SMV Discovery Museum's Easter Egg Hunt 2009

I was hoping to post this around Easter time, but blogging slipped way down the priority list and here we are a few weeks later. Still fun to reminisce!


Here's Sean, "supervising" prize distribution :)

The kids, rarin' to go and waiting to be released into the museum for the hunt

Our cohorts in crime, some fellow Lts, Megan and Cam; a Sgt and his SO; and far left, Jennifer the museum director. It was a pretty neat event! Lots of fun and only slightly exhausting. I forget what all we actually "helped" with; most of the work was done when we arrived. It was mainly being there to help kids out if they needed it. Good times from one year ago.

Another reminiscing post: Big Sur

The last weekend in March 2009 was a momentous one! We (our group) planned a trip to Monterey/Seaside to participate in the BIG SUR MUD RUN, a five-mile trek through sand and trails and paved road, including pushups and wall obstacles and soldiers yelling at you, an annual event sponsored by the Army. Starting and finishing at CSU Monterey Bay, it was an amazing course!! Lots of energy all around, thousands of people, even a few pirate costumes. :) One of the best experiences ever. Sean and Travis, one of our friends, won in their category (20's military male). Doesn't surprise me; they are pretty studly. I was in the heat prior to theirs, and was hoping they wouldn't catch me too quickly. It was toward the end, but they did catch me, even with a ten-minute head start! I hate the feeling of being chased, and would much rather set my sights on people to pass. But I was definitely happy and proud that they won! I was surprised how yucky I felt only a mile or two into it, even though I'd been training harder, and I actually stopped to walk a few times. Early-morning starts are not the best for my body. But it was a very worthwhile experience nonetheless, and I'm very glad I did it. We were all quite muddy by the end!
The collage below displays pictures from our drive back along Hwy 1, a famously-scenic route along California's coastline. Hopefully I will find pictures of the mud run itself to post soon! Now that we don't live in the Golden State, I am extra thankful we did things like this to enjoy the beauty God has established there.

Weeknight Beef Skillet

I'm back! I've been absent from this blog for quite a while, but have had much to distract me, with moving into our new house, unpacking, and settling in. It's going well! I might have to post some pictures of the house itself later...

Here's a meal we enjoyed recently, delicious to eat but it came with quite an uninspired name. Weeknight Beef Skillet, really? That could be anything. I'm open for suggestions as to a more evocative title. :)


Some of the ingredients; meat, bell pepper, and onion not pictured.

Browning the beef with onion and bell pepper, yummmm!

Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, teaspoon or two of sugar, and mixed veggies

Cook some noodles and stir it all together for a tasty all-in-one meal, complete with a protein source, veggies, starch, and lots of flavor.

Cecil Fam Visit

Kathy, Zak, and Emily (family friends of ours) stopped by to visit the other night! So fun. We looked at baby-name meanings online and chatted. The kids were full of questions, and it was good to catch up.

" If you have more than one kid, do you think they will like each other?"

"What color pajamas will you put the baby in if it's a boy?"

"What are you going to name it?"

"Do you think 'e will have blue eyes?"

Zak and Em are both hams, and alternately sucked in their stomachs for photos, and pretended to be pregnant. Zak's growing up so fast! I can't believe he's nine now. We watched him when he was an infant, and did informal daycare for Kathy, Johnston-style. I was in high school (homeschooled) and he was so tiny! He's a little less cuddly now, and probably going to be much taller and bigger than me someday, but he still gives good hugs. It was fun to see them!

Packing up!

I had forgotten how much kitchen stuff I had here in CA, packed away from my apartment! Lots of spices and sugar and oil, good staples that I am excited to take to CO. We won't be taking all of it, however! We discovered we have had some "helpers" in the garage... mice who went through my stuff, ate some of it, shredded other bits of it, and left little presents behind, all without my permission. Just thought you'd want to see the carnage! We are making good progress, and will finish packing this afternoon. We plan to load it all onto a truck Monday, then depart for Colorado on Tuesday! Exciting!! It's been overwhelming at times, but my parents are awesome workhorses who just plug away at it, so much so that I feel like I am barely helping! I'm not supposed to lift heavy stuff in my condition, but I still want to contribute (and have... some).

Home, Sweet... Visit

I'm here in California, after flying in yesterday morning! With a 4 a.m. getup for a 6 a.m. flight, it was a long day (about 20 hours by the time I went to bed), but a very good day. Aside from a little turbulence in the tiny plane from LAX to SMX, it was a smooth trip! My wonderful husband packed my bag for me the night before I left (after I laid out all the items on the bed, then crashed on the other side of the bed from exhaustion), and prepared me a nice eggs-and-toast breakfast that morning, and drove me to the airport. He is amazingly good to me, and I am so thankful for him. So privileged to be married to him! My parents picked me up at the airport, and I lost it, almost sobbing in my mom's arms. Mostly because I threw up as we landed (glad it was at the very end!), but also because I was overcome with being "home." It's funny how attached you can become to a place, but I must admit I got a little teary-eyed when I first caught the Pacific in my window when we took off from LAX. It is so soothing to see it again, and to recognize the roads from the air as we came in to Santa Maria, and to get reacquainted with the strawberry fields.

Though this has been "home" for so long, since October 1997, it is no longer completely home because Sean is not here. I find that so interesting! It's familiar, but I've changed. I have a "Colorado me" now, and the "single California me" is a chapter in history. We may end up stationed back here, but that is in the future and only God knows where He will lead us in our life-adventure. For now, I am here to pack up all my earthly possessions, including an abundance of wedding presents (yay!!) and transport them to our home in Colorado. I'm no longer concerned with just me; my concerns envelop us. I am excited to visit with dear friends and my wonderful parents, who are uber excited about my arrival.

God's timing is so perfect! We have waited a long time for our house, but now it is spring; things are green and growing, and I am in my second trimester and have more energy. Back home in Colorado Springs, it is spring break this week, so I am not missing any of my normal activities. When I came back to Santa Maria, I observed it's the same here, but not the same. I am glad to sit back and let someone else do the cooking for a few days (I still offer to do the dishes), and am pleased to have a restful-yet-busy visit with people I miss and love. I am still my parents' daughter and always will be, but I am a married, adult daughter now, so our relationship is transitioning a bit. It's good. I am glad to be here for a visit, glad to be out of limbo (hopefully) and moving toward a goal of having our own home to use as a tool for God (and to be able to nest our little family in it!!). We are scheduled to close on the house on April 2nd, but we are still praying and trusting God for the outcome. I am learning it is wise to hold off on getting too excited until things are for-sure, in-writing secure. True security is found only in God, not in material things or earthly events. We are learning so much through this experience; it's been very valuable. I feel older than I was when I left (which I am, five months older). But I feel wiser too, for which I am thankful.

Italian Zucchini Pasta

I only took one picture of this meal... but it was a pretty good one. :) One of the staples passed down to me from my mom's repertoire, it turned out really well, especially because the can of diced tomatoes I used had balsamic vinegar, basil, and garlic added to it. This meal is pretty quick and easy, with lots of veggie goodness present in the zucchini slices. Love the fettuccini pasta too! And Italian sausage meatballs.... what's not to love.

If all these food posts make you hungry, feel free to stop by for dinner anytime! I would love to lure invite loved ones for a visit!