Catching up with a friend and a surprise trip.

So my Friday visit with Britney was so wonderful! I love that she and I can not see each other for literally one whole year, and still pick up just as if no time passed when we get together.

I’m already looking forward to her wedding in December 2011. :) Oh, and we met a new friend on our walk back to the pond, only he wasn’t Espn’s friend because he snapped pretty hard at him!

Our dinner was fabulous…both recipes are worthy of making again. In fact, the bread was so good I’m going to have to start making it regularly! I will post the recipe for the bread and the chicken marinade sometime next week.

On our way home, we had a minor bump with a pesky orange barrel in Wal-Mart’s parking lot, and it did a lovely number on my Element’s driver’s side car door. Its just another challenge to my “no-complaints” week, and another unexpected challenge to deal with/pay for, but I just keep thinking that it’s just a car. That’s it.

Friday, I hit golfballs again with Eugene and his brother {and no, I’m not any better at it}, then had pizza at his parents’ place. Then this morning, we helped my dad in his garden. Here’s a sight that makes me smile. Two of the most important men to me, working together!

 

This was my contribution – fertilizer on the rows. Tough job, I know.

Their garden is amazing {remember, my mom is a master gardener…and so is my dad when it comes to farmer’s crops.} I thought these raspberries looked delish!

After working our gardener skills, we had a few hours to ourselves before I headed into work a wedding reception this afternoon. Before I left, Eugene told me to pack an overnight bag for a surprise trip for our 1 year wedding anniversary. We’re going to church, and then who-knows-where. :) It makes me grin just thinking of his thoughtfulness – going through all the preparations and secrets to surprise me with this. He gave me a hint, saying that it would mean a lot of time for just the two of us. {Sounds perfectly amazing to me!} So, I’ll be off the blogsphere until Tuesday probably…unless there’s wireless and I have downtime.

Even though this year has been full of many many big “life events” and challenges and u-turns, I have LOVED being married to Eugene. I feel so incredibly blessed that God put him in my life and that he is such a caring, forgiving, unjudging {I know that’s not a real word}, compassionate best friend to me. He makes me happy. And I pray we have many more years to live and spend married, making each other happy.

Oh happy day!

Attempting to make contact.

Because I’m trying to be a good wifey, I agreed to go to Young’s Driving Range yesterday with some ladies from my small group at church to learn how to swing a golf club. I really don’t like golf – probably because 1) it’s an individual sport, 2) everyone watches you when you swing, 3) I’m really not good at it, 4) it’s stupidly expensive to play. Yeah, four’s enough reasons for me to stay away, but see, my husby has this “dream” that we’ll grow old together and retire and play endless rounds of golf with each other. His dream. And, I figured I can at least give it a shot {bahaha, get the pun?}

Anyway, I definitely wasn’t great, but I think I could get the hang of it with a few more practice nights. I had a few good shots…but mainly I had to focus on making contact with the ball {the fact that the club I was using was 6” too short for me didn’t help, but no excises!} And, I have to say, it wasn’t terrible. Frustrating, but not unbearable. ;)

Tonight, Eugene’s grilling chicken at my Dad’s house, I baked Italian Herb Bread, and I’m making sea salt baked potatoes and a funfetti cake. What’s the occasion? Well, I’m having dinner with a great high school friend of mine. I love her dearly; her strength and heart amaze me. She is getting married in December, and I finally get to see her ring & congratulate her on her engagement {enter, funfetti cake.}

She was one of my bridesmaids. Isn’t she pretty!? I’m really looking forward to dinner with her tonight.

I have everything I need.

Clear, deep, blue skies today. It’s beautiful really.

Blue skies remind me of two things – the blue skies on my wedding day, and one of the last things my grandpa said before heading to heaven, “The sky is so blue.” I think I’ve mentioned this before, but every time I seek skies like today, my heart beats a little deeper, my throat gets a little tighter, and my eyes begin to fill. Memories of my grandpa are precious to me. He was a man full of heart, energy, and laughter. I still remember the way he smelled, full-bodied coffee mixed with light cologne. I wish he had the chance to meet Eugene. I think they would have enjoyed each other. And, I really hope he would be proud of me today.

It’s super hot this week. Humid and steaming, so much so that the pup wouldn’t even leave the shade to play at lunch today. He’s usually pumped to go fetch a stick with me, but not today – way too hot out.

 

Tonight, I’m going to learn how to swing a golf club with some of the ladies from my small group. Honestly, I don’t really want to do it, but I know Eugene really wants me to like golf. {It’s his dream to retire and go golfing together everyday when we’re old & gray.} So I’m going for him. And it makes me happy that he’ll be happy with me.

I’m working on not complaining this week. So far, so okay. It’s difficult, which then I get mad at myself that it’s so difficult! It has honestly made a difference in my attitude though…even though I still think complaints, not verbalizing them takes a bit of their power away.

I read something that caught my attention this morning in a Max Lucado book {Safe in the Sheppard's Arms.} The book’s topic is the 23rd Psalm, and this passage is on the “I shall not want” part.

