The New Cookie...

                Remember my dear friend Vanessa?  The one who called me a Christmaholic?  Now you are meeting her husband; Matt Markarian.  Vanessa stumbled upon this recipe on a blog she was reading and told us about it.  Matt and I decided it was worth a try. 

The Cookie – Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Debate - either utter failure or the best idea ever

The Bakers – Matt, Cassie, Gerald (specifically there to eat the Oreos that broke before they made it into the cookie)

The Group to Vote – Bible Study

So here is where the recipe is found:

http://www.beckybakes.net/2011/01/20/oreo-stuffed-chocolate-chip-cookies/

                And so it went.  We decided that we wanted to use the regular chocolate chip cookie batter that we knew we loved so we used the Nestle cookie batter and made our own.  It was nearly failure before we even got to the Oreo part.  We started to make the oatmeal cookie dough. GROSS!  Although Vanessa would have loved that mistake and had my mom been there, so would she.  Fixed that problem and we were on a roll…no pun intended. 

                The first round was definitely a test and we learned our lesson.  Contrary to popular thought, there is such a thing as too much cookie dough around the Oreos.  Less cookie dough is more. 

                By the third cookie sheet they were starting to look like the pictures on the blog.  We decided that good or bad we were going to take them to Bible Study, just to prove we tried it, but a taste test was also necessary before we left the house.  DELICIOUS!  I know, I know, most of you are thinking…DISGUSTING!  You will just have to try it for yourself and you will see that we are right.

                Next came the vote and when there was only one cookie left by the end of Bible Study…we call that success!  You will quickly find these are your new favorite cookies.  

The Conclusion – Best Cookie Ever!

Distract Makenna Day

Now I can speak of the unmentionable MCAT test, therefore I can tell you this story. 

Makenna, my dear roommate and very close friend, is taking the MCAT…as we speak.  This is the test needed to get into med-school.  She has been diligently studying for this test for months.  Especially within the last month, Makenna has been passing on all sorts of social activities in order to study or get good sleep.  She has been studying so hard, I feel like a diligent student through her, but don’t worry; I was doing my own homework.  The past 10 days (I think) she has been waking up at 6am to have a rhythm of awaking early.  I say I think for 10 days, because I have not been joining her in this endeavor…I was blissfully sleeping for at least another hour. 

Anyway, yesterday was DISTRACT MAKENNA DAY.  We have had this in our calendar for months.  This is the day before the exam, which everyone has said needs to be a day of relaxation, fun, and avoiding any thought of the test the following day.  We have been saving all of our social adventures for this day (plus any time after the test).  The day finally came and here is how it went.

·         The Gym:  This is a regular adventure for us that we didn’t feel necessary to pass on.  We do enjoy the good feeling of all muscles aching and the accomplished feeling that we begin our day on.  Needless to say, we ran 2 miles in 13:06…a new accomplished record, more sit-ups than I want to count and a few arm thingies.  We don’t have the correct terms for any of the exercises we do, but we know what we are talking about and we are at the gym.  That is all that counts.  The gym ended with doing the Twist and Shout, which for us means twisting some way to do a normal activity and shouting at the feeling in the muscle we used.

·         Casual Time: We spent a good deal of time relaxing and enjoying the morning while getting ready.  We usually rush through this process in order to get to class, work, or begin our studying. 

·         Antiquing:  Off we headed, with Makenna’s mom and sister Lexie, to Old Town Clovis to walk around the boutiques and antique shops.  This was great.  The sun was shining, not that it was warm, but it wasn’t raining and we were spending time outside.  Makenna bought a very cute heart hook to hang on her wall.

·         Movie:  Beastly.  Matt and Greg met us at the movie theater.  We were having a great trust that they would come, because we were dropped off at the movie theater by her mom without a car.  Thankfully, they fulfilled their boyfriend duty and took us to a chick-flick.  Super cute, by the way.  It was really a great chick-flick and well worth the long wait that Makenna and I have had before we could see it. 

·         Feathers:  So, while we were antiquing with Lexie, she told us about this new fad…feathers.  This is where feathers are attached to a tiny strand of hair by a bead.  They last for anywhere between 1-3 weeks.  She went to get some done while we were at the movie, and we decided that it sounded fun, so we went and got some too!  Good thing she is keeping us young.  Smile. 

*I have no idea...

