Christmas is Coming!

Last weekend, Jake and I put up our Christmas tree and our decorations. It's going to be a very small Christmas this year since our big present to each other is the house. Anyway, our house smells like Christmas every time we walk in and that's one of my favorite things of the season!

We're Buying a House!

Jake and I found the house of our dreams a few weeks ago. We were praying for some guidance about whether we should buy a house, or maybe some property, or not do anything at all yet. Two days later, we found a house online and fell in love. We drove by it and decided it was for us. After we found out it was bank-owned and there were no offers, we decided to wait it out and see if it was "meant to be." Well, the bank said they would pay closing costs, we got money for our down payment, and they dropped the price $13,000 and so we decided we should make an offer. Well, the bank accepted it and escrow closes Jan 8th. It is on 2 acres, so we can have the horses living with us, it is 2021 sq ft, 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 3 car garage, and fully landscaped with grass front and back. It is amazing! We are going to replace all the floors and paint every room. I'll keep you posted with progress.

Family Portrait

Jake's parent were out visiting and Stan has this amazing camera and loves taking pictures so we asked him if he would take a few family portraits. He agreed and we went out on the coldest day of the season so far and got some good shots. Here is the best one. What a cute family huh?

Albino Peacock

Look how beautiful this albino peacock is. He looks like a giant snowflake. Amazing!

It's Here...

Here you go, the details of my Mary Kay SALE!

All instock items- 40% OFF

All not-instock items- 30% OFF

Call me and schedule a free facial and beauty class and get an additional 10% off! (Local area only of course)

You Said It Andy!

Andy Rooney said on '60 Minutes' a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers.. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.
Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?
I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.
I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.
When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.
I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.
I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines.
I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.
I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor
I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.
I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.
It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say 'NO!'
I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!
I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be 'African-Americans'? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else
And if you don't like my point of view, tough....

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having 'In God We Trust' on our money and having 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 14% to BE QUIET!!!

2 Years... Already!

So it's been 2 years of wedded bliss already. We both took an extra day off and decided to head to Las Vegas again this year to celebrate. It was a very fun trip. We didn't gamble at all so no winnings but we did go and see "Zumanity" at the New York, New York hotel. That is the Cirque de Soleil show that has half naked people... when they say "partial nudity", they mean more like 7/8ths nudity. Beautiful people though so it wasn't a bad night. It was a great show. We travelled the strip and visited all of the hotels and shops. We went to Fremont Street too and had my face made into a clay sculpture. Quite amazing! There was an Asian man who was making these with just his fingers! He gave it to me 1/2 price because he needed a model. Nice huh? Does it look like me? One of our favorite things is to watch the Bellagio water shows. I saw a new one this time around. It is called, "Time To Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman. What a beautiful song. I put a video of the show below. It's a new favorite song. Overall, it was a wonderful trip. Here's to many more years and anniversaries to come!

Mary Kay SALE!

I just cleaned out my Mary Kay closet and discovered I have way too much stuff! So I'm having a sale! And a HUGE sale at that! I am going to make a list of my products and hash out the details of this liquidation so KEEP IN TOUCH FOR MORE DETAILS!

Halloween

Well it was time to carve the pupmkins that we had bought. Jake carved his first small one like Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas. Our huge pumpkin got a scary-happy face. Cleaning it was the hardest thing. We actually found 5 live pumpkin plants growing inside! I took the 2 pounds of seeds and roasted them. They turned out very yummy.

Jake and Jeremy had to work Halloween night so Sara came over to our house to help pass out candy. I made dinner, cream cheese potato soup which ended up like cream cheese mashed potatoes, and she brought over pumpkin cheesecake bars... MMMM. We had a ton of trick-or-treaters!

My First Game

Last Thursday Jake and I went to Phoenix to go to a Suns basketball game with Jeremy and Sara. It was so much fun! I had never been to a game before so it was an experience for me. The players are HUGE! I saw Shaq (ok so it was a life sized picture on the wall) and took a picture with him. He's not so big, ha ha ha! I also got a picture of Shaq making a free-throw! That's rare and it may be worth money some day! We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe before hand and it was delicious. Overall, a great night!

Disturbing

I just got this email from my mother-in-law Kim about the difference between butter and margarine... it's disturbing.

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.

