family effects letter

we are up way too late for an early bedtime. we say that way too often. and we keep doing it way too much.

just finished writing a letter to my brother. i had to write about "how his addiction has affected me." and i had to "list specific events and how i felt when they happened."

1. describe behavior and how you felt when: a. b. c.
2. describe your behavior and how you feel: a. b. c.
3. sum up love, concerns, and support for their treatment: a. b. c.

"please put completed effects letter in an envelope and leave it with either the family liaison or front desk staff. be sure to include the patient's full name on the envelope.

do not give directly to your patient. "

my patient?

my brother.

home at christmas

so very thankful for this home to make all christmasey. it is warm, cozy, a haven.

m-i-c-k-e-y m-o-u-s-e

i can't adequately describe my love for all things disney... but suffice it to say that disneyland really is my idea of one of the happiest places on earth. here's part of why i think so... it's full of the magic of a time gone by... the old, vintage disney... the magic that walt disney created in order for families to experience FUN together. the sensory experiences that disneyland offers are second to none. the joy i feel when walking down main street, usa on a fresh & clean morning is uncontainable - that happy music floating through the air with the old-fashioned voices and sweet strains of strings, the comforting smell of baked treats, the prospect of a full day of beautiful fun ahead - it's WONDERFUL!

i didn't experience disneyland until i was an adult. and it blew my mind. my parents had never been and matt and i had the privilege of being with them to observe and enjoy "dis" with them at the end of this summer. they didn't really "get it" until they were there, and they were hooked. they tried everything at least once, and they are already talking about going back - my idea of a successful first visit.

here are some moments from our trip together. matt's bajillionth, my fourth, their first.

world of color show at disney's california adventure! incredible!

mom & dad, ready to ride Big Thunder!

california screamin'! (the photo op was "act asleep." mom missed the memo).

mom & dad in a toy box

mickey pancakes at the riverbelle terrace in new orleans square! delish.

me and dad, driving through autopia! (shortly after being rear-ended by matt).

highlights:
catching the fireworks finale while riding the matterhorn (absolutely perfect timing)
mom and dad whooping, hollering, and belly laughing!
the world of color show
warm churros
lunch at the blue bayou
dad's reactions on star tours & indiana jones (in awe like a little boy!)
acting like kids again for a week!

baggu daypack!

we just got back from an absolutely delightful trip to california and disneyland. if you have never been to disneyland as an adult with your significant other, i cannot recommend it highly enough. i have another post to come of the ways that it can be special and romantic and a best-ever-memory-making-place, but today i just wanted to give some big kudos to baggu and their new lines of daypack bags.

i ordered a baggu daypack for our trip and couldn't have been happier with it! the baggu daypack is the perfect bag for touring disneyland. it's lightweight, but holds a ton. i carried around a long sleeved t-shirt, pair of running shoes, wallet, sunscreen, and still had extra room to throw in my mouse ears when needed. the nylon material isn't waterproof by any means and there were several times where we got completely drenched on rides, but my baggu kept its contents surprisingly dry, considering how the rest of my body was soaked, and it dried out really quickly afterward.

big plus: cute factor. the most highly recommended bag i had found for disneyland previously is baggallini's messenger bag . i ordered one for our trip and promptly bagged it back up for a return. though it seemed practical enough, it was just ugly and pretty soccer mom-ish if i do say so myself. i ordered my baggu the same day.

looking for a good bag for disneyland, or any other adventure where you're hoofing it around for hours on end and need to lug your must-have items around? try baggu!

*i'm not endorsed by baggu or have any affiliation other than that i own the baggu daypack and love it. just wanted to pass on the advice and recommendation for any other disneyland lovers out there, or anyone looking for a good active bag for hiking, walking, biking or anything else.

evidence of grace

i've been asked to write about 'evidences of god's grace' for our new church's blog (mars hill everett!) that's in the planting process. we've been going to mars hill shoreline for quite awhile now, feeling very much at home and part of a wonderful church body. we are excited to be grafting into the everett plant, which will be the furthest north of the mars hill churches so far, reaching into upper snohomish county.

anyway, evidences of god's grace. i've written of this experience here already... but it's not a journey that's done, certainly, and i want to share it again, in different words. it helps me see where i'm at, still walking along in all of this.

go here to check it out:

http://everett.marshill.com/2011/08/30/evidence-of-god%E2%80%99s-grace-by-anna-fevergeon/

one whole chicken

today i prepared my first ever whole chicken. i have been trying out a lot of new recipes lately. this was the latest venture in new recipe land. it called for one 5-6lb whole chicken. in reference to prepping the chicken before the spice rub, it simply said "pat chicken dry with paper towels." this led me to wonder why the chicken was wet. i assumed it was because of the juices in the wrapping it came in.

now, i had only gingerly handled the chicken up until this point. after picking it out at the grocery store on friday, i twisted it up in a second bag to prevent any juice leakage and promptly slathered my hands in antibacterial liquid from my purse because somehow i had already gotten juice on my hands. i had peered in at the chicken in the bag before putting it in the fridge at home... still pink and juicy. i just felt curious about the whole thing. the meal i had planned for monday (now tonight) seemed so nonchalant about the whole chicken as it discussed its preparation. simply rub it down with the spice concoction and stick it in the slow cooker all day. i knew i'd have to touch it as some point, but i figured it wouldn't be too bad after i had "towel dried" it. but it sure looked slimy in the wrapping... i began to feel apprehensive.

earlier when i took it out of the fridge, i thought, why don't i just google how to prepare a whole chicken and make double sure that i don't have to do any further cleaning of the bird. i really figured the one i had was ready to throw in and cook... but i just had to make sure.

...

"check for giblets" i read. also, "expel the kidneys from the back of the chicken with your fingers."

...

in one mad rush to just get it over with, i laid out my tools and opened the garbage cupboard, cut open the wrapping, plopped the chicken on the cutting board, yanked out the giblets and threw them in the trash all in one motion, and gingerly peered inside to see if i had to pull anything else out. yep. so i ... expelled those kidneys, threw them in the trash (again, all in one motion), manhandled the chicken into the sink, furiously rinsed it inside and out, plunked it back on the cutting board and speedily patted it dry with those paper towels. on a brave note, i cut away the excess fat and skin (!) with my knife when i could have just left it... i don't really want to talk about the fact that i had whimpered one long constant stream of "ew" and "sick" during the process, but at this point i was taking short and shallow breaths, ready to end the whole chicken prep. i dug my hands into my glass bowl of spice concoction, and rubbed that spice all over that poultry specimen.

it actually kind of looked like the picture.

then, quickly, i deposited the whole chicken into the cooker on top of the sliced white onions i had put in earlier, and stood back to evaluate.

one deep sigh of relief, and then i attacked all surrounding surfaces with disinfectant. lid on the chicken, quick iphone photo, and it almost looked like nothing but a quick and painless process had resulted in the dinner simmering on the counter.

almost, except for my full-body shudder every time i see that chicken and remember what i had to pull out of it.

this domestic life is not for the faint of heart. (er, giblets).

!

it's d-day.

er, k-day.

k is for KEYS day.

we get the keys today.

to what?

"our" house.

weird.

also, awesome.