A Recipe Blogger I Am Not

So you know how I mentioned in yesterday's post that I made dinner for the Boy? Wanna know what I made? Sure you do! ( I know this 'cause I've been asked).

Now, once upon I time I had grand ambitions of being able to cook and take all these great pictures and blog about all the steps so that you would all love me and read my stuff and think I'm awesome. Well, here's the thing: This is real life.

So, instead, I'll post links to people who are FAR better at this than I am (*cough cough* The Pioneer Woman *cough cough*) and keep practicing until I figure out how to defy reality and make it work. 

For the pot roast, I actually used a hybrid recipe (part Pioneer Woman, part my Grandmother, part "well, I hope this works"). If you want a beautifully presented step-by-step recipe, check out the above link. That woman is FANTASTIC at what she does. I'm not even going to try and touch it. But, I will share the recipe.

Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lb chuck roast
• 2 large onions, halved
• 8 carrots, chunked
• EVOO
• Worcestershire sauce
• Steak seasoning (or salt and pepper if you'd rather)
• 2 cans Golden Mushroom soup
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1 cup red wine (or beef stock)
• 1 packet Beefy Onion soup mix
• 3 sprigs fresh Rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh Thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300. 
2. Prepare a large oven bag in a 9x13 roast pan (i.e. add 1 tbsp of flour and shake til coated).
3. Mix together: 2 cans soup, 1 soup can of water, and 1 cup coffee. Pour mixture into the bag. 
4. Season your beef with Worcestershire and desired seasonings. 
5. In a large pan on med-high, heat EVOO until hot (but not smoking).
6. Brown the onions on both sides in the hot oil (about 1 min per side) and set aside. Then brown the carrots in the same oil, turning regularly, about 1-2 min, and set aside. The goal is to brown the outside of the veggies before putting them in the roast, not to cook them, so don't worry about getting them "done." (BTW, the oil will try to attack you...be warned).
7. Let the oil get hot again and place the meat in the pan, searing each side for about 1 min. 
8. Once browned, remove from the pan and place the roast in the prepared bag.
9. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup red wine (i.e. pour the wine into the hot hot pan and scrape the bottom to get all the yummy bits off), then add the wine to the bag.
10. Sprinkle the packet of Beefy Onion soup mix over the roast.
11. Add the veggies to the bag. Add the fresh herbs (make sure to submerge them in liquid).
12. Tie the bag with the provided ties and cut six or so slits in the top of the bag.
13. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 3-4 hours depending on the size of your roast.  

Now, you'll notice I didn't include potatoes in my recipe. I normally do, but we're trying to avoid those right now (holidays much anyone?), so they got nixed this time. I replaced them with a side of Brussles sprouts. 

My recipe for these is actually quite simple:

1. Cut the sprouts in half and place on a large baking sheet.
2. Drizzle with EVOO and salt and pepper (and a little garlic if you're so inclined).
3. Toss in seasonings and turn the sprouts so they're facing cut-side up.
4. Roast on 425 for about 30 min. 

And for dessert, 

"Skinny" Banana Pudding

Ingredients: 

• Sugarfree Banana Cream pudding (the instant kind)
• Non-fat milk
• Bananas, sliced
• Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers
• Light Whipped Cream

Directions: 

1. Crush a handful of Nilla Wafers in the bottoms of two small glasses.
2. Prepare the pudding according to package directions. 
3. Layer: pudding, sliced bananas, Cool Whip, cookies. Then, for fun, more pudding, bananas, and cookies. 
4. Top with a dollop of Cool Whip, a slice of banana, and a Nilla Wafer. 

Easy enough, right? Go try 'em out. Check out Ree's blog while you're at it. Enjoy your creations. And come back and see me!

Til then, friends!

Vocation

My ninth grade English teacher was (and still is) one of the most influential people in my life. On the very first day of high school, I walked into his room expecting a typical "read this, write this, summarize this" English class. Instead, he stands up, stares at us, picks up a chair, puts it on the table at the front of the room, and says, "What is this?"

Student A: Um...it's a chair.
Coach: Oh really? What makes you say that?
Student A: ...'cause that's what it IS.
Coach: Well, how do you know that?
Student A: ...'cause...that's what a chair is! It's a chair.
Coach: Ok. What's a chair?
Student B: It's something you sit on.
Coach: (sitting on Student B's desk) So, this (points to desk) is a chair?
Student B: No. This is a desk.
Coach: Why?
Student B: Um...I don't know?

