I am the woman!

So here we have our dishwasher. It broke. Not too bad, but according to all the home improvement places I went yesterday there was nothing they could do for us, but order us a part that would cost us....$150!!!! It's called a unicouple and you can see it below.



This is the rubber washer and plastic ring that fell out of the piece above.
See 2 small pieces and no one could find me something to fix it. So what does a girl do....
She goes into the store and asks where to find the rubber washers. I decide if no one will help I will just figure it out. So I buy 2 different types of rubber washers. And this is what worked.

We simply put the washer over the faucet and then put the unicouple on and whala! it works! I'm so excited b/c instead of $150 it only cost us $1.55 for 12 of them! So call me handy woman and I can fix your washer too...for a small price!!!

The Stouts and John Wesley

The Droddys, Matt's campus ministers at the BSU at Georgia Tech and there 3 boys, are in the process of adopting a child from Uganda. You can visit Jamey, Mary, and the boys blog:
http://filltheemptychair.blogspot.com
We bought 2 of the shirts they are selling to raise money for the adoption of their newest family member. Here are pictures of us with John Wesley in our t-shirts that we sent to the Droddys.

more funny things from 5 and 6 year olds

So after I posted earlier today, I informed the girls that I wrote about them on our blog. They wanted to know what about. I told them it was about the conversation we had on Monday. To which I was then told that I needed to sit down, open my computer, and the 3 of us were going to have a conversation and I was to type it out on the blog as we had the discussion. Needless to say, I did not do this, but this is how the conversation went:
Madelyn: Open up your computer
Caroline: and type what we say
Madelyn: what are we going to talk about?
C: How about...Podcasts? Yeah podcasts!
M: about American Girl dolls!
ME: Why would we do that?
The girls: because you make us listen to podcasts and we like American girl dolls!

I mean seriously what was I thinking...of course we would need to talk about podcasts and American girls dolls, what else would be of upmost importance? I do listen to podcasts while driving them around. the girls have grown to enjoy hearing about fun (and appropriate) things
from How Stuff Works podcasts. We learned about American Girl dolls one day also, so that is why they wanted to discuss it, it is just funny the stuff that sticks with them.
As I type this out, I realize it may not be as funny as it was when I told Matt the story in person, so please if you don't find this humorous, call me and I will tell you and it WILL be funny!

I can't stop making these, b/c they are so yummy!

We love bagels and cream cheese at our house and we love pizza so I thought let's put that together. Well, now I make these 2 and 3 days a week b/c they are so yummy!

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Take a bagel and split in half
• spread cream cheese on the bagel halves- I personally prefer Vegetable Garden or Spinach and Artichoke flavored cream cheese, but I am sure just regular or any other non fruity/sweet kind would work
• Then spread a Table Spoon of Spaghetti sauce on each bagel half. I used a jar of spaghetti sauce so don't tell my mom, please!
• Then sprinkle shredded cheese (I used Italian blend) over the top and bake for 10 min.
  

Enjoy! It is really yummy, easy, and fast (only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and bake!)

Things that 5 and 6 year olds say

First, about 2 weeks ago Caroline (5 years old) told me that she didn't think I ever wanted to have children.
I said Caroline what makes you say that
She "Because you have not gone out and gotten one yet" and she thought I should so she could play with it.
So I asked her where I should go to get one.
She told me "Just go to the hospital and they will give you one".

