Recipe Friday!

This recipe is one of my new favorites. The first time I had it was on the 4th of July at Stephen's sisters house and I have the recipe now-thanks Melissa! :) I was making a cheesecake this morning (because it is Stephen's favorite) and thought I would share it with you too. I highly recommend it! You could even make it low-fat or sugar-free, so maybe it is diet friendly too...at least that's what I am telling myself.

Delicious Blueberry Cheesecake



4 c blueberries
1 c sugar
2-3 T cornstarch
2 8-oz cream cheese
2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 c lemon juice
2 t vanilla

Crust
1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c butter (softened)
1/4 t cinnamon



In saucepan, combine blueberries, 1/2 c water, sugar & cornstarch and bring to a boil. Remove from heat & cool completely.

Mix ingredients for crust. Press into 9x13" pan & refrigerate.

Mix ingredients for cream cheese filling (cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla) with a blender on high until smooth. Pour over crust & refrigerate.

Once blueberry mixture is completely cooled, spread over cream cheese filling & refrigerate until served.

3 posts in 1

Here is the much awaited update on my interviews last week:

Interview #1 was with The Dalton Agency. Their office is located in downtown Jacksonville which it quite a drive from my house, but I was in awe of their offices! The building was so nice! The Dalton Agency is a advertising firm that does a lot of local advertising...clients include the Jaguars, McDonald's, and lots of others too. They were interviewing roughly 10 candidates for the front desk/administrative assistant position and said that I should not expect to hear from them before the end of this week.

Interview #2 was with HCA, which is closer to my home. HCA does most the the medical billing for almost all the hospitals in Florida and nationally too. The office close to my house deals with mostly Florida and some Alabama so I hear. This interview went well...that is after the 45 questions I was asked Miss American style in which I wanted to respond as if I was Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality "harsher punishment for parole violators, Stan. Oh, and world peace!" I am sure this would have secured the job for me on the spot! They had about 10 more people to interview too so maybe I will hear back from this later this week :) Finger are crossed!

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers. I have the best friends and family a girl could ask for. After my day of interviewing and sweating in a suit in this Florida heat my friend Matt took me out to dinner. Afterwards he wanted ice cream but I talked him into trying CamiCakes :) I have documented every one's first CamiCake experience...Stephen, Libby, Grandma, Mom...so of course Matt had to be caught on camera! He loved the cupcake and actually said it was the best cupcake he had ever eaten. It looks like he enjoyed it, don't ya think?




Seriously these are the best cupcakes I have ever had and he made my day by letting me get them. Thanks Matt! Yum, it was a sweet ending to a stressful day!

One week...

...until Stephen is in Florida and we start vacation!!! I am so excited words cannot even express how ready for this I am! We are planning on road tripping from Jax-Gulf Shores, Alabama then back to Orlando and finally to Jax again :) It is going to be an awesome week plus a few days!


I am working on a post about my interviews earlier in the week, I have gotten emails asking about them and I promise I will update soon. Happy Friday every one :)

mini vacay :)

Last weekend we packed up and hit I95 South headed for Daytona...well, Mom, Margaret, Hunter, Keri and Jessie did. I tagged along an hour or so behind them when I finished my final day at my old job :) We stayed at our usual "Sun Viking Lodge" where we have stayed yearly since Keri and I were in 7th grade. It is fun to go back every year and see the same people; guests and employees! Despite a half day of rain we still managed to have in incredible weekend full of fun, sun, and Hunter skimboarding. That kid is awesome at any sport that involves a board-it isn't fair!

It was really neat to be in the water when the clouds rolled in. The storms are a comin'!
Yeah, my little brother basically he rocks at this, and I don't! How is that fair?
What trip to Daytona would be complete without tacky surf shop sunglasses? I actually considered buying these!

Happy Hump Day!

You know you're a Floridian if...

