of owning yellow homes with white picket fences next door to one another in Berkley, Michigan. During Jennifer's visit in October we did some fall baking. Apple Cinnamon Bread and Pumpkin Muffins! YUMMY! This time soups was on the menu!

Here are some pictures of our fabulous weekend::

Here is a little taste of snow in Chicago. I think we need to count our blessings in Lafayette and not complain about the measly 5 inches we got on Saturday. We could have this to dig through! Jen and Adrian's mailbox is somewhere in that pile of snow!

The ingredients for 3 batches of Chili! Spent $23.00

Browning the meat with onions and green pepper!

Adding the spices. This pot is almost full!

After the Chili was done we enjoyed homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese
sandwiches on homemade bread then set out to Ikea and the mall. Of course we had
to stop by Caribou for a Turtle Mocha, YUM!

That evening we settled in for some homemade Corn Chowder, Salad with our
new favorite dressing (Vidalia Onion) and Rolls! We spent the evening watching a
House Hunter International Marathon and 4 Brides, 4 Weddings!

I had a great time and I look forward to our next get together in April. We are meeting at the Michigan City Outlets with our moms for some shopping. Then in June we will both head to PARIS FRANCE!

Another year of home ownership means another year of projects

2011-01-10T16:36:00.010-05:00

Phil and I decided early on in our dating relationship that we were not "fixer upper" people. We did not want to buy a house that needed our love and care up front. So when we found the house we currently live in we knew it was perfect. It already had a lot of the things on our wish list and it was definitely move in ready. Aside from some painting and the moldy bathroom gutting the first year we lived here we did nothing to our home and it was perfect.

However, the longer you live in a home the more the little things that you don't love about your house start to bug you. We have lots of little things in our house that we don't love. Slowly we have started prioritizing what we want to get done. Then we make a budget plan for how much we are willing or can spend in the year and we start tackling projects.

Our first year we spent about $1200 buying a new refrigerator to replace the one that was frozen shut upon the return from our honeymoon, and gutting and rebuilding our half bath after we discovered a leak in the faucet had caused mold to grow everywhere! EW.

Last year, 2010, we tackled several more projects. Spending several thousand dollars but saving way more by doing the projects ourselves.

Here is a recap of 2010:

The year started out with our yearly furniture purchase. Another tradition we started when we bought this house. One new piece of furniture a year to replace the pieces we were given by friends and family to furnish our home. In January of 2010 we purchased this lovely brown leather sectional sofa for our family room/media room. It is awesome.

As most of you know in order to get the lovely couch in our home we had to move a little quicker on our plans to remove the wall between the living room and the kitchen. Phil went to work on the demo part but the rebuilding took a few months.
As you can see in the picture below it was SO worth the wait. We love the amount of natural light that comes in now from the back windows. We also love that when we are entertaining I can be in the kitchen cooking and still feel a part of the conversation. It will also be really nice when we have kids so that they can play while I bake, cook and do the dishes and I will still be able to keep an eye on them. It has been fun to tie in the colors from the kitchen in to the living room. Since this picture was taken we have painted the living room to match the lighter beige on the walls in the kitchen!

The next picture is of the adorable church pew that our gracious neighbor, Jack, gave us. While talking about places to visit in Indiana Jack mentioned that he loves antiquing in Brown County. I told him that Phil and I would need to take a trip down there because we have been looking for a church pew for our living room. We ended our conversation and went about our days. The very next day Phil and I were doing some yard work out front and Jack came over to say hello and ask us if we wanted to come and take a look at a church pew that he had on his covered porch. We said we would love to come and check it out. Once we were over there Jack asked us if we wanted to have it. I did not think he was serious but was glad when he was because I had already fallen in love with it. The red color matches perfectly with our already red china cabinet! Thank you Jack!
Another one of our sweet and gracious friends, Chris, brought us this end table one evening. It works perfectly in the corner of our room next to our couch. I absolutely love the intricate woodwork on the edges! We are in desperate need of a new lamp but this one works for now.

Over the summer we were able to tackle some outdoor projects. In June my grandparents and mom came down and we repainted our back deck. The deck is functional but it was in need of a serious new paint job. The maroon paint from the previous owners was almost completely peeled off. We picked out this fabulous brown color and everyone went to town painting. It only took us a day to get the entire thing done. Once the deck was all spruced up we decided to give our black rod iron deck furniture a bit of a pick me up as well. 6 cans of green krylon later and we have totally "new" deck furniture.
During the summer we were blessed with another family home improvement project. This time Phil's dad and brother came down to help Phil re-roof our house. When we bought the house we knew that this was something that needed to be done within 5 years of owning it. We decided to get it over with quickly since it will most likely be our most expensive home improvement project. We were able to get the supplies for $4000. We paid Phils dad and brother with home cooked meals and an out to eat treat at the end of the week. We are so grateful that we have able bodied family members who know a thing or two about home improvement. It has saved us a lot of time and money and has helped our house to become a home! While my grandparents were down we also painted our door and shutters with some leftover coppery/brown paint from my parents. It love how it compliments the brick!

2010 was a great year for home improvement for us. With the help of family and friends we were able to get a lot done. The improvements we made inside and out will help us if we ever do need to sell our home. The open floor concept is "in" right now and I think that knocking the wall down between the living room and kitchen makes our home "in". The hardwood floors don't hurt either!

In 2011 we have big plans for more projects. Here is what you can be on the lookout for::

Patching the drywall in the garage and painting all the walls white
A new mailbox
House address numbers
Painting the cement floor in the basement storage/laundry room
More shelving in the basement storage/laundry room
A divider wall between the storage area and the laundry area
Curtains and a sink skirt in the laundry room to make it more "homey"
New dining room table
Ceramic tile in the master bathroom

We can't wait to share these changes with you and to take you along for the ride!

Date Night and Big time Savings

2011-01-09T22:42:00.002-05:00

This weekend Phil and I set aside some time to take a trip to Indy for some shopping at Costco and a date night at our favorite restaurant - P.F. Changs.

We needed to make a Costco Run first. Phil was less than thrilled about this part but I think he is FINALLY starting to see that we can save some serious money if planned correctly. We stopped by the bank to get some cash for Costco. I had priced out several items and had a strict list and budget. Here is what we got...

- 2lbs. sugar snap peas
- 5 lbs frozen organic french style green beans
- 6 heads of Organic Romaine Lettuce
- 12 6oz. cans organic tomato paste
- 12 15oz. cans organic tomato sauce
- 8 15 oz. cans organic diced tomatoes
- 6 32oz. containers organic chicken broth
- 2 lbs. organic butter
- 12 lbs. organic short grain brown rice
- an industrial sized container of taco seasoning
- 48 oz box of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds
- 13.5 lbs. baking soda
- 32 rolls of Toilet Paper
- Golden Eye for the Wii ($8 coupon) the game only cost $36 and it is NEW!

The Grand Total was............. $151.32

After our mega savings trip to Costco we headed farther east to Keystone Crossing Mall. Upon arriving at P.F. Changs we realized that the Colts were playing at Home in 2 hours...so the wait was SUPER long. We decided to take our chances and go to the mall first in hopes that the wait would be shorter the closer we got to game time. I spent some Christmas money at the mall. I finally bought the salad dressing container I have been wanting for a few years from Crate and Barrel. We drooled over our favorite dining room tables that we will never be able to afford and visited a few others stores. We finished our trip to the mall with a stop for Cheesecake to go at the Cheesecake Factory! We played our cards right and only had to wait 20 minutes to get a table at P.F. Changs. We enjoyed our favorite meal: Lettuce Wraps, Chicken Fried Rice and Sweet and Sour Chicken! We made sure to order just enough to bring some home for lunch the next day and save room for the cheesecake waiting for us in the car.

Overall it was an excellent evening. We are now relaxed and ready to kick off the Spring semester with the college students!

Happy birthday Holly!

2011-01-07T10:29:00.004-05:00

This blog post is dedicated to my dear friend Holly.

Today is her birthday and while she is traveling to Indiana at a youth rally we once again will not be able to meet up. However I know she will be spending her birthday weekend with people she loves doing something she loves!

Holly and I have known each other for almost 7 years but we didn't really spend much time getting to know each other until I had already graduated from college. I don't even remember how it happened but somehow we ended up in a Bible study together with 2 other girls. We met once a week at Caribou Coffee in Troy to discuss the Bible and spend time in prayer together. It is today one of my favorite memories. I grew so much with those girls and they were a huge part of my life for those 2 years! Holly and I grew extra close because we were both at the time planning our weddings. Holly was married to her best friend, Jon in April and I was married to Phil the following August. It was fun to talk wedding plans and then celebrate with one another on our big days. It has been even more of a blessing to have a friend to talk with as we go through the stages of newly married. While Holly lives 6 hours away I still feel that she is one of my closest friends. She challenges me to be more positive in life and to continual seek out ways that I can be more Christlike in my life.

Holly, I pray that you will see the blessing you are to so many people. I pray that you will have a fabulous birthday. I pray that this year brings joy and not heartbreak.
Happy birthday friend!

Holiday Nights @ Greenfield Village

2011-01-06T15:46:00.004-05:00

For Christmas this year my dad bought everyone in our family tickets to "Holiday Nights" at Henry Ford's Greenfield Village in Dearborn Michigan. Greenfield Village is part of America's largest historical attraction. Entering Greenfield Village is like stepping into an 80-acre time machine. It takes you back to the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. Holiday Nights allows you to participate in the Christmas celebration the way our ancestors would have.

The evening began at 6pm. When my family arrived at the village we were greeted by a gentlemen keeping warm by an open fire. He told us a bit about what was going on in the city that evening, carriage rides, carolers, Santa and his reindeer and he reminded us that dinner would be served at the Inn at 8pm sharp.

We decided to start the evening by taking a model T ride. Phil and I had never rode one before. It was cold since windows were not a normal part of a vehicle back them but we cuddled up under a warm wool blanket while our driver told us about the gas and brake system of the car and facts about the Ford company.

Next we decided to take a ride on a hand crafted 1913 carousel. It was fun to be a kid again and ride around in circles while Christmas music played in the background.

