New Year's Resolution #3 DONE!

BAM!  I knocked it out of the park!  I not only auditioned for two choirs, but I was accepted into two choirs!!

I'm SOOOOOOOOOO excited to be singing this year with Consonare Chorale, directed by Georgiana Phillipson (about whom I've heard amazing things), with my fellow WU alumns and former Chamber Choir mates, John Turner and Katie Skiff.

AND I'll be joining the Willamette Master Chorus, directed by Dr. Paul Klemme (director of the Men's Choir at WU), with my other fellow WU alumns, former Chamber Choir mates, AND DG sisters Abby Kahl and Ashley Lindsay!  I'm soooooooo excited to sing with them again and see these girls every week!

I'm a little overwhelmed.  I've wanted to get involved in a choir again for a few years, but I was too scared of the possibility of failure to even audition.  And when I get the courage to put myself out there again, such good things happen!

I'm so excited to be pursuing my passion again.  Choir and music was a huge part of my life for such a long time.  It's been hard to go without it for over 6 years.  But I'm back!

Check out both choirs here!

Consonare Chorale - http://consonarechorale.org/joomla1.5/

Willamette Master Chorus - http://www.willamettemasterchorus.org/

New Year's Resolution #3: Join a Choir

This is a carry over from last year...  I have another audition for the Willamette Master Chorus next week, so it's possible I'll have this resolution in the bag very early 2012!  But then again... I may have to set up a few more auditions at some other choirs before I find a choir that fits.

I was in choir for.......... 13 years??  I started singing in a group (not just for the Christmas pageants) sometime in elementary school so it's been weird not singing outside of my car or the shower for the 6 years that I've been out of college.  When I was in Chamber Choir at Willamette, I was told that, even if I joined a choir as an adult, I would probably never experience the same musical caliber as what we did.  So I've been a little down and out, thinking nothing could ever come close to my experience in Chamber Choir, so why bother.

But I have lots of friends in choirs around Portland and Salem and they all love their groups.  And so will I.  Once I find one.  :-)

New Year's Resolution #2: Wine & Dine Blog

Two years ago, I started a Wine & Dine club in Portland.  My parents have been a part of a Wine & Dine club for years (and years and years) and they took me to a party one summer.  It was the best party that my parents had ever dragged me to - it may have helped that I was also drinking...  So I decided to start a group in Portland with my friends.

We get together once a month for wine tasting and a pot-luck style dinner.  Whoever is hosting will choose the wines and provide the main course, while guests contribute to the cost of the wine and bring a side dish, appetizer, or desert.  Wine & Dine is a great excuse to get together with 15 of our closest friends, get creative in the kitchen and bring a dish you'd never try making otherwise, and drink wines you've never been adventurous enough to try.  It's been going strong for over two years and it's something I look forward to every month.

A few months after I started Wine & Dine, my dear, wonderful, amazing friend Jeff purchased a website for me  for Wine & Dine and I just never got it going.  I was a little overwhelmed with the technology speak of it all - trying to design it the way I wanted - and I didn't have any sort of direction to take it.  I don't do well with blank canvases...

So the website (and Wordpress blog) mulled around in my head for the last couple years and I'm finally to a point where I can take on the monster.  It's not a website anymore, and it's not Wordpress - too much HTML code for me to handle, and I'm too much of a perfectionist to just leave the little things be.  I switched it over to Blogger, which is a platform I'm more comfortable with and there's waaaaaaaay more help blogs and how-to websites for Blogger than for Wordpress, so I can teach myself how to use and design it.

Hence the Resolution #2 is to get the Wine & Dine blog rolling.  I've already got a jump start on it, since I'm on Winter break for two weeks with not much else to do but perfect the blog.  It's in the beginning stages, of course.  I haven't exactly figured out what form it will take, what it will be most useful for, or what types of content we'll be putting up.  Actually I feel like I need a business plan or a blog committee or something...  But it's up!  It's created.  And I'm dedicated to making it work!

Check it out here:  www.wineanddineportland.blogspot.com

I also have a link to Wine & Dine in my blogroll.

Suggestions for content would be most welcome.  I also accept compliments.  :-P

New Year's Resolutions! #1 - Reduce Our Carbon Footprint

OK, here they are!  The long awaited New Year's Resolutions for 2012!  I've been mulling these over for the last several months and thinking about how to refine them so they're easy to monitor and achieve!  So here ya go, folks.  The first resolution iiiiiiiiiiiiiis................(drum roll)..................

Reduce our carbon footprint 

I don't mean I want to turn into a tree-hugging hippie (I think my dad would disown me if I did...) but next year I'm going to be more intentional about what I purchase and what and how I discard things.

This goal was inspired by Portland Waste Management somewhat forcing us to start a compost bin by reducing our trash pick-up to every other week.  Once we started throwing things in the compost that we normally would have thrown in the trash, we realized how easy it was to reduce the amount of trash we throw away every week.

And the best part is we're already doing a lot to reduce our carbon footprint.  We have energy efficient bulbs in all of our light fixtures and we keep the lights off when we're not in the room.  We use cold water to do laundry.    We only do dishes or laundry when we have a full load.  We let the dishes air dry rather than heat dry.  We recycle everything we can.  We don't buy bottled water.  We shop Craigslist first for furniture needs before buying something new.  We carpool to work and try to minimize unnecessary driving by taking the bus when it makes sense.  We donate books, clothing, and other items we don't want anymore rather than throw them away.  We even used recycled paint to paint our house in April.

Some of the extra things we're going to do are:

• Reduce the amount of "things" we purchase.  Bryann and I are pretty bad about buying "things" we don't really need, so one of our goals is to be more conscious buyers by reducing the amount of unnecessary goods we buy.  
• Shop used-goods stores first, like Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Plato's Closet.  Obviously I'm not talking about underwear or toothbrushes, but for clothes, dishes, bakeware, decorative items, books, or furniture.  We have a great Goodwill near our house and it's been fun to check it out from time to time over the last year that we've lived here.  But recently we really took a good look at what we could be buying second-hand at Goodwill rather than new at other stores.  
• Shop local and organic foods.  Frequent the farmer's markets, and be more mindful about where our food is coming from and how it is produced.  
• Bring re-usable bags to the grocery store

These are just little things we can do throughout the year to reduce our waste and the amount of energy we consume.  Nothing on this list is terribly inconvenient for us to do, and as an added bonus, it will help us save money!  

