the sniders (all four of us)

chris' parents came out to IN for a week last week. we celebrated chris' 21st birthday, then on friday we went to Chicago. we ate at Giordano's Pizza - delicious! then we found an old italian restaurant to get some canollis - again, delicious - although not as good as the one's in Boston in Little Italy. on saturday we hit the Magnificient Mile - a huge strip of shops and restaurants. being that it was a saturday, it was quite busy and more than a little overwhelming. Chris and i went into the Apple store. it was HUGE! it had two stories, with a really cool glass staircase. then we went into the 4 story Gap. Cheryl and i went into a store that only had bags and purses. i was very excited about this store. but i was not so excited when i saw a bag ON SALE for $70 and another for $80. needless to say, we didn't get anything. :D

we then headed for IKEA. chris and i bought a couple of dressers and a couple other fun things for our house. we were there until almost 10pm. we were intending to go home, but we would have gotten home at about 2am. so we decided to go to dinner and then only drive half way and stay in a hotel. ironically, because dinner was so long, we didn't get to our hotel until 2am. oh well. :D

kevin and chris worked on the house throughout the week. they put in a vent in our bathroom, a spicket outside the house for a hose, installed a fan in the kitchen and rewired it so it would actually work -*breath* - fixed things on chris' bronco, potted plants, cleaned the gutters, got a propain tank for the grill, and went to Lowe's so many times that i'm pretty sure they knew them by name. :D

it was a spectacular week. we really miss them being here, but while they were here, we had the realization that this house was definately built for two people. :D our poor parents had to sleep in the living room and didn't really even have a place to put their luggage. :D *note to self* buy a bigger house that is NOT a fixer-upper.*

that's all for now. enjoy the pics of our week.

COMING SOON: pictures of our BEAUTIFUL house! :D

chris and i at his birthday dinner at Los Nopalas


Giordano's - mmm, deep dish pizza!


waiting to go SHOPPING!


CHICAGO. obviously.


cool buildings in the Mag Mile


the awesome Apple Store


the sweet two-story apple store
with the glass staircase


we were very excited about the apple store
(apparently, every album needs one of these
poses) :D


on the Mag Mile some organization dressed up
manicans and put them in the bushes...


this one was made out
of coke cans - it was named
the "Sexy Can-Can Girl"

espresso and shifting

so i started my new job at Tree of Life (a Christian bookstore) on monday. today was my first day to train in the cafe part of our store. let me just say...he is INTENSE! he's a really nice guy - young, married, cool - but, boy does he know coffee. not only does he work in the cafe at T.O.L., he also works for a coffee company that roasts beans and trains people on how to make coffee, etc. AND he does competitions - like manually making perfect espresso shots and doing latte art - kind of competitions.

i didn't realize how intricate and sensitive coffee is. it's a whole other world - an art form. i'm excited to have been introduced to this wonderful world of coffee, however, it is quite intimidating to have a pro stand over your shoulder while your trying to make you first espresso shot. and don't even get me started on steaming milk!



shifting is also another world i have been recently introduced to. rather, driving a manual car. since chris and i sold my car, we now only have his bronco and the honda (which is a stick shift). i've been learning, and i can drive the car by myself, however, i'm not very good at it. there is a lot of jerking and jostling going on - whip lash kind of jerking. :D it has been an adventure, but i will get the hang of it - i hope.

just yesterday, i pulled into the gas station to get gas. i stopped before pulling up to a pump becuause i didn't know which side the tank was on. i figured out it was on the driver's side, so i began to pull forward. the engine stalled. so i start up the car again - put on the gas - stalled again. i do the process once again - stalled a third time. i thought the car wouldn't start because it was completely out of gas. i was thinking - NO, i am 30 feet from the pump, don't die on me now! then i look down to find that i am in 3rd. with a frustrated sigh, i put it in 1st and pull up to the pump. *note to self - make sure you're in 1st before putting the foot on the gas when you are at a standstill* i realize this is pretty much the #1 rule in driving a stick - but like i said - it's been an adventure. :D

inspired.

kim anderson arts

ever had those friends that do amazing things? they may be simple things, but you think they are amazing? well i do. some write, some act, some sing, some take pictures, some dance, some study and understand the Word well, some raise families...
these are the ones who inspire me. not necessarily the "great" ones such as celebrities, politicians, world leaders, talk show hosts, etc. - these people can be very inspiring, but i'm talking about those people that are not famous - that don't do what they do for fame and fortune, but simply because it's what they love - it's their passion - the desire in their very being that God has placed within them.
i want that desire, that passion. i want to use the gifts God has given me. i want to develop the gifts i use often, and work on the ones that often are forgotten. i want to develop my creativity. strengthen my weaknesses and use my strengths. i want to do things not for fame and fortune, but because i love them. and maybe, just maybe - whether through my words, actions, creativity, or gifts - i can be an inspiration.

ode to my little blue friend

we sold my '92 chevy corsica yesterday.
it was my first car (that my parents didn't own). i'm glad we were able to sell it, but it was bittersweet because it was MY car.

bye little car.


- L

p.s. the picture isn't my car, but close enough :D

family

the three cousins and their husbands :D

left to right: aubrey (cousin), dan, beverly (aunt),
evie, dave (uncle), grandma, campbell, chase,
grandpa, amy (cousin), and mitch

Chase and Campbell


Campbell

Evie (Evelyn) and Dan (her dad)

being so far from home, it's good to see family whenever possible.
well, chris and i got a BIG dose of family this weekend.

my uncle (dad's oldest bro), aunt, cousin/her husband/2 kids, and other cousin/her husband/i kid - all came to my grandparents house last night. today was the Soultz (grandma's family) family reunion (that they have every year). :D our group hung out at grandma and grandpa's last night, then today we went to the reunion together. you see, grandma is one of twelve kids (only two have passed away)...so the reunion consisted of about 90-100 people who were all related to each other in one way or another. talk about good home cooking. MMM. :D

after, we went down to the park and took some pics (mostly of the kids) and then some of the family.

i really enjoyed seeing family again and chris met some of them for the first time. he seemed to enjoy himself, too. (for the most part) ;D