Officially Submitted

Well... it's officially done.  The one thing that has taken me months to do.  It made me recall more information about myself than I could ever have imagined, and will probably be the reason I learn more about this country than I ever have before.


Today, I officially sent off my American Citizenship Application.  It was amazing how much weight fell off my shoulders the minute the lady at the post office took it away from me and put it in the postage bin.  Now I play a waiting game!!  I'm not sure how long it will take for the phone call to come in, but now I have to wait to see when I will have my "interview."

For now I will be studying facts about U.S civics to help me pass the oral exam on U.S history!  If you have any fun facts that you think a U.S citizen should know, comment on this post!

Let the waiting begin :)

Star In the Making

On Saturday Night, my friend and I went to see The Woodlands High School's rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  As it is a Shakespeare play, I didn't know whether or not I would understand, or enjoy it.  Not to mention, it's a high school play... how good could it be.  (After typing that out, I realize how horrible that sounds)

I was blown away by the professionalism of the cast.  They were incredible actors who made Shakespeare seem colloquial!  The story line drew me in and the cast's comedic timing was unreal!   But there was one actor who stole our hearts.  He had spikey hair which had been colored blue and he had no lines, but he stole my heart!

This is him.  He is 5 years old and has already appeared in a HIGH SCHOOL SHAKESPEARE PLAY!  I was so starstruck and insisted that we get a picture with him.  He was so sweet and shook all of our hands and took some time to pose in this picture with us!  Buddy, you've got three girls who think you are the greatest actor in the world.... let us know when your are performing next!  We will be front and center :)

Culinary Adventures: Granola Bars

Last night Luke and I embarked on a culinary endeavor.   I decided, after watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa on the food network, that I would try my hand at making homemade granola bars!  Luke got excited about the adventure too and joined me in the kitchen.

We gathered all the ingredients together and whipped it up.  We toasted the oats, the wheat germ, the almonds and the coconut flakes.  We added the cranberries, the raisins and the pumpkin seeds.  We boiled the butter, the brown sugar and the variety of other ingredients.  And then we started the baking process.

Although they turned out a bit more "crunchy" than I had hoped,  it was a phenomenal recipe and a fun experience.   I would love to be a mom someday who can look in her cupboard and think of something wonderful to make from scratch.  I feel like this was a step in the right direction.

If you would like to try it, you can find the Contessa's recipe on the food network website: here

Electric Dog

If you have never met our dog, she is quite a character.   She is a sweet German Shepherd who will never grow to full size.  She weighs about 40 ibs and loves to snuggle.  

Her other favorite hobby is to get into trouble. :)  She likes to create precarious situations that either get her in trouble or hurt.  One of our favorite Nova adventures happened when she was 9 weeks old.  She was playing with the sliding door when she got her eyelid caught on a sliding door lock.  I don't even understand how that is possible, but we had to peel her eyelid off of the door.  What an adventure.

We had not had such an adventure in quite a while but Nova would not allow her traditions to go away.  Yesterday, as Luke and I sat doing some work in the Kitchen, Nova went on her usual exploration of the house.  ALL OF A SUDDEN, we heard a squeal that made us jump.  We both ran in as fast as we could to make sure she didn't do anything terrible to herself.

As I sat consoling her (it sounds like we have a child... believe me I know she's a dog)  Luke looked around the room for evidence.  Nova had licked a floor socket and shocked the mess out of herself.  Oh how we laughed... if not for the lick marks on the outlet cover, we never would have known.

Needless to say, Nova is shockingly fine.

Vacation Home

This past week we have been house sitting for one of our board members.  They asked us to stay in their house and told us that we could enjoy all it had to offer :)  ... so we have

It is amazing how being away from home (even if it is only miles) can give you a refreshed feeling.   While we are still working, (Senior High Klub on Thursday, Drove to a Dallas event Friday, Blu Ganu on Saturday, Super K on Sunday..)  getting to enjoy a dip in the hot tub, as seen above, at the end of the day somehow makes it all a little easier!  (feeling like such a lush right now).

They also have a great media room where we have been spoiled with tons of great movies.  We have watched a few movies and enjoyed spending time together during our off time.

Now that we feel so refreshed, we are moving back to our apartment tomorrow afternoon.  We will miss our vacation home and all the relaxing things there are to do here :)

Zumba - My new love

Some of you may already be sick of hearing this word, or may roll your eyes when you realize I am writing about it as the topic for my blog today, but I am a firm believer!

  I have never been a work out guru.  I have always believed in eating what I want (within reason) and choosing to walk instead of taking the car.  I have never held a gym membership but enjoy playing sports and spending time doing various outdoor things.  I have never had a workout routine, and as Luke can tell you, would frequently say no to going on a run.  It just never sounded fun!  Working out just sounded like one of those things that very disciplined people did when they wanted to look great.

  A few short weeks ago, one of my board moms introduced me to a new workout fad called Zumba.  At first, I brushed it off as simply that, a fad.  (I live in The Woodlands, TX: fad central)  One day I got my hands on the DVDs and decided to see for myself what this was all about.  

I. FELL. IN . LOVE!!

   It was the most fun workout I have ever done in my life. (Although remember from above that my selection is limited).  Basically you get to dance to great music using a routine that Zumba instructors make up.  It's like a giant dance party that tones and sculpts your body and is a phenomenal cardio workout.  What more could a girl want.

If you have never tried it before, head to zumba.com and find a local instructor.  Or, you can do what I did and borrow the DVDs from someone you know.  I think you will enjoy it as much as I do!

The New View

We have now lived in our new apartment for two weeks!  Time flies when you are having fun and done with the unpacking process.  

One of our new favorite things to do, especially in the newly cool weather in Houston, is to sit out on our patio with coffee and a good book.  We use our new Kindles, which is another post for another day. Most of the time, because we work in youth ministry, we participate in this ritual in the mornings.

This morning has the most glorious so far.  It was a warm 70 degrees outside with no humidity and Luke had made a perfectly bold cup of coffee this morning.  As I sat and looked at my view I was reminded why I love The Woodlands area so much.  Trees everywhere, walking paths and pools!

Indulging in these moments is what makes life so wonderful.  For me, the great outdoors, my husband, my dog and a good book make for the most precious.