It's the weather's fault

 Yes, I'm offering up a sorry excuse for why I haven't blogged.  It's not that our lives are boring, or they aren't note-worthy, or anything.  It's just that sometimes life just gets in the way.  You get wrapped up in the moment, and before you know it, two weeks have gone past.  It's crazy how that happens all the time, huh?
  So in the past week, Ross and I, along with the rest of central Indiana (and just about everywhere in the Midwest it seems)  had to deal with a really big ice/snow storm.
  It all started last Monday, when my boss asked for each and every person to shut down and turn off each and every thing that has power to it (i.e. computers, printers, or anything else that could get damaged if power was cut suddenly).  Apparently there was some kind of storm blowing through, and it was expected to give us upwards of an inch of ice.... coating... everything.  Being that I'm from Northern Indiana, and have dealt with my fair share of harsh Indiana winters, I was rather skeptical.  I mean, what could a little ice do to us.... right??
  Ross had found out pretty early on in the afternoon that his school would be canceled for Tuesday. Not that I was jealous or anything, but there's just something about the knowledge of a snow day that causes you to react like a 10 year old child.  And, Ross was acting as such, all over our living room, bedrooms, man cave, and pretty much everywhere else in our house.  How bad could it be, right?  Well, in just the time it took for us to get home from work/school that day at 4:00 in the afternoon, until the time we left for the gym, shortly after 5:00. our drive way was already a full fledged ice skating rink.  I carefully skated over to Ross' car, and we headed to the gym.  I still didn't figure this would go any further.....
  Boy, was I wrong!  We headed to the grocery store after we went to the gym that night, to find that just about everyone, their brother and their mother, had already foreseen this humango storm that was headed in our direction, and they had decided to take every last loaf of bread (we got one, but it was SLIM pickings!) gallon and half gallon of milk, along with the rest of the essentials (beer?)  We even got a pint of organic skim milk, mostly because there wasn't much of a choice.  It was between that, and some Vitamin D milk.  Being that we are skim milk people we really didn't have to think too long about which one we were choosing.
  Confession.  After our 10 day cleanse not too long ago, I got a wee bit carried away with the cheese items on this grocery run.  Mac n' Cheese (box and individual packs) cheese slices and shreds, and a big block of queso cheese (to make some dip, of course!)  I'm a wee bit ashamed, but I just love cheese!  I will be spreading out the consumption of said cheese, but I just had gone through withdrawal, and I couldn't stand it any longer!
  I then got first of many calls, and it went something like this: "Julie, this is Jay (my principal).  There's no school tomorrow."  WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo!!!  Snow day!!!  Now, I'm jumping all around the house doing the happy dance.  Ross is just rolling his eyes, but I don't care.  This was awesome news!  Ross and I would have one day to lay around, and relax, and I thought this was outstanding!  It was great!  We rented movies, laid around, went to the gym.   And then... I got another call.  "Julie, this is Jay.  School is canceled tomorrow (Wednesday).  I Still excited, just this time, there was no happy dance.  I was okay with this, and figured it would surely be the last day off for the week.  Boy was I wrong again.  I not only got called on Wednesday (finding out that there was no school on Thursday - though he said we would probably have school on Friday), but I also got a call on Thursday as well - no school on Friday.  We'll just say, the novelty of the snow day wore off.  Things got... how shall we say....boring.
 I spent a lot of time working on my website for a small photography business I'm starting up, and I was also able to get a photo shoot in on Friday.  (julieannelerch.com)  From that perspective, I was able to get quite a bit done, and it was fun to have the time to put into it.
This weekend (okay, the last two days of our six day weekend!) I was able to see my good friend Stephanie, who came to Indiana from Maryland to see her boyfriend.  It's always good to see old friends!  You know those friends - the ones that no matter how much time has passed, you feel like you've just seen them last week.  I love seeing her!  I'm still holding out for the fat chance that she might move out to the great midwest (haha) because I'd love to see her a whole lot more!
Saturday, Ross' folks came into town, and we were able to find a new neat spot in Indianapolis, as well as a trusted old favorite restaurant!  One of the places we explored was a place called Sun King Brewery here in Indianapolis.  Ross wanted to fill a growler up with their beer.  I assumed the place would be something like a restaurant - like Rock Bottom or Granite City.  It was nothing like I expected.  You basically walked into a warehouse where there were lines to sample their beers.  You got a few tickets, and that is how they kept track of how many you were allowed to sample.  I actually found one that I liked, and if you know me, you would know that that is no small feat.  I'm not really a beer person, but I "sampled" three cups of one kind of beer!  (Nevermind the "cups" were mini cups, like those small dixie cups you got at snack time as a kid.. ha)  but I was still buzzed big time... it was some hefty beer!  I would definitely go back there again.  It was a home grown brewery just starting out, and their beer was actually really good!
Then there was Ruth's Chris.  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.  That would kind of sum it up, but I figure I aught to say more.  We were celebrating Ross, his dad and his mom's birthdays.  I was just lucky enough to tag along as the forth wheel (yes, I know there are supposed to be four wheels... perhaps that's why they asked me to join them...)  It was a night of yummy steaks, shrimp, asparagus, and topped off with creme brulee and this amazing chocolate upside down cake.  It was an absolutely fabulous dinner with outstanding company!
So, that was the story of our second winter break!  It was so crazy to have six days off in a row, and by the time it was over, I really really missed my kiddos at school.  I was happy and ready to head back today!

