Road Trip = Pandora Time

For this mini road trip to Seattle I'll be having my iPhone Pandora station ready to go. For road trips you need something you can sing along to. I.E this station: 

And you also need something that will keep you pumped up and energized. I.E. this station:

Those are two of the stations I'll be playing!

What are your go-to playlists for road trips?

Lessons in Marriage #3: Get up early to do something special for him

Photo via Tumblr

Sorry for the super long title. Today was a unique day. I have a meeting at work at ten and afterwards I'm leaving for Seattle to visit my sister. (yeee!) So I decided that I'd get up early and have breakfast with my husband. Then I decided I would get up earlier than him to make him breakfast and coffee. 

This morning was so so nice. We had extra time together, he felt like a King, and it was fun to wait on him. I know this won't be happening on every one of my days off, but it is something that I want to do more often. Right now in our marriage, all I have to focus on is him (well pretty much, I just mean no kids). So I should take full advantage of any extra time I can make with him. 

What is something small, but meaningful you have been doing for your spouse lately?

Monday Memories

I'm on the right, my twin sister is on the left, and that little blondie in the middle is my brother. One thing that strikes me when looking at this photo are our smiles. Yes, we were probably prompted to say "cheese" however, those smiles really look genuine. And honestly, thinking about my childhood, a smile was always an accessory I had on. 

One huge reason for the smiles on our faces, our mother. My mom is a great mom. Has been and will always be (yup I just know that). She was the Kool-Aid mom, the mom that let us build forts everywhere, the mom that was always there to tuck our gloves in our jackets when we were ready to go play in the little snow we had. 

I hope to one day be the kind of mom to my kids that my mom was to us. 

Here's to you mom!

Likes & Dislikes

~ Likes ~

* Playing Sequence today with the in-laws

* Watching my husband start his wood-working projects with his new axe (can't wait to see all he makes!) 

* Sharing war-stories (ie nursing experiences) with my sister

* Getting my first beanie 

* Doing laundry (it just feels good when it's all done)

* Finding this today - totally making/buying one (probably going to make one for my mom-in-laws bday coming up) !

* Making these today 

~ Dislikes ~

* Realizing we've entered into the rainy season

* My stomach hurt today

* Waking up early on a day off

DIY: Greeting Cards

This was probably the simplest DIY I've ever done. It reminded me of doodling when I was a kid. 

Let's make some greeting cards!

What you'll need: 

1. Paper or Cardstock

2. Your choice of markers, pencils, and pens. 

3. Pair of scissors

To Do: 

1. Cut the paper to the perfect card-size

2. Think of your design

3. Draw it out

4. Voila!

Here are some that I made:

I'm hoping this will motivate me to write more!

Be Present

Photo via Shrimp Salad Circus

Today I was blessed to wash one of my patient's feet. This is actually something I do quite often, however, today's simple task turned into an uplifting experience. Unfortunately my patient's room was lacking hot water. My patient decided that just washing the feet would suphise
for a bath today. (Note: sorry if I use the term "my patient" a lot, I don't like disclosing anything that could show their identity).

Anyways, I didn't want to strain their back so I offered to wash their feet myself. As my patient sat at the side of the bed and I put their feet in the two basins of hot water, it seemed as though the day had finally slowed where I could breathe and take everything in.

Not only was my patient able to get a bit cleaner, but I was able to get to know my patient a little better. We chatted
as I washed away.

Sometimes it's the very simple, humbling tasks that makes me fully appreciate the job I am blessed and entrusted to work.

I hope this week/weekend you are able to truly be still and take in the experiences you are living. 

Recipe: Duck Sausage & 4 Dips

Cory got some Duck Sausage this week and asked if I could make it tonight. At first I was intimidated by this. Duck... what do I make with that? And then I realized that it was in a simple sausage form and should keep my dinner plans easy. So I decided I'd make some dips. 

