December's almost gone - which is really strange since I swear it was just last weekend that we did our Imagine Christmas production. But the calendar tells me it was actually quite a number of weeks ago; and the calender doesn't lie.

The month is a blur. A crazy, exhausting, emotional, joyful, rollercoster blur. Truthfully, I am kinda glad it is almost over.

I thought I would share a random story from my day: I am driving to church this morning with the children in the backseat, talking to Mark on the phone. Lance and Tyler keep trying to get my attention, but I am trying to finish my conversation with Mark. They get more insistent, so I pause my conversation to see what they need. They promptly inform me that the guy in the car next to us was on America's Most Wanted last night and we need to call the hotline to turn him in.

Ah. It was the best part of my day.

You're a kid of the 90's if...

You can finish this [ice ice _ _ _ _ ]

And im blue da ba de da ba die!!! aka im in need of a guy!

You remember watching:
-Doug.
-Ren & Stimpy.
-Pinky and the Brain.
-AAAAAAAH Real Monsters!
-Rockos modern Life.
-RUGRATS =]


You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE!"

You just cant resist finishing this . . . "Iiiiiiin west philidelphia born and raised . . ."

You remember:
-Full house.
-Step by Step.
-Family Matters!!!
-Dinosaurs.
-Boy Meets World!!!!
-Double Dare.


You remember when it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

You remember reading "Goosebumps"

You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.

You still get the urge to say "NOT" after (almost) every sentence . . . not

when everyhting was settled by:
-rock paper scissors or
-bubble gum bubble gum in a dish or
-daddy had a donkey inky binky bonky.
-skunk in the barn yard
-ms. mary mack
-big mac a tea a tea


when cops and robbers was a daily activity.

when we played Hide and go seek until our legs grew numb.

when we used to obey our parents

You used to listen to the radio all day long just to record your FAVORITE song of ALL time.

"Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" was both a game and a TV game show.

Captain Planet. He's a Hero.

You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the green ranger, were meant to be together.

You remember when Super Nintendos and Sega Genisis became popular.

You always wanted to send in a tape to America's Funniest Home Videos . . . but never taped anything funny.

You remember watching Home Alone 1, 2 , and 3 . . . and tried to pull the pranks on "intruders"

You remember watching:
-The Magic School Bus.
-Wishbone.
-Reading Rainbow.
-and Ghostwriter on PBS.


You remember when Yo-Yos were cool.

You remember those Where's Waldo books.

You remember eating Warheads.

You remember watching:
-the 1st Batman
-Aladdin
-Ninja Turtles
-Animporphs
-ghost busters


You remember Ring Pops.

You remember drinking Surge, and Tang.

If you remember when every thing was "da BOMB!"

When they made the new lunchables so that you could make pizza AND tacos.

You remember boom boxes vs. cd players.

Making those little paper fortune cookie things, and then predicting your life with them.

You played and/or collected "Pogs" :)

You had at least one Tamagotchi, GigaPet, or Nano and brought it everywhere.

one word. . . . . . . . Furbies.

You haven't always had a computer, and it was cool to have the internet.

And Windows 95 was the best.

You watched the original cartoons of Rugrats, Power Rangers, and Ninja Turtles.

Michael Jordan was a king.

YIKES pencils and erasers were the stuff!

All your school supplies were "Lisa Frank" brand.

You remember when the new Beanie Babies and Talking Elmo were always sold out

You collected those Beanie Babies.

Carebears

Gak was the coolest stuff invented.

Lambchop's song never ended.

The old dollar bills.

Silver dollars, which were cool to have.

Everyone watched the WB and yelled at people who interupted them.

You collected all the Troll dolls

If you even know what an original walkman is.

if you still have one.

You remember wanting to sit on the orange Nickelodeon couch.

You've gotten creeped out by "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

You know the Macarena by heart.

"Talk to the hand" . . . enough said

You always said, "Then why don't you marry it!"

You went to McDonald's to play in the playplace.

You remember playing on merry go rounds at the playground.

Before the MySpace frenzy . . .

Before the Internet & text messaging . . .

Before Sidekicks & iPods . . .

Before MIKE JONES . . .

Before PlayStation2 or X-BOX . . .

Before Spongebob . . .

Back when you put off the 5 hours of homework you had every night.

When light up sneakers were cool.

When you rented VHS tapes, not DVDs.

When gas was $0.95 a gallon & Caller ID was a new thing.

When we recorded stuff on VCRs.

When we called the radio station to request songs to hear off of our walkman.

When checking out drawing books and that one book about the rainbow fish from the library was THE cool thing to do.

You had slap bracelets!

Way back.

Before we realized all this would eventually disappear.