DO YOU KNOW...the difference between margarine and butter? Read on to the end, it gets very interesting!

-Both have the same amount of calories.

-Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.
-Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

-Eating Butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

-Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!

-Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

-Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine...

-Very high in trans fatty acids.

-Triple risk of coronary heart disease.

-Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

-Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.

-Lowers quality of breast milk

-Decreases immune response.

-Decreases insulin response.

AND HERE IS THE MOST DISTURBING FACT AND THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance). You can try this yourself: Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

-No flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go nearit (that should tell you something) -It does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value.

-Nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weenie microorganisms will not find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends..... (If you want to "butter them up")!

I also just read on a random blog called "FancyPantsMom" where it said this about softening cold butter for a recipe:

"....When you need cold butter to be softened, stick it down your shirt (still in the wrapper people!) and let it rest for a little bit between your skin and your bra. It will quickly warm up to the perfect temperature!"

Interesting huh? I know I hate waiting for butter to soften, but it seems like it would be cold.

Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others."

Holy Cow!

I was cleaning my house today and when it came to my shower I was a little perplexed on what to do with the hard water stains. I sprayed Lime Away in the shower and just about killed myself with the toxic smell. I read the warnings on the label and it said it was highly toxic and I should not breathe it in or let it touch my skin. How am I supposed to spray it all over my walk in shower, scrub it around, and rinse it without breathing or letting it touch me?!? Well, I went to Fry's grocery store today and saw a product I have never seen before. It is called "Holy Cow". There is a series of cleaners such as an all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, and degreaser. I bought the degreaser with the idea that I would use it to clean my stove and oven. I had the idea to use it on my shower again when I got home. I did just that and I am quite amazed! It is non-toxic, safe for the environment, safe around animals and kids, all natural, AND IT WORKS! What could be any better?!? Anyway, I wanted to share these awesome products with you and I am now a Holy Cow kinda girl! For more information, click here to check out the Holy Cow website.

Jack-O-Lantern

Here is a great link to make your own Jack-o-Lantern. You take then pen and draw your pumpkins face and once you hit the "Done" button, it will light up for you! It's pretty fun and gets me into the pumpkin carving mood!
Carve My Pumpkin!

Free to Give

I was checking out some of the Breast Cancer Awareness websites on Sara & Jeremy's blog and found a new favorite! The Breast Cancer Site is a website that you can donate, IT'S FREE, to help several different causes. Once you go to this website, you click on the "Click Here to Give- It's Free" button and the sponsors of the site donate money. On the top of the web page, there are different tabs for different causes including: Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rain Forests, and Animal Rescue. After you donate, you can scroll down and see how much towards each charity was donated. It's pretty amazing how many people have been donating, and it can always be more so I challenge you to click and donate daily to all of these causes. Just like Sara, I have signed up for the daily email reminder so I can click on all of these tabs and donate everyday. What a great site Sara!

Stitches

Today is Day 3, which means that Nico's foot can be unwrapped. It can also stay unwrapped as long as he can keep it clean. Today was the first time I was able to see his stitches and they look pretty good. He's being a good boy and not licking them either. We'll see how long that lasts.

Sara Was Right

My good friend Sara blogged about a Pumpkin Butter that she made. It is delicious! I made it today and Sara was right! If you want recipe for it check out Jeremy & Sara's blog. There is a link to it on my sidebar. Thanks Sara!

Quick & Easy Dinner

Last night, I was trying to think of what to make for dinner. I was tired and really didn't want to do a lot. I looked online for some ideas and came across an amazing recipe! It was on www.recipezaar.com and it is a Chicken and Rice Casserole. It was so easy and tasted so good! I used 98% fat free cream of chicken soup and cream of potato soup (Jake and I don't care for mushrooms). I used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of measuring 2 cups, and I added some broccoli which gave it a great color. I topped it with some shreadded cheddar cheese and it was done in an hour! It tasted great, was healthy, and simple! Give this one a try, it will become a favorite!
Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
-2 cups cubed cooked chicken
-1 cup rice
-1 cup milk
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-salt and pepper

Directions
-Mix all ingredients.
-Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Lady Luck

It seems Lady Luck is on Nico's side and his foot isn't broken, not even fractured. He did need stitches in his toe to close up a large gash. $250 later, he has another pretty scar.