· Socks are only for bowling.
· You never use an umbrella because you know the rain will be over in five minutes.
· A good parking place has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.
· Your winter coat is made of denim.
· You can tell the difference between fire ant bites and mosquito bites.
· You're younger than thirty but some of your friends are over 65.
· Anything under 70 is chilly.
· You pass on the right and honk at the elderly, but pull over for a funeral.
· You've driven through Yeehaw Junction.
· You could swim before you could read.
· You have to drive north to get to The South.
· You know that no other grocery store can compare to Publix.
· Every other house in your neighborhood had blue roofs in 2004-2005.
· You've gotten out of school early on Halloween to trick or treat before it got dark.
· You know that anything under a Category 3 just isn't worth waking up for.
· You dread love bug season.
· You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances...but Charley, Frances , Ivan and Jeanne.
· You think a six-foot alligator is actually pretty small.
· You were twelve before you ever saw snow, or you still haven't.
· "Down South" means Key West
· "Panhandling" means going to Pensacola
· Flip-flops are everyday wear. Shoes are for business meetings and church.
No, wait, flip flops are good for church too, unless it's Easter or Christmas.
· Sweet tea can be served at any meal.
· An alligator once walked through your neighborhood.
· You measure distance in minutes.
· You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.
· You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.
· All the local festivals are named after a fruit.
· A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.
· You think everyone from a bigger city has a northern accent.
· You know the four seasons really are: almost summer, summer, not summer but really hot, and February.
· Anything under 95 is just warm.
· You've hosted a hurricane party.
· You go to a theme park for an afternoon, and know when to get on the best rides (Space Mountain during the Electric Light Parade!).
· You understand the futility of exterminating cockroaches.
· You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee , Ichnatucknee and Withlacoochee
· You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.
· You were 5 before you realized they made houses without pools.
· You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.
· You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas.

I got this in an email today and it really made me laugh, thanks for forwarding a good laugh Libby! Hope you enjoy too!

Prayer Request!!

I have a very important (to me) prayer request: I have two, yes TWO job interviews tomorrow! One is in downtown Jacksonville and the other is right in my town! Please keep me in your prayers today as I prepare for these and tomorrow.

I hope everyone is having a great week. Mine is flying by...there is a lot to do when you are unemployed! 10 days until Stephen flies to Florida...I cannot wait!

Don't Worry...Be Happy!

In the words of Bob Marley:
cos when you worry, your face will frown,
and that will bring everybody down,
so don't worry, be happy

don't worry, be happy now...

don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy

now there this song i wrote
i hope you you learned it note for note
like good little children

don't worry be happy

listen to what i say
in your life expect some trouble
when you worry you make it double
don't worry be happy
be happy now

don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry
don't worry be happy
don't worry, don't worry, don't do it,
be happy,put a smile on your face,
don't bring everybody down like this

don't worry, it will soon pass whatever it is,
don't worry, be happy,
I'm not worried

So far some positive things have come out of this layoff/downsizing situation. First of all, Stephen and I decided to change his flight to Florida for our joint vacation from August 4th to July 31st. That means he will be here, in the same state as me in TWO WEEKS. (I am squealing with excitement right now!) This in itself is enough to make me happy; but wait, there is more! I sent out probably around 10-12 resumes and letters today within less than 24 hours of finding out I no longer had a job. How is that for productive? Honestly, I was impressed with how quickly I jumped on the application bandwagon. I will be sure to post and let you all know what kind of feedback/interviews I get. Keep your fingers crossed!

We had a great girls night tonight and watched "Sleepless in Seattle"...I am embarrassed to say that tonight was the first time I had seen the movie and I own it! I really enjoyed it and I love the young Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks with 1980's hair and shoulder pads. The girls and my little brother are headed to the beach for the weekend of fun and sun and relaxing. I am off to pack.

Have a great weekend!

D day

What exactly is "D day"? Well in this case it is downsizing day. Yep, the rough economy has struck again...this time at my former place of employment. Seeing as how I worked for a financial investment firm and everyone is scared to invest right now with the economy the way it is, I can understand the financial pressures put on the company. Still, even you know there is no job security it still comes as a shock. In my case it was a big shock. The meeting ended at 5pm with one less employee...me :( I have been employed by this company for 3 years and went through a lot of changes in that time. This job was how I paid my bills and supported myself, it was mediocre health insurance making my life affordable with type 1 diabetes, and it was something to do everyday from 8-5. I know that I did my job the best I could and the best I knew how given the little training I have in finance, so I know that this is not a personal failure (at least I am going to keep telling myself that).

Where do I go from here? Well, looking for another job is a given (let me know if you know of anyone hiring in the Jacksonville area)! I have a non-negotiable vacation planned for August (4th-11th) so maybe I will start a new job after that...who knows where I will end up. I am trying really hard to look at this from a positive spin and think that I might actually get to use my degree this next time around. It sure would be nice to put an expensive education to use :)

Thanks to all of my friends who have been so supportive through all the tough times at the previous job...and trust me, there were some tough times. My phone has been ringing and beeping nonstop with calls and text messages for people offering words of encouragement and prayer. I so appreciate everyone that is in my life and there for me. I love you guys! My friend Matt (Brummitt to some of you) rescued me from the "pits of despair" tonight as he put it and we went to a movie and got some ice cream. The ice cream was my dinner...don't hate!