Super taster???

his lecture and learned some very interesting tOur friend Lucas is working on his graduate degree in Neuro-Science at UC Davis in Northern California - so he came over to our house to spend Thanksgiving with Mark and me this year. He is a TA for a professor there and is giving a lecture on Tuesday about taste. (I got a preview ofhings about my tastebuds.)
Lucas became convinced that I was a "supertaster," meaning that I have an above-average number of tastebuds in my mouth. To prove his theory we coated my tongue in blue food coloring. Apparently, blue food coloring will dye your whole tongue blue except your tastebuds - allowing you to count them.

Here's a picture of my blue tongue:Unfortunately, Lucas could not determine from that test if I was a supertaster or not. But he did take some pictures of my tongue for his research.

It was fun...it an odd sort of neuro-science way.

Illinois Bliss

Mark and me on the Peoria riverfront.
Mark and me in front of the bonfire my Dad built Tuesday night.
Me and my friend Laura on the field at the Whitesox stadium.
Me, Mark, Suzanne, Peter, Laura and Dad in the stands at the Whitesox Stadium.
Mark and a gorilla at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

We all had a great time. Lots of treasured memories.

Synopsis

Much has happened in a short time. Here's a synopsis:

Went to Illinois. Had a great time.
Came home and went to UNR/Hawaii game.
Car was burglarized while at the game.
Purse/keys/laptop stolen. Window smashed.
Very angry/annoyed/inconvenienced.
Window fixed. Bank accounts a mess.
Had a super Thanksgiving.
Back to work.

A Delicious Moment

Warning: If the November 1st episode of Survivor: China is still in your TiVo not yet watched...I am going to spoil the ending.

I'm sorry - but could there have been a better way for Jamie to have been sent home? The entire episode I was dying to know if she was going to be ridiculous enough to play the fake immunity idol. I will admit that I was yelling at the TV hoping it was going to be so.

And it was so. Perhaps I should have more compassion on her in light of her humiliation. I highly doubt she will ever live down Jeff Probst throwing her fake idol in the fire. But reveled in the moment and did a little dance when her fire was extinguished.

Now to vote off her counterpart, Phee-Gee.

At long last....

Just like Steve posted a few days ago...A picture is worth a thousand words.

Road trip

So last Monday Mark and I took a little road trip to Hope Valley and Markleville to see some fall colors. We were about a week late to see anything good in Hope Valley. Most of the leaves had already fallen off the trees. But we stopped in several places in Markleville and got some really pretty pictures. Here is a little photo journey....

It was the best day I have had in a long time. :)

Lessons learned

How much do you look like Jesus? My three year old step-son Lance got me to thinking about that question today.

This weekend we had a powerful drama in our services in which Jesus was portrayed in the traditional first century garb.

He saw the drama during rehearsal this morning and only had one question for me: "Why is Jesus here at church?" Tyler, my six year old stepson had the answer - "It's not really Jesus. Just some guy that looks like him."

Just some guy that looks like him. It got me to thinking. How many people were present this weekend that looked like Jesus? How much do I look like Jesus?

Ya think we were tired?

My husband and I had dinner plans last night. Too bad we both fell asleep on the couch at 6:30 and didn't wake up until 10:00 pm. We just scratched dinner altogether and crawled into bed. Unfortunately Mark had to get up and go to work at dark-thirty - but I was blissfully asleep until 9:00 am this morning.

Ah, sleep.

I have been thinking a lot lately about writing a book about Step-Parenting. Granted, I have not held the title all that long - but it's one of those trial by fire things. You learn a lot in a short amount of time.

In my opinion (and since this is my book it gets to be all about my opinion!!), I think the number one scariest and most frustrating thing about step-parenting is loneliness. Very briefly, this is why I think that...

Step-parenting is hard. Every single day you have thoughts and emotions (not all bad ones, but a barrage of them nonetheless) that you don't know what to do with. Some that you think are too horrible to say out loud. Some that you think no one else on the planet must have ever thought about step-parenting. Image management keeps you from talking about them with others - especially your spouse. And so you are prone to getting trapped in this self-made box of loneliness.

I know I have had experiences talking to other step-parents where I find out that "oh my gosh. They have some of the same thoughts that I do. Cool. I'm not the only one."

I want to write the book not because I think I have great or new things to say. I want to write the book so someone can read it and think, "Praise God that I am not the only person to have ever experienced this." There is comfort in knowing that you are not alone.

I have a GREAT title: "Try Not To Pee On Your Children - and Other Life Lessons Learned as A Step-Parent."

Catchy...isn't it??

Perhaps it deserves a little explanation.

Dogs mark their territory by peeing on things. Hydrants, bushes, couches...whatever. They put their scent on things so that when another dog walks by they will smell the other dogs pee and know that dog has been there. I have observed that parents can be the same way. They don't literally pee on their children, but they mark their territory in other subtle ways. I think on of the greatest gifts a step-parent can RECEIVE is when both natural parents give their children permission to love the step-parent with a wild abandon. In essence, when they do not pee on their children.

