Quotes

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"Do not confuse your path with your destination- just because it's 

stormy now doesn't mean you aren't headed for sunshine"

The Thrill of it All!

Happy First Anniversary, Love!

I know it's a little early...but it's going to get crazy from today till New Year's so I wanted to say I love you!

People told me that the first year would be the worst... but we've had a blast so far!!!  

Things that make me crazy for you!!!

-The way your noes crinkles when you laugh

-How excited you get to pick up the mail

-Your curiosity

-Tickle fights, water fights, flour fights, snowball fights

-How kind you are to the telemarketers

-The black patch of hair on the left side of your head

-Poems

-Your Sunday dinners! Yum!

-How you turn on quiet music while we're getting ready for church

-Your blue blue eyes 
-How you support my "I want to learn everything RIGHT NOW" attitude
-That you with me on my rock climbing trainings, my volunteer meetings, help me with knitting, etc. 

-That you always laugh at my jokes...even when they're dumb

-How understanding you are

-How excited you get to tell me about new things you learn at school

-That low base voice of yours

-How you let me warm my cold feet up on your warm legs at night
-You can calm me down when I go into freak out mode

-When you give me random hugs and tell me "I just love you!"

-The way you offer me your arm when we're walking

-How much you love to snuggle

I knew you should be mine when you told me that you, like me, still dream of being lead guitar in your own garage band someday.....shmily!

December 21, 2010

The Little Things

Today I am so grateful for little things. Being newly married most "things" husband and I possess are little things. But I am grateful for them nonetheless. Like that little Christmas wreath I found at the DI. Our door looks so cheerful with it! And how Austin made the bed this morning...because he could tell I woke up on the wrong side of it. I'm grateful for...

               ~Parents who offer me their awesome deals in fancy hotels because they want to help us save money and still have a nice anniversary.
                ~Sisters who come all the way back from the Philippines so close to Christmas, it give us Beck girls an excuse to get together again (and hopefully shop ;).
                ~Joyce, the little old lady I take care of, and her cute little euphemisms

I'm grateful for that feeling I get when I do something for someone else. I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. How it gives me hope and love in my heart to see past my insignificance and into helping and loving others. I am grateful that it is the birth of our Savior.

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" has become one of my favorites this year. Here is my favorite verse:

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Welcome to TLC's "What Not to DO"

I sometimes am slightly addicted to "What Not to Wear". I don't know why. After a couple of episodes I found myself playing with the idea of chopping my hair into an edgy, possibly unflattering, hair cut and thinking up better insults for bad clothing choices than the hosts. Then, standing in front of my wardrobe one morning mumbling something like "Mix patterns and textures. No diaper jeans allowed" That's when I knew...I have a problem. Watching that show makes me crave shopping!  And, as we all know, mixing shopping with a smallish budget during Christmas time is like mixing Nicolas Cage with any sort of movie....it cannot be good. Stop looking at that awesome brown leather jacket, Heidi!! It is not on the Christmas list! That's it! I'm starting my New's Resolutions early...no more "What Not to Wear". I'm going Clinton and Stacy free.

On a better note, as far as Christmas decorations have gone we've been pretty lucky. Thanks to the fact that we were married around Christmas time we received a broad array of snowmen singing, skipping, or holding presents. Sparkly snowmen, clay snowmen, plaster snowmen. Who knew snowmen we're so versatile! Also a nativity set made of clay, an inspiring Christmas saying placed on a Christmas themed board, stockings, a couple different ornaments mostly with "Our First Christmas Together" spelled out in cursive across the front, and a ladle holder in the shape of Santa's head.  Little here, little there. Thanks to our local DI we have been furnished with a mdiget, pre-decorated Christmas tree and a tender little wreath for our door. We're feeling festive here in Stegelmeier #2. We're ready Santa. Hit me!

Have a holly jolly Christmas!

Steve Urkel, you got nothing on me!

***Really. This is long and nerdy. It was meant to be a Thanksgiving ideas/how to remember to be thankful after the holidays post. If you want that scroll to the end***

I heard in the news the other day that people who are more thankful have less headaches, get sick less often, and are overall more happy. As I was listening the nerdy (toilet paper in my shoe nerdy) theory buff inside of me perked up because it reminded me of my favorite theory by William Glasser, "Choice Theory" love Love LOVE! Get to know it and you'll love it too. In Therapeutic Recreation you get to be pretty good friends with TONS of theories. I've become a little attached to this one.

