the homemade sushi

I LOVE SUSHI!

I was so proud of the way everything turned out. The sushi was actually surprisingly easy. There really isn't anything to it! It tasted just like the California Roll you get at the sushi restaurants. I made some with rice on the outside and some with seaweed on the outside, both were fantastic. 

I served it along side some edamame to start and orange chicken. :)  

the classic

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. 

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. 

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. 

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. 

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. 

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and 

redeemed; never throw out anyone.. 

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. 

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and 

the other for helping others. 

- Audrey Hepburn -

the cutest lil bakers rack

I absolutely love my cute lil bakers rack!

I found this piece of furniture at a Goodwill for $30.

I sanded it, stained it to give it some vibrancy 

and spray-painted the hardware. 

I removed the original backing, 

which was thin and worn-out looking,

replaced it with a lighter striped piece 

to give it some contrast. 

I bought this cute little contemporary padded stool 

from Bed Bath and Beyond. 

It has a removable lid which offers a great place 

for additional storage. 

I keep my extra tablecloths folded 

and tucked away it there.  :) 

This is a perfectly comfortable place to sit 

and flip through my cookbooks, 

open and sift through my mail, 

a place to brainstorm and create my to-do list, 

or jot down a quick grocery list.

the great outdoors

You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.  

Author Unknown

Sometimes the best way to rediscover your spouse involves a shovel. 

We spent the day outside soaking up some sun and doing some 

well needed grooming to our yard. 

A brand new home still needs some TLC. 

We let the yard grow out of control over the winter because we predicted that it would be covered in feet of snow, but boy were we wrong! It ended up being one of the warmest winters ever and the yard started to look like a jungle. We waited for the spring to purchase a lawn mower, edge trimmer, and gardening tools to tame our front and back. So we picked a sunny day to step outside and get our hands dirty. 

Oh, then the shirts came off! Mine too! Woo it was a hot one!

I was wearing a sports bra, no need to freak out! And my sweet boy is the only eye candy I need.

With lots of sweat and laughter we made great progress. We were so proud of our accomplishment and the grand improvement of our greenery. 

Still we are nowhere near finished with our vision. 

But we are taking small strides and checking off one 'to-do' at a time. 

It feels so good to work together. To step back and look at what you've done, together. 

It makes you really feel like a grown-up when you are doing yard work for your own house. It's no longer a chore forced on by your parents - when you threaten to call Child Services because you are convinced this kind of work falls under some child labor law.....haha! ;) 

It takes on a whole new meaning and sense of accomplishment when it's your home. 

And it feels really nice when you come inside from a long day, exhausted from the sun, and you fall on the couch together. Take a deep breath and stay there awhile. 

the heart

‎"it's impossible" said pride.

"it's risky" said experience.

"it's pointless" said reason.

"give it a try" whispered the heart.

the grand dining transformation

Being a recent college graduate who lived in dorm housing and my husband being a Air Force Officer who had become accustom to living out of a bag for the past few years; we never accumulated a lot of furniture and the furniture we did commandeer isn't exactly in pristine condition....

So I decided to give our dining room table a face lift!

This table apparently belonged to Stu's old college roommates grandmother. 

After they moved out of college...somehow Stu claimed ownership. 

I would like to say thank you Grandma, for your precious contribution to our 

humble beginnings as a married couple. 

The chairs are not even matching pieces to the set. The table top is actually two wing pieces.

You can drop the wings down or prop them up to make the large table top surface you see in the picture. The problem, obviously, is that both chairs can't slid-in comfortably under 

the table (as shown, because they hit the table legs) and the chairs can't fit under/between 

the legs at the facing end (in the picture). But we will work with what we've got!

**PLEASE NOTICE**

the awful stains on the fabric. gross.

the furniture has potential and I'm ready to give it new life!

Here is our new and improved 

dining table 

completely transformed!

sanded. painted. semi-glossed. reupholstered.

NO STAINS!

I really liked the striped fabric. 

The clean lines and simple texture don't take too much focus away from the design of the wood.

 I found an extra large kitchen window curtain at Goodwill for $2.00 

and used it to reupholster my dining room cushions. I think they turned out great!

what do you think?

the magic of a fresh coat of paint

it's amazing how a fresh coat of paint can 

completely update and transform a standard old piece of furniture.

  I wanted to revitalize our DVD stand - here it is:

Before

After

Voila! :) 

the love

Falling in love is the greatest trip you'll ever take. 

