Macks and Knickknacks

Random Fun People

2011-10-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

Actually, none of these people are random, they are all great friends, and SUPER fun.

This was my sister Marissa's birthday party from this summer! Wow. These people are; (first row) John, Keegan, Eric, Me, Christel, Nick, (Second row) Marissa, Kenan (We almost lost his face in both these photos. I don't know if he was avoiding being in the photo or not!)

Too many legs to count.

And 155 miles south from Marissa's birthday bash, was another party in Butte. If you are going to a wedding reception, these are definitely the guys to take with you!

ICE BLOCKING!

2011-09-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yup. It's that dangerous. Ice Blocking is so dangerous that men will hold onto each other in fear as they start to slide down a hill on blocks of ice.

So dangerous that men have to come up with new, scary ways of stacking the ice to make the slide a even more exhilarating.

Only the brave will attempt "human surfing." (Andy and Miles)These men even make goofy faces at the camerawoman to hide the fact that they are a little amazed at themselves at the danger they are facing head on.

The observing bystanders are concerned for the Ice Blockers' lives and they are worried. (Can't you tell by John's face?)

Explanation...
On our last trip to Butte, we joined our friends for some "Ice blocking." I'm amazed I made it til my 27th year of life before doing this! I had heard about it when I was a kid. But I remember an adult explaining to me what it was, and since they were an adult, they included all the reasons why ice blocking is so dangerous and shouldn't be done. Now I've experienced it and know that you do have the possibility of breaking your arm off, cutting a gash in your leg, or severely grass-staining your pants. But not if you are Andy or Miles! (Except they definitely inflicted grass stains on their wardrobe.)

I'm Back!

2011-08-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to throw something new up on my page! The fact that I haven't blogged for almost a year means that, yes I was a slacker, but also I've just been having too much fun with doing the normal daily stuff to write out what I'm doing. So now, I'm back! (Let's see how long it lasts!)
Marissa, Christel, and I had an impromptu photo session on Marissa's birthday. (Christel is the photographer.) That's the picture above. It was part of her birthday celebration. If I ask most people if they would like pictures taken of them for fun, they would look at me funny. But Marissa is a different type. It was super fun, and I think she enjoyed it!

Then Christel snapped a few of me and John. These were a couple of my favorites.

I want Marissa to put those feathers back in my hair soon, and wow, my husband is handsome!!

John bought me a new vacuum!! It wasn't that our old one was ancient; we probably got it in 2006, but it had developed an offensive habit of overheating after just 2 minutes of use, and then not turning on again for thirty minutes or an hour!! You can imagine the frenzy that puts you in when company is on it's way! My new one works amazingly!!! I had Gnocchi sit beside it for this picture, even though it makes him very nervous, so he thinks he's in trouble.

Birds Everywhere!

2010-09-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

I've never thought I was much of a bird person. They're fine animals, I just haven't thought about them much. But recently, they're everywhere! And not just all around our home where they love to perch and sing in our trees. It seems that I am actually attracted to them more lately. Whether it's the black bird necklace that Marissa gave me, or the business card that John designed for me, I seem to be migrating towards liking birds!

Here's the little guy that couldn't fly for some reason, and on a pouring day this summer, our dogs found him hanging out under my vines along the fence. I noticed them batting something around as they often do when they discover insects or other small creatures, and I rushed over to save this little birdie from being mauled to death. I then brought him inside and John (the everlasting animal lover at heart) attempted to feed him worms and bread and dry him off a bit. Then we decided to let nature take it's course and let him loose in the front yard. I try not to think of Harry and the Henderson's every time we let an animal "back into the wild." It only makes me want to build pens and coops and start a mini zoo in my back yard.

That's "Momma Robin" in her nest that was built up in our eaves on the west side of our house. I've always been intensely interested when a bird decides to build it's nest anywhere near where I am. This is probably linked with some memory or something, but it just seems special. So I awarded "Momma" the respect of snapping pictures of her from far away, even though she stared me down with an alert eye anytime I walked beneath her.

And here are the eggs! I had to wait patiently for one of these short windows of time when a mother bird goes away from her nest for food. I almost felt like I was doing something wrong as I balanced on the edge of our porch railing, holding onto the roof with one hand, and clutching the camera with the other hand! And the whole time, wondering what the neighbors think or when "Momma" will be back to peck my eyes out!

The Babies!!! Two cuties with tiny wings and bare, red bellies! I have no idea how old these little ones are, but they're adorable!

And here's our dorky pigeon friends. I don't mind them on top of our roof so much, but I think I'm going to put pigeon strips on our eaves so they can't hang out there. Our perpetual cooing alarm clock that goes of at 5 in the morning still hasn't grown on us!

Cute, Cute Video!!!

2010-09-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Check this out. My husband found the most talented dancing dog I've ever seen!!! And I've seen a few dog competitions where people dance with their dogs. This is the BEST EVER!! I guarantee you you will crack a smile when you see the grin on this dog's face!!!

CLICK HERE!!!

We're on the News!!!

2010-08-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

We've finally hit it big!

Check out our news story HERE!

Check out John's site HERE!

Fun Parts of Summer

2010-08-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

A few of those oh-so-special parts about my summers are...

Friends traveling to our place to visit, and us traveling to visit friends.
The beautiful summery weather!
Festivals and markets that don't happen during the rest of the year.
Getting in the river, lakes and any other body of water to cool off!
Barbecuing and eating outside!!!

2010-06-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!!

After what seems like weeks of rain, the sun came out today!!! During all this pouring rain we've been having, (seriously, flood warning amounts of rain!) my plans for cleaning up my yard and clearing out all the flower beds have been foiled over and over! Usually, I'm the type of person that can see the blessing of the rain and wouldn't get bent out of shape by it, but by yesterday I couldn't stand it anymore. I was done. After this many dismal days in a row, the gloominess had snuck past just blocking gardening goals and into my soul until it was truly a blue day. I'm super blessed by God, and nothing in my life is meltdown worthy, but yesterday, everything was!!! My husband played the perfect roll of "picker up of the pieces," and gently lifted me into his arms, figuratively and literally. He asked me to list all these things in my life that had "fallen apart," and then he slowly and softly led me back to the truth for each of those items. Then he took on the role of doctor and prescribed dinner out, ice cream, and a movie to completely lift me out of the soggy day blues! What a gift from God!!! John is an amazing husband!

Now the sun is out, I'm heading out to my garden, and I am reminded at how awesome God's grace is! He never leaves us, but gives us people here on earth to hold us, pat us dry, and gently lead us back unto the path that he has for us.
But now, both John and I agree, we hope that path is NEVER going to lead us to Seattle!!!

Gym Psychology

2010-05-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Finally!!! After being sick for a week, I went to the gym. My nose is still running, and I didn't work crazy hard, but I went! And yes, everyone's already told me that it's better to keep working out when you're sick, but I just didn't have the will power.

