Wednesday, December 21, 2011

12 Days of Christmas

I've been slacking some on writing, so here is a quickie update. We are still in the market for a house but are holding off looking any more until after Christmas. There were some hidden things we found out about a house we were going to put an offer on, so we decided not to go for that particular house. All is well with the family, just counting down the days to Christmas...

Speaking of Christmas, here is a workout I created for my Strength Training Class. It only takes about 30 minutes, so its great for those a little short on time. Or do the workout twice through to really burn some calories!

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS WORKOUT

1) Plyometric Squat (Jump squat)

2) Side Lunges (each leg)
         
3) Traveling Pushups

4) V-Ups

5) Mountain Climbers

6) Walking Lunges (per leg)

7) Bicep Curls to Shoulder Press (alternating arms, 7 reps for each arm)

8) Plank Bend to Leg Raise (while holding plank, bend one knee into chest then extend leg out and up, alternate between legs count each leg 8 times)

9) Jumping Jacks

10) Tricep Dips

11) Single Arm Rows (11 rows for each arm)

12) 1 Minute Plank
                                       
Do the workout just like you would sing the song, except substitute exercises. 

Here's an example:

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree (do one jump squat).

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree (do 2 side lunges and 1 jump squat).

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree (do 3 traveling pushups, 2 side lunges and 1 jump squat)

Continue this through all 12 rounds of the workout.

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

House Hunting

Drew and I have been living in an apartment for about a year and a half and we've decided, it's time to move out!  We started browsing through real estate superficially about two months ago and now we are getting pretty serious about finding a home. Yesterday we spent almost the entire day looking at houses with our realtor and found one that may just be "the one". We are planning another trip out tomorrow to visit the ones we didn't have time for (we spent about 6 hours looking yesterday) and then we'll sit on the few we really like. I'm getting super excited to have a house, but am also nervous about making the right choice. We'll see how it all works out, but hopefully we'll have a new place to call home soon!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Family Pictures 2011

Last weekend the family went over to the Finch Arboretum and got our annual family pics taken. Here are some of them:




Sisters

Sisters and Adopted Sisters :)






Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Little Bear Baby Hat

My latest project was a bear hat for a friend's baby. I'm quickly becoming addicted to making baby items. So fun!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Pumpkins, Mittens & Hats

These last few weeks of my life have been a blur. With so much going on, I hardly know where to start.

Halloween came on a Monday and although I don't really celebrate Halloween, I decided to do a pumpkin inspired workout for my small group at the Y. To get them excited for the workout, I told them I would dress up, if they would too. :) Here is what I looked like.
80's Workout Queen


I've also been seeing a lot of the fingerless gloves around lately, and one of my best pals told me she wanted me to make her a pair. So with her birthday being right around the corner, I gave it a shot. Here is how they turned out:




You can't really see from the picture, but these have cute little flowers on the front.

And last but not least, an old music teacher and friend of mine recently had a baby boy! I love baby stuff so I attempted to make her little Hunter a cute little duck hat I saw on Ravelry.com. Here is a pic of the finished project.
Ducky Hat
Don't ask me why it's sideways, I don't know
Hunter Modeling Hat

That's all for now!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Happy Birthday Mom!



October 27th was my fabulous mother's birthday. If there is one thing my mother loves, it's a great game of Scrabble. You offer to play a game with her and it just about makes her day. I found the idea for the cake on Pinterest and my husband helped me plan and strategize about how big to make the cake and how to fit each family member's name on there. He was such a big help, I couldn't have done it without him. Love you Mom!

Scrabble Birthday Cake for Mom

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Missoula Here We Come!

This last weekend was a blast! Went over with my cousin to visit a good friend of both of ours and we both decided next time we should stay longer. Swing dancing on Friday night, shopping and to a movie on Saturday and then we spent Sunday at church and relaxing at an adorable diner for brunch. We packed in a lot in three days, but boy did we have a good time!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Off to Montana!

