My SURPRISE!

 So before I post any pictures I want to give a little back-history on why my family most likely did this project. My sisters, mom, and I have fallen in love with this little store in Eureka Springs called Something Simple. It is in this little Victorian house and everything in the store is homemade, antique white-washed, or old fashioned and beautiful. When you walk up the stairs in this little shop you walk into the most precious little white bedroom that belongs in a magazine or old movie.
I realized after Aubree and I left that momma would need some projects to keep her occupied. She has cleared a lot of the brush that is next to our house and has planted so many flowers and gardens that it is absolutely beautiful and you feel like you walked into the Secret Garden. I knew she was keeping busy with Sarah and the little house, the vegetable garden, and painting some "things" but I had no idea what she and my sisters had been doing while I have been away! After I got home the other day we walked around the yards and through Sarah's little house before we made it back to the house. I had thought something was up because mom and Sarah kept whispering back and forth all the way back from Tulsa. When we walked upstairs I saw some of my furniture displayed out in the hallway and was thinking, "What? Why is my dresser and nightstand in the hallway?" and mom just looked at me with this smile. So I opened my door and saw THIS!

 Before, my room had been a classic brown with cream trip. I had only decorated with some guitars and it was pretty much just an average room. But NOT ANYMORE!

 Apparently, my family has been antiquing non-stop for whatever they believed would look great in Emily's new room. She found this shelf at the antique store by the Sonic outside of Brooken Hill.

 Sarah painted this coffee table we have had since we were probley born and found that little dress in an antique store. They also painted that mirror white that we had around the house.

 That bouquet of coffee filter flowers was used as my practice bouquet before my wedding. Mom bought me the little jewerly box and put one of her tea cup sets on the table. I made those fabric flowers for a Martha Stewart tree for my wedding. They arranged those little fabric flowers around the room. I also have an oil warmer that was set on the table and now my room smells like fresh pink grapefruit. The oils were made by Brent's grandmother.

 Mom bought these shutters, painted them, and nailed them into my desk. She also nailed that back picture frame into the desk for a back drop. On top, she used a drawer for a planting pot!

 each morning I wake up in a Princess Room now...I love the little white chair she found in another antique store and the doily that was placed as the chair cover.

 I had purchased that mirror/vanity at Hobby Lobby after graduation and it was just a regular brown. However, Sarah fixed it up to look like it does now. Aubree painted my entire room in an Iced Pink.

 Love the real flower and little gloves...

 They took some older picture of Aubree, Sarah, Dustin, and me and had them printed in black and white. Found a board and tacked them up on some clothes pins...

Love the new cast iron head board, netting, and beveled mirror that was all painted white.

I can't even describe in words how blessed I feel to have had such a home warming welcome and I feel so loved by my family. I can't get enough of all the little details they went through to make everything so perfect and precious for me. Aubree also took out everything in my closet and organized everything! She made a new bookshelf in my closet and it feels like I have my own personal library now! I mean, who's family does this!? Apparently mine and I never want to take them for granted EVER!
Thank you guys so much for the wonderful surprise!

Garden Day

First of all I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUBREE! I hope you enjoy your custom made dining room table! I wish I could have been with you today but I will see you in a couple of weeks.

Loving Some Cracker Barrel!

Today was so wonderful. I can't wait to post about my big surprise but I have been so tired and I want to take really great pictures of all the hard work my family put into the surprise! I woke up at 10:15 which sounded about right because that's around 5:15 Hawaii time and I would have been up already. Sarah and I got ready and headed out with mom to eat at the Cracker Barrel. I love going there on Fridays because there daily special is wild brown rice. It is the most fantastic rice I have ever eaten! We looked around the shop and found a beautiful yellow quilt that I really believe Sarah should have for her bedroom. Her room is painted in a pale yellow. We smelled all the Yankee candles, looked through the 'nick-knacks', and ate a fantastic lunch. We love sitting outside on the rocking chairs and watching people walk by and looking at little kids play checkers. We then looked around for some curtains and went 'antiquing'. Had a SONIC DRINK today and it made me sick. I can't remember the last time I had something that syrupy and sweet.

