i n • p u r s u i t

I love love love this song. I love the lyrics, love the instruments, the vocals, and how it makes me all swoony. Anyway, I'll be missing my hubby this week while I'm off at Twinfest and he's home bonding with the dog. Also, if you're a fan of Love Actually like I am, you should watch this version instead.

wrote this post 5 years ago today. Five years ago. Oh and I so clearly remember the wonderful deliciousness of that new love! The distress it caused me to not know and then the euphoria I felt every time I was given the slightest hint that he might actually like me back! Like when we were sitting on the couch so close. It was a small couch, but he could have forced himself a few inches away so there was no contact. But he didn't, and I swear I felt electric shock! It was wonderful and sweet to realize he liked me back. Or when he said I love you for the first time, the second time around. Those moments, my heart literally hurt because the blood was coursing through so fast. Those moments are nice and I am so glad I have those memories. But even more than those giddy memories, I am glad I have him. I feel so blessed that God has gifted me such an amazing man to spend my life with! I'm grateful for the roller coaster story that God took us on. Without all that mess...

to all my lovely followers! I know many bloggers are good about holiday greetings ON the holiday, but unless I schedule that post, I usually forget. Now...v-day recap: My husband and I went out to eat on Sunday since I have a photography class on Monday night. Instead of going somewhere fancy and watching a chick-flick, as per our tradition, we went to a diner. I was really wanting a monte cristo . Also, there wasn't any good chick-flick out this v-day. Last year they made it so easy with a movie called Valentine's Day . This year they had Just Go With It or Gnomeo & Juliet , so we decided against going to the movies. (We had just seen True Grit on Friday, anyway. I highly recommend it!) We agreed to exchange cards & presents Monday evening, after he came home from work, but before I went to class. He told me that he was getting me a gift that was for both of us, so not to buy him anything. Well, Mike really likes pies, more than cakes or cupcakes. But pies seem...

That's what some Bangladeshi man said to us as he pointed at these kids. Or it may have been stray children. Either one is accurate. We had just gotten off a long train ride from Chittagong to Dhaka and were waiting for Rick to come pick us up. As we stood leaning against the gate that separated the parking lot from the train platform, we were slowly surrounded. Children in front of us and men behind us. They wanted to check out the bideshis or foreigners. One of the men wanted to practice his English with Mike and towards the end of that very short conversation, he pointed to the kids. "Street children," he told us. The boys mostly stood there and smiled at us. They kept trying to speak to us and Mike kept responding with "Bangla nah." They were waiting and hoping for handouts, but they weren't begging. Mike said I could take their picture, that they would really like that. Sure enough, as soon as I pulled out my camera, the kids put their arms around...

'There are many things to be considered before that question can be answered properly,' I said, sententiously. 'First and foremost, do you love Mr. Edgar?' 'Who can help it? Of course I do,' she answered. Then I put her through the following catechism: for a girl of twenty-two it was not injudicious. 'Why do you love him, Miss Cathy?' 'Nonsense, I do - that's sufficient.' 'By no means; you must say why?' 'Well, because he is handsome, and pleasant to be with.' 'Bad!' was my commentary. 'And because he is young and cheerful.' 'Bad, still.' 'And because he loves me.' 'Indifferent, coming there.' 'And he will be rich, and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighbourhood, and I shall be proud of having such a husband.' 'Worst of all.' ( Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë) [source - weheartit ]

Yes. You read that right. I've never made stuffed shells. The closest I came was a few weeks ago when I watched Alanna make them. And I don't think watching someone cook is the same as cooking ;) This time, I'm actually going to share my recipe. I found one on AllRecipes to use, but I tweaked it a bit, so I'll just share what I did. :) ------ 26 uncooked jumbo pasta shells 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce 1 (15 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, well drained 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided 1/2 teaspoon dried basil Brown sugar (I'm not sure how much. My hand slipped. LOL. Maybe 1/8 cup?) 2 eggs, lightly beaten 3 cups small curd cottage cheese 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt It should be noted that for the onion and garlic, I used minced onion and minced garlic from the jar. The packaging of these items has di...

Good morning! I'm blogging to you from a Kentucky hotel room. With a king sized bed. Where my husband just went out to the lobby and came back bearing coffee, juice and waffles. He is so wonderful.

