January came and went, like a first breath of fresh air.

Tomorrow is the last day in January, and can someone please tell me where all the time went?  I swear I was just blogging about New Year's....

So I guess you're wondering what's up?  Here are the happs--I will tell you all that I can remember, but don't count on it being in order:

At the beginning of the year my little sister got married.  My LITTLE sister got MARRIED!  It was no small ordeal.  Let me tell you, she looked BEAUTIFUL (the most beautiful I can ever remember seeing her) and the whole day was just wonderful.  I am so happy for Kayla and Shayne (perhaps a bit jealous too) but I can't wait to see what great things God has in store for them.  It was great to see all of my [extended] family who made it out to California, and it was a treat for James to get to meet them all (I don't know to what extent he would agree with that, my family is kind of "unique," but it was a treat for me.)  In order to spare you from photo-barfing (and since I'm quite sure many of you have seen the pics on Facebook) I'll just post these few:

(Trying to take pictures of pictures is never easy.)

The happiest maid-of-honor to be found :]

Following the wedding I returned to Long Beach for my last week of work at Jamba Juice.  It was bittersweet for sure.  While I was glad to get out of there for numerous legitimate reasons, I will/do miss a lot of my coworkers and even my regular customers (and CBTL baristas).  But I cannot lie--the time off since then has been THE BEST.  My last day of work was the 17th, about 2 weeks ago, and since then when I have not been in school I have been: a) sleeping, b) watching movies, c) cooking, d) going home to San Deigo, e) catching up on numerous girl chats with friends I had placed on hold, f) studying the Bible, g) going to the gym(!), and/or h) spending time with my favorite guy (pictured above).  It's been wonderful.  As much as it looks like I've become a lazy slob, I think I really needed some time to slow down on work and catch up on life, remembering all the things that bring me joy.  And now, after this time, I think I am ready to go back into the work force.  (Which, for those of you who don't know, begins next Tuesday the 7th!)

Out to dinner at Le Creperie to celebrate after my last shift, and [little did we know] Deb's promotion!

Going goth for Starbucks.

When I say I have been spending some time cooking, I mean I have been SPENDING SOME TIME COOKING (cooking, as opposed to fast food, takes a long time).  I got a great beginning cookbook for Christmas from James' sister Laura and we have been going through it making a bunch of new dinners.  I have also been learning the breakfast plates and even some of the snacks, and I'd say I feel pretty proud of my jump in skillage.  Our favorite dish to make (by far) is Buffalo Chicken Sub Sandwiches.  We have made it for quite a few people (always trying different modifications and getting feedback) and we also like to make it for ourselves so that we can have leftovers for James to bring to work for lunches.  It is SO DELICIOUS, if I do say so myself.

Our first attempt.

Buffalo Wild Wings sauce, keeping it authentic.

Mid-prepping.

When we have the time, we now prefer to cook instead of takeout.  It is expensive to buy the fresh [bulk] ingredients, but I think in the end you get more meals out of what you buy, and it's usually at least a LITTLE healthier than eating out...  Here are a few pictures that happen to be on my phone, since I take pictures of things I'm proud of...

The Chef

Chicken Parmesan

Cheesy Quinoa and Peas (our first healthy dish!)

Balsamic & Garlic Chicken

For those of you who live under a rock, next weekend is the Superbowl, or as I prefer to call it, the official-end-to-football-season-weekend.  I think I served my term well; I have been a faithful girlfriend to the end, watching almost every single game that we were around for, but in all honesty, I'm so glad to have our Sunday's back!  (Plus it is getting warm and sunny again (no wind!) so we can start disc golfing again.)  This weekend James' friends (my friends too now [: ) and all the girlfriends are doing a somewhat epic Superbowl weekend celebration, starting on Thursday night and ending with the game on Sunday, with a little bit of Disneyland and game nights in between.  I'm excited!

Taking the Packers game very seriously.... 

My very best girlfriend Deb has been kind enough to teach me some Photoshop tricks and lately I have been nothing short of obsessed with this program.  I mean, Jamanda's bed time is still a faithful 10pm (if we can even hold out that long), but this half of the monicker has been staying up a little later these days (and paying for it when I remember I signed up for an 8 AM CLASS!! What was I thinking?!).  These were my first PSE10 creations from last week, of which I was a little bit proud!

(Sometimes I wonder what he really thinks of me.)

Deb aslo taught me how to make espresso! I'm sure I will be able to pay her back, once I learn the in's and out's of Starbucks..

Last Thursday I got a root canal and a crown replaced (and it unfortunately took three hours to complete) and as a result I have been unable to chew on the left side of my mouth for five days now.  My tongue is all shredded up from the new crown (and still tastes of enamel) and I can't sleep on that side of my face (or the other side, thanks to my aggravated ear piercing) and so I just toss and turn all night till I find something that works.  OH if you only knew how uncomfortable it is.  I feel like the muscles on the right side of my jaw are going to get super buff and I will look like an asymmetrical monster by the time the three weeks are up.  (I have to wait three weeks till I go back and get my porcelain crown.)  I think I still have a headache from all the drilling.

As I mentioned before, I am back in school, at 8AM(!) on Mondays and Wednesdays.  It is awful and I regret it every time my alarm goes off, but then I remember that this is the last time I will be a full time student and then I brighten up immediately.  I spoke to my advisor last week and I am all set to graduate after Fall 2012, assuming I do my internship practicuum and final HDEV class next semester.  Not even a year more and this girl will be done with CSULB.. :]

Tomorrow night James and I are starting a new class on the Parables in the Bible and we couldn't be more excited.  Studying the Bible together is one of the best and most fulfilling things we enjoy doing together, and it only gets better as God allows for more and more perception and understanding.  In addition to our new weekly class, we have officially moved up to The Fold at church (the new young adults group) and after the first meeting, we are very excited.  It was great to see so many old familiar faces that we haven't been around since being in the college group.  For the first time in a long time we are actually the youngest people in the group and we are in a place where we truly need the community of these believers that are in similar life stages as we are.  It's like no group I've been in before, which is good and bad, but we are happy with the change and we are looking forward to what the Big Guy has in store for us in 2012...

With that said, I think I am off to the gym! (Trying to work on my NY resolutions!)
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--t.C.R.