When we got home I took a little nap with my Sarah and then went outside to weed her vegetable garden. She has planted squash, red bell pepper, pumpkins, zuchinni, jalepenos, orange bell peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes, sunflowers, and apple and peach trees. I will most definetly take pictures and post them on my family page. Sarah preceded to wack herself in the knee with her hoe and bent over trying not to be sick. I then came in and had some tacos with my momma while we watched some MASH. Afterwards, I went over to Robert and Jacque's house and visited with them and Jake's wonderful grandparents. We sat around the pool and enjoyed the amazing scenory they have outside their back door.
I am now sitting down at 11:15 wide awake watching some more MASH with Sarah, Shroder, and Bear and I LOVE IT! Jake called and said that his battery changed his training days back to the ORIGINAL day so now he will be by himself for 5 more days. I hate that he is by himself and it makes me miss him terribly. My husband is so handsome! Can't wait to blog about my surprise and all the wonderful sights that one can find around the Driscoll farm!

Theres No Place Like Home

Its not going to be a very long post tonight seeing as I am so exhausted! I have been traveling since yesterday and have yet to nap or sleep. When we finally got home I was walked around the property and shown all the fresh flowers and the new little house. Pictures ARE COMING SOON! Not to mention the most wonderful suprise ever!

Leaving Day

You know that feeling when you wake up abruptly in the middle of the night knowing with every ounce in your body that you are just about to throw up? When the back of your mouth goes dry, you become extremely dizzy and weak and your legs tingle knowing you have to get out of bed and walk to the commode, sit on the floor, and cry just waiting for it to be over with? Well, this is kinda how it feels each time I have to look at Jake while walking through security in an airport, or watch him board a bus, airplane, or car. Last night I didn't sleep. I kept saying, "its only 4 weeks Emily!" I hate leaving day. It happens too often in our little lives. I do however, get to be welcomed by my Sarah, momma, and dad at the Tulsa airport. Dad will probley be parked in the 'loading only space' wearing some type of overly starched shirt tucked into a pair of overly starched jeans up past his belly telling the security man that he is 'loading' while my mom and sarah wait inside for me and hug me and having to hurry so that dad doesn't get a ticket. And then we will drive home.
Home...
It is so hard to have two distinct and special homes. I confuse myself when talking to someone in the family because I always refer to 'here' as Arkansas. For instance, the other day I was talking to Jacque and asked someone if they were coming down here with the full thought process of thinking I was in Arkansas. Mind you, I was on the beach watching the ocean during the conversation. It is so confusing. When I am at 'home' and in my bed while Jake is away somewhere, I just imagine that I am back at ' hawaii home' going to sleep in our little house imagining the pillow beside me to be Jake. But when I am here, I close my eyes and imagine that I am at 'arkansas home' with the window beside my bed, As Time Goes By playing in the background or listening to Sarah wake up early in the morning trying to beat me to the bathroom. I love the fact when I am here I can see my husband every single day and live in paradise while going to the beach, learning a new recipe, or taking a drive down to Kailua for a snowcone. But, Hawaii doesn't have my sisters. Aubree isn't making gagging noises in the mornings (which I came accustomed to sadly). Sarah isn't here reminding me that I do have another half of me. Hawaii doesn't have a dog running up our stairs sounding like an overweight pig ready to pounce and suffocate you in the mornings. My dad isn't here checking all the cows, trading some gun or the other, sitting outside under the tree with one of my uncles, or watching the hunting channel. My momma is so far away it hurts; she can't french braid my hair, take me to get my nails done, or buy me something special that is supposed to be only between us. She isn't here to turn on Harry Potter or to cook dinner, drive up to Booneville with us, or hollar up in the mornings "Rise and Shine!" On Saturday nights, I don't get ready to go out to eat with my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Shot, Chanel, and meme and tata.

