Resolutions - A 2009 Review

For 2009 I made four resolutions (originally posted here). So, how did I do?

1. Finish losing the pregnancy weight - I achieved this one sometime early in the summer, thanks to number 2!
2. Exercise at least 3 times a week - In April I started going to a Boot Camp fitness class that met on MWF from 5:45 - 6:30 am. Early, I know, but I realized that with a job and a toddler, the only way a consistent workout would happen was to have a schedule, go before work (and usually before Claire wakes up), and pay for it (knowing that the cost would make me feel guilty about wasting money if I skipped). Other than vacations and sickness, I only missed a handful of times in the past 8 months. An unexpected benefit was making a few friends who made it fun to workout in the wee hours of the morning! Our group is taking a break for the next 3 months, though, so I'm going to have to find something else to stay consistent!
3. Pray with Claire every night before bedtime - Done. I love having a few moments with her to reflect on our days and express gratitude for our sweet girl.
4. Finish the top of my t-shirt quilt - Big fat FAIL! Never even started it. This will probably roll over onto my 2010 list. :)

I'm still reflecting on my goals for 2010, but I expect to post those soon for some accountability!

Yummy New Recipe

Several people on one of the "Mommy Boards" that I frequent were raving about a crock pot chicken taco recipe, so I had to try it. We had made another version a few times that we liked, but this one blew the original out of the water. I've made these twice in the last two weeks, and this has quickly become a family favorite - and it's so easy. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg chicken taco seasoning (you can use regular taco seasoning, but the consensus is that this is better)
• 1 container fresh pico de gallo (I used HEB Medium; can subsitute Rotel, but again, the consensus is that fresh is better)
• 3-4 frozen chicken breasts
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. olive oil

Directions:

• Sprinkle the chicken taco seasoning in the bottom of the crock pot.
• Lay the chicken breasts on top.
• Dump the pico over the chicken.
• Pour the water and oil over everything.
• Cook on low for 4-6 hours. You can flip the chicken halfway through, but you don't have to.
• Remove the chicken breasts, shred with two forks, then return to the crock pot and stir.
• Serve with tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.

Soooooo good! Hope you enjoy!

Safely Home

A few months ago I joined a book club made up of ladies from our church. We read a variety of books, but stay in the realm of Christian-based fiction and non-fiction. I've really enjoyed it - we actually spend a good hour discussing each month's book, and I learn something from every meeting. I also love that I get a chance to read some books that I might not have picked up on my own, but that have touched my life in someway.

In October we realized that we didn't have a book already on our list for the next month, and we wanted to have a little party and vote on books for the spring in December, so I suggested "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. I first read it several years ago at the suggestion of my mother, and I've thought about it many times since then. I'd been wanting to re-read it, so this was a good chance.

"Safely Home" is the story of two men, one from China and one from America, who end up as roommates at Harvard. The book starts about 20 years after college. The American, Ben, is a successful businessman who is looking for opportunities for his company to do business in China. His boss decides that Ben should live in China for several weeks to gain personal insight into the life of an average person in China. So, Ben ends up living with his old roommate, Quan, and Quan's family, and what Ben learns changes his life forever.

I love this book, mainly because it opened my eyes to the persecution of Christians that is occurring today. The author has done a lot of research on the subject, and it is mind-blowing to me that these things are happening in the 21st century. As an American, can you imagine having to hide a Bible? Or travel long distances in the dark of night to attend church? Or know that you could be thrown in prison at any time for being a follower of Christ?

The book was a hit among all of the members of our Book Club, and a few of them did more research into the Church in China. Everything they read and shared with us further emphasized what is happening, and while in some ways it makes us feel like "wimpy Christians," we all feel inspired by the characters' courage, led to spend more time in prayer for our fellow Christians who are suffering, and committed to be on guard to not let our freedoms and financial blessings lull us into a lack of dependence on God. We are so fortunate to live in a country where we are free!

