Waking up on the ocean=best Valentine's ever.

Me and Kyler had a few extra bucks this month (which doesn't happen often...or ever). I told him we didn't need to get each other gifts but suggested we go on a trip instead. I then told him I wanted him to plan all of it...to which he stared at me blankly. Suffice it to say it was better for both of us if I planned it, and he handed over the dough to fund it.

We went to Folly Beach, South Carolina and stayed at the Holiday Inn that is literally on the beach. We got there and it was freeezing. The first thing we did was walk out to the beach, snapped some pictures, and looked for some seashells. Even though it was cold, it was so beautiful.

They have this really awesome pier that you can walk down, and fish on in the summer. Kyler suggested taking this picture, and I thought it turned out really cool. In spite of him making fun of me, he has an artsy side with pictures :P

After freezing our butts off we checked into our room, to discover that this was our view from the private balcony right outside our room.


Shortly after that we had to leave to make our dinner reservations in time. We ate at an Italian restaurant called Mercato in Charleston. Can I just say, how do people live there? We almost got hit several times, and lost a few times. The person who designed the streets deserves a good slap to the face. Maybe I should just stick to small towns.

Our reservation was at 6:45, we found the place thanks to our trusted GPS, however there was no place to park. We were so confused. We had to find a parking garage that was way too far away for us to find our way back to the restaurant. We walked around freezing and knew we were lost until Kyler finally called and got directions. We got there and there was a live jazz band playing, to which Kyler said, "why wasn't I informed of this?". If it's not rock music and or screaming, he is unamused. I was very amused.

This place was my idea but honestly it was a bit too much for me. I guess I am just not a classy gal. We were wearing jeans and nice shirts while one lady was literally wearing a fur coat, her date wearing a suit the likes of which Kyler wore when we got married, and drinking hundreds of dollars bottles of wine (there was one on the list that was over 500 dollars!!!!). We wanted an appetizer of mozzarella sticks and the only thing that wasn't some sort of fried squid or some other thing we'd never heard of was a cheese platter. We thought it'd come with bread and crackers or something similar. We got it and she had to explain to us what kind of cheese it was. It came with some sort of sweet/spicy sauce that I have no idea what the ingredients in it were, some sort of nut that we thought were beans, and apple slices on top of some stringy substance. Kyler used all the buffalo mozzarella and spread it onto the bread we were given before that. We were the only people in the joint drinking Coke's ;)

Kyler got Veal Parmesan and I got Lasagna. It was good, but honestly Olive Garden is just as good if not better, and I don't feel like I need to drink my Coke "pinkie up" there. We got a molten Chocolate cake that was filled with nutella, with some vanilla frozen yogurt on the side.

I'm glad we tried it because I can honestly say it was the classiest, most upscale restaurant I have ever been to. Now I can also honestly say, that is not for me. I'd prefer Sticky Fingers, where I can get a Coke and not be looked at twice, wear jeans and feel fine, know what I'm ordering off the menu, be told about the specials and it take less than 10 minutes, and drink pinkie down.

Luckily I was with Kyler who feels exactly the same as I do. We had a really nice time regardless, and we had fun joking and pointedly raising our pinkie's high with many sips.

After that we went back to the hotel. We couldn't go on the beach because it was dark and about 30 degrees. But we did have a private balcony to our room, so we took out a chair and some blankets and listened to the ocean. It was a really clear night and you could actually see the stars. I love stars, so this was amazing. I fit in about every cliche possible in this trip, and I am not ashamed! I had never witnessed the sun rise, and I had always wanted to. I decided the beach was the perfect time to see my first one.

I woke up the next morning in time and stood out on the balcony waiting for it. I got so excited when it started to peek through!

It finally rose all the way. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. I could hear the ocean, and birds, and I felt so lucky.

After that we ordered room service breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, potatoes, and bacon, plus a raspberry smoothie. What's better than that?

We packed up our stuff and said goodbye to our room, which I was sad to leave. Went back down to the beach, and what couples trip to the ocean would be complete without writing their names in the sand?

We said goodbye to the beach.

And went to eat at a place called Rita's that was just across the street. It was so busy, we knew we made a good choice. I ordered fried shrimp with fries, because it said the shrimp was fresh and local. It was the best shrimp I have ever had in my life. It was so fresh, and came with homemade cocktail sauce. So amazing. If you are ever there and love shrimp, please go to this place and order it. Then send me a thank you card.

Kyler picked that we go to the Charleston Aquarium. I thought he was picking it because he wanted to go, but he picked it because he knew I like Aquariums. Sweetie <3. We got lost some more and after a few turns, being honked at, and probably getting flipped the bird at least once, we made it. We saw Manta Rays, penguins, otters, lots of fish, some sharks, and a bald eagle. Kyler insisted on buying me a little dolphin figurine in the gift shop. I thought this dolphin hat was pretty kick butt.