As of right now, I've been married now for about seven and a half days. I've got to say, I thought it would feel a lot different. I was waiting for it to "hit me." You know, reality. The death of my bachelorettehood. Some sort of shock that I'm actually a Mrs. now. Or, at least, some weirdness. It hasn't hit me yet in the shocking sort of way that I expected--good or bad. I haven't woken up and though "Oh goodness, what did I do ?" I hear this is a thought many freshly married people have, albeit generally short lived. I have, however, woken up and thanked God for giving us the mind to have a whirlwind engagement. What has hit me is that, after getting married, we're not any different. I'm sitting on the couch updating my blog next to Mr. K who is playing Halo. Tonight is like any normal night except, for the first time, I don't have to drive home. Yes, we're official, but they dynamics between us are the same. It feels so natu...

♥, TiffanyAnne

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is an amazing and intense novel centered around two sisters, one of whom has a rare form of lukemia, the other who was concieved to save her. I could go into the synopisis and all, but you can read all that here . I've been reading the book nonstop since I bought it. Although it was nearly midnight when I crashed into bed last night, tired from dancing, I really had to know how it all ended. And that was how I wound up reading until nearly two AM, unable to tear myself away. I was too wrapped into the story to be tired. And then the ending-- oh. my. gosh. --the ending tore me to pieces. I kept flipping back, sure that I had missed something and I had read it wrong. Surely, that was a dream that a character is about to wake up from. I don't think something fictional has ever broke my heart nearly as much. I was sobbing just as much as if I had been part of the Fitzgerald family. I won't give away all the details of the bittersweet ...

  "Oh Jacob! I'll love you 'til the day I die!" Try :: Jacob Johnson His new CD is utterly fabulous. Look for a review of it @ greenvillescene.com soon. But, my goodness. I love, love, love Jacob Johnson. My latest favorite, and I know this'll make him happy because I think it's his favorite too, is "2003". Swoon. Go to his MySpace page to listen to the acoustic version. Luckily, "Est. 1986" has both versions because I cannot pick which one I like best. Though, I do have a complaint: "Staring at the Waitress" is not on the CD! Why, I have no idea. I ♥ that song!   2003 (Happy New Year) :: Jacob Johnson Sunday's best, Monday's worst We were seventeen and in between On december thirty-first Hooplah and fireworks Signs hung on wire hooks Happy New Year Pleasant smelling strangers Who we never really met High on their ambitions And marijuana cigarettes Empty resolutions But content in their confusions Happy New Year I spend a...

The dream is fading now I am staring at the door I know it’s over cause my feet have hit the cold floor Check my reflection, I ain’t feeling what I see It’s no mystery What ever happened to a passion I could live for? What became of the flame that made me feel more? And when did I forget… That I was made to love You I was made to find You I was made just for You Made to adore You I was made to love and be loved by You You were here before me You were waiting on me And You said You’d keep me never would You leave me I was made to love And be loved by You The dreams alive with my eyes open wide Back in the ring You got me swingin’ for the grand prize I feel the haters spittin’ vapors on my dreams But I still believe… I’m reachin’ out, reachin’ up, reachin’ over I feel a breeze cover me called Jehovah And Daddy I’m on my way… That I was made to love You I was made to find You I was made just for You Made to adore You I was made to love and be loved by You You were here before me You were ...

Today at Shepherding Group, instead of doing our usual thing, we watched 'The Passion.' Mike and I were surprised to find that out because we had both just been talking about it and how we felt that we needed to watch it--though I didn't really want to. But it's not exactly a movie that you watch to enjoy. It's a hard movie to watch because it is not just a movie. It's truth. The Passion of Jesus Christ was a real event. I think that, though it makes the movie nearly unbearable at points, the accurately portrayed scourging and crucifixion is a good thing. It hits home. It makes you almost feel that pain. That pain that somebody went through as a man for me . Sometimes, during the movie, when it got really bad, I whispered at the men on TV: "Stop! Stop it!" like I could do anything to make them stop. It made me realize that I can't make them stop because I am them. And he forgave me anyways. Aren’t you the strangest friend there is? They were ye...

