Thanksgiving #17

Today I am thankful for music. If you know me, you know that I have a very weird taste in music. I like EVERYTHING. From worship to rap... from pop to heavy rock. And my favorite of all, Josh Turner, is country. So when I say everything, I mean everything.
I tend to listen to songs that say what I'm feeling (which is not always helpful at times). For example, I was listening to P!nk's song Who Knew the other week, beacuse I felt exactly that. Or one of my favorite songs at the moment Here Without You by 3 Doors Down. If you know these songs... you know these are not very uplifting or encouraging. And when I am listening to my iPod, and I'm convicted (which is 50% of the time, but wish it was 100), I switch it over to worship music. Like the song I Have A Shelter or Out of the Depths, both by Sovereign Grace Music. I'm truly thankful for God in those moments, because most of the songs I pick like that, it seems like he is picking those songs for me... speaking to me thru them. They are so encouraging, and in those moments I sense he is with me... caring for me. And the best part... he is! What a great God he is!!!

Thanksgiving #16

Last Monday evening, my aunt Stacy picked me up to go Christmas shopping. What a night we had! God really blessed us. I am thankful for that night we had... but this thankful post is about Stacy.
She is only 15 years older than me, so we are fairly close in age... but she is not just my aunt. She is my second mother, one of my best friends, and a big sister as well. She is one of the few people I can go to with everything. I've always had a special relationship with her, and it seems to be growing every year. God has truly blessed me with giving me an aunt like her! She is one of a kind!
Our night started out at Cordova.... (I'm not gonna say where we went because it might give presents away...) but of course we went to Starbucks while we were there. And when we closed down the mall... we headed over to Target, and closed them down as well. The night was filled with a bunch of laughs, and I got all my shopping done. It was so special to spend time with just Stacy... something that does not happen very often.
Thank you Stacy for always being there! Love you very, very much!

Looking Ahead

Well, some of you know I've been going thru a difficult and changing season in my life. It's not at all where I thought I would be a month ago... but I know God has a plan for me. Isn't it funny how we'll be going on with our life, and then God will turn it totally around in just a few hours? But he does it for our good.
The day after things began to change... my cousin Kaitlin, called to comfort me. I'm very close with my cousin, and it was so good to talk to her. At the moment she is going to pharmacy school, and found out about this pharmacy tech test you can take with no college experience, and get certified. I was very interested.
After praying about it and talking to others, I am hoping to take it at the beginning of the year. Some of you know that I was thinking at different times about going to school for business, sports managment, zoology, and accounting... and I was really leaning to accounting for a long time. But this summer, after much prayer, I felt like God wasn't leading me to go to school. Yes, I was interested in accounting... but I never was excited to do it, or thought "yes, that's excatly what I want to do". But with this pharmacy tech thing, I am really excited, and I really want to do it!
Please keep me in your prayers as I'll hopefully be buying the study book soon, and studying to take the test in the beginning of 2011. (It's so weird to think it's almost the beginning of the new year!)

Penne Parmesan Alfredo

This past Thursday I made Penne Parmesan Alfredo. As always I had french bread, and I also did sauteed green beans. I've made Alfredo before, but it was the kind from a jar.

It calls for;

- 1 medium onion, minced

- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

- 1 cup hot milk

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

- 1 pound penne pasta

- 1 (8 ounce) package frozen peas, blanched in salt water

- Salt and white pepper

You have to melt the butter first, then saute onion in the melted butter. You then mix the flour, and when all is mixed in you gradually add the hot milk as it cooks on low heat. Stir in the Parmesan . I cooked the pasta while I was making the sauce, so it was ready to be mixed. After pasta is drained, mix it with the peas and the pour into the cheese sauce. When all is stired together, season with salt and white pepper.

*I did not put the peas in it because I'm not a fan of them, so that is why I did the sauteed green beans.

It had a different taste, but mom, dad, Josh and I really liked it. I think it's a do-over... but next time I will double it for our 5.



Thanksgiving #15

I know that I haven't been posting lately, and I know it's December now, but I've decided I'm going to still be posting thanksgiving post till I get to #30. (Since I missed a few days.)

So today, I am thankful for my grandparents, GG and Popa Don. A few weeks ago, I went up to VA for a week, and they were so kind to have me stay with them the whole time... feed me... take me where I wanted to go... and encourage me when I was feeling down and crying. It was so encouraging to be with them... more than they know. But it's not just then. They have always been there for me. Cheering me on when I was playing basketball... putting up with me 3 days a week when I was working on their side of town (haha ;) )... and always there to encourage me in my walk with the Lord. I love them so much, and I'm so very greatful for them.
Thank you GG and Don for everything! I love yall so much! See you Christmas Eve! <3