Closing out 2008

I know I've been awful about keeping this updated. But I haven't completely forgotten. I've just kept telling myself, "I'll do it later." Like when I have more time or more to say. Well, here we are at the end of December, and it seems to be a good time to update.

2008 has been a pretty good year for us. It's had its ups and downs, but I think more ups than downs. We started out the year working on a house with Chris' mom and Jim. It still hasn't sold, but hopefully it will soon. It was a relief for us to have the renovations on the house done finally late in the spring of the year.

We attended many weddings this year, from dear cousins to dear friends. We pray that God will bless your marriages in so many ways. It's such a joy to see two people join their lives to each other, and I can't help but remember our wedding already 2.5 years past. It's amazing how time flies. Congratulations Bobby & Judith, Emily & Jeff, Josh & Carlie, Paul & Jessica, Leigh & Donny, Holly & Brad, Su & Bert, and to those we missed or weren't able to attend (Rebekah & Daniel, Michelle & Michael, and Rebecca & Ron)

We've also seen some friends depart and had some routines changed. Swing dance and my Girl's Bible Study just aren't the same anymore! Though we're happy for our friends that are moving on to better things and wonderful opportunities, It's one of the hard parts about living in a college town - but change is a part of life and though sometimes we resist, change isn't always a bad thing.

Our cat, Mello, had some serious medical problems this year, but is now doing MUCH better, we're so happy to report. I took a job late in August at Parkway Baptist Church in a 3 y/o class through their preschool Program (though most of you already know that). Chris has started a new Web Design Company with our friend Dack and we hope they'll soon have some web pages to design.

Thanksgiving was a nice time here in Auburn with my parents, Robbie, Aunt Mary and Uncle Mike, Beth, Gail, and Chris's mom and Jim. It was a big meal followed by a few of us getting out our instruments and playing some Christmas tunes my Uncle Mike arranged for us. That was a lot of fun.

And December's been a whirlwind or activity. For me it's been a few parties and Christmas programs (church and work), and a WHOLE LOT of baking. I love cooking, baking, and candy-making and can't wait to get going on it again. Then came my birthday and our trip to Kentucky (during which the cat stayed in Trussville with my mom and dad). We didn't have a white Christmas, but we did have a wonderful time up there. We spent a few days each in Richmond and Lexington with Chris' dad's and mom's sides of the family (respectively), and spent a few hours over in Louisville with my Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Marc. We stopped back by Trussville to get the cat (and visited with our friend Emily to see her new house - and the work they've done on it is quite impressive), and made it home again last night. We spent some time with some of Chris' high school friends and just took it easy today. We'll probably clean up and take the rest of the week pretty easy (though we may have some friends over for a very low key New Year's Eve), and go back to work next week refreshed.

On my to do list for 2009:

• focus on scripture memory (to find out more on the plan I'm using, go to this site: http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2008/12/anybody-game.html
• learn to sew and start making more clothes and other items
• learn to cook new and different things, and improve kitchen skills in general
• join a gym and actually GO!
• attend the weddings of some friends (Jackie and Mark & Ashley)
• go to the Bahamas and visit Tamara, Dallas, and Joss
• start learning a bit more about vegetable gardening and maybe get started with that
• put some work into updating the house
• update this thing more often :-)

I know many of them aren't really detailed at all, but I'm working on it. I know this hasn't been a great year for many, but I hope you've all had a happy holiday season and I wish you all a very Happy New Year. Chris and I are looking forward to what it may bring.

~Laura

Some Football and Some Life

Boy was that a super-messy game tonight. I really hope that we'll work out those kinks in practice and be ready for our next game. I'm so glad we actually won that game. There were times I thought we wouldn't.

Last weeks' game was miserable. The team did well, but the sun was completely brutal. I put on sunblock, but I didn't realize it was expired at the time. I realized later than evening when I saw that my arms were glowing red. Lots of aloe and lotion applications later, and I'm starting to heal and peel. Getting burned is really not a happy thing, so I'll try to avoid it from now on.

I've been keeping pretty busy lately, and it's starting to become more routine. I keep promising to update more, and I really am trying. I think I'm just too easily distracted. Chris is doing well. He's keeping himself quite busy, too. (I just looked over at him and he was applying rubbing alcohol to his chin. I think he ran out of aftershave.) I love that man. We're in the process of starting a company ourselves (and also with Dack). Nothing nearly as complicated as Tamara and Dallas are going through right now, but an undertaking none the less. We're still in the very beginning stages of it, so I won't post too much more right now.

