i've been tagged...

Here's a little story about Jason and Michelle and our Worl-Wind Adventures...

Meet Jason. He's cute.


Meet Michelle. Pretty cute, I'd say!


Together, Jason and Michelle make for one semi-crazy adventure. Ok, so we're not that crazy but we sure do have fun!

Well, my co-worker tagged me so here I am...writing about the love of my life, my husband (no, my dog is not the love of my life although it might appear that way). So, ladies and gentlemen, I introduce...JASON!

How long married: After dating for 5 months, Jason proposed and we were engaged for 5 months (short, I know). Jason and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary in October. I remember so many details of our wedding day. Some memorable, some emotional, some funny, some surprising. Here are some highlights in each area:

Memorable: THE KISS...so romantic. No details, sorry folks :)

Emotional: Jason and I decided to take the majority of the wedding pictures before the ceremony so we set up a special time for Jas to see me in my dress. I went into a room in the church and my gown was laid out to perfection. I remember being so filled with anticipation. We both cried. Then we exchanged gifts and spent time talking about our soon-to-be marriage. Beautiful moment.

Funny: While we were taking communion as part of the ceremony, our flowergirl thought she should dance to the song that was playing. However, Jason and I did not know it was going on. All we knew was that people were laughing. I remember thinking, "This is a very special time for us, why are people laughing". We were so caught up in the day that we didn't even remember it happening...until we watched the wedding video months later!! That's the funniest thing that happened on our wedding day.

Surprising: When we left for the reception, there was a winding "road" of people gathered with bubbles. When we got to the end of the "road", there was a limo waiting for us from his mom. We had no idea!

How old is he: Jas is 32...1 1/2 years older than me. When he turned 30 he started receiving mail from AARP. Something that continued to make me laugh until I started getting me. AARP? Are you serious??

Occupations: Jason is an Architect and I'm a Marriage and Family Therapist

Taller: Jason. I'm 5'8 and he's 6'0 (well, he's 5'11 1/2" but we call it 6'0)

Who can sing the best: Me, definitely :)

Smarter: It's a toss :) We're just different kinds of smarts. Jason's really good at math and I'm gud at english :)

Laundry: It's shared. Used to be me, but when I started my Master's program, Jason did 100% of the laundry. Now, he hauls everything up and down the stairs and I fold and hang/put away. It's definitely 50/50 although I say I have the better end of the deal. ALTHOUGH...I'm in charge of all dry cleaning so I guess we really are even.

Paying bills: That would be Jason. Although, I try to know what's going on, the program he uses is pretty detailed (although he says it's really easy). I like to leave that to him :)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Maybe we're the only couple, but this doesn't matter to us. Last night I slept on the right side, the night before he did. No big deal.

Mows the lawn: Jason, although I've been known to work a weed-wacker now and again.

Cooks dinner: Usually me. Jason knows his way around the kitchen but I really do like to cook. Although, I lost my knack during the Master's program. It's amazing that Jason didn't starve to death during that time. When we were dating, Jason cooked for me often. I can't remember a single time that he ruined a dish. Me on the otherhand, OH YEA!! I like to experiment with dishes I've never made. Too many examples to give. I did learn early on that if I mess up a meal we get to eat out. I may or may not have ever ruined a meal on purpose :)

Who's the first to admit they are wrong: We are both pretty good at this one.

Who kissed first: Jason kissed me first. It was around Christmas time and the first time he had come to my parent's home. We went out on a date and then he dropped me off and kissed me---RIGHT IN THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE FOR ALL TO SEE. A little awkward but sweet. Then, after we were engaged I thought it would be nice to not kiss until our wedding day. Did it happen, you ask? I don't think so :)

Who wears the pants: We each wear a leg :) We always discuss major decisions. If we disagree we try to compromise. Isn't always a smooth process and sometimes leads to a "discussion".

That's it...that was pretty long which is why it's taken me a more than two weeks to get to it! Now, I'm going to tag Eeka and Schmendy. Have fun, ladies! I look forward to reading your posts!

it's been a busy week...

Last Thursday morning at 3am, myself and two co-workers headed to Chicago for a conference about Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder). The conference was good. Of course, there were some unusual "experiences" along the way. Here are the highlights from each day:

Thursday: We took the Amtrack train to Chicago because it saved a lot of money and we thought it would be fun. Turns out that depends on your definition of "fun". If having a stewardess whop you with a pillow to the head and having loud announcements that breakfast will be served at 6:30 am after just falling asleep is your idea of fun, this this is for you! It was a 12-hour ride to Chicago and overall very exhausting. We arrived in Chicago at 3:30 pm, checked into our very nice hotel room, and had a nice dinner out.

