Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Why I should just stop watching tv

So last night I watched just enough of Jon and Kate plus 8 to learn that they are getting a divorce.  I've been watching this show off and on for the whole time it was on and this year it has really put a bad taste in my mouth.  I just can't understand for the life of me how they can film for posterity what will be one of the toughest experiences for their kids.  Can you imagine living through that then later googling it and watching episodes of your life falling apart?  I can't imagine the emotional turmoil that would cause.  

I for one will not be watching (encouraging) this to happen anymore.  Just like a child, you can't give positive attention for bad behavior.  I will be praying for them and their children.   I'm wondering how many tv shows I'll cut out if I just apply this model of watching to all my guilty pleasures.  I know Real Housewives are out, as are most of the other reality shows (except Top Chef love that show!).   

From this I learned that I am so thankful for the partnership that I have with my husband.  I'm so thankful that we work together to find conclusions and that even when we're upset with each other we don't go to bed angry.  I pray that I would always look to find the best and encourage the best in him.  He is a good, good man and I pray that I will look to see the good in him every day of our lives together.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

It all started with a mirror

Well since last I wrote much has happened in Casa de Dirkey.  
For the past two weeks I've been cleaning water off of my bathroom sink.  I finally asked the hubs just how he is washing his hands to get water ALL OVER the sink and he looked at me and said I thought that was you.  He then ran upstairs and flushed the toilet and water came out of my wall.  Yeah you read that right, water came out of my wall.  Toilet water, poop water, if you would.  So I've been cleaning poop water from my sink for two weeks without knowing it.  BLECH!!!  After scrubbing myself with bleach, we started tearing up the wall to check why poop water was coming out of it.  It turns out that we drilled into the pipe when we hung our bathroom mirror.  Oops!
Well that problem was quickly solved but since we had the sink out we decided to put our new bathroom sink in thats been sitting in the laundry room for about a year.  Well the old owners only put the laminate flooring to the edge of the old sink which would look rather silly with our new pedestal sink.  So we decided to change the laminate flooring in the kitchen, bathroom and hallway  (all had the same laminate).  Since the old owners also made the laminate flooring go into the dining room for about two feet (which I hated) we are also redoing the floors in the living and dining room.  So are you following this so far we have a new sink, new floors in kitchen, bathroom, hallway, living room and dining room that are in the works.  Well there is also a weird half wall in between the kitchen and dining room that makes our stove barely fit (the door scrapes when we open it).  So we took a hammer to it BEFORE we decided what to do with it after we took that wall down.  I've since been doing some googling and I'm going to build a built in bookcase to go there for my cookbooks.
So needless to say, my blogging may be a little sparse while I'm frantically googling how to do all this stuff.  Thankfully we did have money saved away earmarked specifically to do the floors and we've gotten them all for a great price and saving a ton by doing most of the work ourselves.  There are also some other projects I would like to get finished; painting the wall on the way up the steps, finishing painting our outside trim, painting the trim in the downstairs, taking the fence posts out of the back yard, fixing my pool, etc.  As you can see I have more than enough things to keep me busy this summer but I think we can get them done!  Wish me luck!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Do you Doula?!

You should!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Camping Trip

So we left off last week on our way to the campground in the pouring rain. The family that was going with us had a little girl so they weren't so sure they wanted to brave the elements. Well we turned into the state forest and it stopped raining. Wondering if it was just a beneficial fluke we quickly set up camp, worried that it would start raining again. We got the camp set up in record time and the weather held for us. Our friends ended up meeting us a few hours later with their little girl. It was so nice being out in the woods again hearing all the bugs and frogs. I really miss how loud nature can be :)
one of the gorgeous wooded paths
We were pretty much alone at the campsite that night, there were a couple of other campsites filled up but not really anyone that we even saw or heard. It was great spending a quiet night by the fire playing Phase 10, talking and making some smores. We woke up pretty late on Saturday and just spent the day walking around and playing on the playground.

The hubs and his good friend were "super" excited to play on the playground
The hubs caught the fishing bug while we were there and is so ridiculously excited to get back out with his pole.