Mark's ex-wife Lisa is actually really great at this. She gives both Lance and Tyler permission to love me. One of the greatest moments for me as a Step-parent was a direct result of this. We were dropping the kids off at Lisa's and I was sitting in the car. Long story short Lisa came out to say hi to me and the kids followed her outside. Lance opened the car door, and climbed up into my lap to give me a hug goodbye. In front of his mom. That might not seem like a big deal if you aren't a Step-parent...but trust me when I say it is!

Anyway, the book is mostly percolating in my brain right now. One of these days I will put it to paper.

mmm mmm good...

I love muffins. And lately I have been in the mood to make some. I came across a recipe for Banana Muffins and Apple Streusel Muffins that I thought I would share.

The Banana Muffin recipe I found on the Internet. I admit I changed it a little...I added brown sugar, vanilla and chocolate chips to the recipe and they tasted...well...tasty!

Banana Muffins (makes 12 muffins)
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3 large bananas mashed
1 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup sugar (1/2 white, 1/2 brown sugar)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Salt 1/3 cup butter, melted (you can sub 1/2 cup applesauce for healthier muffins!!)
1/2 tsp Vanilla chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat Muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Combine bananas, sugar, egg, melted butter (or applesauce), vanilla in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture until smooth. Scoop in muffin tins.
3. Bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


My Aunt Karen writes and published cookbooks. I was flipping through one of them the other day and came across this Apple Streusel Muffin Recipe. Turns out that it was my grandmother's recipe (she died about 10 years ago of breast cancer.) These are a lot more work than the banana muffins - but really good!

Apple Streusel Muffins (makes 12 muffins)
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp allspice
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup apple, diced
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400. Mix flour, sugar, allspice, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda in large bowl. In another bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, butter and apple; blend well. Pour over dry ingredients and mix only until moistened. Spoon into muffin pans. Top with streusel topping and bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 tbs margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbs sugar

Combine all ingredients together and mix until crumbly.

Both muffins are delicious. I doubled each recipe because 12 muffins would not last 12 minutes in my house...

Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

I really love our house. I love where it is. I love that it is something tangible that Mark and I can change and adapt to meet our family needs.

But I really love our view. Late last week it rained - and this is what greeted us in our front yard...

Ignorance is Bliss

As if I needed to add to my car saga...

Tonight after church I popped my hood to add water to the cooling system. I found what I least expected. A family of mice and their nest. On top of my engine block. I screamed. So did Lance.

They ran down into my engine. Not out of my engine mind you...but into the engine. The entire way home I kept waiting for a mouse to drop out of the front of the car and onto my foot (you know...the one on the accelerator.) I had to continually give myself a pep talk: "Jeanne, if a mouse drops onto your foot you must remain calm. You cannot kill your stepchildren by freaking out and running into a tree. Remain calm."

As it turns out I made it home without the car breaking down or a mouse trying to eat my foot. However, about three minutes from home Tyler notices an unpleasant aroma. I tell him it is because of the recent fire about 6 miles from our home. But I suspect it is something much more sinister. Cooked mouse.

Yuck.

So I Think He Can Dance

Go Neil!!

I hope you voted for him.

We shall find out tonight!

Surprise me.

I love it when I listen to a new song and I am surprised by a chord. I'm rockin' along to I - IV - V - I and BAM!

There it is.

A sweet chord.

The kind that makes you smile.

The kind that restores my faith in the creative songwriting process.

mmmmmm. I love it.

They can definately dance

There are nights when I am not a fan of Mia Michaels. Like her alien bug routine a few weeks ago with Lauren and Neil. Many times I just don't get it.

But tonight...

The dance she choreographed was nothing short of exceptional. Breathtaking, really. In the dance she is reunited in heaven with her father that she lost to cancer two years ago. It was simply unreal the way the dance moved me. Lacey and Neil told the story so beautifully that I couldn't help but sit on my couch in awe and cry.

If you have it on Tivo, stop reading this and go watch it. It's worth it.

One of those days.

Yup. Just one of those days.

My car's broken. Again. I got home this afternoon, parked it in the rocks (it's leaking oil now so I'm not allowed to park in the driveway), and it promptly overheated, spurted steam everywhere and dumbed the contents of my cooling system on the ground. Again. I wanted to scream.

Mark pulls in the driveway 30 seconds later. I yell for him to come see. The first thing he says?? "Well, good thing you aren't parked in the driveway. That would have made a mess."

WHAT? I'm sorry...I am now without a vehicle AGAIN and the first thing he thinks about is the cement in the driveway. And honestly, I can't understand why it matters what the cement in the driveway looks like. It's a driveway. You drive on it. It's gonna get dirty.

At this point I have no idea what to do about the car. It has been in the repair shop twice now in the last three weeks and this is still happening. So I do what any girl would do. I called Dad.