But recently Arkansas always is missing one thing... my husband.

I miss our church family. I miss my best friend Amanda. I miss hummingbirds, my own cow, the sandifers across the road, an endless closet of movies, my mother-in-law, and people who are not ashamed to proclaim that Jesus is Lord!

But here, Jake is and when he is around, all of that dims a little because Jake is so very precious to me. But on leaving days, all of the memories and 'homes' become distinct and different.
I am sitting on the couch knowing I need to get up and pack but I just want to sit here and look out our window. I want to learn about Ruth and how she gave up everything with a raw faith and made a new home. I want to listen to Jake walk up the stairs and come over here and give me a huge hug and kiss and look at me with those same eyes that I have grown to love in the past 9 years.
But I will board that plane tonight with mixed emotions, pass through the security line and look back to see my husband standing there knowing I can't go back to him and hear from here for days/weeks and fly back to my momma, sarah, aubree, and dad. To my best friend Amanda Shook, to my 12 string guitar waiting to be tuned and played, to my beautiful Escape, to my butcher block sandwhiches, to my in-laws, and to my Arkansas home which I have missed very much.

Kindle!!!!

So I have mentioned before that my sweet, wonderful, beautiful, and spectacular mother sends me care packages from time to time. Well, today I recieved this in the mail!!! She sent me a kindle to help me pass the time on my trip home since its a 20 hour trip! When I go to the gym, I feel a little lame with my hard back book because everyone has a kindle propped up on their machine. But not anymore! Another awesome aspect about this precious gift is that mom put TWO Francine Rivers books already on it for me! WooHoo! It is the only 2 left of hers that I haven't read and I am so excited to learn how to work this thing so that I can get started reading Her Daughters Dream...or maybe The Shofar Blew...I haven't decided yet!
We are having a couple over tonight for dinner because they are getting ready to leave the island tonight. I think I'll make some baked chicken, boiled red potatoes, and steamed broccoli. I was going to make boiled squash but when I mentioned it to Jake, I recieved the funniest look from him that stated, "Did you really just say 'boiled squash?'" SO....hope everyone is enjoying this day! I did this morning and spent a wonderful 2 1/2 hours watching the ocean and getting my tan on!

Ala Moana

So...this was the only picture I took today... :)

Today was one of the best days I have had in such a long time! And really, there wasn't anything that could be looked at as spectacular or exciting, it was just a great day. I woke up to the most wonderful man in the world which makes every day start out great. Last night we went to go see the new Pirates of the Carribean movie and it was good. I mean, Jake and I had just finished watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy that same afternoon and after watching that series, it is kind of hard not to compare. I mean first of all you have Samwise which happens to be my all-time favorite book character. Right before Neville Longbottum.


This is Samwise. He is a gardener, friend, and hobbit.

And then you have his relationship with Frodo and the trust, loyalty, and courage that is all bundled up and happily packaged within their friendship. I mean the boat scene in the first movie is the best scene ever made!
 It really is/was the best scene ever made.