I'm looking forward to the challenge of reducing my "things" buying.  And since my mom trained me so well to be a bargain hunter, I actually like digging around the racks and shelves at Goodwill to find what I need!  

Here's a nice article on 101 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint for those interested.  I think you'll find you already do a lot of the things on the list!  

Reflections on 2011

It may seem a little early, but I started thinking about my New Year's resolutions a few weeks ago.  I'm a big fan of celebrating the New Year.  I get to reflect on the year gone by and rejoice in all of the great things that happened, and say good-riddance to any hard times we experienced.  When the New Year hits, it's like the mistakes of the past year are erased and we get to start all over again, fresh.  I feel like I have another chance at being the best version of myself.

2011 was pretty awesome.  Much better than 2010.  Bryann got a job at the beginning of the year.  We were blessed enough to continue to both have jobs and be able to afford our home.  Bryann and I got married, and went on an amazing, spectacular honeymoon.  We stood next to some of our best friends in the world as witnesses to their marriage.  We had several wonderful weekends at our beloved beach house.  And we were even able to pay off a few loans along the way!

My 2011 New Year's resolutions went pretty well for the most part.  Last year, I resolved to join a choir.  I realized at the beginning of December that I had not yet joined a choir, so I contacted some former WU choir friends and tried to make a little progress toward that goal.  I'd put out some feeler inquiries throughout the year, but I was too paralyzed with fear to actually audition for a choir.  I kept thinking "I haven't looked at sheet music in 6 years!  How am I going to audition for anything?!?  I've only been singing in the car or to my dogs, my tone and range must be awful by now!"  (hmmm... maybe in 2012, I'll resolve to cut down the negative self-speak...)  But I took the leap and auditioned for a choir last weekend.  The sight reading was a bit of a disaster, but at least I tried.  I won't know if I got the spot until sometime next week, so I am re-resolving to join a choir in 2012.  

Last year I also resolved to be a more generous person.  Generous in all aspects of the word.  I can be a rather selfish person sometimes, about the weirdest things, like the extra $1 to tip a waitress, or driving 10 minutes out of my way to pick something up.  Bryann is the most generous person I know, and I wanted to be more like him.  He tips heartily (even when I don't think the server deserves it,) and he gives his time and energy to anyone who needs it (even if they didn't do the same thing for him previously).  

I wanted to be more like that.  I wanted to let go of my petty selfishness and be a more generous person.  It quite literally turned into my mantra for 2011.  I needed to constantly remind myself to tip better.  If I owe someone $18, I can give them a $20 bill and call it good.  I can tip the waitress with the dollars I have in my wallet rather than make change with the coins in my purse.  (Like I said, I get stingy about the strangest things...)  I don't NEED that extra dollar.  I can do this favor for my friend because I don't NEED to be in bed by 9:00pm.  The extra 10 minutes driving to pick this thing up WON'T cost that much in gas and ISN'T a waste of my time.  

It's still a quality that I'm working on...  But my efforts this last year made me a better version of myself.  And  I think it made me a better teacher, too.  I was more generous with my time for my students.  I was more generous with my patience.  I was more generous with my understanding for each student's unique and precarious situation.  I feel better about what I've accomplished at school this year.  

I'm looking forward to next year's goals.  They are still percolating, and finding a form, but I'm excited about them.  To be shared soon...  

Day 28: Our Wedding

Bryann and I were married 6 months ago today.  We had such an amazing wedding...  (Thank you, again, Mom & Dad...)  I'm so thankful we were able to have a real wedding with all of our friends and family- like with a wedding dress and a ceremony, and a reception with dinner and cake and dancing.  Weddings have become this crazy multi-billion dollar industry and what used to be a celebration with a few friends and family has turned into a completely crazy affair.  Apparently the average wedding in the US costs $27,000.  I found that extremely hard to believe before I started planning my own wedding, but with what the structure and sequence of a typical modern wedding event (catering, food/alcohol, photography, music, rentals, transportation, cake) it's not hard to spend $27,000.  

We managed to throw our wedding for less than half the national average.  We made our money stretch and threw an awesome wedding!  We didn't want for anything, and we had one of the best nights of our lives!  We both had so much fun, and we still receive compliments from friends and family friends about what a great time they had.  I'm so thankful for that day.  

Day 27: My parents

Can I mention my parents again?  :-P

They've been really helpful all weekend.  Dad has helped Bryann finish the molding on the floors and put lights up on the house.  Mom has been helping me do laundry all day.  They are awesome.  :-D

Day 26: My Grandma

My grandma is 90 years old and going strong. She's led a pretty incredible life and has some amazing stories to tell.  The periodical at her retirement community has asked her to write a few stories about life during the war as part of their segment on WWII, but she's been working on writing out her life story anyway.  I feel like every time I visit with her, I hear a new story.  I'm thankful to still have her around to tell them.

Day 25: The Handymen in my Life

Between Bryann and my Dad, I don't ever have to call a professional to fix or set up anything.  Dad fixes the car stuff, Bryann fixes the technology stuff, and they both help each other fix the house stuff!  I'm pretty lucky to have two extremely capable and fix-it savvy men in my life!

Day 24: Thanksgiving

I love this holiday.  I love getting together with family and friends and spending an entire day cooking, and eating, and enjoying the company of my loved ones.

I love hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  After Bryann and I bought our house last year, my family declared that we host Thanksgiving for the rest of time.  Mostly because I think my family is tired of hosting after all these years, but also maybe because they know how much I like hosting people at my home.

Table is all set

 Ready to eat!

 Scouring the Black Friday ads

 Adam and Mom

Grandma with her Grandpuppy, Poppy

Day 23 part 2: My Aunt Reezy

Reezy should have come first, because she's way cooler than a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, but I wanted to save the best for last! 