He was no help. "Well Jeanne, it sounds like a really slow leak that is going to be hard to find."

He tells me to fill it with water and drive it till it comes up to temperature, but hopefully not overheating, so I can try and pinpoint where the leak is. I'm sorry...but on my list of things to do when I got up this morning that was SSSSOOOOOOO not on it. As if I want to go drive my unreliable car around so I can possibly strand myself on the side of the road in 100 degree weather so I can possibly try and ascertain where this tiny little leak is. I may have picked up some auto repair skills from my father but that was NOT ONE OF THEM.

Rewind. Mark and I are in the driveway watching my car steam and spit. He tells me he's glad I didn't get his driveway dirty. I want to kick him. But I can't do that. So what do I do? I start kicking my car. Hard. I was really trying to dent it. Had I been holding a bat I probably would have used it. But I wasn't so I had to use what was available and that was my foot. It sorta hurt but I was oddly satisfied having kicked it. My dad would not have approved. Neither did Mark.

Yup. Just one of those days.

Arrrggghhhh Matey!

It's a really long story.

Here's the short version:

About a month ago Tyler was at a birthday party and got shot in the eye with a foam dart. He was sorta devastated, but really fine.

Later that evening while trying to get him to fall asleep (the poor guy was having a rough night) he confesses to me that he is still really upset about his eye and thinks an eye patch will heal it.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I don't have an eye patch to give you."
"Well can we go to the store and get one?"
"Not tonight...it's already really late."
"Tomorrow?"
"Sure, tomorrow."

It's not Halloween. We couldn't find an eye patch. More devastation for our six year old. Mark convinced him that we could make him an eye patch if he really wanted something to cover his eye. He assured us it wasn't as good as the real thing, but that it was better than nothing. The picture details what we came up with.

He was happy. But asked that we remove it 15 minutes later. We couldn't help but laugh.

You can bet this picture is coming back out when his first girlfriend comes around... :)

mmmmm meat

I don't like spaghetti. I have no idea why because I love all other sorts of pasta. Just not spaghetti. My husband loves spaghetti. With lots of sauce. And lots of meat.

And although I do not love spaghetti I love my husband. So I made spaghetti for dinner the other night. Here is Mark enjoying the meal. He was so happy at dinner that I just had to take his picture. (the bowl to the right of his plate is the extra meat I didn't put in the sauce. Hence another reason he was so happy. A whole bowl of meat just for him.)

Going to the chapel and we're....

...Gonna get married.

Admittedly, I am little late on the Dad-Vegas wedding post. Better late than never, I guess.

I'll post some pictures...but here are a few highlights.

*Getting to spend some time with long distance family. 'Nuff said.
*Spending time with my sister Krystina who lives an ocean away! I miss her.
*Seeing my Dad happier than I have seen him a very long time. Jeri is a good woman.
*Getting to spend some quality time with my husband (Some days I have to carry a picture around of him just so I can remember what he looks like...)
*Eating "dinner" with Mark in a casino cafe at 2:00 am. And having a gay waiter named Elvis. (the irony of having a waiter named Elvis in Vegas was almost too much for me to handle!)
*Going to see Stomp with Mark and Krystina on Friday night. I highly recommend the show!
*Getting to stand up with my Dad as he got married (at 11:30 at night!).
*Leaving Carson Valley for a few days! :)
*Going to the Wax Museum in the Venetian (see Mark with the Rock...)

525,600 minutes...

Mark,

Today is exactly one year from the day that we went on our first date. I don't often sit and think about that day anymore as so much has happened since then. However, today is a day to remember...

I remember being nervous. And I remember wanting to back out. But I also remember this nagging feeling that if I did back out that I would be missing out on something fantastic. My nagging feeling was probably the Holy Spirit. And it was true - had I turned you down I would have missed out on the greatest blessing of my entire life - you.

I remember early in the afternoon waiting for you to call and set up the details of time and place for the evening. I remember the feeling when I saw an unfamiliar number on my phone and knowing it was you. Being scared to pick up but really curious as to what you had to say. I remember our conversation and thinking how nice you were - and that it wasn't that hard to talk to you after all.

I remember sitting at my kitchen table with Sunny and waiting for you to pick us up. Wondering what in the world we were going to have to talk about. Curious as to why you picked me. Wondering if you knew how old I really was. Not knowing if you were going to want to go out with me again after that night. Not believing that it was my life that this was happening to. You rang my doorbell. My life changed forever.

I'll probably always remember what you had on that night. And where we sat in Applebee's. And how nice you were. Probably the nicest guy I had ever met. And such a gentleman! Sunny and I thought you were too good to be true. That no one could be that much of a gentleman. Or that nice.

But it was true. I married the nicest, kindest, most chivalrous man on earth. You are everything you said you were that night and more. I'm so glad you picked me. I'm so glad I said yes.