Ok, I'll stop talking about Lord of the Rings. I think I was talking about the Pirates movie, which to be honest, I can't really remember much about it now..oh wait... so the lady in the movie says the B word and its a Disney movie. That pretty much turned me off to the movie oh and the D word.
So after waking up we got ready to go the mall and beat the traffic. We went to Banana Republic and got a shirt on sale which is the most wonderful purchases. Used to, I would not worry about that sort of thing. Being married has changed my entire view on clothing purchases. I always think, "Wait that could be gas money...grocery money...a car repair...ticket home"...well, you get the idea so I rarely shop anymore. It is so silly to think about all the wasted money I spent on clothes just to have them kept in my closet...in Arkansas! I am learning to be a steward with the money God has graciously blessed us with. Clothing is a materialistic idol that many women today get way too caught up in. Each time I get on facebook it seems like many girls have to have the latest item, shoe, purse, computer, phone, hat, luggage, jacket..etc. I am ashamed to say that I once strove for that but that is such a sin of needless and selfish desire. So I either wait for holiday weekends or look forward to shopping trips with my momma! I saw on CNN that BBC America has done a study that has shown that the same regions in a person's brain that lights up when he/she looks at a religious symbol (cross) that the same areas light up in people who are Apple Fanatics brains when they see an Apple sign. Sadly, I believe that.
Afterwards we went over to the NEX and Jake bought me a Vera Bradley makeup bag that was $6 cheaper than retail stores! I know, i'm pretty lame but I was excited! We went out to eat, which we try to do once ever week or every other week, and enjoyed some really good american food. We also went baby clothes shopping and fell in love with everything I saw!!!
I leave to go home in 3 days and it is so exciting and sad at the same time. I wont be able to speak to Jake for about a month but the last time he left I was all alone but this time I will be with my family! I can't wait to see what my sister is doing with the little house next door. I am also so excited to be able to go to Christina's wedding! Aubree is coming home 2 days earlier and the Gordon's have their pool open and all ready for Jacque and me!

Something else that I have found handy to have around the house would be our Keurig coffee maker. You just pop one of those K-cups into the machine, wait for the little coffee cup button to light up to blue, and your coffee is ready to be made! I wasn't a huge coffee drinker until I started watching As Time Goes By. It is this great british comedy that comes on on PBS on Saturday nights and it just makes me feel all wonderful inside. Anywase, the characters all look so grown up drinking their coffee and tea with cream and sugar so I thought, well, I want to look like them! Well, this story is a little exaggerated. I also got into coffee when school started to turn into hell. :)


Great Christmas Present!



                       For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all..."

Pyrex Dishware

Kailua Antique's = Pyrex Heaven

Today was one of those days where I stayed in bed entirally too long, well, untill 7:00 and then sat on the couch downstairs for 30 minutes trying to motivate myself to walk down to the gym. Mind you, I was wearing the workout gear and everything. I finally got up and went and was so glad. I love the feeling of knowing that I have done 45 minutes of moderate-to-intense aerobic exercise. I learned in my Nutrition's class that if you want to start burning the fat cells during a work out you have to work out longer than 20 minutes, the first 20 minutes you just use up your glycogen storages. So while I was walking home I saw that Jake's motorcycle was parked in the driveway which meant that he was home early!! I love when he gets to come home early! So I went upstairs, showered, and heated up our leftover stuffed spinach shells that were even better the next day!


http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/spinach-stuffed-shells-with-meat-sauce.html

 Afterwards, I got ready to go into town to look around at the greatest antique store on the Oahu Island. I say this because everyother store charges $100 for just about everything in the store. What I like about this store is that you have to literally get on your hands and knees to dig around in it. It is so cluttered that I get so scared that everything around me will fall and break and Jake can barely fit in the store itself! Anywase, I spent a total of an hour looking at so many pyrex dishes I didn't know what I would do with myself. I got a set of these dishes as a wedding gift and have fallen in love with them.

They are usually so expensive but here they range from $12-25 and 30% off each! So of course I got myself a set today that would have normally cost me around $75 but I got the set for about $25!

Aren't they beautiful? I love the glass lids that come with these casserole dishes. I have a mixing bowl set at home and my momma bought me a beautiful mixing bowl from this same store when she came down here in August. I mean, Martha Stewart doesn't even compare!
Yesterday I went to the beach again just for a couple of hours and yet again got another sun burnt, as you can tell in the above picture. Jake graduated from his school today and became a Chief Cannoner in his section. I am so proud of him. We went into town and rented a movie and are about to sit down and watch it. Only 7 more days until I am home and seeing my family and friends! Which by the way, my best friend, Amanda Shook, is wanting to buy a moped!!! I'm pretty sure she would be the coolest person around if she got one!