Going to Montana this weekend to visit one of my very good friends, I'm super excited! Tell you all about it when I get back. :) In the meantime, have a good weekend!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Lazy Fall Weekend

I'm starting to feel a little crafty now that I've been seeing so many fun DIY things on Pinterest.  Recently, I starting getting out my Fall decorations, but as I was doing so I quickly remembered I didn't have a Autumn wreath. So, I decided to make one. I made a quick run to the Dollar Store and got a bunch of materials. Here is my wreath made from Dollar Store items:



Close Up Pic

Then on Saturday, Drew and I had a lazy morning and headed out to Greenbluff. We were both looking forward to pumpkin donuts with cinnamon and sugar on top. After waiting in line for a little while we finally got our hot-off-the-press donuts and enjoyed them with fresh apple cider. Yummy!



Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Crocheted Cowl Scarf, I Made One!


I have been eyeing those cute cowl sweaters and then I got brave and decided to make one. Here is how it turned out!



Friday, September 30, 2011

Falling into His Blessings

It's that time of year again to dig out those jackets. The air is turning crisp and the colors of Fall are starting to show.  When the weather gets cooler, my meals tend to change to more stews, soups and comfort foods. I love this time of year for its color, scents and clean, brisk air. I find myself daydreaming about pumpkins, cinnamon, molasses cookies and apple cider. Today, I am going to dig out my warmer clothes and be thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed me with. A husband who loves me and works hard to support our family, a job that I love, a warm and safe place to stay at night, food on my table, friends and family who love me and most importantly, a Savior who died on the cross for my sins. As I study God's Word I am reminded of how much He loves me and what He does for me daily without me even realizing it. In my Bible study recently I read something that really made me think. It's a passage in Psalms that I've read so many times and yet, it hadn't really hit me like it did yesterday.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all of His benefits—Who forgives all of your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's! The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
~Psalm 103:1-6

We can't find anyone or anything on earth that can do that! Only God can truly satisfy. After reading this passage, the Holy Spirit convicted  me of how much I take things for granted in my Christian walk. Do I praise the Lord for everything He does for me? Am I grateful to Him even in the good times? I need to bless the Lord with my mouth, praise Him for all the things He does for me. He forgives, heals, redeems, beautifies, dignifies, crowns, satisfies, executes righteousness and justice. What an amazing God!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Easy Pizza Crust

I've always had a tough time getting yeast to do what I want. Finally, I found this pizza crust recipe that actually works. Here it is:

Easy Pizza Crust

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups All-Purpose Flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to food processor and combine remaining ingredients. Pulse until ball starts to form. Remove dough from the processor and dust lightly with flour. Place in a lightly floured bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until double, about 45 minutes. Punch down dough. Divide dough into 2 separate balls and roll thin. Pierce crust with fork. Top with your favorite toppings and bake at 450 degrees for 12-18 minutes.

Makes 2 pizza crusts

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Help, I've Got an Addiction!

So I finally decided to check out what this Pinterest business is all about. I requested my invitation and waited patiently for it to come to my inbox, I didn't even get anxious. Okay, so I might have checked my inbox like three times that day looking for it, but believe me I wasn't anxious. Then, the hook. I created my account and after that, the addiction started. I can see what the hype is all about, it totally lives up to it's reputation. Thanks Heather, I hope you know you helped create a monster. ;)

Come check it out: Pinterest

Sunday, September 4, 2011

One Last Summer Fling

I’ve always loved going camping and this past weekend was no exception! My family and I traveled over to Heyford State Park just outside of Plummer, Idaho for our three day excursion. Perfect weather, yummy food (it's not exactly what you'd call "camping food") and spending time with family made a delightful mini vacay.

Hiking trail



Monday was Drew's birthday and I was able to surprise him by taking him over for dinner and birthday cake with my family. I am pleased to say he had no idea what was going on. :) Afterwards, (when he thought we were going home) I took him over to Baskin Robbins for his free scoop of birthday icecream. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed himself.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Sisters!