Happy One Year Anniversary, Mark. I love you.

Jeanne

Another one bites the dust...

Another one down. We are officially down to one goldfish. Just in case you were wondering, that is.

Top 100 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

(in no particular order)

1. He loves God.
2. He loves me.
3. He won't end a telephone conversation without telling me he loves me.
4. He'll cuddle with me.
5. He makes me laugh with his silly jokes.
6. He'll give me his dinner if I like it better.
7. He takes out the trash without me even asking.
8. He gets excited about little things.
9. He loves cartoons.
10. He can talk his way into any ballpark.
11. He can talk his way into just about anywhere.
12. He can talk his way out of a ticket.
13. He is a really good cop.
14. He looks really cute in his blue uniform.
15. He loves to party.
16. He thinks I'm beautiful even when I am not trying to be.
17. He thinks I'm beautiful even when I am trying to be!
18. He will watch movies I want to watch.
19. He'll share a Coldstone ice cream with me when I know he wants his own.
20. He tries really hard to understand my job.
21. He is my biggest fan.
22. He gives the best hugs.
23. He gives the best kisses.
24. He genuinely wants to serve his community.
25. He loves taking care of his family.
26. He's a big kid.
27. He buys super hero t-shirts and looks really good in them.
28. There is not a selfish bone in his body.
29. He thinks mattresses only cost about 500 dollars.
30. Gummi Bears are his favorite candy.
31. He loves and respects his mom.
32. He likes to grill.
33. He loves sports just enough to be really manly about it.
34. He can make me smile and laugh really hard with his french accent.
35. He loves to take care of me when I am sick.
36. He loves to take care of me even when I am not sick.
37. Let's face it. He's hot.
38. He proposed to me at Wrigley Field!
39. My dad loves him.
40. My sister's think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
41. He is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
42. He is a smart cookie.
43. He knows lots of information about the weirdest things.
44. He can arrest people!
45. He loves his kids.
46. He loves to play X-box.
47. He'll go shopping with me.
48. He's not afraid to put me in my place.
49. His smile brightens my day.
50. He is a good provider.
51. He is a really hard worker.
52. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know.
53. He is the most generous person I've ever met.
54. His eyes smile.
55. He never gives up.
56. He is tender.
57. He's passionate.
58. He loves to laugh.
59. He understands the importance of carnival food.
60. He loves to learn.
61. He has a humble and teachable spirit.
62. He has big plans for our backyard.
63. He'll watch HGTV with me.
64. He doesn't complain too much when I want to watch the style network...
65. He doesn't steal the covers! :)
66. He buys me flowers.
67. He just wants to make me feel special.
68. He makes me feel more loved that I ever have in my life.
69. He is dedicated to family.
70. He has an adventurous spirit.
71. He can keep a secret.
72. He can plan a good party!
73. He's all about marking special moments.
74. He will buy my favorite candy bar if he sees it.
75. He'll fall asleep on the couch but deny he did till the end.
76. He wasn't afraid to make a scary career move because it was good for us.
77. He is the bravest man I know.
78. Did I mention he was hot??
79. He loves milk (so delicious.)
80. My family is important to him.
81. What I think is important to him.
82. He thinks I am a good singer.
83. He respects me.
84. He respects other people.
85. He will help anyone in need.
86. He'll go out of his way to do it.
87. He teaches me to have more fun.
88. He teaches me to be more generous.
89. He makes life more enjoyable.
90. He knows every lyric and author of every song ever written.
91. He'll go to church an hour and half early just to be with me.
92. He loves baked beans.
93. His expression at our wedding. I'll never forget it.
94. His gentleness.
95. His mischievous side.
96. The way he dances.
97. The way he calls just to tell me he loves me and is thinking of me.
98. The way he holds my hand.
99. The way he gives of himself everyday.
100. I love him for who he is. Not what he can do. Just for who you are, Mark.

Two down.

My littel family won four goldfish at the carnival on Sunday. Two have already died. I do not have high expectations for the life expectancy of the other two.

Home Improvements...

My home decorating itch has started. It must be scratched. And scratch it I have.

The last three days I have been painting the largest wall in our living room a really beautiful red color. The official name is "Hawaiian Cinder." But that is just fancy talk for deep, rich red. I finished up my touch-up's this evening...and it looks pretty good if I do say so myself. We have one more wall to paint - but I need to borrow a really tall ladder. So I'll have to get to that later.

We also know have curtains in the living room. Hard to believe, I know. I think they look really fantastic...but then I did pick them out. My opinion might be biased.

I'm going to give my deliciously red wall a few days to cure before I start nailing stuff the walls. Besides, I want to think long and hard about what I want to go on the wall. I was wholly unsatisfied with what I previously had going on on that wall...The only thing I am sure of is that pretty much none of what was there before is going to reappear on that wall.

