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So, this whole blogging thing apparently didn't stick well. The biggest problem is exhaustion. I come home most days after waking up around 7 am and then being out of the house from 9 or 11 until around 5. Then I have to figure out dinner, though sadly my husband (mostly because of his crazy schedule) figures it out on his own...then I'm just done for the day. There are piles of things like thank you notes from the wedding and receipts that need to be entered into the budget and such waiting to get done...but too tired. Saturday slips away somehow and Sunday we look forward to church and then resting though it usually includes groceries for the week and errands like that. It's just crazy. I suppose it's life, but I'd really like it to slow down. I think part of the situation is my husband is a full-time student and has two part-time jobs at the school, plus I try to pick up extra editing jobs so there's not a lot of common chill time except when we're sleeping or exhausted from our days. I'm hoping his next semester schedule will fit better with mine, but we'll see...just another year of living the school life and then we both need real jobs so it'll be another season of managing our time within new boundaries. Anyways, things are good but since I'm barely even on Pinterest, I feel that's a legitimate reason not to blog? I should do better. Recently I did help make a Halloween costume (not Pinterest-inspired exactly but was still crafty) and then put a baby in a pumpkin (which was Pinterest-inspired AND amazing). Since they're other people's kids, I don't feel all that comfortable posting, but if you are friends with me on facebook, the baby-in-a-pumpkin photos ARE posted! Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween/Reformation Day...and that you enjoy All Saints' Day today/my birthday! Happy birthday to me. ^____^

The Alliance

This whole part-time, temporary and/or short-term work has turned out to be pretty awesome and also, the jobs I have sound really cool. Or maybe I'm just a nerd? As of this morning, I not only work in a cave but I also work for The Alliance (First Alliance Church, the Christian Missionary Alliance, that is). Cool, right? A cave and The Alliance. The newest job is as the Thursday/Friday receptionist. It's a lot of the old administrative church stuff I did back in Korea but I'll have people directly overseeing me and I won't be fully responsible for things, just getting my part done...nice. It's great to be doing some mindless and semi-mindless work for a while. Since I'm still tutoring two days a week (two different people), I get to use my brain and creativity there, plus I'm sure I can find some ways to be creative in the mundane work as well. I think it's easier to be creative in the mundane since it doesn't take much to make it exciting.

From Monday-Wednesday, there's the potential of being called to the cave and then Thursdays and Fridays I have guaranteed work at the church. This means each month I'll make enough for rent and gas money and another monthly bill (something like internet or water or electricity). It's such a blessing to be assured that I have work, at least for a while...(the cave and church will likely keep me until I leave).

What's most amazing is I went into my old job a week or so ago to help with training (volunteer). I went in to answer questions and we reviewed why we do some of the things we do. In the beginning we always share prayer requests and pray. As I shared why we do it, I mentioned that one of the main reasons was for encouragement since the team will be on the phones that evening calling people to thank them for donations to our school and/or pray with them. The other main reason was that these prayers get answered!! And yes, that's encouragement in itself but it's a reminder of the fact that we aren't just talking with these people to comfort them but we're praying for them because we've witnessed so many requests fulfilled and often quickly! My prayer request was for opportunities for work and BAM within the week not only did I have leads but there were follow-ups and interviews and doors were closed and new, better ones opened and I got what was needed. How amazing! I definitely miss that team and serving with them, but I know they're in very capable hands and that they will continue to touch many lives. It's so great when God allows you to see fruit from things you've poured into and then to be reminded of God's faithfulness in it...awesome stuff.

That's been my last week and it seems this week will be way busy. It looks like Monday through Thursday will be nearly full workdays and Friday we head out for a friend's birthday weekend out of town. It'll be nice for a mini-vacation after my first full-ish week of work. I hope to do a real craft from start to finish or to cook something exciting but we'll see...I'm definitely going to have to focus in on that and it looks like this blog will truly represent the extent of my time to spend doing crafty things.. At least I have plans for Ginger Snaps for the trip (will be my second attempt...the first was amazing!).

