Goodbye 2009

As we say goodbye to 2009, and await the arrival of the two thousand TEENS, it's important to reflect on the past year. God has blessed Beau and I with another great year for the books.

We rang in 2009 with a bottle of spilled champagne at Chris and April's. We had so much fun, we are doing it again, only this year, out on the town in style.

We welcomed the arrival of spring and warm weather with a party at our place. It was a blast. Memories include beer pong, a putting green, Rihanna's 'Live your Life,' a 'Soulja Boy' dance class (self-taught), and a rendition of 'Biffteck,' a French-inspired tribute to steak with sombreros (thank you Starbuck!).

I got to be part of a great friend, Drea's wedding in May. It was a gorgeous day outside and we had a blast getting dressed up, taking pictures, and dancing! Shaune and Drea are not only great friends, but great neighbors, living just a street away from us.

Mom and Dad watched their baby accept his diploma and graduate from high school. After 28 years (is that right?) of homework help, choir concerts, and washing sports uniforms, they became empty nesters in the blink of tear filled eyes.

I had a great year with a fantastic group of sophomores at NU High. In my first full year of teaching, I learned more from them than they could have ever learned from me.

We had a lot to celebrate in June. The completion of my first full year of teaching, our 2nd anniversary, and Beau's 28th birthday. So much, we decided we needed to celebrate in Mexico. We bravely ignored the swine flu pandemic talk and settled for a week in an all-inclusive, beach front room in the Riviera Maya.

Summer 2009 stands out as one of the best summers I've had. Beau and I cooked A LOT. We conquered the easy summertime supper. Dinner on the deck, Chinese lanterns, a glass of wine, music, and occasional games of cribbage or bocce ball. I took a couple of masters classes, got a lot of productive studying done at the Lost Island Water Park, and hosted a few parties with our friends and family.

Beau and I visited our favorite city, Chicago, for an afternoon in the bleachers at Wrigley, a night on the town and 'The Second City,' and a couple days of wandering and exploring Lincoln Park, Buddy Guy's, Lake Michigan, and numerous pizza and hot dog establishments!

We had a memorable night at Millennium Park. I think I could move to Chicago just for Millennium Park.

I celebrated making it through a quarter of a century!

We had a weekend with the family to witness one of the last Twins games at the Metro-Dome...well...some of us 'witnessed' it!

Beau and I went to visit Ty Cutler, Sarah and Levi's adorable baby boy. Our Sunday road trip proved to me that school work sometimes just has to wait.

We decided to become UNI Panther season ticket holders this year and had a couple of really beautiful tailgating days.

We spent a nice day in Northeast Iowa to scope out the fall foliage. We visited a winery, Starks, Pike's Peak, and McGregor. Beau also scored a lovely picture of dad, along with the idea to send a note of thanks, on behalf of dad, to his many plumbing customers (much to his surprise).

After an unseasonably warm November, December came in a hurry with cold temps and SO MUCH SNOW! Two snow days a week before Winter Break were much appreciated on this end! Comfort food, baking days, movie nights, and Christmas decorations made their appearance early and in abundance!

Wow...what a year! A year of family, friends, food, travel, and fun. A year of milestones. Grandma and Grandpa Hoodjer celebrated 50 years of marriage, Mom and Dad celebrated 30, and Mom said goodbye to her 40s. We got exciting news of a new generation of Henrichs' with Jordan and Kelli expecting their first baby in February. Beau wrapped up his 5th year at Farm Bureau and I began a whirlwind year of lesson planning, paper grading, presenting. We faced some scares (thanks to Beau's mom and my dad), yet had so much to be thankful for.

Now, as we look to 2010, it's exciting to dream about what is to come. Here's to a safe, happy, and healthy new year, full of new surprises and blessings!

-Ashley

Christmas with Beau

Last night, Beau and I celebrated our sixth Christmas together as a couple and our third Christmas together as a married couple!

Every year, we've planned to cook a fancy meal, something we usually don't cook during the regular year. We've had some success with this, as well as some complete bombs along the way. I remember one year in the duplex, we wanted to do an elaborate appetizers spread. After planning five different dishes, I think about two of them turned out. Another year, I attempted to make one of Rachel Ray's family traditions, Christmas Pasta. I forgot that Rachel Ray comes from a huge family and I was cooking for two. Not only did we end up with a gigantic pot of red sauce, it ended up being quite terrible and we threw it out!

