Buh-Bye Energy Bean

Well, I've given it up . . .
The energy bean, I mean . . . caffeine.

What? Huh? Cold Turkey???

Yep

I realized how much I consumed each day, and I know that it hasn't helped me. I already survived the day one (the worst!) and day 2 has been so much better. I feel so good. I have been drinking juice and ice water, and enough tea to make me have to use the facilities at least 15 times a day.

What I wanted to know when I first started this was, were there any exceptions?

Yes - Sunday morning - coffee with caffeine. And chocolate has NOT been eliminated. My body would go into too much shock if I did that. I am severely cutting back though.

We'll see how this goes -
in the meantime, my coffee cup is empty and my teacup is full :)

Happy New Year :)

Can you believe that its already here? I am still trying to get over the fact that Christmas is over . . .

Other than watching 24 episodes and eating dark chocolate, I think us Hofpeeps are just gonna lay low tonight. Any parties going on??? ;)


So, resolutions - - - I normally don't go for this sort of thing, but these are more like goals anyway, and I go for goals all the time :)


-The usual - get back in shape ;)

-Get our 2nd bedroom in order. (We are looking to purchase some fitness equipment (see above ;) and make the room more like an office/workout room rather than a junk/craft/everything room ;)

-Landscape our backyard - patio/firepit/magnolia tree/gardening - the whole kit & caboodle.

-Landscape our front yard - rose garden!

-Try out new recipes!

- Have more people over (I need guinea pigs for those new recipes!)

-Visit family

- more to add later ;)

What's on your list???

Nativity, Texas-Style

Last week, we did something really special. After bundling up with coats, we made a quick stop at Starbucks for mochas and brownies, and then went to an event that a local church was putting on: A 'Drive-Thru Nativity'. Lines of cars weaved around the church parking lot, making stops at each point, as the story of Jesus' birth was told on a cd.

This was all free, all a ministry outreach. What a touching time!

Okay, and we did kind of joke that it was the 'Texas way' to have a 'Drive thru nativity' ;)

Click here for a link to a video someone posted on YouTube

Zapata Dip Dapata

I am unbelievably happy.

Why?

Haven got the job in Zapata, which is pretty much 2 hours away!

Do you know what this means???

He is supervising this project, HIS OWN!

He gets HIS OWN crew!

He has a pretty manly truck!

He will be able to be home on the weekends!

He will be able to go to church again!

I am on schedule to cook again for awhile!

He can take car of these 'honey do's'!

WOHOO!!! Thank you Lord!!!

My Love

Oh . . . Did I fail to mention that my beloved is finally home?

He surely is!!! :)

We had a sweet reunion on Saturday, early afternoon. His plane rolled in right on time. I tell you, welcome home kisses are the best :)

After he was fed and showered, we went to check out the new Costco that opened in OUR neck of the woods. Can you imagine how happy I was to have HIM pick up that big ol' 65-lb bag of dog chow!? !

I made dinner for the first time in months. . . just getting out my pots and pans made me giddy. And, I have never been so happy to see so many dishes flood my sink! ;)

I made some delicious waffles from a Hot Providence cookbook recipe, and we savored each bite with coffee and the newspaper. (I'll post the recipe in a while).

After a wonderful church service and a bit of fellowshipping, we headed home. I packed us a little lunch and we went to a quiet spot by the Guadalupe river in New Braunfels and enjoyed the sunny fall day. It was so nice to celebrate the sabbath with my man! We decided to go see that movie 'Dan in Real Life' with Steve Carell (aka Mr. Michael from 'The Office"). It was actually pretty good :)

So okay, maybe it sound like we are newlyweds or something, but its really been too long since we lived in the same house TOGETHER :)

I am really thankful right now - he has the possibility of getting a project that is only 2 hrs away and so he'd be home on the weekends, for sure. We are both hoping for that, but we are praying to be at peace with wherever God wants him.

God is so good!

San Francisco Outing

Noni and I took the BART to the Ferry Station - what a beautifully refurbished building!

Bell Tower

Palm Trees and the Bay Bridge

Bus ;)
(Noni told me that the city features buses from all around the world!)