This was such a special moment at my sister's wedding. I love my sisters! :)

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Great Running Freebies!

I love to read about running and one of my favorite websites just posted a bunch of free pdfs with some great training pointers. So go check it out!



http://www.runnersworld.com/cas/pdf/0,,s6-238-591-0-0,00.html

Monday, August 22, 2011

It's Official: I'm a Dirty Dasher!

  
This last Saturday morning was intense. The Dirty Dash 10k took me almost 2 hours to complete, but it was so worth it! With 16 obstacles to overcome, along with 6.2 miles of hard core hill/trail running, The Dirty Dash was by far the hardest run I've ever completed! Its something that I want to try again, but with a lot more training under my belt. I'd totally recommend it for someone up for a challenge!


Tire Obstacle


Final Obstacle: MUD PIT!!



Here I go, almost done!

Dirty Dashers

Posing in all my muddied state! :)

Shower Time!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Zucchini Crusted Pizza


  • 3 cups shredded zucchini




  • 3/4 cup egg substitute  (I used 3 eggs)


  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour


  • 1/2 teaspoon salt


  • 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese  (I used cheddar)


  • 2 small tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced


  • 1/2 cup chopped onion


  • 1/2 cup julienned green pepper


  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil


  • 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese


  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano




  • Additional topping ideas: pepperoni, olives, grilled chicken etc.

    Directions
    1. Squeeze excess moisture out of zucchini and let sit for about 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine zucchini and egg substitute; mix well. Add flour and salt; stir well. Spread onto the bottom of a 12-in. pizza pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.
    2. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with mozzarella, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, oregano, basil and Parmesan cheese and other optional toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until onion is tender and cheese is melted.

    Original recipe from Allrecipes.com, but I've made a few adjustments :)

    Wednesday, August 17, 2011

    Diet. That Nasty Four Letter Word

    First of all, let me clarify something. Diet is a bad word. I've always believed the word carried a negative connotation on its back. It started out being perfectly innocent and then slowly morphed into something not so nice.You say the word diet to me and I will most likely cringe. If somebody tells me they are on a diet and asks my opinion about it, I usually ask them, "Is it something you can do for the rest of your life? If it's not, you are wasting your time". Now, I understand cutting back on certain food items that may be a adding a few pounds, I get that. What I don't get is somebody totally revamping what they are eating only for a designated time just so they can lose the unwanted poundage. What is going to happen when you start eating the same way you did before? Yep, all the weight comes right back on. It all comes down to this: if you don't change those habits that are making you fat, your fat is going to stick to you like glue. Yuck! This is the personal trainer starting to coming out of me, all it takes is one step at a time. So start setting some goals!

    Friday, July 29, 2011

    Baked Chicken Taquitos

    I got this recipe from a coworker and it is very tasty!


    Ingredients:

    2 cups shredded chicken breast
    1/3 cup cream cheese
    ¼ cup green salsa
    1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
    1 fresh green chili pepper diced
    1 ½-2 minced garlic cloves
    3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
    3 Tbsp sliced green onions
    3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
    ½ tsp chili powder
    ½ tsp cumin
    ¼ tsp onion powder
    Flour or corn tortillas

    Sautee the diced green chili pepper in 1-2 Tbsp of oil on low heat until tender. (about 15 minutes).

    Melt the cream cheese in a large bowl in the microwave so it is soft and easy to stir. Mix in all other ingredients with the cream cheese, including the sautéed green chili peppers. Warm tortillas in microwave so they are easy to roll. Place about 3 Tbsp (about 1/8 cup for larger tortillas) of cream cheese/chicken mixture into tortillas and roll, place in pan seam side down. Pour as much extra green salsa and pepperjack cheese on top as you like.

    Bake uncovered on 425 for about 20 minutes.

    Wednesday, July 27, 2011

    One Year!