This year, we stuck to the basics with a twist. We decided to stuff and roast an entire chicken in the oven. Due to his expertise in smoking raw birds, I gave this task to Beau. He cleaned it, rubbed it with butter, oregano, garlic, and thyme, and stuffed it with herbs, orange, and onion. Then, he gave it a winter's coat of bacon and baked it in the oven.

I took care of our sides and dessert. I mashed potatoes, made my favorite salad with mandarin oranges and sugared almonds, and had champange with cranberries. The chicken took a little longer than expected (but enabled Beau to break out the digital meat thermomether), but when it was all said and done, the meal was a winner!

Dessert was my specialty for the year. I have a thing for trifles and wanted to tackle individual trifles this year. I found a recipe from Giada on the Food Network. It layered strawberries soaked in sugar and balsamic vinegar, pound cake, Amaretto liquor, and homemade whipped cream. I was a little skeptical on the balsamic vinegar, but it gave it a really zesty, sweet flavor. You hardly needed sugar! The whipped cream was really fun to make. I whipped three cups cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and a tsp. of vanilla. They were really yummy!

As the freezing rain covered the streets outside, we stayed nice and warm with a fire inside. We opened lots of presents and just sat around and talked. Beau loved his black and white Wrigley Field canvas, his UFC XBox game, and UNI water bottle, and I was delighted to open a new pair of Rocket Dogs, a couple Victoria's Secret sweaters, and yes, a sheek leopard print snuggie! I'm currently blogging in it now!

Merry Christmas!

Pray for Kate

I've posted about this a few times before, but since it's so close to Christmas, it's also close to my heart.

This little girl is not your ordinary five year old. She's a gift. She's a fighter. She's innocence, hope, and faith. She's an inspiration to those in need. And she's a little bit of perspective for a girl like me. She's Kate Mcrae and she's in need of lots of prayers.

Kate is battling a rare brain tumor and is spending Christmas in a children's hospital in Arizona, fighting through round five of chemo. In the blink of an eye, Kate and her family, her parents, Aaron and Holly, and her siblings, Olivia and Will, had their entire world turned upside down; yet, they still maintain a strong faith that Kate will one day have her life back. I've been reading Kate's blog for months now and everyday, she helps me redirect my focus.

Visit Kate's website at www.prayforkate.com

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

-In Christ Alone, The Newsboys

a Christmas that is Merry & Bright...

As I sit here tonight, humming along to the season finale of 'the Sing Off' (only the best show evah) and trying to decide if Beau and I will get home this week for Christmas (snow storm of the century coming), I decided to post a few snapshots I took of my house decked out for Christmas. Although the tree makes things a little tight in the living room and the multiple strings of lights create a bit of a fire hazzard, it's pretty festive and cozy in here. Beau and I like to make a fire, pile all the blankets we own in the middle of the living room floor, and watch movies. Turns out Jadey likes the set up too. This morning while I cleaned the kitchen, she burrowed her way into the middle of the blankets and slept for hours! I couldn't make myself move the blankets because of how snuggly she looked.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree...

Here are a few pictures from Chris and April's 2nd Annual Christmas Sweater Party.

Highlights???

-I must say, my sweater. I wasn't going to buy a new one; however, I couldn't resist after finding my glitzy, sequined-adorned number from Mohair Pair. The pictures do not do it justice! I also decided to 'splurge' and buy some matching red cat-eye glasses to go with it.
-Wearing shoulder pads. It's a good look for me ;)
-The food! We munched all night on all the finest Christmas treats. Meatballs, cheeseballs, chex mix, and chocolate. Sangria, bruschetta, dips and chips.
-The White Elephant Gift Exchange...especially a vintage Alf scooter. Jordan ended up with that one, much to Beau's dismay. I ended up with a six-cassette set of pianists I'd never heard of. This wonderful gift ended up in random places around the Parkhurst household (bathroom drawers, Ryan's stocking, Chris's coat pocket, etc.

Best Christmas Sunday Ever

Christmas Break Day 2...The Best! For a novice teacher, Sundays are typically a day of beating the clock; attempting to relax a bit, but stacked to the brim with lesson planning, papers to grade, and groceries to get for the week. Today, however, was a welcomed change. School ended Friday; therefore, I am going to enjoy slow time for the next two weeks. If every day is like this one, Christmas Break is going to be exactly what I'm hoping for...