Pretty much what this theory says is that we have 5 basic needs (Love & Belonging, Survival, Fun/Learning, Power, Freedom). Everyone has differing levels for each need, but we all have them and according to Glasser we are born with these set levels. Watch the people around you and you'll start seeing it. That mom on the PTA board isn't just the crazy lady that takes control of everything...she has a high need for power, etc.We then translate that into our "quality world" or what we think makes a good life. It absolutaly affects the way we view and perceive the world. When that quality world is challenged things can get pretty dicey. Sometimes that's good (sticking to our morals when they are challenged), but sometimes it's not. Let's say your quality world is that you have a loving father who provides for you...but in reality you have an abusive father. That is when you have a choice: 1) continue to hold to your old quality world and be in a negative cycle of abuse as well as dealing with the mental difficulties of never meeting the standards of your quality world or 2) change your quality world...one without your abusive father in it possibly.

Choice theory also states that we cannot force anyone to do anything...but we try to. Two year olds have this down pat, aka temper tantrums. Grown ups throw temper tantrums too, but they come in slightly different forms: parents who disown their child because they've chosen something against their wishes, family feuds where either side wont talk to the other till someone apologizes. In all of these situations people are trying to control each other by: removing love and communication, punishment, acting out. What are your ways of acting out? The point of choice theory is to recognize these attributes in yourself as well as recognize that you cannot force anyone else to do what you want, you can only present choices. It makes life a little less frustrating when you make the switch. (Disclaimer: This applies really well to adults...but that doesn't necessarily mean it should be used on a two year old Love and Logic would be more applicable yet still within the realm of choice theory)

The physical part of choice theory is one of the most mind boggling to me. William Glasser, an MD who has been practicing over 30 years, has never medicated his patients! Depression, anxiety you name it. Part of it is in the language. When someone comes to him and says "I feel so depressed today" he responds by saying "Why are you depressing today". By changing that word slightly it takes the depression from being out of the patients control (being acted upon) and placing it in their realm of ability and responsibility (choosing to act).  Now I understand that there are some things which need medication, but maybe some things don't as much as we think they do....

What a wonderful phenomena...choice. In a world where everything is so reactive (you make me so made), isn't it empowering to know that really when it comes down to it we have a choice? Our minds are far more powerful than we give them credit for. Hmmmm doesn't that sound familiar?

 "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." -2 Nephi 2:27

We usually think of that in a spiritual sense of captivity...but what about physically and emotionally as well? Just a little food for thought. 

Anyway, back to the news report. They talked about being grateful and a lady gave some ideas her family did to remember to be grateful all year around as well as on Thanksgiving that I would like to use in my family:

~Keeping a family "Gratitude" journal where you talk about and enter one thing the family is grateful for that week (FHE idea anyone?). You leave the book out where anyone can read it and remember throughout the year what you've been grateful for and to continue to be grateful

~"Thankful" Rolls: It's pretty much the idea of a fortune cookie. Have everyone write on a slip of paper what they are thankful for and roll them up in your croissant rolls. It becomes a game as well of who is thankful for what

~Thankful Hands table cloth: Trace all your family members hands on a table cloth. Put their name, what they are thankful for, and the year inside of the hand. Each year add more "thankful hands" to the table cloth. It's fun to see what you are thankful for with each passing year! This lady stitched hers and it was pretty cute, but fabric markers would work, too!

Heros

If I were to meet some one who has already pass, aside from relatives, I would want to meet Eleanor Roosevelt. She had valor, moral character, sharp as a tack,  and darn it she had spunk! Not only that but she truly was wise. She was wise, well educated, insightful, observant and was articulate enough to express that wisdom. She is the kind of woman I would like to be. I mean, check out that smile! She could put out the sun it's so bright and cheery! These quotes really spoke to me, I hope they inspire you too!

