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I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve been away from this little space here! Much, much too long. So long, in fact, that I have actually been putting off this next post for the mostly because I be forced to see the date of my last post… Much has been happening around these parts and I am just now finding myself able to breathe and relax a bit.

It’s during the busy times in life that you can tell the difference between the natural writers and those of us who have to work at it. Natural writers have to write, have to get it all out on paper, or a virtual blank page in order to process and get through a busy time. People that have to work at writing, people like me, use busyness as an excuse not to write and see it as another thing to cross of the to-do list. But while I do sometimes find writing to be a chore, it is certainly something that reaps great benefits. I’m excited to look back in a few more months when the year is over and look over the past 12 months (though maybe I should only be allowed to count 6 of them!) So there’s that.

In other news, I have gone back to school.

Ten years ago I entered high school as a shy and quiet thirteen year old, fresh from a small Mennonite elementary and middle school. I knew practically no one and set off on my own personal journey to independence and adulthood.

Fast forward a decade and I am returning to high school not as a student, but as a French teacher! Oui, bien sur! While I intended to share this information before the school year started, the school year started and it didn’t quite happen. So here I am, telling you that this opportunity completely and totally fell into my lap as I received an email, followed by an interview, followed by a job offer. So I have reduced my hours working at my current job in order to make time to be at school. It is a University Modeled School, which means that they attend from 8am to 1pm, 4 days per week. I have blindly been feeling my way around all things “education” including classroom decorating, lesson plans, essential questions, grading and of course, having two jobs.

So far, so good.

I have not yet broken down into tears (and still hoping that I don’t) and none of my students are failing (hooray!). I come home later from work, but I feel like I have more purpose and like I am doing something maybe a bit more meaningful, more fulfilling.

I think it’s going to be a good year, but I’ll let you know in June – which, according to my blogging history, is probably when my next post will be.

Vacay Numero Uno

So since we just got back yesterday from our second vacation, I figure it’s time I share my first vacation with you…you know, so I don’t get BEHIND. 

Every year we go with Justin’s family to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. His parents and grandparents have a timeshare and have been going since Justin was a wee one. I have been going with them since high school, so I know the ropes by this point.

Despite the fact that I have grown up 30 minutes from the beach, I am not necessarily a beach person. I would go every once in a while with my family for the afternoon, but hauling kids, coolers and umbrellas down to the beach to ride home wet, sandy and sticking to trash bags on the car seats apparently wasn’t my parents’ idea of a “relaxing” afternoon. So it wasn’t until I started going to Myrtle Beach that I really started to enjoy it.

Our condo is right on the beach which means we can come inside for lunch, leave our stuff outside, and rinse off whenever we want. It really is the best way to enjoy the beach. No car rides – no trash bags… just simple, clean and easy. My kind of vacation.

Since I’ve been out of school and working, I have never truly appreciated vacation like I do now. I spend most of the week reading on the beach, or on the balcony as was the case this year since we had more rainy days than usual.

When it was sunny, we spent our week walking the beach, digging in the sand and reading in the sun. Justin was VERY excited to find his first shark’s tooth this year… We are feeling rested, ready to take on the fall season and looking forward to next year!

Couple Date

We have been having a great time lately with our friends, Michael and Heather, who just recently got married and moved into our area. Good friends are hard to come by, especially those of the married variety.

Plus, I’m pretty picky.

We are so excited that they are both finally living here. Earlier this month we went out for collective haircuts (is that weird to do with other people?) pizza, and of course, doughnuts. What date night is complete without doughnuts?

 We hit up one of my favorites, California Pizza Kitchen in Virginia Beach. It was a really beautiful night so we opted to eat on the patio. There was some live, jazzy slash cover music going on across the square and we sipped drinks and enjoyed our pizza.

 After dinner we were past Krispy Kreme and I swear I could feel the car veering off the road towards the lit “Hot and Ready” sign in the parking lot. We got a dozen doughnuts and despite our intentions to save them for a movie snack, we devoured them while watching the doughnuts fry through the window to the kitchen. Couple dates are always the most fun!

July

Yes, I do realize that it is, indeed, August.

I know it’s only been two weeks or so, but it feels like forever since I’ve done a proper blog post. I suppose that means it’s becoming a habit… There have been so many things I have wanted to share over the past few weeks, but I’ve been so busy doing the things that I haven’t had the time to write about them. And now it is August. We have been crazy people lately, running from one event to another, and then on vacation, and soon to be another vacation!

So let’s journey back, shall we? We had a super fun 4^th of July weekend this year. For some reason it always feels like people go out of town and so in years past we’ve kept it pretty low key. This year, though, we spent lots of time with friends, hanging out, eating delicious food and watching fireworks. Our city always puts on an amazing fireworks show, usually the day before Independence Day. This year it did not disappoint.

On the 4^th we made our way to an All-American cookout and played some very intense games. I am either very laid back, or very competitive when it comes to games. I prefer the former, because I also tend to be a poor loser.  So it really takes the right balance of personalities for me to enjoy playing games. But good company and good food reigned, and we had fun.