After our ride we explored the village visiting the Wright Brothers home, where they built the first airplane and various other historical homes and inns. We even stopped by to see Santa and a few of his reindeer before heading to dinner at the Eagle Tavern and Inn.

The meal was completely candlelit and delicious! We had 7 courses. My favorite was the Pork and Apple Pie! Yummy! We finished the evening by all singing the 12 days of Christmas together complete with choreography!

It was a really fun experience and I would recommend it for your family! You can go to Holiday Nights without having dinner as well which may work better for families with smaller children.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that tomorrow will mark the beginning of the year 2011. Looking back I can't believe how time has flown by and stood still all at the same time. 11 years ago we were awaiting "the end of the world" with Y2K. I remember sort of being excited that the computer world would go bazurk and we would be stuck in Florida for another week or maybe even a month. But alas, the clock struck midnight and we entered the year 2000 just as seamlessly as we had entered all the years before.

It doesn't seem like 11 years ago was that long ago but it was. So much has happened since I was in the 11th grade. I flew on an airplane for the first time, vacationed in Banff British Columbia with my best friend and her family, got a car (Chevy S-10), went to college, got another car, traveled the country with the Rochester College Acapella Chorus, met Phil, had a tree fall on my car, made friends, lost friends, got engaged, got married, moved to Indiana, bought a house, made friends, taught a Bible class, got in a car accident, watched my best friend get married, tore down a wall in our home, traveled to Washington D.C, California, Atlanta, Florida, South Carolina and Colorado, was promoted.....the list could go on.

It is truly amazing all that can take place in 10 years. It is amazing the memories that stick in my mind, and the ones that don't. Yesterday I had to use Facebook to find the pictures for my "2010 in Pictures" post....10 years ago Facebook didn't exist and I would have had a hard time coming up with a picture or an activity, from memory, for each month of the past year.

Technology, good or bad, helps us collect our thoughts and memories for generations to come. I hope that one day my kids can read this blog and know a little bit more about me. I think of the incredible blessing that my dear friend Veronica's blog is going to be to her kids, Faith, Caleb and Carter as they journey through life without their father. They will know the incredibly funny, caring, Godly man that he was through his blog posts, facebook notes, pictures and wall posts.

My 2011 resolution is to enjoy life, be real, and reflect on the blessings that God has given me. I don't spend nearly enough time reflecting on the things that matter in life. It isn't just about the memories made, milestones reached or pictures taken and uploaded to Facebook. Life is so much more than that. We have an incredible opportunity to take time daily to reflect on how the things we experience shape us and help us grow in our walk as Christian men and women. So it is my goal this year to be more reflective, thankful and genuine.

I will begin by taking part in a journaling exercise outlined here by my "bloggy friend" Tsh at Simple Mom.

Happy reflecting!

2010 :: Picture Style

2010-12-31T15:21:00.002-05:00

January:: Phil and I spent the first January 2010 in Florida with my grandparents, parents and sister, Krysten. This was one of the only warm days we had while in Venice for a week.

February:: Jen and I try our hands at making Indian food from scratch. It was fun!

March:: Phil and I finish our second home renovation project. The knocking down of half the wall between our kitchen and living room.

April:: My very first Youth Rally - Refresh in Salem Indiana. Was able to spend an incredible weekend with some of our youth group kids and our college friends, Deeper Still. Here on of my best friends Holly and I listen to the boys sing praises to Our Lord. I didn't know this at the time but it was the last time I would hear this group sing together or give Jeremy a hug. We lost our dear friend on November 9th of this year. Can't wait to hear them reunited in heaven.

May:: Our last Girl's Bible study for the '09-'10 School year. I love each of these girls so much!

June:: The twins graduate from High School. Emily will continue her schooling at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI and Evan attends Davenport University in Holland, MI.

July:: Phil and I enjoyed playing softball with our church this summer.

August:: The month of weddings. Phil and I attended 3 of our students weddings this month and celebrated our 2 year anniversary!

September:: My first trip to Denver Colorado. I traveled their for work but was still able to do a few touristy things. Here Kate, Kelly and I visit the Capital building - One Mile above Sea Level.

October:: Krysten and I at the Franklin Cider Mill while I was home visiting the family for Halloween.

November:: Grandpa Woodie turns 80! It was so nice to have all the siblings together again!

December:: We finished out 2010 with a fun trip to Chicago with our best friends Gina and Josh and their adorable kids, Kinley and Knox. We saw White Christmas, shopped til we dropped and had some delicious sangria and tapas at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba.

Overall 2010 was a year of sorrow, joy, love, new experiences and spiritual growth.

Homemade Christmas :: Subway Art

2010-12-27T21:38:00.004-05:00

This year I was stumped on what to get my husband, Phil, for Christmas. I have always had great ideas in the past so this was a new experience for me. I decided to pick the brain of a few friends whose husbands have similar tastes to mine and was able to come up with one great idea but I still needed something more.

One night I was browsing online and found this awesome website - RedLetterWords. There art was perfect for Phil's office but the price tag was NOT perfect at all. I decided after looking at the art further that Phil needed to have something like this and I would make it myself. I googled "Subway Art" and came upon a plethora of DIY websites and blogs. So I bought the supplies for $30 (which includes an extra canvas for another project down the road sometime). I used Phil's favorite scripture - Micah 6:8.

Here is how I created Phil's Subway Art:

First I needed to get my hands on a bottle of this amazing Craft Spray Adhesive and several other supplies: art canvas, contact paper, exacto knife, and paint.

After choosing my paint colors I went to work painting 2 coats of light blue on to the blank canvas.

Next I used powerpoint to create the layout of the letters. The wonderful workers at Kinkos helped me blow it up to 16" by 18" for a whopping $7. I am sure there is a way you can make this part cheaper but I was short on time and a little lazy.

Once the letters are blown up I cut the words out in strips and then used the adhesive to stick them to the front of contact paper. After that I enjoyed some serious bonding time with my new exacto knife and the letters. Cutting each letter out took a bit of time but it was worth it in the end.

Once the letters were cut it was time to take the contact backing off and stick them on to the canvas.

Once I was certain that the letters were secure I applied several coats (I think it ended up being 4) of brown paint over top.

I let it dry overnight before peeling the letters off to reveal the blue underneath. After a little touching up I was left with a beautiful piece of art that Phil can use in his office forever!

I hope that this post inspires you to create your very own subway art!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-12-26T20:57:00.002-05:00

This week I am off work. I have several goals for major deep cleaning, some scrapbooking and card making, shopping and cooking from scratch. We will see how much actually gets done because I also want to take advantage of this time off to relax and spend time with friends! Here is the plan for now, meal wise::

Monday:Dinner with our new friends the Hutchinsons -- Roast, Carrots, Onions and Mushrooms with Mashed Potatoes and Salad
Tuesday:Lasagna and Salad with Garlic Rolls
Wednesday: Tortellini Soup
Thursday: Homemade Pizza Night with Spinach, Olives and Pepperonis
Friday: New Years Eve - We aren't sure of our plans yet and therefore I have nothing but Kettle Korn on the menu!
Friday: Chicken Chili at Kelseys :)

I also plan to bake blueberry muffins, and banana nut bread this week :)

Christmas, Work and the Plunge

2010-12-15T15:01:00.002-05:00

December has FLOWN by! I had high hopes for my blog during this reflective season of advent but with only 2 days left until we leave on our Christmas trip I am not sure we will get much blogging in. Phil and I are both in need of a serious vacation. We are both blessed with vacation time during this time of year. We will be taking off on Friday and we will return home to Lafayette on Christmas Eve. We will have seven glorious days off to do as we please and then when we return home I will have another 7 glorious days off to do as I please! Our holiday plans are different this year than they have ever been. We decided to combine old tradition with new tradition. We will kick off the week with a 2 day trip to Chicago with our friends, the Boyds. We will attending the Friday evening production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Saturday we will do some shopping and scope out the Christmas decorations. I have never been to Chicago or any major city during the holidays, so this will be a real treat. We will then venture over to Michigan where we will spend the week with friends and family in Detroit and Holland. On Christmas Eve we will head back to Lafayette to begin our own holiday traditions!

I have been doing a lot of writing for work which has left me less motivated to blog for fun. We have started a new blog series called "Hands off our Holidays" which will focus on how the alcohol industry co-opts our holidays to make a larger profit. In turn this sends the message that we can't celebrate without drinking. It has been a lot of fun to research. I have entered by birthday online more times than I ever thought was possible in order to get in to these "age restricted" websites. It is really turned out to be a great series. If you want to read the first post you may click here. Follow us on our blog throughout 2011 for updates about the various holidays as well as several calls to action. I really love my job!

The Plunge part of my title is silly I know but it is also very relevant to my thoughts right now. I am taking what I would consider a major fashion plunge. This afternoon as a treat to myself I will purchase my first pair of skinny jeans and "fake" UGG boots. I have also thought the idea of these two items was quite silly. Mainly because in college all the girls wore real UGGs and I was NOT going to pay 200 plus dollars for something that goes on my feet. Over Thanksgiving my mom bought me a pair of leggings to wear under jeans to keep my legs warm and I loved the look of the "skinny" pant on me. So this afternoon I will head to target to make this purchase. Hope my husband likes it. He is not yet convinced :)

Until next time,

Presents vs. Presense

2010-12-07T14:22:00.004-05:00

This morning while driving home from an interview I conducted at Harrison High School I was listening to my favorite radio station, K-Love. The morning show hosts, Lisa and Eric, were interviewing Christian recording artist, Sara Groves. They started talking about Advent something that isn't often spoken about on K-Love. It was clear that one of the hosts, Lisa, wasn't familiar with the tradition of advent. She began asking Sara questions and Sara shared several of the traditions that her and her family take part in during advent.

Sara is on the road right now for her Christmas Tour so she is not able to participate in this years advent tradition with her two boys. She shared on the radio part of a letter that she wrote for them to read during their devotional time for advent. I love it and I wanted to share it with all my blog friends. It went something like this:

"This Christmas you are both going to be more excited about the presents that Santa brings you but I want you to know that none of the excitement or joy that the toys can bring you will come close to comparing to the incredible gift that we have in Jesus Christ. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the presents he gives you forever."