We're home

The wedding in CA was very nice. It was a very short stay for us after a very long drive, but it was worth it. Jake was able to see all of his college buddies. It was a lot of fun.

We come home to news that Nico had his foot stepped on by Reno. I guess Reno ran out of his stall and Nico wanted to head him off and they seem to have met in the middle and Nico's foot was squished. I just took him to the vet today where they will x-ray it and maybe stitch up a pretty deep cut that is between his toes. I'll let you know how it goes. I've included some pictures of horse's feet so you can see how much damage they can cause. I've been stepped on... it hurts.

Running On Empty

Jake and I are going to CA tomorrow for one of Jake's friend's wedding. We are both working the mid-shift (10pm-6:30am) tonight and then leaving right away to head west. We will go to the wedding tomorrow evening and then head back Sunday. I luckily got out of my mid-shift Sunday night and we both have to be at work at 5am Monday morning.

I have this really cute dress to wear to the wedding. I originally bought it to wear to Sara & Jeremy's wedding last year (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A YEAR ALREADY?!?). Jake and I found FABULOUS shoes to wear with it. They are brown slingbacks with rhinestones and sparklies on the toe! ADORABLE! These pictures don't show how sparkly they really are. But they are topaz colored rhinestones that catch the light as I walk. They are so fun!

Trophy!

I'm so excited! I woke up this morning and as I was putting on my heart rate monitor before I went running I noticed a little envelope on the screen. My watch/heart rate monitor sends me a little note each week with a summary of last weeks workouts. This week was a little different because now instead of a swirl on the time screen I have a little trophy! I know it is something small but it is inspiring! I've never gotten a trophy for working out before!

Surprise!

Jake and I were at home Saturday night moving some furniture around, when we got a call from my parent's neighbor, Fred. He told me that one of our horses was out and walking around the street. I knew for sure it was Reno, since he is the mischievous escape artist. I drove over there as quick as I could and I was shocked to see it was Buster out! Buster was the last of the three horses I expected it to be! He walked up to me and practically begged me to put him back in. Poor guy. He had some cuts and scrapes all over his legs and his left side. The fence had been bent in half. I'm not sure what happened, but I think he somehow fell over the top, probably got stuck, and had to fight his way out and ended up on the wrong side. I don't know. I really wish I had video on my animals at all times. I think I'd be amazed! This is a picture of Buster at the vet after having his teeth floated (filed flat). He is trying to wake up enough to go home. He isn't eating, he is literally resting his face on the ground.

Pumpkin!

Well, I promised pictures and here they are. Nico decided to help to show exactly the size of this monster. We will end up carving a design on 3 sides and putting it out for all of the trick-or-treaters to enjoy, but for now it is safely on display until later in the month. We are still thinking of an appropriate name for it. Last year's was "Humphrey". Humphrey had a big smiley face as the main carving because he was a huge, big, fat, happy man. It only seemed appropriate to be smiling. Once we carve him, I'll post more pics.

Last Minute

Jake is on his way home from California. I am going to clean the bathrooms really quick so that the whole house is clean once he gets home. Jake bought us a big pumpkin for Halloween. Each year we buy a giant pumpkin and carve 3-4 different images on it. I can't wait to carve this one, but I think we'll wait until a little later so it doesn't go bad too early. I'll post pictures of it tomorrow! Prepare to be amazed!

Dummy Book

Well, I'm about half way through the Personal Finance for Dummies book and I have to say it is pretty good. There is a lot of good advice in there. I feel that a lot of it I already knew. I'm at the chapter on how to increase savings and decrease debt. It's getting good now!

Too Much to Do!

After reading Sara's latest blog entry, I was inspired to go pink and as you can see, I changed our blog to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And as my cute little sign says, don't forget to "Feel Your Boobies."

Jake left for California today to help his folks bring some furniture out here to AZ this weekend. He left early so he could get an oil change in the truck before the long drive. I woke up as he left and started my chores. I vaccumed and dusted and did a little laundry. I still need to mop the tile (if you've been to our house you know that is almost the entire place!) and clean the bathrooms and then go grocery shopping.

I went running this morning as well. Starting October off well, I went about 2 miles today. Mr. Nico went with me. I think 2 miles is about his max. It was starting go get a little warm and he was pooped. Maybe I'll give him a bath later.