8:30 AM: Church. Church in a perfect little snowstorm. Just warm enough to want to play, just pretty enough to capture. The snowflakes were big, the crowd at church was big, and the message was even bigger. It was the story of Jesus going to a dinner banquet at the house of a prominent Pharisee (Luke 14). He told the parable of a "certain man" who prepared a "great banquet and invited many guests" (Luke 14: 16-24). Although this invitation was extended to all, people made excuses as to why they couldn't attend. One man had just gotten married and wanted to be with his wife, one man had just purchased new property, and another, five oxen. These men were too busy with their own lives, too busy with their own personal wealth to care or even notice the importance of this "great feast."

This "feast" is Christmas. God's extended invitation to all of us to accept his Son that night, in that lowly manger, as our Savior. It's crazy to me how this time of year always plays the same tune. It's the time of year when the message is the strongest, but the distractions are too. It's so easy to get mixed up in the excuses: presents to buy, parties to attend, mornings to sleep in... when all we need to do is remember the ultimate gift, the ultimate "feast" waiting for us.

10:00 AM: When we left church, it was still snowing. It was beautiful. Beau and I went to Hy-Vee and got some firewood; however, we had to go back to Hy-Vee to pay for it because neither one of us brought our wallets to church! I was okay with this, as it gave me a little more time to "play."




11:00 AM: I must admit, I planned a little ahead for today. I prepared breakfast. Homemade cinnamon rolls, a sausage and egg strata, and hot apple cider to sip on.

It was delicious!


Recipe for Easy Sausage Strata

-1 lb. Italian Sausage
-6 cups of bread crumbs
-2 cups grated Cheddar
-6 eggs
-2 cups milk
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. dry mustard

Brown sausage in a pan with a little olive oil on medium heat. After browned and drained, mix with bread crumbs and cheddar. Layer in a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with milk and mix in spice. Pour over sausage and bread mixture. Cover and chill overnight. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Serve warm.

11:30 AM: Tormented Jade. She, too, loves days like this. She plays when we play, eats when we eat, and cuddles when we cuddle.

12:00 PM: Finished wrapping! My tree is officially stuffed with beautiful gifts for beautiful family!

3:00 PM: Put the mukluks on. Snuggled under a comforter to watch a Lifetime Christmas movie, but fell asleep instead. I can't say I was too upset by this!

4:15 PM: Poured another glass of cider.

5:30 PM: Started a fire. Started a pot of cheese dip. Started 'The Family Stone.'

8:00 PM: Popped popcorn. Added marshmallows. Made a 'pile' of blankets and rekindled my love affair with Jimmy Stewart. 'It's a Wonderful Life' is not only my favorite Christmas movie, but one of my all-time favorites. The message rings loud and clear, much like the bell at the end of the film. I cry every time I watch it. It's the best.

11:00 PM: Snuggled in for a 'long winter's nap.'

Six years of MISTLETOE...

These are fun. I can't believe we've had SIX Christmases together! Beau has changed a lot, and so has my hair color! This was taken at Mom and Dad's house on our very first Christmas together. Beau was working retail at Scheel's and had to close the store on Christmas Eve. I remember he got to Mom and Dad's about a half hour before church started. Mom ironed his shirt for him and he made fun of her for wanting to get to church so early.

This was also the year of the 'Scheel's Christmas.' Since Beau got a really nice discount, all of our gifts were from Scheels. I got my very first, very nice Cubs jersey, and lots of scarves (including the UNI one I'm wearing in this picture).

Christmas #2... I don't remember a whole lot about this one other than the fact that I had a pretty nice diamond on my left hand! Beau proposed about a month before Christmas, 2005. I was a pretty happy girl!

Christmas # 3 (2006): Six months until husband and wife. At this point, I was talking about pink and green ribbon, peonies, and wedding cake in my sleep, and Beau was counting down the days 'til the honeymoon!

Christmas 2007: Beau and Ashley Jorgensen. Married. Looking for a house. Looking for a job. Ashley as a brunette. Beau got mad at me for wanting to take pictures at Grandma and Grandpa's this year (little did he know they would make for a great blog entry a couple years later).

Christmas 2008! The years go by so fast. Love you, babe!

A "Little" Christmas Feast (but no Roast Beast)

Last night, Beau and I had our parents over for a Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner. We had been meaning to have our family over for dinner for awhile, but had to take a raincheck after Mary's surgery. Even though it didn't quite get to 30 degrees yesterday, Beau was more than ready to melt the snow off his smoker. I was also ready to cook after having a couple of unexpected days off from school last week. Like always, I (and Beau, thanks to his "Bacon Explosion"), cooked way too much! We ate, talked, sat by the fire, and relaxed.