Mello is also finally back to his old self. Chris and I have been so worried about him and missing our cat. Hopefully that's the last visit to the vet for a while. It's been a trying few months. It's nice to see him playful and sweet again instead of lethargic.

Tomorrow will be a full day. I have to get to church by 8:30 to provide childcare. After church, Chris and I will finalize our lessons for tomorrow night and head back up there around 4:45. After church is over at 7:30, we'll have a swing meeting and finally head back home and crash so we both make it to work on time Monday. My job is going so well. It's really a delight! There are trying times, as there are in any job (my pastor reminded me that without those times how would you appreciate the really good ones - so true), but I enjoy it so much and I hope I'm being a true help for Leslie. The kids are funny and sweet, and they're starting to get to know us and trust us more. As much as they've captured my heart in these few short weeks, I can't imagine how sad I'll be at the end of the year when they move on to another class.

That's all for now.
Laura

Back to school

Living in a college town (especially Auburn), going back to school affects everyone. Restaurants, the movie theater, and grocery stores are more crowded. Traffic increases exponentially. But for the last two years, it's just been a saying - something that happens around us. Yes, Chris works for the University, but he didn't get off for the summer, so it's not like he's going back. He does get very busy at the beginning of the year. Work has been crazy the last two weeks. I think he's stayed late every day except Monday (and that's because the University closed due to tornados). But it usually slows down a bit after the first few weeks of the semester pass.

This year, I've gone back to school. Not as a student, but as a teacher. I'm an assistant teacher at Parkway Baptist Church Preschool Program. I'm in a classroom with 12 3-year-olds and the head teacher, Mrs. Leslie. She's fantastic! I really love working with her. My first day on the job was during staff planning week. I was just a substitute then, and I was taking care of the staff kids so their moms could plan for the year. I was called in Monday for this week (Aug. 25-29) because some teachers were out sick. As it turned out, one of the assistants had to take another job and was unable to commit for the year, so I was offered the assistant position and happily accepted. Tuesday will be my first day as an actual assistant and not a sub (because Monday is a holiday). I work from 8:30-12:30 Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I can also still sub on Wednesdays and Fridays if they need me. The hours are fantastic, the pay is great, and the holidays correspond with the University, so Chris and I don't have to worry about when we can get away during the holidays. I'm on cloud nine, and I'm sure I'll have many more updates later.

Getting Ready for Football

I've been meaning to post for a few days, but I keep getting sidetracked by the Olympics. My sleeping schedule is a little off because I've been trying to keep up with Jeremy's races in Beijing. You can read more about that here: http://jeremyandheatherknowles.blogspot.com/ Now he's swam his last race, and we sure are proud of him.

Anyway, we got something exciting in the mail today....these! Football starts soon, and I can't wait. Chris isn't nearly as excited as I am, but I do think he is excited. I really love living in Auburn, and fall in Auburn is amazing. Though sometimes traffic and parking can be frustrating. Chris is working hard and getting ready for students again. The first few weeks of the semester are usually pretty busy for him.

And Chris and I start teaching the youth Sunday evening. He'll be working with the Challengers (7th-12th grade guys) and I'll be working with the Acteens (7h-12th grade girls). It's difficult for the youth right now not having a youth pastor, so it's our prayer that we're what God wants us to be for these teens. We want to help them grow in their love for the Lord.


Have a great weekend!
Laura

It's a marshmallow world....

So for those of you who may not know, I love to cook and bake. I love it. I've had dreams of going to culinary school. I would love to at least take some cooking classes. It's not really an option right now, but maybe before I'm 50.

Anyway, lately I've been looking at candy-making. Jeannie Bars (family recipe, may post it around Christmas - or sooner if someone asks) and the occasional peanut brittle used to be as far as I had gone, considering I didn't have a candy thermometer. That all changed back in December or January. I watched an episode of "Good Eats" in which Alton Brown made marshmallows. Interesting note: I never really liked marshmallows. I would eat the occasional smore, but I really didn't like rice krispy treats at all. Or marshmallows in hot chocolate. But because it was Alton, I watched. And I figured that maybe there was something to homemade marshmallows and since I really like sugar, and a marshmallow is almost all sugar, I could possibly come to like marshmallows. So I got a candy thermometer and resolved to try my hand at marshmallow-making.

