amazing summer recipe

if you like thai this is for you! i got this from a website called eatbetteramerica.com. it is great for when you don't know what to cook and want a healthy simple solution!

makes:8 servings (3/4 cup each)

1	package (7 oz) vermicelli, broken in half
1	medium carrot, shredded
1	cup sliced quartered cucumber
1	cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/3	cup sliced green onions
1/4	cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2	cup Thai peanut stir-fry and dipping sauce

1.	Cook vermicelli as directed on package. Drain in colander or strainer; rinse with cold water until cold. Drain well.
2.	In large bowl, toss drained cold vermicelli and all remaining ingredients to coat evenly with sauce.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 40); Total Fat 4 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg;Sodium 135mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 3g); Protein 6g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A30%; Vitamin C 60%; Calcium 0%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

perfect morning

i am having a perfect morning today and here is what it consists of:

*getting up at 6:45

*blue skies and sunshine

*driving with my adorable husband to work

*sitting and drinking coffee at scooters

*blogging of course!

*spending some qt with jesus doing an amazing bible study (beth moore: breaking free)

fabulous, amazing, awesome, relaxing, refreshing, lovely

mason city

this weekend we are on the road to good ol' mason city, iowa. home of the music man and the mason city mohawks. jay's grandparents from albuquerque will be there and can't wait to see them! we haven't seen them since our wedding a year and a half ago. we love being able to spend time with family because truly they are what matter in life. this may sound cheesy but friends come and go throughout your life but your family is always there.

mason city is only a town with about 30,000 people so needless to say there isn't many activities to participate in. their local coffee shop, jitters, is fun to go to and hang out in after a good run on the path by the river that runs through town. also clear lake is a nearby town with a huge lake people can boat in and swim. they have a two decker boat that gives tours of the lake called "lady of the lake" and i really want to go on a ride sometime. i think it sounds like fun! maybe this weekend will be my lucky break and we can all go.

with grilling, laughter, and relaxation i am so excited for this weekend!

quote of the day

here is a quote from 7 yr. old bryce, one of the kids i nanny:

"let the female do what she wants to do!"

hahahaha i loved it. had to share it!

day 2

so day 2 of running is done. 4 miles. so i have only run 2 days thus far and need 3 more.....today (friday), tomorrow (saturday), and sunday. my running weeks always start on mondays for some reason. i plan on doing 4 today, 6 tomorrow, and 3 on sunday. wish me luck all! after this week i will have run 5 days for the first time in a month or so. yay! i love having goals!

easy dessert!

these are the best brownies ever! they take no time at all to make. put them with some vanilla icecream and you have a perfect summer treat. i made these yesterday and 3/4 the pan is gone from family and friends enjoying them!

friend time with jeremy & kayla and andy & brittany

today after a day full of swimming we had the chance to go to JAZZ IN JUNE and TOY STORY 3! with our bellies full from mr. goodscents we had an amazing night full of fun, laughter, and friends. we went to jazz in june thinking how wonderful it was going to be however when we got there and sat we quickly realized how steamy hot it really was outside. we enjoyed a few wonderful songs as we all sat and chatted and then spontaneously decided that we needed to see toy story 3. we all got up and anxiously walked to the theater hoping there would be a showing close to 7:30pm and score! there was one at 8. the tickets were bought and the seats were found and we all sat with smiles waiting for the show of our childhood. upon sitting there for about 5 minutes we noticed an oddly huge amount of high school aged kids with tags around their necks in the theater. it turns out that there was a thesbian convention in town with thousands of teenagers and they ALL got free movie passes and i think half of them came to the movie we were at. needless to say there were many out spoken dramatic people to entertain us before and during the movie and to make jay feel uncomfortable :). it was an experience to say the least. the movie was fantastic and i may have shed a tear at the end. it was pretty intense not even kidding!

to top the evening off as we left it started to rain and storm so there we were laughing at jeremy running like a maniac in front and kayla's inside out umbrella in back. we literally had sand in our teeth after from smiling and laughing as the wind was blowing. jeremy and andy then put on a rendition of singing in the rain and twirling around lightpoles for us. ahhhhh it was so fun. thanks friends for your friendship and spontanaity!