1. Spicy Chili Dip: This is a dip we keep on hand (can't take credit for making it).

2. My variation of Aioli: Ok, I didn't use egg whites, just some mayonnaise (can I still call it Aioli?...).

3. Spicy Mango Soy: I mixed a little spicy mustard, soy sauce, and this mango pepper sauce. 

4. Cheese dip: Can't have sausage without cheese. 

My husband also made it easier for me by requesting some smashed potatoes. With those and the duck sausage, tonights dinner was delicious. 

Any creative suggestions when cooking duck for dinner?

Likes & Dislikes

I'm thinking about starting a new series called likes and dislikes. It will be about things that I liked about the day and things I disliked. We'll see how this goes. 

~ Likes ~

*Going out to lunch with my dad today

*Thrifting a Pendleton pillow for just 12$

*Skyping my twin sister who lives in Seattle

*My mom dropping off home-made soup

*Having the day off

*Buying some pretty little flowers

*Watching Cops (its my guilty pleasure)

*Planning a dinner for my hubs and I that includes Duck Sausage 

*Pretty smelling candles that are all over my living room

~ Dislikes ~

*It's raining today

*Having to take a test for work

*Being cold because our heat is less than adequate

*Putting gas in the car

What made you smile and frown today?

Lessons in Marriage #2: No one likes a negative Nancy

As you know last weekend we went to Central Oregon. One of our adventures was a spontaneous off-roading trip. We took off headed to Bachelor in hopes of finding a non-snow-plowed road. About 5 minutes into our drive we had found it. We slowly started down the snowy road. 

From the get go I kept telling Cory things like "please be careful...we haven't really done this before...don't go too fast...I really don't want to get stuck out here..."...on and on and on.. Let's just say my "little words of kind advice" were coming out very frequently. 

Needless to say, we got stuck. For an hour. During the time of digging out snow, turning the wheel the way he told me to, pushing the gas, going in reverse, ... now repeat the whole thing... I was quite the negative Nancy. 

The weird thing was I had a huge conversation about it in my head to myself. It went a little like this: "Leah be more positive, he didn't want to get stuck either....yes he did, he went to fast and tried to show off...stop that, how would you feel if you were the one driving? would you want him to be positive or negative?....I wouldn't have gotten us stuck..." Wow, how incredibly rude, selfish, and un-loving I was being. After a few more runs of talking to myself I decided to just be quiet and help with what I could.

It's sad how my natural tendency in that situation is to not trust him, not be positive, and not be encouraging. All of this hit me on our drive home. 

It's hard to trust when your scared, but that is no excuse. My husband is a good man. He tries his best to love me like Christ loves the church ~ he has my good interest in mind. So why doubt him?

This experience taught me several things. 

*Trust my husband. Practice trusting him in every small way possible. 

*It's still ok (it's more than ok, its great) to share my concerns and fears with Cory, but not repetitively.

* When you're having those internal good vs bad convo's in your head, you know which one is right, so choose it. 

* My husband is extremely strong and capable when we are stuck in the snow. 

What lessons have you learned lately? Anyone still struggling with trust issues?

Weekend in Review: Central OR

This last weekend was so much fun! Cory and I rented a house for 3 nights with 13 of our friends. We kept busy, taking advantage of the gorgeous weather we had, while also relaxing a ton (I haven't slept so well since who knows when). 

Sunriver is a vacation town just 3 1/2 hours SE of Portland. In the summer it is a hot dessert and in the winter it is like a cold tundra (not so much but needed a comparison). Just what you would want for a vacation away. Here are some pics of the trip: 

Mt. Bachelor 

Us on a little walk

Gotta smoke your pipe!

On Mt. Bachelor snow-shoeing:

Yes we wore stunna-shades

End of the trail - Todd Lake:

One of the days Cory and I went out exploring some un-snowplowed roads to take good use of the G-wagon we were able to borrow. We ended up finding a super cool road, just the type we were looking for. However, we ended up getting stuck for about an hour. Not a good hour of our lives (I'll post of more on some of the lessons I learned later on). Good thing my husband is strong and knows about cars, I'm sure we would've been stuck much longer. 