The Menu:
-Smoked Pork Loin with Cinnamon Apple Glaze
-Mashed Potatoes

-Sweet Potato and Apple Crisp

-Candied Carrots

-Sausage, Cranberry, and Apple Stuffing

-Pear Romaine Salad

-Bananas Foster for Dessert!

Lastly, I posted a few pictures of my table. I was quite proud of it. Believe it or not, it was Beau's idea to make a table runner out of wrapping paper! What a great idea! It's a big table for a small kitchen, but it looked pretty last night!

Notice the napkins??? They're called "Bishop's Hats" and Beau and I learned how to fold them by watching youtube!

"I'll be home for Christmas..."

"See George, you really had a wonderful life."

"It's a Wonderful Life," aka, the BEST movie of all time

Christmas TREE lights garland cider cinnamon movies fires warmth O HOLY NIGHT family snow bows sugar cookies IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE snuggling ornaments Shrek mistletoe kisses wine sweaters candlelight SILENT NIGHT pictures kisses Charlie Brown stars mittens Santa uggs mukluks JIMMY STEWART movie nights takeout popcorn fondue SNOW berries ELF tights BIG flakes blankets baking mess JESUS singing sledding mistletoe fudge breakfast cozy FAMILY ...

Christmas is the time of year...

...for love.

...

...O Night Divine!



Merry Christmas Everyone!

Bon Appetit!

Today was our first official snow day of the year and it couldn't have been better. I managed to be halfway productive, cleaning out the pantry, cleaning the bathroom, working on lesson plans for second semester, and even working out. More importantly, I managed to be unproductive as well! One of my favorite parts of the day was my afternoon movie: Julie & Julia.

I was inspired! I love to cook and really connected with the main character, Julie Powell. Content, yet growingly unsatisfied with her 9-5 bureaucratic job, Julie finds her escape and control at night as she cooks. In the movie, Julie takes on a challenge: to try every single recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and blog about it for an entire year. 524 recipes in 365 days. Sounds like a challenge to most. I think it sounds like a wonderful idea.

After many successes, meltdowns, messes, and a few extra pounds, Julie learns a lot about herself and her counterpart, Julia Child, in the process. I loved Amy Adams as Julie, the two men that played both Js' husbands, and the delicious looking food. When the film was over, I wanted to make raspberry Bavarian cream, mushroom cream sauce, bruschetta, and lobster! I was inspired!

I was so inspired, I even got out the cookbooks. I contemplated the Bon Appetit cookbook; that is, until I saw that there were not 524 recipes, but 1,200! I told Beau about my idea and he quickly envisioned similar meltdowns to that of Amy Adams' in the film. I put the idea aside and decided to work out instead.

...I wonder if I could get through the cookbook in two years... :)

Christmas Baking Mess Uno

In addition to my usual list of baked goodies for Christmas, I decided to make sugar cookie cut-outs. I remember doing this a few times with Mom when I was little and all that seems to stick with me was the mess: every knife in the house dirty, little bowls caked with colored frosting, food coloring stained finger tips, and every piece of countertop filled with little snowman, angels, stars, mittens, and Christmas trees. The past couple of years I just couldn't build up enough Christmas 'spirit,' or (insanity) to attempt this endeavor again. That is...until this year.

I decided to make it a three day event. Friday, I mixed the dough. Saturday, I rolled, cut, and baked. Very successful I must say. I even wore an apron. I even told Beau that I wanted to start making cut-outs for every season.

Let's just say that enthusiasm diminished slightly as Sunday afternoon rolled around. I was knee deep in ungraded essays, but knew I had to get the 70 little pieces of Christmas cheer decorated before I started another week.

First came the frosting...why is it that flour, powdered sugar, etc. seem to fly and dust across every crack, crevice, and hole in the kitchen? No matter how careful you try to be, you still end up with flour everywhere. After going through about an entire bottle of red food coloring, I managed to get all the colors I needed and was pleased with the results.

Then, I began frosting. What started as perfectly lined stockings, mittens, and snowmen, ended up getting quite messy. I even asked Beau for help. I decided that those perfectly decorated cookies in Martha Stewart are staged. I'm sure they decorate three or four perfect looking cookies, arrange them on a beautiful plate, and throw the rest away. Or eat them unfrosted. Either way, I wish they'd stop. They give false hope to the wannabees like me.