Friday: Conference day. The presenter was Richard Schwartz. For those of you that completed the MFT program at Friends, he is THE Schwartz from our original Nichols and Schwartz text. Pretty cool, I thought. He spoke about Internal Family Systems and we were hooked. It's a great model and if left me wanting more....hence the three books I bought :)

Friday was my favorite day. I had left instructions with those at work that if I received a letter in the mail to call me immediately as it was likely to be my test results. Leasha called on Friday and told me that I had PASSED MY EXAM AT A CLINICAL LEVEL and am now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist!! I'm VERY excited!!

Saturday and Sunday: More conference...some sessions were great, others not so great. Overall, I'm very blessed to have been able to go. It's was most exciting that the conference was in Chicago!! One of my favorite cities although I wouldn't want to live there---I'm a Kansas girl through and through! We did some shopping at night and ate at some terrific restaurants. Walked about a million miles which was a great balance to all the yummy food we splurged on!

Monday: Attended part of a session and then packed up to head back to Kansas. Highlights of the trip back: kids smoking pot in the bathroom, no Amtrack staff in sight during the majority of our 12-hour trip, the lady that smacked one of us in the head with a pillow was working, and two people making out next to us.

Needless to say, if I was to write a full Amtrack review, it would not be good. Not only did we have some pretty gross encounters, Amtrack has absolutely no security measures. We were never asked for ID's except at the very beginning of the trip to Chicago, none of our luggage was scanned, etc. I now take back any bit of frustration I have had in the past with airlines and their many security measures taken.

anyone else find this disturbing???

It was a normal Sunday afternoon and I was rumaging through the Sunday paper looking for good deals. I love decorating with snowmen at Christmas so this Gordman's ad caught my eye. Can you see what I found disturbing?

random day, random thoughts...

I realized it's been a while since I've posted. I don't have a lot to blog about so I thought I'd share a random thoughts list, Looney-style. Here they are:

#1. I can't wait for the colder weather to emerge. Don't get me wrong, warm is nice but I'm ready for sweaters, fun socks, mornings that are cold outside but warm under the covers, fresh snow, decorating for Christmas, holiday traditions with family, baking, sledding...bring on the cold!!

#2. Izzy kept wanting to go outside last night. We weren't sure why. She probably went out 3 or more times in the middle of the night (not sure as I was "sleeping" while Jason let her out :) This morning, Jason came to me and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but there's a dead squirrel on our back porch". Mystery solved. Also notable: there was a long skinny bite on the poor squirrels hip. Note the size and shape of Izzy's snout (long and skinny):




Coincidence? I don't think so.


#3. I made homemade chai tea this morning as I do many-a-morn. Not really noteworthy, but so good I couldn't not post it.

#4. Going to spend the weekend with my mom and dad this weekend and check out the wedding venue and photographers for my sister's wedding. I can't wait!! Izzy's going, too---lots of squirrels around my parent's house so she's super excited now that's she's an official squirrel hunter!

#5. Yesterday was my soon-to-be brother-in-law's birthday. He's a really amazing guy who compliments my sister very well. We're so blessed to have him in our family! What a great addition. If you're reading this, S, happy b-day!

#6. I want to learn to sew.

#7. I should find out the results of my licensing exam this week or next.

#8. I made roast chicken and asparagus and onion risotto for dinner last night even though we didn't get home until 8:30 pm. Pretty amazing, I know!

That's all for now.........................................

5 things I hate to admit...

Hey, Eeka...this is cool. Similar to another blog I read that posts "Not Me Monday"...I love it! Here's my attempt at my "Five Things"

1. My dog owns nearly as many outfits as I do. Golf pants, luau dress, summer halter dress, mailman outfit, santa outfit...you name it, she's got it. Embarrasing, yes. Cute, yes. Wierd, YES YES YES!!

2. I love scary movies. Many people find them disgusting and can't believe someone would waste their time watching these flicks. Well, I like them. So there.

3. Our kitchen has been in the process of a makeover for 2+ years. The wallpaper is ripped off. When people come over, I tell them it's an "old world look"...but, really...it's just unfinished.

4. Sometimes in the morning, in an effort for those last 15 minutes of sleep, I convince my hubbie to shower first and I promise to make lunches. Instead, while he's showering I'm dozing :) As soon as the shower shuts off, I run frantically to the kitchen to make lunches. It's a fun little dance we do. I pretend he doesn't know I do this but...let's be honest, he does :) He's such a sport!

5. I love the smell of garlic on my fingers after cooking with it. What I find strange is the number of products out there designed to remove the smell from your hands (stainless steel bars, etc). After dinner, hubbie catches me with my fingers up to my face, just stiffing away. I think I have a problem :)

Eeka, this was fun...I'd like to tag Dani and Dannon :)

from Whiskey Tango to Martha Stewart...