I also need to go and pick up some hay for the horses. We're almost out and that would be a bad thing.

Wow, I sure have a lot of stuff to do! Bummer.

A New Read

Jake and I are taking a personal finance class through church and decided we would buy additional books as well. The more we can do to organize our money now, the better. Our class officially starts 14 October and I am very excited to get ourselves into a better habit of organizing and budgeting our money. The class will end by Christmas and it will be nice to start 2009 off right with new great habits. We bought Personal Finance for Dummies and I'm going to start going through it tonight. I figured this is a good one to start with since it's written very simply for us "dummies." I'll keep you up to date on how the book is!

Goals

I've come up with yet another plan. I am going to set goals for myself each month and keep you updated on how I'm doing with them. My goal for October: Run 6 miles per week. I'm going to follow The Couch-to-5K Running Plan help reach my goals. I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing.

Look Ma, No Cavities!

I had to go to the dentist today and I'm proud to say, no cavities! Yeah! I guess all of that hard work has paid off!

A Kabillion Stars

Out of the last 60 hours I have worked 24 and I'm kinda tired. Jake had to work tonight and I was half asleep on the couch as he was getting ready to leave. Nico was bouncing off the walls with energy. He would run outside, run back inside down the hall, slide on the tile, turn around and run and almost attack us. He was a little hyper. I felt really bad for him and I really didn't want to play. I did, however, suck it up and put on my running shoes. Nico and I went for a quick little run at about 8:15 tonight. Our street is pretty dark and I was amazed at how many stars there are. I swear I could see a kabillion! I forget how relaxing it is to just stare at them all and think about how far away they are. It really made me appreciate that Nico got me out to run tonight. Thanks buddy!

Olive Oil

So I read online today about olive oil and how there are many uses for it other than cooking. Tonight, before bed, I put olive oil on my skin and hair and let it sit for awhile. Then I showered and my skin feels amazingly soft! (I'll know about my hair tomorrow since it is still wet). Here are some of the other ideas this website suggested.

Cuticles and nails: If your cuticles are ragged and your nails brittle and dry, olive oil can help! Soak nails for 30 minutes in a small cup of olive oil.
Hands: Smoothe on a generous amount of olive oil before bed, put on white gloves, and go to sleep. Your hands will be softer and smoother in the morning!
Lips: To soothe and smooth dry, chapped lips, dab on a little oil.
Hair Treatment: This helps repair split ends, heals dandruff, and makes your hair shiny, silky, and lustrous. Massage a few tablespoons of olive oil into scalp and hair. Cover hair with a plastic bathing cap and leave on for 30 minutes or more, then shampoo as usual.
Skin: Massage a small amount of olive oil into skin whenever you need softening and moisturizing, Apply extra oil to rough or cracked areas.
Bath: Add several Tablespoons of olive oil to your bath, along with a few drops of your favorate essential oil, to soothe and nourish you.

A word of warning: washing off the oil, and probably bathing in it, makes the tub and shower very slick so be careful!

Lemon Bars

I decided that I want to be more spontaneous and caring and thoughtful to Jake, so while he was at work I baked him some lemon bars. Now I have to say, I'm pretty proud of how they turned out since this is my first time. I can't wait for him to get home and taste them!

If anyone has any ideas for some awesome ways to be spontaneous and say "I love you," then please let me know. I'm always looking for ideas. The more the better!

Dear Sara,

I found this in one of my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. It explains margarine and using it in cookies. I instantly thought about your last blog. Maybe it will help.

"All Margarines are not equal-especially when it comes to baking cookies. For the best results, choose stick margarines containing at least 60% vegetable oil. Spreads with less than 60% vegetable oil have a high water content and do not give satisfactory results in any type of cookie, including bar and drop cookies. Also, avoid spreads labeled diet, whipped, liquid, or soft; they are intended for table use, not for baking. Stick margarines containing corn oil will produce a soft cookie dough, so you may need to adjust the chilling instructions given in the recipe. Do not substitute cooking oil for the margarine in cookie recipes. Oil is 100% fat; margarine is an emulsion of fat and water. Substituting an equal amount of oil for margarine will produce a cookie that tastes and feels greasy."

Well there you go. I didn't know all of this!

