Show Us Your Life - Marriage Proposal

I love thinking back to the day Brad proposed to me. It is such a special memory for us. We had been dating for just about 2 years, and had started talking about marriage several months before. We were actually considering holding off until Brad finished college but that would have been about 2-3 more years. (I already had my degree and was in the working world, and Brad was working in addition to school himself.) We prayed about it and ultimately, we just felt a tugging at our hearts and knew we were ready for this next step sooner rather than later.

So I knew the proposal was coming, but I wanted to be surprised and Brad wanted to surprise me so we left it up to him to make the decision on when to ask. I am a bit of a planner though! :) So I gave him ideas and examples of what I liked for my ring. I think he liked this anyway because he wouldn't be worried whether I would like what he picked out or not. I did mention once that it would be fun for him to propose on New Years Eve, that was only a few months away at the time. He swears he doesn't remember me saying that...but it may be what planted the idea in his head! :) Guess, we'll never know for sure. So when Brad told me he was making plans to take me out for New Year's Eve I was anticipating good things!

There were also other clues that I couldn't ignore...or maybe I was looking for them! It was all such an exciting time in my life (wrapped around a very difficult time in my life as well, but that's for another post). The biggest clue was at a Christmas gathering with his family. When his Dad prayed for the family, he said something about me being "part of the family" or an "addition to the family." Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact wording, but I picked up on it, and later (after the proposal) Brad told me he did too. It was definitely a slip up by my future father-in-law because they all knew he would be proposing soon. Another little clue, was when I bought new earrings that December (they were very small hoops that had diamond looking gems in them) and Brad commented that they looked like rings. Hmmm...could he have thought that because he'd been looking at a lot of rings while engagement ring shopping! :) I put it in my memory bank that day and just smiled.

In the end, Brad took me to Lee's Lakeside at Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando. (Sadly, it is no longer there.) We were one of the first ones seated that night right by the window overlooking the lake, and the sun was setting. I'm glad there wasn't a lot of people around. I could tell Brad was nervous. He couldn't quite sit still during the salad. Later, he told me he had planned to wait to ask until dessert but realized he just couldn't wait any longer. So during salad, he looked at me and said he had something he wanted to tell me. Then he told me how much he loved me and how he couldn't imagine his life without me. He saw an amazing future together for us, and then he got down on one knee by the table and asked me to marry him! Of course, I said yes! :) Then Brad was finally able to relax, and we talked excitedly about the future.

He did an amazing job with the ring. He had it made with the help of a friend who worked at a jewelry store. It was ever prettier than I had imagined it would be. He told me he would upgrade the main diamond to a bigger one in the future, but I thought the size was perfect. Even to this day, I still have the same diamond...and I love it! He also was a complete gentleman and asked for my Dad's hand in marriage prior to the night he proposed. I was living with my Dad and Stepmom at the time so he had to be stealthy with his planning to not tip me off.  When we got home that night they were waiting to hug us and congratulate us! Then they took our picture by the Christmas tree. That picture still sits in a frame in our bedroom today. [I will have to add the photo in later because I don't have access to it right now. We look really young in it.]

And if you want to check out more fun marriage proposals, check them out at Kelly's Korner Blog. I can't stop reading them all!

Sushi Making 101

I have wanted to make my own sushi for years now. I first learned about it before I got pregnant with Evan so probably 4 or more years ago. I even bought a rolling kit that included a mat and instructions. But there was just never the opportunity, and then the kit ended up forgotten about in a drawer. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, Brad and I had a rare Saturday afternoon to ourselves because my mom and stepdad were entertaining Evan, and decided to grab some sushi. During our lunch I remembered the kit and how I'd still hoped to do a sushi making night. I realized Brad's birthday was coming up in a couple weeks so I mentioned it to him. Since he loves sushi, he was all for the idea! So we contacted a few friends and scheduled it for last Saturday!

It was a great time, and though we went all out for our first time, if we had kept it more simple, it would have been cheaper than eating at a sushi restaurant. We did end up being able to enjoy sushi for 3 days because of all we'd gotten. I think we will incorporate this into our dinner plans more often.

In addition, Brad loves tempura so he decided to make some shrimp tempura as well. I told him up front that I'd get everything for making regular sushi rolls but if he wanted tempura, he'd have to do it himself. I'm not good with oil. In fact, I almost burnt down our house when I was a teenager making mozzarella sticks! Okay, not really, but I did start a small fire on the stove!

I did some research up front to learn how to do everything and though I'd share what I learned. First off, I found this great website, http://makemysushi.com/. You have to check it out if you want to make sushi. It has demonstration graphics and all the basic information you'll need to know.