Ok. What is it with us people and looking at each other at the gym?!
I know what I just wrote might sound strange, but I always wonder about this. For instance, I walk into the weight room at the gym and every eye immediately is on me! Which of course makes me feel that I either need to avert my eyes and stare at the floor as I sheepishly decide what weights to try to pick up, or I need to meet every gaze like a predator ready to attack if you dare tell me my form is wrong!
Yes, there are a lot of guys in there, and yes, they will ogle at any female that sets foot in the building, so that probably answers a large percentage of the "why do people have to look at me" question. But I find it very intriguing that once I make my way through the weight room to the safer area of all things cardio, and get settled using a machine, I start doing the same thing! When someone new walks into the room, I look up, (if I'm not distracted by TLC showing wedding dresses on the TV,) and I LOOK AT THEM! And I watch them avert their eyes the same way I did mine! And I watch them awkwardly walk as coolly as they can to the nearest treadmill! Now I know I'm not checking anyone out. And I also know I don't want to make anyone feel awkward. So what is with the stare thing?

Here's my guesses.

1. It could be that people are generally by themselves when they are at the gym. This might make their self-preservation instincts kick into gear, and they have to watch every move made in the room and be on guard in case they are attacked. I like the thought of this just because I enjoy imagining people morphing into different animals and roaming about the gym looking for food. Which just isn't a normal activity at the gym.

2. It could be we are all reeaaallly bored at the gym. And nothing is better than passing our time looking at each other. I know that I am a little bit in this category because every time I step on a treadmill, I suddenly become aware of every clock in the room. And I can't wait to get off the stinking thing! Keep my heart rate up for at least 30 minutes? Uh, lets try for three. Wow, that guy's running really fast!

My conclusion is.... It's both.

My Gnocchi Adventure.

2010-04-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

Years ago, as I watched a Martha Stewart show, I saw the guest chef make Gnocchi. I was completely intrigued..... Which leads me to our last trip to California, when after an evening at the beach in Malibu, we stopped at an Italian restaurant near our hotel late one night. John and I tiredly flopped our slightly sun burnt bodies into a booth, worrying we weren't dressed nice enough for the formal environment. (The host had to assure me we were fine.) There was an excellent guitar player finishing his last set as we waited for our food. When our salads and bowl of little Gnocchi arrived, (we shared the dish,) I can say that we absolutely fell in love! Not with each other, that's already happened!!! But with the adorable little balls of dough sitting before us! The pillowy soft pieces of pasta that the chef had doused in a delectably creamy cheese sauce were the perfect texture and taste! We both left the restaurant pleasantly impressed, and I began on my journey to find out more about this new dish.

Each recipe I found was about the same, with the same 4 ingredients, but there was always a varying amount of how much potato, flour, egg, and salt to add from recipe to recipe. After one attempt, with a tomato, basil and garlic sauce, the little gnocchi turned out too soft. To my delight, John still scarfed them down, and said they were good enough to eat!

My second attempt (with a little more flour) turned out perfect! I was ecstatic as the "play-dough snake" cylinders of dough rolled out under my hands and didn't fall apart! It was definitely a little bit of work, and a tiny bit time consuming, but the finished product was amazing! This time I tossed the gnocchi in a creamy citrus sauce with chicken, broccoli, leeks and toasted pine nuts. Yummy!!! Next time around I will double the amount of sauce though.

So there it is. After successfully preparing gnocchi, I feel like I have ventured a little further into the delectable world that is Italian cooking! To leave you, I will share what I believe is the most magical part of these little dumplings... I love the way they cook! You throw them in bowling water, and in about three or four minutes, when they're finished, they float to the top! Now if only I could get my pork roast to wave at me or yell out "Hey Elisha! I'm done!"

To make some gnocchi for yourself...
try this recipe!

Herbs from Scratch!

2010-03-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

In January, I started a project that I've been excited about for a long time. It was stemmed by my love for cooking, and my cravings to use yummy herbs in the dishes I cook.
But seriously... fresh herbs cost so much! Especially rosemary or sage, when just a sprig of the stuff can cost up to six dollars! I actually started giggling with glee in Van's last autumn when I found parsley and cilantro for just 79 cents per bunch! That was my shopping highlight for the month of November!

So my husband was super thoughtful to bring a present of herb seed packets home from Ace Hardware one winter day, and I set out researching, gathering supplies, and getting plain old delighted about the whole deal. After soaking the seeds overnight, breaking the hulls of the cilantro seeds open, and carefully planting the tiny little things in terra cotta pots, I set them in a south window to grow. For a short time, I thought I may have given my self too high of expectations: I planted the whole laundry list... Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Rosemary, Sage, Chives, Parsley, Oregano, Tarragon, and Thyme. But after only 4 days, there were tiny, tiny, tiny sprouts on the surface of one pot of soil!!!

I now have adorable little plants starting to fill my windows, while filling me with expectations for a fruitful spring! Can you imagine the scrumptious homemade pico de gallo, bruschetta, chicken salad with dill. . .

Yes, I'm a waitress.

2010-02-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

35-3031.00 - Waiters and Waitresses
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

- From Career Depot.org

I had an interesting conversation with my little sister last night about how her high school counselor (The same one I had ten years ago) gives her a very hard time since her three older sisters never went to college. This said counselor claims that she really must "make something of herself," and go to college so that her life is not a waste. Even though frustrated by what her counselor claims, my adorable sister has been researching what she wants to do at different colleges. And so far, what she has found reminds me of the same search I went through at that time of my life. She said a cute thing referring to one possible path she might take and the price of culinary school... "I don't have to go to school for it, I can just make cakes!!"

Thinking back on those same emotions produced in my heart my senior year makes my blood heat up. Just because what I wanted to do doesn't fit in the box of "college" doesn't mean it's wrong. And it's not that I didn't want to go to college, I just didn't want to do most of the things at colleges! I was an excellent student throughout school and really impressed most of my teachers, but I have never had dreams to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, accountant, or physicist. I have however had the dream to...

... create beauty and inspiration with my hands
... live vibrantly and attract others to what I live for
... provide awesome food to my husband and everyone else
... create a home and family where people can feel loved
... live my life with a feeling of purpose

Mr. Counselor,
Right now I am a waitress. And not only that, I live in the same town I grew up in. I don't have a degree, I have never taken any accredited college credits, and I got married at an age that was way too early to responsibly decide what kind of adult I wanted to be. (According to you, that is.)
Mr. Counselor, the dreams I had in my heart during high school probably seem simple to you, but they're the same that I have today. And if I had gone off and gotten a degree to make you and the current world happy, I may not be doing what I have always dreamed of doing...

... creating beauty and inspiration with my hands
... living vibrantly and attracting others to what I live for
... providing awesome food to my husband and everyone else
... creating a home and family where people can feel loved
... living my life with a feeling of purpose

^"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

~Romans 12:6-8

SIX YEARS!!

2010-01-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been six years of marriage! I just realized I don't have any digital pictures of our wedding, but just to see how young we looked, here's one from the summer after we got married. I love you John!!!