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You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along"...You must do the thing you think you cannot do. (You Learn Through Living)

It takes courage to love, but pain through love is the purifying fire which those who love generously know. We all know people who are so much afraid of pain that they shut themselves up like clams in a shell and, giving out nothing, receive nothing and therefore shrink until life is a mere living death. (1 April 1939)

I have never felt that anything really mattered but the satisfaction of knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could. (8 November 1944)

A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all-knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity. (You Learn Through Living)


 Quotes came from her book “You Learn Through Living” (1937) and her daily newspaper column “My Day” (1937-1962)

Today's Life Lessons

Things I learned today:

-Nutmeg is a strong spice...a very strong spice. Although it can be paired with cinnamon it shouldn't be used as freely

-7:00 turns into 8:00 which then turns into running late fairly quickly if you don't get enough sleep

-Husband cannot read my thoughts. Calling to let him know I'm waiting in the parking lot can save twenty minutes or so

-Car batteries die and go to heaven, no matter how careful you've been not to leave them on for hours at a time

-Kindles are pretty cool

-It's okay to charge people for the work I do

-Not taking my fiber pill has its consequences

-I can't control other people's actions. So I'm not going to complain about people complaining

-Listening to the Christian Rock station is more uplifting and less lame than I used to think 

-Home feels like home when Austin is in it

This Place Called Memory Lane

Today I have spent some time walking lane. Perhaps it is because Ben had his farewell Sunday and seeing all those band kids just brought me back to all my good buddies I had. Life can never go back to the way it was...which is good because no matter how wonderful high school was, it would be quite hellish to be in a perpetual state of "high school student", but it was sweet while it lasted.

Everybody seemed to grow up really fast. Johanna, Camille, and Steph are having babies, Fuzz is spreading the gospel. Cam, Mike, and Jake are back from missions (for almost 2 years now, what??) and are at USU living the college life and being awesome, I'm sure.

Then somehow I went through college and a million roommates in the blink of an eye. Cami got married, Sam will be graduating soon, Kaylee is falling in love again, Nonie is a teacher and living with Nina, Ashlee got married, Oyuna is probably still a night owl, Jamie is a missionary, Elise went on a mission and is now home, Shantell is being her bad self.

How did I go from obnoxious teenager to this crazy married lady??? Instead of thinking about boys, roommate problems, and what to do on Friday night I'm thinking about how to get through medical school, how to make Austin's lunch more exciting, how we're going to live in D.C. if I get my internship at N.I.H., how to make Christmas work, how to make exercising more interesting for Joyce, pay the heating bill, the rent, the internet bill, the gas bill. And the new topic of my many thoughts lately has been what I want to teach my children (when they come...not anytime soon), which inevitably follows with the realization that I'm still trying to possess those qualities...how the heck will I teach them to my children?!?!?

Anyway. The point being that time has passed so quickly. I know that I wasn't perfect through out that time. In fact some of those mistakes still  occupy the corner of my thoughts which never seem to completely leave. One of those mistakes that I always re-re-re-re-re-realize while strolling down this dusty lane is how my stupid pride built automatic stone walls between me and learning more, meeting people and such. I cringe when I remember times when I should have been understanding and instead I was judgmental, when I should have just shut up but instead I spoke louder and closed my ears tighter, when I should have stopped and listened instead of plowing ahead with what I thought was right. Memory Lane can be laden with booby traps and thorn bushes sometimes. 

My hope is that I've improved from selfish teenager to now. I don't want to be the Heidi that was so forward she was rude, that indulged in self pity, that was inconsistent. I want to be less self-centered, more patient, less thoughtless, more compassionate, more self-disciplined, more faithful, reliable.  Maybe writing it down will remind me that this is who I am working to become. Thanks Memory Lane for reminding me, I'll remember not to be that anymore. 

You Run Like My Grandma

Ever been told "You run like a grandma"? Ya, me neither. But if it ever happens in the near future you can turn around and be proud to say "thank you!". Check this video out and you'll see why. Make sure to pay attention to the far right hand side of the roster....yep those are their ages.

