He is Risen!

Happy Easter everyone!

It is such a joyous time of the year! Spring is in full bloom the weather is turning to sunny skies and warm days! Each year at this time we remember the greatest gift and the resurrection of Christ. It is a wonderful time to think of all the blessings we have in life. Nick and I have been blessed in so many ways. We are so thankful to have each other, our friends and family, our education and careers, a place to call home, and the list could go on and on. It's time to celebrate the beauty of life and forgiveness. On Friday night my family and I watched the Girl's Night Out: Celebrating Women in Country Music. Carrie Underwood was the last honoree to perform. I adore Carrie Underwood and her performance of the hymn "How Great Thou Art" with Vince Gill was so powerful and moving.

  This past week seeing the amazing beauty in nature at Luray Cavern's makes me appreciate how great God and his works are! I hope everyone has a great Easter and even if you do not celebrate it, I hope you are enjoying the gorgeous weather and spring time beauty.

 To celebrate my roommate, Lindsey and I died Easter eggs. We had quite a nice set up and had to put the containers in ROY G BIV order because we made the mistake of putting the dye in colored containers which made it a little tricky to determine the dye color! 

 Our set up of dyes! We forgot to add the vinegar at first and learned that is smelly and cruical

Our finished basket!

 

My favorite was Lindsey's pink egg with her intial on it! It looks so pretty! 

Spring Game

Nothing makes me more excited for football season than the Spring Game! Every year tens of thousands of people flock to Blacksburg to see the premiere of the fall's football team. They showcase the new starting line, try out players in new positions, and try to entice recruits to sign with Tech. Yesterday over 40,000 people were at the game.

Logan Thomas was looking good! And as always the returning players: Hosley, Boykin, and Coale were looking good. Danny Coale even gave his shot at punting and was the best of all the punters on Saturday. The most exciting part was seeing the former players now in the NFL return to campus. The players present at the game were among some of the best during my time and before. Chris Ellis (Steelers), Shayne Graham (Patriots), Justin Harper (of the one and only Ravens), Eddie Royal (a personal favorite now playing of Denver Broncos), Pierson Prioleau (Saints), Darryl Tapp (Eagles), Macho Harris (Redskins), and  DeAneglo Hall (2011 Pro-Bowl MVP from Redskins)! There were a few others that I didn't remember.

Unfortunately my camera died and so I have no pictures from the day but to check out video highlights and photos visit hokiesports.com.

After the game we went out for a big celebratory Easter dinner with the family to our favorite Hibachi restaurant. Growing up we always went there for birthdays and special occasions!

When the cat's away the mice will play! While I was out of town with family this weekend, Nick enjoyed a weekend with the guys. I know he appreciated the time during spring break to hang out with friends that he doesn't get to see often and do guy things.

Homemade Mac N' Cheese to Die For

Recipe for Nick's homemade Mac' n Cheese! It is delicious baked mac and cheese. Last time he made it he substituted colby jack cheese for cheddar cheese. The basic recipe is from Wilson's Mac' n Cheese on the Food Network site but has been tweak to our taste. 
Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon salt , plus more for seasoning (Nick substitutes a tad of garlic salt for regular salt to enhance the flavor)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
• Dust with paprika

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Bring water, salt, and oil to boil over high heat 
• Add pasta, bring back to a boil and cook 8 to 9 minutes. 
• Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• In a large bowl, mix together eggs, evaporated milk, melted butter and salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Stir in 3/4 of the cheese and add the pasta. 
• Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and add the pasta mixture. Top with remaining cheese and dust with paprika.
• Bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Nick adds a bread crumb topping but won't even share that part of the recipe with me! This is his treat to me when he makes it so I can't know all of his secrets!

Nature's Wonders

Nick is on a very well deserved Spring Break! He has been working so hard this past semester! He came for a short visit. We went to see Luray Caverns. It was gorgeous! I had never been before and he had not been since he was a young child. I have not been that awestruck by the beauty of nature in awhile. It was an amazing site to see these pictures do not do it justice!

