Friday, August 28, 2009
The Fancy Fritter
Show Us Your Life - Wedding Showers
We went with the typical theme of tools, so I decided to take my step ladder and put it on the table. It made the perfect serving piece - it replace my smaller, wrought iron , stacked serving piece. We put all the fixings for the chili on it - cheese, sour cream, and Fritos.
Here is the remainder of my table scape. I took an existing arrangement and added nails, washers, and bolts to the bottom of the apothecary jar. Then I filled in the arrangement with the tools from my husbands tool set. Finally, I took the tool box and arranged it askew on the table and put the arrangement on top of it. There you go!
As for the food, we decided to serve three kinds of chili with all the fixings. It was a guy themed party so we wanted to keep with that. The ladies enjoyed it all just as much as the guys. I'll post the chili we made on the Recipe section soon. Then, my sis in law and I split dessert duty. She made these lovely vanilla cupcakes. She made these for us on the day we were engaged and they are delicious. Note the sweet little silver rings in the frosting. Then I made Southern Living's Chocolate Bread Pudding. Sorry no pic but it was awesome! I'll be posting that recipe soon as well.
Finally, we bought them a wheelbarrow. So we put it next to where they were going to sit to open their gifts and put all the gifts in it. We did not get a pic but it looked great and everyone loved it.
Well, that was our Tool and Garden Chili Shower and we had a blast, hope you enjoyed!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The New Look
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
To Bang or Not to Bang
What was I thinking? I asked Don what he thought and after some Umm's and Well's, he told me he liked it better before. He said, I look like a thirty year old with the bangs, but I didn't before. Thanks Sasparilla (that's his blog name - SasparillaSasquatch - check it out as soon as he actually posts, encourage him to post, he's terribly loquacious). It's not his fault, I asked. So now, it's back to the growing out. But what do I do about the flopping in the face? I hate it. I usually end up with my hair tucked behind my ears at the end of the day. It doesn't make for a professional or managerial look. I end up looking like the teenage intern. Talk about getting some respect.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Trust In...
Anywoo, I was single for 28 years before I was married. In the South that is apparently considered OLD MAID territory. Whatever, I wasn't ready to be married until then, so there.(that's a little shout out to all my single ladies who think that just because they are 20 something and not married they are losers. NO MA'AM! God will bring your man about at His appointed time and it is wonderful when He does - so don't rush things. Enjoy your singledom, God has a purpose in it, seek it out). Ok I'm done with my little side note.
So, like I said, I was 28 when I was married. Plus, I came from a single mom family, so I was used to being very independent and not having a man around. This has led me to make some rooky wifey mistakes. Such as questioning my husband on every decision he makes. Why? Why did we turn this way, I go that way? Why? Why? Why? Ummm, I can see how that can be quite annoying, but at the time I feel like I'm entitled to know everything. Instead of just trusting my husband and his ability to make decisions for us.
Evy and Rogan faced this on a much more dramatic scale. The scene that really spoke to my heart was when Evy and Rogan's ship (this takes place in 1900) docked in Tarshish. Rogan was in a hurry to get them passage on another ship and told Evy not to go into town. Evy decided she was going anyway - despite her husbands wishes. She didn't think that he might have a good reason for not wanting her to leave. No, she just thought he was being mean and she deserved to get off the ship. Well, let's just say, Rogan swooped in just in time to save her from a desperate situation. If she'd just listened to him and trusted that he knew what he was talking about and that he had her best interest at heart, she never would have been in danger nor done damage to their relationship.
As I read this, I finally became fully aware of how I have hurt my husband by not trusting in him. When he brings this up I usually say I deserve to ask questions and know what's going on. I did not realize until recently that I am in essence questioning him and his abilities as a husband. I had no idea because I was only looking at it from my perspective. I am sooooo sorry Sasparilla, I love you and even though I know I won't be perfect, I will trust you and have trusted you always. I just have not done a very good job at showing that.
I started to think about all our pre marital counseling. We were told marriage represents man's relationship with God. Wow! Did I screw up or what? Not only did I tell my husband I didn't trust myself with him, I told God I didn't trust him with me. I never realized how arrogant I could be. But again, that's part of marriage, God revealing our little issues and helping us deal with them with a loving partner.
I'm not trying to say we as wives shouldn't ever question our husbands, just check your motives. Am I asking because I just want to know or understand? Or am I asking so I can make sure I get my way? Quite humbling.
Let me leave you with a few verses God brought to mind today.
I trust in God. I praise his word.
I trust in God. I will not be afraid.
What can people do to me?