John & Elisha Mack
Jan 3, 2004

A Recap of 2009

2010-01-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! What a year this has been!!! I cannot believe all that 2009 held for John and me in what seemed like such a short time! Who knew that in one year we would live in two different cities, hold five different jobs, (between the two of us), travel to California three separate times, add two animals to our family, and buy one house!

Reflecting on our pictures from this last year reminded me that not only can our lives be full... (I'm seriously amazed at how much happened to us this year!) ...but we can also lead full lives. Those filled with purpose, meaning, and a whole lot of fun!

John's mom practically started off the new year by getting married. We love you Patti and Wes!

Andy rocked the faux-hawk at Starbucks in Butte. What a good combination; the best of friends and yummy coffee!

The Overflow Worship Band.
Whoever thought John and I would lead a worship team and they would look this cool!

John kickin' it with the guys at Overflow. Wow, what awesome friends we made in Butte! Isn't it incredible how God take you where he wants you and provide only the best for you?

Me and Sasha. At Overflow of course.

John graduated! Behold the face of High Honors!

I can't believe we lived in my old room at my mom's house for almost 6 months! Apparently we were quite comfortable.

Church Softball! What a blast this was!
A little part of me wishes I had some pictures of me playing, but then again, we shouldn't dwell on the not so pretty parts of the sport!

Softball friends forever!

And that leads us to how I broke my finger. Yes that is a blurry pinky that even though it was protected in my glove, just couldn't hold up to that crazy-fast line drive. It dislocated at both joints, John pulled it back into place, then I didn't go to the doctor to have it looked at for 3 weeks, when we finally knew it was broken in two places, but I only had to do rubber band therapy and now I can bend it almost all the way.
Whew!

John and I took a crazy quick mini vacation to LA. Even though we were at the beach pretty much the whole time, we stopped by the farmer's market. Always love it! He's SO handsome!

GIRL TRIP TO CA! Marissa and Daniella were the most hilarious travel buddies one could ever ask for. I think I laughed harder than the FAA allows on most flights.

Fun with the family in Cali!

Hello Downpour!!!

Hello house! We own you! And now everything's finally unpacked!!!

Meet Gnocci. SO CUTE!

Meet Pork Chop. SO SO CUTE!!!

And about 8 weeks later, they've already grown so much!

The Macks 2009.

Thank you Lord, for everything you've given us this past year.
John and I are continually reminded of how much you love us.
Help me remember in all the times that aren't easy or smooth,
that what you desire most, is for us to draw closer to you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-22T01:19:00.000-08:00

Just in case I don't tell everyone...
Merry Christmas!!!

Introducing....

2009-11-29T22:27:00.001-08:00

Our new puppies!

Meet Gnocci and Pork Chop. Gnocci is the sable colored one with red and white fur and Pork Chop is the dark tri-colored puppy.

This is just the beginning...

Baking Again

2009-11-17T11:18:00.001-08:00

I can now say that I'm relaxed enough in our new home to be baking again. I had to arrange and rearrange many things in my kitchen to make working in there most efficient. Isn't it so hard to work in a kitchen where the flow is off? I'm still thinking of moving my toaster to a different counter, but of course, I have to ponder it.

It was great to have my hands in the flour again. I made chocolate chip, raspberry sugar cookies, white chocolate peanut bars, and chocolate peanut butter chip cookies. (Now I'm really thinking of asking for a Kitchen aide mixer for Christmas!) Then I put them all in little bags and forced John to come with me and deliver them to our new neighbors. And since we're the one's who just moved in, they are all new neighbors. It took almost two hours (allowing for lots of small talk) and then we ran home to my lasagna in the oven that was only slightly crispy!

Do they know me or what?

2009-11-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

My birthday was a week and a half ago, and I had to show you this...

My mom and my sister gave me the same card! That is SO COOL!!! And since Amber lives in Santa Maria and she mailed hers to me, that makes it extra cool! I think this just shows how the women in my family really love me and know who I am. And I really love the card! They're definitely going on the wall in my office.

OUR NEW HOUSE!

2009-10-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

Here it is. Our new house! John and I actually own this thing! Right now I'm still unpacking, but I'm feeling more and more at home everyday. Thank you Lord that you gave us a place to call our own and use for your glory! And thanks Jim and Nettie (our realtors) for helping us find the place!

WE ARE BUYING A HOUSE!!!

2009-09-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Yes that's where I've been for the last month, in the intriguing and unfamiliar House-Buying Land. (That would be an interesting board game.) John and I are still in the zone of limbo that lands between finding the house we want (which we found) and getting to move in. I heard that it's common for this waiting period to last around 2 MONTHS! It looks like we're lucky so far because ours should only be one month. I guess. We're trying to close in the next 14 days. The next thing that we're waiting on is our house appraisal, and I'm not quite sure what happens after that. There's so many things that I'm not entirely sure of, but I'm grasping a good amount as we go. John understands so many things better than I do. That's one excellent reason we have husbands!!!

I tried to learn some of what we might be expecting when buying our first house by watching Property Virgins on HGTV. But I've come to realize that a half-hour show consisting of people looking at houses, negotiating the price, and then happily enjoying their new home, isn't the best teaching tool. Actually that's not true. That show has many good things to keep in mind before anyone should throw themselves into House-Buying Land, and I learned from it! I just have to come to grips that it can't all happen in a half-hour!

At this moment it's actually pretty cool that buying a house isn't as unreachable and foreign as it felt a year ago, or even a month ago when we started looking at houses online. I mean, already so many people have said yes to us; the bank, our realtors, the seller, the inspector... now we just need a few more yes's and we'll be done!

Girl Trip to California!

2009-08-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Marissa, Daniella and I flew to California to visit my sister Amber and her family. It was a fun and unique trip because it was just us girls traveling across states together. Whenever John and I take vacations we always comment on how fun it would be to take some of our friends along, and now I've gotten to experience it! I can't believe how sweet and easy-going these two were as traveling companions! And getting to see Amber, Dan, Judah, Caleb, and all of our Santa Maria friends was wonderful, and I was really needing it! We love you Church for Life family!

Daniella and Marissa right before Marissa's first time flying!

Notice the bewilderment over the paper straws and biodegradable silverware at a restaurant in the SLC airport. We couldn't quite come to terms with being earth conscious while our straws melted into our drinks!

Amber took us shopping in San Luis Obispo. The boys did surprisingly well while we dragged them from store to store.

Girls in the West Coast sun!

Marissa and Daniella decided that In 'n Out Burger was the best thing to ever happen to fast food. And I must agree, the burgers were juicy, the menu is beautifully simple, and the fresh french fries were just perfect both of the times we ate there. (Yes, we ate there twice in 4 days. The girls had to see if their second experience was just as delightful as their first, and it was.)
Wow. Now I'm salivating!

Friends, Fun, Oh yeah and Music

2009-08-20T09:37:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you add together the following;

Free music from good bands that love God
Friends from out of town
Friends from in town
And lots of rain?

DOWNPOUR!

