Weekend Recap

Despite coming down with this nasty little cold that is floating around it was a great weekend!

Although Friday's are my day off and usually designated for cleaning the house because I was a little under the weather I spent the day on the couch watching tv (this actually happened a lot over the course of the weekend). Friday night was a girls and boys night out. I have some great friends from church and although we don't get together terribly often it is always fun when we do. The boys stayed home and babysat and played poker while the girls got to get a few hours away for Mexican food and fun.

Friday afternoon an old highschool friend called and wanted to meet for dinner on Saturday night in between where the both of us live. I am SO glad that we ended up making this happen! We have talked about getting together since my wedding almost two years ago and never managed to get it scheduled. It was so fun to reminisce and also to meet the newest addition to their family! It was a great time and hubs didn't even seem to mind the constant memories of high school being a hot topic of conversation!

The three of us quickly became best friends. 

Sunday was of course church, where hubs taught the youth! He did a great job and he makes me so proud! This was followed by laying on the couch for the entire day. The day was complete by one of my favorite things...The Academy Awards! I probably spent 6 hours watching the pre shows, arrivals, and the actual Oscars. It was great. Anyone who knows me knows that I am no fashion expect but because it's fun...Here are some pictures of my favorite dresses of the night!

I adore her! She is a perfect combination of funny and sweet. At first I wasn't sold on

the reddress with the red hair. But it grew on me and since I'm obsessed with her in almost all of the dresses she wears we have to add this to the list!

While I absolutely hate her hair I LOVE this dress! I couldn't stop staring at it!



I loved, loved, loved her dress at the Golden Globes and she didn't disappoint this time around either!

And to top it off she had a great acceptance speech that made me tear up a little because she's just so sweet!

She is so classic and elegant. And although this dress may seem a little bland I think she wears

it perfectly and I wasn't entirely sold until the saw the scooped out back!

Honorable mentions include:

Tina Fey

Angelian Jolie

(I know some aren't a huge fan of her but I am obsessed with she and Brad and

I couldn't keep my eyes off them all night! Luckily, the camera men like them too so I got a lot of looks.)

Kristen Wiig

Gwyneth Paltrow (minus the cape)

Viola Davis

Missie Pyle

Follow Up on Some Good News!

Some of you may remember a former post where I let you in on the exciting news that I was accepted into the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma and the Global Mental Health Trauma and Recovery certificate program. You can read about that here.
The trip didn't end up coming together last Novemeber like I had hoped because while we did receive the grant, we didn't receive the money in time.
I was SO happy when I received this email this week:

Hi Michele,

Yes your acceptance qualifies you for this years program. I will be concacting the applicants from last year who deferred this week with more information of how to hold your spot. I will make note that you are still interested.

So begin crossing your fingers, praying, etc. that this will work out for this fall. I am looking forward to the possibility of this great opportunity. Although we have gotten the grant it is coming through the state refugee coordinator and we haven't seen the actual money yet. However, ideally the money is there and available to use for this program later this year!! I am hoping that in the near future I will be able to a mental health program up and running (I have already started one but it needs some refinement). This program would greatly help my ability to develop the best program possible.

Rotini with a Trio of Peas

This recipe is so simple and yet so good! It is also fairly healthy, which is always a plus. I made it for the first time this past week and while I thought it was going to good, it exceeded my expectations! It had just the right amount of flavor and tasted so fresh.

Ingredients:
1 package of rotini or bowtie pasta
1 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
4 ounces snow peas
4 ounces sugar snap peas
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup frozen baby peas
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp lemon juice or fresh grated lemon peel (I used the juice)
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Cook pasta as directed.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt better with olive oil over medium heat. Add snow and sugar snap peas and cook until tender - about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.

3. Add frozen peas, broth, salt and pepper and heat to a boiling. Stir in lemon juice.

4. Let boil for 5-10 minutes, or until peas are heated through. Toss with pasta until combined.

We added parmesean cheese to ours, just because I'm obsessed with anything cheese. But it did add a nice flavor to the final product! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (with whole wheat pasta and no parm cheese) makes four servings:
536 calories
19 g protein
95 g carbohydrates
8 g total fat
8mg cholesterol
704 mg sodium

Happy Valentine's Day

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophe...cy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE! (1 Cor 13: 4-8)

Here are some pictures of me and my Valentine!

 

Sometimes...

I can't stop myself from checking Facebook, the news, Pinterest, Twitter, Blogspot, and catching up on Words, Hanging, and Scramble with Friends each morning before I start on my actual work related tasks.

 

I want to freeze frame nights in front of the fireplace snuggling with hubs.

I find it mildly concerning when I stop and actually think about all of the time I spend on

 the internet looking into celebrity news and gossip, blogs, recipes, and dream vacations.

 

 I want to soak up all of things that I see on Pinterest and aspire to one day do! 

I decide to take the plunge and make DIY Christmas crafts this past year.

Will these come out again next year? That is the real question here.

It really hits me that I am so blessed when I look at pictures of my family and friends.  

I can't believe how lucky I am when Hubs helps with the laundry and dishes and

gives me back rubs without even being asked!

