Tonight I dashed out of work to get a 20 minute workout in (some circuit weights today), and then dashed to the bus to get there with few minutes to spare.
When I got home I threw some ground turkey with Mrs. Dash in the microwave for chili. (Not sure why I picked chili for dinner, but I had gone grocery shopping the day before and that's what sounded good when I was planning some menus.)
Anyway, while the meat was browning I jumped in the shower and before drying my hair I mixed up the chili. While the chili was simmering I dried my hair and finished getting ready. With no time to actually eat the chili, I tested it and turned off the burner before heading out to church.
Whew! I was a few minutes late to church, but I think it was worth it. As I walked in the door, I saw my foster-nephew, E, and one of his choir leaders walking down the hall from the bathroom. I was greeted with "Hi, Bekah!" in his cute-for-now-no-consonants.
I greeted him back, "Hi, E-!" and turned to go toward the auditorium. E and his leader kept on going to their classroom, but then I heard, "Hey!" So I turned around and E said, "Hey...[pause, pause]...I love you!" And before I could get out a reply, he repeated himself, "I love you!" Of course I said, "I love you!" back, and I think he said it one more time.
What a kid! It was cute to see him scrambling for something to say to me and extra cute that his go-to phrase was "I love you!"
By the way, my freezer is full of chili now. Guess I'm set for another 6 months before I need to make it again :)
Jess posted this pic on fb today - E(4), F(1), V(2)
Enchiladas! Oh,
these were tasty! ...and I just happen to have everything in my cupboard when I made them last week. After
reviewing several recipes I thought this was what best fit the ingredients I had on hand.
Since I didn't want it too spicy, I added one ingredient: 1 can of cream
of celery soup.
One of my favorite things about a Friday night is turning of my alarm for a sleep in Saturday. Ahh...zzzzzzzzzzz
Don't miss it! Last week I blogged about on my job.
Raise your hand if 5 times in one post is too many times to use the word crazy!
:)
This week was just as busy as last week, and I'm already dreading next week. Tax day on Monday means that I'll be processing of many checks for clients trying to get in last minute 2012 IRA or Roth IRA contributions. Hopefully these checks will be for already-opened-accounts. Opening new accounts would add more work :/ Speaking of new accounts...I've been opening a lot of investment accounts lately, and not just to accommodate 2012 contribution checks, but for transfers for new clients or clients who had accounts at other firms. I think this week I opened 10 accounts, and I have several sets of paperwork ready for clients who are coming in for a meeting or I have mailed out paperwork for clients to sign and return.
The boys are back! Jess and Luke have had their 3 foster boys back since Saturday when they got back from their North Carolina trip to see Jake, Meg, Lily & Ella. E, V, & F have changed a lot in the couple of months they were with their family. I got to help with bedtime a couple of nights. My parents drove over this week to see them. V is really talking up a storm - well, as much as a 2 year old does with one word sentences. My favorite was when we were almost ready for dinner, the table was being set, and he came over to me and said, "come on" while waving his hand and motioning me to come to the table. Of course, I came. He even pointed to a chair telling me where to sit. So cute, so cute.
April showers bring May flowers. What do Mayflowers bring? We've had 8 days in a row of rain or snow. On one of the worst days (in order to not have to scrape my car and sit in traffic) I walked to the bus stop a couple of blocks from house. When I headed to the bus stop, the bus was supposed to be 9 minutes away. The sidewalks were not cleared so I sloshed my way through several inches of gloppy snow, but made it with time to spare...yeah, lots of time.
me at the bus stop...waited for 30 minutes for my bus
A view of the snowy sidewalk.
My car at the end of the day. The windows didn't need scraped -- just shoveled off.
My spot didn't get plowed since I didn't drive to the park n' ride.
Since 2010 was kind of a
recovery year financially from 2009, I had lots of goals for 2011 one of
which included paying off a credit card.
Mom turned 60!
Lots of snow in
Minneapolis!
Dad turned 60!
Got to go to a few hockey practices
- Nephew Carsten’s new past time!
April
May
June
Morgen & I enjoyed sunny
walks at Medicine Lake.
Carsten and I walked for
Metro Women’s Center – raising money for their new Amazing Grace home.
Niece Lily turned 1!