Gosh, I love being married to my best friend!

We have so much fun together

It's like falling in love all over again each morning.

the missing in action

Wow, I haven't blogged in a very long time....and so much has happened!

2011 came to a brilliant and show-stopping finale.

October - I celebrated my new chapter of life as a married woman with some of my most loved ladies in the whole world at my bridal shower and bachelorette party! It was a fabulous! Huge thanks to my mom, my best friend, and my girls for making it so memorable.

November - I said "I do" to the man of my dreams and escaped to the beaches of Jamaica for a romantic honeymoon.

December - My husband embarked on a 70 deployment. My parents came to New Jersey to spend Christmas and New Years with me! We watched the ball drop in Time Square to celebrate the New Year. Megan, one of my dearest and oldest friends, came to visit me and we spent 2 days in New York City to see the Broadway show of Wicked!

2012 has a lot to live up to if it's supposed to top 2011!

READY. SET. GO!

the idea

I am in a revelational season of life.

I have a vision of the path; God is in the process of paving it and slowly revealing it to me.

From what I can see in my dreams...it's breath-taking.

I have an idea of what I want, God gave me the idea and His plan is too perfect not to follow.

He will unveil it all when the time is just right.

For now, I'm so blessed to blow where the wind takes me.

And lucky for me the wind has pick me up and placed me in the arms of the man I love.

Anywhere He goes....let me go too!

the thought of the day

I AM A CHILD OF GOD, BORN BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH; 

WHO DREAMS DREAMS AND PLAYS IN THE RAIN. 

ALL THE WHILE, LISTENING TO THE SOUND OF 

THE FATHER'S VOICE IN MY HEART.

I AM A WOMAN. 

I AM ECLECTIC, PASSIONATE, MYSTERIOUS, WILD, GENTLE, LOVING & DEVOTED.

I ENJOY CURLING UP WITH A GOOD BOOK BY THE LAKE. 

I ENJOY SITTING BY A CRACKLING FIRE AND DRINKING HOT COCO.

 I ENJOY LAYING IN AN OPEN FIELD AND SEEING WHAT SHAPES THE CLOUDS MAKE. I SMILE WHEN GOD MAKES A FUNNY ONE JUST FOR ME. 

I OFTEN GAZE UP AT THE MOON AND THE STARS. 

I AM FILLED WITH AWE AT HOW AMAZING GOD IS AND THAT HE, WHO FASHIONED ALL THINGS, LOVES ME WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE.

the fear

"He will shield you with his wings" 

- Pslam 91:4. 

Trade all your fears for faith in Him, 

no matter what kind of fear it may be.  

the place to call

truly blessed 

Welcome Home

the heart

it's remarkable how much love a heart can hold.

it's also amazing how much pain it can carry.

the heart can survive through some of the most traumatic experiences.

it still fights to stay alive. 

it's the life line. 

you might think that your heart is just another working organ inside your body, 

but it is so much more.

it is an organ of fire. 

with every beat, which is generally 70-80 beats per minute, it is constantly supplying blood and oxygen to all parts of the body, even the brain, which is another fascinating organ.

"The brain gives the heart it's sight. The heart gives the brain its vision."

it is pumping, pulling, fueling, contracting, expanding and distributing the proper ratio of vital materials that our bodies need to function. 
why so much passion?

without it our bodies would shut down and die.

the heart works with an "all or nothing" mentality. Each time it contracts it uses all it's force, barely resting before it surges more blood and oxygen through our veins.

the Right and Left Atrium work in perfect harmony to nourish every cell within our body.

it's amazing!

we serve an awesome God, who created all things. 

we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

thank you Lord, for making me so amazingly complex.

only You know my heart. it is Yours. it is on fire for You.

my heart overflows with love for you and you shed your blood for my soul.

the greatest measurement of love is sacrifice. 

and when there is heartache, the heart is the only broken instrument that can still work.

 God is closest to those who have broken hearts. He is the only one who can heal them.

and even when we break God's heart. He loves us, again, and again, and again. 

Thank God, for you unconditional love. 

the life

Whom have I in heaven but You?

I desire more than anything on earth.

My flesh and heart may fail, 

but God remains the strength of my heart;

He is mine forever.

Those who are far from You will perish;

for You destroy those who abandon You.

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, 

and I will tell everyone about the wonderful 

things You do. 