Rainy Day in the city

Inside the Ferry Station, they have an 'open air' market

*Kingdom of Herbs* - made me think of you, Missy! :)

Places are places I am when I'm not where you are . . .

In a whirlwind trip, I was able to make a little journey back to California, my birth state. For some strange reason, a lot of emotions, mainly melancholy swept my heart up during this time. Perhaps it was also, intensified by the keen sense of 'missing my husband syndrome' which tends to happen a lot more when I am away from our home.

Anyway. I flew out on Friday, and was again captured by the lovely places where I used to go. I stayed with my precious grandparents in Walnut Creek, and got to see my cousins and aunt, take a quick trip to San Francisco to see the new Ferry Station Building (I will post some pictures next time around), and have some really good 'Noni time' over coffee and pastries.

Saturday, the Lord blessed the day with stunning weather, perfect for a wedding - Nate and Jenny's to be precise :) What a special event - the bride was so beautiful that the groom cried at the altar when he saw her walk down. . . now, how often does that happen? :) Fall colors covered the tables in flower arrangements, centerpieces and tablecloths. The cake had polka dots, and the bridesmaids wore flip- flops ;)

As I soaked in the lush landscape of seascape gold resort, and chatted with dear friends, I thanked the Lord for allowing me to make a quick escape out. It doesn't exactly happen everyday that I am able to go back to where my roots first started. It always makes me so aware of what a blessed phase of life it was to live in such a paradise.
But, as I drove back to the airport this morning, on a dark highway now unfamiliar to me, it dawned on me how God has made such a place for me in Texas now. I am not ashamed to say that I am a Texan anymore. Maybe not a true one, but one enough to want to be back where the gas is cheap and the drinks are big.

I truly do miss the California ocean breezes, the tall redwood trees, and the rugged mountains. Like I said here, you can't take that out of me. But in the end, these are just places, and God can put His children anywhere and He always blesses them wherever they go. I feel that blessing each time I walk in the door of the house He provided. I feel that blessing every time my husband hugs me, I feel that blessing in the embrace of our church, and just overall, in every area of our lives here in Texas. God is so good.

So, I thank the Lord, for giving me such a creative heritage. . . I am excited to see the other places He will bring us in the life Haven and I have together. . .

To all the dearly loved friends and family in CA - I love you all and wish that we could be closer. . . but until then, thank the Lord for Southwest airlines! ;)

Central Park

New York, New York, What a Wonderful Town . . . ;)

Here is a cluster (or, more like a CLUMP) of pictures from our first day trip to Manhattan.

We started out with a ferry ride from Staten Island into the city - we saw the lovely Lady Liberty from the boat and the spectacular city in the distance.

We landed in Battery Park - featuring Statue of Liberty mimes

Oh yes, and a Thanksgiving turkey strutting his stuff.

Lamps at dusk

This was a statue of an eagle, dedicated to all those who had died at sea

I think that I remember this was an art museum - bordering the park

This mission was crammed next to a high skyscraper and it just made us smile -

Times Square -

we passed by where they shoot "Goodmorning America" :)

This store CAUGHT my EYE - GREAT AMERICAN CHOCOLATE COMPANY?! YUM!!!

We walked by this little church that seemed the only serene spot in the bustling city - it also had this weird 'root' sculpture that didn't seem to go with the rest of the architecture. . .hmmm

Umm . . . roots can't grow in cement. . .

Here we are on Wall Street - Haven is posing with Washington ;) I personally think my husband is better looking ;)

I loved this particular scene of Washington praying. The fact that it was such a central part of the Wall Street square really stood out to me -

And we wandered by Carnegie Hall - awww, shucks, didn't have golden tickets to get in though ;)

And, speaking on golden things, well, and diamonds . . .

Gotta take the dog for a run - more to come . . . stay tuned ;)

Sandy Hook, NJ

On our second day, we explored our surroundings, beginning with Sandy Hook, on the coast of New Jersey.

In Navesink

It was a beautiful day for exploring, and the sites were awesome.

After we drove around the coast for a while, we headed to Staten Island and met the Manhattan ferry. . .

stay tuned, more to come!