My good friend Serena in Indiana sent me this text today and it made my heart happy: "Oh, Em...I'm praying. I know it hurts and it's scary but God is in control. He will provide and he will make his path clear. Jer. 29:11"

That is my prayer request. That God is in control and takes me wherever he wants me to go to glorify him and that I will find comfort in his perfect will knowing that he is in control. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Glory to God!!

Shoes...oh how I love you!

It is no secret that I love shoes! I even hide new ones from my Mom so she won't lecture me about wasteful spending or borrow them for an unspecified time...oh wait, she reads this blog so I guess she knows my trick now. These are my most recently added pair to my collection: How do I know these were a good purchase? Well first of all, I can wear them almost everyday to work without any significant pain. And more importantly, a Man stopped and complimented my shoes while I was walking in the hallway yesterday outside our office suite! That's right, a man complimented my shoes! He seriously might have made my day with this "hey girl, those are some really nice shoes!" Oh yes, thank you random stranger :)

If you want some, they are NineWest and I got mine from DSW.

Happy Hump Day!

A Magical Day

A few weeks ago (sorry I am late blogging about it) I spent the day at Disney for a "Night of Joy" promotion with some really awesome friends. At first we thought our tickets were just for one park (Hollywood Studios)...but then we found out that they were park hopper tickets! SCORE! We were all so excited and we immediately began mapping out our day and what we would hit at each park . We successfully went to all 4 Disney theme parks in Orlando and rode every major attraction at all of them. Well, with the exception of Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom only because it is closed until November for upgrades. This was my best Disney experience ever...no offense Mom and thanks for taking me so many times as a kiddo :)

Here are some highlights from the day:
1. It was 23 hours long.
2. We got special VIP treatment from Disney employees.
3. It was Sam's birthday
4. Our bus driver proposed to us.
5. We made a friend who spent nearly the entire day with us, thanks Chris.
6. Rode the boat, monorail, and buses...all modes of Disney Transportation.
7. Went to all 4 parks, for FREE!!!

Here we all are at Hollywood Studios...we are not tired yet!
On the bus from Hollywood Studios to Epcot, our bus driver proposed to all 4 of us! We got some bling...looks like Stephen has some competition now!
Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom is so pretty at night and it changes colors!
I don't remember if this was before or after Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, but it was one of the last pictures of the day...we are definitely tired at this point!

Weekend Recap:

Last weekend I was in Indiana with Stephen and his family. Stephen had a softball game on Friday night and I made it in time to go and cheer him on :) I knew he played almost every Friday night for a church league but it was special to get to see him play, and win (10-7)! We spent the 4th at his sister's house with the whole family. Unfortunately it rained steady almost all day, but that did not stop his niece from going outside and talking the boys into playing softball with her in the rain. The rain stopped long enough for us to shoot off some nice fireworks. It was cool being in a state where fireworks that explode in the sky aren't illegal. You could see fireworks going off over treetops everywhere!

After listening to everyone talk about how wonderful The Proposal was, I finally got to see it. It only took a little bit of convincing to get Stephen to see that rather than Transformers...and he even enjoyed it! The movie was totally funny from the beginning to the end. I now understand why some of my friends have seen it more than once. Another highlight would be winning our bowling game/tournament we always have. Well, I say I won by default since the bowling alley was closed when we went. No worries though, we will match up in August!


I did not take many pictures this weekend...shocker, I know. This picture was taken on the river walk in Peru :) My flight was delayed in Atlanta and I was stuck in the airport for 4 hours or so, that was no fun-but God is still good and it was an awesome weekend spent in Indiana! Only 27 days until Stephen flys to Florida and we drive to Gulf Shores...woohoo!

Houston Highlights

Here are some photo highlights of the A218 Houston Launch...a photo tour so to speak :) Enjoy! This is the last team photo that was taken by self timer (oh yeah!) in the Atlanta airport...waiting for our last flight home :) This is Chris, Katie, Derrick, Joey and Carolyn at the Hostel waiting for the women to some start arts and crafts with us. Team photo in San Leon, Texas doing hurricane relief work with Susan and Monte. This picture was taken by Pamela the volunteer coordinator at the Santa Maria Hostel in Houston...after a day of arts, crafts, and ministry :) We spent the day here doing projects and with the women. We even were able to eat lunch with them...what an experience! Joey was our awesome van driver and supplier of the Tums :) We all put those to good use! We are almost home...somewhere in the air between ATL and JAX with Houie (our team mascot)