blogcation

I'm going to be taking a blogcation for the next week or so.

No reason, just need a little bloggy break.

Love you all and see you soon!

sweet summertime...

These gorgeous yellow gladiolus are on my entry table and make me smile every time I walk through the door.

Thank you hubs!

happy father's day!

Happy Father's Day to our amazing dads!

Me and my Dad on my birthday


John and his Dad being, well...them

Thank you for all you do...we love you!!!

Surgery...

...sucks. But recovery sucks even more!

Like I said before, last week John had tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy last Thursday. Pre-op he was in good spirits and even let me snap a few pictures with his iPhone.

Unfortunately, recovery hasn't been as great. The first 4 days were a breeze. But days 5, 6 and 7 (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week) have been awful. He has been a great patient and taking care of him {somewhat} easy. I use the word somewhat because watching him be in so much pain has been really hard.

He is getting better. Today is day 8 post surgery and what the internet calls phase 3 which means he should start feeling better today.

Getting your tonsils and adenoids out as an adult is much harder than as a child and I am so proud of how well John has done!

My 26th Birthday

26 seems old (I know it is not, but it seems old to me). I mentioned to a friend that I am closer to 30 than 20 and she quickly told me that I am still closer to 25 than 30 so that was comforting.

Anyway, back to the celebration! Wednesday night after I got off work we headed up to Dallas to celebrate with my family. Storms were rolling through Dallas big time and when we got to Gloria's in Frisco the tornado sirens were going off. It was an intense storm but it didn't stop us. We had a wonderful time.

I chose Gloria's because I have heard rave reviews about their black bean dip and it did not disappoint. Everything was so good!

I must say that the highlight was dessert. My mom had brought Sprinkles Cupcakes and our waiter brought them out after dinner with candles. The.best.dessert.ever!

The weather quickly passed and we were safe from the tornadoes. We even got a good "car wash" out of the deal!

Whitney, me and Mom

Me and Dad

All the girls, Kelsey, Whit, me and Mom

Kels and Mark

Whit and Jonathan

So thank you family for a fabulous birthday! Love you all so much!!

sunset

I absolutely adore sunsets. Sunrises too, but those happen too early. Sunsets are gorgeous and always different.

Last week I snapped these looking out on the golf course behind my mom's house.

Hello, I'm a Mac.

Yep, that's right. I'm a Mac!!!

Using birthday money and other money I was able to buy my new 13" MacBook Pro!

I made John take a few pictures..this is a pretty big deal!

PS: I also got a new iPod Touch and a Canon Wireless 3 in 1 printer (with rebates the Touch was free and the printer was only $50!)

I guess you an imagine what I am doing now while John is recovering from surgery!!!

Brief Update..

Hi friends!

I wanted to give you all a brief update on the recent happenings in our life.

Wednesday was my 26th birthday so John and I drove up to Dallas to have dinner and celebrate with my family. It was a wonderful time..even with the tornado sirens going off during dinner! I'll post more later on that (with pictures).

Thursday morning John had his tonsils and adenoids removed. This is a pretty intense surgery anytime, but for an adult it is a long and painful recovery. The surgery went perfectly and now we are in recovery mode. John is doing well and I'm doing my best to take care of him. Please continue to pray for a fast and thorough recovery.

Have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend!
Lindsay

thoughts on spinning

Last night I did my first spin class in 4 years. Actually, a little under 4 years. I first did spin for about a month before we got married. It was a fantastic workout and I really enjoyed it.

I decided to start again. And it was great. I met Courtney there, we both had our camelbaks, towels and we were ready to go. Note: Do not go to a spin class without water or a towel.

And our class wasn't very crowded. That means less people to watch me sweat like crazy. And I mean sweat. Spinning burns lots of calories (a huge plus) which equals lots of sweat.

However, I think it should be a requirement for people to wear deodorant to spin class. I'm just saying. And poor Courtney..no-deodorant wearing man was on the bike next to her.

So, will I go back? Yes. Am I sore? Luckily, no. I've been pretty good about working out recently so I'm not miserably sore..I feel like I got a great workout.

I just have a very sore tailbone from the bike seat. Small price to pay.

Have you ever tried spinning? What are your favorite ways to workout?

Tortellini Salad

Y'all..for real. This salad is perfect. For us, tonight, it was the perfect summer dinner. It had the perfect blend of flavors and colors. It is delicious and beautiful and delicious.



The tangy banana peppers with the sweet tomatoes and basil and cheese tortellini are the best combination. This is delicious served warm, at room temperature or cold. I'm serious. You must make this.

And best of all, it's healthy!



Tortellini Salad
adapted from Cooking Light

1 (9 ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped banana peppers
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 (16 ounce) can navy beans
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting oil.

