Seven Things I Have Learned This Year

1. How to make tortillas from scratch. Bread making has always been intimidating to me, and cooking with lard has always been TERRIFYING to me. But sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do. Especially when you're pregnant and you're an ocen away from any good Mexican food. I found this lard-free on one of my favorite cooking blogs, The Homesick Texan, and how about that. I made tortillas! They were GOOD, too!

2.God doesn't care much about all the nit-picky details that Christians argue over. When my life is over, I just don't think that at the Pearly Gates, I will hear questions like, "Were you dunked or sprinkled?" or "Did you take communion sitting, standing or kneeling?" In my Bible reading this year, I came across this theme over and over, and I have decided that that stuff just doesn't matter that much to God. What matters is: did you, with a pure heart and honest intentions, seek to truely know and honor the Lord?

3. Cole Slaw is really good on pulled pork sandwiches. I don't know if this is a Hawaiian thing, a new thing, or if I have just been missing out all these years. But now that I know, I'll never go back!

4. If I ever have my own house, I do not want there to be a pool in the backyard. Talk about high maintenance! OK, so it wasn't so bad when we were enjoying the pool all the time. But then it got cold and we didn't go anywhere near the water, but I still had to clean it every week. That was kinda a bummer.

5. Real estate transactions are way more compolicated and involved than I ever imagined, and I would never want to be a professional realtor.

6. Home is with my husband. When Scott deployed last year, the kids and I moved back to my hometown, and I'm really glad we did. WE got to spend some good quality time with family and got to attend special events like birthdays and graduations. There's no place like home, afterall. Even so, home didn't feel quite right without Scott in it. When the deployment ended, we went back to Hawaii, and now that my family is all together under one roof, I am truely HOME.

7.Turning 30 isn't that bad. I have to admit, the first time I had to write my age as 30, I cried a little bit. Ha! But now that I'm on the other side of it...what was I so worried about? I am immensely blessed, and God has provided me with a life that I am so thankful for. :)

My Favorite Websites

This month's 7 on the 7th topic (or as it happens, 7 on the 11th for me) is the websites you visit the most frequently. Here are mine.

1. Facebook. Yes, I'm addicted, I visit multiple times per day. How many? I'm not sure. I don't keep track, and I'd probably be embarassed to admit it anyway.

2. Friends' Blogs. I love that I can keep up with what's going on in the lives of friends who are spread out across the world.

3. CNN.com. Gotta know what's going on in the world around me!

4. Pioneer Woman. Love this blog! It's got hilarious stories, great recipes and even a homeschooling section.

5. Hostess with the Mostess. This website has awesome party ideas and themes with tons of pictures. Most of the parties are planned and designed by professionals, so they are a little out of reach for a regular mom like me, but I still love browsing the featured parties, getting inspired, and trying to make my parties look as fabulous as the ones on this site.

6. Homesick Texan. A food blog featuring awesome recipes from back home.

7. Yahoo. It's where I get my e-mail, do a lot of searching and sometimes check out news stories.

Seven Ways I Spend my Free Time

It's time for Seven on the Seventh again. This month, we are writing about seven things you do in your free time, so here goes. :)

1. Messing Around on the Computer- I spend more time than I should on the computer. Facebook, blogs, research, news, etc.
2. Scrapbooking-Though I am terribly behind (I haven't even started this year's scrapbook), I love making them. It's a record of each year's memories. It's fun to put them together, and it's fun to browse through old ones, too.
3. Quilting-This is something I was introduced to a few year's ago, and although I'm not great at it, I really enjoy making something with my own hands that is unique and useful. These are long term projects, though. I usually spend months making one quilt. Right now I am soooo close to finishing a quilt for Child Thing #2, and after that I am going to start a baby quilt for a friend who's expecting. Probably won't get it finished in time for the baby, but...oh well.
4. Reading- I love reading, especially a good novel. Unfortunately I don't read those that much these days. I read a lot with my kids (About to start the Laura Ingalls Wilder series with Child Thing #1!!), and I seem to read a lot of informative books lately.
5. Sitting on the Back Porch-I love my back porch. Luckily for me, I live in Hawai'i, so the weather is always perfectly nice in the evenings, so I can sit back there while the sun goes down, feel the ocean breeze, smell the plumeria blossoms and relax while the kids play.
6. Beach- I like to swim, I like to snorkel, I like to bodysurf with Child Thing #1, and I think I could just sit on the sand all day long. I predict we will go to the beach at least a couple times a week while we are living here in the house so close to the ocean.
7. Gardening- We haven't started a garden here at our new house yet, but we do enjoy growing our own food, and so do the kids, so I bet it won't be long before we get something going here.