Flaming Family Reunion
July
August
September
Beautiful “We’re sorry”
flowers from Morgen, Carsten, and Ethan...
Our tradition for the past
3 years has been to have Jess’s birthday party at my house.
Finished paying off my
credit card so time for a haircut…just a shape up since I spent 7 months
growing it out!
October
November
December
Jess
and Luke were certified foster parents for over 6 months when Safya came to
be a part of our family for a short few weeks. Looking forward to them having
another placement sometime soon!
I decided to chop my hair. Absolutely
no regrets!
Mom and Dad moved to
Spooner, WI.
I took back their tree I
had borrowed for 5 years and helped them decorate.
As you may have read I've been feeling a little mailman-neglected and decidedIneed to start writing more letters. Here's more, enjoy!
Dear Credit Card Debt, Just 3 more slightly chunky payments and you’re all gone! I’m excited, not gonna lie! Then I'm on to the ol’ school loan--you’re going down!!
Dear Hair, It's been 3 looong months since your last cut. Please be mindful to stay smooth and manageable as there are a few more months before you will see scissors! Oh, and would you mind not growing any more gray? Thanks.
Dear Future Car, No, I’m not talking about a futuristic car. I mean the future car I’m going to own in the near, near future. Yes, You! (I’m really hoping Future Car is not, You!) Anywhoo, hope you’re resting up for some road trips!!
Dear Slaves Interns, Only a few more weeks and then you are ours--for 3 months! Hope you’re ready to learn all about the financial planning industry by reviewing client documents (a.k.a. scanning!). Don’t worry, Boss has many other projects to throw in the mix!
Dear Mo’gen, Thanks for spending last weekend with me. It was fun hanging out with you and doing whatever you wanted -- including a trip to Target where you asked for everything you saw! Can’t believe you’re about to turn 7!! Didn’t I tell you not to grow up?!
Dear Lily Bug, You're soooo cute - I could eat you up!! When you come to visit me, I'll be sure to make you a strawberry and banana smoothie (your cousins looove them and practically demand that I make them!). We'll also work on you saying my name ;-) Lots of love, Auntie beK <3
Got a stamp?!
Oh, and I think I'll post some pics soon so stay tuned!
Lately I haven’t had much from the USPS mailman, and it got me to thinking: maybe I should write more letters...hmmm...
Well, that's not likely so I hope these notes put asmile on your face and make you want to run home, pull out the ol’ paper and pen and send me lots o’ letters!
Dear Sebring, Thank you for getting me to and from work each day and all the other places you take me. At ~148,000 miles in 15 years (that’s ~68,000 miles in 6 years with yours truly), I believe your almost ready for retirement -- we’ll have a party soon, I promise! Party date and location: TBA.
Dear Anti-lock Brake Light, Thanks for going off today as the streets were wet and there was a chance I might actually need the anti-lock brake system. Normally I do enjoy how you and Check Engine Light brighten up my dash!!
Dear Traffic, Thank you for getting out of my way when I needed to merge. I didn’t want to bring out my south-of-Chicago-learned driving skills, but I would of, if I had to...Yo, Westside!!
Dear Vincent A Restaurant(French - oui, oui! ...or si, si!, according to the English to French dictionary), yesterday your $14, The Vincent Burger was delicious and filling: so delicious and filling I didn't finish the fries! Not sure I would have chosen you on the menu description alone (Ground Beef, Braised Short Ribs, Smoked Gouda), but two fist pumps for the assist (a.k.a. recommendation) by compliance branch manager, Cindy!! So glad I didn't have to pay the $14!
Dear Camera, Wow! I haven’t pulled you out since, well, I’m not sure when...Christmas?! My phone has been an acceptable replacement with it’s easy Facebook sharing features and, well, I just am too lazy to make sure you, Camera, have charged batteries, too! But I did pull out last Sunday for the kids' choirs at church last Sunday, so thanks for standing by!
Jen & Eric hosted an open house for their friends to come see their new place. I was in charge of making coffee :) Here are a few pics. Can you tell when Morgen picked up the camera for a little photo fun?!
In 2008 I took Morgen to Disney on Ice Finding Nemo. (Eric, Jen, & Carsten went a long as well.) She may have been 3 1/2, but she still remembers it and still talks about the flashlight that I got her which is broken and long gone... Funny thing is that Carsten remembers it and he was only 2.