 Standing outside the caverns waiting to go in!

 A broken stalagmite now has become famous for it's resemblance to fried eggs

 Bronzed boots of one of the most dedicated tour guides. Over the course of his work in the caverns he walked the pathways enough times to walk around the Earth twice!

 Listening to our audio recording devices which we had to time perfectly to be in sync with each other throughout the tour

 I was nervous at first about being in a confined space but when I saw how expansive and amazing the rooms were down there it was nothing but excitement.

 By far my favorite part of the caverns! This is called Dream Lake. It is a very shallow lake with a smooth bottom but the reflection from the ceiling is so great it plays with your mind thinking you are looking into a valley of the more stalagmites!

 More of God's beautiful creation!

 This was another breathtaking spot on the tour. You round a corner bridge looking out over these massive and ornate formations that just are spectacular.

 This is from the same view as the last one.

A fallen stalactite! It fell thousands of years ago and has now 

become fused to the other formations around it. You can see the flat edge on the right where it was connected to the ceiling.

4 years and we neVer forgeT!

It's hard to believe it's been four years since the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech. The day is forever vividly etched into my memory as I imagine it is for anyone who was there that day. This was the first year I was not in Blacksburg and partaking in the activities. It was weird to not be with my Hokie family on that day. Each year this day serves as a reminder in my life to live life to the fullest and to live and dream for those who no longer are able to. I encourage everyone else to take time to count your blessings, express love to those you love, and remember the 32 whose lives were taken from them far too early. And remember in all things "We Will Prevail!"

An image that always brings me comfort. A community coming together to remember and support!

http://www.weremember.vt.edu/

March Madness!!!

This year as we have done in the past, Nick and I placed a bet for a date on the best bracket. He entered his bracket in the teacher pool at work as well. Go figure he would pick UConn to win it all! He ended up winning the pot at work and winning the date from me. We went to one of our favorite restaurants that serves New Mexican food. He then sent around this photo to the faculty in the pool for his victory.

A little much? Probably! But funny!!

April Showers

This should bring us up to April and boy have there been April showers! More like April monsoon's. There better be some gorgeous May flowers for the amount of rain we have gotten. We kicked off April and the start of spring season with the annual Ukrops (now Martin's) Monument Avenue 10k. This was always a fun experience when I have run it in the past. A flat course, lots of bands and spectators, and huge crowds of participants. Well walking it is 10x more fun!In the fall I agreed to walk it with my good friend and another of my undergrad roommates Jessica. Nick decided not to run and join us walking that morning. Unfortunately for him he wore the wrong shoes! :( It was a blast we enjoyed all the costumes and entertainment and got some quality time to catch up. We got to see the costume contest winner a man running with a house from Up. 

I have done my fair share of running in undergrad and may get back into it someday but I have never quite found it enjoyable. Walking I have come to enjoy  very much! It gives me a chance to slow down in my fast paced life and really appreciate nature, people passing, etc. Nick and I have been walking frequently and it's given us a nice time to talk with no other distractions. Each week we have a short time together and spending as much as 1.5-2 hours walking on Sunday has been a great way for us to spend time together, relax, enjoy the beginnings of spring, and get some fresh air in. And of course when it comes to us chances are we bring a frisbee along too.

I found this bumper sticker at the expo and thought it was hilarious! 

After the 10k, Nick, my mom and I went to the Picasso exhibit. It was a great exhibit and just a taste of Picasso's quirky artwork. I would highly recommend it especially since it is not everyday Picasso's art work is in the United States in an exhibit this size let alone in Virginia. 

Switching Back to Blogger

I'm in the process of trying to merge my Tumblr account back into Blogger. So hang in there with me! This semester has been a whirlwind. Nick and I have been very busy! But having lots of fun along the way. I was able to go visit Megan, a good friend and roommate from undergrad in Georgia!

 Megan and her sweet puppy Bailey swimming like a big girl for the first time!

