Happy Thanksgiving!

Drinking From My Saucer
by John Paul Moore

I've never made a fortune, and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow.
And as I go along life's way, I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer, 'cause my cup has overflowed.

I haven't got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going's tough,
But I've got loved ones around me, and that makes riches enough.
I thank God for His blessings and the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer, 'cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong; my faith wore somewhat thin.
But, all at once the black clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again.
So, God, help me not to gripe about the tough rows I've hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer, 'cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage when the way grows steep and rough,
I'll not ask for other blessings; I'm already blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy to help others bear their loads.
I'll keep drinking from my saucer, 'cause my cup has overflowed.

Someone Get The Balloons!

It's a beautiful Friday, and a beautiful day for my 500th blog post! 500 is a beautiful number, isn't it? I'd like 500 dollars. I'd also like 500 eyelashes...that would make mascara unnecessary! I'd like 500 hours of free time. You get the idea.

I wouldn't have made it this far if it were not for YOU, beautiful reader! Your participation in this crazy journey has made it fun to share. I would love it if you would tell me how you stumbled upon my blog and where you are located! I'm pretty sure that you are tuning in from all corners of the country- REPRESENT!

Who knows...maybe I'll reach 500 comments?
Yeah, right. ;)

Tips for Cold Weather

Believe me, I've had to learn the hard way! Having been through a partial winter here in Duluth, I've picked up some tips that help ME stay sane in this crazy climate (it's 16 degrees outside as I type). This may be old news for you seasoned northerners, and may be totally irrelevant to you sunny Californians, so I suppose it's just a "note to self".

*When leaving in the morning, get in your car BEFORE opening the garage door. This will help you to avoid unkind, frigid morning drafts.

*Take the time to button or zip the jacket. Your neck and tummy will thank you for it.

*Cozy up with a blanket through which the T.V. remote will work. That way you can change the channel without removing your hands from the warm covering.

*SPACE-HEATER.

*Light a candle. At least it will SMELL warm!

*Wait a few minutes before turning on the car heater. The car has to warm up, too!

(By the way, since we don't have a fireplace, the picture above is wishful thinking. If only it were that easy...)

To Be A Fly On The Wall...

Aren't there some conversations you wish you could have witnessed in person? I often think- GOSH! I wish I could be a fly on the wall for THAT one! Like Jesus discussing his impending time on earth with God the Father, or Adam and Eve figuring things out in the garden, and many others on a much less significant scale.

Thanks to the medium of social networking, conversations can be saved indefinitely. So I chose to look up a conversation that began exactly two years ago on MySpace- and now I'm sitting next to the man who became my husband. It's humorous to go back and watch our relationship escalate! I've included the very first communication between Chris and I here- excuse the shallowness, but we were total strangers :)

Nov 19, 2006 7:38 PM
Jamiebella: STAV! The man...the legend...and my new friend! Any friend of Jack Bauer is a friend of mine. Duluth? How are things in Duluth?

Nov 19, 2006 10:09 PM
Stav: The Man, the Legend?? What did Cheri tell you about me? I'd have to say those titles belong to the one and only Jack Bauer. Only a few weeks till he hopefully saves the world once again. I can't wait. Duluth is awesome. No snow and not too cold, yet...... So Cheri sure does talk up Long Beach, is it really as cool as she says? Have a good week!

There you have it. Romantic, isn't it?

DON'T DO THAT!

I freak out every time Chris does it.
He does it a LOT.
And every time, I find myself cringing and whining about how it's going to stick to his intestines, or stay in his tummy for 7 years, or cause some weird blockage...none of which are true, and all of which I'm pretty sure I learned in first grade.
I haven't heard any medical evidence that I can use to deter my husband from this disgusting act, which is frustrating!
Regardless, if swallowing gum is proven 100% safe, I'm still abstaining.
It's. Just. Gross.

Please tell me YOU don't swallow your gum...

Short and Sweet

I hate it when you can't shut your brain off long enough to sleep. Such was the case last night. Now I have a sleep deficit of 8 hours and don't know if I should take a mega-nap today or just plow through.

I have been studying all week for an exam that I'm taking on Saturday. I'm feeling pretty good about the exam, just brushing up on some of my mathematical formulas. I took the equivalent of this exam years ago for my credential in California...but this state doesn't accept out-of-state exam scores. Just their way of getting another $400 bucks from me, I suppose. Sigh.

So, all extracurricular activities have been curbed for the moment (like searching Google images for a picture to put on this post!). I hope to be back in the blogging swing of things next week. Thanks for sticking with me!

