This Menagerie of Discombobulated Thoughts

I have just had a lot of different things going through my head the last little bit.

*I am really liking the sounds of Bruno Mars & The Script lately as you can see from my playlist at the bottom of the page.

*I can't wait for tomorrow because my husband is coming back from Fayetteville for me & I am getting my hair cut!

*My parents are HILARIOUS! This is not necessarily a new revelation just something I have missed in person these last six months.

*Since I have been home I have been staying up until 1 or so in the morning... hmm, I really am a night owl when I don't have to work & LOVE it!

*I don't miss T.V. at all. Everything I could ever think of wanting to watch is either on Hulu or Netflix.

*I can't wait to get rid of my current cell phone & upgrade to an Android or Iphone.

*I am LOVING the snow! Can we get some more?

*I want to make snow ice cream so bad! It is soo good!

*I have made more food since I have been home than the first six months we have been married. I know that is horrible. I think from here on out it will get better! I promise!

*I was NOT impressed with Florida when we were there in early January. I will take my mountains over the ocean any day of the year!

*Today my mom & I got out and played in the snow and then made homemade hot chocolate to warm up when we came back in! :)

*I have made more mocha frosting for all the baked goods I have made....it is really really really good!

*I found my favorite chocolate cake recipe which is SUPER easy to make & super FAST! I have made it twice in two days! (I will add the recipe later on with a picture.)

*I made the *BEST* chocolate chip cookies today! I could take the credit but I think it belongs to my mom's new oven.

*We have gained a little bit of new support since being in Arkansas which is SUPER exciting!

*I am excited to go to Moberly & visit people a little bit later in the spring!

*May 14th is when a PAR-TAY is going to be going down in Kansas!

*I can't wait to go see friends in Indiana on our way back to New York.

*I have started watching American Idol again with my mom. LOVE the try-out phase.

Well for now I think that is enough random thoughts. I will put the chocolate cake recipe up in a little while!

41 Hours

So we totaled up how many hours we spent in a car over the last week and it totaled 41. That is a little over a quarter of a week. I know, when I think about it, I get queasy as well and no I don't get car sick at all. So to begin with on January 2, we started at 4am and drove 17ish hours to Atlanta Georgia. That trip ended Sunday night around 10:30pm when we collapsed in Atlanta in a two bedroom apartment of friends/boss that have two kids. Yes, the total number of people in the apartment way out numbered the number of rooms needed. January 5th was a no travel day and an exploration day. We went to the Atlanta Aquarium, which is the largest in the world and walked through the entire thing! It was so amazing!

My husband and me in front of the aquarium! The shark is almost swallowing him whole if you look hard! 

This is jelly fish of course. They were/are see through so there were lights in the tank that kept changing. 

This picture I had to make bigger because I really like it a lot! More jelly fish obviously but they were so brilliantly amazing.

We walked through Centennial Olympic Park afterwards where the 1996 Olympics were held and where the bomb went off during the Olympics. That was really neat as well. There was a huge fountain, the kind that sprays up and then goes back down and even though it was freezing cold, there were people playing in it. 

This is the fountain with people in the middle!

 This is the Coca-Cola building. They sponsored the building of the aquarium and are right next door to it.

 This is the statue in the middle of Olympic Park. It is the father of the modern Olympics. 

We also went into the CNN building intending to get Starbucks but to much avail because the Passion 2011 conference was there and there was no way to get it in any timely fashion at all so back to the metro we went to go back to their apartment. 

After the adventures of Monday, Tuesday morning we headed to sunny but chilly (compared to what I thought is should be for Florida). We left about 10:30ish from Atlanta and got to Kissimmee FL around 7ish. We drove down with our friend/boss so I had it wonderful just being about to sleep in the backseat almost all 7 hours down!! The all-staff Impact conference was great, a little overwhelming, okay, 17 people I had never met in my life overwhelming. I definitely had to get away and just chill by myself a bit to make it through. It was wonderful to meet everyone though and make new friends that know the exact struggles of campus ministry and a spouse in the ministry. SO now, I have friends in South Bend IN, Idao-somewhere, an Oregon Duck (Yuck) fan from somewhere out west, a couple Florida people & a couple Salt Lake City people who are a riot. At least when I travel, I will probably never need to stay in a hotel no matter where I am. 

That was Tuesday so fast forward to Saturday and we drove back to Atlanta getting back up there just after the same friend we stayed with before got out of one of her classes for her TRIPLE Masters. Yes, you read that correctly, I did say triple masters. This lady is one smart cookie! I'll let her deliver any of my babies that she is willing to!

Sunday morning we got up super early to drive 9-10 hours to my parents' house in Arkansas. We lost an hour of time so that made the drive a little easier. We got to my parents' house, my husband dropped me off there and he had to continue to Springdale that night just has it decided to start snowing. Great time snow. He made it safe and sound to now it is just a distance game for a bit. I think 15 months of distance while we were dating will get us through this little bit of time. 