Luckily, Orlando has great Asian markets downtown that offer supplies at the best price, but many Publix supermarkets now offer everything as well, just a little bit more cost. I was lucky to have a guy help me at the Asian market who was a chef for many years and gave me a run down on how to make the shrimp tempura. A five minute lesson of what he'd learned over 10 years! I passed this info along to Brad and he did a great job with it. It turned out delicious. That was the one thing that was all gone by the end of the night. (Also, the website I mentioned has a shrimp tempura tutorial - wish we had seen that before, then we would have known to put them on a skewer to keep them straight. Well, we'll try that next time!)

If you are interested in trying this out for yourself, below are the basic supplies/food you'll need. You have to make sure to get sushi rice - it's a short grain rice that will be sticky enough to hold together when you roll it. It actually sticks to your fingers when you are making it, so have a bowl with water and sushi seasoning mixed to dip your fingers in.

Basic Supplies:
Nori (Seaweed)
Gari (Picked ginger)
Wasabi
Sushi Rice (Shari)
Sushi Seasoning (or rice vinegar, sugar and salt - see recipe at link below)
Rolling mat (the ones with one side flat and the other round are the easiest to use)

Filling Ingredient Ideas (Choose ones to make the rolls you like):
Tuna - raw
Shrimp - cooked
Imitation Crab
Carrots
Avacado
Cucumber
Cream Cheese
Green Onion

Topping Ideas:
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Spicy Mayo

Here is the direct link on how to make the sushi rice - http://makemysushi.com/index.php/Sushi-Preparations/sushi-rice.html

Check out all the other links in the Sushi University area for tips and techniques for rolling the sushi and cutting the filling items. You can make traditional rolls or just put together different combinations that look good to you and enjoy! I liked being able to try different combinations than what is typically available. All were very good!

Here are some fun photos from our sushi party. I'm definitely ready to do it again soon!

Today Marks 7 Years of Marriage!

Well, today marks Brad and my 7th anniversary! It also means we've known each other and been together for over 10 years! I just can't imagine my life without him, nor would I want to! It is amazing to look back at our wedding. I posted our favorite wedding photo below. You can just see the joy on our faces! It was a beautiful day I will cherish forever. And it was a great start to a wonderful marriage. It hasn't always been easy and we don't always feel happy. But that is life. And we are taking this journey together one day at a time. We've been tested, we've seen tough times, and are actually walking through a hard time in our lives right now. But I've always felt God cementing our lives together....giving us strength and helping us learn to lean on each other and him to get through it all. So today I feel that same joy and realize how my love for my sweet husband has grown and strengthened over the last 7 years of marriage. I'm looking forward to the many years ahead!

On our Wedding Day - March 15, 2003

Recent photo - March 13, 2010
(Celebrating Brad's birthday and our anniversary
with our first attempt at making sushi. So fun!)

I definitely see a change in Brad's appearance (in a good way!) as he's matured, but I still seem to have the same baby face!

And some more fun photos from our memorable wedding day!

Our First Gingerbread House

I decided to get a gingerbread house for us to make with Evan this year. For our first gingerbread house, I think we did pretty good. I did start by getting a bit frustrated with the icing that started by just beating into tiny little balls (it really takes way more water than the directions said)! Then we had a mishap as I mistook the roof pieces for the side pieces. :) My hubby straightened it all out, and we were on our way, except we had to keep Evan patient as he wanted to get into the candy right away when the house was supposed to dry for 2 to 3 hours! Wish I'd know that in advance. We ate dinner to distract him and then got back to the gingerbread house. We only waited a little over an hour, but it seemed sturdy so we went ahead with decorating it. Brad did a great job piping the icing for the doors and windows while Evan and I were spreading icing on the roof, then he did a lattice pattern on the roof. Finally it was time to add the candy - Evan did one side of the roof and I did the other. It was fun for us all and I'm pretty proud of our first gingerbread house. A new family tradition is born. :)

My side of the roof

Evan's side of the roof - he did really good!

Less Words Wednesday

There is a trend in the blog and twitter communities for a Wordless Wednesday, where you post a photo or photos for that day and not any words. Hence the name. But I am not really capable of no words, especially since I got my education and work in communications. So I've decided to change it to Less Words Wednesday. Here's my first one. These are photos of Evan from earlier this month that were taken by Brian Carlson, who goes to our church. Evan was not cooperating at all...typical terrible twos, but Brian still captured some great shots we'll treasure forever.