     

    Two weekends ago Drew and I celebrated our one-year anniversary (and now I finally internet so I can upload pictures). Its so hard to believe that we've already made it past a year! Wednesday, four days before our anniversary, we left Spokane for a family reunion in Tamarack, Idaho. Tamarack was so scenic and the weather was perfect. We were able to go horseback riding and relax in our beautiful room complete with a fireplace, jet tub and sauna. It was amazing!  I was surprised by Drew on Saturday when he told me we were going to Caldwell, Idaho for the last two days of our vacation. I had such a great time.
    
    Our suite complete with fireplace, balcony, sauna & jet tub
    
    View from our balcony


    Riding "Lucky"

    

    Family Picture Time


    Fun Pic

    
    Silly Pic
    
    
    

    Saturday, July 2, 2011

    Easy Corn Salsa

    Easy Corn Salsa

    Ingredients
    1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomato, or 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, not drained
    2/3 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
    1 cup chopped cucumber, not peeled
    1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, red or green
    1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
    1/2 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp ground cumin
    1/4 tsp salt (opt.)
    1/8 tsp ground black pepper
    1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    *Sodium is figured for no added salt

    Mix ingredients together in medium bowl and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.


    Serves 8 (1/2 cup servings)

    Nutrition Facts:
    calories 189; total fat 7g; saturated fat 1g; cholesterol 62mg; total carbohydrate 6g; dietary fiber 1g; sugars 4g; protein 24g

    Friday, June 24, 2011

    Wedding Weekend

    My sister Kate got married this last weekend, and what a day it turned out to be! Friday was beautiful and sunny, the only day out of the whole weekend with sunshine which made it possible to have pictures outside at the park. Rebecca Hollis took the pics and they turned out amazing! But we knew they would, she took the photos at my wedding and my brother's wedding and we can't help but love her stuff, she is practically in our family.  I put a few of the pics up, but there are more at her website Rebecca Hollis Blogspot, check her out she is fantastic!



    Me and the bride-to-be...




    Sisters...




    Cutest little ring bearer carrying the homemade pillow...




    Congrats Kate & Jon!
    

    Friday, June 3, 2011

    Another Ringbearer Pillow

    So after I showed a friend at work the pillow I made for my sister's wedding, she wanted me to make her one. I got all excited and rushed to the fabric store and whipped this one up in about 2 hours. Its starting to become a little addicting.

    View from the front...




    View from the side...

    13.1

    13.1 miles and I ran them all, every single last one of them! It was a perfect day for a race, sunny and warm with a touch of a breeze. The race started at 7:30am, so my day started off early. I finished within a minute of last year's time and felt great about it. It was my friend Heather's first 1/2 and she did great! One thing I was a little bummed about was that we didn't get any pictures of me running in to the finish line, apparently I was just too fast for my husband to catch me. :) Love you hon!

    Me right after the race, getting refueled...



    My sister, my cousin and I...



    Me and my friend Heather...

    Monday, May 23, 2011

    The 3 C's

    What a busy weekend!

    Friday started everything off with a bang. With my sister Kate's wedding coming up in June, there have been lots of things to do. I had offered to make a ring bearer pillow for Kate, much like the one I had made for my own wedding back in July '10. So with less than a month away, I figured I better get to work on it. 

    Here is the  pillow I made for my wedding last year...

    
    ...and now the pillow for my sister's wedding coming up

    I don't know, but I'm thinking I already like hers better than mine. Oh well.


    Saturday morning I got up and went for a short run, came home and almost immediately left for Farragut State Park for an overnight camp trip with Berean Bible's highschool and college aged kids. As soon as we got our tents pitched the rain started to come down... and down...and down...

    Only Greta (and a very few others) were brave enough to stay out in the rain

    The whole day it rained and didn't really give up until we left the next day. Go figure. Fortunately for us, we had reserved a space that had a covered patio area, so we were able to stay dry for most of it.

    Sunday, we packed up and left. Came home, showered, took a nap and I left for a bridal shower. Phew, I need a weekend from my weekend!


