A special list...

Greenville has been quite good to us. Although it is no secret that I am a country girl and was reluctant to transplant from my simple, small town life to the constant bustle of a city, this gem of a place truly has its perks. 

But we're moving back home next week (or the next, its a process folks!) and I've been thinking a lot about all the things we are going to miss when we leave. So a list for you and a break from packing for me...

• Grace Church, Downtown Campus - we have endless gratitude for the conveyance of the meat and substance behind Biblical truths and we will likely drive back each Sunday to grow with this body more
• Our community group that has blessed us and grown us - big bunch of hippies, its been such a pleasure :)

• Our first home together
• Family dinners with the Martins - sharing excitement and offering encouragement over all of our radical dreams
• The open arms of a large and special group of friends
• Falls Park with Sully on the not-so-crowded days anyways - I remember his very first walk :)

• Walking to dinner on our date nights
• Friday nights at Barnes and Noble - wild and crazy, I know 
• Piling up for The Bachelor with Katie
• Movie nights at Odie and Kathy's - our warm family setting away from home
• The downtown Publix and the sweet pharmacist that always deals with my being last minute
• Hot yoga - the 90 degrees kind, not the 105 degrees kind
• Gelato at Luna Rosa
• Girl's nights and St. Christopher Piesporter at Stellar
• Getaway days to Paris Mountain
• Sweet potato cake from Brick Street Cafe - thanks to Katie
• Not 1 but 2 Starbucks within walking distance

There's much more, but those are some of the highlights. And really, we will mostly miss the people that have recreated the feeling of home to stretch far beyond the short embrace of location. So while we're happy to say goodbye to the sirens, the tiring commutes, the single driveway, a few sketch balls and the traffic we will always look back fondly. 

Now back to the small town, family, our roots...and far less places to indulge in food and sweet treats. Maybe when we leave there my list will not be entirely about food - sheesh! :)

Happy, Happy Valentine's Day!

Mike and I - we're not really big on gifts for each other on every single holiday, especially with our budget consciousness. But we've had a great deal to celebrate lately and with so much on the horizon we just decided to go for it today for Valentine's Day. Really, we made it a combo with both of our upcoming Spring birthdays.

Some sweet (nevermind the matching) Arc'teryx Gortex Paclite shells for our upcoming adventures! We've done a lot of looking around for something really light, super waterproof but also breathable. These were the ones we have been eyeing and happened to be on sale (almost 100$ off!) at Half-Moon! 

Oh! And I am O-fficially DONE with my internship - went to Columbia today and turned all my stuff in, now all that is left is graduation on Friday. So come to think of it, I have 3 full days of nothing to figure out what I am going to wear. I'm sighing :) 

Mike suggested that I wear my new rain jacket......
boys.

The sweet taste of freedom!

Nothing too exciting, really. For me, today will be fully consumed by a research paper - my very last one ever, but one that I have put off until now. And the pressure's on because it is due none other than the morrow! My mama tried to tell me for years that procrastination is not of the best design, so don't go blaming her. Alas, this is the path that I have chosen. 


So, while I spend my day weighing in on,

"Examination of Interest of Cardiac Rehabilitation Participants with Diabetes to Take Advantage of More Readily Accessible Diabetes Education Services and Projected Outcomes"

just know that the shining moment that lies in the arms of tomorrow afternoon, after my last seminar down in Columbia as a dietetic intern, is the very moment in which I promised that this blog would get exponentially more interesting. 

So while my consciousness is busy with all of this yucky stuff today, my trusty subconscious will have me here. 

You and your sweet daydream are welcome to join. I will need someone to apply lotion to my back and remind me to turn periodically. Oh and we'll need someone to keep us hydrated, so do some recruiting. :)

The cycle...

I've had quite the morning. There's no mistaking it, God IS stirring. You see, pretty much all components of life as I know it are in a stage of change. I am all but done with being an intern, we are about to move, Mike quit his job yesterday, I am turning down an otherwise great and promising job offer as a dietitian...that combination would typically send me into a whirlwind of stress and worry and fixation on how to gain back control. Instead, I can truly say there is an unwavering peace of mind that has consumed us. Instead of grasping for control we are learning to be still in prayer, submerge ourselves in the Word and seek out and dream of His will in place of our own. We have no idea what that looks like, but there has been such a cycle in the ideas that stir our hearts. And I know and understand that God is doing the stirring, that He is the sole source of that peace of mind, hope, comfort and trust. Today He led me to a blog (while I seriously need to be doing homework, mind you. I love how He works through even our procrastination and search for distractions from productivity!) that further led me to the most intensely spiritual moment I've experienced in quite some time. It was and is powerful and I am thankful. The most intriguing aspect of the journey recorded in this blog is that it is happening. It is not an account of what has been done, what has occurred. It is playing out now. I cannot even begin to tell you how so many parts of the content touched and moved me and how those moving moments led to feelings of being encouraged, challenged, blessed, changed...


Like my friend Mc said, God is about to blow this world away! We feel it! I feel like He is working so hard to reveal Himself and His will to me, aching for me to choose Him, count all else as loss (Philippians 3:8), and follow Him to secure my part in it all - the JOY and the SUFFERING. I don't know if I've ever heard Him so strongly before. We are far from honed in, but we are excitedly expectant! 


The story that moved my morning was the one of Katie - a 23 year old that left a life of American comfort, a loving family, the pursuit of her typical dreams to go to Uganda. At first just for a year, and then more, and more. Now she calls it home. She is a single mother to 13 girls, all of which she adopted and has loved and led. Her obedience to God's will for her life and transparency is truly inspiring.