It's not the trickiest recipe, but it is a somewhat challenging process. I brought the syrup to the right temperature and managed to pour it in a slow thin stream into the mixer bowl on top of the bloomed gelatin and mixed for 12-15 minutes. It was at that point that I got a little frustrated. 1) I forgot to add the vanilla and 2) marshmallows are sticky. I know that's obvious, but I just didn't really exactly how sticky. I finally got some of the mix in pans to set and piped in rows (mini-marshmallows), and covered with the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture. Of course, parts of my kitchen were incredibly sticky messes at that point. Like my whole mixer and parts of the stovetop, range hood, and wall. Oh yeah, it got on the wall. It does easily clean up with warm water though, so it wasn't quite disasterous and off-putting. After they'd set, I tasted a few. Still wasn't in love with them, but I didn't hate them. So I tried them out on some friends and family with good results. And they make awesome smores.

I've been meaning to make them again ever since. Especially because one friend in particular really enjoyed them. But I hadn't had her over like I'd hoped and hadn't made them for her like I intended. Well, she graduates later today and I made a batch for her yesterday. Except this time, I kicked it up a step. I remembered the vanilla this time, and took out a portion of the result and spread it in a pan and piped it. But I added some cinnamon and red food coloring to what remained and piped it. So there's a variety now.

And what's more, I'll be trying a new recipe tomorrow. It's a recipe that was posted a few months back on some food blogs I follow and it got good reviews. I'll be trying two more flavors tomorrow. Chocolate and Bailey's. I'll have to let y'all know how it goes. I also plan to try my hand at some more candies on down the road. If you have suggestions, let me know. And if anyone is interested in the recipes, just leave a comment and I'll post them later.

So Emily, if you read this, marshmallows are the "something else" of which I was speaking earlier. And that's why I really didn't want to wait until next Friday to bring them to you. I hope you enjoy, and we love you! Congratulations, graduate!

~Laura

Getting caught up - most of the first two years

I was thinking, and perhaps before I go into what may happen in the future, I'll briefly discuss how we got here. At least, since we were married to here.

After our wedding, we went on a Disney cruise for our honeymoon. I very much enjoyed it. Chris didn't as much. There were some issues with their sattelite not working and they couldn't update our credit card in the system, so we couldn't use our room key as a charge card. We didn't get to swim with dolphins. We wanted to parasail, but the boat broke and we couldn't. And the worst thing in Chris' book - the server who took care of drinks and appetizers for our whole trip got sick and we rarely got refills at any meal onboard. Chris usually drinks through 4 or so refills before the food gets there. There were some good things about the ship, and we may go on another cruise sometime.

That fall we had faculty season football tickets (we used his mom's), and my parents used his. Loved it. It's entirely different from the student section. I mean, I'd been in the crowd many, many times before, but it's different when you're not with or in the band, or in the student section. I also started working with the Acteens at church. I had been looking for a Bible study to do with Chris, and it seemed that everywhere I looked, something popped up in relation to working with girls, or youth, or teens to the point that I finally said, "okay, God, I get it. And I'll work with them." So I co-taught with a wonderful lady at church and got to ease in a little instead of getting thrown in.

We spent Thanksgiving with my family that year, and traveled to Kentucky for Christmas. We really enjoyed Thanksgiving, and in spite of some tension in his family, we enjoyed Christmas, too. I will say it's a little odd waking up on Christmas morning surrounded by your spouse's family. I don't mean bad at all! And it will become more normal the more years we're married.

Spring of last year was pretty uneventful. Our routine then was work (Chris at the University, and me...at the University - well Extension and all over Alabama, I spose), swing dance, and church. In January or February I joined a girl's Bible study at Tamara's house. I knew Tamara through Chris' former roomate, but I didn't know her that well. Even so, I was craving some girl time and closer friends down here, so I just started going. How amazing was that! Tamara, Trafina, and Jessica became such good friends! I'm so glad I got to know them and our friendships have grown. Later on, Leigh Morgan (now Mott) and Rebecca Cook (soon to be Godwin) joined and what a joy to have two more good friends in the group. I'd known both of them since my freshman year at Auburn. I was working for Chris' mom at the time on a catfish grant and did a lot of traveling in the last spring and throughout summer.