Then he walked to the board and wrote two words on it:

Metaphysics

Epistemology

I was hooked.

The rest of the class was devoted to defining those words and discussing their implications on our lives. How they affect the decisions we make, the lives we lead, the people we become. How we define the world around us.

I can remember that day from high school with scary clarity. The type of chair he used, where I was sitting, the color of Coach's bow tie. From that first day to the day I graduated, that man didn't stop surprising me or pushing me to know more. To try harder. To be better. He shaped the way I viewed academics and how I defined goals for myself.

He taught us another word that day.

Vocation

That's not a word you hear in your run-of-the-mill, everyday conversation. And I think that's a tragedy. In short, it means "calling," but the way Coach described it was so much deeper. It's a divine calling - our ultimate purpose. It's what we are designed by an almighty, all knowing God to do with our oh so brief time on this earth.

Now at that point, I was convinced my calling was to be a pediatrician. Over the next four years it changed about twelve times. Then several more in college. And, honestly, I struggled with it a lot last year. I love doing what I do, don't get me wrong. I have a fantastic job and I work with some of the most amazing people, and I don't plan on leaving them any time soon.

But, I'm realizing...it's not my ultimate calling.

Being a wife and mother, however, is.

The strengths I have, my personality, the things and people I'm drawn to...the things that make me the happiest - they all point back to that. I realize it may not happen for a long time, but I see glimpses of it in day to day life that just make me giddy.

Like tonight. The Boy started a new job today. He worked all day long and I'm sure was exhausted by the time he left the office. Knowing today was going to be a long one, I wanted to make sure we had a nice dinner and time to relax after work. I put most of it together last night because I knew I'd be at work all day and I wanted everything to be ready so that when he walked, in all he had to do was enjoy being home.

Sure I was exhausted last night, but being able to love on someone made it all worth it. I was happier prepping food and cleaning the kitchen last night than I ever will be with a six-figure income. That may not make sense to everyone, but I don't really care. If you know what you're called to do, you'll get it. If you don't, I can only hope and pray you find what you're looking for. 'Cause trust me, when you do, it makes all the difference in the world.  

And then I made Chocolate Cobbler

And homemade whipped cream.

But I did NOT go to the store. So...it's fine.

Wait, let me back up some.

I went back to work today. Now, for all intents and purposes, this was basically my first day back since December 21st. I mean, there were two whole work days in there somewhere, but then my body attacked me and bed rest happened and yeah. I missed a few days.

Anyway, today was my first day back. It went fine. Really it did. I just got super tired this afternoon. Apparently, if you "rest" for two weeks, your system gets annoyed when you jump back into an 8hr day at a fast paced advertising agency with very little warm-up time.

Plus, I also picked today to jump back into my "I'm going to be healthier" routine (since I'd kinda been ignoring it during recovery and why not restart ALL ROUTINES AT THE SAME TIME?!?). So, I operated today on ONE cup of coffe. One, guys. One. Geez.

Also, I had tuna and celery for lunch. And water. Lots of it.

When the year began, I had all these grand plans for getting back on track: 8+ glasses of water a day, high protein-low calorie meals, walking the dog more, boot camp classes two days a week, etc. Abdominal surgery kinda puts the kibosh on several of those.

You know what else does that? This:

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Tena on Pinterest

Chocolate cobbler, guys. Chocolate cobbler.

This is Tena's fault. She told me to go home and rest. So I came home. I heated up dinner (more fish...), I sat on the couch, I cuddled the puppy...I opened Pinterest and...BAM! All "healthy" plans ruined FOREVER. All 'cause Tena posted this recipe (...and 'cause I have a major league baking weakness). And it's just so dang easy. And my day was just so dang long. And...chocolate cobbler, guys!

So, yeah...back to healthy again tomorrow. Til then, read on, drool, be jealous...and blame me for any and all mistakes you make in your plans today because of it...it's worth it.

Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 1 c.all-purpose flour
• 2 tspbaking powder
• ¼ tspsalt
• 7 tbspcocoa powder, divided (Try it with dark cocoa, trust me)
• 1-¼ c.sugar, divided
• ½ c.milk
• ⅓ c.melted butter
• 1-½ tspvanilla extract
• ½ c.light brown sugar, packed
• 1-½ c.hot tap water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tbsp of cocoa, and 3/4 c. sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.
3. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix til smooth (it'll look kinda like brownie batter).
4. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-in baking dish (I used my gorgeous new Emile Henry pie plate).
5. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 c. sugar, 4 tbsp of cocoa, and brown sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the batter.
6. Pour the hot tap water over all of it. DO NOT STIR.
7. Bake for about 40 minutes (til center is set).
8. Let stand a few minutes and serve with ice cream (or whipped cream* if you prefer). 

Isn't it pretty?!? That whole "let stand" step...yeah, didn't happen. Maybe you're stronger than I am. Maybe, however, you should just plan on burning your mouth, because OMG guys, THIS STUFF:

Can you see the gooey chocolate wonderfulness up there? Gah...totally worth the burnt tongue. 

Enjoy!

PS: Whipped Cream is REALLY easy to make. Whip (with whisk attachment) 1 cup heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl on high til peaks form. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla over mixture and continue to whip til incorporated. Done. 

I'm not Superwoman

I may have overdone it yesterday. 

Maybe.

Probably.

Ok I did. 

I felt fine, better than I have in a while. Matter of fact, I've been feeling exponentially better since the staples came out (that went fine, by the way. Only some minor stinging...and I freaked the sweet little student nurse out because my pulse was too high. I'd had coffee. Two cups. And was nervous. And am me. She didn't understand.) Anyway, I figured if I was feeling better, I WAS better. I mean, it has been TWO weeks since that whole hospital nonsense.

I got up early (in an attempt at getting myself back on my usual work schedule), did the typical morning routine, swung by Starbucks for coffee, and headed to church. Afterwards, we went to lunch, then I headed over to the Boy's for a little while. It was really nice to be back in a semi-regular routine. 

I knew I probably needed to nap - I'd agreed to go to the APO chapter meeting last night to talk about Camp Quality - but I really wasn't feeing tired...so...yeah...that didn't happen.

Once I headed back to Fayetteville to work on my presentation for the evening, I realized my gnome had been stolen. Don't laugh. It's a tragedy. He has a name and I've had him for two and a half years. I was very upset. He'd been there just that morning. I drove around the complex for a little while, stalked the hooligans hanging out in the soccer fields across the street, and even looked around the backyard. No Linus. I had to give up. 

I finished my presentation then went to chapter. There were several students interested in helping out with camp this year, so at least my visit was fruitful. I love getting new people involved with camp. It added a few happy moments to my evening. 

After chapter, I went back to the Boy's for dinner (and chocolate, 'cause apparently that's what you get when you go through a gnome-gnapping), and might have stayed too late watching old episodes of Psych. Again, however, I wasn't feeling tired.

That is til I got home. And realized I was absolutely exhausted. Like fell-into-bed-sans-toothbrushing-and-makeup-removal exhausted. And then I slept til 9:45 this morning.

And I still feel icky. I don't want to move. I just want to cuddle with the puppy and watch Community. This does not bode well for going back to work tomorrow. Oops.

Guess I can over-do it. Crap. 

Errands & Leftover Thai Food

It's amazing the things that make up "normal life" - ever stopped to think about it? What is it about your world that makes things feel...normal, usual, stable (whatever word you wanna put there)?

I haven't felt "normal" for about two weeks now. I've felt a myriad of other things (hurt, sick, exhausted, weak, off kilter, out of sorts, safe, loved, cared for), but not normal.

I thought maybe it was because I wasn't in MY house. But I didn't feel normal after getting back here.

I then thought maybe it was because the house was still untidy and unorganized. But I didn't feel normal after cleaning up and taking the Christmas decorations down.

THEN I thought maybe it was because I wasn't on my normal schedule. But I didn't feel normal after making myself stick to my typical day-to-day timeline.

So then I gave up.

I went all David After Dentist, staring at the ceiling in my bedroom thinking, "Is this going to be FOREVER?" I knew better, but, if you haven't surmised from reading my previous posts, I'm not the most patient person in the world. (I'm also an over-user of hyperbole, so in my world "forever" could very well just be next week.)