Disney Day

Well, I had a great birthday celebrated over two weekends! What fun! :)

As we did on Brad's birthday, we went to Disney again on my birthday. Taking advantage of the savings in this economy. This time we went to Animal Kingdom, which was definitely the best choice. Being June and HOT in Florida, this was the best park as it had ample shade with overhanging trees on most of the walkways. It really was a big park and we didn't make it to all that we hoped so we'll be going back again in the coming months. Overall, this was a much better experience for Evan. He loved seeing the animals and we didn't really have any lines for any rides or shows. Evan and lines were a big issue at Magic Kingdom, so were out to avoid those this time. We got a fast pass to the safari ride that made all the difference. Otherwise, there just weren't big waits for the shows. He loved the Lion King show, but was a bit scared by the It's a Bug's Life show, though he still wanted to put his 3D glasses back on so I'm thinking he wasn't too scared. We ate lunch at Rainforest Cafe, and had a full day of fun! Brad was even brought up to dance with some African dancers - and I've got it on tape! Finally Evan got a chance to see Tigger and Pooh - his favorite characters right now. "Iggy Pooh" as he calls them. He was really excited. Even though he didn't really smile in the photos he went right up to both of them and gave them a big hug, and gave Pooh a high five! Eeyore was there too but Evan didn't want to get close to him...poor Eeyore.

Evan and I on the safari ride

Evan noticing an animal on the safari ride

Look how close that Garafe was!

Checking out the Gorillas.

Evan with his 3D glasses for the It's a Bug Life show


Look at this big Gorilla!

Brad's Big Debut :)

Feeding these very assertive ducks some funnel cake! :)

Since I never posted photos from our day at Magic Kingdom in March. I've included those here as well.

He kept trying to close the door (which was not made to close) at Winnie the Pooh's play area

Evan still talks about seeing Mickey and getting a kiss from Minnie

(though he wouldn't let me put him down for the photo)

Good Friday

Today my mind focuses solely on Jesus and his sacrifice for our sins. I took my lunch break today and with Brad I attended our church's Good Friday service. It humbled me to say the least. I am truly grateful for what Jesus did and can't imagine how he endured it. Even though it's called Good Friday it's a dark day remembering Jesus's death, and I am in a somber mood reflecting on that great sacrifice until Sunday when we can celebrate the joy of the resurrection! I'm looking forward to it.

It was also wonderful to once again see my husband's graphic talents put to use for the glory of God! He designed all the graphics for the current Lent series as well as today's Good Friday graphics (see above). I love seeing his work on the screens, and they just enhance the time I spend there in praise to God. You can also see it on our church's website at http://www.summitconnect.org/blogs/summit-church/posts/good-friday.

Now we are going to enjoy an Easter Egg hunt tomorrow, and dying eggs. Then it will be a nice family dinner after church for Easter! Praise be to God as we focus on Jesus's sacrifice this weekend.

In a New York Minute...

...my 5 day trip to New Jersey and New York went by, and then the next few weeks flew by as well! I'm still wondering where they went. I had such a blast visiting family and seeing my brother in New York. It was a nice break from the "real world" and from technology and all my "to do's." My brother was fabulous, as always, in Thoroughly Modern Milly as the lead character Jimmy. It was my first time seeing the show. Loved it! I really enjoyed NY City even though it was extremely cold to this Florida gal! I just layered up and weathered it pretty well I think. (Thanks to my sister-in-law Stephanie for lending me some important winter weather clothing!) We got to see a Broadway show one night, 39 Steps. Not a musical but very funny and very well acted. Four actors played all the parts so it was comical to say the least. We also had the chance to celebrate my brother's birthday with him. Such a treat. Here's a few photos:

Getting ready to got out for the evening

The entrance to the theatre of my brother's show

My brother on his birthday.
Always a character. I can totally tell why he got into acting.

We also spent time in New Jersey with my Aunt and Uncle, and got to see my cousins. My cousin Alisa's little baby boy Vincent is so cute. I hadn't seen him since he was really little and he's now 10 months. He's got such a sweet personality...a very happy baby.

(l to r) Mom, me, Aunt Arlene, Mary Beth, Katy (Mary Beth's little girl) and Alisa

Look at that smile!

He was giving me a grin!

I love a sleeping baby!

He tried on some hats for our amusement. He looks adorable.

Mom with baby Vincent

I got to see my brother again the weekend after I got back as well. He was coming into town to see a high school friend get married, and sing in her wedding. He's a great wedding singer! I should know. While he was here we decided to take Evan to the Brevard Zoo. I'll be sharing fun photos of that soon.

For now, I'm enjoying the fact that this week is a short week at work for me. I'm taking Friday off so Brad, Evan and I can go to Disney. There is so much to celebrate - Friday is Brad's Birthday, Sunday is our 6th Anniversary, and this is a bit early but Evan's 2nd Birthday is next month on April 15. We'll be going to Magic Kingdom and Brad gets in free for his birthday! So does Evan because he's under 3. Yay! Mostly I'm looking forward to seeing Evan's reaction to it all. I hope everyone has a great weekend!