Reezy is my favorite aunt, and I'm so glad to live so close to her.  She was nice enough to let me live with her twice - once during a summer in college, and once when I returned from Ecuador and didn't have a place to live yet - and it wasn't quite like living with my parents, but it wasn't crazy irresponsible like living with college friends.  Reezy is just the right mix of family and friend.  I can talk to her about anything, and have fun with her.  We have tea parties, go on movie dates, and have wreath-making parties just before Christmas.

I'm thankful to have such an awesome aunt!  Looking forward to hosting you (again) tomorrow!   

Day 23: My New Kitchenaid Stand Mixer!

Bryann and Adam got this for me for Christmas.  I'm in super love!  I got to use mom's last year at Thanksgiving and I'm pretty excited to have one of my very own! Mashed potatoes, cookies, and pies, watch out!! 

Day 22: Long Walks

Sometimes I get all worked up about silly things, and I find that a long walk always helps calm me down and sooth my mind.  The other night, I needed to go for a walk at like 9:30 at night.  Bryann bundled up and came with me, amazing husband that he is, and talked me down off my ledge.  But it's comforting to know that no matter what is troubling me, a nice long walk will always take the edge off. 

Day 21: Memory Foam

Our queen bed is on the verge of needing a replacement.  We think we want a king bed next, but we don't really have the cash right now to buy a new bed, let alone a new bed, new bed frame, new sheets, and a new comforter to fit the king bed.

So in a fit of desperation, we bought a memory foam pad from Costco to try to salvage our bed for another year or two.  It is AMAZING!  And we splurged and bought some memory foam pillows, too.  My back doesn't hurt so much in the mornings.  I can still feel the dip in the middle of the bed, but it's not so obvious.  I actually find excuses to go back into the bedroom during the afternoon and lay in bed, just to feel it's coziness surrounding me. 

Though my new-found comfort isn't helping me want to get out of bed in the mornings... 

Day 20: Fall Trees

I'm thankful for this tree in front of my house, in particular.  It takes up almost the entire view outside of my living room windows.

Isn't it beautiful? 

Day 19: Lazy Saturdays

This is my favorite kind of day - and just the type of day I need every once in awhile.  We got up around 9 this morning, I made some tea, and we had a few hours of couch time.  Then we took Sam for a walk, made waffles topped with Nutella and banana, and had a few more hours of couch time.  Then I had a classmate over to work on a take-home exam, and now I'm back for some more couch time.  

I have been in pajamas all day long, and I don't plan on putting on real clothes.   

I love lazy Saturdays.   

Day 18: My New Roommate!

John Boyer is moving in for a few weeks/months.  We're not really sure of the timeline, but we're excited to have him!  John is super fun to hang out with, is an extremely considerate person, and the extra rent money will help pay off those pesky loans!


I cleaned out the guest room, emptied the closet, took down all of the family photos, and even emptied out the 2nd bathroom so he could have a nook of his own.

I even made him an awesome sign for his new room...

Sorry mom and dad, we're putting you up on the air mattress in the office (more commonly known as Bryann's game room) when you come next week.  But I'll make sure it's JUST as comfortable as the futon bed!  :-)

Day 17: My students

I've got some awesome students at my school.  Most of the students have been at our school for more than just this year, so it's been really nice to be able to build relationships with them and watch them grow and learn and mature.  I have a few students who've been here for 3 years, plus the summer school classes I taught for two years prior to that! 

There's always a few students who are not my favorites ever, but most of the students I work with are completely awesome, and I'm thankful for them! 

Day 16: Never having been sued

As I mentioned yesterday, I was called to serve for jury duty.  I was selected for a civil case and heard a trial yesterday afternoon and this morning.  I'm thankful I have never been sued.  I'm thankful Bryann has never been sued.  I guess I have some pretty strong opinions on when it is and is not appropriate to sue someone...  Apparently it is ridiculously easy to sue someone, and I'm thankful it has not happened to me, my husband, any of my friends, or my family...

I hope it stays that way.

Day 15: Public Transportation

I was called to serve for Jury Duty today and, rather than drive downtown and pay for parking all day, I took the bus.  I walked two blocks to the bus stop, read my book for the half-hour ride, and walked two blocks to the courthouse from the final bus stop.  No transfers, no fighting traffic, or searching for a spot or garage downtown.  Just an easy, care-free ride.

Thanks Tri-Met!  And thankful again, for our home.  It's so easy to take public transportation.

Day 14: This time in my life

This one is a bit of a double edged sword.  I'm thankful to be in my late 20's.  I have my entire life ahead of me.  I am married to a great guy, I have a good job, I have great friends, and my life is pretty care-free.  I can, for the most part, pick up and go on vacation whenever I feel like it, I can go out with friends whenever I want, I can take my career in whatever direction I so choose.

On the other side, this time in my life completely terrifies me.  The Summer Day by Mary Oliver is a poem that I read a long, long time ago, and the very last two lines go "Tell me, what is it you plan to do/ with your one wild and precious life."  Am I doing enough?  Am I striving for enough?  Am I going to reach the end of my life and wish I could go back and fill it with more people?  More love?  More adventure? 

I feel like I'm at a very precarious point in my life.  I don't have any regrets so far...  The last 28 (almost 29...eek!) years have been pretty awesome.  I've traveled, I've learned, I've worked, I've loved.  I've done some things I'm not particularly proud of, but then we're back to the part where I've learned. 

What happens next?  What if we have kids too early and we regret not doing more single-people stuff?  What if we can't have kids at all?  What if I make the wrong career move and end up miserable?  What if I don't do enough to cultivate my friendships or my marriage? 

I actually had to go to therapy in college because I was completely terrified of my future and became paralyzed with indecision.  My therapist said HANDS-DOWN the most helpful thing anyone has ever said to me.  She said no matter what decisions I made, there was nothing in life I couldn't bounce back from.  No mistake was so grave that I couldn't rebound from, except for murder and heroine addiction. 