·         Putt-Putt:  Here followed miniature golfing.  Oh what fun!  We nearly had the place to ourselves.  Who knew the best time to go putt-putting would be at 3:00 on a Friday afternoon?   I think there was more goofing around than actually playing of golf, but that was the point.  We started keeping track, but at some point we stopped.  Probably because I was winning…just kidding.  Hehe.

*Matt missed the tunnel the golf ball was supposed to go through, they made a new one through the fence...

·         Unfortunately, at this point I had to go to work.  They came home and played cards.

·         Dinner Time:  Greg picked me up from work and we met Matt, Makenna, and Lisa and Chevy’s for dinner (Mom-I thought of you while eating my nachos).  What a joyous dinner…without knives.  There was a party of 100 people in the back room and the restaurant ran out of knives.  Really?  How does a restaurant run out of knives?

Thank you Makenna for allowing me to spend a day with you doing absolutely nothing and everything at the same time.  I hope you are acing the test as we speak!!   

Funny Story...

So, I do not have a lot to share with you today, but I thought I would keep you updated by telling you a funny story that happened yesterday.  Here you go:

I was walking through Target with my dear friend Vanessa after a wonderful dinner at Luna’s; a cute, quaint, Italian restaurant in Old Town.  For Vanessa, Target is simply something fun to do.  There is no reason needed to walk through Target, so we stopped on our way home.  The need for ice cream being our excuse (there is always a need for ice cream).  As we were walking, we passed these plates…

 

 

Personally, I think these plates are weird and this is how our conversation to follow went:

Me: For some reason, I think it is weird to have holiday plates; except for Christmas.

Vanessa:  That’s because you are a Christmaholic.  Yes I just made this word up.

Me:  Nearly snorting in the middle of Target.

Vanessa:  That word was so good; I think you could even blog it.

Vanessa, here you go!  I have blogged your word.

I am proud to admit…I AM A CHRISTMAHOLIC!

I do have to say, I bet I am the only person in the world blogging about Christmas in March two posts in a row…and proud of it.  Smile. 

1 Year Ago...

     Ok, so these past 48 hours have consisted of very little sleep, lots of snorts, hippos going to bed, passing the can, and wonderful memories being made.  This is ATF weekend.  I will explain this in greater detail after I have recovered from my lack of sleep, but I wanted to take a moment and reflect on what happened on this day 1 year ago...

My Senior Recital

     It is extremely hard to believe that it was an entire year ago.  I feel like it was just last month that my family came to visit to hear me sing.  It was a fantastic experience and one of my proudest moments of time.  24 minutes of music, 14 songs, 5 languages, large audience, friends and family support.  Those of you that were there will remember this great experience forever with me and I will forever be thankful and greatfull for your support and love. 

     I simply wanted to recall this time in your brain as it has come to mine. 

Thank you again!  

Never Have I Ever...

                Today was a beautiful, sunny, California day with a high of 72*.  I am sorry for those of you that are still in winter, but come a few quick weeks from now, I will not be feeling sorry; it will be jealously inside of me.  It is starting to get progressively warmer with each passing day, even to the point that when we walked out of the gym this morning at 8:00am, we were disappointed that it wasn’t cold enough to cool us off.

                I finished work at the office this morning, went to two different meetings and had a nearly 3 hours before I had to go to the restaurant to work again (yes, I know, it is a lot of work for one day, but it only happens 2 times a week that I work both shifts and I enjoy it). 

So you ask, “What did you do with those three hours?”

Have a little patience, and I will tell you:

Well mom, I made it past March 1^st and trust me; I got flack for it here too.  Maybe flack isn’t the right word, but there was definite teasing on multiple accounts.  Needless to say, I took down the Christmas lights from my house.  Yeah, I know, laugh all you want, but we still had the lights up.  Just to clarify…the lights were unplugged and not on, plus the neighbors still have theirs’ up too (sorry Justin and Selleck, but I am proud of your equal admiration of Christmas).  I would like to tell you that this was because of a lack of time, with a crazy college student schedule…and part of it is…trust me; but the other part is that I simply didn’t want to take them down.  And not in the lazy sense of the not want to do it.  I simply didn’t want them down, they make me smile every time I drive in and out of the garage.  I have been keeping the Christmas Spirit alive…I’m sure my mom understands. 

For those of you that do not know my mom, she never wants to take the lights down.  I think, not think – KNOW – that is where I get it from.  Every year she states that there is a game around the lake for who can put the Christmas lights up first…she almost always wins, and if she doesn’t she is definitely second.  As soon as someone else has their lights up, she has her excuse to put up ours.  Over Christmas break, after the holidays were technically over, my dad would constantly ask my mom when he could take the lights down.  This is how my parent’s conversation would go:

Dad: When can I take the lights down?