Then, today, in the midst of planning out my afternoon errands and eating my lunch of leftover Thai while You've Got Mail played in the background (...for the third time in a row), I felt like me again. I wasn't even trying. I was in clothes I never wear, sitting in a spot I never sit in, surrounded by two piles of laundry and empty Powerade bottles...and yet, "normal" hit me like a pile of bricks. It was wonderful - one of those moments where you realize: I can just relax.  Everything is fine and life is going to go back to the way it was, despite my efforts. Know the feeling?

I'm glad I got my normal back. I feel tons better, I checked several things off my To Do list (including ordering my bridesmaid dress for Brother's wedding), and I had dinner with some of my favorite people. All in all my spirits are pretty high today. I'm going in for a check-up and getting my staples out tomorrow, however, so that could change quickly. We'll see how that goes...(prayers appreciated).

Til then, friends. 

Surgery Update: One Week Later

A week ago today I was lying in a bed explaining to an anesthesiologist that I would be very cross if he put an IV in my hand. He listened after the second or third insistence (pretty much par for the course) and promised to do his best to avoid it.

Every time I've had surgery I've made that request. Every time I've had the anesthesiologist look at me and say "Okay, are you sure? It's actually really easy to put..." which is where I cut him off and say, "No no, you don't understand. I WILL rip it out in my sleep. Trust me, even unconscious, I'm very stubborn on this point. Please, please don't put it there." Apparently little blonde girls on pain meds aren't super convincing until they make the "I kid you not. Don't test me, bro" face.

Thankfully this time my nurses and anesthesiologist did listen and I came out of surgery hand-IV free. And yes, that is one of the things I was MOST concerned about going into the surgery. See, I've done this multiple times and I've found several things to be true over the course of my experience:

1. I can't worry about the ultimate outcome. I'm in the hands of an Almighty God and all will be well according to His will (no matter how much I fret or worry...so I don't)
2. Doctors and nurses are trained to do this. Every day. Over and over again. I'm going to be fine. 
3. It's over before I know it and I always feel better when I wake up.
4. If you don't ask for what you know you want, they can't give it to you (anti-nausea meds before the anesthesia, no IVs in my hands, nothing "grape" flavored ('cause really, manufacturers of "grape flavored" things, have you EVER tasted a grape? Like EVER? That flavor is NOT grape, it's something more akin to death and the tears of small children.))
5. Having a Momma who's a nurse makes your hospital stay nearly flawless. I don't have to ask any questions, I just have to made sad faces or say "ouch" and people appear. It's wonderful. 

So, yeah, I don't go into surgery worried about much at all. I know I'm going to go into it fine and I trust that I'm going to come out of it fine. My biggest concern is is that silly IV.

The next part is a different story. Although I may go through surgery fine, I don't do recovery fine. A week out from my latest venture, the whole escapade seems to have happened ages ago (likely because I've spent the last week trying to be still and quiet...), and I'm getting antsy.

I want to be okay now. I want to be able to go back to normal - to be able to do simple things like stand up straight and laugh and sleep on my stomach. I did okay for the first few days, then I just got sad and grumpy. Nothing tasted right, none of the chairs/beds/couches were comfortable, my blankets were all wrong, the dog made too much noise, I had no one to talk to, I'd seen EVERY pin imaginable on Pinterest...it wasn't the best day or two.

I'm better now. That phase only lasted a day or two, thank goodness. However, a better mood does not magically make me better. I still get tired very easily, I still can't stand up straight, and I still can't sleep on my tummy. I can, however, laugh and not hurt. I think that development alone has helped my mood. Well, that and an endless loop of the Big Bang Theory on TV in front of the fireplace. It's the little things.

I'm headed back to Fayetteville tomorrow. I'll still be down for a week, but I'll be down in a place that feels more...normal...and I'm hoping that helps. I'll have MY bed and MY apartment and MY stuff back. I won't have Mom just up the road if I need her, but I think I'm okay enough now to survive that. A week is a decent recovery time, right? I mean, I should be totally fine by now (*holds up sarcasm sign*).

All kidding aside, I really do feel okay. I'm still taking it slow and trying to rest, but I feel quite blessed to be feeling fairly normal already. Another week (hopefully), and I should be back to full speed! Until then, y'all need to start pinning some more interesting stuff, please. Thanks.

A Type-A Personality on Bed Rest

Daddy has always described me as driven. I'm pretty sure it's just the word he uses in place of things like "obsessive," "impatient," and "perfectionist." (probably 'cause "driven" sounds less...annoying? intense? in your face?). Whether that's true or not, I always have been, and am still, fittingly described by most of those adjectives.