SO TRUE! We have an incredible opportunity to experience unending joy and excitement as we walk through this life with Jesus Christ! It isn't the earthly present that matters it is the presence of Jesus in our lives that is most important. God gave us a wonderful gift that lasts for eternity. Let us not let that message get lost this Christmas season.

My first stew!

2010-12-06T23:05:00.004-05:00

This morning we woke up to winter. The calender may not say that winter is here but the temperature doesn't lie! 6 degrees! I am not complaining at all though because warm air would make the beautiful snow melt before Christmas.

In honor of this cold windy day I decided to make my first ever beef stew. I remember having beef stew while growing up but I have never made a beef stew myself or even helped prepare one for that matter.

I found the recipe here.

I like this variation of stew because it isn't super heavy. Sometimes stew can be too much. The beans replace the potatoes adding extra protein. I didn't follow the recipe exactly. We didn't have carrots in the house and I didn't feel like running out to the store. Instead I used both the green beans and the spinach. I also added in some celery that I had frozen in the freezer. I also didn't have fresh herbs but I thought that the dried ones did the job. We skipped on the cheese topping and instead indulged on cheesy garlic rolls warmed in the microwave! We will be enjoying this stew a few more times this week!

Christmas Decorations

2010-12-02T23:04:00.011-05:00

It is officially Christmas time. We have thanked God for the many blessings he has given us, eaten turkey, watched the balloons float down Woodward Avenue and spent time with family. We may now officially begin celebrating the Christmas season.

December 1st is the beginning of a new year, according to the Liturgical calendar. The liturgical calendar begins with Advent, a time of waiting in the darkness of the winter for the Light of Christ to come and be with us on Christmas. It is a season filled with beautiful symbols of light, darkness, life, repentance and faith.

I am working hard to celebrate advent with as much fervor and attention as I celebrate Christmas. I have been torn about the cultural celebration of Christmas with Santa, Snowmen and elaborate light displays for some time. This year I have been particularly convicted to evaluate and adjust Christmas traditions that I have celebrated by whole life and adopt new traditions that will ultimately glorify the reason for Christmas, Jesus Christ.

Throughout this advent and Christmas season I want to intentionally point all of my Christmas celebration toward Christ. One of the ways to do that is to be mindful of Christ in all aspects of our Christmas preparations.

This past week we have been working on decorating our home. Before we began, I went through our Christmas bucket and sent several items off to Goodwill. The truth is simple is best and a lot of the items we had just sat in storage and were never put out. Some of the things though were not items that would reflect the true meaning of Christmas. What was left was simple, elegant and had meaning to us.

The first place we decorated was our fireplace mantel.

We just recently received our wedding pictures so I wanted to keep the picture up and I felt that it could bring a more family oriented aspect, as well as remind us of the covenant we made before God to love one another, through thick and thin, throughout the sometimes stressful holiday season. We also added evergreen garland, red beaded garland and white twinkle lights.

I L.O.V.E love Christmas lights! Something about them makes me happy and giddy inside. White Christmas lights especially remind me of the light of Christ. December is the darkest month of the year so having lots of lights around the home brings a special joy and warmth.

My "friend" Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship had a few suggestions of her own concerning Christ and Christmas lights:
* While you decorate, meditate on the light of Christ shining in the darkness of
sin and death of our culture.
* Pray for those in the homes that are (and aren’t) decorated as you drive, that
they may know the light of Christ this year.

The next place we decorated with the Living Room. We started with our Willow Tree Nativity Scene. The Nativity is the focal point of our living room on top of the piano. It is the first thing I see each morning when I walk down the stairs from our bedroom.

Next we brought up our tree, decorated with white lights, and ornaments that are special to Phil and I. We have several ornaments on the tree that we received as gifts throughout our lives. Once we got engaged we began collecting ornaments from the places we visited together. It is fun to be reminded of the vacations we took each year as we decorate the tree.

And last but not least, the Kitchen. Our kitchen is hands down my favorite room in our home. It is where we take part in some of my favorite activities: Cooking, Eating and Visiting over a meal! Baking is an important part of the month of December for me. I love to bake cookies and homemade gifts for our friends, family and neighbors! The decorations are simple but fun in the Kitchen. Our cross wall works well for all seasons and reminds us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

I encourage you to have a Christ conscious and prayerful heart and mind as you go about celebrating this holiday season.

Preparing my heart and home for Christmas

2010-11-30T13:03:00.003-05:00

For the past week or so I have been doing a lot of thinking and researching about how to make Christ a larger part of our lives during this holiday season. During the month of December our eyes are often open to new ways we can help others and share our faith with others. I want to make sure that I am being intentional with my faith this holiday season.

I have set several goals for our family this year:

- Prepare our hearts for the Christmas season

- Evaluate our current Christmas traditions

- Create new Christmas traditions rooted Christian tradition

- Spread the joy and love of Christ in all we do

There is a common theme that I hope can be found in each of these goals:

{Serve my husband, my family and my friends through my good works and sacrifices all while drawing closer to Jesus Christ my savior and bringing others along on my journey of faith}

I stumbled across the following excerpt in a blog post from a book titled, “The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality” by Paul Murray, OP –

[C]onsidering God not so much as an ‘object’ outside of ourselves, for whose greater glory we undertake all our different works, but rather as a ‘subject’ alive within and around us, a divine Presence, ‘in whom we live and move and have our being,’ is a notion explored in No Man is an Island by the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton. Inspired — Merton tells us — by something he read in the work of Johannes Tauler, the medieval Dominican mystic and preacher, he makes a distinction between two kinds of intention, a right intention and a simple intention. When we have a right intention, Merton says, ‘we seek to do God’s will’ but ‘we consider the work and ourselves apart from God and outside of Him.’ But ‘when we have a simple intention, we…do all that we do not only for God but, so to speak, in Him. We are more aware of Him who works in us than of ourselves or of our work.’

The idea of right intention vs. simple intention struck me in light of my holiday goals. I never knew I struggled with this but now it is clear to me that I do. I am definitely a "right intention" girl through and through. I see a need, I make a plan, I fulfill the need. I don’t often allow time for the Holy Spirit to intercede and guide me. As Paul Murray points out, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s not that the right intention mindset is all bad and the simple intention one is all good; both can be paths to holiness. But understanding that these two different approaches exist — and having their distinctions so clearly articulated — has opened my mind to a new way of thinking.

I pray that I can have a heart of simple intention throughout this holiday season. I pray that I can allow the Holy Spirit to work in me and through me. I pray that I do not miss out on an opportunity of a God moment because I am too busy making a plan to help. I pray that I can remember Murray’s words that to adopt a mindset of only simple intentions is to shift from focusing on the work we’re doing for God, to focusing simply on God himself

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

Monday: Bacon and Egg Quesidillas

Tuesday:Turkey Tetrazini

Wednesday: OUT - Church Night

Thursday: Tuscan Beef and Bean Stew with Homemade Artisan Bread

Friday: Leftovers before heading to the 20's somethings game night at church

Saturday: Spaghetti with leftover bread from Thursday!

Sunday: LIFE Group!

Thankful November

2010-11-22T16:39:00.003-05:00

I hijacked a challenge that my friend Kate was using on her Facebook. The challenge is that for the month of November only post status updates that list things that you are thankful for. At first I though, this will be simple. I have so many things to be thankful for I will easily be able to put one up each day. I was wrong.

It wasn't the lack of blessings and thanksgivings in my life that was the problem. It was more the nature of Facebook. While Facebook is a place for people to keep in touch it is more commonly used as a place to share your emotions, thoughts and feelings about everyday occurrences. There were several times throughout this month that I had the strong desire to share the emotion that I am experiencing at that moment and sometimes it wasn't thankfulness. Throughout the month of November I experienced a more than frustrating work moment, a death of a dear friend, and an emotional family visit home. Each of these emotions were obstacles getting in the way of my thankful spirit.

This exercise has been good for me. It has challenged me to think more positively and to think twice before I put something up for the entire world to see. This exercise has taught me that in the midst of frustration, anger, confusion, heartbreak and sorrow it is still important to give adoration and thanks to the Lord. I had been needing this attitude adjustment for awhile and I think "Thankful November" was just the cure! I learned through this exercise that I can be heartbroken, sad, angry, frustrated, confused, elated, happy, grateful, loved and many other emotions all while being thankful to our Lord for the many blessings and experiences he provides me with!

Without further or do, here are the things I am thankful for in 2010!

Katy Travis is....

- thankful for the month of November and visiting family almost every weekend!
- thankful for the first snow of the winter!
- thankful for her cousin Taylor Flynn and her awesome swimming abilities!
- thankful for a family you can cry with, pray with and laugh with!
- thankful for a husband who makes dinner for me and helps with the dishes :)
- thankful for the comfort she has in Jesus and for the prayers going up for us and our dear friends!
- thankful for the four years she spent at Rochester College. It is times like these when we realize what an incredible blessing it is to be a part of a Christian community!
- thankful the opportunity to make a family memory today. Heading to the University of Michigan vs. Purdue game with my entire family!
- thankful for a God who grieves with us and hurts with us when tragedy strikes. Still praying!
- thankful for the time Phil and I get to spend with the Pitt family! Tonight we read 6 books, put together 5 puzzles and enjoyed a delicious meal of pork and mashed potatoes!
- thankful for her crockpot and simple recipes for delicious potato soup!
- thankful for dinner plans tomorrow with her friend and "sister-in-law" Kelsey Sutherlin!
- thankful for early morning bakery trips with Lynae Stafford!
- thankful for triple dates with Phil Travis, Gail Evans Ruhl and Joe, and Patrick Ruhl and Jen Jones!
- thankful for the Christian family we have found at Elmwood Church of Christ!

Prayers Please

2010-11-16T13:47:00.005-05:00

I will be honest up front and say that I have sat staring at the "new post" page on my blog everyday for the past week. I have been terrible at updating and a week ago today I made a new commitment to update more regularly but the things that I put on here seem so trivial now.