My hottie
That night was another campfire, more games, more smores and more talking. This was probably one of the most relaxing camping weekends I've had in my life.
There's fish in that there water
A great bonus was how cheap it was, we stayed at the state park so it was $20 a night split by the two couples it was just $20 for the weekend. The campground allows 6 people on a site so it could be even cheaper if we split it three ways. We did pretty frugal meals; Hot dogs and pasta for dinners; eggs, bacon and pancakes for breakfasts and sandwiches for lunch.


Oh boy I love him :)

I got a Swagger

So I just joined Swagbucks.. yes I know I'm late to the game but I didn't quite get it.  Now I do and realize that I can earn gift cards for just searching the internet...  Hello, I do that ALL THE TIME!

So you should definitely Join UP, cause you know all the cool kids are doing it.

Friday, June 05, 2009

I'm nothing if I'm not ridiculous :)

So being my special brand of crazy, I'm leaving for an exciting (wet) weekend of camping.  Its been steadily raining all day long but the car is all packed.  I have playing cards and scrabble thrown in the mix as well.  I'm leaving my computer at home (ahhhhh) but I'm really excited!  I haven't been camping for over two years and I've found a small state park near our house that I can't wait to explore.
Yes, I also packed some ponchos.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Heart Breaking

Today I'm heading to a funeral.  I haven't seen this man for about 11 years but still my heart breaks a little thinking about it.  The last time I saw him he was a few days out of a coma and shortly after he had to be admitted to a rehabilitation center as his injuries didn't allow him to be  cared for at home.  He was my best friends dad and was in a coma due to the car accident that took my best friends life.  A few weeks ago it was the 11th anniversary of that accident and every year I can't help but think how that accident changed their family's life and also my own. 

 They had a small family just a mom, dad, son and daughter.  I used to go over often to play when I was little and to hang out as we got older, I'll never forget the love that they had for each other and for myself as well and I will always treasure those memories.  

That day, my friend Amanda, was driving from the mall to a Bible study with her dad in the car.  She didn't gauge the turn correctly and ended up being hit by a car.  She died a few hours later.  
I got my own license a few months later and I know her accident caused me to be a more cautious driver.  Personally it is what showed me there was a God and that He loved me.   Yes, it was a horrible horrible time in my life but through it I felt God's love for me in a real and tangible way. Since that day I have been able to rest in that knowledge knowing that love has carried me through some of my toughest days.  

As for Amanda's family, her mother died a couple years after she did while I was on a missions trip to Haiti.  I wasn't able to go to that funeral but I did visit her shortly before her passing.  Now her father has also passed.  My heart and prayers go out to her brother, and I ask you to also keep him in your prayers today.  That he would feel that same love strengthen him to get through these tough days ahead.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

O...M...G... Soo good


So yesterday I got inspired and I made Mozzarella Cheese. It was alot easier than I thought, once I found the ingredients. I used a gallon of organic milk from an Amish Farm, about a teaspoon of sea salt, citric acid and some Junket Rennet. Lacy from Razor Family Farms has some fantastic directions, the only thing I found was that when I was finished and put it in the salt water mixture the edges were a little mushy. Also maybe I mixed it a little too much because the inside was harder than regular mozzarella. That being said the taste was fantastic and when shredded the texture and consistency were spot on.

Today I used the homemade mozzarella in a homemade pizza. My default pizza dough recipe is soo stinking easy.
I use:
1 cup of warm water
2.25 tsps of yeast
Mix together than add:
2 Tbsp of oil
1 Tbsp of honey
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1.5 cups of white flour
a shake of dried onions
dashes of oregano, garlic pepper, parsley, and sea salt.
Let rise for 10 minutes and bake at 450 degrees for 10-14 min.

Then I take one can of Crushed Tomatoes and open it and add about a teaspoon of sugar, then doctor it up with my spices. I use the can to mix up the spices so I'm not dirtying any other dishes.

(go ahead I know you want to click to enlarge the goodness)
I also carmelized some onions and picked basil from my garden and also some roasted red pepper.

One Word:

DELISH!!