On our way back to Portland we stopped in Detroit for some food  (may I recommend Korner Post Restaurant - good food, super nice owner, and a real family style feel to the place let's say I was surprised by the whole dining experience due to the look of the town- it's just so small!) and for a little more exploring. We found a dried up Reservoir and took the G-wagon down some trails. 

It was such a great weekend. We took advantage of our surroundings and played hard. 

Below are some personal likes if you decide to venture our to Central Oregon.

Sunriver

Loding - Bennington Properties  or Sunriver Resort

Coffee - Bellatazza Coffee

Sisters

Coffee - Sister's Coffee Company

Pizza - Papandrea's

Things to Do: Antique Malls, Shopping, Eating

Bend

Food/Drink - 10 Barrel Brewing Co. or Boneyard Beer   

Redmond

Lodging - Eagle Crest Resort

Things to Do: (on the resort) Swimming, Tennis, Golf, Gym, Massages

Things to do in Central OR:

*Hiking around Black Butte, the 3 Sisters, Smith Rock State Park

*Mt Bachelor (skiing/snowboarding, tubing, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing)

*Explore the Lava Tubes

*Horseback Riding

*Swimming in Cove Palisades

*Camping

Central Oregon is great in both the winter and the summer. I'd suggest going once in the winter and once in the summer (at least) to get the whole feel. It just has so much to offer!

Sunriver Resort on Dwellable

Lessons in Marriage #1

As a wife I thrive on my husbands affection and adoration. It fuels my confidence and re-energizes my world. This is how it should be. As wives we should shine brighter by our husband's positive time and words he sends our way. However, this should not be the only means of how we become more happier beings. 

Lately, I've been struggling a bit with this. Rewind my life about 8 months ago. While in school my only free time was spent working out and studying. Not much time to pursue hobbies and figure out other non-work related things that made me happy. After graduation my world was consumed with wedding planning and starting out my nursing career. Flash forward to now, I am still working (yes actually working) on trying to find hobbies and passions outside my work (and outside my husband's interests). 

When I become bored I seem to crave more of his attention. And this I do not think is good (for me or our marriage). When my need for his attention is stemming from boredom it forces him to take on a role of Leah's entertainer. Affection and adoration should come from my husbands love for me. I shouldn't put him in a role that makes him feel like he is smothered with me me me and making me feel entertained.

All of this comes down to a several issues. *I need to find hobbies that occupy my time. I've always had "interests" but none that I really pursued. *I need to know how to be content doing-my-own-thing when we're both home. *I need to continue to have the mindset that he is not here to make me happy (of course he does by being the loving husband he is to me, but that is not his sole purpose). 

Going into marriage I knew this last point was true (he's not here to make me happy. Sometimes its hard though. Especially if I've had 4 days off to myself. No excuses though. These are things that I need to work on and will probably be working on throughout our marriage.  

I've very blessed to have a husband who truly does love me and wants to see me happy. He encourages me to explore my interests and participate in activities that make me happy. 

Any newlywed problems that you are struggling with? Any hobby suggestions?

Apartment Living

11 foot ceilings, hardwood floors throughout, floor to ceiling windows, antique touches...not descriptions you would typically hear when reading about an apartment. Our apartment has all of those. And it is quite a cozy, beautiful apartment. 

Antique door knobs, our rustic hardwood floors, and those beautiful windows.

However pretty the overall place is, there are tons of little problems that come with a old house-turned apartment. 

First off those beautiful windows. They are single paned and produce a ton of condensation. Condensation plus a cold house = lots of gross mold. On all the window sills. We tried having a fan blowing on it all the time, but that only helped a little and it made the room extra cold. We tried a rag left on the window sill, but that didn't work. So yesterday we installed these:

So far it's only been a day but it seems to be helping. Condensation is on the inside and not producing mold out where we can breath it in. We're planning on leaving them on until summer. Fingers crossed they hold up by then. 

Other issues include: leaking faucets, heat that does not work (it turns on but its right below all the windows so it never actually heats the place), lopsided stove, the list could go on. Honestly, these aren't huge problems, but problems I am hoping to not have later on when we have a home of our own. I think living in an apartment is making me truly appreciate having a home. It could be a lot worse too. 