Last Wednesday morning I woke up to find out that a friend of mine had tragically passed away after falling from his tree stand. I have been trying to put in to words what is going through my mind all week but it all seems too much to write down. Maybe this is too public of a place and that is what scares me.

This tragedy has shattered the hearts of so many. People I love and care about so deeply. The Rochester College community was, and still remains, an incredible blessing to me. A special bond is created when you attend such a small Christian school. A special bond was especially created in the Rochester College Acapella chorus that I had the privilege of being a part of for 3 years. It was in choir that I met Jeremy and Veronica. Jeremy was a gifted singer and worship leader. He was an incredible man of God with a fire for life. He could make you laugh for hours about the silliest things. Veronica and Jeremy both played a huge role in my decision to be re-baptized in September of 2004. They were there for me when I struggled with the decision to change my major and they were there when Phil and I started dating and 4 years later when we were married.

My heart hurts for Veronica, who yesterday buried her best friend, her rock, her husband. My heart aches for their children, four year old Faith and three year old Caleb, who think the world of their dad and will have to adjust to life without him. My heart aches for Carter, Jeremy and Veronica's unborn son who will never meet his incredible daddy. My heart aches for Jon, Steve, Chris, David, Dan and many others who lost their best friend.

I am feeling numb, shattered, guilty, heart broken, and at a loss for words. I am struggling with feelings of selfishness, hurt, anger and confusion. I have been walking around feeling numb.

I know that my God hurts along with me. I know that I am being called to a new higher standard of living. I know that Jeremy is in heaven praising our God in the largest most beautiful choir we could ever imagine. I know that one day we will meet again.

Please continue to keep Veronica and her sweet children in your prayers as they adjust to this new reality.

If you would like to help donations can be sent to the Rochester Church of Christ, 250 Avon Road, Rochester Hills MI 48307 (memo = "member care" or directly deposited to any Chase Bank. Deeper Still Ministries - Acct #879368868 - all proceeds for deeperstill are now being directed straight to Veronica. If you would like to send an encouraging note I would be happy to pass along Veronica's email address to you or you are welcome to visit her blog.

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Bad Blogger

2010-11-09T15:37:00.002-05:00

I apologize for being an AWFUL blogger lately! Awesome things have been going on in our lives and I haven't wanted to take time away to sit down at the computer and blog about any of it. I promise that I will blog a few more times this week and then try and be back to my regular blogging habits. Here are things that you can expect to see on the blog this month:

- If you made your "10-year old dream" job in to your career what would you be doing today
- My Stock pile
- Thankfulness
- How I ended up as a Prevention Educator
- Must Do Lists:: Rochester, Holland and Berkley, MI
- My favorite Coffee Shops

Baking by the Dozen

2010-10-25T18:50:00.003-04:00

This weekend my long time friend, Jennifer, came to town. Jennifer and I have known eachother since 1986. We grew up as neighbors and have continued to stay close friends. Jennifer is the kind of friend that no matter the distance between you, you can always pick up right where you left off. This weekend lived up to that! Jen came down from Chicago on Saturday morning. We spent some time catching up and relaxing before heading out to the farmers market, a tour of Purdue, and the grocery store for some last minute items for our very first cooking Extravaganza! We hope to make this a quarterly tradition. This month we were baking!

We started with Cinnamon Raisin Swirl bread from scratch! YUM! We made two large loaves.

Then we moved on to Pumpkin chocolate Chip muffins and mini-loaves. We made 2 dozen muffins and 4 mini loaves.

We finished with 2 Apple Cinnamon Raisin Muffins, 4 mini loaves and 1 large loaf!

In January I will be making the trip up to Chicago (closer to Wisconsin) to make several batches of SOUP, CHILI and STEW!

Here are a few pictures of our weekend.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap:: Bacon Mac n' Cheese

2010-10-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago Phil and I were watching a show on Food Network called, America's Best: Comfort Food. They featured Ann Arbor Michigan's own, Zingermans for their Poblano and Bacon Mac N' Cheese. We knew we had to try this stuff but we aren't planning a long enough trip home until mid-December and that is just too long to wait! We decided to look up and try to make it ourselves.

During our mealtime we tallied the total cost of this macaroni and cheese compared to the terrible for you, boxed, Kraft Mac N' Cheese. The price of making a batch of this macaroni and cheese (which would easily serve a family of 6) is the same amount of money that it would cost to purchase 3 boxes of the Kraft variety.

Phil was a bit skeptical because he really doesn't prefer homemade macaroni and cheese however he gave this recipe a pretty high rating on the scale and has eaten leftovers several days in a row! We encourage you to try this recipe out! It is the perfect, quick and cheap comfort food for a cold fall evening!

Bacon Mac N' Cheese
12 ounces penne pasta
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

1. Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add 1 cup milk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until it cools to 155°. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta; toss. Spoon into a 2-quart broiler-safe dish coated with cooking spray; top with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes. (Be sure to preheat the broiler).

View more frugal recipes at Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap.

ENJOY!

Wordless Wednesday :: Fall in Indiana

2010-10-20T17:10:00.002-04:00

Meijer Deals

2010-10-18T13:36:00.003-04:00

Meijer is my all time favorite grocery store. If it wasn't almost 20 minutes away from my house I would shop there ALL the time!

This week they are having some pretty awesome deals on halloween candy and some must have items in the Travis household.

If you haven't had a chance to check Meijer out now is the perfect time to start!

Deals this week include:

Jif Peanut Butter - 1.99
Smuckers Jelly and Jam - 1.99
Michigan Apples - .59 a lb.
Land O' Lakes Butter - 1 lb. 2/$6
Cream Cheese - 4/$5
Speedstick Deodorant 2/$4
Feria Hair Color $7.99
Dynamite Laundry Detergent 100oz - 4.49

Grocery Cart Challenge::Recipe Swap::Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

2010-10-15T09:29:00.003-04:00

A few months ago I purchased the cookbook Simply In Season and we are just now getting around to trying some of the recipes. We started with this one and it was DELICIOUS!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

1 25oz can of black beans (warmed on the stove or in the microwave)
2 large sweet potato (cooked then shredded)
6 whole wheat tortillas
1 onion, chopped small
3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons oregano
1.5 teaspoon chili powder
1.5 teaspoon basil.
Bunch of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the sweet potato and shred it. In a skillet saute onion and garlic, add seasonings and then add the sweet potato. Place tortillas on a baking sheet top with sweet potato mixture, black beans and cheddar cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Fold over to make a quesadilla and enjoy with salsa and/or sour cream!

For more recipe ideas check out the Grocery Cart Challenge blog!

A Memorable Babysitting Job

2010-10-14T09:01:00.005-04:00

Kathy over at Mama Kat posts weekly writing prompts. It works like this: you choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back and sign Mr. McLinky. Be sure to sign up with the actual post URL and not just your basic blog URL (click on the title of your post for that URL). For good comment karma try to comment on the three blogs above your name!!

The Prompts this week are:
1.) ….and then I realized it was all a dream.
2.) The biggest Halloween trick (or prank) you ever pulled.
3.) Why I’m not inviting my mother to read my blog…
4.) Share a photo that represents how you see yourself.
5.) A memorable babysitting job.

I chose the last prompt to write about.

I do not have just one memorable moment while babysitting. I have many and they are all positive! Babysitting was a huge part of my life. I often babysat 2-3 times a week. I was one of the best if not the best babysitters. I don't mean that to sound cocky but I seriously was and I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I loved babysitting and I still do! I didn't look at it as a job instead it was a time for me to kick back, relax and create some really great memories for myself and the kids I was watching.

I have babysat for numerous families over the course of my 16 year career. The families that stick out in my mind the most are families who I spent multiple years with. I have watched their kids grow (some in to their 2nd year of college) and I believe that I have contributed to the people they are today. These families are: The Best-Pero's, Calverley's, Debbrecht's, Gorman's, Magnusson's, McGranes, Ruffner's, Schultz',Sier's and Wudyka's. I continue to babysit now that I am married for families here in Lafayette and I love it!

I started my career babysitting at a young age. I can't exactly remember how old I was when my next door neighbor Maureen had Patrick but it was somewhere around 10. I would go over to their house most days after Maureen got home from work to help with Patrick while she started dinner. I continued to babysit for the Siers until I was in college, Patrick was almost 10 himself and he had two other siblings, Nathan and Mary.

Another moment that sticks out in my mind is the story behind how I got my first "part-time babysitting job". This job was for the Calverley family. My dad and I were headed down our street on a walk one fall afternoon when we heard some commotion from new neighbors that we hadn't met yet. It turns out that their dog, Willie, had decided to hunt a squirrel and said squirrel was laying bloody in their front yard. My dad decided to stop and help MaryBeth clean up the dog. I headed home, too much blood for my liking. They struck up a conversation about babysitting and I landed my first job on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 3pm - 6pm for two girls, Haley (6) and Cassie (3). I babysat for the Calverley girls and their younger brother Jack until they moved up north in 2001 (I think but I try and block that memory out of my mind).

Another babysitting memory is from when I went to interview for a job in college. It was for the Gorman family (Alexis at the time was 10 and Ashley was 7). I was certain that I had failed the interview. I confessed to them my extreme dislike of big dogs (they had a german shepherd golden retriever mix), and the fact that I the only time I rode a horse was in 5th grade and I cried until they let me get off and sit that event out. The youngest daughter Ashley wouldn't say two words to me and I was certain that I would need to find employment elsewhere. But little did I know that I was given raving recommendations from past employers and it turns out the girls did like me they just needed time to warm up to me. That was also the case for me and the animals. Abby is on of the only dogs I will say I actually love and after 3 years of horse lessons, I can brush a horse, clean out shoes, put on a saddle and even feed Kassie an apple from my hand. Those 3 years were some of the best years of my life and loved sharing every minute of it with Rich, Kim, Alexis, Ashley, Abby, Snickers and Kassie!

Throughout my babysitting career many memorable moments were created. We did crafts, went on walks, took vacations together, jumped for countless hours on the trampoline, went to horseback riding lessons, played with play-doh, went to the library, rode bikes, played at the park, played in the leaves, went to Disneyland, played baseball, went sledding, took Dairy Queen runs and many more fun activities.