Well, Morgen asked recently (after viewing an ad on the side of a bus) if I would take her to see Disney on Ice Princess Classics. Of course, I said, "Yes!" ...what?? she asked very nicely!
So today Morgen & I ventured out for a late afternoon showing of Disney on Ice ~ Princess Classics at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. This is the day after she had the stomach flu, so we went with a little trepidation...we made it through the afternoon and got home before 7pm.
She fell asleep on the way there and back. It was worth it...just ask her! :o) I did ask her what her favorite part was and she said in her dreamy voice, "Ariel." I asked, "Why Ariel?" and she said, "Because I like wormmaids."
Now I have to plan a special day for Carsten. He told me tonight that he'd like to see "Lightning McQueen, but not on ice, on the road!" It was so cute when he made sure that I was going to still be there after he had his bath. He also told me that he was "very excited that [I] got to stay at their house for a whittle bit." I'm pretty sure he told me that twice! And while I'm on the subject of cute things Carsten says...tonight during prayer time he prayed, "Dear God...and in January, pray that I'll be big so I can be a big boy..." He'll be four in January. I guess that's when you become a big boy!
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I Thessalonians 5:18
Singing with Thankfulness
This morning as I left for work, I was reminded to be thankful. Yes, I know we already had Thanksgiving, but my reminder to be thankful often comes when I get into my car. A friend of mine used to make up songs to sing for her K4/K5 classes and one of them was "Thank you, Lord for my _______" -- you fill in the blank. The song basically repeats several times and ends with "right where you are!" Anyway, this little song comes to mind regularly when I'm driving, so the first thing I usually fill in the blank with, is my car. And now you know :0)
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching."Hebrews 10:25
It's kind of fun/interesting to be able to tell you about this music because I personally know the musician! Dave was the music director/pastor at Harvest when I lived on Guam. I really enjoyed singing in choir and ensembles under his direction and learned a lot from him. Like me, he's not on Guam any more, but he's still actively involved in church and music to the honor and glory of God! His blog will tell you more about his ministry and his music. Hope you get a chance to download this FREE CD and maybe even buy his newest CD!
Just as a point of fact, last year I received his Christmas CD from my sister for my birthday. Let me tell you it was my favorite CD of the season. I think I listened to it well into January, maybe even February! Yes, it was that good!
(So, Dave, how about adding Minnesota to your itinerary!?! Sara, you have roots up here! You should come for a visit!)
You remember that last year we had another wedding in the family. I posted pics and tales here and here. This year to carry on the wedding week traditions we got pedicures and attended a Twins game!
My niece and nephews spent the evening with me while Jen & Eric went out to dinner for the evening. My small apartment got even smaller as the evening went on, but we had a good time hanging out and watching "noovies" :-)
Mo'gen & Carsten spent the night. The next morning I took them to a bakery down the street from me since Morgen requested donuts for breakfast (and as only a good aunt would do, I complied!). I didn't use the word "bakery" when we talked about going to get donuts and when we got there I asked if they knew where we were. Morgen said "Yes, a bakery." When I asked her how she knew that she pointed to a shop window and said that was how she knew it was a bakery. She was pointing to the barber shop pole! Gotta love 'em!!
For the sake of my sanity, I really try not to do this very much b/c of the quantity of kids, but one recent Sunday I decided to go to lunch after church with Markgrafs, Frenchs, & Emslies. Here's a few pics:
Just wanted to share with you what I'm up to these days!
I just completed my 2nd year here at theJob* in downtown Minneapolis and still love the challenge of the job and the fact that I live near 2 out of 3 sisters, plus my niece and nephews. Oh, and of course the 2 B-I-L's (brother-in-laws).
Due to the economy, my job (and maybe yours?) was affected by a reduction of both pay and hours beginning April 1st. To offset the financial reduction and keep up with my previously set goals, I applied for a few local part-time jobs when I found out in March, but had no success. Around that time I received an invite to a PartyLite show with a friend from church. I had already been tossing around the idea of selling Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, or something similar so I decided to go the party to find out about selling PartyLite.
So the party was fun, I liked the products I saw, and then I found out that it would cost me NOTHING to start selling. I had been sure that the starter kit would cost something, but was glad to learn that the I could receive $500 in product for hosting a starter show ($350 kit plus $150 in product credit).
