Engagements & Summer Greatness!

I knew early on in the year that this summer was likely to be the greatest I have ever had, and thus far, it's proving to be completely true. God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve, and I continue to be grateful. I am tickled with glee about how great my life has been, which is nothing short of blessings from God. There's nothing I could do to earn this happiness.

So far this summer I have had the opportunity to spend time relaxing and enjoying the great outdoors. My composting experiment is going pretty well, I've made a couple trips down the Illinois river, and due to some (apparently much needed) physical therapy, my knee is healing up pretty well. My orthopedic surgeon actually referred to me as "knock kneed" which I have never heard of as a term of endearment. At least that came with a prescription for physical therapy, which amazingly works (I'm a skeptic about most medical treatments, and tend to believe things will heal on their own given enough time).

Last weekend I went to Midland, TX to visit my boyfriend for the weekend and help decorate/organize the new home that he bought. We had such a great time together buying furniture, towels, rugs, and other misc things for the house. We ate great food, and most importantly spent some quality time together. Matt really is my best friend and no amount of time on the phone can compare to just sitting next to him and talking. Well on Saturday night he asked me to be his wife. I was really apprehensive about putting the news so early on Facebook and posting pictures of the event. I'm also not going to tell you the story on here because I think there's something to be said for actually having a conversation with a person about the most important decision in your life. In all fairness, I did start my blog because I wanted to provide updates about my life to people with out having to call everyone about every little thing, but I'm going to save this story. It's not grand and crazy, but it's completely perfect for us. I wouldn't have had it any other way. The picture is a hint. You're welcome!! Ha ha.

Well you guys know that I'm a "planner" and I'm trying very hard not to plan anything for this wedding until I get back from Costa Rica because I can't really make any firm decisions with out Matt (although I don't think he would mind too much, ha ha). I have snuck in a little "planning" time, mostly to surf the web and look at ideas that I like. We also need to set a date, which I think Matt and I did last night, so it wont be too long before it's official.

In further news.... on Saturday I will be flying to Costa Rica for 15 days. The first 10 days will be for school purposes and the last 5 I am going to spend with 4 other girls traveling around and enjoying the beauty that is Costa Rica. I'm really really excited and I think this will be extremely fun. If Kathryn makes me get up at 5 a.m. to go check out birds we may have words though. Ha ha, I just say that because I know she reads this.... but really... =)

I'll try to blog while I am there so everyone at home will know how I am doing what I am up to. But in all honesty, it wont bother me a bit if I don't see a phone, computer, or TV the entire time I'm there. Well... maybe a phone. As a new "fiance" I kind of feel a duty to pick up a phone a couple times to confirm that I'm alive.

And it gets better!! After my trip to Costa Rica, I'm going to go down to Midland for 3 weeks to visit Matt. I'm so excited about this! He'll be at work all day and I'm going to do exactly what I want to. I'm going to sleep in, go running, go to the farmer's market, shop for the house, work on the house/yard, cook all the time, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh it's going to be complete and utter bliss. That is basically exactly what I need before I get back to work and school and hammer out the last parts of my master's degree. I'm sooo blessed that my job is going to let me take off work for 6 weeks so I can rejuvenate for another big year. I'm probably going to be broke as a joke but I'm willing to deal with that.

The summer will conclude with Matt and I driving back to OK to go to a weekend float trip with my entire family. He will get to meet a lot of people (distant relatives) and we'll all have a really great time. I'm. So. Excited!!!!!

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Things That Are Worth The Money

Yesterday I went to get my eyebrows done and I started thinking about the fact that I pay for a service that I can do myself. Then I started thinking about the time that I invest in a service that took this little woman about 30 seconds. I decided going to get one's eyebrows done is something that is worth the money. Especially because I can have them professionally done only few times a year and just maintain on my own. Then I started thinking about other things that I think are totally worth the money.