The people I babysat for become more than just employers to me they were and still are some of my best friends. We have gone through a lot emotionally together. Many of them were there when I swam in my first swim meet at Berkley High, attended my first dance, broke up with boyfriends, fought with friends, graduated high school, decided what college I was going to attend, first met Phil, got engaged to Phil, and married Phil. I still talk with them today and I try and visit most of them at least once a year when I am home in Michigan. I can't believe how much they grow in between the times I visit and I cherish the notes, pictures and phone calls I receive in the mean time. These memories and kids will always be a part of my life.

With that I will leave you with a picture collage of some of my favorite people :) For some reason I don't have scanned pictures of all the kids I babysat so a few are missing.

A day to celebrate!

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of me and one of my favorite people, Kelsey! Kelsey is one of the first friends I had when I moved here. Kelsey is always there for her friends when they need her most. She is one of the funniest people I have met! I am so glad to have her as my friend and sister. Today is a special day for Kelsey, it is her BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday Sweet Kelsey!
Can't wait to celebrate with you on Thursday! Love you!

A date at Turkey Run State Park

2010-10-12T15:46:00.006-04:00

This week both Philip and I had Monday off of work. My day off was due to Columbus day and Philip is going to be working Tuesday - Sunday so he decided to take Monday off so we could do something fun. However this week my idea of fun and his didn't quite match up so we compromised and had a fabulous day. We slept in until 9am (Phil's request), packed a picnic lunch and headed out on the open road toward Turkey Run State Park.

We had heard fabulous things about this park and we were wanting to experience some of the beautiful changing leaves. The drive wasn't long at all and in about 1 hour we found ourselves turning off the main road and heading down a winding street in search of a few covered bridges!

Our first bridge sighting :)

We finally arrived at the park and got in for a dollar less than the real price. I looked up the price online and left the house with exactly $4 cash but when we arrived the lady told us that they raised their prices in June to $5. She let us in for $4 after we explained that it was all the cash we had. So nice.

After a quick pit stop we set out in search of trail #3. Reagan and Joe had warned us it was rugged and boy were they right. We climbed up rocks, through creeks and down ladders into valleys! It was so fun! Here are some pictures of our day!

After we hiked we enjoyed our picnic lunch (with a few bumblebee interuptions) and mapped out our next adventure, find more bridges. This was the compromise of the trip. I had wanted to go to the covered bridge festival and Phil had not so we compromised. A trip to Turkey Run and then we would find a few bridges to drive by/through. We found a map and decided to take a half hour drive through the country to see 6 bridges! It was fun, relaxing and beautiful.

The fall colors are great this time of year! Everyone should take some time to enjoy them!

Repost :: Save $500 before Christmas

2010-10-07T14:53:00.003-04:00

My blog-world-friend, Gayle, from Grocery Cart Challenge posted some great tips for saving some Christmas Cash between now and the much anticipated December 25th!

Gayle's blog is one of the first "frugal living" blogs I started reading. Gayle is real in her blog and I like that. She knows she is frugal and sometimes that makes us the "odd duck" and she isn't afraid to take a stand for saving money!

I think that many of my readers could learn something from her so here is my first repost:

"Right about this time of year is when I start the Holiday Budget Panic.. I hate to bring this up, but did you now there are about 11 weeks until December 25th? If you haven’t started saving for it yet and hope to avoid the biggest frugal no-no; the “Credit Card Christmas“, never fear. Here are some simple ideas to boost your holiday gift giving budget in a very big way" -- Gayle @ Grocery Cart Challenge

Here are some of her VERY helpful hints::

* An average fast food lunch is around $6. If you replaced this with a homemade lunch just two times a week for the 11 weeks until Christmas, your total savings would be $132. That’s a great start and your waistline will thank you too.

* Instead of buying that magazine or book you’ve been wanting to read, check it out at the library. If you normally buy one $5 magazine a month that’s a savings of $15. If you buy one $14 book per month you’ll be squirreling away another $42.

* Do you go through a $2 roll of paper towels each week? Use rags instead and save another $22.

* Is it normal to grab a $3.50 latte on your way to work every morning? Don’t completely deprive yourself. Drink coffee from home just three times a week and you’ll save $115.50.

* Is your car ready for an oil change? The average household has two cars. If you did two $20 oil changes yourself you’d save another $40.

* Any boys in the house? Save yourself a monthly $12 haircut and use the clippers to get the job done. That’s an accumulated savings of $36 per head.

* Take advantage of those cell phone plans. Most cellular providers offer free long distance during certain hours. A land line call can run you a good $20 for that monthly call home to your family. For the next three months use your cell phone during those set hours and save $60.

* Did you purchase mortgage insurance with your house? Guess what? If you have 20% equity or more in your home, whether it’s from paying your mortgage down or because property values have risen, you can cancel that thing. The average homeowner pays $45 per month. That will save you $135.

I bet there are many more areas that you can save in but see how easy it is to accumulate some extra money in a short amount of time? So grab your calculator and get creative. Challenge yourself to a debt free holiday season and come January you’ll rest easy knowing that the mailman won’t be delivering any extra bills in your mailbox. Good Luck!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T23:26:00.001-04:00

Meijer Stock Up

2010-10-05T15:40:00.002-04:00

As you learned in my post about emptying the freezer we are not in need of a lot of groceries right now but that doesn't mean that our budget for the month of October goes untouched. Instead we are using our usual grocery budget to stock up on some important household items.

Last night we took a trip to our favorite grocery store, Meijer, and stocked up on some much needed items:

two Kleenex 3-packs (200 count)-- 3.99 a piece
two tubes of Colgate toothpaste (6oz) -- $1.50 a piece
two 3G allergen furnace filters -- $16
12 meijer brand energy efficient light bulbs -- $12.99
black facepaint for Phil's halloween costume
feminine products -- $4.50
Meijer brand paper towels -- $1.99 (we need these for emergency LIFE group mishaps)

There are certain times a year when I will stock up on certain items. The prices fluctuate throughout the year and right now is a cheap time to stock up on tissues and furnace filters. I don't keep a price book. I know for the most part the lowest price I have paid for something and I try and keep that in mind for stocking up and I will tell you right now that $3.99 is a heck of a deal for 600 tissues! I think I used 10 just last night :)

Quite the bargain

2010-10-03T15:53:00.002-04:00

A few nights ago Phil and I stopped by our local grocery store on the way to church to pick up ice cream for the September Birthdays celebration. As we were making our way to the checkout we passed by the "markdowns" section. Usually it is just a table with random things that they haven't been able to sell. There usually aren't that great of deals but this week something caught my eye....

There was a box of this:

and a box of this:

Cascadian Farms is one of the top cereal brands on the list of "ethical" companies from the better world shopper. There cereal is also organic making it REALLY pricey. I was a little worried on how we would pull off cereal purchases in our small grocery budget and this will do just the trick. We purchased these boxes for $1.79 a piece! A total savings of $3.42!

Faith & Our Consumer Choices

2010-09-30T22:05:00.004-04:00

This past weekend Phil and I attended a retreat about food and faith. Our dear friend from Michigan came down and shared her personal journey with us about why she believes food and faith matter. She challenged us to think about this question:

What ordinary moments in your life do you find God in?

and this question,

What are some places in you life where you can cultivate a deeper relationship with God?

Phil and I both left that retreat feeling renewed and energized. We left the retreat with clear steps that we wanted to take as a couple to be more conscious of the purchases we make and how that affects others and God's creation. We have decided to explore more the connection our faith has with the food we eat and the products we purchase. We want to do our part as Christians to make this creation a better and safer place for all. We can make small choices that can and will impact someone else in a positive way.

This is going to be a journey. Things aren't going to change in our lives right away but we are taking it one step at a time. Exploring what it means to think about our consumer choices from a spiritual point of view.

We started tonight by researching a website called, Better World Shopper. It rates organizations and companies on an ethics scale giving them letter grades (A-F). Phil and I have decided that we are going to be more conscientious about the purchases we make. We are going to try and purchase only products from companies with a “C” or higher rating. Phil started today by switching his new work computer purchase from Dell to HP. One step at a time….

Menu Plan Monday on Tuesday

2010-09-28T13:13:00.001-04:00

Here is my menu plan. Yesterday I didn't have time to devote to creating a good menu plan so I set it aside until I had time to really explore my options and come up with the most cost effective and time sensitive menu for our busy lives this week! Here it is:

Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup with Garlic Cheesy Rolls
Tuesday: Hobo Stew with a Side Salad
Wednesday: OUT
Thursday: Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes Quesadillas
Sunday: Baked Potato Bar with our LIFE group.

The great freezer clean out

2010-09-22T22:53:00.003-04:00

In preparation for lots of meat from the quarter of a cow we are purchasing and winter soups (YUM!) the Travis freezer is in need of a MAJOR clean out! Earlier this week I spent some time cataloging everything that is currently in our freezer and came up with a list of 18 meals that I can make with what is in my freezer. We also have several odds and ends. Fruits for muffins and smoothies and lots of frozen veggies to be used in soups!

Not only is the "great freezer clean out" practical it will also save us money on our grocery budget for the next few weeks! Here is the list of meals I will be making out of items only from my pantry and freezer:

-Turkey Tettrazini
-Hobo Stew (x2)
-Breakfast for Dinner
-Poblano Bacon Macaroni and Cheese
-Chicken Chili
-Steak and Potatoes
-Hawaiian Pork in the Crockpot
-Scallop Potatoes with Ham
-Meatballs
-Potato chowder soup
-Perogis with stir fry peppers and onions
-Spinach Ravioli
-Black Bean Casserole
-Kung Pao Chicken with Jasmine Rice
-Chicken Enchiladas
-Cherry Chicken
-3 cheese tortellini
-Home made chicken noodle soup

There you have it folks. 18 meals! You should take a look in your freezer. I bet you would be surprised at how many delicious meals you can make!

