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Fish Head

This week our friend Jared Odhiambo is living with us. 

Jared lives in Kisumu, Kenya. He is an incredible man of God.
He oversees the Ringroad Orphan's Day School, as well as two other Christan Schools for Children in need. 

He decided to open an school for orphans when we saw a orphan boy being beaten in the street one day for steal 5 shillings (less than 5 cents US). He paid the man the boy stole from with all he had in his pocket, and asked the boy why he stole. The boy said that his parents died of AIDS and his grandmother could only feed him one meal a day. He and his friends were hungry, so they stole. And that was the beginning of Jared's journey to teach and serve orphan children in his community. He opened Ringroad in 1997, but saw there were many other orphanages that weren't caring properly for the children.

Jared prayed on August 13, 2003, that in a year God would give him the opportunity to work with another orphanage. And on August 14, 2004, Lakeside Christian Children's Home opened it's doors. Then a few years later Alara School.

Jared also works for Christian Relief Fund, where Andrew works.

Side Bar - If you're interested in helping with the work Jared is doing, check out the CRF website.

Okay, moving on...

So last night, Andrew and Jared asked a few other CRF employees to come over for a traditional Kenyan meal. Jared made some delicious food.

 

Going clockwise, we've got:
Onions, obviously
Ugali - Asain kale (or any greens) with onions and spices
Sukuma Wiki - boiled corn mean, kind of like grits
 Chicken Curry - courtesy of Larry Wu
Fried Fish - heads included
Kachumbari - onions, tomatoes and cilantro salad

OH, and I don't mean to brag, but...

Jared said he was impressed that I ate one of the fish heads.
It's not as gross as it sounds...

Too much TV

I'm very not ashamed. I'll say it. 

I watch a lot of TV. I love TV. In another world, I would work in TV.

 (Like as a writer or editor or producer...)

So here's my run down of favorites, what I'm watching currently and so on and such.

Just FYI this ranking changes almost daily, and these are by no means legitimate reviews. 
I'm way too lazy for that. 

Also - this is now a No Judgement Zone. Lunk Alert?

15. Catfish

 

NEV. He just the nicest guy ever. Andrew and I spend as much time talking about how cool Nev is as we do actually watching the show. 

We saw the documentary when it came out - I know, I can't believe it came to an Amarillo theatre either. It's just too ridiculous not to watch.

14. Scandal

Action-packed.

Smart.

Suspenseful.

Kerry Washington.

13. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

 I LOVE JIMMY FALLON. And I loved him even after SNL when he was doing terrible things like the movie Taxi. He is adorable, hilarious and just has so much fun. LNJF is my kind of humor. With sketches like Name that Guy, HeadSwap, and Jacob's Patience, you just can't go wrong. Obviously, he's on way past my bedtime, so I have to watch his show the morning after via Hulu. Thanks Hulu.

12. Seinfeld

This was a go-to resource for parenting in my house growing up. Most lessons my parents bestowed on me and my siblings came from the Bible, Seinfeld or Young Frankenstein. I've seen every episode multiple times, and I don't care about all of you who think it's a show about nothing.

11. Switched at Birth

 ABC Family, you've done it again. I used to be fluent in American Sign Language, but you know how it goes. Either way, I love Switched at Birth. It's a great tribute to the Deaf Community. They recently did an episode entirely in ASL, which is pretty ground breaking. Not only is it a great way to bone up on my ASL vocabulary, it meets the usual ABC Family guilty pleasure drama standards.

10. Alias

Sunday nights were reserved for Alias. My family shut down the house - we didn't answer the phone or the door, and no one was allowed to talk. The first 2 and a half seasons were incredible. Everything would have been fine if Vaughn hadn't MARRIED LAUREN. 

Whatever.

I would also like to throw out that Alias has Bradley Cooper at his best. Will was the most endearing character in my TV life when Alias was on the air. 

9. Nashville

They had me at Connie Britton. Nashville has been a pleasant surprise. The talent is really astounding. I guess I didn't expect it. And everyone is just so pretty...

And those Stella sisters? They should sing on the show more often.

8. 30 Rock

Do I really need to say anything? Blergh.

7. Lost

We are really late to the game, but Andrew and I have been working our way through Lost this year (and part of last). Andrew requested a break during season four, and I obliged. But we've started up again and my brain just feels like it's going to explode.

WHERE. IS. MY. SON?!

6. Friday Night Lights

I started this one because I needed a show that I could watch without Andrew. Little did I know that I was about to embark on a emotional journey that still makes me tear up a little just thinking about it. I just want to move to Dillon and relive high school with Coach Taylor. 

Lions or Panthers??

Uuuhhh, Julie.

Ahhhh, Riggins.

5. The IT Crowd

If you haven't watched the IT Crowd, go to your nearest movie rental store, rent all four series (British vernacular), go home, put in the DVDs, and watch all of them. Or just get Netflix.