As I result, I'm very bad at a few things:

• sitting still
• missing work
• not doing what I've told someone I'll do

You know what I'm having to do now because of this silly surgery?

• sit still
• miss work
• not do several things I'd told people I would do

This resting thing is not going well.

But, I promised I wouldn't overdo it. So today I limited myself to:

• Organizing my computer (by year, billable or not, client, category, brand, project name, type of file, editing rendition, etc.)
• Cleaning out my inbox (and put emails that I need to keep in folders similar to the above)
• Reading (four chapters in my new Dave Ramsey book)
• Catching up on HIMYM and BBT
• Cleaning out my personal inbox
• Further customizing the layout of my blog
• Working on some wedding stuff for my little brother
• Giving myself a manicure
• And updating all the contacts in my phone so that the formats match and names reflect any recent marriages
• Oh, and I may have replied to one or two (or six) work emails

At least I've done most of it from the bed or a nearby chair, so it still counts as rest...right? (just nod your head and look away)

Headed Home

They're letting me go home!!! The doctor just came in to check on me and said I looked great, that if I wanted to go home today, I could. So, off we go!

I'm actually going to go back to Memphis with Momma & Dad for a week or so, just to make sure I have someone with me while I continue to heal. (Plus, there aren't required stairs at their house AND they have this ridiculously awesome walk-in-shower.)

While I wouldn't want to re-live this experience, it hasn't been all THAT bad. For such a scary, painful few hours, the days and nights that have followed have been much better than I anticipated.

Matter of fact, I just want to brag on Washington Regional for a moment. Every nurse and doctor that I encountered during my stay was incredible. From the first two nurses that got me checked in and calmed down to each of my nurses and aids I had over the next few days, I've felt important and loved and completely safe. They listened and were attentive and were very gracious at all times (even when I might have been difficult in between pain med doses). They have made this stay almost TOO easy. Thanks.

As for what I've learned from this experience:

• I'm now a jello connessiour. In my opinion, red > green > yellow. Unfortunately, there is a clear inverse relationship between the yumminess of the jello color and the number of times they serve it to you. Oh well...
• Compression socks, which I know are necessary, are really annoying. I'd be okay never having to deal with those things again.
• TLC has some annoying shows on now. And if I see Honey Boo Boo swinging around on the New Year's disco ball thing ONE MORE TIME...
• 4 inch scars aren't nearly as scary looking as I expected them to be. Just kinda unattractive. Don't go asking to see my tummy any time soon. Or, you know, like ever. 
• Sweatpants are a gift from God
• Showers, heck even washing one's face, can make you feel infinitely more human.  
• I am loved by so many people. Tons of friends and family have stopped by to check on me during my stay - each bringing sweet words, warm hugs, and a break from the exhaustion and pain. I love all of y'all for that. 

So now we're gonna make the trek to Memphis. It'll be a long ride, but I'm hoping I can sleep through most of it. I'll be glad to be home, in a bed I recognize, without having to wear about a thousand instruments and monitors connected to me.

Again, I really appreciate all the love and prayers I've felt coming my way. I've felt surrounded and cared for during this whole episode, and words can't express the gratitude I feel towards each and every one of you.

I'll keep everyone updated on my progress over the next week or so.

Til then, friends!

Spontaneous Surgery!

I think I jinxed myself the other day when I said I was SURE there'd be a ton of new adventures this year. Either self-jinxed or forgot to mention to the universe the type of adventure I was looking for.

Then again, GK Chesterton said "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." Maybe that's the better way to look at the events from the past couple days.

The short version is: I had to have emergency surgery today.

Now, I don't want anyone goin' and gettin' all worried or anything. I'm right as rain now (even if a bit sore). I know I did concern a few people, however, so, in an effort to calm nerves, here's the long version.

Thursday evening, after dinner, I started having odd pain in my back and stomach. I've had pain like it before, and I was writing it off as another one of my "episodes" (we used to call these episodes gallbladder attacks...turns out we were quite incorrect on that one...oops).

Anyway, we decided to continue with our evening - I'd been asking Boy to take me to see Monsters, Inc in 3D, and I was NOT going to miss my chance. My discomfort level got worse over the course of the movie, but I stuck it out. It IS cute, friends, but if I had to make that decision again, I'd have probably chosen to go home.