    Sunday, May 15, 2011

    Graduation Weekend

    My brother-in-law’s graduation from the University of Idaho was this weekend and we drove over to celebrate with him. It started out to what might prove a dreary day, with the skies full of clouds and raindrops that threatened to fall.  What was forecasted to be a gloomy, drizzly day turned out to be a bright, warm, slightly windy, afternoon. Our morning started out in the early hours of the day, setting off for Moscow at 7:15am. The drive was a pleasant one, with decent weather and not a lot of traffic on the road. Soon we arrived at the U of I and found our seats to watch commencement. The sun soon became very warm, but we were refreshed with the light, cool breeze around us. The ceremony proved to be long, as is the normal custom for graduations, but we all endured and were soon off to enjoy lunch at Mc D’s. After sitting down in the restaurant and noticing our sunburns, we all started to realize what a mistake it was to assume the weather was going to be cool. Most of us wished we had thought to bring sunscreen. With most of the day still in front of us, we started our trip back home and enjoyed the rest of the day at the Przybylski house.
    
    Drew and I before the sunburns
    

    Saturday, May 14, 2011

    Ouch, That Hurt!

    This last week in Bible study, we discussed the sin of pride and how it affects so much of our daily life.  In one portion of the study, we were asked to rate on a scale of 1% to 100% how many of our everyday troubles have to do with the issue of pride. Wow! That was a hard thing to think about. I never really understood or realized how many of my problems have to do with pride, I mean I know I have sin problems, but ouch, that hurt! The two verses from the study that have really been sticking with me are from Isaiah and James:
    Isaiah 57:15 "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
    James 4:6 "But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. "
    The days following our discussion have left me to really think about my attitudes towards others. Just the day after our discussion, (not even 24 hours later) I got into an argument with one of the new interns at work. It was really a petty thing, not even worth arguing over, but I found myself going to a different source after the fact to prove to myself that I was right. A couple hours later, I was thinking about my attitude and was amazed at how much trouble I went to, just to prove that he was wrong. All I could think was, "wow, how trivial can I get?" After the initial awakening, I have seen other times where I have had to prove myself. Let’s just say I feel like all I’ve been doing the last few days is confessing my sin of pride and asking for God to continue His work in this particular area in my life, but He is so good! He forgives even when I keep committing the same sin time and time again. What a merciful and patient God we serve!

    Friday, May 13, 2011

    Wednesday, May 11, 2011

    Chocolate Oatmeal "No Bake" Bars

    One of my favorite sweet treats that are so easy to make. A great recipe to make during warmer weather because you don't have to turn on your oven!

    2 cups sugar
    1/4 cup cocoa
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup evaporated milk
    1/2 (1 stick) margarine or butter
    1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
    2 cups quick oats

    Butter 9-inch square pan. In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in milk; add margarine. Heat to a rolling boil; boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until blended. Stir in oats. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Cool and cut into squares.

    Monday, May 2, 2011

    Bloomsday Weekend 2011

    I made it! It seems like Bloomsday weekend just snuck up on me this year. I don't know if it's just because I'm married now and I have a lot more to occupy my time or if it was my lack of training that decided to finally catch up with me. Either way, I was still able to finish Bloomsday in good time and injury free! It actually took me a little longer this year  (3 minutes) compared to last year, but hey I'm just glad I made it. :) Now on to my training for the Coeur d'Alene 1/2 in a few weeks, I can hardly wait! Here is a pic with some fellow runners who also ran the whole way, way to go ladies!

    Tuesday, April 19, 2011

    Sing, Sing, Sing...

    This past weekend my sister Rachel and I drove to Seattle to meet up with our friend Jen and see Chris Tomlin and speaker Louie Giglio. It was amazing! We had such a fantastic time worshiping with Chris and we were reminded by Louie how God loves to hear us worship. We left feeling refreshed and inspired to worship God in everything we do! The opening band, Rend Collective played some great music. One of the songs, called "You Bled" really spoke to me and made me think about how boundless God's love for us really is. He is so good!

    Rend Collective's "You Bled"