 

I feel like I never, never, ever want to live a day without the love of my life. I especially realize this when we spend a day or so apart. I never want to sleep in bed without him again!

 

I feel like a really good person when cars are needing to get over into my

 lane and I stop and wave them in front of me.

Sweet, Sweet Grandma.

I know that most people probably think they have the best grandma...but I truly do. She is so beyond sweet. She is precious. I love to listen to her tell stories about her past and about my grandpa (who passed away before I was born). I love to watch her put on her make up, and especially her lipstick which she doesn't go anywhere without. I love to watch her use her hands, whether cooking, writing, or doing a Sudoku. She brings me such joy.

When I was growing up I was often left to play by myself because all of my cousins were a lot older than me. My grandma though always played with me. Especially in the pool. One of my favorite things to do with her was play 'baby' in the pool, in which I would carry her around the pool and pretend she was my baby. And she played with me. Whenever I asked. Without a single complaint.

Although we no longer play 'baby' in the pool anymore I still enjoy my time with her immensely. And although we don’t see each other as often I would like it makes me treasure the time I do have with her even more.

For this recent visit one of my sisters wanted Grams to each us how to make homemade noodles. My grandma is the master cook and has passed many things onto my mom and onto us now. I love learning from her and watching her do one of the things she does best. Here are some pictures from our noodle making morning!

 All of our ingredients out and ready to go!

 Giving us our initial instructions!

 Isn't she SO beautiful?!

 Fluffing the noodles.

 Cutting the noodles.

 We LOVE her!

 The noodles laying out to dry (for several hours!)

Grandma also made homemade apple dumpings, which were amazing! I believe she made around 24 of these (each with a whole peeled apple in them). She took them to share with all my mom's coworkers. So glad that she made extra for us because they were heavenly!

Super Bowl Weekend

Since going downtown for the NFL Experience last week I made it downtown Indianapolis two more times to enjoy the Super Bowl festivities. It was seriously one of the craziest things I have ever experienced! Crowded streets with wall to wall people, make shift bars made out of tents, stages in the middle of streets with bands constantly playing, people prowling for celebritites everywhere, the list goes on and on.

Thursday night I headed downtown with some friends. I loved the atmosphere, loved the energy, and absolutely loved everything being decked out with everything and anything Super Bowl 46.

 I'm obsessed with the Super Bowl 46 letters on the circle in case you couldn't already tell!

 My only 'celebrity' sighting of the week (if you count a Colts quarterback who isn't very good -

saw him a few days later again by the way on the same exact street!

We hit up Scotty's hoping to find celebrities there...this obviously didn't happen but was still a good time!

This weekend one of Coy's best friends and his girlfriend came up from Nashville. It was such a fun time! It seems I am always dragging Coy along to hang out with my friends so it was nice to be with his for a change! Not to mention Derek makes me laugh nonstop and I just adore his girlfriend! We rode the city bus into downtown, which was an adventure itself, but totally necessary because of the crazy traffic and crazy parking prices! We made it to a few new places we hadn't been before in the Village and despite the cold freezing rain, it was such a good time!

Of course in front of the letters...again!

 Ice sculpture outside of the Columbia Club.

My favorite person!

Such an exciting time for the city of Indianapolis! Hoping that people were so impressed this will not be the last time we get to experience something like this!!



Girl Scout Cookie Monster

Because Samoas are both Coy and I's favorite Girl Scout Cookie it is always important that I come up with some sort of plan to make sure I don't get jipped out of getting my fair share. This wouldn't be a concern for most people I'm sure, however, in hubs and I's case we have a different way of going about things...

He likes to eat multiple cookies at one time and then do the same thing again later in the day.
I, on the other hand, like to savor and spread out my cookies. Eating a cookie a day or so.

And it's because of this difference that if I wasn't proactive I would be left getting only 2-3 cookies per each box, which is just not acceptable.

 Day 1.

 Day 3.

Day 5.

Some might be concerned that Coy will sneak away with some of my cookies...luckily for me I have a very photogenic memory in situations like this!

Happy Girl Scout Cookie Season!!

The NFL Experience

Indianapolis has been transformed into a different city in preparation for the SuperBowl this coming weekend! Last night we went to the NFL Experience. It was a crazy experience and a lot of fun. There were so many things going on and soooooo many people there! There were interactive games, trophies, SuperBowl rings, makeshift lockerrooms, and a few celebrities. We even got to make an appearance on the NFL Network during a segment featuring Kevin Faulk from the Patriots. (We are in the back during the interactive part where Kevin is running plays with the commentators). Coy even got a few waves in. It was probably a once in a lifetime experience and I'm so glad I live so close to all the action!

I can't wait to get back downtown this weekend and take in all the craziness the SuperBowl has to offer!

 Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka

 Waiting in the line for the field goal kick.

 Saw these two precious' for a split second. James suprised Elliott by taking him. Elliott was even more

suprised and excited when he saw Uncle Coy.

Such a pro.

I wanted to jump behind them so badly during this shoot!

 .

Our 2 minute claim to fame. (Patriots Kevin Faulk a retired NFL Coach)

 

The zip line in the middle of downtown! If only the presale tickets weren't sold out and

people weren't getting in line at 5 am for a 3 pm tickets!