Check it out - Kisses from Katie. Prepare to be moved.

"If we are really following Jesus, we will go to the hard places. Being a Christ follower means being acquainted with sorrow. Because we must know sorrow to fully appreciate joy. Joy costs pain, but the pain is worth it."

Two birds with one stone :)

As you know, I'm finishing up my internship program and with that comes all sorts of assignments I've put off until now - one of which is a media project, and since a blog is, in fact, media then some of my nutritional ramblings can be housed here to account for some credit. 


A couple of our closest friends, Megan and Mike are about to go on a major adventure. Major. They have been planning and planning (and planning and planning) and some 47 days from now they are heading out to thru hike the Appalachian Trail! Sure, for your good old weekend camping trip you can bring along your favorite foods, even fresh fruits and vegetables. But for 6 months out on the trail trekking the 2,179 miles between Georgia and Maine there are many other considerations. Weight. Convenience. Storage. Preparation. They will be adopting a daily hiking regimen and burning anywhere from 5,000-7,000 calories per day, so they're going to need lightweight, convenient food that doesn't weigh down their pack while offering them a lot of bang for their buck energy-wise. So, for Mc & Mike - a few trail recipes that I hope will be helpful. And don't worry, you can count on us for a substantial food drop (maybe even some cowboy cookies). We love you both and are praying for you everyday :)


Strawberry Sensation

• 1 cup strawberry Frosted Mini-Wheats
• 1/2 cup dried strawberries
• 1/4 cup yogurt covered raisins
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

While you're at home, combine all ingredients in a zip lock bag. (Let me know if you need help, Lol). Each bag makes 1 serving - 622 calories.

On the trail, eat as breakfast or as a snack.

Hangdog Oatmeal

• 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dried bananas, powdered
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips 

At home, combine all ingredients in a zip lock bag. Each bag makes 1 serving - 679 calories.

On the trail, boil 4 cups of water. Stir in contents of bag and remove from stove. Set aside and let cool.

Cranberry Orange Rice

• 1/4 cup instant rice
• 1 tbsp dried cranberries
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 packet True Orange
• 1 tbsp powdered milk
• 1 tsp brown sugar

At home, combine everything into a zip lock bag. Each bag makes 1 serving - 430 calories with honey topping.

On the trail, pour mix into pan and add enough boiling water to cover mix. Let stand until rice is tender. Top with honey.

Snickerdoodle Coffee Mix

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 1/4 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

At home, combine all ingredients into a zip lock bag. Each bag makes approximately 8 servings - 90 calories per serving.

On the trail, add 3 tbsp of mix into 3/4 cup boiling water and stir.  

Cheesy Bacospuds

• 2 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
• 1/2 cup instant dry milk
• 1 packet Butter Buds
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried onions
• 3/4 cup crumbled bacon or Bacon Bits
• 1 package powdered cheese spread

At home, add all ingredients into a quart size freezer zip lock bag. Each bag makes approximately 4 servings - 480 calories per serving.

On the trail, bring 4 1/2 cups of water to boil. Add water to bag and stir well. Let stand.

I know, once you eat any of these for days in a row they won't be appetizing anymore...but may they keep you energized and get you where you're going. One foot in front of the other!

Maybe one day :)

New way to the finish line...

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" 

Mark 8:34-37 

Automatic. Expected. Normal (whatever that is!). Safe. Considered. Planned. Comfortable. Accepted. These, I feel as though I have always clung to. I have held ownership over my life, selfishly followed my cookie cutter ambitions, found my comfort in meeting expectations and God is now stirring beautifully unexpected, exciting ideas in the mind, heart and soul of both Mike and I. We are not without fears or hesitation, but we are hopeful and full of faith. Please pray for us :)

You have to release to grasp.

Sweet redemption!

Upon some reflection over a smooch down and some chicken noodle soup I decided that I haven't had such a day in some 22 years. Bee-tee-dubs, a smooch down is otherwise known as a grilled cheese, although I'm aware of its widespread limitations. Anyways, I woke up this morning to 7-8" of fresh powder. To you non-skiers, that's terminological lingo for a white blanket of untouched and glorious snow. There's some specifications dealing with the texture of that snow - granulated, packed, moisture content, but who wants a lesson? I ain't picky and neither is Upstate South Carolina. Me and my people have not seen such a snow day since 1988 and I was probably diaper deep in my own filth for the better half of that day so let's just call January 10, 2011...redemption. 


Snaps from the day.

Our house in the fresh powder.

Sully had a big day right along with us. He's currently in a coma (aka nap), curled up keeping my feet warm. 

I tend to surround myself with Megan's, it somehow just happens. But judging from experience, they make the best of friends. Here's two of my three. Solid company for a snow day :)

You may wonder how you can spend an entire day outside enjoying the precious rarity of snow. A little creativity and some crazy boys helps keep the day packed with fun. This is my husband, jumping a ramp on a knee board after being pulled behind a four wheeler with a ski rope. Although we're big chity people now, we're from a small town - the kind with nothing to do. Like good little adults, we're putting our life experience to good use. 

Winding things down with a good, rich cup of hot cocoa. That's what kept the girls going when our little fingers had barely enough sensation in them to tell whether we had actually snapped the capture button on our cameras or not. 

So, there you have it. The recipe for a seriously great snow day, sweet redemption or not. Now I am le tired. 


And speaking of recipes, let's swap some of those! But keep in mind, this girl doesn't have a dishwasher........I actually have TWO and they are connected to my arms.