Wordless Wednesday :: favorite snack

2010-09-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

Mission Work

2010-09-20T14:27:00.010-04:00

I don't often use this blog to talk about religion, God or our ministry but this weekend I was really convicted after listening to our dear friends Josh and Gina give their mission report from Malaysia this Sunday.

I am going to start writing more about the wonderful journey we are on here in Indiana bringing the "good news" to the students of Purdue University. So here it goes......

I have struggled for many years being at peace with my spiritual calling. I pray for and long for a greater sense of purpose in my walk with Christ and ultimately in my life. I have many friends from college and growing up who have ventured out in to this world to bring the good news of Jesus to those who don't know of his love or experience it on a daily basis. I long to travel to the remote villages of Africa or South America or love on the thousands of orphans in India and Russia but that is not where I have been called to go and I think I am finally at peace with that.

At our church we have what we call our Mission Wall. On this wall flags hang from foreign countries where we have sent or supported missionaries. Right up next to France, China, Thailand and Malaysia hangs the flag of Purdue University. How awesome to see our mission field right along side those foreign mission fields.

I need reminders like this often that everyone has a different calling in their life and that it is okay that I am not traveling across the world to bring the good news. Instead my heart is with the mission field here in our own backyard in good old West Lafayette, Indiana on the campus of Purdue University.

Stay tuned for more on how our ministry here came to be.....

Menu Plan Monday

2010-09-20T11:59:00.003-04:00

This week I am working on a checklist of freezer and pantry items. Check back on Thursday for my plans with that. However we have a few yummy things on the menu for this week!

Monday: Leftover Spinach Ravioli with Cucumbers and Carrots
Tuesday: Hershey Chocolate Chicken from Dream Dinners with Red Skin Potatoes and Green Beans
Wednesday: OUT to eat before church
Thursday: Waffles for Dinner :)
Friday: @ the 20 Somethings Retreat - make your own pizzas
Saturday: @ the 20 Somethings Retreat - Roast Beef and Root Veggies from Farmers Market
Sunday: LIFE group @ the LePages - Not sure what I am bringing yet

Thrown Together Salad

2010-09-15T09:33:00.002-04:00

Salad is one of my favorite foods. We eat a lot of salad in our house because it is just so easy. However easy isn't salads only attractive trait. Salad is also SO versatile. You can throw together a salad with the most basic ingredients. We love to just pull things out of our fridge and see what we get.

My friend Holly, over at Jesse's Girls, has started a series of sorts called "Salad for Studs" where they are highlighting some of their favorite healthy and filling salad recipes.

Phil and I started by making their Barley Romaine Salad. Romaine is our favorite lettuce to use so we already had it on hand. Actually the only ingredient we had to purchase for this salad was the barley and an avocado (wish we lived in a place where I could just go pick one of these off a tree but we don't).

This week we tried our hand at our own "Salad for Studs" (plus red meat, which may disqualify it from being a salad for those watching their weight). Our good friends, Dan and Vicky, came over and we all brought our favorite salad ingredients from the fridge and pantry. We ended up with quite a lot: Romaine, Spinach, sugar pears, craisins, sunflower seeds, green peppers, yellow and red peppers, purple onion, homemade croutons, freshly ground black pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, zucchini, yellow squash, lemon juice, and olive oil. We topped our salads with a few pieces of steak and dug in!

It was delicious and fun! My challenge to you is to try something new atop your bed of lettuce. Dig through your pantry, head out to your farmers market or your own garden and see what you come up with. Or head over to Holly's site and try a few of her other recipes!

A Corn Maze

2010-09-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday we had the pleasure of entertaining a houseguest! One of our students, Jeremy, girlfriend was visiting from Vincennes and needed a place to stay. It was fun to get to know Kacey and spend some quality time with the two of them. We had a yummy dinner of Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans and then headed out to Exploration Acres corn maze.

We trusted Phil to lead us. He was certain he could read the "map" and get us through the 3.1 mile maze safely and quickly....

He and Jeremy decided to take a different approach to getting us out of the maze. It was similar to leap frog....Jeremy was to jump off Phil's back and try and spot a "punch box" which would give us a point on the map to work from.

If you haven't been out to the maze I suggest you go sometime this fall! They are open until the 31st of October. It only took us about 10 minutes to get there from the south side of town. It is just off SR-52. The sunset was beautiful from there. I would suggest going at dusk or if you want more of a challenge you can head out in the dark. They are open until 11pm on Saturdays!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-09-09T13:39:00.002-04:00

I have been terrible about posting. A work trip to Denver and a quick trip to Michigan for the day has put me a bit behind on my work and home to-do list. My family is on there way here as I type this....because today is my BIRTHDAY!

Yesterday I was feeling less than excited for my birthday and the weekend but now I am feeling so loved and blessed. I sent some prayers up yesterday (along with the help of my friend Danae) and I am reaping the benefits today! Over 50 friends have wished me a happy birthday on FACEBOOKs. Birthdays weren't nearly as exciting before FACEBOOK. It may seem a bit impersonal but it is so fun to wake up and read so many posts from friends and loved ones all across America wishing you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I woke up to a beautiful card from my loving husband and a very fun birthday gift on my front porch from my friend and "sister", Kelsey!

Tonight I will celebrate with a birthday dinner at Khana Kazana with Phil, my mom, my grandma and Becky! I am pretty excited about some yummy Indian food with some of my favorite people!

Two years ago today......

2010-08-30T17:54:00.003-04:00

I married my best friend!

Here we are on our wedding day. Happy as can be.....

One year later we celebrated together in Atlanta, GA .....

Today we are still as happy as can be and still celebrating.

Cleaning the Sink

2010-08-27T11:02:00.003-04:00

There is something so refreshing about cleaning the kitchen sink. This morning I emptied the sink of Phil's cereal bowl and then went to town giving it a deep clean. I used tricks from flylady.net. Fly lady says that having a clean sink gives you a "sense of accomplishment". You probably are rolling your eyes right now unless of course you have actually taken the time to "shine your sink".

Here are the steps that I used:
1. Take all the dishes out of the sink.
2. Put the plus in. Run some very hot water into the sink. Fill to the rim.
3. Add 1/4 cup of Lysol Cleaner (fly lady suggests bleach but we are trying to not use bleach in our house)
4. Rinse your sink well.
5. Use some cleanser (Comet, Ajax, or Baking Soda) and scrub your sink. I use Bar Keepers Friend since my sink is stainless steel.
6. Make sure you clean down near the drain. This is on of the "germiest" places in your house.
7. Take a sharp edge and clean around the rim of the sink, just like you would clean dirt out from under your fingernails.
8. Clean around the faucets too. You may need an old toothbrush or dental floss.
9. Now, get out your window cleaner, I use Windex, and give it a good shine.

I took my cleaning one step further. I took a rag and dipped it in the hot water with Lysol and proceeded to clean all of my cupboard doors and handles. Some of them were a bit grimy. I haven't taken on the FlyLady's next challenge which is to have a zone that you focus on for a whole week and do a deep clean while still accomplishing all of your other cleaning chores for the week. I typically clean every room of my house once a week but I am going to try and work on the Zones for September and October in preparation for the long winter indoors. Today I focused a bit on the outer parts of my kitchen. When I get back from Denver I will focus on inside the cupboards and cleaning out the pantry. I also will brave the cleaning of the inside of the oven. One of my least favorite jobs!

I encourage you to take 15 minutes out of your day, TODAY, to try this little "shine your sink" trick. I promise you'll feel great afterward!

Lowest Weekly Grocery Bill in the History of the Travis Household

2010-08-24T12:57:00.002-04:00

The title of this post pretty much says it all! This week I made a trip to Meijer and managed to get almost all I will need for the week for less than $20!

Yes, TWENTY DOLLARS. You did read that correctly.

Granted our menu plan involves several times where we will be "eating away from home" but we aren't going to be paying for those meals. Monday we had the CSC BBQ and Friday we will have the CSC Progressive Dinner. Both of which will be paid for by the church. Tomorrow night we will go out to eat before church but that will likely cost us less than $20 as well.

Here is what I was able to score for $20.

2 Limes
2 Lemons (to flavor my H20)
3 White Peaches (for smoothies)
2 Pears
3 lbs of Red Seedless Grapes
2 cans of Black Beans
2 cans of Diced Tomatoes
6 ears of sweet corn
2 cans of Progresso Soups (Phil LOVES these for lunches)
1 bag of Sourdough Pretzels
2 boxes of Ronzoni Smart Taste Spaghetti
1 can of Water Chesnuts

I helped that Meijer is having a serious produce sale. Their Pears, grapes, and peaches were all 99 cents a pound. The corn is on sale 6 ears for 2 bucks. They are also having a 10 for 10 which is how I got the Beans, Tomatoes, Pasta and Soup!

I have a lot of food stored in my pantry that I have purchased on a good deal as well as several things in the freezer! Leftovers don't get thrown away at my house. I usually stash them in the freezer for another meal or we have them for lunch.

This week I will be making Black Bean Casserole with Corn Tortillas that have been in the freezer for a month since I made Chicken Enchiladas last. I will also be making Asian Chicken Wraps with the Tortillas leftover from 2 weeks ago that are in the fridge.

On Saturday I purchased a Red Pepper at the Farmers Market for $2.

Tonight I will have to stop by the store for Milk, Lettuce and Lunch Meat and then our shopping will be complete. Overall I will have spent $30 this week! Let's see if I can make this a habit!

My Other Blog

2010-08-24T12:48:00.002-04:00

My posts here at Captivating Heart have been lacking lately and for that I apologize.

However my time has been spent sprucing up my other blog. Before you cry jealousy on behalf of Captivating Heart my other blog is not a personal one. It is for my husband, Phil work or should I say our ministry.

Phil is the campus minister for the Elmwood Church of Christ. He spends his days at the church owned home on the campus of Purdue University. Yesterday was the first day of classes hence the busyness of our lives. This weekend on top of having our first Youth and Family Ministry candidate in town Phil was also preaching and preparing for the weeks activities.

