License!!

My teaching license finally came in the mail today, I was so excited to see it! This was a long awaited arrival. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this, and I know this might sound dumb, but I just might frame this one.

Just had to share this!! :)

Possibilities

It seems all me and my husband can talk about these days is our search for our new home. After living in our apartment for almost a year we are ready to move into a house of our very own.

I can't tell you how blessed we feel. It is amazing all the goverment programs out there to help first time home buyers. It is also amazing the prices of these beautiful houses we have been looking at (online only right now, we are still waiting for the official pre approval from the bank).

I love the idea of the possibilities. We could buy a fixer-upper. We could buy something move in ready and just paint. I am not sure what we want right now. But I love thinking of the possibilities.

Hope for Haiti

My heart aches for Haiti. I can't imagine losing everything, especially when you didn't have much to start with in the beginning. I saw this on a fellow blogger's page this morning before work and thought it was a great idea. So go buy something crafty and help out a much needed cause!

Childhood Recipe

Tonight I made a new dish for dinner. I am always weary about trying new recipes, as I don't know how they will turn out. This one, like most, I got from my mom, so I figured it had to be good.

I was right! As I ate this dish all of my memories of eating it as a child came back. Do you ever do that, or is it just me? Certain foods remind me of certain times in my life. This dish reminds me of eating dinner with my family at the kitchen table after a long day at school and practice.

So here it is, I usually am not a big casserole person but this one is so good!

Mom's Chicken Tetragzini:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup whipping cream

2 tsp sherry

7oz spaghetti noddles, cooked

2 cups cubed chicken, cooked

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

-Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.

-Blend flour and seasonings.

-Stir in broth and cream.

-Heat to boiling, stirring, stir in sherry, chicken and noddles.

-Pour into ungreased casserole dish.

-Sprinkle cheese on top.

-Bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

- Enjoy!!

Faithful

I am glad that God is faithful to me, even when I don't deserve it. Last week I was kinda feeling down about my current job situation. I recently graduated and I am having a hard time finding a full time job. If you focus too much about the economy and how it's not fair you can become quite discouraged, which is what I was doing. Instead of being thankful for the jobs I do have or the other million blessings in my life I was focusing on the one part that isn't exactly as I want it to be.

On Tuesday me and Clarke went to the bank to see about getting a loan to buy our first house. It was a great meeting and because the housing market is so bad there are so many different grants and programs from the government to help out first time home buyers. We weren't sure if we would be able to buy or not, but it looks like we will be able to. After that meeting I was thanking God for all the wonderful options out there for us, and it dawned on me, the same situation I was so upset about just yesterday is the same situation I am praising God for right now.

Amazing. God can take any situation, no matter how dark or bleak it may seem, and bless me. He is bigger than the economy (which I say all the time, and most of the time I truly believe) and He can do anything in any situation. He is always faithful, even when I am doubtful.

He has once again reminded me of his power, love and sovereignty. I know there is something out there for me. A job that in His time, I will find.

The Governor's Plates

Awhile ago at All Fired Up, where I work, we were commissioned by the governor, Tim Kaine, to paint 200 plates. They are for all the people who have worked for him while he was governor. Sadly he is leaving soon. This was a huge endeavor for our little shop, and I was very happy to be apart of it. I came in when I wasn't working and even brought some home to work on. Here is the finished product:

You will notice that it is signed by the governor himself. He came to All Fired Up to sign all 200 of them. I was there when he came to sign them, so I got to meet him! It was really exciting and I am pretty sure he is the only famous person I have ever met. For the past week it is all we could talk about at work, and I am glad I got to be apart of such a neat experience.

The Callaways

I just had to write a post about my new toy, I mean golf clubs. They are so great, and it just makes me want spring to come even faster. I finally won them on ebay, after being outbid several times at the last second. They are new, Callaways, women's gem set.

There they are, just waiting to be used. Me and Clarke did go to the driving range on Saturday, it was 30 degrees outside, so we didn't stay long.