It was great to introduce our friends from Butte to our friends here. (If they haven't connected already.) And it was awesome to spend some quality time with the Buttians and Lewistownites we have been missing. I especially loved hearing KJ-52, Lincoln Brewster, Sanctus Real and Plumb!

And if you want to know who these interesting people are just ask me.

Mom's Garden

2009-08-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

My mom is amazing. And I hope many of those things that make her amazing will rub off on me. One of those wonderful characteristics that I aspire to learn and understand is her way with plants. She has the most unbelievable ability to make anything grow! Many people with sickly or dying plants have brought them to her for her plant-life-giving abilities. Another thing that I love about summer is that it's the season that her artistry can shine. I only have to walk out the front or back door of the house to step into beautiful colors and displays that immediately inspire and delight. This is no ordinary thumb on her hand, but ten green fingers!

The back yard in the beautiful dusk light.

The Mack Summer Update

2009-07-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hola Amigos! I hope everyone is having as beautiful a summer as John and I are! I thought I would do a bright cherry update to match my summery background that John made for me. (It's definitely a perk to have a Photoshop savvy husband who's patient enough to sit through hours of me prodding, "a little to the left, can you try a different color?"
So here we go. I will do this in bullet form for ease of reading...

I love Great Falls. John and I miss our friends in Butte but we are glad to be home. (You'd be surprised how many people ask the question, "So how do you like being back?" once you move to your home town.)
John is still going to school. He is working on his MBA long distance through the University of Montana. He's such an amazing student!
John works at the airport for a company called Comair and I work at Jakers. One of my most favorite places to eat!
We live with my mom right now, which is enjoyable, even with it's little challenges.
Oh yes! John just got hired on with Sears as an assistant manager! I'm so excited!!! It's a position that his college degree helped him get! Thank you Lord!
We are having lots of summer fun including, floating, softball, hanging out with friends, weddings, picking fresh raspberries, lots of thunderstorms, beautiful sunsets and lots more!

I'll leave you with this picture of John and me at our friend's wedding in Big Timber. It was outdoors in the country on a beautiful day with many of our Butte friends. I forgot to take out the camera to capture photos of our friends, but I'll tell you it was a picturesque wedding. I had the honor of singing during the ceremony.

We love you Dylan and Anna!

Just for fun

2009-06-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

I found this precious pothole shortly before we moved from Butte to Great Falls. Can you call a pothole precious? It greeted me so kindly as I pulled into the parking lot at our apartment. Then a few days after I had spotted it, a crew came and filled it in along with many other potholes on our neighborhood. I just thought it's heart shape deserved someone capturing it before it was gone. And this is a prime example of the strange little things that impress me.

I'M ALIVE!

2009-06-05T14:18:00.001-07:00

It's okay! You can call off the search parties! I'm back! Or rather, I recall how to put my fingers on a keyboard and press the little buttons. That was a close call though, you thought I had disappeared completely, didn't you?! Well here's a super quick update about how spring went for me. I'll try this in list form so that it's easier to read.

1. I swimmingly made it through tax season at the accounting firm I worked for.
2. John and I decided to move back to Great Falls once he graduated. Hurray!
3. I finished training my replacement at work and started packing.
4. John graduated! Hurray!
5. We said our sad goodbyes to our amazing friends we have made in Butte.
6. We loaded everything into a U-haul and drove it to great falls.
7. We piled most of our stuff into storage and moved in with my mom.
8. And now we live in Great Falls again! Hurray!

(By the way, we did numbers 4 through 6 in 34 hours.)

Here's a pretty picture of the trail beside the river in Great Falls!

And here's John and our friends Anna and Dylan right after the
commencement ceremonies. That's a good looking group of graduates!

Me, John, Dylan, and Andy!

The Water Bottle

2009-03-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw a child's drinking cup years ago with a straw to the bottom I thought to myself, "Gee, I would like a bottle like that. Wouldn't that be nice to not have to lift up the water bottle to drink from and spill all over myself?" I thought that would be really nice! I mean, I never feel safe when I'm lifting a bottle of water to my mouth to drink. I think partially because when I tilt my head back I can't use the half of my eyes that are rolling heavenward to see if I'm about to be attacked by wild animal or ninja. Also I inevitably end up with water up my nostrils because my lip muscles aren't coordinated enough to keep water in my mouth. I'm not a super klutz though. This dribbling mainly happens when John drives over potholes or when I'm on a treadmill. (And the latter hasn't occurred for a while.)
I remember that moment though. When I thought of how handy a water bottle with a straw would be, and that they should make a version just for adults.
Then lo and behold, I came across one such bottle.

Was it in a sporting goods store, on display beside the biking and camping gear?

No.

Did the mailman hang it from his belt as he delivered our mail to the office every afternoon?

No.

Did I see it Jillian's hand as she shouted at her trainees on The Biggest Loser?

No.

Was it laying in the snow outside my door waiting for me to claim it as mine and forever have one of the coolest water bottles in the world?

YES!!!

I came home one day and saw this wonderful Camelbak bottle abandoned in the snow in our backyard, which isn't really a backyard, but some grass converted into a parking lot for us and our many freshman neighbors. I sat it upright by our door so no one would drive over it and told John that if it was still sitting there in the cold after a week, then no one wanted it and I would inherit the amazing bottle. And after anxiously waiting 7 days, I brought the bottle inside, John gave a it a good cleansing, and it's been filled with hydrating water ever since. And right after I christened it mine, Amber showed off her ultra-cool Camelbak bottle!
So needless to say, on the scale of little things making me very happy, finding this bottle makes it right near the top of the list. But seriously, if anyone is looking for their bottle let me know.

Hair Today

2009-03-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love a fresh haircut? It always helps me feel a little better when I'm getting ready in the morning. Someone at church made the discovery that every time I get my hair cut, it seems like I get a different cut.

My secret is out, because every time I bring a different picture to my hairdresser!

2009-02-17T16:42:00.000-08:00

The question that was asked of me a couple of weeks ago:
"What did you do this weekend?"

My answer:
"I went to California."

It was funny to see the reactions of people's faces when I told them that we drove 2,236 miles to a wedding and back, in one weekend. But when they heard that it was my mom-in-law, Patti, who got married, they congratulated me for her and didn't look at me like I was kooky anymore. And my, my, was it a wonderful wedding! Everyone there had so much fun and the best treat was seeing Patti and Wes (her husband) so happy to be married! I really love weddings as it is, but they're extra special when it's your family that's partaking in the nuptials. Sadly, it was such a quick trip that we didn't have time to do any extra visiting. (So sorry Amber!) I couldn't take any extra time off of work since it's the busy season. Since we just shot down I-15 like a steam engine, the one place we stopped for the night was Vegas. And that was only on the way down. We drove without stopping on the way back home. Aren't we adventurous? But Vegas has become my favorite desert pit stop because of the thoroughly intriguing weirdness and largeness. Here's a view pictures of the trip.

Here we are in front of the Venetian.

Here's John with the strip behind him. Maybe someday we will stop and take pictures during the day.