So that is how 41 hours is comprised on the road with a little, and I mean little rest in between. (staying up until 12:30 & 3am makes for only a little rest. ) :)

Peace & Blessings

Jonnie

On Christmas Eve...

I am sitting in my pjs listening to love songs and watching my husband play some sort of game as to which I do not understand nor care to understand, I am thankful! We are coming closer and closer to moving back to Arkansas for the semester. This excites me and yet is daunting to think about. We have to pack still. (I know I should have been packing a lot sooner.) I am looking forward to seeing and spending time with my mama and daddy. I am leaving a job ( I will come back to it though, no fear) that I love! (A preschool teacher who teaches 18-24 month olds! They melt my heart in ways that cannot be described.)

Moving back to Arkansas is a two fold move actually. Yes there is the internship to further Bob's experience as a campus minister, but it is also a support raising endeavor as I am from Arkansas (app. 3 hours from where we will be). We want to build a better relationship with the people in my home church and let them know what we will be doing as in-state missionaries on a college campus.

The church I work for in the preschool has been WONDERFUL! We have gotten to know the pastor and his family pretty well because we got our drive repaved and had to park else where and they live around the corner from us and he was seeing me walk to my car in the morning while this repaving was going on, came and talked to me one morning while I was at work to find out where we lived and the story of campus ministry spilled out and a relationship between us and the church started to form along with him, his family and us!

Bob met with the elders of the church around Thanksgiving discussing partnering with the church in campus ministry and support for us each month. That was answered a few weeks later when we learned that the church agreed to support us each month. That support increased when the pastor told us he would start supporting us personally. We were able to speak to the church last Sunday about our partnership with the church and asked them to consider supporting us as well. Hopefully God will bless that and we will see fruit from that.

Some of the other teachers that I work with at the preschool have been awesome support as well. From well wishes and threats that I better come back after moving back (what can I say, they love me :D) to some special gifts to help us. They truly have amazed me and shown God's providence.

The parents of my kids at the preschool are the same way! My lead teacher and I received SO many wonderful and thoughtful gifts! I have to write a bunch of thank you cards and you know I don't mind a bit.

So now maybe I will find the motivation to pack a bit and get ready for the Christmas Eve service. :)

Merry Christmas! May Christmas bring  you blessings beyond what you thought.

Blessings,
Jonnie

Lets Say Thanks!

This is great and SUPER easy  way to say thanks to the troops that are overseas! They are cards that kids from across the country have made and you can add a message and Xerox prints them and then sends them to the troops. http://www.letssaythanks.com/

Pozole (recipe included)

So my husband's family makes a soup called Pozole. It is super good and I really enjoy it and because I enjoy it so I decided to blog the recipe.

Pozole
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 red onion, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 can Hominy, drained & rinsed
1 can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
3/4 lb boneless chicken breast
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1 lime


In a saucepan
-1/4 cup broth
-3/4 cup onion
-salt
cook until onions are clear 
Add garlic, oregano, chili powder- cook for 1 minute
Add hominy and remaining broth- bring to simmer
Add chicken- bring to simmer and leave for 10 minutes
Add black beans-bring to simmer


Garnish
toast oregano & add to bowl of chopped onion
slice green cabbage
slice lime into wedges


I personally like to add the sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and lime! So good even if my husband does not think so. 


And this is what you get:

Yummy Yummy! Enjoy!!

Holiday Time & a Wedding

I have not written for a couple of weeks except last night about the concert at our church. So here is an update.

The Christmas season is upon us and it is turning into an immensely busy time. We are preparing to move to Arkansas for Bob's internship which is in Fayetteville (3 hours from where I am from). I am excited about this but at the same time extremely sad to leave my amazing co-workers and sweet babies I am granted the pleasure of taking care of. :) My last day at work is December 29th. I will be back though! :)
Just before we leave for Arkansas, a couple of friends are getting married (as in December 31). We are going to be going up there (Lake George) the day before as to help them prepare for the ceremony and reception.

This is the cute couple! So excited for them! :)

After their wedding, we leave for the All Staff Retreat for Impact Campus Ministries in Florida! 

I have never been to Florida so I am interested in seeing what everyone thinks is so great about it. We will see if I agree.

In going to a wedding everyone gives a gift. Well ours will be a little more special and well personal. Until their wedding is done I will not post a picture of the finally product but here are a few pictures of the different pieces of their gift. See if you can guess what it is! :)

Any guesses?

Caleb Delamont

We are going to see Caleb Delamont. No he is not famous but he does have very good music. He is a native Canadian whom our Pastor and friend Brian French knew and had in youth group. Pretty excited to hear this guy. Brian has talked him up! :)