From ewww... to Oooh Lah Lah!!

  Since Ross and I bought our home a year and a half ago, we have done quite a bit of basic renovation.  No walls have been moved or anything, but we've been trying to make right, the wrongs of the past owners.  The house was left with cheap and holey (not holy) carpet.  We're assuming that the prior owners must have had some kind of medium sized dog, that was obviously not trained well (we are guessing this by the holes in the carpet and paw print scratches on the walls).  But to us, that was all okay, because we were able to get out house at a heck of a deal (20 thousand under comps) and we are able to put our own touch on the place.  We are not close to being done, but we've done quite a bit - below are a few before and after pictures.

The bathroom has been in stages.  In the first two stages, it went from a dull blue to a flat light brown.  We found out the hard way, that there is a reason people put paint meant for bathrooms, in bathrooms.  When you shower in a room that has flat paint, water droplets trickle down the walls.  That is obviously, not a good deal, and thus, the 3rd picture. 

  So, because of the water issue, we knew that we (and by we, I mean I) had to repaint in that room.  While I was at it, I went for another color, and if you know me, it's truly my favorite.  Some people are cream people, some are purple or green people, but for me, I'm a blue-green/light aqua girl all the way.

  Our new bath has our red towels (a wedding gift), and along with the blue (the meant for bathrooms blue) the bathroom looks pretty snappy.

  By far, the biggest project we've done thus far, was the laminate flooring we put in.  There used to be a very thin, very cheap, laminate wood in the entry way, and like I mentioned above, a very cheap and very holey carpet in the dining room and living room.  Not to mention the hideous blue lenoleum that was in our kitchen.  We worked hard on the project, and overall this one has taken us the longest, too - about a month of weekends.  It was worth every minute and every penny, because it changed the look of our home, in a very very good way. 

This picture below, was taken the day after we moved in.  The wall was "orange" which actually wasn't so bad, it just didn't go with our furniture (Yes, Ross, it really didn't)  =)  The carpet had just gotten cleaned, so it didn't look so bad, unless you look close, and that's when the holes start popping up.   (In the "after" photo, please ignore the messy living room!)

Here is a before after photo of the dining room -

 Here are a few shots taken during the flooring project.  Every time we took more carpet away, the dogs would cling to what was left - they are creatures of comfort, after all.

 Kitchen before/after:  (Excuse the before picture... we had just moved in!)

It's been a great deal of fun, and has been a catalyst for positive growth in our relationship, to do all the home renovation together.  We're putting our stamp on this house, little by little, and boy does it feel good!

Everything Else Disappears

  I heard this song by Sister Hazel during my "cool down" at the gym today, and I absolutely fell in love with it.  It made me think about how much I love the man that I'm married to, and the way I felt when we met just about 7 years ago.  The lead singer wrote this song about the first time that he ever saw his wife, and I must say, that its pretty darn sweet.  Some of the lyrics just make my insides smile.  (is that possible??) 

"I thought that I'd known you forever
I felt like I'd finally come home
After all of these lifetimes
You still take my breath away"


In this crazy life, it's good to stop and be appreciative of the ones we love.  I'm so thankful for our family, friends, and my wonderful husband!  In the day to day hustle and bustle, it's easy to forget how blessed we truly are.  I have so many blessings in the wonderful life of ours! 

Veggie dogs..... are for the dogs!