So I remain thankful for this time in my life.  I continue to ask myself, what will I do with this one wild and precious life?  I'm so young still that I can do anything.  Hopefully I will always remember to live life to its fullest, because I may not get a second chance at it. 

Day 13: Wine & Dine

My friends, the Schlyper's, hosted Wine & Dine last night and we, as always, had an amazing time.

I started the Wine & Dine club over two years ago and it is still up and running and going strong.  I imitated the club after the one my parents are in.  We all get together once a month, and sample wines and have a pot-luck style dinner party.  Sometimes it's extravagant and themed, sometimes it's just an excuse to get together and eat and drink.  But it's always a blast and I'm so thankful that my friends and fellow club-members are still keeping it going!

It's pretty much the best way to spend a Saturday night.

Day 12: My Education

This is kind of a thank-you to my parents all over again.  I was taught that education was the one thing that could never be taken away from you.  Education is the greatest tool there is - whether it's for improving oneself, or for freeing a people from an unjust ruler.

So I'm thankful that I'm an educated person.  That my parents raised me to value education, and that through education, I was given the tools to improve myself, or to improve my situation in life.

Day 11: Portland

Portland is an awesome city.  It's like baby bear.  It's not too big, it's not too small.  It fits just right.  It's a beautiful city with 3 distinct seasons - sometimes 4 if it decides to snow in the winter.  It's close to the ocean and to the mountains.  There are tons of interesting cultures and people.  Lots of things to do and see.  Places to hike, places to relax, and all the micro-brew that anyone could ever ask for!

I love living here and I'm fairly certain that we'll never leave - at least for the foreseeable future.

Day 10: Dave Ramsey

I figured that since I've been thankful for the existence of other people in my life, it's not TOO far a leap to be thankful for someone I have no relationship or contact with.  :-)

Dave Ramsey, for those who are unfamiliar with him, is a financial self-help author/radio personality/motivational speaker.  His book Total Money Makeover and his radio show have changed our lives and our financial future.  I'm thankful for the work that he is doing and the message he is sending.  Read Bryann's blog Oregon Trail to Debt Freedom to learn more about our financial adventure.

The short of it is that if my friend Jeff hadn't introduced me to Dave Ramsey's podcast, I would never have picked up his book.  If I hadn't picked up his book, I may not have realized that we didn't have to just "live with" and "deal with" our debt for the next 30 years of our lives.  And if Bryann hadn't read his book, he may not have realized that his spending habits and his attitude towards money and debt could really get us into financial trouble some day.

Now we are both on the same page.  We completely agree about money, we monitor our spending each month, we stick to a budget, and we are well on our way to becoming debt-free.

So yeah, I'm thankful for a person that I've never met and who has no knowledge of my existence.  His views and teaching about money and debt have changed our lives and have helped us pave the way for a more secure future.   

Day 9: Our Jobs

In this economy, I think it's appropriate to be thankful that we both have jobs that are fairly secure.  There were a few months last winter when I was worried about Bryann's employment.  His hours at his previous job got cut, so his health insurance got cut.  We weren't sure what we would do if something happened to him since we weren't married yet and I couldn't add him to my health insurance plan.  But he searched diligently and found a great job working as a Chemist/Marketing Rep.  

And education funding keeps getting cut, and young teachers keep getting cut so I know how cherished my job is.  It's not my DREAM job, but I'm happy working there for the most part.  I was really unhappy during my first year there, but the climate of the school has shifted, and things are a lot better now.  I am also essentially the entire Math department at the school, and I work with an almost entirely special education population, and those two things will look brilliant on a resume when I decide to move on.  

But I'm thankful that we are both gainfully employed and neither of us has cause to worry about being cut or laid off.  

Day 8: My Friends

My friends are the best.  My friends are essentially my family.  We all see each other at least once a week, and we've known each other for anywhere between a year to 10 years.  When I brought Bryann into my group of friends, they all became friends with him.  I'm thankful for those relationships that formed more than 7 years ago.  I know many people can't stand their friends' significant others (no one in my group of friends is currently in that situation, but I know it happens.)

My friends are also all amazing people, too.  They are all incredibly thoughtful, caring, and generous individuals.  We can always count on their help, whether we need a ride to the airport, or need help moving, our friends always offer helping hands.  They are there for us in times of joy and in times of sorrow.  They are true friends, and we're so lucky to have them in our lives!

Day 7: My Brother

My brother, Adam, and I are actually good friends.  I'm thankful I have that relationship with him.  I thankful I have a brother at all!  I know a lot of people don't have good relationships with their siblings, and I'm thankful my brother and I are close.

Adam is even close friends with Bryann.  He comes over several times a month and they disappear into the back room to play board games.  I'm thankful that they are friends, and have a good relationship, too.  Again, I know a lot of people don't necessarily get along with their in-laws, and I'm thankful that our respective families get along so well with each other.

Adam, you rock!

Day 6: Bryann's Mom

Bryann's mom, Cherie, also gets a big Thank You!

Bryann and I are a lot alike.  We come from very different types of families, but we were both essentially raised the same way.  Cherie did an amazing job raising Bryann.  She put him in every sport imaginable, she expected the best from him, and she raised him to be a strong, generous, and genuinely good human being.

Thanks, Cherie!  He turned out splendidly!

Day 5: My Parents

I often marvel at how my parents raised such amazing children... Not to brag or anything, but I think I turned out pretty well.  I'm responsible, educated, employed, and self-sufficient.  The most trouble I've ever been in was in 8th grade when I got caught shop lifting, and got drunk off tequila at a friends house.  Not surprisingly, both incidents were with the same friend, and we didn't stay friends for very long...

My parents encouraged me to explore the things that interested me, told me I could be anything or do anything I set my mind to.  They let me play five different sports throughout my years in school, let me try out two different instruments, and let me sing in choir.  They never MADE me do anything (except clean my room.)  They only encouraged me to pursue the activities I wanted to.

They taught me the importance of education.  They made sure I did my homework, that I could spell and use grammar correctly, that I stuck with the math until I understood.  I never even considered not trying to do well in school because education became important to me as well.  Somehow, they instilled intrinsic motivation in me.