I couldn't wait until the house was completely finished to post some pics of it. As my co-worker noted, we have gone from Whiskey Tango (blue house with yellow trim) to Martha Stewart (slate gray with white trim). We absolutely love it! Now we need to work on the front yard...

favorite thing #2

I thought I'd start blogging about my favorite things. I got this idea from a page I read periodically (http://www.1000awesomethings.com/) For a website it is, well...awesome. Anyways...for fellow Wichitans, I wanted to share my new favorite restaurant. Any time I get a chance to go out for lunch, I take a short drive to Sugar Sisters Bakery. It is a new-ish local bakery located just east of College Hill on Central that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. I couldn't even start listing the items on the menu that are my favorite because they are all so good.

Today I tried the three-cheese quiche. You're lucky I snapped a picture half-way through because it didn't last long! It came with an equally delish mixed green salad with homemade ranch. YUM-O! You have to try it out! You can check out their blog (see my blog list). So, that's my favorite thing #2. Stay tuned for favorite #3!

one of my favorite things...

I have a new favorite recipe I received from my soon-to-be brother-in-law. If you like Chai tea, you will absolutely LOVE this recipe. I will be honest...I thought about keeping the recipe to myself but I just can't. This recipe is SO much better than Starbucks Chai Tea Latte (and that's saying a lot because I really enjoy a good Starbucks drink!). Jason and I have gotten into the habit of making it each morning to take to work with us. See the picture...doesn't last long!! Let me know if you try it and what you think!

Recipe for Chai Tea (makes 2 cups…double as needed)

1 whole clove
1 whole cardamom pod
1 tea bag (I use Luzianne)
8 whole fennel seeds
1 slice of ginger
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 ½ - 2 tablespoons sugar or Splenda

If you buy a mesh tea ball it makes for much less clean up when making the tea! You can put the clove, cardamom pod, fennel seeds, and ginger in the tea ball before placing it in the water.

Directions:

Place in pan: whole clove, cardamom pod, tea bag, fennel seeds, ginger, and water. Bring water to boil. Let boil for approx. 5 minutes. Add milk and sugar (or Splenda). Stir continuously and watch very closely…as milk heats up it will begin to boil and will boil over the side of the pan. As the milk starts to rise, remove immediately from heat.

If you did not use a mesh tea ball, strain spices and enjoy.
If you did use a mesh tea ball, simply remove and enjoy.

it's here...finally!

Well, Jason and I received word on Tuesday that our Prius had arrived. After a VERY LONG 20 week wait, we are now the proud owners of a new 2009 Toyota Prius. In fact, I drove to work today on very little gas (99.9 miles per gallon for most of the trip). It's amazing! Although being a one-car family can be difficult at times, it's worth it for the effect we'll have on the environment. Just another step towards making our environmental footprint a little lighter :)

happy birthday, Tiffany...

"Life's truest happiness is found in frienships we make along the way".

To my beautiful, brilliant, creative, lovely, and kind friend, Tiffany: may the next year of your life be as plentiful, as joyful, and as full of dancing as the last "29ish" combined.

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Michelle

things i do for fun...no explanation needed :)

weekend in the little apple...

Well, the Kearney Girl weekend has come and gone. We experienced so many fun things...with many ideas from a KGH (Kearney Girl Hubbie)...thanks, T! Other than fun adventures, the funny quotes, MANY foods that brought back memories, the day on campus, and the crazy scavenger hunt, I'd have to say the very best time for me was Saturday night when we all hung out and talked (although the topic was different that we would have planned :), I enjoyed the sounds of our voices all together in the same room again...well, almost all of our voices together :( I have SO missed these girls who are all so very special to me. These are the most special (and rarest) of friendships...those that remain heart-connected despite the physical distance. I love you all so much and am already anticipating next year (maybe in Seattle???). Love you all!

Here are some pics if you haven't seen them on the other blogs...

4 of the KG's in front of THE Kearney House. We actually were able to go inside and see what it looks like now...should probably be condemned :)

The beginning of our busy Saturday on (and around) campus.
One of the challenges given: Attempt to pre-pay for 10 cents of gas (we tried 17 cents). Apparently 17 cents of gas will

"only get ya' a squirt"

---that's probably my favorite quote from the weekend...

although there were SO many!!

Schmend...so pretty :)

therapy for a therapist?

Well, I started seeing a therapist last week. I know it sounds kind of strange for a therapist to see a therapist, but I'm finding that it's really beneficial. I've been blessed with amazing insurance that provides nearly a year of therapy for only a minimal fee each week! I'll be addressing past childhood traumas that have left me with a lifetime of unhealthy coping skills. It will take time but it will be worth the work in the end!

On another note, I CAN'T WAIT FOR KEARNEY WEEKEND only 9 days away! I can't believe it. Fun times await!

family weekend...