Assignment 4 - Available Light

My class has been over for a few weeks now, and I just realized that I never posted photos from my last assignment, which was use of available light. I didn't have a chance to take photos in multiple settings, but I took advantage of the good light Claire's room receives in the mornings to take some photos of her playing in her room in her cute monkey pj's.

Assignment 3 - Portraits

I'm so behind posting these! Our third assignment was to attempt some portraits, and I focused on my favorite subjects. Again, these are all straight out of the camera. My favorite is the one of Claire running to Robert. I know that technically there are a lot of things that could be better, but I think it is such a great visual of their relationship.

Assignment 2 - Motion

Our second assignment for photography class was to play with the interaction between aperture and shutter speed while trying to maintain proper exposure. Our instructor wanted us to have some shots that captured a sense of motion. I struggled a little with this assignment but came up with a few shots I was happy with.

The first two involve my favorite subject. I liked that there was a little blur as she grabbed the crayon, while the second had her haphazard attempt at putting away the crayons, and they're surrounded by our doodles.

To get more variety, I went to the Japanese Gardens. I really wanted to get a photo of running water with a slow shutter speed and was happy with this one:

Slow motion. :)

Photography Class - First Assignment

When Claire was born, Robert gave me a gift certificate to use for a DSLR, and shortly thereafter I bought a Canon xTi. Automatically I felt like I was getting better pictures, but I knew I was no where close to utilizing the capabilities of the camera. I wanted to learn how to shoot in manual mode and have a better understanding of the technical side of photography, but it's hard to find time as a full-time working mother of a toddler.

I started searching for a good class to take several months ago and finally signed up for a class at the Southwest School of Arts and Craft with one of my friends from Junior League. Our first assignment was to take some abstract photos (lines, textures, design, balance, etc.) while shooting in manual and focusing on the proper white balance. We brought in 4 to 10 photos each for critique, and it was interesting to see everyone's choices. Here are a few of my favorites of the ones I brought in. The first one is the only one I edited (I thought it was more interesting in B&W), while the rest are straight out of the camera.

What the TiFaux is Watching - Fall '09

Once again inspired by Lindsay, I’m doing my version of her regular “What the Tivo is Watching” posts. Based on the Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Preview issue and what we already regularly watch, this is what is recording, including Robert's shows. I’ll do an update later on to show what I actually ended up watching.



Sunday
Meet the Press (Robert)
This Week with George Stephanopoulos (mostly R)
CBS Sunday Morning (mostly R, but I watch sometimes)
The Amazing Race
Mad Men


Monday
How I Met Your Mother
House
Gossip Girl – my guilty pleasure!
The Big Bang Theory


Tuesday
Biggest Loser
Flipping Out


Wednesday
Glee
Top Chef


Thursday
The Office
Flash Forward
Community
30 Rock
Grey's Anatomy
Project Runway


Friday
Nothing - catch up on shows we've recorded


Saturday
Football, if anything
Catch up on shows we've recorded


We also watch some of Good Morning America while we get ready in the morning, Robert watches ABC World News during dinner, and we catch parts of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report if we're up, although we only have the TiFaux set up to record the evening news.


It is a lot, but we rarely rent movies once the new television season starts - we don't go out very often, so we usually catch up on "our stories" on Friday and Saturday nights. Since I know I watch a lot and am trying to cut back, this season I've already dropped:


Heroes - This was a favorite the first season, and it's gone steadily downhill since then.
Dancing with the Stars & So You Think You Can Dance - I enjoy these shows, but each season is basically the same. Plus, each one is such a time commitment (3 hours of recording time). I'll catch some episodes here and there, but I'm not going to record them.


Anything else I should be considering?

New Blog

I've realized lately that there are a lot of topics I'd like to blog about, but I want to keep our main blog focused on our family. I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Laura C, to create a separate blog for things of interest me - TV, books, photography, crafty projects, and other random thoughts. Cute pictures of Claire will still be found on our family blog, Robert and Amy Plus One.