Through The Sea Glass

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

beach.

all I ever wanted

was for you to hold

my hand

to jump from wave to wave

to go nowhere

and everywhere

Playing along with Olivia :)

Ahhh so this day. It's been nothing but bliss. MASSIve rain. Rain like I've never seen before. Rain and wind, flood watch and warnings, tsunami warnings, thunder and lightning. It stops here and there but then starts again, full fledge. I am wearing a scarf, dress, tights and boots :) Chris is wearing a long sleeve and jeans. We slept in till 12:30 :) Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. I have a pot roast in the crock pot available whenever we want to eat.... today life is simple. I like it. We went for coffee at Barnes and Nobel and then for a drive. The weather is fascinating. I keep hearing of everyone back home - of their snow days. I'm having a rain day, but secretly I wish I were home for the snow day :)

Photo by: Linda Tate Atkins

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Attempt at Becoming a Better Chef/Baker :)

(Christmas Afternoon)

Ok. So I said - one of my New Years Resolutions was to go out MAX of ONE day a week. I have been trying to have a home cooked meal prepared every evening, sometimes to make lunches and every occasional yummy breakfast, but mainly dinners. So I want to show you what I have made so far! I though about making a food blog but I think I'll just share the successful meals. Sound good?
....ps. all meals served with a veggie, starch, fruit and normally followed with dessert - occasionally homemade.

December 22 - Beef Burritos
December 23 - AMAZING Pot Roast(carrots, onion, garlic, beef bullion, water, seasoned meat salt, pepper, steak costco season, butter)
December 24 - Spaghetti :)
December 25 - Blueberry Buckel and Coffee for breakfast, Roasted Cornish Hens with Grapes and Buttercream Garlic Mashed Potatoes. (All three recipes from Great Food Fast, Everyday Food by Martha Stewart)
December 26 - Chicken Burgers (baked from costco :) )
December 27 - late night at work. We choose McDonalds...
December 28 - Chicken Stir Fry, I can't remember if i did anything specific. There was shoyu and teriyaki involved with lots of veggies!
December 29 - A country style Pork Steak recipe - GROSS. Well It was ok, but I was kinda dry heaving. I dont think either of us like pork or lamb anything.
December 30 - Hamburger and Chicken Nuggets, an assortment.
December 31 - Kaluah Turkey at the Booklands!
January 1 - Pizza. We both had to work. On New Years. It was a pizza and beer kinda night.
January 2 - Maui Cattle Steak - AMAZING. Grilled. YUM.
January 3 - Chicken Burgers
January 4 - Taco Soup - MY FIRST SOUP - the Aunts Soup Recipe.
January 5 - I'O Restaurant for my Birthday Dinner.
January 6 - Didn't eat. Chris didn't get off till midnight. Home at 12:30.
January 7 - Steak from Costco - Marinated in Red Wine - with rosemary, capers, butter, season of salt, pepper, garlic powder on the Grill. YUM.
January 8 - Chicken Fettuccine with a Lemon Parmesan Sauce. (Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas Recipie in Great Food Fast, Everyday Food by Martha Stewart.) I made Chicken instead of Prosciutto and didn't add peas.
January 9 - Hoisen Chicken (didn't want to do it two days in a row but this is my husbands FAVorite meal.) (again Great Food Fast....)
January 10 - Fresh Beef Tacos on Hard Shells.
January 11 - Pizza and Beer. It's our Saturday. :)

Monday, January 10, 2011

Pier 1. Gifts :)

Thanks Honey!

1.owl salt and pepper shakers.

2. 2 orange/red napkins, 3.2 yellow flower napkin holders.

4. tabel runner (1st EVER!)

5. frame to go with this....photo.

I think....

bye BYE Birthday Funk. :)