After we left the Aquarium, there was a little area right outside of the Charleston Harbor that you could watch. We almost didn't walk over to it, but I am so glad Kyler pointed it out. I had never seen a dolphin in person before. The only other time I've been to the beach, my back was turned when I heard "gasp! look!" I whipped around to see nothing and came to find out a dolphin had jumped out of the water. Dolphins are my favorite animals in the entire world.

So we were standing at the Harbor, looking at the water, and I saw a fin. I gasped. I felt like a 5 year old visiting Santa in the mall. I pointed to Kyler and said do you think that's a dolphin?!?! I saw 3 more fins come out of the water and gasped even more. I'm sure people around me thought I was foolish but I don't care. Finally the little guys poked their whole heads and some of their body out of the water. I saw dolphins!!!!!!! I tried so hard to get pictures of them but could only catch their fin.

Kyler took a video and got a great shot of one coming out of the water. I will come back and edit it in later when I upload it. I don't think that day could have gotten any better.

After about 30 minutes of dolphin watching Kyler had to literally drag me away from the pier so we could do the 3 hour drive home. It was such a great trip, big thanks to the hubby for making it so perfect. I am a lucky lady. I would rather have a trip like that than some useless diamonds and flowers any day!

The Beatles=love.

This is my keyboard.

My super awesome husband bought this for me a couple of years ago as a birthday gift. When I was younger, I took piano lessons for about 3 years. In passing one day I mentioned how I would really love to learn how to play again. Come my birthday, I open this as my gift, with some piano books. How sweet is that?

Lately I have felt like I waste so much time playing around on the internet, watching TV, and just generally stealing more oxygen from this Earth than it owes me. So....

This is the sheet music to Across the Universe by Paul McCartney and John Lennon (<3<3).

I have made it a new task to do something useful with my time. I am going to try to learn that song, on my keyboard, and in the process, not ruin the amazing name of two of my favorite dudes in history. Once I get it down really, really, really well (don't expect this for a good 3 months, probably) I will video myself playing it. I may even toss in some singing to the words...but probably not.

I want to learn how to play again. I don't expect to ever be concert ready. I figure it will be easier for me to stick with it if I'm learning songs I love to listen to, that I'm psyched to be able to play, rather than "There once was a girl from Montana...her name was Hannah..." from a Level One Schaum's piano lesson book.

This is me...looking at the sheet music...thinking of my task.


As you can see I don't have high hopes. But, at least in the process I will give my brain some work. It is screaming at me. It is 500 lbs after lack of exercise and me feeding it nothing but junk for far too long. Too bad, brain. Time to get your butt off the couch and get fit again.

Anybody want to join me? What have you wanted to do lately to feed your inner artist?

Cue the depressing funeral music...

My diet day is here. Dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. :(. Like I said in my last post there are stakes to this diet. I am in a race to win 10 lbs the fastest. If I don't, I hand over access to my Facebook statuses. For 1 week. To a person who likes to tell people I am preggers, baking a bun, etc when I am most def not. I neeeeed to win this.

I lost a ton of weight while Kyler was at basic. Somewhere between 15-20 lbs. I tossed those 15 lbs of pure fat off of me in 2 months and said sayonara fat! I have lately stepped on the scale and heard "Hola...I am back." I'm not sure why my fat uses Spanish greetings, but the point is, lots of it is back. You know how the stereotype is that when a girl is mourning or sad or missing her beau, she eats an entire gallon of ice cream and anything else that is edible that happens to come into her line of sight? I am the opposite of that. When I am sad, I lose any bit of my appetite. Clearly I'm a generally happy person, right? ;) When I am happy is when I feel like eating, and I have been very happy to see my husband.

But I really need to lose this weight. I want to be totally happy with how I look and not just for vanity, I want to feel better, too. So, I am going to weigh in once a week. My sad, sad weight will be hidden from the general public. Nobody needs to know that number, but the number of pounds lost will suffice. So for the next however long, I'll be eating plenty of this...



And this...


So I can look like this.


.......only with bigger tata's.

Day of sadness.

Have you ever been to Coldstone Creamery?? If not, I will bake you a cookie, because you are missing out.

Kyler introduced me to Coldstone's in Lawrence our first year at KU. It was love at first sight. I don't believe in love at first sight with humans. With Coldstone's, it was legit.

There is a big counter of different ice creams. You can get cotton candy ice cream. You can get cake batter ice cream. You can get chocolate cake batter ice cream. You can pick any toppings you want to go along with the ice cream. I recommend chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

I love Coldstone's. Last year they had a contest where anyone could come up with their own creation and enter it to be picked by them as a new official creation. I called mine "Double Dipped Delight" (because it has to have a super lamesauce cheesy name). It was made with White Chocolate ice cream, strawberries, pretzels, and fudge. I ended up going to the 3rd round, which was pretty awesome. I didn't go farther because it all depended on people votes, and the majority of the people I knew didn't have a Coldstone's that was closer than an hour and a half away. But that is totally okay, because I still won a 50 dollar gift card to Coldstone's!!! Me and Kyler most def took advantage of that gift card today.