The past two days at work (Wednesday and today) have been a total learning experience. Just when I thought I knew everything there is to know about caring for children (ha-ha) I realize that I've never taken care of a really sick kid before. You know, when it's coming out from both ends and it's all you can do to just gag and pray you don't throw up. A really sick kid. Who's too sick to do much of anything but lay on the couch all morning and take a nap all afternoon. Who is hotter that dad's hottest beef jerky ("hotter than hell...even the devil won't eat it") and keeps crying because "my belly hurts!" A really sick kid. Who is standing on the couch alternately crying and laying her head down because her caregiver is running around trying to clean up, change her own clothes, and get her in the bathtub before the mess gets worse. (My pants are still in the dryer.) A really sick kid. Who needs to get in the bath tub to rinse off because...

Something brought you to my mind today I thought about the funny ways you make me laugh And yet I feel like it's okay to cry with you Something about just being with you When I leave I feel like I've been near God And that's the way it ought to be... CHORUS: 'Cause you've been more than a friend to me You fight off my enemies 'Cause you've spoken the Truth over my life And you'll never know what it means to me Just to know you've been on your knees for me Oh, you have blessed my life More than you'll ever know, yeah, yeah, yeah More than you'll ever know, yeah, yeah, yeah You had faith, when I had none You prayed God would bring me a brand new song When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing And all the while I'm hoping that I'll Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me And that's the way it ought to be... You have carried me You have taken upon a bruden that wasn't your own And may the blessing...

I really should be working on the Nation's budget right now. I don't think I've had an 'xoxox' post in a while and I've just got to say what a lucky girl I am. I'm here at Mike's because he's letting me do my laundry while he's out playing ball. Doing your laundry at your boyfriend's house is a tricky thing because doing your laundry involves washing and sorting your underwear. And you don't want your boyfriend to see said underwear. So, it's a good thing that he's playing ball and I don't have to sneaky my freshly washed undies under towels while he's watching TV. But washing laundry is not the only thing that makes me so lucky. Other reasons, as far as our relationship goes, that make me so blessed: He thinks I'm the prettiest girl there is. I think every woman needs a man who thinks she is more beautiful than all the rest. Today, he said, "I think you are more beautiful that I have ever seen you!" Likewis...

I met an angel last night. She said that everyone called her "Miss Mary" and she needed kerosene. I was initially wary of the woman on the side of the road asking for help and even still wary after she got into the car. She mentioned "Shepherd's Gate" though, and so we would be happy to help her out. We ended up not taking her there (to see if she could get kerosene and food vouchers) and took her to the gas station ourselves after a detour to a side of town that, though I live very near, I had only passed, had never gone though. She told us to lock the doors and that she would be right back with the kerosene container. She talked to us the entire time and told us about her life. I'm pretty sure I was blessed just being able to meet her. She prayed with us before we parted ways. Sometimes, I forget how blessed I am and how awesomely God provides for His children. Sometimes, I forget that if we just give it all up to Jesus that He will watch over us and prote...

The year is only one week and one day old, but it has been going well so far. The weather of late has been rather rainy and blustery, but it's not so bad. (Until Alex and Lauren want to play outside that is!) My relationship with God is only getting stronger and my relationships with my friends and family are all going well. I can't complain. A few things that I would like to accomplish this year: -Make more A's than C's in school. -Write on a regular basis (it keeps me sane!) -Use correspondence to make friends feel special. (Mary your first!) -Find a wise and godly woman to be my mentor. -Travel by train to a city for a mini-vacation by myself. -Take more photos -Write more poetry -Learn how to care for a newborn, a 2-year-old, and a 4-year-old...all at the same time.(This one isn't optional, haha!) -Continue to centralize my life and my relationship around God. -Be happy, successful, modest, cheerful, honest, confident, and patient! About #8...Janelle is having a...

"Who loves ya?" "Mommy and Daddy and you and Slate..." "Well, who loves me??" "I do!!!" "Who else?" "Mister Mike" ♥Tiffany♥

In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. ~ Mother Theresa It is easy to get into the routine of the day and think that everyday is nothing but many tediums in a row. But maybe the things that we consider banal are actually extrodinary. I know that every day that God gives me, something magical happens. Maybe not-so-magical in the whole scheme of things, but when the kids do something to surprise me (good surprise!), it is always spectacular! Take pride in what you do and take pleasures in the little things. It is quite possible to make a huge difference in someone's life with just a little bit of love. Many people think that to make an impact that they must do something huge. There is not anything wrong with the great big things; if you have the resources, great! Go for it. But make an impact in the everyday too. My brother lives at Mepkin Abbey and wakes up at 3am and spends the first FIVE hours of his day in prayer. Is that not incredib...