What problems have you run into in your apartment living?

Weekend in Review

This weekend was a really great one. I actually had a five-day weekend and I was so happy I did. We kept busy on Saturday and Sunday so it was nice to have a few days before and after the actual weekend to relax. 

Notice all the candles? Friday we got our December electricity bill and noticed two things: We had a freezing December and paid a lot for it. Our goal this month is to use candles and a plug in heater (Cory usually uses this one for his beer closet) to keep us warm. The heat in our apartment just doesn't work..as does many other things (I'll post later on that). 

Friday night was nice. We went to my brother and sister-in laws house for dinner. I made the Beef Drip sandwiches in the post prior. 

Saturday was our little niece's First Birthday and we celebrated with family at a little brunch. It was an adorable 1st birthday brunch. You can see the photos here.  After brunch we relaxed for a bit and then headed over to H50 Bistro & Bar for dinner. I scored an awesome 60% off dinner Groupon, so we truly wined & dined for a great price. 

Sunday was spent at church, then to brunch with my family, and then off for some little apartment-therapy. Pausing for  moment I want to show you my outfit-of-the-day: Beanie, Flannel, and hair down.  This may not sound like a big deal but I never wear my hair down, and I never thought I'd wear a beanie with flannel. Don't know what confidence has gotten into me!

Later on we spent the night as nerds eating cupcakes and watching Lord of the Rings: 2. It was a great night. Man do I love getting silly with this guy: 

Hope your weekend was swell!

Recipe: Beef Drip

Last night Cory and I went over to our sister and brother-in-laws house for dinner. They hadn't been feeling too great this week so I offered to cook. While thumbing through my pinned recipes I was trying to find one that would suit this night. Feel good food, easy to carry from point A to point B (without loosing it's flavor/crunchiness/everything that is a dish when you serve it from stove to plate), and that would be easy to clean up afterwards. When I saw this recipe I knew it was the one. 

Beef Drip via Pioneer Woman

This particular recipe has 2 ways of cooking it. I forgot to read it all the way through before starting (as usual) so I ended up mixing both recipes. What I ended up doing was pan cooking the beef on both sides for about 4 minutes. Then I added all the ingredients to my cast iron pot and stuck it in the oven for 4 1/2 hours. Mine was a 3 lbs'er so it worked out really well. I also added in all the ingredients from both recipes. Once the beef was done, I shredded it and transferred everything to a crock pot. Easy-peasy.

Final result = every last morsel was consumed. This recipe was delicious. 

Happy Cooking!

Recipe: French Toast Poppers

Cory has a sweet tooth, however a very specific one. So when it comes to sweet breakfast foods, I save them for myself. This recipe I stumbled upon and fell in love with immediatetly. At work, my patients get a variety of not-so-appetizing hospital foods for their meals. One day last week though one of my patients got French Toast. And it actually looked and smelt very very good. I've been craving the crunchy/soft, sweetness that it is ever since. 

So once I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it at once. I had already bought a baguette that morning so I whipped up a bunch of these little goodies:

Photo & Recipe via Sugar & Charm

This recipe is fast, easy, and delicious. Using the baguette pieces seem to make the poppers a little crunchier. And crunchier=yummier.

Do you like sweet or salty breakfast foods? What's one of your favorite breakfast recipes?

Too...cute...

Warning: No we are not pregnant. I just am excited for the day we have kids and cannot control myself around certain cute baby items (most cute baby items).

I frequent antique stores and very few times I find adorable antique-like baby items. When I do though, I walk away and if I feel I can't live without it (ok I know I'd be able to live without a lot of the things I find, but you know what I mean) then I come back and purchase it. So far I don't have much stuff for our future kids, just a few (super adorable) items. So here was my 16$ steal! : 

Those brown leather shoes would be perfect for a little boy or a girl. And that sweater...

Now I just have to hide this stuff away for a few years.

Do you have a hard time controlling those baby-craves, or am I the only weirdo?