No-See-Um

Hi, I'm Kayla and I have a "No-See-Um" problem. This here is a "No-See-Um" and they are in our back yard. They get their name from being so tiny that you never know they are there. Jake and I were pulling weeds the other day and we were both very itchy. We came inside and we both had at least 11 bug bites on us. The next day, I took about 90 seconds to walk outside and fill Nico's water bowl and I was lucky enough to get 2 more bites! Little buggers!

Obsession

So I've come to the conclusion that I have a few obsessions. I am obsessed with checking my email and blogging. All day I think of things I can blog about. It's an illness.

BFF

This is the
"Fluidity Bar" and it is my new best friend! It is a free standing ballet bar and the workout is that of a ballet dancer. Dancers have such long, lean muscles that always look so good. I bought this at the end of last year, used it for a little bit, and then stored it in a different room. Along with my running and weight routine, I'm going to be really good about using my Fluidity Bar. When using it, you can tell it works. It's pretty challenging. I'm excited to start it up again! If you want to challenge yourself too, I put a link to the website so you can order the bar too. It's not cheap but it will work.

Inspiration & Info

While Jake and I were flying to the east coast, I was reading a magazine and there was an article in there about a couple who travels the nation to compete in 5K (3.1 miles) races. This way they get to compete, stay fit, and visit wonderful places across the nation. While in NYC, I heard that there was a breast cancer awareness event called "Race for the Cure" happening soon. This was a 5K race through Central Park. I was thinking that there isn't a much better place to run than Central Park. I would love to travel the nation raising money for wonderful charities and staying fit at the same time. I know that I originally wrote a post saying I was going to train for a 1/2 marathon... yeah, never happened... surprise, surprise... but 3 miles seems very obtainable. And at my 10-minute-mile pace, that is still only 30 minutes! I can do that! So I've decided, just this minute I am going to find a local 5K and start training for it and compete in it. So if it's for charity, expect me to email, call, or write you requesting donations so be ready to pay up 'cuz I HATE RUNNING but if it's for such a good cause then I can do it. I'm going to put a link to 5K races on the blog so check it out! If you want to join me and train together, or even keep each other motivated from a distance, please let me know! I'd love a buddy or two, or ten!

With that being said, here is some health information I pulled up. Very interesting!

Did you know that September is a very busy month for cancer awareness? It is. Here is a list of which month is which for the rest of the year. I'll put a link for the whole thing on the blog so you can stay up-to-date on which month it is!

September
National Ovarian Cancer Month
Childhood Cancer Month
Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (Sept. 14-20)
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
Take a Loved One for a Check-up Day (Sept. 16)

October
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Mammography Day (Oct. 17)
International Brain Tumor Awareness Week (Oct. 26 - Nov. 1)

November
Great American Smokeout (Nov. 20)
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic® Weekend (Nov. 20-21)
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
National Family Caregivers Month
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

As I was reading my October Shape magazine I found some interesting facts on disease prevention called "MIND YOUR MOUTH, SAVE YOUR LIFE." These are things you may not have though of:

First, keeping your teeth and gums healthy can lower your risk of lung, bladder, and pancreas cancer by 14% They recommend brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes and flossing at least once a day. "The ideal oral hygiene routine: Brush, floss, then rinse with mouthwash."

Second, gum disease can double your chance of developing insulin resistance (a precursor of diabetes).

Third, Tooth decay and gum disease can up the amount of oral bacteria that enters your bloodstream, leaving you vulnerable to infective endocarditis, and infection of the heart valve that may increase your risk for a stroke.

Pretty interesting how just 6 minutes or so a day can save your life!

Brain Age

One of my college roommates named Dareth sent me an email with this fun little "Brain Age" game. It's a quick 60 second game that is fun and challenging. Give it a try! I was a 23 on my first try! Yeah Me!

Procedure of Flash Fabrica Game:
1. Touch 'start'
2. Wait for 3, 2, 1.
3. Memorize the numbers' positions on the screen, then click the corresponding circles from the smallest number to the biggest number.
4. At the end of game, the computer will tell you how old your brain is.