It's me! That's MGM Grand in the background. The next night there was going to be an awesome UFC fight with George St. Pierre going against B.J. Penn, but we had the wedding so we definitely couldn't stay and watch. And yes, I love watching UFC fights. And just for your information, George St. Pierre is a pretty unbelievable fighter! And he won!

Here we are at the wedding. About 12 people came up to me at the wedding to tell me how handsome John looks. And I, of course agree with them.

My Last Christmas Blog

2009-01-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the last of my Christmas things for you to see until next year. Maybe all of you are groaning fun little groans of "Enough already, Elisha. It's almost February!" But I had to show these pictures of my decorations that I had up this year, since I feel like I didn't get to share them with some of you who appreciate a great wreath! So here's a little collage of my Christmas Decorations and a little hello.

"Hey there!"

The Mystery of Christmas...

2009-01-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

Here are some of the few pictures I took in the last two months. I'm glad that even though I kept forgetting to open up my camera I managed to take these wonderful photos. And yes, I have much more family to feature, but this is just a snippet of all the people I love and adore!
In the future I plan to take more pictures so I can better show you the many things that make the Christmas season everything that it is to me. I love Christmas.

I remember going into this house years ago and the lady that lived there had put a Christmas tree in every room! She even had 3 in the living room and a white, sparkly one in the bathroom! And this was a 4 or 5 bedroom house! So as far as Christmas spirit goes, she's helped me form some sort of meter that says it's okay for me to get as excited as I do about this whole thing. I'm not kidding! If you could read on my heart what it says when I sit under my twinkly Christmas tree and let memories ebb in and out of the branches, I think you'd cry with me. And I think most of you must agree... there is certainly something so special about this time set aside for families, togetherness, kindness, peace, and Christ. And even though I can't always put a finger on why my throat closes up when I hear the beginning three notes of "The First Noel," I know it has something to do with the mystery of how much God loves us.

I also know growing up in a family of all girls predispositioned me to be what some people might think is "overly silly" about everything to do with Christmas. But I think it's allowed. Because now I'm ready for a whole year full of new challenges, new faces, and new life. And I think it's perfectly healthy to take a whole month to reflect on some of my most precious memories during the sweetest, softest time of the year, and be rested up for what's to come.

Uptown Girls

2008-12-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

I was going to put up some pictures of my Christmas decorations, but there's a cute way that I so rely on my husband to do most of the technological things on our computer. I realized today that I have never actually loaded pictures from our camera to our computer! Trust me, I know it's easy and I already tried and succeeded halfway. But then I saw these pictures of these adorable girls who came to visit me last month! How fun this was! I think each of us has put some of these pictures in their blog now. That's what happens when 3 girls are armed with digital cameras on a Saturday afternoon in uptown Butte. I love you Marissa and Heather.

And I will take more pictures soon and get them loaded. I just have to take time to get on the computer when I'm at home!

Birthday Orchids

2008-11-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

For my birthday in October, John gave me two beautiful Orchids just like I have always wanted!!! I'm still learning with plants, so I hope these stay healthy for a long time. They're my favorite because of how interesting their shape is. Just look at these...

Oh so pretty!

So Elegant!

So breathtaking! Thank you, John.

It's Me!

2008-11-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

Hello! I know I haven't taken time to blog for about a month, but John helped me get a kick start by making this rocking background from scratch! Thank you Honey! Well here's the most recent pictures that were on my camera, so I thought I would share them to get me back in the blogging groove. I'll say something more clever on another day.

There's two of my most favorite people! Hi John. Hi Heather! This weekend was absolutely what I needed. An Amazing time with old friends and new friends, family, and God.

Andy can defy gravity! Isn't it fun when you can play at the park even though you're an adult? I can't remember what we wanted him to accomplish, but this picture looks really cool.

There's that beautiful sister of mine. And Noah is pretty cute too! I really miss being in the same town as you, Christel! I LOVE YOU!

My Oahu Photos

2008-09-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

I thought I would put up some of my photos from Oahu. I have a ton a pictures from our vacation, but not very many from Hawaii. I didn't have time to take any pictures because there was so much to see and do. But here are two of the awesome things we did...

This is Haunama Bay. It's an old volcanic crater that is perfect for snorkeling because of the coral that has formed there. We saw tons of amazingly colored fish and sea urchins and A SEA TURTLE!!! He was so cool! He just looked at us and flapped his flippers around! If you ever go to Honolulu go here. It was my first time snorkeling (other than in a swimming pool) and it was WAY more fun than I had expected it to be.

We spent most of our time on Waikiki Beach. And I love to boogie board! We even bought this board so that we can use it next time we visit California. Here I come Zuma Beach!!

Look at me go! Actually the waves were really wimpy here! That's why I'm catching these silly little waves that break right on the beach. If anyone is stopping by the ocean to take a salt water boogie boarding dip, count me in! (You might have to wait half a year, but I'll be there!) This is definitely my favorite thing to do in the ocean!

Bonfire on the Beach!

2008-09-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

When we were visiting Dan and Amber in Santa Maria, we stayed with them at Dan's brother Ken's house. It was an absolute blast which may sound crazy since John and I added two to the already large household of about 11. (I stopped trying to keep count after a while.) And they were ALL so sweet! We would have been happy sleeping on couches or floors, so I was amazed that Viv and Daniella gave up their room for us! And it was so good to spend that special sister time with Amber where we just get to be us, together.

One of the amazing things we did was get some firewood, load everyone in vehicles, and make awesome fire at Grover Beach. AT SUNSET!!! We walked in the waves a little, roasted marshmallows, John showed the boys how to catch sandcrabs, and then we filled a whole sand pail with gross little squirmy things! Lee even roasted one in the fire and ate it! (What little meat he could find in it.)

Then we all sat around the fire and sang worship songs while Lee played guitar. It was SO MUCH FUN! I wonder how much sand all 13 of us unknowingly brought back to the house with us?

Sunrise in Waikiki

2008-09-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I successfully made it back from some awesome family time, an amazing vacation, and an astounding adventure! (Three 'a' adjectives!) Actually, I've been back for almost two weeks but I just haven't had a chance to blog. I have some very fun pictures and experiences that I'm still very excited about, and I'm glad that I have some some great photos for fodder for interesting postings. I will start with something I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to do. John flew me to Hawaii. I wrote that as monotone as I could just to see if any of you would notice.

JOHN FLEW ME TO HAWAII!!!

First, there's the fact that I flew. This was my first time flying! And it was very cool in very many ways! But I will write more about that later. Second, I flew to Hawaii!! Since John is currently working part time for Skywest we get to fly free right now and we decided to take advantage of it and fly down to California to visit John's family and Dan and Amber. Then we took a detour across some of the Pacific Ocean to the island of Oahu where we played on the beaches, got really sun burnt, and celebrated John's birthday for three days.