How is it possible for 80 year old to get a better score than even some adolescents?!?! That's what I was wondering. So I sat in on my husband's Exercise Physiology class one day to find out. Here is what I found: it's due to the high intensity exercise routine sprinters engage in. But what do you hear now-a-days? 30 minutes of moderate exercise 3 times a week. Well, according to Dr. Langford (Austin's professor who is researching this topic), in couple of years you wont be hearing that recommendation from experts. You'll be hearing numbers like "frequent 40 minutes" and "high intensity cardio-vascular" used together in order to have an effective work out.

Now why should we change? You think you're doing great on your moderate schedule. Here is what frequent 40 minutes of high intensity work out do for you:

-Stresses and strengthens the heart in ways which cause longer lasting results
-Improves heart performance (aka you wont be on a ventilator when you're 70...you'll be running)
-Helps fight as well as prevent diabetes better than doctor recommended moderate exercise (#1 killer of Americans has to do with heart disease and is closely followed by diabetes)

And think about it, it makes sense. If you lift a 5 pound weight for 30 minutes 3 times a week...ya you will gain some strength in your arms, but if you up the intensity you will have better results. You heart is a muscle, it works in a similar fashion. Don't believe me, watch the video again. Ya, the video of that 65 year old woman kicking your trash. Any moderately exercised individual can b.s. a half marathon (I am living proof of that). But there is no b.s. in a 80 year old still running a 14 second 100 meter dash. I don't know about you, but I would rather be running at 70 then wheezing my way down the hallway. So you may want to re-think your exercise routine....I know I am!

Go ahead. Stress your heart. That way in 40 years you too can be proud to be told you run like a grandma ;)

Fit to be tied

Old Mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard

To get her poor doggie a bone

When she got there

The cupboard was bare

So the poor little doggie had none

Did you know that this poem is talking about King Henry VIII? Ya crazy, I know you were wondering about that. Well actually it's talking about Cardinal Wosley, whom the king hated because he would not divorce the king from Queen Kathrine so he could indulge in his lust for Anne Boleyn (Make your choice wisely Henry, divorce is something they only do in England ;)

King Henry = the doggie,
the bone = the divorce itself,
the cupboard = the Catholic Church, and
Cardinal Wosley = Old Mother Hubbard herself...himself. 

I always thought this nursery rhyme was cool because I have an actual grandmother Hubbard who could have probably fit in the darn cupboard she was so stinkin' small...but now the rhyme just seems twisted. Anyway, that has nothing to do with what this post is about. Stick that in your gee-wiz file to be pulled out at random times during dinner dates and awkward silences. No thanks necessary.

What I did want to say is that I am leaning toward the geriatrics as of late. I have been working with them for going on 5 years now so I should expect them to rub off on me sooner or later, right? I, in my search for productivity, have started to learn to crochet. My grandmother taught me how to chain when I was really young. But now, thanks to the power of Google and Youtube, I am doing a little more than that. I'm kinda proud of them and the work I put into them. I'm far from done, but here's what I got so far:

Cap w/ brim
Stitches: Double half

Cap w/ brim
Stitches: Double half

Kingston/Flop hat
Stitches: Puff, double half, half

Cherry Tree w/ side turned up
Stitches: Double half, and needle point

For some reason Austin was reluctant to pose as a model for girly head ware. So I thought "What the heck. It's my blog I can do whatever I want"

It takes be about a day to finish a full hat. I was doing one a day, but by the time I got to number four my fingers started to feel like they were being ripped off of my hand. I decided it was okay to engage in grandmaly activities, but it's not okay to feel like one. So I've let up a little.

The never ending adventures of Mario and Luigi

Hey all! This is what our October has looked like for us! Hope you enjoy your adventures as much as we have enjoyed ours!

Halloween Funness!

Our festive door decoration = $1.20 baby!!
 I found a picture online and started cutting

Our Halloween costumes Luigi and Mario respectively.
We went to DI and found a doll with cool hair...
which we proceeded to cut off for our mustaches. 

Wanna bite? Our contribution to our FHE Halloween party:
witches fingers!

Bishop Whittison as Beckham
and his wife as...cuteness 

The Hebdons came as
science nerd and kitty cat :)

Tasty Treats :)
Here are some recipes that I've made/ finally mastered! It just happened to be October that it happened :)

It took about 5 different times, but I've got it down now :)

Ingredients

***Only makes 12. This recipes does great when it's doubled, but you can't put it in your bread machine. That's okay because you can just throw all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it up, just make sure your fluids are warm (helps the yeast out). It doesn't call for it, but I've found it works better if you let the yeast rise with a little water and sugar for 10 mins before you add everything else.