The first week of school we try and have an event each night at the Christian Student Center (CSC). This allows the students to slowly ease in to the school year with a little relaxation and fun in the evenings with close friends. It also allows our incoming freshman to get to know Phil and I as well as the other students who come to the CSC. These activities are also a great time for students to invite friends, dorm mates, room mates, co-workers and random people they see on the sidewalk to fellowship with us.

We entice students with free food, kickball, corn hole, movies and loving kindness.

You can read more about what goes on at the Christian Student Center on My other Blog!

Fluke Frugal Gift turns in to a Tradition

2010-08-17T15:59:00.002-04:00

It was August 28th of 2009 and our 1 year wedding anniversary was just 2 days away. I had already planned for and ordered Phil's gift to go along with the traditional anniversary gift theme of Paper (a book punch that said "The Library of Philip S. Travis") but it wasn't going to arrive until after our Anniversary date.

One day I was browsing some frugal living blogs. I had just started exploring and learning from my online "friends" this way of living. I stumbled across a blog about Walgreens and their free 8 by 10 collage in the photo department. It was perfect!

I immediately uploaded pictures of the first year of our marriage and voila I had the perfect gift to give to Phil on our actual anniversary. The picture collage now hangs prominently on our fridge. Here is the collage after being attacked with a nerf gun by our friend, Tanner.

This year I planned early (we are getting cotton sheets 600 thread) but decided that it would be fun to make a collage for every year of our marriage. Since I am now an experience frugalista I hoped online and did a quick search for the best deal. I found out that Snap Fish is now giving away a free 8 by 10 collage PLUS free shipping. So our second year of marriage collage will arrive in 5 business days!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-08-16T13:22:00.003-04:00

This week I am making a challenge for Phil and I. No impulse buys, minimal trips to the grocery and minimal carb/starch items for dinner. We will not be indulging in a lot of bread, potatoes, chips etc. as a part of our meal plan this week. Little changes like this are helping us to think more about what we are putting in our bodies.

Here is our plan for the week:

Sunday: Honey BBQ Chicken with Green Beans and Refridgerator Pickles
Monday: Polynesian Steaks and Quinoa with Green Beans and Salad (Romaine Lettuce)
Tuesday: Summer BBQ at our House with the 20-Somethings group from Church. We will be providing Burgers (Turkey), All Beef Hot Dogs, and Bratwurst, Buns, Relish, Ketchup, Mustard and Buns (Whole Wheat and Slims)
Wednesday: Taco Salad with leftover Turkey Meat from Tuesday
Thursday: Cherry Chicken with Asparagus and Quinoa
Friday: Whole Wheat Waffles with Turkey Bacon and Scrambled Eggs
Saturday: Not Sure Yet of Our Plans

It's Wedding Season: Erin and John

2010-08-15T17:13:00.004-04:00

Erin is one of the first people I ever met after moving to Lafayette. She was in the youth group when Phil first moved to Lafayette. We have created a lot of memories together over the past 3 years and spent some quality time getting to know one another. This weekend she married a friend she met at Spring Mill Bible Camp, John. It was so beautiful to see Erin sparkle yesterday with happiness. Phil had the pleasure of doing the bible reading at the wedding. He did a fabulous job and we were honored to be a part of their special day. We pray that God will bless their marriage!

Here are a few pictures of the day:

My "sister in-law" Kelsey and I before the ceremony

My adopted daughter, Jen and I at the reception

Very fun centerpieces :) Erin's color theme was orange and blue

Sweet Annabelle and I

My handsome husband :)

Homemade Cucumbers

2010-08-15T17:05:00.003-04:00

Last week our good friends were out of town which meant their garden needed some tending to. Phil and I took a field trip over there and picked some cucumbers, roma tomatoes, banana peppers and poblano peppers. My plan was to can salsa and make homemade cucumbers. I chickened out though and and just went with the cucumbers.

I used my friend Lynae's recipe and it was really quite simple. Here are some pictures:

It's Wedding Season: Elizabeth and Ben

2010-08-02T15:28:00.003-04:00

On Saturday July 24th, Phil and I headed out with our dear friends Jen and Patrick to Kokomo, Indiana for the wedding of two of our students, Elizabeth and Ben. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. The church has floor to ceiling windows that made you feel as if the wedding was outside. If I attended this church on a regular basis I may have a hard time concentrating on the sermon. Elizabeth chose green and yellow as her colors and it made it very summer like! They participated in the sand ceremony which was really neat to see. Yellow sand for Ben's family, Green Sand for Elizabeth's family and White sand to remind them that God should be always present in their lives. It will be a neat reminder for them of their wedding day.

We sat with Jen and Patrick, Jeremy and Patrick's parents are the reception. We had a blast catching up with one another, telling jokes and clanking the plastic pitcher together to make enough noise so that B & E would have to kiss.

Here are a few pictures from the night:

2010-07-26T17:38:00.002-04:00

This week Phil's dad, Scott and brother, Alex are here helping "us" re-do our roof. This project has been in the making since we bought our house. We needed a new roof bad but wanted to save up some money and do it ourselves. We were able to get all the materials from a local building company here in Lafayette called Henry Poor. Their customer service was great and their prices even better. They delivered the supplies right to the roof for $10 one sixth of the cost it would have been to have a "BIG NAME" store do it. The weather has also cooperated so nicely. We had a bit of rain Saturday night but today it has been in the 80's with a fair amount of cloud cover making spending the entire day on the roof more bearable for the boys.

For this weeks menu plan we are cooking for 2 more than normal and I am trying to make sure there is variety!

Monday: Cousin Amanda's Taco Salad - a family favorite at picnics and Corn on the Cob
Tuesday: Pork Roast, Potatoes, Onions and Green Beans
Wednesday: Burgers on the Grill, Red and Green Carmen Peppers Grilled and Chips
Thursday: Out to Applebees as a Thank you to Scott and Alex
Friday: Waffles and Turkey Bacon!
Saturday: Katy out to Pepes for Erin's party and Phil on his own

Our Garden

2010-07-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our garden is doing SO well! We just harvested our 4th cucumber! YUM! I just love to eat them right out of the garden. Here are some pictures. I can't WAIT for more things to be ready to enjoy!

Family Visit

2010-07-13T17:26:00.003-04:00

Last week I had the pleasure of taking the entire week off work and spending it with Phil, my mom and my grandma and grandpa Flynn. It was GLORIOUS! Each morning we woke up and enjoyed coffee and breakfast together out on the deck. We spent our days doing projects, sight seeing and just enjoying each others company.

Monday we were able to get our deck stained. It looks fabulous with the newly spray painted green chairs.

Tuesday we went antiquing and scored a fabulous Hoosier cabinet for the future baby nursery. No I am not pregnant but I can be prepared just in case. We will use it as a changing table. I really love it. It is red and white which is really fun!

Wednesday we went blueberry picking in the morning and then spent the afternoon baking a pie and muffins.

Then my mom and grandma made my curtains for my living room. The colors really brighten the place up and make it more homey.

We also painted our shutters! I love how different this makes our house look!

Thursday Mom and I challenged Phil and Grandpa to a boys vs. girls golf match! It was fun. Mostly because mom and I won!

Friday it was time to say goodbye. I really enjoyed having my family here and was sad to see them leave. I appreciate all the work they helped us do

Menu Plan Monday

2010-07-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

My family is here to visit this week so things are sort of up in the air as far as menu planning is concerned. We have some projects that we will be working on that will keep us pretty busy plus it is supposed to be SUPER hot out so we won't want to use the oven too much. Here are some things we will be making. However I am not sure which days they will go on.

-- Steaks on the Grill with Mashed Potatoes
-- Corn and Brats
-- Spaghetti with homemade sauce from last years canning
-- A Trip to Little Mexico 2 for dinner
-- A Trip to Nine Irish Brothers for lunch on the patio!

For more menu ideas check out orgjunkie.com

Friday Recipe Swap :: Swedish Pancakes

2010-07-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

This recipe was given to me at my wedding shower by my dear friends Nancy and Bekka. I think of them and their entire family each time I make this delicious meal! Please enjoy making this with your family!

Collect the Ingredients

Follow the directions

Measure

Stir

Eat!

For more great recipe ideas visit the Grocery Cart Challenge.

90-Day Boot Camp Challenge

2010-07-01T15:20:00.003-04:00

Beth at over at IN Good Cents and Clair from Mummy Deals are hosting a Budget Boot Camp Challenge. They have chosen 6 women from the blogging world to take their tips for cutting back their budgets and providing for your family and apply them to their own lives. I am not one of the challengers chosen but I thought I would play along and give myself the challenge as well.

Phil and I stick to a pretty good budget but lately we have been eating out too much, not sticking to our meal plan and not adding enough to our savings account. We need a little kick in the rear and boot camp is just the place to get that.

This weeks Challenge is meal planning. The first part of meal planning is simple....it is just planning, and purchasing the necessary items needed. The second part is the challenge and that is sticking to it. This week on Monday, I blogged my menu plan. For the most part we have stuck with it. The only item I needed to buy for this plan was bacon. The rest of the things I already had. On Wednesday we ended up going out to Qdoba where we spent $17 because I was too lazy to make Chicken Ceasar Salad and deliver it to Phil's work. So we failed there but we will stick with it the rest of this week and even add to it with Sunday's meal of Brats and Dogs on the Grill with my family!

Menu planning or meal planning whatever you prefer to call it is a simple way to keep your costs down, avoid impulse buys, stay sain and organized during the busy work week and plan healthy nutritious meals that your families likes. Try it out for a week.

You can find tips for making a meal plan from Beth by clicking here.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-30T12:27:00.001-04:00

This was the view out our front window on Sunday evening. One nice thing about Indiana is the gorgeous sunsets! God is good!

A Few of My Favorite Things :: Cleaning Supplies

2010-06-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

This "series" was originally going to be called "Can't Live Without" but that just left a bad taste in my mouth. Because really if push came to shove I could live without most everything in my house. I would be forced to reevaluate, do some extra planning and adjust my lifestyle but I could live without a lot. So I retitled this series : "A few of my favorite things". Each week I will bring you a few of the staples in my household.