Anniversary Day

Today was Jake and my one year anniversary after entering into a covenant marraige. We didn't celebrate 'hugely' or anything. I got a wonderful card from by Aunt Sandy, Uncle Shotgun, and Chanel and felt so loved!
We went to church this morning and listened to the most wonderful of songs sang my friend Annie. It was the song What Do I Know of Holy by Addison Road. It was so wonderful. After church, we went to Kailua and looked around at a couple of little organic baby boutiques for some gifts but didn't find anything we liked very much. It made me want to have a baby so much! I can't wait until Jake and I are settled and having babies. Afterwards, we went over to Mexican Lindos and had some lunch. It isn't anything like El Palenque but it is SO good!
I am so excited to say that our gas here on base has gone down to $4.19! Last week it was $4.38. Jake and I only put $40 a week in our car. If we are running low on gas, we stay home, if we are keeping the little gauge ahead of the Empty signal, we feel great! So that was big news for us.

We came home and took probley a 2 hour nap. I just remember waking up at 4 and couldn't believe it! I then watched Jake play C.O.D for a couple of hours. We just finished eating some leftover Split Pea soup and enjoyed it very much. I probley won't be making it again for awhile but it was good while it lasted. We are now snuggled up on our couch watching An Affair to Remember. This is such a GREAT movie! I am so excited to see all of my friends when I get back home! It is very hard here to make friends. I took my friends for granted when I was home and want to savor each moment I have with them. I am also VERY EXCITED TO SEE MY FAMILY! I just saw my mom and dad a couple of weeks ago but it seems like forever since I have seen my sisters. I will have a whole week with them both when I get home and it is going to be so nice.



Happy Anniversery Jake!



The Tire and The Nail




Remember the other day when Jake and I went riding along the Makupa? Well, after Jake came back from his training 'thing' he found a HUGE NAIL sticking in one of his tires and it is now flat. I'm not going to lie, I was really down about it. I mean, each month it seems like we have to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on repairs for either the car or motorcycle. I haven't let it get to me until today. Jake and I have been trying to put back money for our future "whatever that may hold" and it seems like the Dave Ramsey little percentiles for each category is NOT cutting it. I understand that buying a used car brings along expenses and motorycle tires and check-ups aren't cheap but... REALLY!? So whenever we found out about this, which was last night, I was pretty down. We've been cutting back on so much it seems like. So yet again I find myself having a pity party. Thats when I read about the Shunamitte Woman in 2 Kings. This woman was a wealthy woman who used her kindness and wealth to help the prophet Elisha. Elisha felt so welcomed in her house and her gifts of hospitality that he wanted to bless her in some way, he promised her she would be with child in about a year. She didn't ask for anything because she was CONTENT with what she had. One day, her little boy was sick with a fever and died. She exclaimed to her husband that everything will be alright. Elisha gave a promise from God to give her that little boy. She walked 25 miles to the prophet knowing everything would be alright. Through Elisha, God raised that little boy up from the dead.
I learned two main lessons from that woman. First, be content with what you have and share with others. Second, God keeps His promises. His Word never fails. I know God has promised me a future and hope. I can't worry about next year and all the plans I have stored on my little budget sheet or written in my mind. God has a different plan. I should KNOW THIS! God feeds the birds of the air, clothes the lillies of the fields, and gives grass and grain as a harvest. I don't add any time to my life by worrying or complaining. Jake and I are so blessed with what we have and it is sad to admit that I continually saying in my mind, well a little more will make as more secure. NO! I have to stop. My husband is the calmest man alive. He looks at me and says "Rejoice in the Lord and be glad" while I'm thinking "please shut-up". But he is so right. I am encouraged reading about the Shunamitte woman, Rizpah, Tamar, and Rahab. They are lights of patience and strength that I pray in the Lord to have.

