The Letter

The long awaited letter from UTA College of Nursing came in the mail today.


The application deadline was June 1. I turned my application in the last week of May. It is a long wait.

And it looks like I have to wait a little bit longer...

I have been put on the waiting list to be accepted into nursing school.
Although I'm glad it wasn't a rejection letter, I'm still not guaranteed to get in.
I have to turn in a form to keep my name on the waiting list, and they could let me know anytime between now and when the Spring semester starts if I've been accepted or not.
Talk about being on pins and needles!
God is truly teaching me about patience and not being "in control" during this time in my life.

In other news, I posted a blog here about our upcoming adoption!

Just Checking In...

This last week has been absolutely C.R.A.Z.Y.
As in, like, I can't even begin to tell you how crazy.
Can you say a roller coaster of highs and lows?! Because that's what it was.
Oddly enough, it has nothing to do with the adoption. That is all well and good, and going as planned. And, if I may say, the mere thought of it has been the joy of every moment of my days.
Let's just say (because it's a llllooooonnnng story) that in the span of about five days we found out we had to move, found a place, and moved in. We were not "evicted"...it really was not our fault...we were paid up on our rent...but...yeah, it's a long story, indeed. And I shall not drudge it up here.
The point is...I am still around, just a little too busy to blog right now. Thankfully, all of that happened during a week that was light in school load. This week, however, is another story.
So, I will stop putting off my work and get to it.
I will hopefully have some news, though, later on this week.....
;)

Check This Out

If you are a regular reader of Elliott Escapades, you might be interested in reading THIS.

Just a Feeling...

My time is coming.
I can feel it.
It may not come in the most conventional way, but hear me...
My time is coming.

Good Morning, Little Cup o' Joy!

When I first started this diet, I cut out real sugar and creamer in my coffee.

You would have thought that an event of catastrophic proportions had occurred.

Coffee and I had to rediscover our relationship with one another, for sure. In fact, it stopped being a daily part of my life because I didn't really find any satisfaction in it anymore...it didn't taste how I wanted it to taste.

When stopping at Starbucks, I had tried some of the sugar free syrups, and they were okay...I tried hot teas, and they are okay....then one day I tried just a plain, tall fat-free latte with two Splenda.

Ahhhh-ahhhh-AHHHHHHH

Did you hear the angels singing?
Perfection.
And sometimes I sprinkle a little cinnamon or chocolate powder on top for fun. It's so good!

But then, here comes Debbie Downer.....

Starbucks can get expensive.
I'm a college student....albeit an old one....but a poor college student, nonetheless. Out of convenience, I had started slipping back into using real creamer every now and then. I'm really trying to get off the last 15 pounds to reach my goal, so even though creamer doesn't seem like a big deal, I'm buckling down to make sure everything I do helps and not hinders.

SO
Here's what I do:
My favorite coffee mug (thank you, Sweet Life Cafe SAF Ladies' Retreat 2010) is about 12 ounces.
I like my coffee on the sweeter side, so I pour about 1/4 cup skim milk, stir in 2 Splenda and a couple of dashes of cinnamon, and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds, stirring it really well when it comes out.
Then I stir in my coffee until my mug is full!
My current favorite coffee is Starbucks Christmas blend.
Yummy!!!

This is SO not on the Menu!

I love to make fried pies.

My great grandmother had an amazing recipe for fried pie dough that she gave to my mom after she and my dad married. It was really a big deal at the time because she didn't give that recipe to ANYONE except my mom. Not even my Granny got it until later.

I haven't made them in a long time because of the diet, but I had an idea this week that I really wanted to try. Not because I wanted to eat them, but because I really love to cook for people! We are having home groups tomorrow night, so I thought I would try out my idea on them.

I love fall! It's my favorite time of year, and with the fall of temperatures this week what better way to introduce a new twist on a fall classic? I wanted to incorporate the classic sweet potato and marshmallow dish into a fried pie! I googled "sweet potato fried pie" to see if there was a recipe out there, and there was, but not what I had in mind.

I made the dough and while it was chilling in the fridge, I diced two large sweet potatoes and let them boil until fork tender then drained. I added 1/2 stick butter, about a cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans, then mashed and mixed it all up. I separated the dough, rolled it out, put a spoonfull of the mixture in the middle, along with a large marshmallow split in two for even distribution, sealed it up, and fried it!

I'll be honest, Dan was skeptical about the idea, but he liked it a lot! I had about four bites of it and was pretty pleased with the outcome! Hope they like it at home groups!

If I'm being honest...

***Disclaimer: If you're reading this and have said anything similar, please don't take offense...just venting.***

...If I never hear the phrase "I'm so jealous of you!" again, it will be too soon. This being in regard to the weight loss I've accomplished over the last year and a half.

Some people say it off the cuff, and that doesn't bother me.

I don't know why, but what bothers me is when I learn that there are times when people just sit and talk about how jealous they are of me.

Well, I guess I do know why it bothers me...because I know me! And believe me, people, there is nothing to be jealous of here. In order for there to be a lot lost, there has to be a great accumulation to begin with, and you don't wanna go there.

I mean, really...let's be real...when people bring their new babies to church, I don't go up to them and tell them how jealous I am of them or sit and talk with my friends about said feelings. Yes, there is a deep desire, but to begrudge someone else of a blessed event would be selfish on my part and just plain rude.

Just be happy for me.

And if you're THAT miserable.....lunching around a table talkin' about people (good or bad) isn't gonna help you any.

Just sayin'.