And, if you get a couple extra ticks on Saturday morning, say a little prayer for me!

I Woke Up This Morning...

...and saw THIS out our kitchen window...



You can tell it's hunting season, because they're hiding out in our backyard! (I know you deer hunters are salivating over those antlers right now...) Fortunately, it's Chris' day off, so he got to witness it, too! There were two of them...one buck, and one doe- who was VERY well hidden in our leaves. They stayed for quite some time while we did our morning chores. Yet another reminder that I'm not in California anymore.

Bright Lights, Big City: Part 2

We made the trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower on Day 2- an amazing view of the whole valley.

Chris was in heaven...it was like Google Earth, but up close and personal!

And, of course, it's the BEST place to watch the Bellagio fountain show!

I'm telling you...these boys are inseparable!

We visited the MGM Lion Exhibit for a while, and watched the lions play until they were pooped! We also ran into Chris' brother and sister-in-law while there!

Our trip ended much too quickly, and we were quite sad to leave the warm weather behind. As we flew into Minneapolis, it was snowing- and it made a spectacular sight from above the clouds.

Bright Lights, Big City: Part 1.

It's about time I posted some pictures from our Vegas Vacation, so without further ado...

Our first stop was dinner at the Planet Hollywood casino.

The pu-pu platter was a real treat...complete with fire!

Coincidentally, Planet Hollywood was the site of the SAW 5 world premiere. So, we hung out by the red carpet for a while and caught a glimpse of a few "stars". (I say that loosely because we really didn't know they were.) Yes, that IS Luke from the Gilmore girls.

Then, the Corns arrived. I was super happy to see Steph again...

...and Chris was elated to see Stephen.

Our first stop was the Venetian, home of the Vegas Blue Man Group.

We really enjoyed having my family along for the adventure, too!

Being in St. Marks Square just inspires love, don't you think?

We took a gondola ride through the canals...so great!

Our very entertaining gondolier had the hots for my mom (taking the picture), and proceeded to serenade us with "Stacy's Mom".

Because this was Chris' first visit to Vegas, I wanted to hit up as many hotels as possible. Here, we check out the Luxor with Stephen and Steph.

Then we got ready for the big show of the weekend...the Beatle's "LOVE" at the Mirage.

As Vegas nightlife heated up, there was the usual display of skanky girls and shady guys...here, Stephen demonstrates the "popped collar, lots of chest hair look," which is alive and well in sin city.

We ended Day 1 with a spectacular view of the Bellagio fountain. Always beautiful to behold.

I Woke Up This Morning...

...and saw THIS out the window.


First snowfall of the season.
Goodbye, Autumn.
Hello Winter!

10 Predictions on Election Day

TEN PREDICTIONS NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION:


1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL?

All in a Year's Time.

One year ago today, Chris was sitting in my apartment when I got home from work, and proposed to me on my couch. He then swept me away for an amazing weekend in Monterey. If you haven't read the story, you can read it here.

I was flipping through a bridal magazine at the grocery store yesterday. While it brought back many great memories of wedding planning adventures, it also made me a little sad. All the wedding excitement is long gone. I won't get to call Chris my Fiance anymore. I won't get to try on any fancy white dresses. I won't get to have all of my friends in the same place at the same time ever again. These things I lament. We had six months of wedding mayhem and, it's true, it goes by too quickly.

But, having been married half a year now, I would have done nothing different. And, for the record, Minnesota hasn't been THAT bad :) I think of couples who are engaged for years, and I know I could not have handled that! Our original wedding date was in July...and THAT seemed like an eternity from November!

My question for you-
How long were YOU engaged?
How did that work for you?

P.S. I love you, Chris! :)

Get a Load of THESE scrubs!

My personal P.A. doubled as my personal chef...and made me a grilled cheese sandwich.

Not a huge deviation from the costume Chris wears EVERY day, but it was fun for me!

Chris offered to squeeze ketchup all over my getup to make it more realistic. I declined the offer.

Nice 'stume.

Happy Halloween!

Not much going on at the Stavenger house this halloween.
A bowl of candy is at the door, ready for visitors.
I'll be dressing up as Chris Stavenger, P.A.-C this year.
My scrubs are all ready to go.

I Had To Laugh a Little.

My friend Jennifer tipped me off to the following artifact-
I can see how this could be a problem at school.
But I can't say I wouldn't giggle a little inside.


Kids are way to savvy these days.

Because Sometimes You Need To Indulge.