I’ll be back soon with more posts from July!

Double Deuce

 

This is my brother.

We are very two different people… he is a risk taker with very few plans… the more spontaneous the better. And while I do enjoy some spontaneity, I am a planner, a calculator, a rule-follower. Despite all of our differences though, we do share some similar traits. We are both loyal – to a fault. We are both followers of Christ and we share the same memories that have made us who we are.

Today my “little” brother is twenty-two. He just recently moved to Norway, pseudo-permanently to start a new adventure for himself and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

Love you, Dan!

Summer Photo Series v. 2

It has been radio-silence here on the blog this week. I have been cooking up some new things I am pretty excited about (both literally and figuratively.) I am hoping to introduce some serious changes to the blog and have been spending time trying to get all of it together! I also want to get my 4th of July photos up… we had SUCH a great vacation weekend. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with the next installment in the Summer Photo Series.

7.1.11 | A night at the Tide’s baseball game… go Norfolk! 

7.2.11 | Ending a perfect summer day with a bike ride (preceded by a swim at the pool and a day-date movie)

7.3.11 | Fireworks at Chesapeake City Park with friends and family

7.4.11 | Dinner and a night of heated games on the 4th

7.5.11 | Popsicles after youth group on Tuesday

 7.6.11 | A light summer shower and dinner with J’s family

7.7.11 | A storm is a brewin’ at the Brew house

7.8.11 | A CLEAN bathroom courtesy of my amazing husband

local eats

One of my favorite things so far about this summer besides our success in the garden has been our CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a program we are participating in for the first time this year. Basically, you purchase a “share” of a local farm and every week in the summer, you get to share in the bounty of said farm. It has been so fun to see what we get each week! Every week is different, so it’s really been teaching me how to improvise in the kitchen and use up what I already have.

People are right when they tell you that fresh, local produce is unlike anything you can find in the grocery store. It’s so much more flavorful and delicious. The carrots taste like carrots (and the snozzberries taste like snozzberries) !!

Marsha’s Stuffed Zucchini

Several of you have asked about the stuffed zucchini recipe – the stuffing of which was pictured in the first lot of Summer Photo Series shots. Of course I am happy to oblige.

I’m sure that this recipe could be considered anyone’s stuffed zucchini since it is so incredibly adaptable, but I got the recipe from my friend slash Realtor extraordinaire, so we’ll consider it hers.  The recipe I’ve adapted below made 2 servings.

What you’ll need:

Olive Oil

1/2 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 zucchini

Chopped or shredded veggies – including but not limited to: carrots, squash, red/green peppers, broccoli, etc.

Rosemary, thyme or herbs of your choice

Parmesan (fresh is best!)

Bread crumbs (I like whole wheat)

What you’ll do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Slice your zucchinis lengthwise and scrape out their innards. Discard the seeds, but keep the fleshy part for your stuffing.
3. Season your zucchini shells with salt + pepper and set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil on medium high heat and add the onions.
5. Once the onions have softened a bit, add the garlic, herbs and veggies. Depending on what type of vegetables you are using, your cooking times may vary. Make sure to add the quickest cooking things in last so as not to overcook them.
6. Add about 1/4 of bread crumbs to the veggie mixture at a time until most of the moisture is absorbed. No one likes soggy dinner. Add the parmesan.
7. Fill the zucchini shells with the mixture and top with bread crumbs and more parmesan.
8. Bake the shells for approximately 20 minutes or until the innards are warm and the tops are golden.

P.S. If you’re being naughty and you’re not lactose-adverse, add some delicious cheese to the bottom of the shells before you add the filing.

P.P.S. If your husband is a carnivore like mine, serve this as a main course by adding in some ground turkey or ground beef to the veggie fixins.

Enjoy!

Garden Harvest

The heat is still here and our garden is loving it! We are having a hard time keeping up with the harvesting and realizing that we need to pick something everyday just to keep it under control. A few days ago we spent the evening weeding and harvesting some goodies for the week. Green beans galore! Can’t wait for those ‘maters…

Happy harvesting!

Summer Photo Series v. 1

I’m so excited to share the first installment of my Summer Photo Series, where I am taking a photo a day throughout the summer. This has been a really fun challenge thus far, especially on the days when I come home from work, hit the gym, get dinner ready and remember I need to take a picture! It’s been a great reminder for a non-photographer like myself to remember to take my camera everywhere and to really take the time to get to learn to use it. Here we go…

6.20.11 | Kicking off summer right with BBQ with the parents

6.21.11 | Serving the City with the youth group and playing with the kids from the mobile home park

6.22.11 | Pre-anniversary flowers from the husband of 3.0 years

6.24.11 | Anniversary date to Aldo’s and the beach with JB

6.25.11 | Lettuce, green beans and basil from the most recent garden harvest 

6.26.11 | A lazy Sunday afternoon at the grandparent’s pool

6.27.11 | Making stuffed zucchini for dinner

6.28.11 | Water balloon games at youth group

6.29.11 | Delivering a wedding gift (the karaoke of the evening not pictured)

6.30.11 | Summertime Margaritas