It really was easy. I invited all the (local) people I could think of (60!!) and had an average turn out (13!). I reached the sales goal ($350) with the starter show orders and earned my starter kit for FREE.
With all the people I had invited to my starter show who couldn't make it and with orders from people at work, I was able to "host" another show just through catalog orders! This helped me out a lot b/c they ask that you have 6 shows in your first 2 months. Now I've booked the remaining 5 shows and can't wait to show people all the candle stuff I got for FREE!
Last Tuesday I went to my first PartyLite team meeting and got more free candles and PL logo stuff! I had fun while learning a lot! Somethings I learned and want to share...
$$$$ Do you know of an organization looking for a profitable FUNDRAISER? How about 50%? That's right, 50% PROFIT - with NO sorting! Product is shipped to EACH seller!! Check it out!
this was a fad a while back on Facebook. I started the list but never finished it...
I love lists! I love to add items just to cross them off!
I enjoy reading blogs and wish I would blog more.
In the 8th grade I said I was going to be a writer when I grew up.
I prefer cold drinks to hot.
I love the smell of coffee, but don't drink the stuff--regardless of peer/family pressure!
I'm a procrastinator. I need lists, people, or time crunch to motivate me.
I'm a perfectionist, kind of.
I'm non-artistic in drawing but sometimes have a spark of creativity with decorating, cooking, and computer stuff.
I would love to be on a home decorating show as the organizer expert but maybe should get my own stuff organized first! It was much easier to be organized when I didn't have anything!
I decided I'm a "visual learner" when most of my friends in college were learning about the concept in their teaching classes.
I spent 3 years on Guam and have albums full of great memories.
I travelled to Australia, Hawaii, Japan and three other islands (Rota, Tinian and Saipan) during my Guam years.
I sing in a group called Deo Cantamus to broaden my horizons and keep me challenged musically.
I wish I had a family of my own but don't dwell on it much.
I spend time with my niece and nephews playing cars and barbies, coloring, and wiping up drool, etc. (Maybe that's the reason for #14...)
I try not to read books or watch movies that I've already read or seen but sometimes I don't remember that I've read or seen it until I'm already into the book or movie.
I'm learning a lot at my job. It's challenging and frustrating to be learning all the time. Just when I think I've got something down, a different something comes up that I have to learn. Isn't that life!?! EDIT: I don't seem to be learning much at work lately. Maybe I've reached a plateau or maybe it's just a slow time...
I'm moving May 16th to an one-bedroom apartment. I'm excited to live "on my own" again!
I'm going to miss cooking for Jess, but I'm sure she and Luke won't mind coming over for dinner once-in-a-while :)
I've never liked a movie I saw on an airplane. (Unfortunately I saw several on the 13-hour flights from the US to Japan.)
Watertown, WI. I spent my formative years in the town of water. It's a nice place to visit and a fine place to live. If I won the lottery*, I would buy the nicest house in town and live there for, oh, just 6 months out of the year (obviously, the winter months would be spent somewhere warmer...). *You gotta play to win. Too bad I don't play!
So since I'm not living in Watertown anymore it's fun to visit once in a while. Last week I drove down on Thursday and spent the afternoon with my friend Sue. She snuck away from the pie shop just long enough to venture to Madison for dinner. We had fun catching up on each other's happenings. Our meal at BD's Mongolian Grill was interrupted by a power outage (for the entire East Towne area!), but since we were the only customers in the restaurant, the servers were very attentive. Good thing the grill was gas!
That evening we stopped by the rehearsal for The Music Man, a production that MBBC was putting on this coming weekend. When I was young I think we watched the classic movie every year and I loved it! It was disappointing to hear they wouldn't be performing the song Shipoopi...well, not really... My real favorite song & choreography of the movie is Marian the Librarian.
Friday I spent part of the day on Maranatha's campus visiting with former co-workers and seeing the changes around campus. Then I went to lunch with two friends, Sue and Donna. We too had a great time catching up on each of our life happenings. Donna's sister has cancer and it was sad to hear about what's going on with her, but it was good to find out how to pray more specifically for Donna and her family.