“David has found the pasture where discontent goes to die. it’s as if he is saying, ‘What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in life.’”

I also liked when he later said:

“All that stuff – it’s not yours. and you know what else about all that stuff? It’s not you…Jesus said, ‘Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot’ (Luke 12:15 MSG).”

“If you have the Sheppard, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need.”

That’s exactly right. I do have everything I need. Seriously, stop worrying so much. He is never early and He is never late. We will get that job and health benefits right when God knows we need them. Blindly trust Him.

Pumpkin spice cake with penuche icing.

Did you know that it’s virtually impossible to find canned pumpkin in a grocery store in June? Yeah, luckily, when Eugene’s mom requested pumpkin spice cake, I realized I had a can of pumpkin stashed in my cupboard. {Pumpkin is also supposed to be a natural diarrhea remedy for dogs when they’re sick…that’s why I was saving it, in case the pup got some intestinal issues.}

Anyhoo, I mentioned this cake before, but here’s the process in detail {super easy.}

Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe (tasteofhome.com)

16-20 Servings
16-21 Prep: 15 min. Bake: 45 min. + cooling

Ingredients
• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) spice cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients first {eggs, pumpkin, water, and oil}, mix together.

Then add the dry cake mix, pudding mix and cinnamon. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Stir in pecans. {optional}

Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.

Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 16-20 servings. Smells wonderful!

Okay, remember when I made a cake for my sister’s Skype baby shower, I explained the meaning of this icing to me along with the family recipe for my Grandma Augustus’ penuche. However, I didn’t take pictures then, so here’s the revamped visual steps.

Grandma Helen Grace Augustus’ Penuche Frosting

½ c. butter (1 stick must be butter)
1 c. brown sugar packed
¼ c. milk
2 c. confectioner’s sugar
Hot water (optional)

In a sauce pan, melt butter.

Add brown sugar.

Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium low and continue to boil stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add milk, and bring to boil again, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually add confectionary sugar and beat until thick enough to spread (use whisk). If it’s too thick, add a little hot water.

It takes on a great caramel gooey consistency perfect for pouring over the top of your cake {or finger to lick.}   

My grandma must have been an amazing cook.

Oh. My. Goodness. Heaven!

See Espn jump. See Espn swim. See Espn shake.

My mom is visiting my sister in Tulsa, so I went to visit with my dad on Sunday. He asked me to pick raspberries and sweet snow peas for him. Fresh garden-picked berries are definitely a wondrous thing {even if the take some hard work & willingness to get a bit dirty!} Brace yourself for a cheesy pic of me.

Um, it was a bit muddy so say the least. Ick.

 

No big surprise – pup went swimming there again. It was so hot and humid he was instantly underwater the first chance he got. He first hit the creek {correctly pronounced “crick” in our house.}

Then he dove into the pond. Here’s a video of him diving in…my first attempt ever with a video. It probably does nothing for 99% of the people out there, but watching him dive and shake makes me smile. :)

So, did the video thrill ya? I thought so. I like how he basically wipes out when he’s trying to shake the water off. Cheap thrills. {I think I need to work on making videos that are more interesting!}

I like the beauty of the picture below. It reminds me of the sky on my wedding day here.

 

And here he is worn out after swimming. I think he looks like he’s trying to be a fly stuck to the windshield! ;)

I also realized I’m going to be ridiculous when I have kids. I post so many pictures of the pup, I can’t imagine what I’m going to do when I have a cutesy baby to snap pictures of & post! Oh well, this is my form of scrapbooking. {And I like it.}

Graduation celebrations.

*I tried to post this Friday, but it wouldn’t work, oh well. Better late than never.*

I took yesterday off to try to recoup before another weekend of working weddings. I got groceries and took care of some things around the condo, baked a cake, and I even had enough time to lay out in the sun for an hour. I love laying out {so much.}

Eugene’s mom graduated with her associates degree yesterday evening. She’s been working her tail of for so long, balancing {as great mom’s do} her work at home, her family’s crazy schedule of events, all the while writing papers, driving the distance to classes, and taking exams. We’re all so proud of her accomplishment and her fortitude. She definitely deserved to be celebrated last night!

 

We had a lovely buffet full of yummy Mexican food from Moe’s, and after the graduation ceremony we pounced on some brownies, pumpkin spice cake {recipe to come}, vanilla ice cream and coffee.

Um, yum.

I like taking pictures outside.

I figured out that my crap-o camera has a macro setting. So maybe it’s not so crap-o after all! I wanted to try it out on some flowers around our condo. I also did some editing using my photoscape program {downloaded it free…free is awesome.} Pretty pictures. I like.

  

 

With my job, there’s a lot of leftover empty champagne and wine bottles. I think the look of the glass is beautiful, plus it matches my living room. Just soak the bottles in hot soapy water for a while {over night at least}, then for scrape off the labels. For the glue goo that just won’t come off, rub some vegetable oil on it and let it sit a while. It should just scrape off after that. I had these bottles just displayed empty, but I think they’re darling as flower vases!

 

Whatcha think?