By the time I got finished frosting, I was spent. I threw some sprinkles on some, got a little crazy with my easy squeeze frosting, and broke a few snowflakes in the process. By the time I was finished, I couldn't look at another cookie, let alone eat one. Beau, the wonderful husband that he is, helped me clean the mess (which looked as though a gingerbread house puked), and I crossed 'sugar cookies' off my list.

I had one this morning...they taste great!

Tomorrow I'm making monster cookies!

Here are a few pictures of my mess!

I have so many pictures of this same pose. Beau was "helping" a lot.

Beau's masterpieces. My personal favorite would have to be the one where he decided to mix three different colored frostings. It looks like a dirty sock!

My undecorated, but frosted cookies. They are cute. I especially love the green trees and sky blue snowflakes.

P90X

Well, Beau and I have started a workout program. P90X is the word and the word is insane!!! Beau saw it on an info-mercial and decided to go on a whim and see how it worked. I'm not sure if it's the program or the fact that we are both holding each other accountable, but so far (granted it's only been three days), we are not only doing it, but actually enjoying it! It's six days a week with a different workout each day. It's great for people like Beau who get bored with the same thing for too long, and great for people like me who like some variety. There's cardio, yoga, stretching, kickboxing, and lots of strength training. It's pretty intense, but the pain in about every part of my body shows me that it's working! Beau text me this morning saying that every part of his body hurt, including his teeth and hair. Tonight, when we finished with the arms and chest workout, he said his arms already looked bigger, then proceeded to tell me it was because they were swollen, not more muscular!

More stories to come!

Turkey Day 2009

Well, I missed posting on Thanksgiving, but it's never too late to reflect on what one is thankful for. It's been a great little break so far. I love Thanksgiving break for many reasons. It's too short of course (although Beau suggests I'm being a little greedy), but it's always busy with fun activities in anticipation of Christmas. And over the last couple of years, it's seemed to take a sort of similar routine:

Wednesday is de-stressing day. I always attempt to sleep in (failed attempt #1), but decide I'm going to instead wake up, make something warm to drink, and curl up on the couch for some morning TV. Due to my inability to relax, thanks to my "to-do list addiction," I settle for the couch, a cup of tea, and recipe magazines and books. Our world in the Jorgensen household revolves around food. We can't have a morning to sleep in without cooking breakfast; we can't decorate for Christmas without making appetizers to munch on; we can't let a single weekend go by without having some plans to curse. It's a blessing and a curse. So...I write down some old and new favorites to make this weekend. This year, the list includes my favorite Sausage, Cranberry, and Sage Stuffing and Sweet Potato Casserole for Thanksgiving, and Tomato Bacon Cups, Shrimp Scampi, Smokies, Fiesta Dip, and Bananas Foster (Emeril Style) for our decorating extravaganza. Looking for the perfect menu is quite the process; however, it allows me the chance to bring out my inner Martha which makes me very happy!

Wednesday is also a day of cleaning, laundry, watching daytime shows, and feeling normal again. I light candles, clean a little deeper than usual, and stay in sweatpants all day long!

Wednesday night is what I like to call cave night. We order in some Thai food, make a 'pile' under nearly every blanket we own, and watch movies. This year it was "The Taking of Pelham 123." It was a compromise. I'd really like to watch a girly romantic comedy, but it's a battle I don't attempt. So, the three of us (Jadey included), forget the world around us for a night and chill out in our cave.

Thursday, aka, Turkey Day. A day of driving, seeing family, and EATING! This year, we traveled to Beau's Grandma Sanders' for lunch, and Grandma and Grandpa Hoodjer's for dinner.

The food was awesome. Any other time of the year, it is simply not acceptable to pile that much food on a plate, but on Thanksgiving, it is expected. Highlights of this year's eat-a-thon: mashed potatoes of course, Grandma's stuffing and carrot casserole, apple pies from an orchard in Jefferson, cranberry jello, and sweet potato casserole.

Friday, aka, Black Friday. It seems to get a little earlier each year. This year...3:30 AM! I know what you're probably thinking, but it was worth it! I can't put all the deals I snagged on here because of a snoopy reader, but I was able to find everything I was looking for and saved some serious money. Highlights of the day??? The great 5-piece luggage set I found at Kohl's for $47, finding a short line at Target amidst the huge crowd lined up all the way to the back of the store, using cell phones as walkie talkies with Mom and Kelli in Target, getting home after a full 'day' of shopping at just 11:00 AM, and of course, the wonderful nap I took Friday afternoon!