Good luck !!

http://flashfabrica.com/f_learning/brain/brain.html

The Big Apple

After Boston, we took a 4 hour train ride down the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut to New York City. What a BEAUTIFUL ride! Although most of the trees were still green, some had started to change colors already giving us a beautiful show of yellows, oranges and reds. Fabulous! Once in NYC, we took a cab from the train station to our hotel. HOLY CRAP! Taxi drivers do not care how fast they drive, whether or not people are crossing the street, whether or not a car is coming at them as they want to turn, or anything! They get you where you need to go as fast as possible not matter the cost! SCARY! I decided that hoofin' it would be our primary mode of transportation. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Times Square. It was a really nice hotel.

The first day there, we went to the Empire State building. It was so much higher than I ever imagined it was. we went to the 86th floor and took pictures of this pigeon who was just kickin' it there on tallest building in NY and he posed for us.

That night, we went to a place called Carnigie Deli for a pastrami sandwich. Jake and both ordered one and quickly changed our order to just one sandwich to share after we saw them bring other people their dinner. The picture shows why. Anyway, it was the most delicious pastrami sandwich I have ever had and the pickles were delish!

The next day was 9/11. We took a ferry to Ellis Island and Liberty Island. That was really fun. The Statue of Liberty is much larger than I thought it would be. Ellis Island has hundreds of pictures of immigrants that I really enjoyed looking at. It was a pretty place. That night, we went to go see "Legally Blonde" on Broadway. What an AMAZING show. It was so good and hillarious at that! Highly recommended. After the show, we went to ground zero. We went late at night thinking it would be a little quieter, and it was. I have to say, there isn't much there. There is a huge hole in the ground with a chain link fence around it that is lined so you can't see inside. There is no memorial or anything yet even after 7 years. There was a fire truck out on the street with people talking about where they were the day of and all of that. It was very emotional hearing how these people could see it out their window and I was all the way in Fresno, CA when it happened. It shed a new light on it.

The next day, we woke up to rain. We went to the Metropolition Museum of Natural History which was great and HUGE. We also walked through Central Park which is much bigger and much more beautiful than I ever thought and then we went shopping on 5th Ave. I'm going to use the excuse that I didn't like anything I saw as a reason I didn't buy anything... it had nothing to do with the prices of course! We also had a Yankee game planned. Jake hates the Yankees (he's a Boston Red Sox fan) but we wanted to see the stadium before they tear it down. So we heard that we had to get "the best pizza in the world" at a place called Nick's in the Bronx. First we got on the wrong train, then another wrong one. Then we walked around in a little place called Harlem for about an hour trying to find the subway station that had the correct train. Talk about standing out in a crowd! Now keep in mind it is still raining. We decided to skip Nick's and just go to the game. Well, we finally found a cab willing to pick us up and he took us to the right subway station. We caught that, with about a kabillion other people going to Yankee stadium, and finally got there. We found a line and they proceed to announce that no backpacks are allowed, which of course we had because we had been out all day long. So we had to walk down and across the street to a bowling alley which would check our backpack. We finally get into the stadium to find the field flooded. Well, we hung out for a bit and took some pictures. When game time can and went, we left without seeing a game and about $155 in the whole for 2 $15 face value tickets. Oh well, the price you pay for one of the last games in that stadium EVER. Anyway, we went back to Times Square and ate at Bubba Gumps. Delicious and way fun!

Overall, it was a wonderful trip. We got back safe after 19 hours of travelling which included a subway trip from Times Square to Grand Central Station, then a train on the Long Island Rail Road to Islip, NY then a plane to Baltimore where we sat for 3 hours. Then a plane to San Antonio, TX and then to Phoenix. Then we ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory and drove 2 hours back home. What a long day!

Boston

Jake and I returned from our east coast vacation late last night. It was wonderful! First off we flew into Providence, RI. What a pretty place! We then took a train to Boston. We both agreed it is our new favorite city ever! The people there are friendly, the city is beautiful and clean, and it felt very safe. There is a ton of stuff to do and the food is fabulous! We went to an Italian place called G'vanni's and it was the best chicken parmasean I've ever had! HUGE! We also went to a Boston Red Sox game. It rained, but we went anyway and had a great time. We were tied at the end of the game when the Tampa Bay Rays scored. Jake turned his hat upside down and inside out (a "Rally Cap" he calls it) for luck. I did not. Boston ended up losing and he said it was because I wasn't wearing the rally cap.