Have a great week, my 1 or 2 readers...I hope to update on the jobs and whatnot as I begin them this week.

the Cave

Yesterday I had an interview in a cave for a short-term, part-time job. Yes, a cave! Apparently some guy saw this giant limestone cave and figured it'd be a great water company and storage facility. I'll be helping in the document storage part, getting papers ready for scanning...pretty mindless and awesome! The boss is super nice and even lived in Missouri for over a decade. I forgot to ask him when we had the interview about the dress code so I emailed him...he said he was glad I asked and that I should dress comfortably since it's a cave and we don't see clients, just each other. AWESOME!! The thing about seeking temporary work (only plans to be in KY for another 15 or so months) is that I don't want to have to go out and buy new clothes for part-time, minimum wage work and well, fancy clothes are uncomfortable. God has provided some cool opportunities to make a bit of money. This next week I should hear back from another job interview I had last week but with tutoring and the cave, we'll definitely survive.

I'm still trying to get this blogging thing into my usual routine. This past week I actually attempted chicken and dumplings (and had success twice!). I had to work quick so I didn't get to take any photos (also, I didn't really think about it because this blog thing is still new). I was shocked at how easy it was to make! I just used the carrots and celery I had in the fridge. I boiled water and dropped in some chicken bouillon cubes (one cube per 3-4 cups of water) and then some frozen chicken (boiled it all until it seemed done). I added some thyme, rosemary, basil, and a bit of pepper and salt (add the last two at the end when you can taste it). Since I didn't have most of the ingredients for the dumplings I just did Bisquick ones (recipe on the side of the box)...when the chicken was done I pulled it out to cut up and while the pot was less full, I dropped in the bits of Bisquick dough, cut the chicken up into pieces and tossed it back in...about 10 minutes later on a reduced heat, it was all done! The first time I made it, I was finished from start to finish in about 45 minutes.

That was my week...I have a wedding to go to today and lots of typing work to get done, then church tomorrow and more typing. Fun times!

Not the first

I must confess, this isn't my first attempt at a blog (others didn't last very long, unless you count xanga...which I don't). Since I've entered into this new phase of life, finishing up school (grad school graduation in December 2011) and recently getting married...I'm trying lots of new stuff that is kind of intimidating but less so when I can post about things and share the mishaps along with the adventures of experiencing all this new stuff.

Also, this "inspiration" for starting a new blog comes from a break down I had a month or so before the wedding (which was in August 2011). The breakdown was birthed from seeing all these amazing blogs with these Christian moms who seemingly did a craft a day or made some amazing food item and were making their kids' clothes all while taking insanely wonderful pictures along the way...I can't do that and I felt like I needed to (like I wasn't a good person or something because I wasn't living up to these blogs...yes, I know that's crazy and such but it's the standard I was beginning to set for myself, gross). Not only do I have this Korean expectation within myself of what it means to be a good wife and mother, I also have this Christian self-imposed and sometimes community-imposed expectation plus the worldly one and then seeing all these blogs, well, I had to stop and breathe and even realize I might not be the only person who feels like that. I am of the Disney Princess generation PLUS this new blogging generation and that's a LOT of expectation on my life that is not healthy...

I want to try lots of things but the reality is, it won't happen every day and sometimes it's just going to be hot dogs and maybe some homemade mac and cheese (which I've found it only requires some pasta shells boiled and then a bit of milk, salt, pepper, and whatever cheese is in the fridge!) or a homemade birthday card that's white card stock folded in half, handwritten words and some stickers I have lying around...

This blog is intended to be a journal for me to look back on, a place for my husband to see what I'm up to while he's busy studying hard and working two part-time jobs, and for friends and family (and even strangers maybe) to be encouraged to try new stuff and not be overwhelmed to feel the burden of being perfect and doing it all.

I'm planning to actually do the things I've been pinning on Pinterest (if you aren't sure what that is, don't ask, it will consume your life...sometimes in a good way)...and then adapt the recipes I actually try and attempt some of the crafts that are actually doable for me (on a budget). Hope that sounds okay to you. If you don't like it, feel free to move along...but if it intrigues you then you are welcome to join me on this journey. I may be throwing some God things in now and then as that's basically my life but this won't all be quoting Scripture and such, and I'm learning to accepting that it's okay. There won't be a daily craft or food item but when I do make something, I'll write about it and put up photos when I can (yay for my iPod touch). Even if I don't do anything "special" each day, I'll still post regularly.

Here's for hoping this doesn't become another dead blog in a month or so... woohoo.