Psalm 56:4 (NIRV)
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8 (NIV)
Have a great day and be encouraged - no wife is perfect (neither is a husband) - hold each other up and encourage each other in your journey through life - do not persecute each other, but love unconditionally.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Weight Watchers on Hold
I'm not happy, I'm getting fat, and I can do absolutely nothing about it. I got a new haircut (which I will post as soon as I can get the pics from the husband's camera). Don took pics of before and after for me. I just about cried when he showed me those pics. I made a mistake because the new do emphasizes my roundness. Notably the double chin I'm developing.
Did I mention I am not happy? I'm not a vain person ya'll. But I'm just as concerned with my appearance as the next girl. It doesn't help that I used to be a size 1/2. I know, start groaning. That's usually what most people do. But I was. And when I was training for Miss LA, my trainers tried to make me gain weight. Unsuccessfully, I may add. I was the contestant who ate the Johnny's Pizza the night we had swimsuit competition. And all the girls hated me. But now, I look like a bloated pageant queen, instead of toned and beautiful swimsuit contestant. It's not fun. My arms swing in the wind now. OMG! And did I mention I have not had children yet?
The doc visit is on Sept 3rd, so hopefully I can resume the working out and the Weight Watchers. I will, of course, keep you posted and let you know my progress (and include some whining because I am Grumpy Pants after all).
Good day!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
(in)Courage
It's a wonderful site full of encouragement and God. I signed up to have the feed sent to my email and I cannot tell you how great it is to get them. I usually end of receiving it when I am in the most need, and God uses these ladies to speak to my heart. Don't we all need a little of that everyday.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Thyroid and Antidepressants
About six years ago I moved to Little Rock, AR to begin grad school. At that time I started feeling funny - not quite myself. Gaining a little weight (even though I was still training for Miss LA and had never had this problem before), emotional, and fatigued. All normal reactions to grad school, so I just wrote it off. My third year I began my residency and moved to Monroe, LA. There the symptoms really started to kick in - terrible fatigue (the kind that you're so tired when you're driving home at 5pm after work you feel drunk), more weight gain, really emotional, and fast heartbeat. Again, I attributed all this to stress and beginning a new career. This is three years now. So I moved back to Shreveport and started dating Don. He and his family were just shocked at the fact that I was always tired. I would go to bed at like 8 pm every night. Poor Don started getting very worried. But I was putting on a brave face and pushing it hard to keep up. I'd already mentioned all my symptoms along the years to my doctors and they all said it was nothing. My Ob/Gyn in Monroe said it could be my thyroid, but instead of giving me a blood test she gave me a quiz. A QUIZ! Really? Can we say lazy?
Anyway, the wonderful day came when Don proposed. Soon after that he put his foot down and made me go to the doctor. I went to my family doctor, explained all my symptoms and told him I would not be leaving until he actually did something. He drew some blood and told me he'd call me with the results.
The results came back that I had hypothyroidism. What? Basically, he said my thyroid was a little underactive and I would need to take a synthetic hormone for the rest of my life. I could live with that. Anything to make me feel better and help me loose the 20 lbs I'd put on. But the annoying thing was he never did any follow-up. I learned later that I should have been getting blood work every 4-6 weeks to check my levels and ensure my dosage was correct.
So, of course, I started to feel like crap again about 3 months later. I found an endocrinologist, and thought this person would take care of me. He was nice and he listened - but he prescribed me an antidepressant. So instead of looking into my strange symptoms and finding out what was wrong with me, he decided I was a little high strung and depressed. Yeah, that makes sense.
I gave up at that point. I was tired of going to doctors and being made to feel I was crazy. I must be a hypochondriac because my symptoms in someone my age without children just didn't make sense.
Don would not have it. The breaking point was when my heart starting beating so fast and so hard I thought I was going to pass out. Literally started seeing stars. Well, I'd just started my new job in the clinic and so I made an appointment with our endocrinologist. Who just so happens to be a woman. She spent 5 minutes talking with me and knew exactly what was wrong with me. Of course, she took some actual blood to confirm (no quiz here). Turns out I do not have hypothyroidism, I have the complete opposite - Grave's Disease. Grave's disease is hyperactivity of the thyroid. So my other doctor basically prescribed me more of what was making me sick and made the problem worse. My current doctor said she's surprised I didn't show up in the ER with cardiac arrest.
So that was a happy day. I finally knew what was wrong with me. I was not imagining it or being a crazy hypochondriac or anything, I really was sick. The treatment is to basically kill my thyroid and then start me back on the synthetic hormone. We killed the thyroid by taking radiated iodine. Nice huh? I could not be around people for 2 whole days because I could have given them radiation poisoning. Don had to sleep in another bed room for 2 weeks.