After lunch I chatted with a few more peoples on campus and then headed over to see my old OSM boss, Doug. I say "old" because he was at home recovering from shoulder surgery. This man has had more surgeries on his joints then I've had...well, I can't think of anything funny, but he's had a lot! His whole family was home so I was able to catch up with everyone! I can't believe how big the kids are getting - including Nic who will be graduating from college and getting married this summer! It was especially good to see Kris who's also had quite a challenging year as she had cancer.
My visit with the Richards family was a bit long-winded so I had to fly across town to get back to Sue's house where I was staying. She was cooking dinner for me and my Watertown family: Kurschner's, Lawson's, & Chowanec's. (That reminds me of my Guam family. Anyone remember what we named ourselves when we combined our last names to make one big new name?...hmm...Traucht, Flaming, Nixon, Thompson, Clodfelter...how'd we do that?!)
Anyway, Sue cooked a delicious meal and we all got to catch up and also be entertained by the two little munchkins, Noah and Leah. I've included a few pics from that evening below.
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On Saturday I met my Watertown family at the pie shop for breakfast before I headed back to the City of Lakes. Wait! this is a town of water, too!?!
All in all it was a great road trip! Beautiful weather. Safe driving. Wonderful fellowship. Believe it or not, there were plenty more people that I wished I would have had time to catch up with. So if you're one of the people I missed hopefully we'll connect next visit! See you soon!
You may remember that I invited you to a recent Deo Cantamus concert. The concert was a success by my standards especially considering I didn't make any noticeable blunders in my German or Latin. Yes, I said "noticeable"...
My sister Jess surprised me after the concert with these beautiful flowers. I didn't even know she was at the concert!
Jess, thanks for coming to support your favorite sis! ;)
I loved the flowers!
Next season's concerts are already on the books for October - GiVe We tHaNkS & March - aGaPE. The kids' choir will be featured in January - mAkE a JoYfUl NoIsE and will include a new addition of a youth choir.
Recently I was visiting up in "canada" and was able to take part in the Markgraf's evening family devotion time. While this was my first time experience for me, it was soon clear that Morgen and Carsten knew the routine.
After a couple of Bible stories were read, Morgen went searching for the jar for everyone to draw a name out of. We were going to pray for the person whose name we had drawn after we each named someone or something thankful for.
Morgen, Carsten, Jen, and Eric all took their turns saying who or what they were thankful for. When it was my turn, Carsten looked at me without the slightest hesitation at all and asked me, "What are you tankbull-pore, Bekah? What are you tankbull-pore?" And because I was laughing through tears at the quick, but genuine question, he quickly asked two more times, "What are you tankbull-pore?! What are you tankbull-pore?!"
Because of his sincere quest, I replied in the only way I could, "I'm thankful for you, Carsten!" And before I could add to that, and from the other side of the couch, Morgen piped up, "What about me, Bekah?!" To which I also replied, "and you, too, Morgen!" (Ethan was already in bed sleeping so he couldn't ask why he was left out.)
Here's a few pics from a recent visit to Auntie Bek's:
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Not to leave little Bubba out, here's some pics of Ethan:
Since I've been "too busy" to blog lately, I thought this was an appropriate entry for my "not the last to know" theme...
My dad forwarded this email from my uncle: Subject: WD-40Before you read to the end, does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is? Don't lie and don't cheat. WD-40. Who knew? I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do, probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I’m impressed! WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40'The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.Here are some other uses:
Protects silver from tarnishing.
Removes road tar and grime from cars.
Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
Keeps flies off cows.
Restores and cleans chalkboards.
Removes lipstick stains.
Loosens stubborn zippers.
Untangles jewelry chains.
Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
Removes tomato stains from clothing.
Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots
Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
Keeps scissors working smoothly.
Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuffmarks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
Rids kids' rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
Removes splattered grease on stove.
Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
Removes all traces of duct tape.
Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
Florida's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
The favorite use in the state of New York, WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing is not allowed in some states.
Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash.. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to run smoothly.
From "Masterworks of Choral Music" to "Great Hymns of the Faith," the Deo Cantamus** chorale and Let the Children Praise honor choir come together to present a program that is worshipful, inspirational and edifying.
Admission cost is $6.00 and tickets will be available at the door. The concert will be held in the auditorium of Fourth Baptist Church.