They were strict with me and punished me appropriately when I deserved it, and they showered me with love always.  They took me on awesome vacations, and whether we were off in the motor home, camping, sailing, or skiing, we always had a great time and I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

They've always been supportive, and they only want me to be happy.  I love hanging out with them, I look forward to visits, and I talk to them on the phone every week.  I don't think a lot of people have the same relationship with their parents, and I'm thankful that I have such amazing parents that I actually WANT to be around them.

Thanks Mom & Dad, for raising me right, for always being there for me, and for being cool people.  I love you.

Day 4: Our Paid-off Cars

Bryann's 2001 Chevy S10 Extended Cab pickup with Canopy

Today we went down to Oregon Community Credit Union in Salem to make the final payment on the truck in person.  We brought the $940 left on the loan in cash, closed the account, did a celebratory blow-up high five, and went to dinner at Mongolian Grill - one of our favorite Salem restaurants.

We bought Bryann the truck last November as an early Christmas present.  His old GMC was starting to go... the breaks sounded like a Velociraptor from Jurassic Park, and the truck wasn't worth the money it would take to fix the breaks.  We are both really happy with it - it's an extended cab so we can store stuff behind the seats, and the canopy acts as Samson's personal space.  It's also 4WD so we can take the truck to the mountain or down to Klamath Falls in the winter.

I bought my 2004 Subaru Impreza TS with cash in 2009, and now we are the proud title-holders of two paid-for cars that are in great condition and suit our needs perfectly.

Day 3: Our Home

Opening the door to our new home for the very first time!

Last summer, we bought our first home.  It comes with a little bit of back story.  In 2009, Bryann and I moved in together to an apartment and got engaged two months later.  I called around to friends and family and let them know the good news!  I got in touch with Steve, my mentor teacher from Salem, who I dog sit for occasionally. During the visit, he said that since we were getting married, now was the time to buy a house!  I laughed at the thought because we had no money and had some pretty huge student loan debt.  He said we MUST buy a house because the prices and interest rates were so low.  Maybe in a few years, I suggested.

He sent me an email a few days later saying that he'd mentioned me to one of his friends who worked as a real estate agent, and that the agent had told him that since I was a teacher, I could qualify for some special teacher loan.  I got in touch with Sue, the agent, to figure out what this special teacher loan was all about.  She explained the Good Neighbor Next Door program, which essentially offers HUD owned houses to teachers for half the price of the home.  We jumped at the opportunity, and a few months and some really awful houses later, we found an absolute gem in SE Portland.  We wouldn't have been able to afford a home at this stage in our lives if not for this program, and I'm so thankful it exists.

It isn't our DREAM home, but it is a wonderful house, exactly suited for our needs right now, and our mortgage is only $750/mo which includes homeowners insurance, PMI (since we didn't have a 20% down payment) and property taxes.  The bills are ever so slightly higher, but all things considered, we couldn't have asked for better!

We talk about things we'd like in the next house - a 2-car garage, walk-in closet, larger master bath, and a larger yard, but there isn't anything we're lacking right now.  We have all the space we need, and then some.  We are so happy (and so lucky!!) to have this house.  We have to stay for at least 3 years in order to have the silent 2nd mortgage (the other half of the cost of the house) forgiven, but we aren't in a hurry to move after the 3 years is up.  The low mortgage is allowing us to pay off a lot of debt.  Our house is an easy drive to Oregon City, where we both work, and I really like living in SE Portland.  I love the camaraderie of living in a neighborhood like this, and I get to explore parts of town that I wouldn't otherwise have visited.  I love our home and the lifestyle it has provided us.

Day 2: Our Pets

Today I'm thankful for Samson and Snickers, better known to some as Puppy Woof and Kitty Meow Meow.  They are cuddled up next to me right now, as shown above.

Bryann got Snickers for me as a Valentines present in 2009, and she is the most cuddliest ball of fluff that ever existed.  I spend a good chunk of my evenings petting her and making up songs to sing to her.  She has a lot of nicknames, as any awesome cat should.  Snicker Doodle Doo, Kitty Meow, Mrs. Purzalot, and most recently, Meowza Minnelli, just to name a few.  Snickers enjoys day naps in the closet, batting pens or pencils around on the floor, cardboard boxes, and sleeping upside down with her paw over her eyes.  She also enjoys peeing on towels, and scratching at the carpet.

We got Samson when he was 8-weeks old the summer we moved in together.  We've raised him from a puppy and he's essentially our child.  I watched a video on the science of dogs, and the relationship between dog and owner is similar to the relationship between mother and baby in that they both stimulate the release of Oxytocin, called the "love" or "bonding" hormone.  Samson enjoys playing tug, playing fetch (on land and in the water) and playing "Go find Daddy/Mommy."  He also enjoys stealing food off the counter, barking at everything that goes by the house, and eating cat litter.

 A rambunctious evening at home

 Guard Animals

 Snickers enjoying a box left on the table

Samson waiting to play fetch

A Month of Thanks-Givings

With all the stress and sorrow of re-homing Riley, October was not an easy month on me.  I started getting a really bad headache towards the end of the month, and it lasted for two weeks.  Since I never get headaches, this one was especially disconcerting to me.  I had to stay home sick from work one day because the headache was so bad, it made me nauseated.  I went to the doctor, who said it was a severe tension headache and sent me home with a drug RX and told me to get a massage.  The massage therapist asked me if anything was going on in my life that might be contributing to the headaches and tension, and I couldn't think of anything at the time.  But then I realized how traumatic it has been to be without Riley.  I hadn't thought a loss like that could give me headaches, but I guess my body expresses pain and stress through neck and shoulder tension.  Who knew?

Needless to say, I've been pretty down in the dumps lately.  And when I feel down, I find other things to feel down about.  We owe too much money on student loans, we don't have enough or our things aren't good enough, or we don't do enough.  I'm not sure who is judging the "enough" part about our lives, but I find things that other people have and get envious and unhappy with the things I have.  It's one of my greatest faults, and I think envy is the one thing that makes me unhappy.