Friday night was so fun. We went with the Shortway clan to the first annual Holiday Hoopla in downtown Cedar Falls. Decked out in uggs, gloves, and hats, we bundled up to see live music, fireworks, and of course, Santa's arrival. It was pretty cold, so we ended up settling for a table by the window at Soho, once again, filling our stomachs with yummy food and drinks, and awaiting Santa's arrival from the window.

Saturday, my house put its Christmas sweater on. Decorating, much like Black Friday, has seen a crescendo over the years. I now have four trees in the living room alone (granted, some are baby trees). Although I still can't compete with my mother-in-law, it looks like a gingerbread house in here and I must admit, it's pretty cozy. I made some appetizers and Beau and I chilled on the couch and watched our first of many Christmas movies, 'Four Christmases.'

Sunday: church, cappuccino, wrapping, leftovers, Bears vs. Vikings, laundry, grading, and blogging. Back to reality tomorrow, only this time, with Christmas music.

Thankful for...

-my husband. He's a blast and he keeps me on my toes. We have so much fun together and I don't know what I'd do without him.
-my family. There's never a dull moment and as everyone continues to grow, it keeps getting more and more interesting!

-health. Especially in the last month. Mary's colostomy ended up being scarier than we all anticipated, but she's proved to be a fighter and a really great sport. She's getting back to normal and we are all thankful for that. Dad proved to be quite indestructable after a scary car accident a couple weeks ago. I thank Jesus every day for keeping my family safe.

-our membership to Orchard Hill Church. We love that place. It's been such a rich part of our relationship with each other and with Jesus. The pastors, the messages, the music. Every Sunday, I leave feeling a little more on fire for Jesus and look forward to raising our family there.

-my gingerbread house. My comfy bed, kitchen, fireplace, garage, TV, and abundance of photos.

-leggings, big sweaters, and uggs (okay, any boots)

-our many music, cooking, and vino nights!

-memories of Mexico and Chicago with Beau...two of our favorite places!

-my furry feline friend and all the funny faces she makes!

-movies. whether in a cozy theatre or on my own couch, I love the escape that movies offer

-my Mom...she's my best friend. I am thankful for our talks, our shopping trips, and our bond.

-Express...my number one stress reliever

-living in Iowa...deck nights in the summer, poolside afternoons, and sundresses, hoodies and crisp walks in the fall, the first fireplace night, comfort food, Christmas lights, gift wrap, movie nights; the first bike ride of spring, the first car wash and lawn mowing; Ron Santo's voice on 1650. I'm a sucker for the seasons and wouldn't trade it for the world (except a week in Mexico every now and then :)).

-our relationship with the culinary arts. Cooking has been our release, our escape, and we're pretty good at it!

-for my job. Although it keeps me busier than I'd sometimes like to be, I love getting the chance to work with teenagers every day. They keep me young and current (or at least I'd like to think so) and it's a challenge I need.

-for Christmas...it's magical. The lights, the music, the specials on TV...everything is a little bit sweeter at Christmas time.

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

Happy 30th Mom & Dad!

Married November 10, 1979. Celebrating thirty happy years November 10, 2009. Thirty years of building dreams, sharing laughs (and some tears), celebrating milestones, holding babies, raising teenagers, and now, awaiting grand-babies!

I am so blessed to have such a strong example to follow in my own marriage. Love you and Happy Anniversary!

Halloween 2009

"Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble."

Happy Halloween! Well...it wasn't as warm as last year (mid-70s and sunny), but it was sunny and pleasant. Beau gave me so much grief about how much candy I bought and much to his (and my) surprise, we completely ran out!

During trick-or-treating, our street looks like trick-or-treating on the movies. Groups of kids, all sizes, wandering up and down the street, dragging their buckets and parents behind them. I don't know what's more fun to watch...the little kids or Beau handing out candy.

The picture is of Dash and Jersee, Chris and Windee's kids. Dash is three and Jersee is 19 months. They were so cute! They yelled, 'Beau and Ashley! Trick or Treat!' the minute they stepped out of their front door. Both of their costumes had big feet, so it took them about 20 minutes to tromp over to our front door. They were both beaming with smiles!