          The beginings of our paintings from our trip to Sips and Strokes where you bring your drinks and they provide the supplies and teach you how to paint the painting step by step!

In Feburary, I went to San Francisco for a national conference for School Psychology. We did all the typical fun things Alcatraz, Ghiradelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate bridge, the Painted Ladies, and Lombard St. It was a jam packed four days!  

For Spring Break a mere week after my return from San Fransisco I hit the road for the 14 hour drive to Stuart Beach Florida with my best friend Mary Margaret and her family! I am blessed to have such wonderful friends! It was the relaxing and fun filled time that I desperately needed. Her grandmother and her friend tagged along and and kept the entertaining stories coming all week. It rained a few days but the weather was great!

Nick and I made two trips into DC to enjoy the free events in DC! On our first trip we went to the National Gallery of Art and the National Botanical Gardens.

In March during our second trip to DC, we watched my roommates complete their first half marathon and then headed for the National History Museum to see the new Ocean exhibit and the Butterfly exhibit!

 Nick is excited to see the giant squid

 It was so big it took up an entire two cases

 My butterfly buddy who stayed on my glasses the whole time

With the pretty flowers in the butterfly garden and my butterfly still on my head

And that pretty much brings us up to April which I will update on in the next post.

Hopefully now that classes are winding down I can be better about updating. Tumblr was easier during those busy days but there is not as much flexibility!

Sleep the Very Import Thing

Christmas time is over and it was another successful season! The best part being getting to spend time with my best friends, family and of course wonderful boyfriend!! Before even coming home Nick and I did a road rally which is a driving scavenger hunt and drove around looking at decorations where we got 2nd place afeter a tie breaker! Once home I got in my annual baking day with Mary Margaret, the college age Christmas party where I had a successful Yankee Swap, tacky light tours, delicious meals, a fun night at Dave and Busters where we got to be kids again and get real adult prizes!!
The night before last I couldn’t sleep to save my life and anyone who interacted with me the next day will never want to keep me from sleep again. I don’t know how people can pull all nighters and still function or socialize. I was emotional, grumpy, temperamental, and just a pain. I didn’t want to be but nothing seemed fun. Its amazing how one night with only a few hours of sleep can impact your personality and functioning. The psychologist in me loves this experience!
For Christmas I got a scrapbook and I’ve taken up the hobby of scrapbooking. I enjoy it so far I have lots of great materials and a handful of ideas. I’m trying to gather techniques so once I get my pictures I can get to it. So far I’ve selected paper from my collection and bought stickers and chosen what I want to include.

Free to Be Me

All of my exams are officially now done! Only a few stress-free class activities left in my week. It feels so good to have time to do things that I actually want to do. Like starting a blog. I now feel free to be me! Stress related to school can sometimes make me a monster and I don’t even know who I am sometimes I become so obsessed with being perfect, getting everything right, and getting good grades. It’s important to remember mistakes are ok. I’m still learning. But I can relax and be myself. Now it is officially time to get into the holiday spirit. This past Sunday Nick and I went searching for a new church in the area. It was an interesting service to say the least. It was the first of it’s kind that I’d ever been to. It was an experiential service. We did a guided visualization meditation, there was a dramatic reading, videos, we lit candles, and poured symbolic tears into a collective pool. The topic was even more nontraditional- about being down at Christmas. It’s a time where we are supposed to feel happy, cheering, warm, and joyful yet for many it’s a time that brings out so much pain. As you get older that becomes more of the case. Christmas doesn’t have the magic it once did of Santa Claus and surprises waiting on Christmas morning. As we’ve gotten older it’s also become a reminder of things we have lost. I thought it was a touchy service and good reminder that Christmas isn’t about that we feel happy and excited but that we have joy for the ultimate gift we’ve been given and that it’s ok to mourn our loses as well. The service was a little drastic for our first time but we hopefully see what a typical service is like but regardless it wasn’t the contemporary service we are looking for. So the search continues…But I can’t wait to start celebrating the holiday season with all the people I love so much!