We traveled to Illinois (near Chicago) for Megan's wedding (a cousin on Chris' side). After the wedding, we drove to my Uncle Pete and Aunt Alta's church and visited with them and my little cousins. They're precious little girls!

Also last summer, I went to a WMU leadership training with some women from my church and prepared to lead the Acteens on my own. I had a whole lot of ideas, and though I didn't realize all of them, I'm sure I might eventually. It'll happen in God's time, not my own, which is the way it should be.

The fall was wonderful. This time we were able to sit with my parents during football season, which we enjoyed. This time we spent Thanksgiving in Kentucky with Chris' side of the family and actually hosted Christmas at our house! Remind me not to do that again until we remodel the kitchen. No, it did turn out alright, and I'm sure with more experience I'll get better at timing the cooking. I really enjoyed Christmas and I think/hope my parents, brother, and Granny did as well. We spent New Year's with my side of the family (it was my grandfather's birthday).

Early in spring this year, we said goodbye to a wonderful friend named Brian. He's now on a boat somewhere over in Europe spreading the Good News. We were so sad (complete understatement) to see him go, but we know he's loving it and we're praying for him constantly. We all miss him at swing. Then in June some more friends moved away. Ashley, or now Dr. Miles!, graduated and took a job in Huntsville. We wish her the best up there. I got to visit with her a little when I was up there at the beginning of July and was glad of the opportunity. Jessica Lipscomb from my Bible study and her husband Bart followed God's call to Austin, TX. They're an amazing couple and I look forward to hearing what God has in store for them out there.

This spring and summer we've attended 6 weddings. Two of Chris' cousins, Bobby (on his dad's side), and Emily (on his mom's side), one of my cousins, Josh (on my dad's side), and friends Paul and Jessica Caspers, Leigh and Donny Mott, and Holly and Brad Shaver. There are a few more weddings coming up this year and we'll make 1 or 2 more, and we're sad to miss some others. We wish all these couples the best! And we met a new cousin (1st once removed) at Emily and Jeff's wedding. Little Emma is beautiful. And we'll meet two more at Christmas (also 1st once removed), so I'll be sure to update about that then.

Tonight I'm going to a Beth Moore simulcast, so I'd better get off and get ready for that. I'll definitely have more to update later. I hope this was long enough to keep you occupied until then. I know I left some stuff out, but I'll get to it eventually.

Laura

Getting Started

So, I've been encouraged to begin blogging so some friends (and family, even) can keep up with our lives. As it's so very late tonight, I won't say much other than Chris and I are doing well. He's still working for the university, and I still don't have a job, though I am actually working on that.

I've recently begun hosting our girl's Bible study at my place, which is good, because I'm doing a little better keeping my house clean. The downside to this is that I'm doing this because Tamara and Joss are moving now (it used to be at her place), and after a while, Tamara, Dallas and Joss will all move to the Bahamas. I know God is leading them there, and I know that He will bless their family, but I have this image of throwing myself on the ground and wrapping my arms around Tamara's legs and pitching a 2-year-old-type hissy fit begging them not to go! (I'll miss you guys for sure.) In the last two years, it just seems like Chris and I haven't had a lot of married-couple friends to hang out with, and just when we're really developing a great friendship with some wonderful people, they up and leave us for the Bahamas. I mean, who wants to live somewhere with aweome weather, beautiful beaches, amazing water....yeah, I'll stop now. :-) You can bet we're going to visit them down there. And as sad as I am to lose them, I'm so happy for them and can't wait to see what God has in store.

And this summer has been the summer of weddings for us. There's been a bunch of travel, a bunch of amazingly beautiful brides and equally handsome grooms, and new family members and friends. With some good friends recently tying the knot, we're looking forward to spending some time building relationships with some wonderful people. I'm already blessed to be getting to know Jessica Caspers better.

Well, that's all I'm awake for now, so I'll update on possible happenings this fall later. Maybe I will have more to write about than I thought. Thanks for the encouragement, Tamara!

Later y'all,
Laura