Faith

We all put our faith in something or someone. For me it is Jesus Christ. Like I said here I've been wanting to make more me time with Him. These last couple days at work I've had big glimpses of His love in different patient's lives, and it just makes me excited to know He is present in my life.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have a Saviour who loves me for who I am. He gives me strength everyday at work and at home. 

Whatever it is you put your faith I hope it is encouraging you this week. 

If you haven't given Jesus a try, I strongly suggest Him ~ He does love you!

Comparing is stupid.

Lately I've been comparing myself to others. Not a good thing. When we start comparing we start getting more and more focused on how we "aren't". Aren't as pretty, as smart, as creative, as blah blah blah. Just makes me feel like crap. So I snapped out of it and decided to make a little list of what I like about me. (Not a self-centered look at me list, just a I-need-a-little-pick-me-up list) 

1. My laugh
2. My smile
3. How I decorate
4. My work ethic
5. When I have fun I don't really care if people think I'm weird

6. My ability to let go of things

7. How I can genuinely care for someone I just met

8. I don't drink often

9. I'm sentimental

10. I'm sensitive

What do you like about yourself? Dwell on all those things today.

New Years Resolutions

Yes I'm making a New Years resolution list. Don't worry though, its not super long nor is it really ambitious. Every year I would make these fitness resolutions that I ended up failing on come two weeks into the new year. This year my resolution plans are more attainable and a little more fun. 

1. Take the stairs. 
  I used to take the stairs wherever I went.  Even at work (I used to work on the 9th floor, now the 8th). Lately though I've gotten a bit lazy. I'm going to try to take the stairs at least half-way up to work and whenever I can. 

2. Try more recipes. 
  I can also get lazy with my cooking. I'm going to try to follow actual recipes and get a little more creative. Some good places for my help are here and here. 

3. Love my husband better. 
  Even though we've been married for only 4 months I don't want to get into a rut. I'm going to do my best to find ways to show him I cherish him as much as I do. 

4. Make more personal time for me and Jesus.
  I've embarrassingly put my alone time with Jesus on the back burner. This needs to stop now. 

What 2013 resolutions have you made?

Year In Review

2012 was by far the best year I have had to date. There were so many new experiences, adventures, and highlights for me. Here is a little wrap up of 2012: 

February 11, 2012: I know this pic is from December, however, I started working at my hospital job back in February. I received a job as an SNT (student nurse technician) that allowed me to have the responsibilities as a CNA (certified nurse assistant) while at the same time allowed me to perform any clinical nursing skills that needed to be done that day. It was a job that I will forever be grateful for. Not only did it help prepare me for the world of actual nursing, but it led in to the job that I work right now. 

April 22, 2012: The day Cory asked me to marry him. It was an unusually warm day for April in Oregon (mid 80's). He picked me up from work and we headed downtown for an already planned date to the ballet. As we were walking around he quickly turned and gave me a huge hug (his heart was racing through his chest and I knew something was up). He then got down on one knee. My first reaction was "Oh no!" - horrible reaction I know, but hear me out. I think I said that because for years (of course as a girl) you dream about the day you are proposed to. I quickly remember my inside-conversation: "oh my gosh, here it is, are you ready, are you feeling beautiful, where are we, is this so perfect?". And all those questions led to a roof-top shout of YES! His proposal was perfect, as was the rest of the evening. 

May 6, 2012: I graduated from Nursing school. One, huge, accomplishment. I was so proud of myself and my sister. We did it. 

June 18, 2012: I moved out (officially) of my parents house into the apartment where Cory and I would be living together after we were married. The apartment and neighborhood is just perfect for us. 

September 1, 2012: I married the love of my life, my best friend on a glorious sunny day! Then headed to Kauai for the Honeymoon of our dreams.

December 21-23, 2012: We had our first Christmas celebrations as husband and wife. We loved getting a tree, buying our ornaments and chotchky decorations (ok maybe the latter was just me), and making our place warm and ready for the holidays. 

2012 was an amazing year. God truly blessed us to the limits of blessings (at least I sure felt like that)! We are both really excited for what 2013 has in store for us. As long as we rely on the Lord's strength and guidance, I know this year will be just as great.