While the pasta is cooking combine tomatoes, spinach, banana peppers, parmesan cheese, basil, and beans in a large bowl. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Add pasta, lemon juice and oil to tomato mixture; toss gently.

Serving size: 1 cup

Nutritional Information
208 calories
7 g fat (2.3 g saturated fat)
26.7 g carbohydrate
10.8 g protein
4.8 g fiber
955 mg sodium

i {heart} weekends

It has been a perfect weekend and it has been a weekend of fabulous-ness. We've relaxed, slept in, watched tv, watched one movie and we are currently watching a second. We've run a few errands, shopped, did some laundry and cleaning. We've talked, laughed and been goofy. Really goofy. We hung out with best friends. Like I said, it has been a perfect weekend.



I think this picture from Friday night is perfect. John always makes me laugh. I love this about him.

PS: The movies we have watched just in case you are curious are Changeling (last night which was incredible) and Second Chance Harvey (which we are watching now and its so good). Both are excellent.

PPS: Head over to Lindsay's Kitchen to see what we had for dinner tonight..amazing!

PPPS: My birthday is Wednesday!!

life after graduation

Life after graduation can be a very tough thing sometimes.



Sacrifices have to be made.



One of those sacrifices is waking up early {in the summer} to go 4 wheeling with church members.



Like I said, life after graduation is tough.



On Wednesday John got the opportunity to go 4 wheeling with some good friends from church. He got up early and drove out to the country for a morning filled with 4 wheeling in the mud. He had fun and even remembered to capture a couple pictures with his iPhone.



It's a hard life. I'm jealous because I was stuck inside at work.

Kenya

On May 13, 2007 John and I traveled to Kenya, Africa with a group of students and faculty from Baylor. I still can't believe it was over 2 years ago. It was John's second time to go and my first time and our first time together. It was an incredibly life changing trip and one that I will never forget. I was asked to write something for a Service Journal that our department does and I reflected back on our time there. I've been thinking about Africa a lot lately and thought I would put my words from the journal here.



“How are you?” This phrase is one that I frequently heard as our team drove or walked through the streets of Nairobi. Children would often run to meet us shouting these words. Typically, we responded, "I'm well. How are you?" The inquisitive children would giggle and once again ask, "How are you?" This was one of the only phrases they knew in English and would repeat it several times. Their excitement was infectious. Spending time with children who smile when they have no reason to smile as they desired to be held brought tears to my eyes. They only wanted attention, love and safety. Talking with women of faith who were refugees from Sudan about the hope they now have after they left that place was enlightening.



Most of my life service to me meant doing physical labor such as building a house for a family in Mexico, or painting a house or doing yard work for an elderly couple. Service took on a whole new meaning when I traveled to Kenya in May of 2007 with a group of Baylor students, faculty and staff.



I remember feeling overwhelmed looking out over Mathare, the second largest slum in Kenya, and knowing about a million people live there in poverty. What was I going to do to help? What we were there to do that day was simple. We went to the supermarket as a group to purchase flour, sugar, rice, and cooking oil in bulk.





We took this food to the Good Samaritan Children's Home and Rehabilitation Centre, a children's home in the Mathare Slum area. Wayo Wayo (a traveling song and dance group from Nairobi) went with us, and some of their friends guided us through the slum on foot.





Again, we were left speechless by the sights we saw. The children's home cares for about 220 children ages 1 year to 18. Their main objective is to promote the welfare of children in especially difficult circumstances and AIDS orphans in the Mathare Valley. We found this place to be a ray of hope in a very dark place, and we felt the work being done by the workers is actually making a significant difference in the lives of the children.



In spite of this, their facilities are less than adequate; the second floor did not have a roof. We were there to give them food and play and love on the children. They had created a playground using trash. The biggest attraction was the old tire. The kids would run, jump on the tire and do a flip and land on a cushion of trash. This kept them entertained for about an hour. They only wanted attention.



They loved when we would cheer for them and encourage them about how high they could jump. When we left that place we were changed. Yes, we had gone there to do “mission work” with orphan children in hopes to somewhat change their life, but my life was also changed. We were not the same.



After returning from Kenya I realized that service is about providing someone with what they need wherever they are in their life whether it is tangible or intangible. We live in a world where we constantly feel like we have to do but with these kids all they only needed was for us to be there and love them and hold them. We provided food for them to help fill their tummies for a couple weeks but we also loved them. We spent time with them and played with them. It is important that we see the needs of others and try to fulfill those needs. We don’t have to build a house. Maybe all we need to do is love.

Up

Last night we went and saw this movie in 3D. It was THE.BEST.MOVIE!

Go see it.

Now.

Seriously, go!