Betty likes my new clubs as well. There is the bag they came with. Of course, all matching! I am so ready for warmer weather when these can get some good use!

Favorites

My favorite things on a cold wintery day:

• Roasted red pepper and tomato soup with a grilled extra sharp cheddar cheese sandwich
• Cuddling up with a blanket, Clarke and Betty on the couch to watch a movie
• Cute scarves
• Warm sheets straight from the dryer
• Apple cider
• Heated seats in Clarke's car (we take it everywhere now)

What are your favorite things in winter?!?

Resolutions

My 2010 Resolutions:

Be Healthier: When I take a look at my pantry, fridge and what I eat it is awful. The amount of fat, sugar, sodium, and high fructose corn syrup that I consume on a regular basis is embarrassing. I can't believe I don't weigh 500 pounds.

I need to drink more water and work out consistently also. I belong to a great gym, I need to use it more often.

Create More Art For Me: I love the creative process. I find it relaxing and it's a great healthy escape. I don't take enough time to create art for myself, or just for the purpose of making art. I recently signed up to take a class at The Visual Arts Center. I am really excited for it to start.

Break 100: This one is going to be tough. When I first started playing golf last spring I thought I could def. break 100, I was wrong. Golf is a challenging sport, but I am hoping my new clubs will help.

Quiet Times: I need to be more consistent about spending time with God in His word. Especially with the job search, I need all the truth and encouragement I can get.

Church: I want to get more involved with my church. I absolutely love my church, and feel so blessed to be apart of it. I know a lot of people struggle with finding the right church for them, and I know this is the right one for me. Last year me and my husband got more involved with Reach, a group for 20 somethings and the video skits. I want to get even more involved with our women's ministry and doing more planning with Reach.

Read More: Pretty self explanatory.

Job: I need to continue to do everything I possibly can to get a job as an art teacher. Keep on calling (which I hate doing), keep on praying, keep on searching and keep on trusting that God has something out there for me.

So there it is, my new years resolutions! God, Art, Job, Golf, Health. :)

The Lost Get Found

I recently purchased Britt Nicole's newest cd because I absolutely love her song The Lost Get Found. When I was student teaching I think I listened to this song every morning on the way to school. It was inspiring, uplifting and I felt God really spoke to me through that song.

Hello my friend

I remember when you were

So alive with your wide eyes

Then the light that you had in your heart was stolen

Now you say that it ain't worth stayin'

You wanna run but you're hesitatin'

I'm talkin' to me

Don't let your lights go down

Don't let your fire burn out

somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe

Why don't you rise up now?

Don't be afraid to stand out

That's how the lost get found

The lost get found

I just love those lyrics, and her entire cd is great so far. I would definitely recommend it. Her other new song that they are playing on the radio, also on this cd, Walk on the Water is so inspiring as well. I think it really speaks to me about searching for a job, because honestly sometimes I do doubt if I will ever make it.

You look around

It's staring back at you

Another wave of doubt

Will it pull you under

You wonder

What if i'm overtaken

What if i never make it

What if no one's there?

Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step

Into the unknown

You know that he won't let you go

So what are you waiting for?

What do you have to lose?

Your insecurities try to alter you

You know you're made for more

So don't be afraid to move

Your faith is all

It takes in you

You can walk on the water too

Love it! I know with God I will find the perfect teaching job, and with God I will be successful at it.

Hello 2010!

So far my new year is going great. Me and Clarke went up to Washington D.C. for New Year's Eve. We both wanted to get away for awhile, and it was a nice change of scenery.

On New Year's day we walked around the national mall and of course I drug him into an art museum. The Hirshhorn was amazing. They had works by Frank Stella, Chuck Close and Sol LeWitt. I was in heaven!

Edit: Clarke just saw this and said he did not get dragged. He enjoyed it more than the museum he wanted to go into. :)

We went into the National Museum of American History also. I got to see Julia Child's kitchen. It was pretty neat.

We stopped by Ikea on the way home. The plates we got match our kitchen perfectly, I was very excited about that!

So here's to a great 2010!!