So it's time to turn my thought patterns around.  It's not about things, it's about people and experiences.  And it's not about comparing our lives to other peoples lives.  It's about creating our world to make us happy.  When I stop to think about the things that make me happy and the things that I'm thankful for, my life seems so much better, more complete.  Some of my friends have been doing a Thanksgiving countdown on Facebook or on their blogs, listing things they're thankful for on each day of November until Thanksgiving.

First and foremost, I'm thankful for Bryann Turner.  I think in this wedding photo, you can see how much he loves me.  I've married the most generous, loving, giving man in the entire universe.  He is a phenomenal husband, and he'll be an amazing father.  I'm incredibly blessed by this man, and all of the joy he brings to my life.

Testing out the phone

Hello from my phone!

Just downloaded the Blogger app.  Let's see if it will upload photos at a high enough quality from my phone...

Small - Bryann being the "animal whisperer"

X-Large - Bryann wakeboarding

Large - View from Mt. Tabor in b/w

Medium - Wine tasting in Walla Walla

Hmm... I'm not terribly happy with these.  Looks like if I HAVE to upload photos and blog from my phone, I'm sticking with the medium resolution.  But I still have to go back to the post from the computer in order to format and caption photos.  Not really worth it... 

Beach Healing

Bryann and I just got back from a weekend away at Pacific Blue, my family's beach house.  We always have an amazing time when we go, but this weekend was particularly restful.  It's been a busy, emotional last few weeks and we really needed the break.  Luckily, we had the foresight to reserve the house several months ago because without this last weekend, I might still be a wreck.

The beach house really isn't anything special to the untrained eye.  It's not even on the beach.  Most of the time, I refer to it as a "coastal home" so people unfamiliar with the house don't get the wrong idea.  It's a cute little house on the side of the highway, across the street from all of the beach houses and about a quarter mile from the beach itself.  But it has a special quality, or vibe to it that is so relaxing and healing to the soul.

Maybe it's that the house doesn't have cable TV or internet so you're kind of cut off from the outside world.  It barely even has cell reception.  I often have to go outside in order to make or receive calls.  Maybe it's that the house is entirely filled with old hand-me-downs from houses before.  Maybe it's that the house is so loved by our family that it can't help but be a healing place for those that visit.  Whatever it is, it does my heart good whenever I visit.

This weekend was spent sleeping (I was in bed, zonked out for 12 hours Friday night/Saturday morning,) reading, eating delicious clam chowder, and reconnecting/redefining our family now that Riley has been placed in a new home.  We spent most of Saturday on the beach playing fetch with Sam and re-training him to come when called, leave nasty things alone, stay close, and drop the Frisbee.  We put zero effort into food and decided that market clam chowder and a frozen lasagna was plenty to satisfy our hunger.  We watched the sunset last night, and lost two games in a row at Pandemic.  Damn those outbreaks!

We got home early today so that Bryann could make his flag-football game and to give us time to clean up the hazardous disaster area that has become our house.  I feel like healing has begun and we're ready to move forward with our lives.

A special thanks to Mom, Reezy, Grandma, and David for Pacific Blue.  We love that house and are so grateful to be able to spend weekends there, whether it be recuperating from emotional trauma, celebrating birthdays or family reunions, or gathering there with friends.

And finally, a few of my favorite shots of the weekend -

Perfect weather in October!

 Playing fetch with Sam at Twin Rocks

 Re-training Sam to sit and come when called

 Sam's ears flapping in the wind

 Good sit!

 Getting ready to chase down a flock of seagulls!

 It got a little chilly by sunset...

 ... but the view was worth it.

Saying Goodbye

I'm hoping this will be a cathartic experience.  I'm starting to cry already even trying to write this post...  When I'm upset, I tend to shut down and not talk about it so I don't have to feel pain anymore.  But that hasn't worked very well in the past, so here goes...

Last week, our dogs, Samson and Riley, got in a really nasty fight.  It started over food, but then 20 minutes later, when no food was around, it seemed they'd just had enough of each other and went at it.  I had a hard time separating them, they were so intent on attacking each other, but after a few attempts, I got them off each other.  Riley's eye was bleeding, so we had to take Riley to the emergency vet to get checked out.  Luckily, just his eyelid was cut, not his eye, but he had to wear a cone and go on pain meds and antibiotics.  When we got Riley home, Sam started growling at him, and we worried that they wouldn't be able to be around each other any more.

We called the Oregon Humane Society the next day to get some advice and references for a professional behaviorist.  We had a Vet Behaviorist come over to the house the day after to help us assess the situation and figure out if there was anything we could do.  She said that the behavior could be managed, but because of the severity of the fight, we probably wouldn't be able to "fix" everything and make them be "friends" again.

We told her all about Riley's food aggression history and his recent lashing out at strange dogs.  I told her about how I'd seen him first start snapping at other dogs when I took him to the Doggie Dash, and she agreed that the Doggie Dash was probably an overwhelming experience for Riley and that something may very well have snapped, but that there was no way I could have known before hand (since he'd been fine with other dogs at the dog park before) and that I shouldn't blame myself for all of his recent problems (which I'd been doing...) 

Bryann and I decided that it was in the best interest for both dogs, and for the future of our family when we have kids, to separate the dogs.  We seriously thought about re-homing Samson, but we decided we couldn't give up the dog we'd raised since puppyhood.  So we found Riley a new home. 

We have to say goodbye to Riley tomorrow night.  We are re-homing him with a very nice lady and her 2-year old son in Beaverton.  I hope he will be happy in his new home.  I hope he will be happier than with us.  I hope they can provide the environment for him that he needs.  I hope that my sorrow is for my own loss, and not for what might become of him.  I hope he does not experience too much trauma during the move.  I hope that he will provide his new family with as much joy, love, and unbridled affection as he has provided us in the year that we've had him.