I'm really quite glad that my life has slowed down a smidge to where I have a little room in my brain to start thinking about really setting up shop here at home. I think it will help my state of mind, too. When I have a really beautiful space to come home to the world just seems a little nicer.

You should come over and see the improvements some time. I think you'll like 'em!

defining moments

The title of my blog. Defining moments. Few of the incidents I right about are actually that. But not so today.

Last night I had the privilege of seeing my husband sworn in as a Police Officer of the City of South Lake Tahoe. A defining moment. It marks the beginning of his official transition from Deputy Sheriff to Police Officer. I am really proud of him.

What made the event even more special was that I got to pin his badge on him.

I love you, Officer Hounsell.

I had a weird moment this morning. I was helping my husband study for his California POST exam and I had this strange sensation of missing studying. I flashed back to a class I took in college - History and Literature of Music - by far the class that required the most studying of any that I took in my four years there. I made some kick-butt study guides for the tests in that class. I can vividly recall sitting on the floor in my door room with three or four other girls drilling the study guide over and over. I really don't mind that kind of studying. I actually kind of miss it, truth be told.

I'm in an awkward kind of place right now. Not bad. Just awkward. Transitional, really. Our schedule at home is anything but settled and there has been a lot of change lately. I am sure that this all contributes to my feelings of awkwardness. But I have to wonder if part of it is not a failure on my part to feed my mind and my soul. I am a learner. I always have been. The last long while I have been in "get it done" mode. There has been precious little time to just learn something new. To stretch my mind some. Granted, I must take some blame for this. I have had a thousand excuses. Work. Wedding. Family. Sleep.

I have a list of hundred things I would love to learn. Or classes I would love to take. Here's a sampling...

1. I've always wanted to take violin lessons.
2. I'd love to take a photography class.
3. I love American History. I'd enjoy taking an American History class from a good teacher.
4. I should really take up voice lessons again.
5. I would love to take a creative writing class. Who knows...maybe I have a story in me.
6. I would DIE if I could take ballroom dancing.
7. Taking an English Literature class would be fun too.
8. Piano lessons would be great...

Anyway - perhaps you can relate. Are you a learner? Do you get in a funk when you get in "do" mode instead of "learn" mode?

By the way - I got a 98% in my History and Literature of Music class... :)

Easy Bake Oven...

Ok. I didn't have an Easy Bake Oven as a kid. But my sister did. Fun for a child...but to quote Monica from Friends, "It is unrealistic to expect a child to wait an hour for a lightbulb to cook brownies!" How true.

I don't really enjoy cooking all that much. Maybe I would if I had more time - but after a long day cooking is really the LAST thing I want to think about. Usually anyway.

Every once in a while I will get in the mood to bake. For some reason, baking and cooking are two different things in my mind. Separate categories. Maybe that's because baking will most often end with a delicious pie or cake or cookie to eat. MMMmmmm.

Last night I got the opportunity to bake some cookies for a co-worker who helped me out yesterday way above and beyond what he had too. And I got to use one of my new toys...

Oooooo.....aaahhhh..... That's right. My generous Aunt and Uncle gave Mark and I a Kitchenaid Mixer for a wedding present. Making cookies has never been so easy. My arm didn't get weary at all because I wasn't the one doing the mixing.

I highly recommend this appliance if you can get your hands on one!

He loves me...

There are many reasons why I know my husband loves me very much. But tonight he demonstrated it in a very cool way...

We were at dinner at a fairly nice establishment and we both ordered different steaks. When they came, we tasted what the other had ordered. I made the passing comment that I liked his better - and he switched steaks with me (and that is a big deal if you knew how much Mark likes steak...).

Ah, such love.

I love my husband.

"The Devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties and restless troubles, flees before the sound of music almost much as before the Word of God."

-Martin Luther

The Fleecing of America!!

Can you believe that it cost Mark and me 69 dollars to get our marriage license?? I mean really! For a little piece of paper. The ink better be pure gold. That's all I have to say.

I've decided that the hidden costs of getting married are: 1) postage 2) your marriage license

Yeah. I'm annoyed.

A guilty pleasure...

Mark has gotten me addicted to the show "Dog the Bounty Hunter." I have no idea why I like it because I do not normally enjoy shows of this nature. But for one reason or another the show has peaked my interest.

On related story...My sister Krystina lives in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Mark asked her one time if she had ever seen Dog (his business also being on Oahu). She replies, "No, I've never seen him - but we go to the same tattoo place."

Only from my sister Krystina would you get such a response. You have to love her. :)

Outdoor Fun

One of my "resolutions" (if you can call it that) is to spend more time outside doing fun outdoor type activities. It's just plain wrong that I live in this beautiful area and never to go to Tahoe or Topaz or any of the other magnificent spots available to me.