Tonight Jake is replacing the back tire, which he fixed by himself and saved us at least $200 because he is a man that knows his motorcycle business. He looks so cute working on it. We did have to buy a motorcycle jack but I'm just looking at that as an investment. I made some split pea soup with ham tonight and am really looking forward to trying it. I also made some banana nut pancakes you can read about on my recipes tab this morning and they were so good! We picked up Jake's wedding band today and it is beautiful. We also watched a bunch of second graders try to play this song on their ukuleles and they were pretty good. There was about 25 all together. Before them, some children had a skit with zebra and lion headdresses portraying the Circle of Life song from the Lion King.
I am so excited to find out that my sister, Aubree, is learning to cook! She even made a menu this week that pretty much outdid mine and can't wait to hear the reviews. Especially her zucchini enchiladas! Yum! When I go to the grocery store, I'm astounded by people who go through the aisles and just throw in what they think would be ok for dinner throughout the week and spend hundreds of dollars at the register! I just kinda stare in disbelief. I mean, I know I did that with my mom at walmart, but that was with my mom. I can't do that here in Hawaii where everything costs an arm and a leg. I have found it to be so important to make a menu ahead of time so that you wont just grab everything in site and go back home and try to plan dinners around whatever you grabbed. Now this may just be me. We rarely eat fast food. RARELY eat fast food. But, I can understand why people go to Mcdonalds because its like 4 bucks for a dinner compared to the $1.50 tomato I just had to buy in the grocery store. This just seems messed up to me. Oh well, I'm getting off my soap box now and am going downstairs to watch my hubby fix the bike!



He's such a great man :)



Here Comes the Sun....



Pyramid Beach

 The other day I wrote a wonderful blog and was just about to post it when this blessed blogger stopped working and I lost all of my work. SO instead of typing everything out, I wanted to tell you the highlights from the past couple of days. I spent all day thursday at the beach and burnt the back of my knees up to my rear end completely off. I couldn't even walk properly; as a matter of fact, I STILL can't walk properly. I blame it entirally on my friend Rachel Griffith because she kept me to preoccupied on the phone to realize I needed to spray myself! So the next morning I preceded to feel the full benefits of a blister sun burnt when I went downstairs to start my sprinklers. While I was adjusting the water so that my neighbors car wouldn't get completley drenched, my neighbor decided to take her trash out at the same time. I knew I had to move the sprinklers before she got drenched but I couldn't move fast enough, I pretty much just fell on the spot while I watched in horror as sheets of water poured all over her! I tried to explain how sorry I was, but she is asian and I don't know how much english she understands. I came to this conclusion because once I made her some homemade brownies and took them over to her house. Well, she answered the door but would not open the screen door. I had to try to explain that the cookies were for her and her daughters while she just stared at me.
ANYWASE, my husband comes home today from his training 'thing' and I am so excited to see him. He will probley point and laugh at my sunburnt face but thats ok because his is just as bad. I mean, I have a white sunglasses outline around my eyes!

Yesterday, I went out to cut some flowers for our frontroom and saw three red cardinals playing in the sprinklers outside. I was reminded of the hundreds of little hummingbirds we would have play around on our backdeck and throughout our pasture. I love summertime at our house. Well the summertime that isn't 100 degrees everyday, but the time of year when you have little black angus babies running around the pasture, and lightening bugs crawling all over your window and frogs and coyotes singing to you each night. I love looking out my window seeing all the flowers my momma planted earlier on and be in full bloom! I can't wait to sit around our house and watch my dad 'check-up' on the cows and listen to the MASH theme song or Harry Potter playing in the background while playing with Pumpkin and Shroder. I took all of that for granted when I was home. I love being married here with Jake, but sometimes I miss my family so much! My mom just changed my ticket to come home a bit earlier since Jake's PTA training dates were moved because she didn't want me staying here any longer by myself. My momma is so wonderful.
I also get little care packages from her every so often and my all time favorite gift is a little figurine of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. She said it reminded her of me and my lovey but each time I look at it, it reminds me of her love for me. I now try to have a theme with the cards I send home to include Pooh Bear and Piglet.