One small hitch to our Hawaiian excursion happened immediately on our arrival to paradise. John hadn't finished making our hotel arrangements before we got on our flight from LA, and for some reason we figured this wasn't a busy vacation season. So when our flight landed 3 hours LATE in Honolulu, at 12:30 am, we quickly found out that it is always best to book a hotel. To make a long story short, I'll make this list for you:

- Taxi driver tries to rip us off. (He gets pulled over for speeding.)
- We get to the hotel and they have no rooms. The front desk guy calls around and nobody has any rooms unless we want to sell my 2 new purses from Ross to pay for them. (And come up with 250 more dollars.)
- We lug our luggage around the streets of Waikiki.
- We find a youth hostel where the front desk is located in a parking garage. Front desk guy is strange and tells us his rambling thoughts for 10 minutes. John and I walk away confused. Don't want to stay there.
- We lug our luggage around the streets of Waikiki.
- We find a Denny's where we eat and try to waste 1.75 hours. I brush my teeth.
- More lugging.
- We find the beach.

We immediately took off our shoes and started walking in the water, which was warmer than the dry sand beside it! We strolled down the beach and by now the sky had started turning from black to deep blue. John and I could make out lots of big mounds around us in the sand and up on the grass. It turns out that lots of homeless people sleep on the beach!! So John and I laid our stuff down, made our nests, and tried to sleep. That only lasted about thirty minutes before it was so light and we were so excited to look around.

And it was beautiful!

True Wit.

2008-08-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Imagine the receptionist of a very respectable accounting firm exploding with laughter from the front desk and completely piercing the tranquil quiet that had settled on the office.

What made her laugh? You may ask. Just this...

(PLEASE CLICK TO ENLARGE)

I love this little piece of funniness because it makes me laugh on so many different levels. But I'm not going to try to explain the reasons it makes me laugh. I'll just say it's the kind of funny that makes my insides giddy.

Wit:

The keen perception and cleverly apt expression
of those connections between ideas that awaken
amusement and pleasure.
(Dictionary.com)

Ten On Tuesday

2008-08-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

1. In 6 days, I get to go to California to visit John's family and my family!! I'm so excited!!!

2. I'm not lonely but I am alone right now. John is down in Salt Lake until Friday for training. It's strange coming home from work and not hearing his "Hello!!" as soon as he hears the door open.

3. October 1st. Three words. Pushing Daisies Premiere.

4. October 1st. Five words. Start of my favorite month.

5. Why am I thinking about October?! Oooh, Hot apple cider.

6. That reminds me. Does anyone else start thinking almost continually about Christmas in the middle of summer? It's true! I started mulling over carols and cards and ornaments the other day at work. John says I'm obsessed, but I promise it's perfectly healthy. I just have a very strong appreciation for that certain holiday.

7. I'm about to put on a peeling face mask. I just love when I can peel it off in one piece.

8. One of my plants bloomed for me! The mini Hoya plant that my mom gave me went crazy with it's cute little white flowers.

9. I'm hungry. Kiwi anyone?

10. I saved the best for last... ... I GET TO FLY TO CALIFORNIA! And I've NEVER flown before! I've heard people say that it's not that spectacular, but I'm excited anyway! I get to join the legions of Americans that traverse across the friendly skies to destinations that I would have normally driven to. But this time I'm Flying!

Don't Forget the KIDDOS!

2008-07-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take a moment to mention the special children that have graced us with their presence recently. I was looking through these pictures and thought they were too cute to be missed. I' am lacking a photo of Israel, though. But even still here's your "Awe of the day"...

GREAT FALLS and BUTTE COLLIDE!

2008-07-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

This was SO great! We had a bunch of our friends visit us for the 4th of July! Here in Butte! I was so BLESSED that they would come here just to hang out with us. The Cotto Clan and the whole Swanson brood drove the two and a half hours to stuff into our apartment for TWO NIGHTS! We watched some fireworks, observed the parade, had some awesome barbecue, (Thanks all you men) and generally just hung out. And we got to introduce some Butte friends to these Great Falls friends! I was in heaven because it was so refreshing to me to spend such a large chunk of time with everyone of them! I just hope that everyone else thought it was a cool as I did to share your living space with 10 human beings for the weekend. Thank you Nate, Rachel, Isaac, Isabelle, and Israel, AND Josue, Debra, and Eliana, AND Andy.

My First Drive-In!

2008-06-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to a Drive-in Movie Theater? I HAVE NOW!! It's always been my dream to go to a Drive-in, and there's one just a few minutes west of town. It's exactly like what I've always imagined. You pay at the entrance, pull up to a spot, and as the sun goes down and the sky grows dark, you get to watch a movie from the comfort of your own car. And my favorite part is that you tune your radio into the frequency that they broadcast the movie's sound on. (That's so COOL!) We've also added an extra special touch by backing into our spot and opening up the back of our Tahoe. Once the seats are folded down, we have an excellent reclining lounge chair, with room! So does any of this make you want to come to the movies with me? Debra? Marissa?

There's John and Andy during Leather Heads. (It was a little slow.) So far we've watched that and Kung Fu Panda. By the way, I thought Kung Fu Panda was a very fun movie. Funniest line... "I wish my mouth was bigger." Second Funniest line... "Schadoosh." Jack Black did a really good job as the Panda.

This is a Angela and Curtis, and they are really nice. Angela is Andy's sister and Curtis is Angela's boyfriend. They are both going to be Pharmacists when they grow up. For real! They are currently going to school in Missoula to do just that. And I sound kind of like an I-Can-Read book during this part. . . or like Kevin on the Office.

I Just Love Road Trips

2008-06-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally taken a little time to sit at the computer. And since it's been so long I thought I might as well show some old photos. This was John and Andy in Bozeman about a month ago when we had the first break in the winter weather. We went on a hike near there and then went into town and had Johnny Carino's and Cold Stone Creamery! (What a GREAT combination!) It looked like the sky was on fire, so I had the guys stop before getting back in the car. They kept making faces and this is my favorite. It's a pretty funny picture if you look at the different elements.
I JUST LOVE ROAD TRIPS!!! Even if it's only for a day long, like this trip, hopping in the car to go explore somewhere is definitely one of my favorite things. Thanks guys.

I accidentally snapped this photo. I think it's fun.

Six on Sunday

2008-05-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

1. I've never done a "Ten on Tuesday," so I thought this would be my first jump into the blogging of random thoughts. I don't know if I'm allowed to make up my own day, though.

2. I wonder when Christel will go into labor. And what will it be???!!! I'm so excited!

3. I'm missing home, so I really hope that she goes into labor soon! Then we'll drive up.

4. I need to cook another meal soon. John's been really nice to me lately because his school has been easier on him than work's been on me. Actually, works not that bad, John's just being really nice and he either puts together something or we go into the kitchen and graze like cattle. But I sort of miss successfully putting together a good meal. There's such a sense of accomplishment when I do that.

5. I'm craving hiking. I really want the weather to get just a little nicer and then we'll just walk off into the mountains. I remember how much fun it was when Dan and Amber took me backpacking into the Bob Marshal, so we need to invest in some nice packs and we can do it too!

6. I wonder if Emily will have to share her birthday with her baby brother or sister? I guess we'll find out soon! HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY!!