So I have been getting ready. Every summer around July I decide I want a beach umbrella. But you can't buy them in July...sold out. So I have already bought two. One for Mark and I and one for the boys. I am also stocking up on beach toys. Buckets, shovels, sand molds, balls - that sort of thing. One of the gifts I got at my wedding shower was an igloo ice chest. Perfect for the all day beach excursion! I want my family to have nice memories of the summers that we spent outdoors. And we have already started, folks. This last week we took a picnic lunch to Lake Topaz. Definately not nearly as nice a lake as Tahoe...but Topaz is only 10 minutes from our house and they allow dogs. It's still water...and it is still pretty nice. I only had two hours - so we couldn't spend the day there. But the time we did have was really nice. Here are some pictures!

Rubber ducky, you're the one...

Mark got called into work the other night - so I got Lance and Tyler ready for bed. Who knew bathtime could be so much fun?

He's so cute.

That's right...my adorable fiance now has a blog. Check him out here.

Kids say...

The darndest things.

Like at dinner the other night.

My mom and her husband Rusty had come over for dinner and Tyler (who is six) had just come from T-ball practice. They had apparently also had a scrimmage that night so he was in his full uniform...

Dinner was past ready when they got home so instead of having him change we just all sat down to eat. We get about five minutes into the meal and he yells out, "Ah, can't I go take my cup off?"

Not ever having had to wear that particular piece of athletic equipment I have no idea if they are comfortable or not. But judging from Tyler's disdain over having to wear it at dinner...I'm going to guess not.

We're going...

On a honeymoon!! It's a long, long story of how we got here...but the short story is that our friends Henry and Cindy (Incidentally it is Henry that is marrying us) gave us a week of their time share for our wedding present! So we will be spending a glorious week at a resort in Scottsdale, AZ. I just love them.

In case you were wondering...

Only 44 days until the wedding!

Odd source, true statement

I came across this article on msn.com about a couple from IL that are planning on getting married in a cemetery. Which, I have to admit, is weird. However, at the very end of the article the bride makes a very good point. In response to co-workers who were giving her a hard time about having nuptials in a cemetery she says, "Does it matter where we get married, just as long as we get married?" Huh. Good point. Not that I want to get married in a cemetery mind you...but she does make an excellent point.

I confess that from time to time I have gotten caught up in the where and how of our wedding. But really, whether we get married in a beautiful backyard or the courthouse, the end result is the same. I will be Mrs. Hounsell. (But I still want the beautiful backyard!)

Here's the article for your reading pleasure....

With this ring, I thee wed in a graveyard
Hearse-driving Missouri couple plans cemetery wedding

PACIFIC, Mo. - It's not the traditional "till death do us part," but Scott Amsler and Miranda Patterson believe getting hitched in a graveyard is just thinking outside the box.
Come September, the Illinois couple expects to pledge their undying love among the dearly departed in this St. Louis suburb's city cemetery, even though those who approved the request are dead set against seeing it become a trend.
The wedding wouldn't be out of character for Amsler, 27, a computer expert for a financial company by day and rehabber of old hearses by night.
The graveyard, he said, just has a certain tranquility and thriftiness for nuptials the young couple insists will be small, private and traditional — except for the bagpipes, Amsler's refurbished hearse and the throng of eternally silent witnesses.
"People are going to think how they want. I don't actively try to convince people that my interests are normal or logical," Amsler said. "I'm not a freak or Satan worshipper or cult member. It just goes with our theme."
Deep down, the couple said, it just seemed right.
Amsler and Patterson, who recently moved to Collinsville, Ill., became an item not long after they met in November 2005 at a birthday party where Patterson, 21, was to have been the celebrant's blind date. Amsler showed up in a retooled hearse that caught Patterson's eye.
‘I wanted a ride in it, but I chickened out’"I wanted a ride in it, but I chickened out at the last minute," she said.
By their first date weeks later, on New Year's Eve, Patterson knew Amsler was the one. Not long afterward, she quit her factory job in Sullivan, Mo., and moved in with Amsler in Troy, Ill.
Amsler proposed last June, affixing to the side of the 1965 hearse — which the two call "Edgar" — a plate with a simple message: "Will you marry me?" Seconds later, the ring slid onto a crying Patterson's finger.
She received Edgar as an engagement gift and had only one stipulation: The wedding had to be outside, in a gazebo.
Her worries were laid to rest while she and Amsler drove to her dad's house. While traveling on Interstate 44, Patterson spotted a gazebo on a hilltop, only to find it was in a graveyard. No worries.
"The view was just gorgeous," she said. "I said, `This is where I want to get married.'"
When the couple called last fall for permission to use the three-acre cemetery, which dates to the Civil War, City Clerk Jo Ann Hoehne told them the local cemetery committee would have to decide.
‘Just a normal young couple’"When I spoke to them, they were just a normal young couple who wanted to have a wedding someplace they thought was nice and serene for a very small, intimate wedding," Hoehne said. "They weren't any cult group or anything like that."
Bill Hohman, a 71-year-old alderman on the cemetery panel, wasn't sure what to think.
"It's strange to me. This is kind of an unusual thing around here," he said of the country town where the roughly 5,700 residents "roll up the sidewalks at 9 o'clock, and everyone goes to bed."
The committee last month signed off on the couple's request despite concerns about the appropriateness of the setting for the occasion — and fears that a burial might be scheduled for the same time.
Hohman, though, vows to introduce a measure to make Amsler-Patterson nuptials the last among this town's tombstones. "Once the horse is out of the barn, you have to have an ordinance," he said.
But Patterson said she and Amsler have respect for the living and the dead.
"We're not going to do anything stupid or horrible. We just want to have a wedding," she said.
"Some of the ladies I work with said, `Are you crazy? Why would you get married in a cemetery?' Does it matter where we get married, just as long as we get married?"

