Mac-N-Cheese Please

Chicago Favorites #2:

Schuba's Harmony Grill

Our friend Kip took us out to Schubas while he was visiting last weekend. If you are looking for some killer mac-n-cheese, this is your place.  I had a turkey, bacon, egg, avocado, lettuce & cheese club sandwich and it tasted even better than it sounds. Schubas will definitely be seeing more of us. 

Selah's Diary: Confessions

This has become my new favorite hobby while my Dad takes a shower. If it would stop raining I could get all this pent up energy out. 

Shamefully,

Selah

My Chicago Favorites

Chicago has endless amounts of things to do and see. Thankfully, many of which are free. Scott and I have really enjoyed discovering different parts of our new city. We have heard that Chicago is the best city to live in during the summer and we are looking forward to participating in some of these Spring/Summer events.  I am also always scouting out things that my family & friends can do when they come to visit. (Hopefully some will be visiting soon now that the crazy winter months are coming to an end!) I have decided to compile a list of some of my Chicago favorites to offer to guests that want to experience and get to know the city. 

The first on the list: Molly's Cupcakes

Now I am a sucker for cupcakes, so when a friend from Denton told me about this place Scott & I checked it out the first week of living here. The founder of Molly's cupcakes was inspired by his 3rd grade teacher, Miss. Molly, who baked cupcakes for each of her students on their birthdays. Their mission, in honor of Miss. Molly and helping students, is to donate a portion of their products to schools in the community. So every time you buy a delicious cupcake it helps supports Chicago Public Schools. I may just have to sacrifice and eat lots of cupcakes in honor of education. :)

The Good News on Good Friday.

The Diary of Selah

Entry One: My prank on Mom & Dad.

I pulled the funniest prank on Mom and Dad yesterday morning. I chose just the right time: 5:30am. Here's what I did: I laid my cute little head on the side of the bed and started whining like I needed to go out to potty, I do this every morning but I usually wait until 8:30. Then I did it. I let out a terrible toot.  Now I have some pretty stinky doggy farts, but this was the mother of them all. It stunk up the whole apartment working just as I planned. Mom jumped out of bed waking Dad up, and they began looking around for poop. They looked everywhere, they were so sure I had an accident in the apartment. They looked in the bathroom, under the bed, and in my cage. Then, the highlight of my prank, was when they started to blame each other. It was hilarious. I got Dad to take me outside and I barely pooped. It was totally worth having to stay in my cage the rest of the morning. I love pranks just like Mom.

Signing Out,

Selah

Project 31: Day 28

"Write about your insecurities as a woman."

Many of my insecurities as a woman stem from a voice whispering your not enough. The problem with this lie is that it takes many forms and throughout my life I have experienced them all.

You're not smart enough.

You're not pretty enough.

You're not good enough.

You're not talented enough.

But thankfully, I serve a God who is MORE than enough. In reality, I am human. I fail. I don't always measure up to what is expected of me. And that is okay. It is okay because of Christ's grace.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10

Honestly,being "not enough" is very true of me. God has called me to many things, that in my own power and my own strength, I am too weak and completely incapable. Yet, the beautiful part of all this is that God uses a weak individual to reveal Himself to others. Now, the "not enough" is a lie because Christ lives inside me and HE makes me more than enough.

Friday's Favorite

Lecrae.

This past Thursday, Scott and I got it krunk with some crazy Asians at a free Lecrae concert. Lecrae's music has challenged & encouraged me tremendously in my walk with the Lord. As I listened to his lyrics & watched him perform, I felt blessed. Blessed that he understands his vision to be an instrument in redeeming hip-hop culture, that he allows his life to be used for God's glory and not his own, that he proclaims light & truth in our dark & distorted generation. It challenged me. God has given all of his children gifts & passions to use to be a reflection of Him.

Celebrating Passion Week

Last year, Scott & I started a family tradition of observing and celebrating passion week. It was very meaningful to us and we would like to share it with others.  We would read, discuss, and pray together to focus and remember what Jesus did each day of the week.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

You can find the passion week time line we are going to use, here  .

Palm Sunday: 

Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Read: Matthew 21:1-11.

Monday:

Jesus clears the temple.

Read: Matthew 21: 12-21

Tuesday:

Jesus teaches.

Read: Matthew 21:23-24:51

Wednesday:

The record is silent.

Read: Isaiah 53

Extended time in prayer together.

Thursday:

Jesus celebrates Passover & is arrested and tried.

Read: Matthew 26:14-31-27:26

We celebrated by eating a passover meal together.
This was a neat experience, as we discovered the meaning
behind why each food was prepared & chosen.

Our passover meal. 

Friday:

Jesus is crucified.

Matthew 27:27-66

Watch the Passion of Christ.

Spend time in prayer.

Saturday:

Sealing of the Tomb.

Read: Matthew 27: 62-66.

I'm planning on planting a flowers for my window sill.

Resurrection Sunday:

Christ is Risen!

Read: Matthew 28.

We will celebrate at church and then at lunch with fellow believers.

Friday's Favorite (on Sunday)

66 degrees.

Yes, 66.

Today is a wonderful day. I walked out of my apartment wearing capris and NO jacket, that's right no jacket. Thank you Lord! I believe He is starting to show me the light at the end of the bitterly cold, snowy, wintery tunnel.

Getting Healthly

Deep dish pizza. Forever Yogurt. Chicago-style hotdogs. The Bongo Room. Taco Bell. Dunken Donuts.

These words describe our diet the past six months living in Chicago. While it has been fun, it is starting to get a little out of control and we just feel yucky. We are ready to make some changes in order to live a more healthy lifestyle. Tonight we did our first weigh-in, took before pics, and set our weekly & long term goals. We plan on doing weekly weigh-ins every Sunday night.

Scott's Goals: 

lose 30 lbs

drink only water

work out five days a week.

Ashley's Goals:

gain more muscle

drink only water

eat more fruits and veggies

work out five days a week (this week: 30 Day Shred w/ some Just Dance 2)

Before our weigh-in, Scott and I walked to 7/11 for one last hoorah:

Scott, his DP, and whole bag of Ruffles.

My choice: Snickers Ice Cream Bar & the Doctor.

Friday's Favorite

My husband is home! After a long month of only seeing each other a totally of nine days, we are finally together! AND he is not scheduled to travel anytime soon! Yay! :)

Family Vacation 2011

I felt so very blessed to have the opportunity to spend a week with my family in New Mexico.  Since moving to Chicago, I cherish our time together and always look forward to the next opportunity to see them again. Here are some pictures from the trip:

The Cabin.

Family Picture.

My favorite picture of the trip.

Girl's Day Out.

Enjoying time in the hammock.