It will all be worth it though. I will be well and feeling good. I go back to the doctor on the 3rd to follow up the killing of the thyroid and get my new hormone dosage. We did have to put off having children for a year, but this way my baby will be healthy as well.
Well, that's my long story. I felt some of you might benefit from my struggle. Do not ever let a doctor intimidate you or make you feel like you're crazy. You know your body better than anyone and you know when something is wrong. If your doctor won't listen to you, find another.
Ok that was long, so I'll stop now. Good bye.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Long Time No See
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Life Without the Cable
But, Don's right. We are so much more productive without cable and the $70 extra bucks a month is nice as well. Plus, we still watch a good deal of TV during the week. We get The Office, House, The X Files, and Lost in from Blockbuster and watch that quite a lot. We have even discussed cutting back on this. Because the couch potato body is just not attractive and the laundry should be done at some point.
Anyway, all this rambling to say, I miss HGTV. Can someone create a way that I can get my HGTV, FoodNetwork, TNT, USA, The History Channel, TLC, and Animal Planet only and leave everything else out. Because I really do not need all the sports, news, and hunting (really? do we really need to watch someone fish?) channels. Anyone else feel as I do, or am I just crazy? Anyone ever cut out TV cold turkey? What was it like?
I will end with saying that TV is fine in moderation, but when it gets out of hand - say more than 6 hours on average per week - it's time to cut it off. And we plan to limit TV severely with our children - we do not want overweight kids who have no idea how to play because they sit in front of the TV all day - no TV babysitter in the Echols' household. Thank You Very Much.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Followers
You like me, you really like me! (Ha!)
Opportunity
My pastor, Dr. Chuck, taught on "Reaping and Sowing" this past Sunday from Galatians 6:7-10. 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do no give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
There is so much in those few verses, but one really got me. Dr. Chuck said that an opportunity is a limited time in which to fulfill a purpose. For us, as Christians, that purpose is to SOW and REAP - to sow the seeds God gives us and reap the rewards of that obedience (seeing others saved, seeing others healed from a hurt, feeling the joy of serving, etc). When was the last time I made time to serve a fellow believer? Or a non-believer for that matter? When I did, what was my hearts motivation?
So then, in Sunday school, we were in the book of Acts - Acts 1:1-11. It is so awesome how God's Word applies just as much today as it did on 1 AD. God's disciples and apostles were just as distracted and human as we are. They wanted to know when Israel would be restored. "When will we see you, Jesus, come back and kick some Pharisee and Roman butt? (paraphrased)" I always seem to be like them - focused on what I think is best and wondering why God does not listen to me. I mean, I know what I'm talking about, right? How arrogant and disobedient can you get? Then he tells me, It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7-8). God trying to tell me to stop struggling in making my own way and follow his. Take the opportunity he's given me - it's only for a limited time - and reap the blessing. I hope you find time for the blessing as well, for that is all He wants to give.
My determined purpose is that I may know Him - that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, percieving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of his person more strongly and more clearly.Philippians 3:10, AMP
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Show Us Your Life - Wedding Reception and Honeymoon
Here's the Big D and I in our First Dance. We went to dance lessons to learn the Fox Trot and dance to "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." It's not "our song", it just fit with theme of the wedding and honeymoon. Well, as you can tell from this pic, the dancing lessons flew out the door as soon as we hit the dance floor. Mostly my fault, I completely forgot everything. But, hey, the dress swung beautifully - Thanks Low's Bridal!
And the dip
Here's our cake. I loved it! And so did our guests, because it was gone, gone, gone. It was a vanilla but each layer had a different filling. Yummy!
Of course Don had his Groom's Cake. It was marvelous, everyone got a kick out of this. Can you guess what this is?
Our decor was unbelievable. Our florist turned the Barksdale Air Force Base Officer's Club into a sophisticated winter-themed club.
Then we danced the night away:
Yeah, I'm biting my lower lip, what about it?
My feet never hurt once all night because I came prepared with my bedazzled Sketchers
Here's my mom, sis, and I dancing to "Shout" and Don
Yeah, he did, I don't want to talk about it.
Can ya tell we had an awesome time?
So we were off to the Honeymoon Suite at the brand new Hilton in our town. We got there around 12 am and had to be at the airport for 7am to make the flight to Vancouver. That's right, we continued the winter theme into the honeymoon and went to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
I don't really know what I was thinking because I don't ski. But I thought I'd try it. Well, after 4 hours of falling down the mountain and going all of 100 yards from the lift, the mountain patrol told me to give it up. They made me walk back up to the lift. It was so embarrassing. But I got a spa day out of it, so it was totally worth it.