Riley is the sweetest, most affectionate dog I've ever known, and I'm utterly heartbroken to be saying goodbye.  We met with Amy and her son last night to introduce them to Riley and to see if they would be a good fit.  We got an email from Amy this morning saying that she still thought he would be a good fit for their family.  We're going to visit their home on Wednesday, make sure everything is doggy appropriate, introduce him to his new home, and then say goodbye.  Amy is very understanding of how hard this is for us, and is happy to send updates and let us know how he is doing

I'm glad we found someone to re-home him with.  We were very honest with Amy about his history and what he needs.  I hated the thought of putting him in a shelter again.  But I know it's for the best.  It's been over a week, and Sam and Riley haven't been able to be within 5 feet of each other without Sam growling.  We've had to let them out at separate times, keep them in separate rooms, and put them back in their crates at night.  Riley is better off in a one-dog household where he won't have to compete with another dog over food or affection.

This has been a really difficult process for Bryann and me.  We really wanted two dogs.  Riley was "my" dog, but Bryann got really attached to him as well.  Right now, our dogs are our children.  Even though I know re-homing a dog is not nearly the same as giving a child away, it is still extremely painful and heartbreaking.  I can't help but blame myself for what happened.  I keep thinking that we should have been feeding them separately the entire time we've had them.  That we should have gotten a behaviorist to help out sooner.  That we missed the signs and we should have seen this coming.

But hindsight is 20/20 and we can't rewind the clock.  All we can do is learn from our mistakes, and try to do better the next time.  In the meanwhile, we'll try to allow ourselves to experience the grief and pain of saying goodbye, and save healing for another day.

Our Total Money Makeover

Last summer, Jeff introduced me to Dave Ramsey via podcasts.  After on a few episodes of his show, I was a convert.  I wanted to be debt-free (except for the house), so I bought a used copy of his Total Money Makeover book, and attempted to convert Bryann as well.  By October, I'd created a budget for us, converted our spending habits to cash-only, set up envelopes and tried to lower our spending so we'd be making some headway on our loans.  

We're fortunate enough to have been raised by very smart parents who taught us about the perils of credit cards when we were young.  So we don't have a mound of credit card debt.  However, we do have a mound of student loan debt, and I got real sick and tired of thinking about how we're actually going to end up paying almost double the cost of tuition because of all the interest we'll pay over the next 10-20 years.  I also wasn't terribly happy about the prospect of having to watch my paycheck go to loan payments for the next 10-20 years, so I declared war on our debts.  Bryann wasn't too sure about it, but loves me and respects that I want to be debt-free, so he attempted to get on board.  Besides, I made a pretty compelling argument about what our life could be like without debt, and he liked the idea of sucking it up for a couple years in order to kick those student loan debts out.  

Progress has been slow over the last year.  I could say it was because we were getting married, or because we were still working on remodeling our newly-purchased house.  Those things are true.  But we also weren't as diligent as we could have been about sticking to our budgets.  Bryann wasn't completely on board yet, and was always finding things for the house that we needed, and without Bryann motivating me, I succumbed to making luxury purchases, too.  

I don't mean to say that we failed.  We did manage to pay off about $10,000 in loans, but we could have done better. Bryann was looking at the budget forecasting a few weeks ago and realized we could have paid off the truck two months ago if we'd been better about sticking to our budgets.  After realizing this, Bryann read the Total Money Makeover book that I'd read last year and is now a complete convert. 

He's readjusted our budgets, emailed friends and let them know we had to put vacations on hold for awhile, cancelled a few credit cards, and planned out the budget for the next four months.  He's forecasted that we could have all student loans paid off by his birthday in two years, and has even considered the possibility of paying off our house in 3 more years after that.  This is a completely different Bryann, and now I feel like I have a real partner in this quest.  He's even created a blog to share our progress with others.  Check him out at his Oregon Trail to Debt Freedom blog site.  

I told Bryann last night how much I appreciated his change in attitude towards our spending habits, and being the one to step up and put vacations on hold (because I really, really like going on vacation...)  When he gets motivated, he really gets motivated.  But we laughed about how he had to do it in his own time, and come to the realization on his own.  No amount of nagging makes Bryann change his ways.  So help keep both of us motivated - check out his blog, become a member and follow along, and throw some encouraging comments our way.  It's going to be a tough two years, but we've already got the ball rolling and we're committed to our goals now.   

Fall Soups and Slow-Cooker Love

My brand new, super awesome slow cooker was broken in last week with a few soups to celebrate the fall season.  We got the slow cooker as a wedding gift and I've been DYING to use it!  It was way too hot this summer to make any of my favorite soups or stews, so it's just been sitting in our cabinet, weeping silently, feeling neglected, waiting for me to use it.  Yes, my slow cooker is SO amazing that it has feelings...

This slow cooker is seriously the most amazing thing ever!  It's 6 quarts, and programmable so when I have a recipe that says cook on high 4-5 hours, it will turn to warm after the time is up!  Now I don't have to worry about a recipe not cooking completely if it set it on low for 8-9 hours instead, or about getting home in time before the meal is over-done.  It has a thermometer probe for meats and will turn off when the meat hits a certain temperature.  And it even has a clip-on lid so I can take it to dinner parties or Wine & Dine.  

I'm a huge fan of the slow-cooker.  Which is why I bought Tamara and Rian a slow cooker as a wedding gift.  She is equally in love with hers, and we swap recipes every now and then.  

Over the last week, I've made three different soups with our new slow-cooker and couldn't be happier with how well it works!  The first, and the favorite is Taco Soup.  I got it from one of Bryann's co-workers who copied it out of her Crockpot recipes book.  I think the link above is the recipe I use, but I'm not looking at my recipe right now and I'm too lazy to get out of my blanket and go check.  Yes, it's a lot of canned food, but it's soooooo easy, and the only prep it requires is browning the meat with the chopped onions.  I usually do this the night before and refrigerate until the next morning.  Sometimes, if I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll cook several packs of ground beef (bought in bulk at Costco) with chopped onions, and freeze flat in ziplock bags until I need them.  My mom taught me that little trick!  