To determine "worth the money" I look at two things. 1) Value and 2) I think about how much money I make (although I find my spare time more valuable than the actually dollar amount that I make) and compare how much of my time I would have to invest to do something myself. For example, for Laura's birthday I made her a cool frame (well, I thought it was cool). The materials only cost about $10-$12. BUT I'm not the craftiest person, so if you take that $10-$12 and add my time that's like a $75 frame (okay, maybe not that bad, ha ha). See what I mean? So, If I would have just bought her a generic $30 frame made by a professional, in my eyes, I would have saved money. She's worth it though, and it's one of a kind =)

So here's a few things that I have determined as "Worth The Money"

1) Eyebrow Waxing (we already talked about this)
2) At least twice a year pedicure. It just makes your feet look soooooooooo much cleaner and prettier to have a professional do it. In my experience, I really do like going to the salon in Wal-mart. They're the cheapest, and thus far haven't let me down in the quality department.
3) M.A.C./Lancome eye shadows- This stuff is kind of expensive, I nearly had heart failure the first time I saw the price, but it's absolutely worth it. It lasts forever and the pigments are so much better than traditional make up that you don't have to put as much on. Just buy 3 or 4 of your most common shades and you'll be in business for a long time.
4) Good Shoes- I used to be a frequent purchaser of the 2/$5 Old Navy Flip Flops. Those things tear up your feet and don't last long at all! I think it's worth the investment to get something that's durable and supports your foot. My favorite "flip flop" brand right now is TEVA.
5) Organic Food- Now this is kind of a touchy subject and I'm not saying go crazy, but buying a few organic foods, maybe things that you eat most commonly, can really be worth the money. If you spend more money on something, then it forces you (unless you're stupidly rich and you have no need for my lists) to think about the true value of your purchase. This is more of an issue of quality, rather than just buying something that is more expensive just because it's "organic". We, as a society, really need to start thinking more about where our food comes from, and how much nutritional value there really is in the things that we put in our body. You can do this with normal food, but Organic food stores, such as Whole Foods makes it easier to make decisions that are more healthy. This doesn't necessarily mean less fat, but I believe it's better for you. But for the most part, I only really buy tea, quinoa, nuts and some other misc things there.

This is just a short list on my day to day purchases that I think are totally worth it. Sometimes it's just worth it to splurge because it makes you happy (obviously only when you have money to do so). Maybe I'll update this as I think of more. Have a good day!

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My Serenity, The Hippie

On Saturday I was determined to take Serenity (My best friend, Danielle's daughter) out and about with me and just spend a day with her. I was extremely tired from the night before (Danielle and I went "boot scootin" and had so much fun!) but got myself together, dressed serenity, and took off. This is her first trip to the Farmer's Market, which I am happy to say kept her completely entertained. She just looked around at everyone, I'm sure wondering where on Earth she was. I was really happy that she was in such a good mood. Especially since it was kind of hot. There was a little canopy thing I could attach to the stroller to block the sun. I was about 100% certain that no matter how I kept trying to put it on, I was doing it wrong and I didn't want to be the idiot with the upside down stroller attachment. We just didn't stay long.

Then I took her to Whole Foods which she absolutely loved. I think she already knows what "She's so pretty!" means because she was doing everything she could to get attention. She smiled at everyone. Put her hand out to them. It was the cutest thing! She also played the "How many times can I throw my toy on the floor and Aunt Shanna will keep picking it up with out getting mad at me" game. She obviously won.

She just sat there and protected my (I mean, our) recycle bag. We just had too much fun! I personally, am a little apprehensive about having children. I'll just be honest. However, if I could have a guarantee that my children would be just as sweet and mild tempered as miss Serenity, then I might be willing to reconsider. Being "mommy" for a few hours was really fun. Even though, I knew the whole time that she's my niece (blood related doesn't matter!) But, everyone talked to me like I was her mom. It's amazing what people will say to you when you have a baby with you. I don't know if I could handle that all the time. However, people were a little more friendly, which if that were always the case, I might pack a baby around all the time. Well... maybe not. Babies/car seats/diaper bags and what not are a work out!

All in all I had a great day. I think her mom enjoyed getting a couple hours of extra sleep. I know that I loved getting to spend time with her! I hope she always sees me as "Aunt Shanna" and knows that I will spoil her to death. Maybe she'll babysit my kids one day....

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Gentlemen

Despite the "times" we're living in today. Women's rights. Independence. Education. Power. I still really like a gentleman. Whether feminists like it or not, there are still a few "gender roles" that I can appreciate. I hope one day I raise my future son (if I am blessed to have one) to be a gentleman. I admire any guy who opens doors, considers a girls safety in all conditions, speaks politetly. A true gentleman doesn't just do this for his girlfriend (and not just on the first date!). He does it for all girls, mothers, grandmothers, even friends. I wish there were more guys who truly act like gentlemen. However, I really don't think it's all of their fault. I'm sure most guys have had an experience where a woman criticized a man for being a gentleman because they saw it as inequality. I even struggle with this sometimes. Something recent in my mind was last week when we went floating I was carrying the ice chest, Danielle's boyfriend, Chris just took it from my hands. At first I wanted to say "No I've got it" as to not burden him, but I am glad that I realized that he was just being polite and wouldn't walk beside a woman carrying something heavy while nothing was in his hands.
Women need to learn to say "thank you" when a guy acts like a gentleman. I'm all about being independent, but some women take this too far. I really don't think in most cases a guy is trying to say "you're not capable of doing this," I think they're really just saying "Let me do this for you". I love that women are really enjoying more equal rights, but there's something very romantic and Godly about a man who looks out for a women, no matter their relationship. If anything, it's a great way for a guy to make a good first impression. A gentleman is A-Okay in my book. So guys: Pick it up! Girls: Say thank you!