Next story happened Monday:
Caroline (5 years old): How long have you and Matt been married?
Me: 2 and a half years, actually we got engaged 3 years ago today
Madelyn: (6 years old): what does engaged mean?
Me: Well before a man and woman get married, the man asks the woman to marry him and then they are engaged and spend the time between then and getting married planning the wedding- it's called the engagement.
Madelyn: how long were you engaged?
Me: 5 and a half months, but you can take longer if you want.
Caroline: were my mommy and daddy engaged?
Me: I'm sure they were.
Caroline: Why don't you have kids?
Me: God hasn't give me any yet.
Caroline: Will we know when you have a baby?
Me: Yes I am pretty sure you can't miss something like that.
Madelyn: How many kids do you want?
Me: maybe 3, 2 boys and a girl.
Madelyn: (whining and obviously upset) What? Do you not like me? You only want one girl? You must like Silas more.
Me: no Madelyn, I do like you.
Madelyn: Well why don't you want 2 girls? Boys are crazier than girls!
Me: well i'm not sure about that.
Caroline: What are you going to name her? Caroline?
Madelyn: how about Madelyn?
Me: Sure, why not!
Caroline: Well when you move, can we call you and talk to you...and see the baby?
Me: Of course you can. You can call me everyday if you want.
Caroline: Yay
Madelyn: can we go play something else?

The END! Silly girls! I love them

A relaxing Sunday afternoon

So what do the Stouts do on a beautiful day like today in the city of Wilmore. Well we go outside and do our puzzle of course!

This was one of my favorite puzzles so far!

This is my rose bush that isn't really doing all that great, but...

This little flower is growing and so I planted a few more and hope to have more pics of those in the coming weeks.

Easter 2010

Happy Easter!
Yesterday, Matt and I did a puzzle. We started the puzzle my sister gave us at Christmas, but it is soooo hard to do. So once again we started it and put it back up after we got frustrated and then worked on a different puzzle as you can see below.

Today, between the 9 and 11 services at church the kids had an Easter Egg Hunt. So here are some pics of kids having fun and we were supervising.

Matt and Bob holding the fort down

I like this one b/c it reminds me of how my sisters and I used to wear a hat every Easter and a pretty dress just like my little friend, Jesse!

This is Jesse's sister, Clementine. Look at the cute pigtales!

If you look close you can see Susan giving a thumbs up. She was supervising also.

Tanya and Makenna, I babysit Kenna a few mornings a week.

Our yearly Easter pic

I forgot how often I don't wear heels until I put these on.

Raya being silly...this is Makenna's older sister

Our pastor, Jason, and his son, Max. I just love this picture.

My punch bowl cake...it was yummy along with all the lemon-pepper chicken I made, which I made entirely too much of. We will be eating that for a while. Some of our friends (Bob and Susan, Matt, Amy, and Ebenezer, Mike and Val, and Paige and Tim) came over for a pot-luck picnic at our house. Everything was yummy!

Here's Maggs enjoying the sun

Ebenezer just chillin in the living room.

Star Wars

a quote

divorce on an epidemic scale is all right; child abandonment by one parent or another is all right; it is regrettable but still pretty much all right if a divorced parent neglects or refuses to pay child support; promiscuity is all right; adultery is all right. Promiscuity among teenagers is pretty much all right, for ‘that’s the way it is’; abortion as a birth control is all right; the prostitution of sex in advertisements and public entertainment is all right. but then, far down the road of freedom we decide that few lines ought to be drawn. child molestation, we wish to say, is not all right, nor is sexual violence, nor is pregnancy among unmarried teenagers. we are also against venereal diseases…trying to draw the line where we are trying to draw it, between carelessness and brutality, is like insisting that falling is flying-until you hit the ground-and then trying to outlaw hitting the ground.
wendell berry in sex, economy, freedom & community

I have decided to share...

