Well Hello There...

Friends...
Since our wedding we have been busy. Most of this has taken place in our very own home; cleaning and organizing before school starts (it rules my thoughts unfortunately). We were able to get away three weekends though...not for our birthdays (we stayed at home for those).

Birthday Cake...
Kristen, who is now our 3rd roomate, and I got rained out of the pool the Sunday before Matt's birthday. He was golfing so we went and bought ingredients to make the ultimate birthday cake...neither of us LOVE to cook, but we both really enjoy baking. It was a yellow butter cake with strawberries, chocolate chips and had a fudge icing (Matt loves fudge)...we were ambitious and went for two layers with a cream cheese icing in between (he loves cream cheese). We then used our decorating sense (her's from doing actual cakes at a bakery and me just being me) and put cut strawberries on top with chocolate chips around the sides. Happy Late Blog Birthday Babe! Exactly one month after our wedding, he turned 26.

Cabinet Doors...
We have missed you, but now you weird us out a little.

We recently decided that we're giving up on the staining the cabinets ourselves and are saving the money for someone to do it after putting only one coat on all the doors that need two. (Probably gonna take a while) So this year when your thinking of Christmas gifts, think cabinets! Since they prob. won't be finished until next summer, I started to put the doors back on...I was sick of the cluttered look after 2 years. Waiting for Matt's help this weekend with the tall doors...

Weekend Fun...
First is was the 4th at False River with Ashtyn and Derrick.

Next Kevin and Denise's Wedding July 24, 2010 in Lafayette. Congrats you guys...you were both beautiful! This pics of Matt and I at the wedding are on a different camera. :(

Last weekend was our last summer bash at Lake Sam Raborn in Texas. It was awesome...we will def. be going back! Me, Matt, Ashtyn, Derrick, Garrett, Leslie C, Matt M, Kristen, and Brandon rented a lake house and took Derrick's boat out for some wake boarding and tubing from Thursday to Sunday. We got a spa treatment every day as we walked through the wet, clay/mud to the boat from the house until we realized we could roll out a dock that sunk into the mud and stayed suctioned for the last 2 days.

I am almost back to wake boarding like a normal person again after falling on my face too many times last summer. (when am I ever normal anyway?...). Matt was mastering his many tricks he is trying...including his infamous back flip where he throws his body upside down in the air and hopes for a good landing.

got pretty sunburnt..had to keep layering it on

I love my friends...Ashtyn helped me to discover that I can eat marshmallows, hershey's bars, snickers, potato chips, and tostitos on my new Gluten-free diet. Thanks for giving me reasons to eat junk...on occasion. We also managed to run out of gas, but seriously licked out that we were so close to a camp. The boys got out and pushed/pulled the boat while Kristen and I swam and hiked the rocks to the camp to ask for a gas can. A man just so happened to have a can with Gas...ooo ya! He saved the day!

Kristen and Leslie trying to flag people down before we decided to swim to them

Matt M and Derrick pulling

Garrett, Brandon, and Matt T pushing...no one needed a work out after that

The rest of the weekend details are on a need to know basis, this includes: cave woman, mud fights, beer pong, smores, etc.

Garrett, the model

Gluten-Free...

Two weeks after our wedding I was re-tested for Celiac Disease and a few days after making Matt's cake I was told by the doctor to stop eating Glutens. There is no sure way to know if you have it besides biopsying a piece of your small intestine (which I am not doing anytime soon)...but after testing for EVERYTHING else and discovering that Celiac Disease appears in my genetic test, the doctor is pretty sure I have it to some degree. The only way to cure its symptoms and avoid complications that include infertility is to avoid Glutens for the rest of my life. 

This must be Gods way of getting me to enjoy cooking for my family. I never enjoyed it before, but now knowing that Glutens can be found in some vinegars, sauces, meats, breads, and anything that is processed in factories that process glutens; cooking seems safer and easier than eating out. At first it was daunting to avoid everything and still be able to eat a variety of things. Luckily, this week I have made some discoveries.

First:

This is not a cook book, but a book to understand what is happening and how to cope with every day life. This includes going to parties and getting asked constantly why you are not eating the food that is out...without sounding whoa-is-me, and a section for people who live with people that have Celiac. Matt has been very good and understanding...another reason to love him. I have also discovered a range a Gluten-free food at local grocery stores like HEB and Walmart. Not that I want to eat bad all the time, but the key to staying on a diet is to let yourself cheat every once and a while...when I want a brownie, I think I deserve one. Sooo, I found gluten-free baking flour, bread mixes, cakes, pancake mix, pizza crust, brownie mix, chocolate chip cookie mix, lunch meat, drinks, peanut butter, almond butter, pasta noodles and sauce, granola, and even more! I feel like the possiblities in my kitchen just tripled...of course any fruit or veggies will always be perfect for me.

Yes, that is Mac-N-Cheese on my dinner plate...rice noodles rock! And corn noodles...after being at the lake and not being able to eat the Mac-N-Cheese with everyone both nights they all ate it, I was jumping up and down through the aisles when I found the rice noodle macaroni.

Etsy...

I am also managing to work on my etsy shop, portfolio, and learn a program I need for school. I have added photography that I have done over the years (hoping to get new stuff soon) to the shop and am working on 3 new paintings to put on there soon. (branches, peacock, and fleur de lis) Check it out...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nikhubbard67

Who Dat!

The Tags-Nikki