So… I haven’t written for a tiny bit. Not that anybody missed it!

I’ve been kind of busy and distracted. First of all, my headaches are coming back full force again. I’ve tried several different things, and nothing seems to work. I think I am just going to be cursed for the rest of my existence with the dang things. oh well. I have had my eyes checked, gone to two different doctors, had a MRI, and tried alternative herbal things and even this cranio-sacral therapy, and nothing works. Basically, I am completely healthy and fine…. other than the fact that I have these completely debilitating headaches that leave me with very little energy.

My mother also came and stayed with Jared and I last week. I hadn’t realized what a routine we had gotten into until it had to be changed! I mean, lots of small things, like placing the flatware pointing up or down in the dishwasher, or just how and when we take care of Stevie. We also ate out a lot, which is unusual for me and Jared. However, it was fun for me to show off my cooking and apartment to somebody other than Jared… you know, to inflate my ego. 🙂

We also are trying to get more actively involved with our ward here, but it comes with consequences, like being assigned a talk in sacrament meeting next week on how forgiveness brings us closer to Christ. I have to be honest– I don’t like talks. They aren’t interactive. It’s kind of sad that parts of me are constantly comparing to teaching strategies… and talks are always so….boring. Lecturing often is one of the worst teaching strategies… always reminds me of my 9th grade biology teacher, Mr. Haskell. We’d just sit and take notes on his lectures and our eyes would glaze over…and then at the end of each unit we had to turn in 8 pages of notes. (He never read more than the first page. Proof came during the Evolution chapter when one girl started to unflatteringly compare Mr. Haskell to the dinosaurs and he gave her an A.) Relating back to the talk, I feel if I am going to invest all this time into the talk, I want to make it enjoyable, meaningful, and useful to my audience that has to hear it, and sacrament talks just don’t seem to be structured that way!

Anyways… more and more, I want to teach again. I have two main things stopping me. First, the main concern are the headaches, which I have already ranted about in detail. Second of all, I need to get my license and stuff taken care of for Texas! (Officially more important, but it’s not really what’s making me hesitate.) Even though a lot of people look at me and ask if the high school kids really respected/listened to me (Yes, I am short, and kind of young, and I look kind of young…), I was able to work with the students effectively. I really enjoyed teaching and learning to and from the students I worked with. I wouldn’t even mind too much getting a teaching calling in church, probably… as long as it isn’t Primary or nursery!

So… I don’t have a job.

Well, I kind of do. I’m Jared’s full-time maid and cooking service, along with doggie care-taker. But the problem is, I would like to help build up the money reserves so we can get a home sooner than later and am not sure what to do about that.

I do have my English Teaching degree, but there’s a few problems with that. First off, there’s the whole getting my license transfered over to Texas, as Texas doesn’t accept the praxis. Secondly, there is my health issue. We still haven’t gotten my headaches figured out, and teaching is stressful, which generally makes the headaches worse. It’s also hard to take a sickday when you are needed like that. Third, even if I could get a job by fall, the first year is the worst with lesson planning on top of grading and all that stuff. So.. for now, teaching is out.

which leaves an open void in my life… what to do with myself? What can you do with an English major. I used to have some ideas, but they all disappeared….

On a more positive note, I found a picture of the cake I made for Jared last year for the wedding!

Much prettier than the one I made for his birthday. 🙂 of course, this one I had been planning to do for a month- the other one was a last minute idea.

I’m already thinking of different things I could do for next year! 😀

So… I’m being adventurous today.

First up (started this yesterday actually) is Raspberry Cream Cheese Braid (I altered the recipe from http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/blueberrycreamcheesebraid):

No idea how it tastes yet. I’ll update you as soon as Jared gets home so we can try it.

***Update: It tastes great!***

🙂

The second recipe I tried today is Chocolate Bar Pie (from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook). Not good if you have a thing against nuts, as the crust is Walnut crust!

Whipped cream and toffee sprinkled on top! This one is pretty good- I made a less pretty version of it for Jared last week and it’s gone now.

🙂

Maybe I should get into baking… 🙂 It’s kind of fun!

Oh, and to melt your heart, here are some Stevie pictures.

He loves to sleep…. as long as he is near his humans!

My greatest weaknesses are books. You trap me in a room with a good book, and I am lost to the world for however many hours that book has me enthralled.

So to Jared’s dismay, last year I fell head over heels for the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. She’s got to be my new favorite author (basically adding her to the list of my other top favorite authors). So imagine my pleasure and hearthrobbing when I checked her website today….

stepheniemeyer.com

And the cover and a teeny part of the first chapter have just come OUT!

Ahhh! Thank you Stephenie Meyer and Co!

Thank you for all sharing my inner teenage girl-ness.

Yes. The Twilight Series and The Host have infiltrated my very soul. I am hopelessly in love… (but don’t worry Jared, I still love you, too!)

I figured we have been here in Texas long enough that I should put some pictures up.  So here we go.

This is the view of our balcony from outside the apartment. Our front door is pretty boring, so no pictures there.

🙂

Here’s the kitchen before I put stuff in it (still working on that organization thing).

Here’s the dining room, to the right of the kitchen. We’re still trying to figure out what to do with the back wall- Thinking about a mirror or a bright, happy picture of sorts. Any ideas out there?

In the right of the dinning room picture, you can see there’s the little computer desk space. we didn’t know what to do with the shelf above, but then we went to Ikea and found this to use:

Last but not least, the living room!

And just for fun, here’s the cake I made for Jared’s birthday. It’s not as pretty as the one i made as his grooms cake, but it was a last minute surprise. 🙂