1/4 cup warm water

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 
  
• Cinnamon filling 
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
•  
• Frosting
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened *** I like a little less then half
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar *** aka powdered sugar. I like to put a little granulated sugar as well
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.
2. When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough.
3. Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

***They don't say this, but I've found they work out better if you let them rise for about 30-40 mins before you put them in the oven

Pepper Pasta

This is pepper pasta. A friend who served his mission in Italy showed it to us. 

Sauce:
3-4 red, or yellow bell peppers
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 bit of olive oil
Bit of onion, salt, pepper, oregano for taste

Simmer till peppers are soft (30 ish minutes)

Chicken:
Take raw chicken (mine was frozen, doesn't matter) spice it up with all things Italian (more than you think you should because the juice will soak it up. Put it in a glass pan, cover with tin foil and put it in 350 oven till cooked (about 20-30 mins). It comes out super moist mmmmmmm!

Pasta:
I really like this with bow tie, but any will do. I like to put a dash of olive oil and oregano in there for taste.

Homemade Bagels

3 C. flour

4 T. sugar

3/4 C. warm water

1 tsp. salt

1 T. yeast

3 T. cooking oil

4 Quarts boiling water

Mix flour, salt, and 2 T. sugar in bowl. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 C. warm water and add to the flour mixture. Add the oil to the remaining water and stir into the flour mixture. Feel free to add cinnamon-sugar, raisins, or anything else to change the variety of bagel. Knead for 5 minutes. Place dough into greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled. Punch the dough down and roll out to about 3/4 inches thick. Cut out 12 circles and then cut out the middle so you have created a bagel shape.Add the remaining 2 T. sugar to the boiling water. Drop the bagels into the water one at a time, cooing 2 or 3 at once. Simmer the bagels for 1 minute from the time they rise to teh surface of the water. Then lift them out of the water with a fork an dplace them on a towel, pat dry and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let them cool for about 5 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Outdoor Adventures! 
I have been wanting to train as a rock climbing instructor for sometime now. This was our first training and I got to take Austin along with me! It was a blast!

Awesome view with a little Austin on the right

This was a medium hard climb....I got my butt handed to me.
 Oh, the facts of being out of shape!

Austin's long legs are a big advantage!

Beautiful way to end the day!

"Autumn: the year's last, loveliest smile"

I love fall. I love the chipper brisk air, the sweaters, raking leaves, pressing apples, finally eating all the stuff in the garden, the orange red yellow and brown. This has been the first fall in 4 years that I haven't been super stressed, super busy working, or super engaged so I am drinking it in!! When I'm driving around I look out my window amazed...how could I have missed this whole season for so long!?! I love change. I love when the frigid winter melts into a brand new spring, when suffocating heat succumbs to a brisk fall air which then builds till snowmen grace the front lawn (or in the case of the Bowen household, snowmen on the roof tops).

Seasons represent a lot to me. They remind me of the variety I get to experience in life. That sometimes I'm am in the summer of my life and everything is care free, then without a moments notice those times can jerk into icy winters. But to remember that spring will always come sooner or later. The important thing is to enjoy the moments I am in now whether it be the "winter" or "summer" season of my life. Or like Robert Braut says:

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were big things"

On to the more exciting things! My family decided to get some family pictures before Ben leaves on his mission (which reminds me again of how fast life moves!). My brother (er, technically "in-law") Josh did an excellent job! He gets better and better the longer he does photography. If you want to see more of his amazingness click here!

Here are our lovely faces:

Ben, Dad, Josh, Austin, Michelle, Mom, Jenn, Beck, me

Josh was just messing around with lighting and snapped this. I thought it was a keeper

What a fine lookin' man!

I was thinking of sending it out as our Chirstmas card :)

We were going for a good med school application head shot. I think we got it!

Sweet Becky :) I don't know why we took this other than she looked good!

To infinity and beyond!!

And finally our missionary :) Daaaaang! He has become one handsome fellow!