If you are interested in participating in Seven on the Seventh, just let me know and I'll add you to the e-mail list. :)

Collections

As you know, I just moved for the hundredth time in my adult life, and as I unpacked, I almost felt ashamed of myself for having so much STUFF. After living for a year on the contents of 4 suitcases and a borrowed mish-mash of items, what I have now seems positively excessive. Here are 7 things that collect in this house, either intentionally or unintentionally.

1. Books! I love books, and it's one thing I don't feel guilty about having copious amounts of. We have shelves and shelves of childrens books, of course, but I also love books. And I like to buy antique books when I can find them. I think they are beautiful and full of history, and I buy them because I hate to think of them deteriorating and ending up in the garbage. I especially love the ones that have names or messages written in lovely, old-fashioned script on the inside. The inside cover of my old copy of Paradise Lost reads, "To Phil. From Mrs. S. L. Dowling. Christmas 1894."

2. Pitchers. When we first got married, I bought a pitcher because, ya know, you need a pitcher to serve lemonade and stuff. After that, I came across lots of pitchers that I loved and wanted to buy. But of course I already had a pitcher and didn't need more. After longing after a dozen or so pitchers, I realized I just really like pitchers. They have such an elegant shape. So, why not start a collection? Then I have an excuse to buy the ones I really love, even if I already have one.

3. Blankets and Quilts. This is something I do not intentionally collect, but we have ended up with so many! I know several very talented quilters who have been kind enough to gift us with their beautiful creations. I try my hand at quilting myself on occasion, and have produced several in the collection. And somehow we have accumulated a gazillion little throw blankets over time, so we have ended up with quite an impressive quilt and blanket collection.

4. Recipes. I totally love when friends pass on their best recipes to me! I will copy it down or print it out and write the name of the person who shared it with me and stick it in my rather disorganized recipe binder. It's something I will most likely have for decades that will remind me of a person I hold dear every time I cook a meal inspired by him/her. And I'm always printing off recipes I find online. Half of them I never get around to trying, but...

5. Scrapbooks. OK...I just found 3 boxes full of scrapbooks and I have no place to put them in this little beach house. I like to make one for every year, and I have several "special edition" scrapbooks, too. Like I have an Army scrapbook for Scott, and I have a "baby's first year" scrapbook for the kids. I did not realize until this week how many I have made, and I'm actually feeling quite overrun by them!

6. Toys. They have taken over the house. They have taken over my life. Someone help me!

7. Movies. I do not collect movies ( I really don't care much about movies), but someone else in my house does. And he has drawers and drawers full of them. I kinda wish he would get rid of some, actually. Then I would have a place to store my scrapbooks. :P

My favorite movies

Alright, so this month Seven on the Seventh is totally going to expose me as a sappy, emotional, romantic girly girl. For June, we are listing our 7 favorite movies, and I happen to like sappy, emotional, romantic, girly movies. But they have to be kinda funny. Not sappy and emotional like The Notebook That was the worst movie ever! Why would anyone make a movie so depressing?!
Anyway, here are my favorite movies of all time:

1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding: It makes me laugh out loud every, single time. Remember when the aunt ever-so-seriously confides in her new relatives that she ate her twin? Or when her cousin reveals the bridesmaid dress and she recoils in horror? And how they misspelled the groom's parents' names on the wedding invitation?!
2. The Whole Nine Yards: This one makes me laugh out loud every single time, too. Especially the part where they are hiding out in the garage and he's sitting on the tires and he starts to slip off, but he's trying to play it cool and not make any noise. Ah ha ha ha!
3. Music and Lyrics: Gotta love a movie with a British guy in it! Plus the '80s music video is awesome! Plus it's just sweet.
4. My Fair Lady: While I must point out the Henry Higgins is kind of a jerk, this movie is beautiful! And Audrey Hepburn is beautiful!
5. Tombstone: It only takes 3 words to explain why this movie makes the list. "I'm your huckleberry."
6. Sound of Music: Touching storyline, historic setting, moving characters, lovely music, gorgeous scenery, Julie Andrews.
7. Pure Country: Ok, so this movie does not have a deep, moving plot and is at times poorly-acted (sorry, George). But it is a fun, feel-good movie. And I must remain loyal to my all time favorite celebrity, Mr. George Strait, lest I lose the title of #1 fan.

Anyone who wants to participate in 7 on the 7th is welcome. Just let me know and I'll send you the topic ahead of time.

7 Places I have Lived

Dang! I'm late. This month my 7 on the 7th list is actually on the 9th. We were out of town for Mother's Day weekend, so I'm just now getting around to it. But for the month of May, we are writing about 7 places we have lived or visited. This list is a piece of cake for a military wife. So here they are...7 places I have lived.

1. Houston, Tx--I grew up here and have lived here this year while Scott is deployed.

2. Abilene, Tx--I lived here 4 years while I went to college. It was quite a change from the huge city of Houston. It's a much smaller town in the middle of windy, dry nowhere. But I actually enjoyed my time there a lot.

3. College Station, Tx--This is where Scott and I lived our first year of marriage because he was finishing up school at TAMU. Neat place!
4. Columbus, Ga--This was the first place the Army sent us, and out of all the places we have lived, it is my least favorite. I think it has to do with the first time I was really far away from my family, and the fact that we only lived there for about 9 months, so I never really thought of it as home.

5. Manhattan, Ks--Our next station. When I first heard we were going to Kansas, I'm sure I wrinkled my nose a little bit. But I was pleasantly surprised. The northeast part of Kansas is gorgeous, with green rolling hills. Plus Manhattan is a small town with a big university, and I thought it was a great place to live, and it reminded me a little bit of College Station.

6. Augusta, Ga--Yes, my husband got to go see the Master's. I didn't. I have good memories of this place because of the two friends we knew in Kansas who also ended up there at the same time as we did. Having good friends makes living in a new place so much easier, so I was so glad to have their company.

7. Wahiawa, Hi--Lucky us! We managed to get stationed in Hawaii. It is beautiful there with perfect weather, and we have experienced so many cool, exotic and new things, and a cool, exotic new culture because of the time we have spent there. It is a little different than I expected, however. There is a lot of poverty there, and at times, there is some tension between the military and the locals.

Here are the other blogs that do 7 on the 7th. Check them out, too! And if you want to play, you're welcome. Just get your e-mail to me, and I'll send you the topic for next month. :)

http://harkertravels.blogspot.com
http://schoolroomoflife.blogspot.com

http://romanfamily4.blogspot.com

Seven on the Seventh: What I Wanted to Be

This month, the Seven on the Seventh topic is 7 things you wanted to grow up to be as a child. So here are my childhood aspirations!

1. A mommy. Give me two checks for that one.
2. A teacher: Check! I used to teach 7th grade English in quite possibly the poorest school district in Texas. It was awesome! The paycheck, however, was not.
3. An astronaut: No check for this one. Doesn't every kid want to be an astronaut?
4. The first female to play professional baseball. *snicker* Not even close!
5. A novelist: Well, I do have a couple novels in the works, but they'll never be finished. Not until my children are away at college, at least. So look for me in 20 years or so.
6. A newspaper reporter: check! My degree is in English, but I started my college career as a journalism major. I worked for my college newspaper during the school year, and then during the summers I wrote for a small local paper.
7. A ballerina: I must not have realized as a young age that I have absolutely no coordination or rhythm and I am a terrible dancer! Needless to say, this dream was never realized.

If you're the bloggie type and you'd like to play Seven on the Seventh, you're welcome to! If you'd like to receive next month's topic ahead of time, just give me your e-mail address and I'll send it out to you.