"I've Got the World on a String..."

Here are some random observations of mine from the last few days...

I (kinda) miss taking voice lessons. Last night at NewSong rehearsal our former choir director brought in her private voice students to perform for us. Her recital is next Thursday and she wanted to give a few of her students an opportunity to perform one of their songs in front of people they didn't know as practice for their real recital. It's a great idea. I was sitting in the front row watching, listening and remembering back to the days when that was me singing in Italian at what felt like the top of my register in front of people that I didn't know. Part of me was sad because I know that I have lost much of my technical skill that I worked years to achieve. As more time passes it feels like I am looking at that portion of my life through a haze. Mozart feels like a long time ago and part of me is saddened by it. There is, of course, another part that is glad I am not singing in Italian at the top of my register in front of people I don't know. I feel both those emotions at the same time, and more than likely always will.

With the assistance of my brilliant wedding planner, Tina, I have picked 2 REALLY nice songs for the ceremony. I shall not reveal the name of the songs until the wedding day itself... so if you want to know what songs I picked I guess you'll just have to come and see me get married :) Rest assured though... it ain't no Shania Twain.

Mark and I started our premarital counseling yesterday. I can tell that it is going to be hard for me (in a good, learning and stretching sort of way). The couple counseling us is asking the sort of questions I don't like answering: questions that I can't study for and that often involve how I feel. I like questions with concrete answers that I can study for. Plus, I will give you my best answers when I can think about the questions for a long time. Thoughts need time to percolate in my brain. It's just the way I am. So when I get asked a question that needs percolating and I have to answer immediately I feel like everything that comes out of my mouth is unintelligent gibberish. It's not a great feeling, really. We have a book/workbook (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) that we are working from... so I hope that I will feel better prepared to answer their questions having spent all week reading and thinking about the exercises in the book. Or maybe I just need to get over my question anxiety. That's a possibility too...

It's been a weird week. LOTS has happened that I couldn't even begin to have space to blog about here. I'm sure I'll write about it in the weeks and months to come. Just not tonight.

And all that jazz

As previously mentioned, I am getting married. May 11th, 2007. For those of you who are counting, that's 124 days from now.

I have been thinking extensively about the music for the ceremony. Songs for the processional and recessional. Special songs to be sung during the ceremony. Pre and Post service melodies. It's a lot of music, really. Many of you who read this blog probably know that I am a Music Director for a very cool church. Music is my business you could say. It's what I do all week long. And it is why I'm feeling a lot of pressure for the music to not suck at the wedding.

Let me explain.

Obviously, whoever I ask to play or sing will do an excellent job. I'm certainly not going to ask someone to perform whose skills are questionable. And I apologize if this sounds harsh...but there is simply no room for mediocre at this wedding! The suck knob is going to be turned down so far that it is off. No, I am not stressed about quality. I'm stressed about song selection.

Let me explain further.

I am very passionate about our wedding not being a "cookie cutter" ceremony. I'm sure we have all been to those weddings where you felt like you could say "insert bride and groom here." I don't want the wedding to be so off the wall that it's bizarre...I simply want people to leave feeling like they just spent time with Mark and Jeanne - Not any random bride and groom. Therefore I have put a ban on the following song selections:

Canon in D
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Anything Shania Twain
Anything Steven Curtis Chapman
Anything Twila Paris

Now, I have great respect for those songs and artists. But apparently so does most of the rest of the free world because they have been performed at every wedding since 1990.

If you were going to the wedding of a florist you would come expecting spectacular flowers. If I was going to the wedding of a career musician I would expect spectacular music. Now, I will admit that it is entirely possible that this problem is all in my head. Very possible. But I am going to operate under the assumption that it is not and strive to have fun, creative and meaningful music selections during my ceremony.

Expect the unexpected, wedding guests. There will be no Canon in D here.