Here's a small bit of the beauty we saw.
Here we are as we arrived at the airport in Vancouver
This was the view from our seeewwweeet condo, which had a hot tub on the balcony. I thought at first, "Who would want to get in a hot tub outside when it's -2?" Well let me tell you, after you've fallen down a mountain and have bruises from head to toe , that hot tub is your best friend.
Day One, we went dog sledding. It was so much fun! This little guy liked me a lot.
Here we are! My man had the time of his life. You can see me, having fun, but wrapped up tight cause it was cooooooold ya'll.
And this is what happens when you get ice sickles on your eye lashes.
Here's one of the little guys. Cute!
Day Two, Ski Day, the worst day of my life. It was also a day that cemented for me that I married the best man for me. Each time I fell down the mountain I would get more and more upset and started crying. But my man instead of getting mad and frustrated with me because I was ruining his trip, he just kept encouraging me. He was awesome! So here I am thinking, "How the heck do I walk in these?" And then, "WHAT AM I DOING?!"
That's the end of Day 2. Period.
Day 3 - Touring. To make up for the bad day before Don took me on a tour of our beautiful Whistler. We took the lift to the top of the mountain and had lunch at the beautiful 5 star restaurant at the lodge.
Here I am at the top! Oh Canada!
Since Whistler will be the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, they had all kinds of cool things on the mountain.
Here we are at the the lodge restaurant. Cool view.
Day 4 - SPA DAY! And the angels were singing...not really, but it was awesome. Don went back up the dang mountain and skiied and had the best time. He was like a little kid.
Awwww, did I say the spa was great?! Then we ate the most wonderful fondu.
Day 5 - A One Horse Open Sleigh
Yeah, he took me on the most romantic, rustic one horse open sleigh ride. He's the best
Aren't we sweet?
Hey, and guess what? We ate some more.
Whew! Ok, so I know that was a monster post, but the reception and the honeymoon in one is a lot.
I hope you enjoyed your tour of the Echols' Winter Wonderland Wedding and Honeymoon!
Turn That Frown Upside Down
Philippians 4:4-5, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all..." (NIV)
Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (NIV)
Colossians 3:15-17, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (NIV)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Low Ridin and Partay
Anyway...on my way to work I made a swing by the post office. While I pressed the button to lower my drivers side window I heard a loud grinding sound. Then, my window stopped. So of course I freaked out and started pounding the button. The window went all the way down and then stuck. It stuck! Well, considering that we have to cut into the tile wall in the bathroom to in order to be able to turn on the hot water again, this was one expense I did not need. Does anyone hear me out there? I hear these things come in threes - what next? So, in order to keep my hair looking nice and work weary, I lowered my car seat back and leaned to the right. Oh yeah...I think the teenagers in the car next to me were all like, "What's with the old lady? Man everyone tries to copy us. "
So, I know I ran on about that, but dang it - it is rare that in the summer in Louisiana that my hair is straight, poof less, and shiny. I was willing to try anything in order to save my 25 min to do hair do. I know there are lots of women who understand me.
Finally, I need some ideas. The hubs and I are throwing a Honey Do shower for our friends, Troy and Hannah. Anyone ever put one together? What kind of food did you serve? Did you have little favors for the guests? How did you decorate? What was your theme? Yeah, I need help and the party is the 22nd. Like I need one more thing. But these are awesome people and I want them to have a great time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Ok, Dana just started floating over her bed and Vankman is all confused, so I'm gonna go and enjoy some awesome Eightiesness (yeah, I just made it up, so what?)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Redesign
Well, I wish there was more to blog about today, but it's been pretty tame lately.
Oh, but even though I am not a Bill Clinton fan, he did some good today. Check it out - he was able to talk Kim Jong Il into releasing Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Praise God some good news for a change.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
My Mistake
I stand corrected, please forgive me. All should be right with the world now.
Several people commented on the wedding - our colors, our theme, the bridesmaids dresses. Thanks for all the sweet comments. I worked hard on our wedding. I wanted it to be beautiful and memorable, but not over the top. With my Mom, sister, SIL, and MIL's help (as well as tons of help from Don), we accomplished just that. Then we planned my sister's wedding for August (8 months after my wedding - my bro in law proposed less than a month after our wedding - my mom was a little freaked out , but we had a beautiful wedding for them too).
So I made a boo-boo, sorry and I guarantee it will happen again. The End.