I've been thinking about writing this post for sometime now, but just wasn't sure what to say or how to say it. However, today I feel is the day. A few months ago I started taking Prozac. At first, I was a little embarrassed, but after taking it and the effects that I am feeling, no longer am I embarrassed, but rather completely blessed.
Here is how this all started. During my time in counseling classes I started learning a lot about anxiety and medication and the idea that we need to erase the stigma associated with taking psychotropic medication. While in my Marriage and Family class I realized that depression was something that some of my family dealt with. Then I took a class about different disorders that are linked together such as depression and anxiety. Then I took a class this past fall that focused on assessments and treatment planning. In this particular class we had to assess ourselves and write a treatment plan for ourselves. Needless to say I started to put a lot of stuff together. I realized that it wasn't normal that I didn't sleep through the night most nights and that I was tired most of the time. I realized that for years I cried too much and too easily. I realized that I was too high strung and maybe a little impatient at times. I realized that I was living with anxiety and no longer needed to.
So I went to a counselor, met with her, she gave me medication, and my life has changed. God truly used that to heal me. At first, there was no change, but about 2 weeks into taking the medication, I could see a difference. First, I was sleeping and making it through the day without feeling like I needed a nap. I was sleeping and not waking up worrying that I had forgotten to lock the door, set the alarm, money (I worried about money a lot), and even cleaning. I was able to rest. A few weeks later I found myself just hanging out at the house not feeling like I had to do something. I didn't have to do the dishes, I didn't have to do the clothes, I didn't have to clean anything or cook anything. I could just relax. I don't worry about money as much. Don't worry, I still don't want to spend a lot of money, but the other week when we had to buy a vacuum I didn't have a breakdown b/c of it. I was able to spend the $50 because we had to and knew it was ok.
Right now, I realize that we have about 12 people coming over tomorrow for lunch, there are about 3 loads of laundry that could be done, and the floors could be cleaned, but hey that can wait until tomorrow. Today I am spending the day with my husband, doing nothing more than watching tv and movies, doing a puzzle, and resting. I don't feel anxious or overwhelmed. Apparently, according to Matt, I used the word overwhelmed pretty much everyday and now I only use frustrated about once or twice a week....huuuuuugggggeeee accomplishment!!
My mind is clearer these days. I can sit through class, soak in all the info, and not feel like I need to do 50 other things. Don't get me wrong, I still like a clean house, I still like making my lists, and I still really love organization, but I also enjoy resting these days. I can rest and know that all that stuff will still be there when I am done resting. Someone once told me that resting is not a reward for something we have done, but rather resting is to prepare us for what is coming next. We work and then we rest so we can work again. Sometimes we should reward ourselves with rest, but know that the rest will also prepare us for what we are to do next. (that's my mini sermon for now).
Matt also helps a lot these days. Maybe it is b/c now everything isn't done before he can get to doing things. I used to clean every morning and now I don't. I have no reason, I just don't. Matt does the dishes, cleans the bathroom, does a load of laundry, and so much more. He is such a great husband. Oh and he cooks!!!! Matt has been so supportive and so great at supporting me and celebrating with me even when it comes to little things (like not doing anything today besides hanging out!)
I only had to go a few times to the counselor. She said that she probably thinks it is really just a chemical imbalance and I just needed something to straighten that out. So I went my third time this past week and will not need to go again for 6 months unless I need to talk or there is some kind of problem.
I just wanted to share this in case there is someone else out there that needed to hear this. We take Tylenol when we have a headache, cough drops when we have a cough, why not take anti-anxiety/anti-depression meds when we are anxious. It isn't a sign of being weak, but rather strong. Jesus heals in so many ways, He just chose to heal me through medication! Praise Jesus!

Spring Break...errr...Reading Week

So this week was Reading Week and we got some time to rest, but still needed to do homework. So Mon-Wed I worked and Matt worked Mon and Tuesday.
So Wed Matt just did some homework and started watching the show Intervention. I was supposed to work Thurs but didn't feel well at all!
So I took Thurs morning and rested and here is what our Thurs afternoon looked like...

We wanted to enjoy the 75 degree sunny weather, but had to get some reading and writing done. Our friends, the Rozsa's, drove by and saw us and snapped this pic.
Today we are spending the afternoon with our friends Izzie and Abe. We are having lunch and doing a puzzle. Tonight is guy's/girl's nights. Tomorrow we will be spending the day resting and doing no homework. Then on Sunday we have church and lunch with our friends to celebrate The Risen Savior...for He is risen Indeed!