Once I made it home, all I wanted to do was get in bed and sleep off the attack. It was about 10pm by the time I finally lay down. I got about two hours of sleep and woke up in horrible pain. The pain was right behind my belly button and was radiating to my back, adding additional discomfort and keeping me from being able to find an even slightly comfortable position.

Still thinking it was an attack, I decided to wait it out. I battled the pain for about 5 hours before I caved and called Mom, asking if I should go to the hospital. At first, we agreed I could wait a bit longer and hope it subsided, but about an hour later, hitting the 11th hour of the "attack," I simply couldn't bear it any longer.

I called my best friend and asked her to take me to the ER. I must have looked awful based on the way those sweet nurses looked at me. They got me in and back to a room pretty quickly where the most wonderful person ever (or at least she was at the time) gave me several does of anti-nausea meds and some pain controllers. I was FINALLY able to get some good sleep.

My mom, being 5.5 hours away, was, to say the least, a little concerned. She called my Tutu and had her drive down from Rogers to stay with me. I felt a lot better just having someone that loved me in the room.

As the morning wore on, the doctors decided to run a CT scan to see if they could figure out what was wrong. After the scan, my doc came in to inform me that I had a "bowel obstruction" - basically my small intestines got all twisted up on each other. Sometimes, when these tangles are minor, they sort themselves out (which is apparently what had happened with all those other episodes). This one, however, was so severe that they were going to have to do surgery to fix the tangle (as I was losing circulation in the tangled bits).

So, they admitted me to the hospital, found me a room, gave me one of those super flattering gowns to wear, and had me wait for a few hours til the surgeon was free.

I, in the meantime, began to panic about work. I felt bad enough missing ONE day, but the doctor indicated that I could be down for 2-3 weeks! Honestly, I was most upset about missing Monday. I have this HUGE kickoff planned for a new project - with posters and music and movie clips and snacks and the most adorable cupcakes. Ugh. Hate that I'm going to miss that. So, naturally, I had to make sure someone had that info. I was frantically emailing my boss the files when they came down to get me. Typical overachiever.

Then, as we got down to anesthesia, I realized I'd closed the computer before the files had finished transferring! Yes, THAT was the last thought I had before they put me under. Sometimes I wanna smack myself.

Anyway, the surgery went really well - my surgeon said it was a best case scenario - and I woke up without much pain or nausea. They got me back to my room and I was able to sleep for a little while (after making sure the files had fully transferred to work).

I'm now sitting in my room, surrounded by sweet flowers and a revolving set of loving friends and family members. I feel so very blessed to have people who love me this much. Mom and Dad are here from Memphis, Tutu sat with me all day, Boy refused to leave my side til I sent him home for a break (even his sweet momma came to see me), Kait came to see me and is watching Gigi for me, and I just had a visit from my pastor and his wife. On top of all that, the outpouring of love on Facebook has just been so very touching. I thank you all for your sweet words and prayers - they really mean a lot.

The recovery process won't be an easy one (a four inch incision through your abs can't just be covered by a bandaid...), but I'm sure with the support I have, I'll make it through in no time. I'll keep y'all updated. Thanks for checking in on me!

Til then, friends!

New Year, New Blog

Hi friends! Welcome!

We're gonna try this blogging thing again. I left off a while back when I was in the crazy-stressed throes of grad school, and I miss it. So, let's see...life update...hmm...

I still live in beautiful Fayetteville.

I still work with a whole mess of crazy-fun folks at that advertising agency.

I still plan parties for fun. And bake. A lot.

  

And I still have the cutest puppy in the world.

BUT...

there have been a FEW changes since I was last active in the blogosphere.

Roommate moved back to St. Louis - leaving a Heather-shaped hole in our group. We've managed to recover okay. And now, it makes the moments we DO get with her even more fun. Plus, I got Kait out of the deal (and we have an awesome blog where we cook stuff!)

My little brother got ENGAGED! I'm getting a sister! Isn't she cute?!?

I chopped off all my hair and donated it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths.

I got to hold a baby lion!

Oh, and there's this guy...

So...you're mostly caught up now.  I'm sure I'll have tons of fun new adventures to share this year, so stay tuned!

Til then, friends!