Thankful.

It's been almost a week since I got rear ended coming home from class. Today, I stopped taking my pain pills and experienced the raw pain of the accident. But my head wasn't cloudy and I was able to think clearly and take a step forward. Every time I think about how badly my back hurts, my heart hurts for the girl who hit me, the girl in the middle. And as I drove I-5 today, during rush hour, over a bridge that I'm already fearful of... I had to fight back tears. But now that I'm home and warm on my couch with my dogs, I am so thankful that things weren't as bad as they could have been.

We heard back from the insurance agent handling our claim and he said he doesn't think the car is totaled (which is a huge weight off of my shoulders). He also said I can go ahead and submit a chiropractor and acupuncturist appointment (or series of) to my insurance and they will seek reimbursement from the other guy's claim. Since we both have State Farm it seems that this process has been easier and quicker than if we had different insurance companies. All the while, our rates are not going up due to the accident because he accepted all liability (as he should have). Furthermore, our crossfit gym has put my account on hold for 40 days -- so I don't have to spend money for time I'm not using! Really, as far as accidents go, everyone involved or affected are working together to make my recovery pretty easy. I am so thankful for that.

My professors have been wonderfully accommodating, my classmates have been extremely helpful with taking notes for me or helping me through quizzes. Drew has been amazing. He has tackled every request I have of him while working 14-16 hour days between his two jobs. My boss has also been super sweet, letting me come in for as long as I physically can and taking days off to recover.

I am also thankful for the fact that I have a job. I know Drew and I are really trying to make ends meet and to be in a more financially secure position since I have become a full time student. But I'm still able to give a few dollars to people who need it more than I do. Today I gave an elderly man a hot coffee and a few bucks. I had a short conversation with him and as selfish as it is to focus on how good it made me feel to help, I know that I made a difference in that man's night as well.

Finally, I am thankful to have the opportunity to meet extremely helpful [future] colleagues and professors who are leading us to creating relationships and mentorships that will help us help our students. I'm excited to be learning more about Oregon, the Portland area school districts, wrap around services that helps families, and ultimately learning who I want to be. I had a wonderful meeting with a graduate of my program who is a school counselor, has her own private practice and is a mother. She gave me amazing advice on how to lead a balanced life and she said that nothing is permanent. I know there's a scary side to that idea, but she said it with such a positive twist that it made me hopeful. We're all always learning new things about ourselves and the world around us... I can do so many things. That's amazing.

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving. I miss so many of you, but am so thankful to have you in my life. I hope to hear from you soon!  

Making This House a Home

I love the idea of blogging. I love having a place where our friends and family can come and check in on us. But... Too much of the time I'm inside my own head asking "Who wants to know any of this?" or "Am I even slightly interesting?"

Basically, having a blog about my family, myself and our adventures is useless if the only thing I do is question whether blogging is right for me and if anyone will read it. So I'm just going to dive right back into this thing... I'm going to talk about the stuff that Drew and I are doing, regardless if anyone else finds it interesting... Because I want to.

So ... we moved. That's the most interesting thing we've done together in the 7-8 years of our courtship. We moved far too! And I quit my job and I started school. And it has been one hell of a ride! We have had to reevaluate a lot in our lives to make this move happen. Our income (which is a repetitive theme and cause of turmoil), our communication patterns, who we are now as individuals and as a family unit, and how we want to be.

These are all topics I'll jump into eventually when I have more than 20 minutes before leaving for class... But today I thought I'd talk about something that has gotten me pretty excited these days: Cooking!

While Drew was traveling for work the last few weeks I decided to take a stand with myself. Too often I live off of Papa John's when he is traveling and ultimately I feel even crappier about being alone than I would if I were eating right. --Funny how crappy foods lead to crappy feelings, no? So I took a stand! I put my foot down and threw (most of) the Doritos away! I started first just by making an effort to eat breakfast.. and eat a healthy one. To my surprise a few things happened:

1. By making a healthier choice on breakfast (instead of a typical bagel and cream cheese) I was finding that I was fuller, longer. And as a result I was also less likely to burst out in fits of hanger and instead was able to continue making healthy choices throughout the day.

2. I was happier! Just by the pure and simple fact that I was taking ownership over my meal, I felt confident in my decision making.

3. I'm not a half bad cook! I mean, sure, I'm starting small... crockpot soup over here, baked egg over there... But damn, it tastes good!

So when Drew got home, I cooked some stuff and realized that this made *both* of us happy! So we started cooking together! And we started becoming even better communicators.

Here's a look at some of the stuff we've been cooking:

Yesterday's Breakfast
Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Baked Egg

One of my First Breakfast Adventures
Baked Egg and Laughing Cow Over Side Salad

Drew's Specialty
Baked Egg in a Tomato

My FAVORITE So Far (Might even make it this morning)
Scrambled Eggs with Bosc Pear, Laughing Cow, and Roasted Chicken

Old Reliable:

Quinoa Flakes
(This one is with frozen fruit, but my favorite combination has been with a bosc pear and maple syrup)

An Oldie but a Goodie

Steak and Yukon Gold Potatoes with Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms

Still Dreaming of This One
Homemade Tomato Basil Soup with a Grilled Brie, Bacon and Pear Sandwich

Be on the look out for more delicious adventures :) 

xo S+D