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

4. New Girl

Nick Miller is my favorite person on TV right now. New Girl is kind of hit or miss, but lately it's all hit. I'm dying for Nick and Jess to finally just get together...we've waited long enough. If you need a introductory episode to watch, pick Menzies. It's my favorite.

3. Breaking Bad

I could go on for days. And days. And days.

I might say that Breaking Bad is the best show on TV right now. Every element (no pun intended) of this show is incredible - especially character development. Watching the vulnerable, ultimate underdog Walt transform into Heisenberg is mind blowing. It's just brilliant, and I am dying with equal parts anticipation and sadness for the last half of the final season to air this summer.

2. Arrested Development

Hands Down - My favorite TV show of all time.

I can (and do) watch all three seasons over and over, and I never get tired of the Bluths.

I can't really express how insane/crazy/excited I am that Mitch Hurwitz and Netflix took matters into their own hands, and are bringing us a season four - and hopefully a movie.

It ain't easy being white...

1. Parks and Recreation

Parks and Rec is LITERALLY the best.

I laugh out loud so much my tummy hurts. I know this is dangerous territory, but Parks and Rec knocks 30Rock out of the water...in my humble opinion. 
Plus, my brother Dusty IS Andy Dwyer. And my friend Josh IS Jean Ralphio.

On a side note - I often use what I have dubbed "The April Ludgate" method at work. 
Basically, I just stare at people when they're annoying me.

So, that was a lot.

What are your favorite TV shows?

Must Have Box

THE POP SUGAR BOX HAS ARRIVED

Last Friday, I was super giddy when I opened my front door,
and FINALLY, a little, white box was on the porch.

SO MANY GOODIES.

Let's start here:

It just so happened that I broke my only dangley necklace the same day I got the box.

I was really excited to have this new one from Heather Belle, but then I freaked out when I realized that it's worth $72.00.

This is instantly the most expensive piece of jewelry I own, besides my wedding ring.

I got a huge bottle of this delicious smelling laundry detergent

and this really cute bottle opener. There was also a two pack of nail polish, fashion tape, a sweater saver and some peeps - just in time for Easter. 

$150 worth of stuff for only $35.

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited.

If you're interested (and you totally should be) - use this link

Carrots and Burglars

So we had a pretty exciting weekend. Saturday morning came early, but we were up for a great cause. 

We worked at the High Plains Food Bank Garden for 4 hours Saturday morning. 

Also there were some goats.

I spent most of my time planting seeds and harvesting over-planted carrots. I destroyed my fingers.
I felt like that old lady on Happy Gilmore.

Then, like all people who have been working outside and are covered in dirt, we went to Cracker Barrel for some delicious breakfast for lunch. Except Andrew, he actually got lunch, which was weird.

Sunday was a day for babysitting and hanging out with friends.

UNTIL 9:40 P.M.

We were returning home from dinner with our friends, when we realized there was a police car in the alley (we have a rear entry garage). At first we couldn't tell, but we quickly realized the police were parked at our driveway. There was a wrecked SUV parked sideways in our driveway with all of doors open. Since I didn't take any pictures, here's an awesome drawing to set up the scene:

Yes, I am a graphic designer and yes,

STOLEN CAR.

Some car burglars were being chased by a "van full of rednecks" and decided to 

ditch the car in our drive way and break through the fence to escape. 

The best part was when APD told us to go ahead and go around to the front of the house, 

go inside and check it out, and come out in 5 minutes to let them know we're okay.

Wait...what?

So if we don't come out in 5 minutes, you're going to come inside and save us 

from the car burglars who were hiding in our house, right?

We're probably already dead.

Needless to say we set the alarm and grabbed the shot gun.

Yeah, so how was your weekend?

Swag

Started today with a little diddy that really helps me get going in the right direction...

I fumbled around with my hair and face, and NASCAR'd it to work. 

Since next week is Spring Break, a bunch of people preparing to take time off. That means a bunch of people are bringing me a ton of work.

At first I was all

But then I was like

Besides, we get off at 4 today. So what's the point?

I'll have plenty of time next week to get stuff done while everyone else is enjoying their time off...

Okay, moving on

What's going on this weekend?

We're helping some of our sweet friends who run the High Plains Food Bank Garden with planting tomorrow morning. They just had a baby in February, and her parents were recently in a terrible car accident - so they really need help. 

The majority of the food produced in the Garden goes directly to the Kids Cafe kitchen where it can be prepared in meals at its peak of freshness, and feed kids (and adults, too) all over the panhandle.

You can learn more about The Garden and even sign up to volunteer here.

I also have a skype date with my friend Max - check out her blog. She's a pro. And also hilarious.

have a good weekend. 

okay, bye.

Weighing On Me

Okay, so a little more than three pounds.

