once upon a time...

my good friend amber & i had a wonderful day together.

the day was documented by camera

but due to my blog slump

and being forced to blog via laptop

of course, i put it off

after emptying the contents of my memory card,

i remembered this day with a smile

and thought i would pay homage to our fun

:)

that day we did a few fun things

one of them being trying a recipe for Oreo Balls

i would highly recommend them

they were cheap, easy, & delicious

some ingredients & supplies...

yes, i was crushing oreos with my lemon zester

and sneaking bites while amber made a trip to the bathroom...

final product

let's just say our husbands loved them

they were super rich but didn't last very long

if that tells you anything :)

later, we enjoyed a few episodes of one of my favorite shows, Wife Swap

and some Strawberry Paraiso Teavana tea,

which was a sweet gift ordered by mail for me from Amber

it is a fantastic blend that re-steeps well and actually contains popcorn!

see?!

these are my favorite tea mugs from Starbucks!

and last,

our attempt at getting a good picture with Nash

yes, i had some fun with editing... i like changing the color of things

since i have no talent when it comes to the realm of photography

look at nash's little tongue!

doesn't she have the prettiest eyes?!

this lady has meant a lot of me and helped me through one of the hardest seasons of my life (so far... i know i haven't lived and lost much yet at all....) she is a wonderful listener and encourager. she's lifted me up in prayer and been great company in a city where i still don't have a lot of solid friendships. love her! and i've loved looking back on happy days today :)

green monster.

so i found a new smoothie to be obsessed with

via

green monster movement

i've always included spinach in my smoothie

but never so much that i wound up with a nasty moustache

hot, right?

apparently, i enjoy posting embarrassing stuff

:)

if you have a blender,

give it a shot

it's amazing how 3 cups of spinach

instantly makes you feel healthy

and can even mentally motivate you

out of your bad food slump

come on, we all have 'em.

have you seen this yet?

the hand motions KILL me. they absolutely kill me.

for your entertainment...

this was posted todayon a high school friend's wall and brought to my attention.

i would like to forewarn you: this is UTTERLY embarrassing for me.

you can tell by my speech that i still have braces

and what's with those dance moves?!

BUT i love you guys too much not to not let you enjoy

my high school show choir competition solo days.

and yes, i am a youtube star.

today, i am thankful for

• a dog to take naps with
• family visits (to us and to them)
• true Chicago style hot dog eating in Chicago
• time to spend with the husband
• having husband tell me i love blogging and to do it again because it makes me happy
• mad men season 4 coming out tomorrow

(hello, donald draper)

:)

• sister's free DVD copies that come with her blu ray movies
• a God who loves me and forgives me even when i fail to see his blessings

new favorite.

if you would like to try a really awesome hummus recipe

go here

the other recipe i shared awhile back is fantastic

when enjoyed with pita chips

but if you want a really good one that goes well

with cucumbers, carrots, peppers,

this is your recipe.

happy hummus love!

just so ya know...

hello.

so i finally decided to give a little update and say why i haven't been blogging as of late.

i feel that sometimes i've lived a little too much of my life through a computer. although i love that i can give my friends updates on how my week is going and what's going on in my new life, i just haven't been feeling up to it lately.

this winter was particularly hard for me. (i speak in past tense because green things are growing, which means SPRING, baby!) these past couple of weeks, i've been trying to make an effort to get up, get moving, clean, run errands, be a part of a Bible study, serve somewhere, make phone calls, send birthday cards, make hummus, cook more food, study a lot, make more time for prayer, love on my husband when he's around, get a haircut, go to the dentist, go to the doctor. when you're "in a funk" or "depressed" or whatever you want to call it, the simplest things can so hard and just plain overwhelming. i haven't done everything on the list just yet, but i'm forcing myself to start doing the everyday things i've neglected since our move. i have to. blogging just hasn't felt really important, fun, or authentic in awhile so hence the rest.

hmm...

i love documenting our lives and memories. it's a lot of fun to look back on these things.... i wish i had more of a drive but i really just don't right now. so maybe i'll start up again next week. maybe it will take until i've conquered the depression 100%.... or maybe it'll be when tim and i have some kids.... i'm not sure, but for right now, i have to focus on my healing up... after a 3 month long complete lack of motivation, i have a lot to keep me busy.

i get to go home for my sister's bridal shower this weekend... and i'm really looking forward to it. then next week, my in laws are coming to visit and miraculously, i'm off the entire weekend. i pray you are all well and much love to ya.