Ill.

I'm sick.  Yeah, it's really attractive.  I got to sit in a quiet room tonight while taking a mid-term, painfully hunched over a tiny desk for a long time with a burning fever.  The only sounds to be heard were people nervously shifting in their seats and... me.  Blowing my nose.  Coughing into my elbow.  Blowing my nose.  Crinkling my Kleenex pocket pack open to get another tissue.  Blowing my nose.

I'm sure my classmates really appreciated it.  Not only is it attractive and super-hygenic, it's also a really soothing noise for test-taking.   I bet they all just thought, "Gee, I wish I had what she has.  That would really make this week better."

Don't worry, ladies.  I probably spread my germs to you today.  You can thank me later. 

Baked Salmon

Kyle is always begging me to make fish more often.  I have an extremely limited range of the kinds of fish I will eat, but salmon is one I can usually tolerate.  Last night, however, I found a salmon recipe that turned out as good as any salmon I've had anywhere.  I give you... Baked Salmon.

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon

1. In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley.
2. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator about one hour.   
3. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork. 

I served with a simple salad and bowtie pasta seasoned with a little olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley.  I doubled the recipe so we would have leftovers.  Leftovers are clutch for us right now.  There are just so many nights I don't feel like cooking after I get out of class.  I think Kyle was really happy with this little meal!

Happy birthday, Celeste.

My friend, Celeste, celebrated a big birthday this weekend.  I won't say which one.  To celebrate, a bunch of our friends went to eat at Celeste's favorite The Fountain on Locust.  The food there is delicious, and the ambiance is great.

The lighting is tricky for pictures, and many of mine came out a little blurry.  Here's the best of what I got (and that's still not so great):

This is Celeste and her darling husband, Matt, and sweet Baby C. Sadly, all the pics of them were a bit blurry. I love this family.



This is Kim and her date, Juliette. Their husbands couldn't make it so they split a dinner and shared dessert. It was precious.



This is Noah. He's one of our pastors. I am SO thankful for him.



This is Noah's family - his mother-in-law, his Baby A, and his gorgeous wife, Heather. Aren't they pretty girls? Baby A is turning 1 in just a few days!



These are our friends Jacob and Amy. We have a small group Bible study at their house every week. We will forever be indebted to Jacob, who helped us move into our new apartment when he didn't even know us. They are expecting a baby girl in just a few weeks!



You probably know these mangy people.



We are so grateful for all the new friends God has put in our lives, and I can't wait to go deeper in our relationships with them.  In Carbondale I learned that deep relationships take time and cultivation, but I am glad for the way things are going with our church friends.

Now I'm still praying I can make some better friends in my program.  Many others have formed small circles of friends, or came in already knowing at least one other person.  I often feel alone, like and outsider.   Maybe everyone feels that way in a new city at a new school...

Homecoming

This was homecoming weekend for SLU.  To celebrate, the law school had family day and Kyle's parents came up to celebrate.

We got up early and went to the Soulard Farmer's Market before the festivities began.  The pumpkins and gourds were arriving and there were some of the biggest, cheapest mums I've ever seen.  Six dollars for a HUGE pot!

We went to the law school events, which included a stellar lunch, hearing from three impressive professors, and participating in a mock class. I learned a lot about what Kyle does every day in just a couple hours and it was really fun.

We had a great dinner out at Cunetto House of Pasta. It was SO packed. We were glad we went early. After dinner we went for gelato at our favorite, Gelateria del Leone. This morning we had breakfast at Soulard Coffee Garden before saying goodbye to Mama and Papa Bass.

Our new tradition with our house guests is that they must take a picture with Sir Henry and sign our guest book.  Mama and Papa Bass got to be the first!



What a fun weekend we had. How did it go by so quickly?

Seven Things

Here's a few random things on my mind.

1. It's supposed to be 92 in St. Louis tomorrow. I really, really hope this is the last day of summer weather.
2. I hate making mistakes.  I particularly hate making very public mistakes. Very big public mistakes that make me seem flaky and incompetent.  I'm trying to use it as a moment to be humble and hope that I receive mercy.
3. I feel a little bit achy every day.  Not because I'm working out so hard (insert chuckles here), but because I ache for something, for someone.  Hopefully soon I'll have the guts to write an update on being fertilely-challenged. 
4. Watson is STILL not house-trained.  We are exhausted and unsure what we need to do differently.  He was making progress, or so it seemed.  He has fewer accidents in the house than when we first brought him home, but that's because we know his schedule and the warning signs, not because he's letting us know that he needs to go out.  It's very trying.  So is the chewing (read=destruction of all things) behavior, but that's a whole other story.
5. School is definitely getting in the way of my TV-watching this week.  All of my favorite shows are starting back up this week and between my evening classes and our lack of cable, it has been a challenge to say the least.  Ah, such is the life of two professional students, I suppose.
6. God has been teaching me about pride this week.  About how much pride fills my heart and motivates so many of my decisions.  It's a big, big challenge for me.  I hope that he will give me humility and continue to teach me through his word and through our church.  I read this today, adding the emphasis to what I thought I really needed to hear: "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. " (James 3:13-14 ESV)
7. I'm increasingly uncomfortable with having my picture taken.  The more I'm behind the camera, the more I want to stay behind the camera.  That being said, Kyle and I really need some good pictures with each other.  This is the only recent pic we've taken, and it's not very good. 

 

That's all, folks.