My friend Alli is getting married this summer! Since I'm a bridesmaid, I will be wearing a purple, strapless, tight dress. And I'm nervous. Especially because I decided to buy my dress a size down. 

I mean, I can fit into it...if I don't move or breathe.

The weight topic is so frustrating to me. It's being thrown at us from every freaking direction.
Everyone is talking about it. EVERYONE...

EVEN TINY LITTLE GIRLS.

Are you kidding me, Kate Moss? Seriously.

And even though the message has changed a bit, we've just replaced "skinny" with "fit". And yes, I need to take care of my body. But constantly comparing and complaining, even if only to myself, about how unhappy I am that I haven't lost weight is just outright sinful. How disrespectful am I being to my God who created me? To my husband, family and friends that love me? Let's just say it: 

My body is an idol.

 As hard as I try, my body is always on my mind.

If only I was skinny.

If only I was taller.

If only I was prettier.

If only I had a different body.

If only...

So what can I do to change it?

I'm going to keep eating clean and healthy and working out,
because I need to be responsible and take care of my body.

But I'm also going to keep praying that God rip this idol from me, whatever it takes.

I am desperate to destroy this consuming idol.

 

How awful it is to worship my body - to worship the idea of being skinny or fit
or whatever word I want to use to make myself feel better about the fact that
I'm worshiping something or someone other than my God.

It's not going to happen overnight. I'm going to slip up. I'm probably going to feel guilty
when I grab Taco Villa on a busy night instead of cooking dinner at home. 

But I'm going to remind myself that I am free in Christ, and I don't have to be a slave to my body. 

I hope you'll join me. 

  

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Psalm 139:14

Cheapskate

If you know me, you know I'm a terrific cheapskate - but not like an "all around cheapskate." Just when it comes to me. I'll drop $600 on an iPad for Andrew's Christmas present like it's nothing, but there is NO WAY I'm buying myself a pair of jeans that are more than $20. See the problem?

In fact, my husband makes fun of me for what he calls the "pick it up and put it back"
a.k.a. my shopping method. So here's my method while at, let's say Target:

1. Attempt to find a parking spot - much more difficult than it should be,
   but Amarillo only has ONE TARGET?!?!
2. Grab a cart and immediately pick up a purse and scarf that I can't live without.
3. Then get 5-25 shirts/pants/dresses/skirts to try on.
4. Settle on 1-10 of them at potential purchases
5. Drool over some shoes and start feeling guilty just thinking
   about the possibility of buying clothes.
6. Put everything back without trying to draw too much attention
   that my basket is working backwards - full to empty.
7. Grab some laundry detergent and some nail polish and leave. 

All the while, Andrew is making fun of me via text message.

There's no way he's going with me to Target. 

ANYWAYS

All that to say I went crazy yesterday, and decided to buy a subscription to
POPSUGAR's Monthly Must Have Box. 

Basically for $35 a month, you receive a box full of awesome stuff worth $100. 

Like this one

I'm really excited to get mine, but I have to wait until April...

  As of right now, I'm only subscribed for one month. But if the box is as awesome as it sounds, I might put another subscription in my cart and NOT put it back after an hour of thinking about it.

If you're interested in getting a subscription, help me get another month free and use this link.

Okay, thanks :)

No Rock Climbing in Amarillo?

I moved back home this weekend while Andrew was in Austin for the Verge Conference. Due to the two day snowpocalypse (and some prior damage) our garage door broke, and I was not in the mood to manually open it every time I left or returned home. So I packed my stuff and grabbed my dogs and drove the 10 miles to Canyon. Incidentally, my parents were also in Austin visiting my sister Allie, so I got some one-on-one time with my brother Dusty - which is a rarity these days.

We used to hang out all the time, being that we're a mere 13 months apart. But theses days he's spends most of his time working and getting his masters in English. He's also really getting into rock climbing. We spent Saturday running around town looking for outdoor climbing gear, which apparently is not sold ANYWHERE in Amarillo - not even A.R.C.H. We had a blast.

Since last Friday was my Papa's 73rd birthday, Dusty and I got dinner from Steak Express (surprisingly delicious) and some cheesecake to take to my Nana and Papa's house. I love being at their house, because

1. Nana and Papa are two of my favorite people in the world


2. It always smells like delicious, southern home-cooking

3. We sit around and look at old Life magazines or watch old movies

4. Their house is covered in pictures of our family - like, covered.

 These are a few of my favorites

 

 

I don't know what I would do without them - Nana and Papa, Dusty, Mom & Dad, Allie and Andrew. Even Goober, Moss, Ozzie and Zoey. Spending time with family makes my heart so happy.

Dusty and I talked about how we don't want to take that time for granted. We're only a few minutes away from each other at any time. I want to spend as much time with the people I love as I can.

So I'm going to do that. You should, too.