I can't believe it's time for Ben to go on a mission. While growing up people thought Ben and I were twins. We both had brown hair, brown eyes, and because I was small for my age Ben (3 1/2 years younger) and I were about the same size. We were buds :) We played horses, loins, pretended we were Swiss Family Robinson in our tree house, and played battleship by throwing dirt clods at each other from over the corn rows (not the smartest of ideas). Ben would sleep with me when he got scared at night (he might not remember that, he was pretty little), and he would always try to scare me by pretending to be the bubble gum monster (an old TV show...it was really scary for a 7 year old!).We would come up with brilliant plans like cutting a hole in the wall between our rooms so we could have a "secret" passageway between rooms. The plans was that this hole would enable unlimited playing time after lights out. Dad shot that idea down pretty quickly :) We were always trying to come up with secret things: secret clubhouse behind the china hutch, secret hiding places between the three pine trees out front, secret handshakes, secret languages and codes. We had some good fun growing up :)
We sort of halted communication for a couple of years, but now that we are both out of the land of teenagers it has been great to have him back! And now he is leaving :( Ben will be a wonderful missionary. California will be lucky to have him. But I'm sure going to miss him while he is gone. I guess having him gone is winter, but being a missionary is summer? Good luck, Elder Bowen :)

Why Today Rocked

Today (meaning Monday) I...

7:00 Woke up with Husband, woke up slowly with the sun slowly rising, and watched him get ready. I love watching him get ready. He was particularly handsome today with the new shirt I bought him.

7:30 Read my scriptures on the couch while Husband ate breakfast and did homework. I read in Alma about choosing. I know it's going to be a  good day.

8:30 Made the bed with Austin, it's much faster with two

9:00 It's a miracle...we started our 10 minute trek to school early. This proved to be important because we hit most red lights and were delayed by construction. No stress, we planned ahead.

9:30 I'm job hunting and my phone died recently...Austin sacrificed his phone to me today so I wouldn't stress about not answering the call if they phoned today. No calls yet.

9:37 Flipped on our Scentsy. Rose smell today. I love the smell of roses.

10:15 Finished up last nights dishes. I don't mind doing them so much today.

10: 20 Got ready to go on a bike ride in the cool mid morning air. The tire popped the night before. That's okay, my knee is still having a hard time bending from stealing first in our kick-ball game the day before.

10:30 Came inside and decided I was going to try out a new recipe! Google is the best "decider for what's for dinner" ever. Sometimes coming up with a good variety every week is a toughy.

11:00 Found "Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken" thanks to my sister, Jennifer! So excited to surprise Austin!

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken                                                    
                                                 Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
•  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

11:15 Listened to Psych while putting all the spices together. What can I say? I like to laugh. And how can you argue with a man who throws out sound logic like: "How can you tell that someone's a compulsive liar? I mean, assuming that their pants aren't on fire." 

12:00 Cookies, cookies. Don't have chocolate chips, did no-bake last time....ginger snaps! That's a good incoming fall treat. Thank you again, Google for the excellent recipe.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies                Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
•                       1/4 cup molasses
•                                                       2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

1:00 Got ready to go watch devo on campus. Sometimes it's nice to just look pretty.

2:00 Made it into our awesome and large new BYU-I center. Listened to the temple president talk about stories of new and old temples, the prophet, and the people temples impact. Very informative.

3:30 Came home and revamped the blog. Not too shabby! I like it when my creative endeavors work out.

5:30 Picked up Hubby from school

6:30 Made the awesome new chicken. I added broccoli and sliced squash to the butter saute  Laid this all beautifully on a bed of rice.. Success.

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7:30 Had FHE with Austin. We talked about a conversation he had that day with a Presbyterian about   "How do you know when you're saved?" Gave me a lot to think about and was one of the best FHE's I've had.

8:00 Played the flour penny game...I love being married!

8:30 Austin went back to school for a study group. I picked up my latest read, Ender's Shadow.

10:00 I don't like going to bed alone. 

11: 40 Austin kissed me awake. Mmmm, love him. 

12:00 Austin has more homework to do, so I read on the couch while he does it. 

1:44am The day is finally done. What a good day :)