My Friend

2008-05-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

I know that some of you may have been worried that I fell of the face of the earth, (as far as blogging is concerned) so I thought I'd assure you that, "Yes, I'm still alive!" And I wanted to show you who I've been spending all my time with recently. This handsome man to your right has been hanging out with me a lot. In fact, every evening when I get off of work, we eat together and then hang out for most of the night. Sometimes we do physical things like go on walks or play Frisbee. Other times we watch shows like The Office or find funny videos on the internet. Lately he's even been making me chocolate covered strawberries since Safeway keeps running great deals on that sweet, succulent fruit for 4 lbs for $4.99.

I guess I'll just tell you, I really like this guy and I have it on good authority He likes me too. So I think I'll go spend more time with him.

I Love You John!

(By the way, he's been doing all the dishes for me!)

The GANGS of BUTTE!

2008-04-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's true. We have encountered a problem with gangs here in Butte. And no one is doing anything about it! Everyone I ask about this acts like it's not a big deal. I've even thought about writing a letter to the editor asking the authorities to get involved and crack down. John and I look out our windows and we're surrounded. When we drive in our car, we fear rolling the windows down! So I decided I would start taking my camera with me everywhere I went to try to catch some of the riff-raff in their horrible antics. Here's what I've documented so far...

...

... We ask that the authorities do something quickly, before the problem escalates!

Now for real, WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?! What is with all these dogs walking around, acting like they own the place? Either Butte's humane society isn't run very well, or they just don't mind dogs running at people's cars without regard for their lives. Or maybe, all the dogs got together with their glocks and brass knuckles and rioted at the pound until the humans ran away in fear.

That's probably what happened.

Laughing Babies!

2008-03-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

There are some little things that are pure treasure...

Isabelle leaning her head on my shoulder; Judah touching my face softly with one pointed finger; Isaac's face beaming when he realizes I've stopped to play with him; Eliana staring straight into my eyes and then breaking out into a grin; or Emily exploding into giggles after I've found her hiding place. There's nothing like a baby's laugh to make me feel like I'm on top of the world. When a child genuinely smiles at me, or laughs an uninhibited laugh because they take joy in me... It feels like magic! At that moment, I feel loved. It's one of those amazing ways God reaches down, holds my heart in his hand, and says "Elisha, I truly love you."

This is one of the best laughing babies I've found on the internet! I LOVE IT!! Oh, and ALL of your children are wonderful! (I just needed room for the video.)

DEBRA'S BLOG!

2008-03-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Debra has started to blog! And I am glad that she has. Check out her site on my sidebar and see what an amazing person she is. Say "Hi" to her if you see her in real life. I promise she will be your friend if she already isn't. And so will Eliana.

We took advantage of the mild weather when John and I came to visit a couple of weeks ago, and hopped over to the park by Debra's house. Here is Eliana on the swings for the first time. She loved them! She wouldn't stop kicking her legs! She also liked watching the other kids on the swings and she started trying to talk to them. And don't worry, Debra told me I could blog about her child all I want. (Until I get one of my own.)

John's New Friend!

2008-03-04T20:19:00.001-08:00

This is John's new friend Andy. He and John have a class together and Andy is the leader of Overflow, The young adult's group at Abundant Life Fellowship. (Where we go to church.) It has been great seeing two men hang out and be men. I especially like it when they stick kabob sticks up their noses when we go out to eat at fun restaurants. It really is nice to see that my husband can make a friend. Even though we're both social people, I've always felt like I was more of the extrovert. And now that we are considered full-fledged adults, we can't just go out and ask someone to play with us at recess anymore. Anyway, Andy has been slowly showing us where all the best places to eat in Butte are. (I wonder when we'll run out of restaurants.) And he is a fun and genuine person who makes a great friend. I can picture little John and little Andy playing Frisbee or Cowboys & Indians at recess. I think I would be sitting on top of the monkey bars right now.

Warning! May be Boring!

2008-02-25T19:02:00.000-08:00

I just love a good book before bed. I can't help it. It's so relaxing to let my mind explore a beautiful story for the minutes or hours before I drift off to sleep. And reading a really good novel is a lot like looking at an expressive and detailed piece of art. Ever since I was a little girl, I've treasured the times I'd get lost in a book. The afternoons I spent sitting in the outstretched branches of our crab-apple tree, reading an adventure about Redwall or Narnia may have been some of the healthiest roots for my imagination. Even now, I'm amazed that our minds can paint such detailed pictures about what characters look like.

Well, I read the cutest book recently. I got it from a library book sale. (If you like books at all, and you've never done a library book sale, it's something you have to do!) The last one I went to was in Fort Benton. We got to fill big, brown paper bags with books for a dollar a bag. Or maybe it was fifty cents. Of course some of the books I picked were falling apart, but I found some real treasures. Like this one I just finished - Fathers and Children by Ivan Turgenev. It was translated from Russian and printed in 1917. And it was so true to life. It's about a man who's son returns home from years away at college and the challenge that faces him when he realizes that his precious son has grown up. And in the process, grown farther away from him. Through a series of events the boy comes to the same realization as his father. That there is a gulf now between them. I won't tell you how the story plays out, but you can imagine it for yourself after you read the last lines of the book. Warning! This may be boring. Especially if you didn't read the book. But I love it!

"...Can it be that love, sacred, devoted love, is not all-powerful? Oh, no!
However passionate, sinning, and rebellious the heart hidden in the tomb,
the flowers growing over it peep serenely at us with their innocent eyes;
they tell us not of eternal peace alone, of that great peace of 'indifferent' nature;
they tell us too of eternal reconciliation and of life without end."

THE END

The Pie Song

2008-02-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

"Pie, pie, me oh my,
Nothing tastes sweet, wet, salty, and dry,
all at once so well as pie
Apple,
Pumpkin,
Mince and black bottom
I'll come to your place everyday
if you've got 'em
Pie, me oh my, I love pie."

Pushing Daisies and Pie

2008-02-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

I found a little t.v. program that I really enjoy. Actually, Debra found it, but I've adopted it for my own. I've watched every episode they've made so far, since John started getting them for me from the internet. And It's a breath of fresh air that combines the Technicolor of The Wizard of Oz with the cuteness of a sweet romantic comedy, and then adds the mystery and dead people from C.S.I.! It's poetic, artsy, and just plain fun. It may even be too foofy for those who live for the prime-time dramas. But perhaps they could have Law and Order for dinner and Pushing Daisies for dessert. The sad news is, they haven't scheduled another episode to be aired since the writer's strike, and I don't know if it got enough of a following to keep it going. Which is sad because one of my favorite things about the show is that it features pie. I don't know that I'm the hugest fan of pie or if I just completely adore the idea of pie. After watching Andie Mcdowell sing her pie song in the movie Micheal, I've always want to make pie my favorite dessert. Ice cream will always win though.