Soo every year I kinda get this funk....i don't tell people it's my birthday. I don't plan things. I don't like to make the decisions...for once. I curl up in a little poor me shell...I have these expectations that EVERYone should Know it's my birthday. Everyone should make effort to call without me saying anything. Everyone should plan a party in my honor and there should be a cake and balloons. Every year. How SAD is that? I never realized how ridiculous it was until my birthday. In the car. Before work as I was sobbing soo hard that I was gasping for air after talking to my mom. I could tell you all the decisions I had to make for my day (or should I say the day before my day, I have never worked a birthday in my life - this was very weird ) I could tell you what cake I didn't get or the balloons that weren't wrapped on my chair. The card I wanted from the only person I really care about. THAT much. Don't you hear the TINY violin playing? Ah. My husband has been sooo overwhelmed. SO busy. So tired. He hasn't had a break until...well almost now but not quite. Since October. And WHO am I to expect this on just a day in the year when he gives it to me every single day? As if it should be any BEtter than the rest, saying basically - you have to love me MORE than you do every day THIS day. Because. It's all about me. The day after we celebrated (a trip around Lanai for 8hrs. - snorkeling and sight seeing...didn't see a dolphin! :( ..and then a glorious nap - then dinner and dessert at I'O - a 200 dollar bill for free...from work. ummmm those things sound pretty fan-fricken tastic don't they?) was my actually birthday. We slept in soo late that there was only time for work. I dropped Chris off and then called my Mom on the way. I had already been bumming...not getting any surprises and such...she was talking to me - she had been sending me loving emails all morning, and everything she said was right. I just wanted her to hold me. I wanted her to rock me in her arms like she does and just stroke my hair as I cry. But I was strong, I didn't reply to her much...I didn't want her to know I was struggling on my birthday...cause then she would ask whats wrong...and then I would loose it. She warmed my heart and we said see ya later. I hung up and hyperventilation cried (hah I don't know how to write that...hah) Then it hit me. Ya know all those things i said earlier - about why should i expect all this from a man who loves me all the time, loves on me, works his ass off for me and us and did PLENTY for me yesterday? Also I was reminded of Job. He lost EVERYTHING. He lost EVERYTHING and PRAISED God. He REJOICED in the Lord after having NOTHING. I have EVERYTHING and MORE!!!! and I am here, having a pity party FOR my sELF. So sooo dumb. So I had 15 minutes to gather my breathing and try to clear off my running mascara. Then went to work. Guess what ....ALL my family called me. Mom. Dad. Peter. Caleb. Michael - and I got to actually talk to all of them. I was soo grateful for that. And Molly, Kierstin and Grandpa Murphy Called. Everyone I think I would expect to call :) Facebook is great guys....but come on! i love the voices :) My co-worker gave me a HUGE hug and kiss on the cheek and she gave me two things of local bath salt!! When I got off work - Chris said he wouldn't be out till 12am so I went to my Dearest Friend Iletas house just to hang. She gave me a slice of apple pie with a candle in it that I made a wish on and blew out! She gave me a Mug and 4 kinds of Tea :) Then I went to get Chris, came home to find a gift from Mom and Dad in- law..a Cupcake ornament! and then the next day from Mom and Dad a cute lil pirate keychain!! and spending money from both parents so i can get crafty things and things I want to purchase from here before leaving. Chris and I went to bed and then that was that.
Sooo....did I tell you what my honey got me? only the best thing I love the most. The ocean. 8 hours on the ocean. 8 hrs including snorkeling in the CLEAREST water i've ever been in, a circle around Lanai (a hawaiian island.) seeing shipwreck beach, seeing two baby whales and one mama and just loving the wind on my face...boats are bliss to me. Thanks to my work...I have collected gift cards to one of their NICE restaurants. Soo yummy. My favorite was the Artichoke Pesto with Focaccia Bread. It was very lovely. It was a nice day. We checked one of the last things off our Maui Bucket List. Ok. SO. Next year. I'm not working on my Birthday. I'm planning a party. If I don't get a cake - it will be part of the party planning! I might tell my mom to just fly to see me instead of her sending birthday cash. I am holding up my chin as a grateful, oh so blessed and humble child of the Lord Jesus. I will not let Satan instill ungratefulness and greed and expectations into my heart. I will DOMINATE this childlike thing I like to do on the 6th of January. Enjoy the photos!! (sad there are none of I'O...)

My Birthday Pie from Ileta!!

for mom :) ....Mug and tea - Ileta, Bath Salt - Sofia co-worker, Cupcake - In-laws, Pirate Elizabeth - Mom and Dad :)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

New Year's Resolutions!

*Booklands Home, New Years Eve*

soo...new years resolutions...some people hate them, some love them. I think I'm right in the middle. I don't love them, I couldn't care less if I don't achieve them though I would be happy to accomplish every single one. So I think that means I need to make a list....But I am making a list for the next 4 months. Thats how long we have to live in Maui :)

Only eat "out" one night a week if that...
Tripple my cooking skills and knowledge of what it is now....as well as baking.
Organize recipes and begin making our recipe book - with meals rated 7 or higher :)
Get all photos from our wedding, honeymoon, then our years in Maui printed and in some sort of book/album. (Might not happen due to Blurb costs...)
Craft wayyyy more. Make gifts with the shells I find - wreaths, napkin holders, wrapped jewelry etc. Make cards. Make cute little baby gifts - crochet/hand sewn. I can't wait to be crafty :)
Spend 3 days a week in the Bible. Just three. I think I can accomplish this. I need way more time with Jesus.
Find Grace in my heart and be gone with gossip.
Read 6 books.
Lose 15lbs.
Play tennis again.

now ....I have some for my photography buisness...

Make cards with my scenic photography - using brown "green" paper - sell in my Coffee shop and other darling boutiques. (Maybe make magnets? )
Shoot Shave Ice at Ululani's Shave Ice - and sell cards/postcards at his three locations (we have already discussed this :) )
Get twice as many shoots as I did in 6 months in 4.
Shoot WAY more with my Canon AE1.
Learn and become an expert in Newborn Photography.

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEARS GOALS? or are you choosing to not make any and just LIVE life!

New Years Bash :)

Happy New YEAR!!!!! Ahh, We had SUCH a blast hanging out at our "Maui Family's Home!" It is the last new year we will be celebrating here in Maui - Lord Willing...So we wanted to go out with a bang! Literally :) haha We were lighting fireworks from 10:30 till 1:30! Chris built a ship again this year - TWICE as big as last years - He had SOO much fun doing so. Just as much fun blowing it up! He was having SOO much fun, which was so important - because he has been working like a maniac lately. Only 4 days off the entire month of December. Ah the joy in his heart this night...I loved it. The Booklands built a boat, and Kai built a Snowman :) Soo fun. I hope you had a great New Years!