Y-M-C-A

This past week, our family applied for a membership at the local YMCA and have been utilizing it quite a bit! It's wonderful to have a place to go where we can work out!

So, mom and I decided to head to the gym to try out the equipment. We went strutting in there like we knew what we were doing - but we quickly found out we didn't. We had NO idea how to start the treadmills! We finally had to ask this lady how to start it, which was kind of embarrassing. We quickly found out that we had nothing over all of those other young girls there - we're over here walking on our little 3.5 speed, sweating and ready to get off, while everyone else is jogging at a 6.5, at least! Finally, I got up my courage to try jogging, but that only lasted about a whopping 2 minutes.

Yesterday, dad and mom took me with them to the Y and taught me how to play racquetball! It was quite an experience! I couldn't quite get the hang of serving and kept forgetting one of the top rules of the game: never look behind you! I also felt the pain of getting hit with the ball when I hit myself (yes, myself) in the stomach.....I wouldn't recommend doing that.

So, needless to say, today I am sore. Very sore. My arms, shoulders, back, legs, and feet are aching. I cannnot believe how out of shape I am! But all the more reason to keep working out!

I am now off to hum my now favorite song!

Y-M-C-A, it's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A........

Fiesta!

On the 10th of February, Deanna turned 19 and celebrated with a Fiesta birthday! We had such a fun time!

Her decorations

We had a Mexican feast for dinner - here I am making enchiladas

More goofing around! =)

With her carrot cake

We thought this bow was so funny! It's huge!

Making churros (which were delish!)

With our mock margaritas - they were really good!

We had a delicious dinner of enchiladas, chips/salsa/cheese dip, churros, scalloped corn, and mock margaritas

All comfy ready to watch a movie - we all watched 'Bella' - which is a fabulous movie!

Happy 19th birthday, Deanna!

Tori's Tasty Tuesdays - Marshmellow Fudge Bars

I had a comment a while back about these bars that we made for my dad's birthday, so I thought I would post the recipe - since an new installment of Tori's Tasty Tuesdays is long overdue! =) These bars are postively DELICIOUS and have been a favorite of my dad's for years! His mom used to make them for him, but the recipe has now been passed on to us. =)

Marshmellow Fudge Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 4 tbsp. cocoa
• 1 cup nuts (optional - we don't use them)
• 1 pkg. miniature marshmellows

Cream margarine and sugar, then add eggs, salt and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Add nuts. Spread in greased 10x15 cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cover with package of marshmellows. Bake 3 more minutes. Cool and frost.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 squares chocolate (or use 2-4 tbsp. cocoa and a tbsp. of syrup)
• 1/4 cup water

Boil for 3 minutes, then add 3 tbsp. of margarine and 1 tsp. of vanilla. When cool, add 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.

Hope you enjoy these delicious treats! Scroll down to the post of my dad's birthday to see a picture! =)

Hundreds Attend Global Warming Protests

I'm an Ingrid

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.


• * Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.


• * Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.


• * Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.


• * Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

• * my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level


• * my ability to establish warm connections with people


• * admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life


• * my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor


• * being unique and being seen as unique by others


• * having aesthetic sensibilities


• * being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

• * experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair


• * feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved


• * feeling guilty when I disappoint people


• * feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me


• * expecting too much from myself and life


• * fearing being abandoned


• * obsessing over resentments


• * longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

• * have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games


• * are very sensitive


• * feel that they don't fit in


• * believe they are missing something that other people have


• * attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.


• * become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood


• * feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

• * help their children become who they really are


• * support their children's creativity and originality


• * are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings


• * are sometimes overly critical or overly protective


• * are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

My Daddy's birthday

Last Friday, we celebrated my dad's birthday with an Iowa State Cyclones theme, complete with red and yellow streamers and balloons! The Cyclones is one of his favorite college sports teams, but the rest of the family likes the Iowa Hawkeyes (especially me!) so we like having a little fun with the (friendly) rivalry. =) So I wore my Hawkeye clothes all day! =)

With his "birthday breakfast" of biscuits and gravy

With one of his guilty pleasures - "3 Musketeers"!

With his presents - we got him the movie Fireproof (which we LOVE!).....he kept joking that we REALLY got it for ourselves (which we did!). =) Again, I totally recommend this movie to ANYBODY....it is wonderful! We also got him Mad Gab - which is such a fun game!

Ready for a game of pool

With his sweetie

For supper, we grilled t-bones and ribeyes - they were delicious!

Another one of Dad's guilty pleasures - marshmellow fudge bars!! They are delicious!

Happy birthday, Daddy! We love you!