Cleaning is a hobby for me. I love to clean. I inherited this "trait" from my grandmother on my mom's side of the family, Ellen Jane. I clean a little part of my house each day. I always make sure things are tidied up. I have 2 places in my house that are for "junk", The right drawer on the island in the kitchen and the Left half of our Laundry room. Once we stop storing furniture for friends we can hopefully get that room more organized with more shelves. But that is another project for another day and another blog post.

When we moved Phil, my husband, into our house 2 years ago this week my entire family came down to help us clean. We scrubbed the carpet, cleaned the walls, scrubbed the toilets with toothbrushes, cleaned the grout in the kitchen, etc. My grandma and mom purchased and brought with them a lot of the products that they use and I have pretty much stuck with them.

1. Dusting Cloths made out of Old T-shirts: Phil recently went through his drawers for a "spring clean" which means I know have a plethora of dusting cloths. This is good because I like to dust mop daily and I do not like to do laundry daily!
2. Lemi Shine: My friend Courtney Buss introduced me to this product after I was complaining about having foggy glasses. We have well water and a softener which brings about new issues with cleaning dishes that I never experienced in my city life upbringing. At church on the Wednesday after Courtney told me about this product there was a bottle sitting on the table that said "Free Take Me". I was pretty pumped about getting that first bottle free because Lemi Shine is not a cheap household product!
3. A Stack of White Cloths for Cleaning up Spills/Messes in the Kitchen:As part of our effort to "go green" we have stopped buying paper towel. We are going on almost 2 months with no paper towel. Instead I purchased a small wire basket from the Dollar store and we keep clean white dishclothes next to the sink. That way they are easily accessible when we have a spill. There is a tub under the sink for when they get dirty and at the end of the week I collect those and my dusting clothes for the wash.
4. Bar Keepers Friend:A must have for stainless steal sinks and glass top stoves!
5. Spic N Span This is my go to floor cleaner. I wash my floors on my hands and knees once a month, sometimes twice and I just love this soap. Alot goes a long way making it relatively cheap for cleaning supplies plus I LOVE the smell!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-28T08:00:00.003-04:00

Monday: Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Mixed Vegatables and boiled Red Skinned Potatoes (Dream Dinner)
Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner - Crepes and Turkey Bacon (We are trying it out. It was cheaper and it is better than you. Phil is less than thrilled but he will be a trooper and try it with me)
Wednesday: Chicken Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread
Thursday: 20 Somethings Dinner - bringing Corn on the Cob. 5 ears for $1.
Friday: Hawaiian Chicken, Rice and Some sort of Vegetable. We are having a couple from church over to eat with us.
Saturday: Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Roll before heading out to watch the Fireworks!
Sunday: Dinner with Mom, Grandma and Grandpa

Also I scored 3 LARGE Zucchini at the farmers market this weekend for 2 bucks so I will be making some bread and freezing it.

A Trip to Holland

2010-06-23T11:26:00.006-04:00

This weekend we took a trip to Phil's hometown: Holland, Michigan. We were there to celebrate the graduation of his twin younger siblings: Emily and Evan.

It was a short visit just Sunday to Monday but we always try to make the best of our time in one of our favorite places to visit. Sunday we mingled with cousins, grandparents and aunts that we hadn't seen since Thanksgiving/Christmas at the graduation party. Then we went back to Scott and Jill's to celebrate Father's Day and Jill's birthday. We had pizza and just caught up with Phil's siblings.

After dinner we headed out to our favorite place in Holland.

It is there that we enjoy watching the sunset.

Pure Michigan ad anyone?

We look so happy here! I love how the sun is shining on our faces.

Monday morning we woke up and headed downtown with Alex, Phil's youngest sibling. We got coffee at our favorite shop: JP's. Then wandered around to the various stores.

Our last stop the Peanut Shop - An old fashioned Candy Store.

I will leave you with this beautiful picture my wonderful husband took. I love it!

Recipe Swap Friday: Kettle Corn

2010-06-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

It is time again for the recipe swap at Grocery Cart Challenge.

Phil and I stumbled upon this recipe one Friday evening when we both had a sweet tooth and a craving for kettle corn. We googled some recipes and settled on the one that had the simplest ingredients. Armed with our Whirley Pop we made a batch and it was delicious!

Here is what you will need::

A Whirley Pop - Or a Large Pan that you can Shake while the Corn is Popping

2 TBSP Oil (I have used Canola and Vegetable)- 1 Cup unpopped Kernels - 1/4 Cup Sugar - Salt to Taste

Put the Oil in the Popper and turn your stove on HIGH
Add the kernels almost immediately
Once the first kernel pops lift the lid carefully and pour in the sugar
Stir continuously (turning the knob every 10 seconds)
Once all the kernels have stopped popping pour the popcorn into a large bowl. You may need to use a wooden spoon to help get it out. It will be a bit sticky.
Add salt to taste and stir to break up the clumps!
ENJOY!

Our Garden :: 2010

2010-06-16T13:19:00.004-04:00

This year we have 2 gardens. One in our backyard with things we will eat more frequently and one at the Purdue Community Extension Garden. We decided to pay $20 to try out a "for real" garden before taking up some of our grass in our yard. Here is a picture of our first green bean sprout. We have green beans, sugar snap peas, carrots, onions and cauliflower planted at the plot.

Here at home we planted green peppers, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, big boy tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, raspberries, blackberries and rhubarb. YUM!

I have plans on Saturday to make a pie for my father in law out of this rhubarb for fathers day.

This is the home of the Travis' 2011 garde. We will be taking out the grass and tilling the soil in a 15 x 20 plot here on the side of the house. It gets full sun all day long! It will be a bit costly initially but the money we will save on buying food will be worth it!

Our First Camping Trip

2010-06-14T18:21:00.003-04:00

This weekend I slept in a tent for the first time in my entire life! Yes, I am 25 years old and have never slept in a tent. I have gone to Girls Scout Camp and Girl's Camp several times, used Latrines, Slept in a sleeping bag and a camper but never camped in a tent until now.

This past weekend we traveled 2 hours north with 11 of our friends to Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer, Michigan. We borrowed a tent from a friend so we could see if we enjoyed it before purchasing a tent of our own. Most of our friends are seasoned campers and they had a lot of the equipment needed for cooking, cleaning, etc.

The Thursday before we left two of my friends, Vicky and Renee, came over and helped me prep most of the food for the weekend. We wanted to have well balanced meals that were easy to make and required little to no refrigeration. Saturday morning we made scrambled eggs, sausage and toast over the camp stove. For lunch we had Spagetti Salad with Italian Dressing, Carrots, Cucumbers and Celery, Watermelon and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches. Saturday evening we made Hobo Pies (minus the meat) and Brats. It was really yummy even though it rained a little bit while we were cooking. For dessert we had pie filling and bread in the Hoagie Pie Makers! YUMMY!

We spent our time sitting around the campfire, swimming in Lake Michigan, hiking the dunes and playing cards. There was a chance of bad weather but we lucked out and only got about 2 hours of rain during the dinner hour. The sky cleared up and the temperature cooled down just in time for sleeping! It was perfect sleeping weather.

I had never been to Warren Dunes before. It was really pretty! Here we are at the bottom of the dune ready to start the long climb to the top! The boys were able to run it but I made several stops on the way up.

Vicky and I at the very top :) Such a pretty view with a great friend!

I think I surprised most of my family including Phil by liking camping a lot. I can't wait to buy a tent and plan our next trip. We are thinking about planning a trip to southern Indiana in September!

Summer Days

2010-06-04T13:10:00.002-04:00

We are really enjoying this summer weather. Our new open floor plan really helps the air circulate. Which helps us not turn on the A/C. Which keeps our costs down! It has been cooling down in the evening which is really nice!

This weekend we spent time at a friends lakehouse with several of our students. It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend to be out on the water. The sun was hot and the water was warm. I am pretty sure that I am the tannest I have ever been.

Recently my gym, cityfit, was bought out by another larger gym in our area, Newtone. They decided that they didn't make enough money to cover the rent on the building it was in and the landlords wouldn't budge so they closed Cityfit and transfered our memberships to Newtone. It is about 5 minutes farther from my house but they have classes and a pool! I am taking a class called Body Vive and I love it. I am trying to go at least 3 times a week! I am excited to get back in the pool as well!

So far the summer is going really well!

The update to beat all updates

2010-05-28T16:15:00.004-04:00

I am ashamed that I have neglected my blog for so long. I am sure my "faithful" readers are dying to hear from me - all 2 of you. We have really been enjoying the spring/summer months! The weather here pretty much skipped right over spring and went to 80 and sunny! It has been fabulous! I spend my days working on our couch in the living room with the windows open and K-love playing on the radio. It is great!

We ended the Purdue school year with a bang. We had the 13th annual Original Rootbeer Kegger on April 25th. It was a blast even if it did POUR down rain for several hours before, during and after. About 100 students came out to enjoy rootbeer, popcorn, cotton candy and fellowship. Alot of our Elmwood family braved the weather and came out to meet and fellowship with the Purdue students as well.

That next weekend we said goodbye to two of our seniors, Amanda Wise and Erin Simmerman, at the CSC Senior Banquet. Phil and I have really enjoyed the group of students this year! We really bonded and made some great memories. We are looking forward to the 2010-2011 school year!

We have been spending some quality time with some of our favorite people now that our evenings are free. I have been having some awesome conversations with this lovely lady, Jen!

We have spent some serioky and crew! We were able to go to Annabelle's softball game the other night and we had a sleepover together a few weeks ago! These little kiddos are just the BEST!

The flowers in the yard are in full bloom. It is really fun to see the flowers we planted last year come up again this year. They are so much larger. Last year mom brought me one pink lilly and this year there are 7! Our vegetable garden is doing really well also. We have 2 blackberry bushes, 1 rasberry bushes, 2 rhubarb plants and 4 tomatoes (that came back from last year). We purchased a 10 by 20 foot plot at the community garden this year as well. There we planted 2 rows of green beans, 2 rows of sugar snap peas, a row of carrots and onions. We also have cauliflower, broccolli and mini belle peppers! We cannot wait to start eating our fresh veggies!

I am off to the lake now with some of the students from the CSC. It will be fun to relax in the sun together for 3 whole days!