I got this.

Mint mint chocolate chocolate chip. Mint ice cream, brownies, fudge, and choco chips. Yum. Why yes, I did gain 5 lbs after eating it.

Kyler...the 21 year old soldier in the U.S. Army, got this.


Cotton candy ice cream with gummy bears. Hooah. I do not tell lies.

This was a sad day because tomorrow starts a diet. It is not just any diet. There are stakes and I do not want to lose. So farewell Coldstone's...I have loved you, but you have not loved my belly.

Nom Nom Nom

I love to cook, and I heart allrecipes.com. I waste a sad amount of my time looking through recipes there. I love to search for recipes, then put my own things in it that make it my own.

Kyler looooves Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, but I confess I usually buy a jar brand of the alfredo sauce. Don't judge me. Tonight I decided to make homemade sauce!



Delish.

Here's the recipe in case anyone wants to try it!

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1 cup heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and any seasonings you like (I added crushed red pepper, dried onion, and oregano). Whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.

If you're health conscious and want to save a few cals, you can sub/cut down on low fat butter/margarine, and milk with some cornstarch instead of the heavy cream.

It's just alfredo sauce so you can serve it anyway you want, but I served it over fettuccine with some baked chicken! Yummy.

Kyler's first bite quote-"It's good, but I like the jar brand you get better".

Burn.

Epiphany

When I say in the "About Me" section that I have a lot of time on my hands, I mean I have a lot of time on my hands. I don't expect to change the world with this blog or acquire thousands of followers. I used to love to write, anything, and I haven't done that in a long time. I'm not sure why, but I have been wanting to start something that I can freely say whatever I'm thinking if I feel I need to let it out, like some awesome new music I've found, a really great new book I think others should read, or some frustrations and (rare) happiness with the Army, who is my husband's real wife for the next 3.5 years (me being the mistress, of course!). If no one reads this, I'm okay with that! If they do, great. If I am boring myself, I will assume if there is anyone reading out there, they are definitely bored too and I'll try to at least not put myself (and you) to sleep.

This is me and my entire life aka my husband, Kyler!




We've been together since our Senior year in High School. We're both 21 now and he is the macaroni to my cheese. I have so much fun with him, and I know I am one of the luckiest gals in the world to have found a guy in my teeny tiny hometown of 4000 people who loves me with all his heart and treats me amazingly. He's in the Army as a Satellite Communications Operator. He's in schooling right now, learning how to keep communication open in case Osama is spotted. Not really, I have no idea what he does because it's classified (I know that sounds cliche, but no jokes.)


"Epiphany" has long been my favorite word in the English language. I'm not really sure why, except that I think it sounds pretty and I also like the meaning. One of the things that really made me want to start writing was an epiphany I had a few nights ago. Thus, the title of my blog, where I so wittily combined my name with my favorite word. Manda-piphany. Get it?......It sounded cool at the time.

Anyway, this epiphany came after watching the movie "My Sister's Keeper". Anyone seen that? If not, it's about a teenage girl, named Kate, with cancer, and her sister, who was basically farmed and brought into the world to be a donor to Kate. I laughed, I cried, I cursed mutated cells. But at the end, I just felt like, what am I doing with myself? I am so lucky, and I take that for granted every single day. I'm healthy. All of my limbs work properly. I have plenty of food, a warm house, the option to go to school and be anything I want. The world is so beautiful all around me and I know in my heart that God is there to help me through anything. I can go to the bathroom and press a button and the nasty is gone. That sounds so simple, but do you know how many people there are in the world that would cry of joy just to have those things? Yet I find myself complaining because Checker's put mayonnaise on my burger when I specifically said "NO vomit inducing gloop". I thought of all these things and honestly was disgusted with myself. How did we get to be so ungrateful? How did I? I don't know.

Not only that, I looked back on the past few years and realized there are so many things I didn't do because I was too scared to, for various reasons. When I go to the ice skating rink, I hold the ledge the whole time. I would love to just go out in the middle and not worry about if I fall, or what people will think if I fall. I worry way too much about what people will think. I worry and I worry and I worry until there is no more room left. I will think of the worst possible thing that could happen in any situation and convince myself that it will. Why do I do that? I realized I do that so I can't be disappointed. If I expect the worst, there's no surprise, right?

I decided that's no way to live. It is such a waste to go through life being lazy and not having fun because I'm too scared. Too scared to fail, too scared to be disappointed, too scared of what others will say. Why worry about all of that? One of my favorite quotes has become "20 years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the things you did do." I don't know who said that, but high five. I don't want to be disappointed. I don't want to look back on my life and ask myself why I wouldn't leave the ledge at the ice skating rink. The next time I go skating, I'll venture out, and I guarantee I'll have 100% more fun than any other time.