Mom: March 1^st

Dad: (annoyed) Be realistic

Mom: February 28^th

*Conversation over.

I assume their lights are down, but I guess I haven’t specifically asked either.

Here you have it: NEVER HAVE I EVER…taken the Christmas lights down with flip-flops on while wearing sunglasses.  This was mind-boggling as it crossed through my brain.  Let me tell you, it is much more comfortable to take them down with the sun on your face, a breeze in the wind, and a new season upon you as the trees are in bloom around you.  Maybe you should try it dad…avoid the wet, cold, rain, snow, ice; you know. 

In my opinion, you can listen to Christmas music year-round and while taking the lights down is no exception.  So, while I was wearing flip-flops, with the sun on my face and sunglasses on my nose, listening to the three greatest Christmas albums ever: Amy Grant’s A Christmas To Remember and Straight No Chaser’s two Christmas albums Holiday Spirits and Christmas Cheers, the last bit of Christmas has been put in a box.  Don’t worry, Christmas will be in my heart every day of the year, and I am ready to put the lights back up.  Maybe I will make a game out of who puts Christmas lights up around the condo unit. 

*It is 285 days, 2 hours, 52 minutes, 32 seconds, until Sunday, December 25, 2011.

...It's just not the same without them there...



TEAM

TEAM sports ended yesterday.  For this I have my joys and tears.

                For those of you that do not know, for the past 8 weeks I have been a ref for 4-year-old basketball games.  Yes, I know, I have no basketball skills, I have never played basketball in my life (other than PIG in the driveway with dad), and I am still not tall enough to be a basketball player.  BUT, in the words of Matt Markarian: “it’s more like herding cats.”  You have no idea how true this is. 

Here is how the games are set up:

o   8 kids on a team

o   4 play at a time

o   4, 6 minute quarters

o   Parents coach the teams and are allowed on the court throughout the game

o   5’ hoops (yes, even I can dunk on these hoops)

o   15 minutes of practicing drills before the game begins

o   4 games every Saturday the first beginning at 8:30am

o   Lots of yelling individual names to get everyone to the other side of the court

o   Lots of yelling in general

I think that gives you enough of the specifics to get the gist of the game.

So needless to say, other than the being at church at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday, I have loved every moment of it.  This is the first time I have been a ref for basketball, but last year I was ref for soccer and t-ball (both sports I feel much more comfortable with) and I loved it then too. 

Anyway, 4-year-olds are priceless and have some fantastic things to say throughout the season.  I have decided to simply share with you my favorite lines from the middle of the court instead of explaining more details of my work. Remember – these are 4-year-olds! lol

Me: Pass! Pass! Pass!

Player: But I can make it without my team!

Me: Part of playing on a team is sharing with your team.

Player: But I make it; she misses.

Me: Watch the ball, not the clock.

Player: The clock is better.

Me: You can’t hold my hand and play basketball at the same time, you should let go.

Player: But I’m only allowed to dribble with one hand, my other one can hold yours.

Me: You can’t take the ball out of his hands.

Player: But he isn’t on my team and dad told me to get the ball.

Me: But when you are playing you have to get the ball when he is passing.

Player: That’s not how dad plays at home.

Me: Well that is how we play here.

Player: I like dad’s game better.

*I watched this happen:

Joey made a basket.  He looked to his dad, kissed his hand and blew his dad the kiss.  Dad responded with the same blown kiss back. 

*This morning at church:

Me: Good Morning Troy.

Troy to his parent: How does she know my name?

Me:  I just played basketball with you yesterday, that’s how I know your name.

Troy: You look different.

*Now, I am not sure how I am supposed to take this information: either I look terrible on Saturdays in my t-shirt and sweats at 7:30 in the morning; or I looked extra pretty at church this morning.  I am choosing to go with the latter, unfortunately I believe it is probably closer to the first.

                The list could go on and on with great memories I have with these kids.  My tears will be waiting for the next season when I get to see these youngins’ again and play with them again.  The joy will come when I can finally sleep in past 7am any day of the week.  (Not this Saturday though, it is Acquire the Fire Time.  This means not only being up at 7, but also all night the night before…YIPEE!!)

P.S. Amazing Race fans…DANG??  I hate when it is TO BE CONTINUED……..