-Psalm 73:25-28

Life comes only from the Lord.

Through the Word of the Lord and from His Holy Spirit.

To live life completely, and to it's full potential,

 we need to be near the One who create it. 

The One who breathed the breath of life into us.

Our life is His.

When we live a life apart from God, 

we are not experiencing fullness. 

We are missing the wonderful things that God

wishes to show us.

We are not walking with Him.

We are not living to our full potential.

We are dead inside.

It is God's word, through The Bible, that can replenish our soul.

It is God's Holy Spirit that lives in us and gives us each day.

Without these, we are are not truly living. 

In order to experience life...we need to experience God, through Christ's love. 

It is only then, that we can begin to live. 

Shed the sin of the past and become a new creation.

the perfect love

PERFECT LOVE

~ Author Unknown ~

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone. To have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God to the Christian says, "No, not until you're satisfied and fulfilled and content with living, loved by Me alone and giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me, to have an intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone.

"I love you, My child, and until you discover that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with Me -- exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or belongings.

"I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you. You must wait.

"Don't be anxious and don't worry. Don't look around at the things you think you want. Just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I have to show you.

"And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any you would ever dream. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready, I am working this minute to have both of you ready at the same time, and until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I've prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me, and this is perfect love.

"And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with Myself. Know I love you. I am God Almighty, believe and be satisfied."

the unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings

Just when we think we figured things out, God throws us a curveball. 

So, we have to improvise. We find happiness in unexpected places. 

We find ourselves back to the things that matter the most. 

God has a funny way of doing that. 

Sometimes it just His way of making sure we wind up exactly where we belong. 

♥ 

I know, I'm exactly where I belong. God's timing is always perfect.

Stu and I  just arrived in New Jersey a few days ago and we are already falling in love with our surroundings. It has been an amazing journey thus far, and it is only the beginning. We are blessed that God has chosen us to make this journey. We pray that He will keep our hearts and minds focused on Him through out our future together. We are so solid in our love and commitment for each other and are excited to take these next steps hand-in-hand.

We have always said that we would bloom where ever we are planted…

and here we are laying the seeds.

Each day I feel stronger and every day more excited about what the future holds for us. With Stu's passion, excellence, and  ambition in what he does every day, I'm sure we will go far. He is the most amazing man I have ever met. He ALWAYS has a smile on his face and a positive attitude, no matter his circumstances. He always strives to be the best, never turns down an opportunity to learn something new,  and constantly looks for way to improve himself as a man of God, a soon-to-be husband, a pilot, and a friend. Can you tell I'm obsessed with this man? ;) Throughout our travels we have quickly come to realize that we must be able to count on each other, lean on each other, and balance each other. Which I think we do an excellent job of all the above. :)

Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life. 

I love where I am and I am blessed to be here. 

the travel

Many the Miles....

Leaving Altus, OK

7 hrs 3 mins / 428.28 miles

Arriving at Del Rio, TX

our storage unit = chaos

this is my sweet boy

for there was no room for them at the Inn....so they stayed at a Motel 6

drive-thru Subway!

enjoying the beginning of summer lounging by the pool!

THANK YOU to the Jones Family for welcoming us into their home!

motorcycle ride on the Green Hottness! woo!

took a ride to Eagle Pass for lunch

we are just too cute together!

The Drive to Goodyear, AZ

12 hrs 46 mins / 875.45 miles

Welcome to Arizona!

My brother and I,

with our dark hair companions ;)

found time to wash the Tahoe, the Hoe is a dirty girl =) haha!

because we are AWESOME we went for a HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE!

We had a great time floating through the air...

Thank you to my G-Phi sisters for making this memory possible!

inIIKE

God is good! We are so blessed!

On the road again! Leaving AZ and heading back to Del Rio, TX

ANOTHER .... 12 hrs 46 mins / 875.45 miles

Leaving Del Rio, TX driving to Meridian, MS to see The Shirley Family

13 hrs 46 mins / 869.16 miles

saying goodbye to Mississippi, and hello to Alabama!

2 hrs 17 mins / 146.68 miles

hanging out with Robbie and Joanna!

spent the night at Pope AAF in Fayetteville, N. Carolina

8 hrs 20 mins / 522.43 miles

Welcome to New Jersey!!!

8 hrs 12 mins / 485.99 miles

Home Sweet Home! McGuire, AFB in New Jersey