Yesterday marked the 5th day that Ross and I have been doing the cleanse that we set out to do, and it's funny the things that we are learning. The first day, we wondered what the heck we were even going to eat.  I didn't each much more than fruit and hard boiled eggs, and I was miserable.  Things have changed in the past few days for us.  We are noticing the combination between the cleanse, eating well, and working out.  We are feeling better, and our stomachs seem to be shrinking back to the size God intended.  You know how it goes.  After you stuff your face with everything in sight over the holidays, your stomach just isn't right, and you feel hungry even when you shouldn't. (It just isn't fair!)
So the few things we've learned:  We like some foods/drinks that we never thought we would give a try.

The first things is natural peanut butter.  It's so much better for you, and although it sticks a wee bit more to the roof of your mouth, it actually tastes really good.  The roof sticking just helps me to eat the same amount, but enjoy it in smaller bites.  The best part is when you look on the ingredients list... it says peanuts, and it has a wee bit of salt.... that's it!  This is probably my favorite food item I'll take away from this experience.

The next new food item we've tried is fake cheese.  I'm not sure how they make this stuff, but it tastes pretty good.  We have gotten three kinds - Cheddar flavor (tastes more like American), Mozzarella, and a Italian blend (my least favorite).  Because I love cheese so much, I was dieing for some cheese flavor, so I was thrilled when we found this "healthy" alternative.  I have to say, that it's been great while we're going dairy free, but nothing beats a good old (well not old) piece of cheese!  These substitutes work for now -  I've melted them with turkey on whole grain piece of bread, I've melted them in scrambled eggs and omlets, and melted it in spaghetti squash "pasta."  The key is, it melted.... And did you know?  That up until pretty recently, the makers of fake cheese couldn't figure out how to get the fake stuff to melt?  I have a coworker that is vegan, and he said the whole world of fake cheese changed after that.  I can imagine so!  Anyway, it will do for now, but I don't think it's a future purchase we'll be making very often, unless it's on manager's special or something.

So, speaking of manager's special, Ross and recently picked up some veggie dogs because they were in that section of the isle.  We go into the health food isle at Kroger and try new things, especially when they are on manager's special.  Sometimes health food is so darn expensive, so it feels better to try things when they are a little cheaper.  That way, if they completely stink (sometimes literally), you won't feel so bad having given it a chance at a lower price.  We'll, for me, trying those "manager's special" veggie dogs was completely NOT worth it!  In my opinion, they were nasty crap, that I'm not even sure I'll give to our dogs as dog treats.  Maybe some like them, but for me, the taste was all wrong, and the texture was even worse!  So we can add that to the "do not buy again" list.

Another thing that we did try on manager's special (this was even before our cleanse) and liked, was soy milk.  Ross came home randomly one day ( before the holidays)  with soy egg nog.   It was actually pretty good!  It wasn't quite as thick, but had the same great taste.  It was actually better than the real stuff, in my opinion, because I'm not a fan of thick drinks.  So, since the taste wasn't half bad, we've tried other flavors since then - pumpkin spice (my personal favorite - SO good warmed up, it tastes like chai tea), chocolate, and the light version of vanilla.  This is an item that we will continue to drink, although I don't think we'll be getting the original stuff anytime soon.  Also, I've heard that women are not supposed to drink too much soy, so I'll have to watch out for that. (Plus, sometimes, nothing beats a good glass of real milk!)

So, I think that's about all the new/newish things that we have tried recently!  I never even thought about giving some of these health food items a chance, until 1) Ross took a random trip down that isle in December, and 2) We had no other choice when we were trying to align with all the things we're supposed to eat for this cleanse.  All I know, is that Ross and I are feeling so much better than we have in a long time.

New Year..... a new you?