"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart"

 Jake's wedding band came in! Whenever I decide to get off my burnt bum, I am going to go pick it up! He has been wearing my 2006 State Championship Beta Club ring and really, I don't see why we bought another ring, That ring fits him just fine and looks just like a wedding band! Oh well, we will know next time!

Listen to this playlist: edrisc00's Playlist

Ride along the Makapu

  Today was so wonderful! I woke up this morning and got to skype with my little man, Brock! He is so beautiful. My mom gets to watch him Tuesday and Thursday this week. He is having to have surgery on his ears Friday so please keep him in your prayers. I got to babysit little Brock for 5 months when I was home and fell in love with him more and more each day.  

Brock with my beatiful momma.

 After I did some straightening up around the house I went upstairs to read some of my Abigail book. It was around 10:30 when I heard the front door open. Jake got to come home early from work today and spend the rest of the day with me! I was so extremely excited to get to spend the day with him because he is having to go train at Bellows Air Force Base for the next couple of days. We had a quick lunch of peanut butter sandwhiches with bananas and a glass of milk and put on our gear. We drove up along the most gorgeous drive here on Oahu, in my own opinion, and down to Hanuma Bay. On the way there I saw a WHALE! When Jakes mom and grandmother came down a few weeks ago, we went on the hike up to the lighthouse and Jake kept bragging because he saw a huge whale and I didn't so I was so excited to see one. On our way back however, we got caught in a downpour and had to pull over at this gas station. When we finally got back home, we snuggled up in our quilt and watched Forest Gump. Sarah loves Forest Gump and Jake had never seen it, only bits and pieces. It is an overall good movie; however, there a few scenes they should have left out to make the movie a great movie. After the movie Jake came into the kitchen and sat on the counter while I made our turkey and zuchinie burgers. They were absolutley delicious! I had bought some fresh organic wheat buns to go with them, and they were the freshest buns I had ever eaten. That sounded a little funny lol. Anywase we ate and washed dishes and are now settled down on our red couch watching To Catch a Thief. This is one of Jake's favorite movies and we love watching it. I remember the first time we ever watched it. Jake and I had bought Celtic Women tickets about 6 months in advance. Well when the big day finally came to drive up to Oklahoma City to see them, we borrowed Jacques car and made it halfway there before my body decided to get sick. You see, when I get excited about something, I mean REALLY excited about something, I tend to get very sick. Like passing out, throwing up, 100 and something temperature sick. So we pulled over to the closest bathroom, which was a casino, and tried to wait it out. But I was so miserable. I will never forget how kind Jake was. He didn't complain one bit, drove me all the way home, waited until I was settled on my spot on the couch with my little glass of ice and sprite and we put in To Catch a Thief. That next day we had a snow day and I was all better. But I will never in my life forget that night. We had third role seats right smack in the middle! But once again God was watching out for us because there was a huge electrical storm in Oklahoma City that night.
Have you ever looked back at your life and just sat and saw how God had His hand on every little piece of your past? Well I have. There are so many times that I can honestly say "Oh, that was def. God." I feel so blessed to have such a Creator watch out over tiny me in this vast earth. I just read the most WONDERFUL FAITH FILLED book ever! Its called Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. It is about this little boy who got to go to heaven just for 3 minutes but talks about seeing Jesus. He sat on Jesus' lap, saw his daddy's grandpa, his unborn sister, and the battle of Armegeddon. The book is written by such simple faith and outstanding truth, I was filled with a renewed spirit while reading each page. It only took Aubree and I around 1 day to read. Its not a big book and completely and utterly wonderful.
Well Jake leaves tomorrow and I have no idea what I am going to do 2 1/2 days by myself. Doesn't that sound so pathetic? After 5 months of being away from him, I cringe at the idea of 2 little days away from him. You see, once you have a man in your life like my Jacob, you never want to leave his side. But, he has to go train for a cannoner chief position and I hope he does great. Hopefully the sun will reappear and I can drive over to Kailua and spend hours upon hours laying under the sun. Vitamin D is so important!