We spent the past weekend with family celebrating Jason’s 32nd birthday!! It was HOT, but fun. Weekends with my family ALWAYS involve board games. To be a part of our family, you must enjoy playing games. If you don’t, there are other ways of being initiated in, but they are not pleasant :)


The summer is definitely getting away from us. I can't believe it's already August! Between now and the end of October we have plans every weekend! Gone are the summers of my youth when I enjoyed catching fireflys, swimming, and hide-n-seek!

time time has come...

My licensing exam is less than two months away and I haven't started studying!! I just put my study materials in notebooks and am planning to start this weekend. This picture doesn't really do justice to the 600+ pages of study materials I have!

That's all for now. Just wanted you all to know what's going on in my world :)

Beautiful Christian Sister

I used to be a pretty strong advocate for stoppping useless forwards...that is, until I started receiving the funniest emails ever from friends. "Best 'Out of Office' Messages" , "Christmas Carols for the Disturbed", "Things You'd Like to Say Outloud At Work", and "Dog and Cat Diaries" remain at the top of my forwarded email list. In fact, there have been so many that I have just loved that I've made a folder in my Outlook titled "Funny Emails".

Well, today I received the most beautiful forward that put all of the funny forwards to shame. I wanted to share it with all of my sisters. Enjoy!

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

by Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ

that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin''

I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Analogy Anyone?

So, I've decided that I definitely like Blogger over MySpace. I love that I can view one person's page and see their friends pages...it's basically spying, but legal :) After seeing all of the fun blogs, my creative juices have started flowing...and I realized...I don't like the title of my blog. I want something catchy...like SappShots or Class-En-Session. So clever!

Somehow, I found myself distracted (imagine that!!) and on a page that has nothing to do with blogs. These are so funny that I can't help but share:

The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

The Wichita Riverwalk

And the winner is...

Actually, this blog has nothing to do with the title. I just had that phrase in my head for whatever reason and decided that it would make for a nice blog title. I'm feeling a little hyper today if you can't already tell...which means I'll probably be writing about a number of random topics :)

Today's blog is my attempt to continue staying connected...so, here I am!! Let's see...today I have avoided the gym (today's excuse: Izzy is sick). I have had car trouble (battery crud build up = $107.43). I have written an article about marriage for our work newsletter (basically I wrote about the importance of self-development within the marriage-taking time for yourself, etc). That's about it. It' s a late work night so I'm just taking a break from the daily grind to give you an update.

My parents and Jason's mom are all coming in town this weekend. Jason and his mom are going to play golf while my parents and I are out on the town. Should be a pretty fun weekend!!

Jason and I are still waiting on our Toyota Prius to arrive. Only 8 more weeks!

Let's see...I think that's it for now, blog friends. I'm hoping to connect to my Kearney girls and get a date set for a weekend getaway to Man-happiness before summer's end...maybe I'll look into some options and email everyone :)

For now, Michelle out.

Michelle : Part One

Hello, blogger-land! Well, I’m here 80% by free will and 20% by force from “friends” J Well, since this is my first blog, I should probably introduce myself and what I’ve been doing for the past few years. Let's start at the very beginning, shall we?

I grew up just outside of a big town in Kansas...well, as big of a town as Kansas makes, anyways! Typical (well, what used to be typical) family life: 2 parents, two siblings...I was the oldest and smartest, of course :) My siblings might disagree but who's blog is this, anyways?? K-12 was rough but I really found my overfunctioner self in college as I involved myself in many-an-activity. I think at one time I was working 4 part-time jobs and involved with 4 organizations on campus. That might explain the 1.2 GPA . I chose to take a break from my college career for a while (aka I was academically dismissed from the university). Although I didn’t finish my college career at that time, I did make lifelong friends with the Kearney Girls…I’m sure there will be more on them later (what fun times, huh girls?). Well, fast-forward a forward a few years and I met my sweetheart. Jason and I married only 10 months after we met. After Jason finished his undergraduate degree, I went back to college and graduated with an undergraduate degree in Psychology (and a 4.0 GPA, I might add .) Marriage has not been without trials, but I truly believe that with every trial comes great opportunity. I have realized that although marriage is not always rose-colored glasses, that it is by far the best thing in life. To share your life with a partner that understands (for the most part) who, what, when, where, why, and how you do the things you do is priceless. Through my personal life experiences, I was led to begin my graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have recently graduated and could not have done it without the support of amazingly supportive family, incredibly resilient friends, and my husband (whom words cannot describe). Just months ago I was working 40 hours per week, seeing clients 15+ hours per week, paperwork, homework, housework...now that I'm finished with my MSFT degree, I'm finding that I have a LOT of spare time on my hands...and no excuse for not staying in contact with my long-lost friends!! I have a number of plans for the next year which include house renovations, going GREEN (recycling, healthier lifestyle, buying a Prius, etc), and hopefully starting a family with my hubbie. Thank you for taking this journey with me...I can't assure how smooth the ride will be so hold on tight!!