  So I'm sure just about everyone and their mom has decided that for the new year, "I'd like to lose some weight."  Really, if you get right down to it, just about everyone could say they could stand to get healthier and lose a few pounds.  For the past few years, this really hasn't been my goal.  Ross and I have pretty healthy weights, we work out, and try to eat pretty good.  This year, we're not not only saying we'd like to shed a few of the extra pounds, but we'd really like to look at what it means to be healthy. 
  If you look at the two views of how people look at their lives and food, they generally fall into one of two categories.  One would be, "I live to eat."  The viewpoint, of loving food, and always looking to satisfy that next craving.  The other, would be that of, "I eat to live."  You know, those people who eat to get the nutrition that they need, but food isn't their main purpose for getting through the day.  If you look at these two ways to think about how you fill your body, it really makes me think.... Well, which one do we/I fall in?  I know I can't say that I am completely one or the other, but the fact that I do enjoy a good workout, sometimes leads me to think that I deserve to eat whatever I want.  To me, that's the wrong way to go about it.   Certainly, there are times where I want to eat really good (not always good for you) food - Etouffee, sushi, and rich chocolate deserts, but you can also eat so much of a good tasting food, that it doesn't even taste good anymore. 
  For example, Ross and I have been doing an Herbal Cleanse the last couple days that will last for ten days. (Sorry if this is more information than you'd like to know)  We've been eating proteins, low on carbs, high on fiber and whole grains, etc.  Because I am such a "sweets girl,"  I feel as though I've been depriving myself of junk. (As though my body misses it??).  I find myself walking by the cafeteria at school and smell all the various good aromas that come out of there.  A smell that normally wouldn't make me think twice, is like a celebration to my nose.  The smell of nachos, pizza, cookies baking.... I mean, it's enough that when I inhale it almost gives me the feeling of actually eating it.  This makes me think - Eating less of those things all the time, makes the few times when you do have something that isn't as good for you, or maybe something that is more rich, makes the impact of the taste goes that much further. 
  All I know, is that I'd like to "eat to live," and every once in a while, "live to eat," something that makes my stomach do cartwheels and fireworks (in a good way, of course!).  I guess one thing I never really realized about myself was how often I would eat junk, and how much my body was craving it.  This is the year where we are making our health a priority.  We are restoring the balance, and really taking care of ourselves.  I want for Ross and I to live long healthy and active lives, and if we don't make a point to be healthy and active, we won't do it.
  We didn't start this journey with the new year -  We've been working out pretty consistently for the past year, but we're stepping up our vision of what healthy means for us.  We are continuing this journey down the path labeled, "happy healthy life," and the best part is that we get to do this together. 

Happy New Year everyone !  Hope your 2011 is the healthiest yet!

Back to School.... Back to School.....

I'm finding myself singing the Adam Sandler song over and over in my head today - As tomorrow I head back to work (school).  It has been a great couple weeks off for me, and lucky Ross still has yet another week before he heads back to law school.

We spent New Years day with Ross' family with their annual Fort Wayne Famous "New Years Day Party."  We spent the day playing games, drinking yummy drinks, watching football, and eating good food.  My parents came over from Granger for the day, and I was so happy to get to visit with them a little longer before Ross and I headed back to Indianapolis. 

Ross and I made Chili Cheese Etouffee with Shrimp for our addition to the food table.  It was our take on a dish from one of our favorite restaurants in the Indianapolis area called Yats,  If you are ever in the Indianapolis area, its a definite "must stop" cheap in price, high in quality restaurant around our town (there are a few locations in the city).  Our stab at one of their yummy dishes was pretty darn good (although not quite like the original, but still quite tasty!) 

Today Ross' parents and sister headed out early to go on a cruise, but Ross and I hung around a little while longer, and eventually made the trek back home later this afternoon.  It's been a pretty lazy day, but it's been just what we've needed (and especially for me) before I head back to work.  Ross plans to get back to law school reading and prep before the next semester begins, and before he and Brad take one last winter break trip to Arkansas to visit our good friend Tom.

Happy New Years to everyone!  Hope its a happy one, full of good challenges, joy, laughter, and lots of love!

Happy Belated Birthday Jesus!

Well, like I said before, Ross and I were heading to Mexico for our delayed honeymoon over Christmas time.  We had lots of relaxation time - we ate, we laid on the beach, read, ate, relaxed some more, and ate again. 

 

 

  Our family was kind enough to wait on the family Christmas until we arrived home.  It was great being on a beach on Christmas, but there is nothing like being surrounded by family to make it truly feel like the real deal.  We were bummed that not all our family could be there - but it was great to be with my parents, Jessie, BJ, Canaan, and Eric (oh, and Oliver!)  We waited to do Christmas until the 28th in the morning - I do have to say, that it adds a new spark to Christmas to have a little one around again.
  My parents were FAR FAR more that generous this Christmas - but one of the favorite things they got for Ross and I, was a 50mm lens for my camera (I know.... how fun, right?)  But I was not expecting it at all, and I was able to take some great pictures with the family around.  The lens is great for taking pictures of people - it focuses on the close up image, and blurs the background.  Great for outstanding portraits!  I loved having little Canaan (and the rest of the family) as models! 

Merry Belated Christmas, everyone!  Ross and I are heading to Fort Wayne in the morning, to spend time with his family over New Years.  Loving this family time!!