Makapu Lighthouse drive.




Halona Blowhole





Crap and yes we drove in that  




I might not look it, but I was so happy to go for a ride!

 Today I was shown yet another little 'thing' around my house that I love having around. Not only does it make baking easier, but the cleanup is almost non-existent! We found our Silpat at Bed Bath and Beyond but I'm sure they sell them at many places. I know Macy's has the Martha Stewart ones. Mine cost around $20 but they are completely worth it!

The Shark

 Right now I am sitting at our kitchen table watching my husband make peanut butter cookies and thought I would type up a post. Today was a pretty normal day here at the Gordon house hold. We usually wake up each morning around 5:30 or so. Well, when I say we I am referring to Jake having to get up and go run in the mornings while I stay snuggled up under our quilt for the next hour. Don't you just love waking up a little early knowing you don't have to go anywhere or do any  homework and just snuggle up with all your pillows and lay under the quilt while the sun rises behind you? Well I do. When Jake comes back home I get out of bed, put on my work out clothes and go downstairs and make Jake's and my breakfast. After he leaves, I walk down to the gym and work out for at least 45 minutes. I come back home, shower, straighten up the house, and then usually call someone in my family. I then precede to making some lunch and sit down and watch a few episodes of MASH while Jake is on his lunch break. This is our morning routine usually everyday. It used to be after lunch I would usually do hours of homework but now I can do WHATEVER I WANT!



Broken Shark Steam-mop :(

So today I went to town to send of my schoolbooks back to Greenwood so that I can get 1% back from what I paid for them plus the cost of shipping. I then came home with the full intention of steam mopping the house but I had just lent my Shark to our neighbors. After it heated up and I began using it, I realized it was broke. Needless to say I was so upset. The Shark steam-mop happens to be one of the most prized possessions I own. So I left the broken mop in the middle of the floor and had myself a pity party. I went upstairs and continued reading my book about Abigail when I realized how pathetic I was acting. Women in the bible had a culture that is so different to ours, I can't even fathom what they endured each and every day. Here I was laying down and moping because my fancy steam mop was broke when women back then had to sweep their dirt, one room house for hours each day.
Anywase, of course my husband came home and fixed it. He fixes everything without complaining. While he calmly took it a part and put it back together again I was drinking a glass of milk knowing he would fix it. I had no doubt.

Today was another rainy day. It is supposed to rain every day this week. "I will rejoice in the Lord, for He has made me glad." Why does the Holy Spirit keep putting that verse into my heart? Hmmm, because it is so true. This morning while I was at the gym, I was watching the news on the Mississippi River overflowing. I was completely shocked. You see, Jake and I do not have cable. We made a committment our first year of marraige to not get cable and spend that time where we would be watching television doing other things. I love it most of the time. Not so much when there are tsunami warnings and when news such as Osama Bin Laden was killed. Really? Anywase, I go to the gym in the mornings to catch up on the daily news and saw where all that farmland was under all that water. Then I saw the town my sister's fiance is from and where is family still is and had to call and check up on their whole situation. After seeing all of that, I felt pretty humbled for probley the 100th time today.



On my way to go mail back thes books!





Our fixed Shark Steam-mop :)


We ended our day by watching The Fox and the Hound, Lambert the Sheepish Lion, and Lending Paws. I remember when I was a little girl, my sisters and I would sit in the front room on our little blankets and wait for Vault Disney or any other type of Disney shortfilms. However, Disney Channel nowadays is a complete waste of time and is lowering childrens intelligence. PBS is the way to go!
There are certain things in my life that I have found that I love having around the house. Not only does some things make life a bit easier but makes life smell much more better! I have already posted about my steam mop and believe everyone should have one of these in your homes but Jake found some garbage disposal deodorizers at Bed Bath and Beyond and we love them! They make our whole kichen smell lemony and 'orangey' fresh! I will try to post other 'things' each week that we love having around the house.



Garbage Disposal Cleaners and Deodorizers