So if you want to check it out, I'd download the first episode from the internet, or you can watch it from ABC's website. But no promises that they'll write anymore episodes. It seemed like Debra, Josue, John, and I were the only ones who have ever heard of the show, and we may not have been enough to keep the ratings very high. And since we've only watched it on the internet anyway, Pushing Daisies may end up. . .

. . . dead.

A Visit Home!

2008-02-10T20:12:00.001-08:00

I guess one of the sweeter parts about moving away from home, is that one gets to visit home. And by home, I am referring to GREAT FALLS! It was definitely a much needed visit for me to see everyone that my heart's been craving for. And oh! The yummy plethora of friends we were able to see! It was the coolest thing that church had a combined service for the kick-off of 40 Days of Prayer, because everyone was in one room for me to see at the same time! And it was really fun to see God moving in Great Fall Christian Center! We stayed at my Mom's, which was very fun for me. And we got to visit almost everyone on our docket for the weekend! It was certainly a difficult thing for me to drive away from the city where my heart still remains, but having my most prized possession in the car beside me made it a lot easier. (That's John, by the way.)

It was funny that I took my camera, but took only three pictures the whole weekend. But here's adorable Emily and drop-dead handsome John. I just love her hilarious smile. We'll see all of you awesome friends again soon!

Executive Elisha

2008-01-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I'm back! Boy has it been a crazy week or so! I'm now a working woman! When my Aunt Kim heard I was moving to Butte, she also learned that the Butte branch of her company in Helena had a job opening. I'm now the receptionist and part of the administrative personnel for Anderson Zurmeuhlen and Company in Butte, MT. I don't know if I ever would have gotten the job without God wanting me to have it and Kim putting in such a good word for me. The company is really nice so far. They have offices in Helena, Bozeman, Missoula, Billings, Butte and Seattle so far. So John and I are very blessed that we can have steady income while he's going to school. Also, I'll be in Helena training for one more week.

I thought I'd include this picture. As a little girl and even now, I've always thought puppets were the cutest things in the world! (They just knock my socks off!) So mascots are the next best thing, because they are a person inside a BIG puppet! So just like a little girl, I really got excited that John's school's mascot was at the basketball game we went to. John could tell I loved it, so when the mascot came near us, he made me take a picture with him. I was completely embarrassed when I jumped off the bleachers and turned to pose in this picture because EVERYONE was staring at me! I think I turned bright red after this picture! After I thanked the big mining man, gave him a pat on his burly chest, and sat back down, I smiled to myself and secretly took joy in the fact that in the adult world around me I can satisfy the desires of the little girl inside me.

GO DIGGERS GO!

JUST FOR FUN!

2008-01-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

I found this picture and thought, "FUN! I'm not the only one out there who enjoys sprinkles much better by themselves than on the cake!" I'd eat them like candy, (even though that's what they are) but they're too expensive. I could swallow a whole bottle of rainbow sprinkles in two minutes flat. Except I'd rather let them hang out in my mouth until they turn my tongue different colors.

Speaking of candy, boy have I been craving some. But not just any candy. . . SOUR CANDY!!! (That makes me feel like a little girl when I say that!) Maybe that's why Sour Patch Kids are one of my absolute favorites. And for those of you that enjoy them also, maybe you've noticed the same thing I have. They're two candies in one! After you suck the sour sugar off one of those little people, they turn into Swedish Fish! Especially the red ones!

Character...

2008-01-09T13:33:00.001-08:00

So far our apartment has been treating us well; A great view of the city, an added bedroom, big, windows, a quiet neighborhood. (It's actually silent around here as compared to living on Central Ave in downtown Great Falls!) But there are a few quirks that are definitely giving the place, shall we say. . . more character.

Our stove, for instance, is very cute. It's cute because it's small. And it is small because it was made that way by a company that likes making small appliances that can fit in small spaces like closets and Barbie houses. (You should check out their mini food-processors. They're perfect for blending baby carrots.)
When I first laid eyes on my stove, I was a little bummed that it was so small in stature. I had been spoiled with a regular size stove in our old place. But once I finished mourning over the loss of my old stove, I boiled some water, cooked a mini casserole, and rested in the fact that my adorable little stove functions fine. Except that one of the burners won't heat up.

Another singular characteristic that makes our apartment one of a kind is the walls. Before we moved in, we were told that they had re-done the walls. Once we walked in, we realized they had only painted the walls. And the only the walls they had painted were in the kitchen! The whole rest of the house still has the same walls they have had for 40 years. And the kicker is, they're wood paneled! But luckily, it's not that cheap wood paneling that isn't even made of real wood and has those thick black lines that run down it. (No offense to anyone who remodeled or built a house in the 70's!!!) Really, I've found, that it's not that bad having wooden walls everywhere I look. And even though my decorating style is not very outdoorsy or rustic, I can appreciate the warm glow of my walls when the sun shines in my western window and turns my whole living room a beautiful cherry shade of red. I just keep wondering if the wood is much more flammable than drywall would be. Maybe that's why our apartment has a built in sprinkler system!

"Here's Looking at You"

2008-01-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

A funny thing John and I have noticed about this town is that a ton of people look directly at you if they want to take a look at you. Rather than do that sideways "I hope this guy doesn't notice that I'm looking at how strange he looks" glance, I've already encountered a few people who have stared straight at me. And when I meet their gaze they simply say "Hello," and go on their way. It seems like they can tell I'm new in town and looking for friends. Or maybe I have lettuce in my teeth.

Twins!

2008-01-03T22:28:00.001-08:00

Isn't it cool that movie stars try to dress like my husband!? But maybe Cuba Gooding Jr. should have had his wife do his laundry if he wanted to look as good as John!

We didn't make if very far in Daddy Day Camp before deciding it was overly silly and switched to another movie. But we did get far enough for me to get super excited that the same shirt that John had purchased from Old Navy had made it to the big screen. Now we'll see what happens at the Oscar's when they ask "Who are you wearing?" Nicole Kidman will reply, "The Gap. Oh wait, maybe I got this on the sales rack at Banana Republic."

Snow and Ice

2007-12-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I moved! After living 24 years in beautiful Great Falls, I've definitely grown attached to everything about that fantastic Montana city. Nonetheless, I have relocated to another town under the Big Sky. And because I've never moved away from home, I didn't know how to do it. But I guess John and I have done a pretty good job at the whole relocating thing. We're sitting 5,549 feet above sea level in Butte, MT where almost everything we own is unpacked in our three bedroom apartment. And so far this town is proving a worthy and interesting place to call home for a while. Just looking up the history on the city before we came gave me a weeks worth of tantalizing reading. "A mile high, a mile deep, and everyone's on the level." (I didn't make that up, it's actually the motto on their website). Just in case you didn't know, the whole reason we are in Butte is for John to go to school here. So as he starts classes to become even more of a computer geek, I will become even more of an adventuress as I get a new job, maybe meet people, and learn more about Butte. One cool discovery; the snow doesn't melt here after 2 or 3 days. It pretty much stays the whole winter. So just like this ice-skating pond John and I found right out our back door, we should be able to find sledding hills galore!