On Saturday, I made my slightly tweaked, and more stew-like version of this Vegetable Beef Soup.  I chop up a boat load of celery, bell pepper, onions, carrots, and potatoes instead of a bag of frozen vegetables - though I'd use frozen if I were in a pinch.  I usually make a tomato sauce from tomato paste just because I use tomato paste for more dishes and always have it on hand.  Lastly, I use 2 cups of beef or vegetable broth instead of water.  It is always amazing, and it's one of my most favorite winter soups.  

This morning I made Corn Chowder from this tried-and-true recipe.  For the frozen hash-browns, I use Potatoes O'brien that we stock up with at Grocery Outlet.  This time around, I used red pepper-spinach chicken sausage in place of cubed ham.  Next time I'm going to put in some Italian style ground turkey sausage.  

Tomorrow I'm going to make slow-cooked pot roast and it will be amazing!  I'll post the results later.  

Salmon with Red Pepper Pesto

My adventure in cooking continues with this October's issue of CL.  I tried this Salmon with Red Pepper Pesto right away, and was pretty pleased.  Except for the fact that I still can't cook meat... (I'm starting to think this might be a real genetic disorder or something.)  The recipe says to use a grill pan and to cook the salmon for 4 minutes on each side.  But I bought salmon with the skin on one side and Bryann said only to grill it on the side with the skin.

Let me back up.  This may not be so much the fault of my genetics, but Bryann's faulty listening skills.  We had just gotten home from work and I was getting things ready for dinner.  Bryann was sitting at the table playing a game on his phone and I tried to engage him to ask his advice for how to cook the fish.  I asked if he'd prefer to grill it on the BBQ or on the stove.  He said he didn't care.  I asked whether I should grill it in a pan or use the grill pan.  He said it wouldn't matter, he didn't care.  It wasn't until after I'd put the salmon on that he started to care.  Why did I use the grill pan?  Why didn't I use a regular pan?  I reminded him about 3 minutes ago when I asked him what pan I should be using and he said he didn't care...

So Bryann took over cooking the salmon.  He made a little tin foil tent in order to keep the moisture in and stood next to the stove monitoring the salmon for about 20 minutes.  Oh well... It was still delicious!  The pesto was very tasty also, though Bryann didn't like the almonds in it.  (I can't win!)  It took a long time to make the pesto because my food processor is really an extra bit on my blender.  I kept having to pause, push the mixture back down, pulse a few more times, push the mixture back down, and pulse some more.  It took more time to get it all smooth than I really have patience for.

Which, I guess, means that I'm still looking for my go-to salmon recipe.  For the summer season, I think the peach salsa wins out.  But for when peaches aren't in season, I'd love to find a recipe I can make all year round.

Kristi Meets Wilderness

Consider yourselves blessed that I managed to get this up less than a week after I got back!  It usually takes a few weeks after I've collected several trips worth of photos to get anything posted.  

The Mt. Rainier Wilderness backpacking trip was amazing.  AND I survived 4 days of backpacking that I did not adequately train for.  The first day was about 7 or 8 miles of steep downhill, which RUINED my quads.  So much so that I could hardly sit down that night and could barely walk the next day... ooops!  

View of Mt. Rainier on the drive to our starting point 

 The view before we started our 7 mile descent

 The gang hiking down on the first day

 White River

 

 Crossing one of many many log bridges 

 The best suspension bridge EVER!  Crossing at dusk to get to our campsite before it got completely dark.

We had a fairly large backpacking group and the national forest requires you to get permits and plan out your campsites before you set off, so we had to break into two groups of four.  Originally Lucas and I were grouped with Nate and Kimber, which worked out well the first night.  Our site was the first one and we managed to reach it just as it got dark, while the other group had another mile of uphill to climb before they reached theirs.  They told us the next morning that they'd gotten in so late and were so tired that they set up camp on the trail and went to bed without dinner.  

On the morning of the second day, I knew I was in trouble when I had to lean on my tent to stand up... Which didn't go so well and kind of collapsed under my weight.  My unseasoned hiking legs had to take many breaks throughout the day, which was full of hills and valleys, and I had to stop at the other groups campsite.  Travis and Katee were kind enough to switch groups with Lucas and me, so we set up camp with Jeff and Amber while Nate and Kimber continued on to their campsite... another 4 miles away...  

 Coming over the suspension bridge on the morning of the second day

 Amazing views of Mt. Rainier with members of my new group 

 Hiking along the Wonderland Trail on Day 2

 Blue Lumiens in front of Mt. Rainier

On day three, I was still sore, but feeling a million times better than the previous day.  Jeff, Amber, Lucas and I hiked another 4 miles to the next campsite where we arrived around 1:30 and settled in early.  We passed the afternoon playing cards, and lounging by one of the many streams.  Sadly, our group ran out of toilet paper and we had to resort to using my face wipes....   We were also sadly low on hot cocoa and completely without bug spray...  Lucas and Jeff enjoyed a bottle of whiskey to drown their sorrows, Lucas spilled dinner everywhere, and we called it an early night.

 Crossing another of the many log bridges

 Pumping water by our campsite 

 Soaking my poor exhausted feet in the ice cold stream

On the last day, we left camp early, around 8:30, to meet up with the other group three miles down the trail, and hike the rest of the way to the cars, another five miles downhill.  Along the way, we had some more amazing views of Mt. Rainier and got an awesome group photo at the top of the pass.  

Back at the cars, the boys who had raced ahead had lunch ready for us to make and eat while we waited for them to fetch the car we'd left at the starting point.  Nate had gotten a flat tire on the very first day on our way to the starting point during his boyish detour onto some rugged rocks with this truck.  So he spent an extra hour changing his tire when they got to Mowich Lake.  All said, Lucas, Kimber, Katee and I spent nearly five hours entertaining ourselves playing cards.  

This was year two of a four year trip to hike all of the Wonderland Trail.  I didn't get to hike it last year because I was at Bryann's Nationals Softball Tournament.  But I plan on going for the next two year to finish out the trail.  Perhaps I'll train a little more next summer so that my legs won't be dead 1/4th of the way into the trip with no easy way out.