This is a new favorite around our house.
Though, it will be a novelty since it's freaking expensive.


Do you have a favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor?

(And, yes, I realize it's getting a little chilly for ice cream...)

VEGAS, Baby!

I'll get back in the regular blogging game soon, but I'm taking a little break while my husband and I travel to SIN CITY this weekend. It will be Chris' first time in the city, and we're looking forward to showing him around and going to see this! We're also looking forward to spending some time with my parents & brother, as well as our good friends Stephen and Stephanie, and Chris' brother & sister-in-law. It's a big 'ol party...you should join us!

Those of you not fortunate enough to make the trip with us...if you are in the Minneapolis area this Thursday, be sure to check out the fabulous Shannon Curtis- she'll be playing at the Bryant Lake Bowl theater at 10 p.m. this Thursday!!

Fall Favorite Things

Yay!! One of the best things about fall is that it heralds in the Christmas season! And THIS year, I'm particularly excited to experience my first "white christmas," though I'll be far from family for the holidays. Anyway, we've been enjoying some little luxuries, so I thought I'd make a Favorite Things list! I won't have the economic impact that Oprah would, but I thought I'd throw some things out there for you to try!

1) Berkshire Blankets: Serasoft throw. We received this as a wedding gift, and it's SO soft, as well as the perfect weight and size in which to wrap yourself. Plus, their website has lovely bird chirping, enough to warrant a visit. :)

2) WoodWick Candles- Since we don't have a fireplace, I LOVE lighting this candle because it crackles like a fire! AND, it has super cool scents like Mojito, Pomander, Blackberry Crisp and Fireside...our personal favorite.

3) Caramel-Peanut Butter and Apples- a great treat for a chilly day! Slice apples, take 24 wrapped caramel candies...add to it 1 tbsp Peanut butter and 1 tbsp water. Place it in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, add a pinch of cinnamon. Use it for an apple dip.

4) St. Supery Moscato- Okay, this is an OLD favorite, but there's nothing better. Best to drink when it's a little warm outside (it's refreshing), so Californian's...live it up! Plus, if you get to the winery itself in Napa, they have a great tasting deal!

Alright...your turn.
What would you add to this list?

Icky, Gooey Pumpkin Guts.

This week's date night fell into two parts: Heading to the pumpkin patch, and butchering our respective pumpkins to fashion some kind of spooky design. A couple of things surprised me about this experience...

1) There aren't pumpkin patches here! If there are, they are well hidden and seriously lacking advertisement. So we resorted to choosing a pumpkin from a shelf at a garden store. Kinda disappointing, since even in STOCKTON you can find make-shift pumpkin patches on concrete lots along Pacific Avenue. Chris said "you have to go out to the country to find those". I thought we WERE in the country!?

2) Chris freaked out when he had to reach inside the pumpkin and scrape out the guts. "It's so gross! Ughhh...I hate this part. I hate that smell. Ughhghhgughhh..." Okay- I know it's not the most pleasant task in the world, but SERIOUSLY! You stick your hands INSIDE people for a living! A few pumpkin seeds won't hurt'cha! On the upside, pumpkins don't squirt blood everywhere when you cut them up.

The end products turned out well, though we skimped on the creativity and went with traceable patterns. THESE are the jacks that will greet trick-or-treaters at the Stavenger house:


The cute one is mine. ;)

October Update

Hi friends!
Well, it's midway through October, and autumn here is winding to a close, evidenced by more leaves on the ground than on the trees and forecasts of snow as early as next week! I've put away the flip-flops for good...or at least until next summer.

And, as you may have noticed, my blogging has been sparse. I think the weather has played a part in that. On these chilly, overcast days, I'd much rather be on the couch wrapped up in a blanket! But I'm determined to keep this venue of communication as updated as possible, so I'll kick my motivation into overdrive.

Yesterday, Chris and I took a trip to Minneapolis to meet with a financial advisor. We're interested in the best ways to be saving and investing right now, so we received some helpful advice and were on our way! BONUS: making the overdue pilgrimage to CHIPOTLE!


Thanks to lots of free time on sub assignments (prep periods with nothing to prep), I've been able to do a lot of reading! The most recent book I finished is Jodi Piccoult's Nineteen Minutes. Excellent, but emotionally heavy. And Chris and I finished our previous devotional book and have begun reading The Five Love Languages . I've wanted to read this one for a long time, and so far it's right on the money. I discovered my love language is Words of Affirmation...

...which may be why I enjoy your comments so much!