Here are the other blogs participating in Seven on the Seventh this month. Check out their posts, too!

http://harkertravels.blogspot.com
http://schoolroomoflife.blogspot.com
http://romanfamily4.blogspot.com

Seven on the Seventh: Meals I Make the Most

This month, I am listing the seven meals I prepare the most. Not long ago, I didn't enjoy cooking at all, but I have learned to like it. Experimenting with new recipes is really fun, but these days seems like I pick foods that are quick to prepare, the child things will eat and are somewhat healthy. I just can't spend an hour of my time in the kitchen when there are little ones to tend to. So...here are my seven quick meals:
1. Spaghetti. We eat this every single week. Takes 20 minutes if you use sauce from a jar, the kids love it, and I use wheat pasta and serve it with green veggies, so...it's fairly healthy.
2. PW's Asian Noodle Salad. This is an AMAZING salad (three cheers for sesame oil). The kids also love, love, love the noodle part of it, and I'm pretty sure while they're gobbling that up, they also get some of those good, raw veggies.
3. Quessadillas. Doesn't matter to me what you put in them, as long as it comes with fresh guacamole. To make guac, I usually chop up some onion, garlic, tomato and cilantro (three cheers for cilantro), and mix it in the mashed up avocado with lemon juice and a little salt. But my brother-in-law says that's the way gringos eat guacamole. That doesn't bother me much because I am a gringo, but his way is delicious, too. Just avocado with garlic salt.
4.Chili. Not the healthiest thing on my list, but what can I say...I'm a Texan. I have used tons of different recipes for chili and haven't settled in on one that is my very favorite, but here's one from the Foodie Bride that's delish and different!
5. Pasta Primavera with Grilled Chicken. More of a summery dish, but it's got pasta, it's got veggies, so it's a winner at our house.
6. Baked Ziti. My sweet roommate made this a lot in college, so I always think of her when I make it. Pasta, marinara sauce and cheese. One of the kids' favorites.
7. Chicken Tortilla Soup. I love making this in the winter, and a big pot will leave enough leftovers so that I don't have to cook for days. :)

If you have a blog and would like to join our little Seven on the Seventh group, go to this page and join the group or leave me a comment with your email. It's fun! Or, if you'd like to check out the rest of the bloggers' lists, click the link above and go to the links section.

Seven on the Seventh: Romance Is...

I like reading lists on other people's blogs. Maybe it's because I'm a list person. Things just don't get accomplished around here unless they are on a list. And, oh, the joy! Drawing a little check mark beside an item on my list brings such joy! I never cross them off, no, no. That would be like an annulment...like it never happened. A check mark means: been there, done that, checked it off the list.

But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about how much I enjoy lists on blogs, and so I have decided to create a monthly list on mine. It shall be called: Seven on the Seventh. It will be just like a David Letterman Top 10 List. Except I'm not nearly as witty as David Letterman. And there will only be 7 items on the list.

If there are any other bloggers who'd like to join in, leave a comment or send me a message. I'll send you the list topic ahead of time, then you can create your own Seven on the Seventh List, and it'll be fun to compare. :) If you want to participate this month, just do it! And then link it so I can check it out.

In honor of Valentine's Day, the first Seven on the Seventh will be "Romance Is..."
It's in honor of Valentine's Day, but also in honor of my husband, who thought my recent post on our very un-romantic 1st anniversary did not portray him in a positive light (so I deleted it, but then he said he was just kidding...he thought the post was funny and made him remember the times when he was young and carefree). Without further ado, I present to you, in honor of my husband (who is not the type to recite love sonnets, but who has his moments):

Romance Is...
7. Waiting until I go to sleep to watch scary zombie movies.
6. A box from 1-800-Flowers on the front step.
5. Surprising me with an oreo shake on Easter Sunday because I had just gone 40 days with NO ICE CREAM!
4.. Telling me, completely earnestly, that I should try out for Miss Texas.
3. Cleaning out the milk-filled sippy cup discovered under the backseat of the car.
2. A static-filled phone call from the other side of the world, when he's exhausted after a hard-day's work but wanted to stay up a bit longer just to hear my voice.

And Number One...drum roll please...

1. Saying, "You go take a nap. I'll take care of the kids."