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Saving lives, 3 people at a time...

I've always thought donating blood was a really good cause that I try to participate in at least once a year (however, they're not very friendly to people who leave the country so sometimes that's difficult). I'm leaving for Costa Rica in a few weeks, so I decided I better donate one more time before I go.
I brought my book but I was too anxious to read it. Good try though.

It makes me crazy when people say they can't donate blood. You big weenie! No one thinks giving blood is therapeutic (except maybe for their soul) but it's the right thing to do. Unless you vomit. Then you really do have an issue. For me, giving blood is right up there with voting . It's just something you're supposed to do every year or two. I take that back. I LOVE to vote. Last year I wore red, white, and blue on election day.
Furthermore I've decided to skip the work out and indulge in a Pepsi as my reward for donating (see, there's more ups than just saving lives!).

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Summer Food Fun!

Is there really a better time of year for food than summer? Is there really a better time of year than summer period? I have definitely been frequenting the produce stands and farmer's markets. Coming home from Duncan I went through Rush Springs, the Watermelon capitol and picked up, of course, a watermelon, zucchini, and squash. I had all of those things for lunch, which was delicious. AND I cooked some Quinoa which is supposed to be amazing for you. I would copy and paste a link about it, but I have no idea how to copy and paste on blogger.

The farmer's market that I go to the most is on Tuesdays downtown from 10:30-2:00. It doesn't have a huge selection, but it has traditional vegetables and a really nice flower assortment.

Some of these flowers are a week old (still doing pretty good! Especially the sun flower!), the others I got today. I pay $3 each time and she makes me a little assortment and I put them in a vase that I already have. I love it! I really enjoy having something alive in my office because I don't have any windows. And besides, what girl doesn't love flowers?
There's a really good produce stand on HWY 51 & Utica that seems to have everything, and their prices aren't too bad! It's a great time of year to eat fresh, healthy, and try new things!

One of these days I'm going to get up in time to go to the Farmer's market on Cherry street. They close at 11:00 a.m. so we'll see how that goes.

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Domestic Me

I don't know what got into me, but this morning when I got up I was determined to help around the house. First I washed all of the dishes (even the pots and pans that everyone likes to avoid). Then I cleaned my room and did all of my laundry. I even did some of the family's laundry. Then it got worse. I decided to mow the back yard. I can't believe I am admitting that I can do this. Now Matt knows!  Despite this capability, I've already decided that I have nothing against hiring a kid to do the lawn if Matt is ever out of town.                                                                     

So there is our nicely mowed back yard. It turns out that I mowed over some of my mom's planted wild flowers (They looked like weeds!). If you plant them are they really wild? I gave her my most sincere apologies even though it was kind of funny. I wish I had a picture of her face when she realized what I had done. Whoops.

Since I was already hot and sweaty, I thought, What the hey? Lets go ahead and mow the big part of the yard. Do you realize how many levers you have to adjust to get a lawn mower going? I tried to figure out how to get the weed eater going, but one of them didn't work and neither of them were working for me. And yes, those are boots I am wearing. They're safer than sandals and conveniently the most comfortable shoes that I own.

I made Guacomole a realized that I should be composting my food scraps and I could also compost the yard clippings so then decided to make a compost pile behind out fence. I am not sure how happy my dad is going to be about this when he gets home from his trip, but it's for a good cause. This is me shoveling some manure into the pile I made. Just incase you were wondering, that's a hay loader in the back ground.

Check out my sweet water boots!

To end the day I made home made hamburgers (dad's recipe) and used a grill by myself for the first time. Mom and Joe loved them! I even drank fresh squeezed lemonade and played the guitar a little. I hope that I was able to help my family. We've been extremely busy and good family members help eachother out. Or atleast they should. Tomorrow we're going to the river and that should be great fun! Hope you enjoyed my day as much as I did!

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