tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65535980959535494322012-02-14T23:01:06.161-06:00Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-47218467378110577812012-02-14T08:32:00.000-06:002012-02-14T08:32:25.680-06:00

Last year, Grace gave me a $50 Mixbook voucher for my birthday. After trying out MyPublisher, Shutterfly, and Picaboo, I have to say that I really liked Mixbook's user interface-- I liked that I didn't have to download a program and then upload my book after I was finished and I liked that it had a number of great templates and styles that I could adapt however I wanted. I haven't received the

Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-7071524193291204392011-12-19T08:24:00.000-06:002011-12-19T08:25:01.824-06:00

Found this recipe in the December issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I usually stick to peppermint-themed Christmas desserts, but this one was so beautiful, I decided to give it a try-- that and the fact that I stocked up on strawberries over the summer and wanted to use them. Luke-- the picky texture diner-- was happy to report that the cream soaked into the cake, making it nice and moist

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-15750315596248037722011-11-24T22:59:00.000-06:002011-11-24T22:59:20.989-06:00

Well, yesterday was dessert day, which was why I never got around to posting a recipe. By the end of the day, our total dessert tally included Grandma Ople's Apple Pie, Maple-Pumpkin Cheesecake, Triple Berry Pie, Luke's Garbage Lid Pumpkin Pie, and new this year: Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Pie. Since Luke's recipe is still a family secret, I'll share the cheesecake pie recipe with you instead..

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-17444658366411325742011-11-22T08:14:00.000-06:002011-11-22T09:09:19.658-06:00

Moran's Famous Pumpkin Bread [Rachel Moran] Well, I discovered that getting sick and having a daughter who's teething will pretty much wipe me out now, hence the absence of 2 pumpkin recipes. Oh well. Rebekah Martin posted this recipe earlier this fall, and since it uses applesauce instead of oil, I decided to give it a shot. The result? I probably shouldn't divulge how many loaves we've

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-16830492396502061282011-11-19T13:49:00.000-06:002011-11-19T13:54:29.045-06:00

Pumpkin Cornbread [allrecipes.com] If you're making chili, you need cornbread! This picture is actually of "Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread." I experimented with that recipe to get this recipe, but I wasn't sure if it would work, so I never took a picture. This recipe is awesomely easy and adaptable-- the only thing I wouldn't compromise is the buttermilk: it is the secret to all

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-62874331601881670932011-11-18T08:07:00.000-06:002011-11-18T08:07:57.050-06:00

Pumpkin Chili [allrecipes.com] I like recipes with surprise ingredients. I have two go-to chili recipes: one has chocolate and this one has pumpkin. When I first made this recipe, it was a bit too watery for me so the recipe below reflects a few modifications to make it more chunky and spicy... Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef 1 large onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 cups

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-32245422418431321222011-11-17T08:14:00.001-06:002011-11-17T08:17:02.375-06:00

Luke loves pumpkin pie-- so much so that he figured out a way to bake a huge pumpkin pie... in a garbage lid. He claims that he sterilized it and everything, but thankfully, he now uses an 18" pizza pan. I thought that his love for pumpkin pie meant that he loves all things pumpkin. I discovered this year that this wasn't really the case. Oh well... In my quest to please Luke by testing out

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-26919706046644412122011-10-31T22:13:00.000-05:002011-10-31T22:50:01.666-05:00

(Earlier this year, I started writing for my friend Rachel's blog MomColoredGlasses. This is a re-post of my most recent blog post. This is what I'm learning in this crazy time of life...) "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God…" (1 John 3:1) I am my father's daughter. Throughout this month, I've been pondering the theme of

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-5456929097553568292011-09-21T22:18:00.001-05:002011-09-21T22:20:12.444-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-15218576088486103792011-09-17T20:50:00.000-05:002011-09-17T20:50:40.702-05:00

The other day, I took a picture in my mind. I was in the garage holding Arianna. We were watching Luke back out on his way to class. He had only just gotten home from work an hour or so ago. I watched her take it all in, trying to process the information with her little brain. I half expected her to burst into tears, because that was how I felt. That is a snapshot of our life right now. We

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-38529689963189819872011-03-18T15:30:00.000-05:002011-03-18T15:30:39.975-05:00

...our daughter Arianna was born on Friday, February 4, 2011. She's six weeks old today! Yes, we are in love...

Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-7893198380013056122010-12-24T11:03:00.000-06:002010-12-24T11:03:19.709-06:00

"How can this be...?" (Luke 1:34) Some things are hard to understand unless you experience it-- like the first time we heard our baby's heartbeat, the first time we felt the baby kick, and the first time we saw our baby's face via ultrasound. In each of those moments, the theoretical existence of our child became more of a reality. How can it be that someone else's life is bound up in mine? How

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-82714834607773379282010-12-05T22:15:00.000-06:002010-12-05T22:15:22.827-06:00

Back when I was still coordinating Children's Institutes in Taiwan, I used to ask random people random questions, such as "If you could marry any movie character, who would it be and why?" I asked Luke this question, completely oblivious to the fact that he was interested in me at the time. He responded, "Sally the Porsche from Cars." That is one reason why, for our second anniversary, we

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-23518760868484394502010-09-25T21:40:00.000-05:002010-09-25T21:40:17.331-05:00

...these good people helped us move... ...into our new home... ...which needed a little work... ...some of which didn't feel as necessary when we began (thankfully, it didn't rain when we were working on the skylights, which I now adore)... ...and of course, when you do a lot of work, you also need to start showing it off... ...because a home isn't much fun without people in it...

Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-25081720296063200012010-06-25T18:05:00.003-05:002010-06-25T18:10:09.243-05:00

...because we wished our parents a happy grandfather's day!

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-30384444398078389032010-06-10T17:36:00.003-05:002010-06-10T18:41:06.653-05:00

Long ago, we knew little about the world. No one knew why the seasons changed. Pagans prayed to their gods at winter solstice to please bring the warmth back for one more year. Scientists thought that flies were spontaneously generated from rotting meat. Clouds floating in the sky were a proof of God's existence because it was "impossible." We found God in the "gaps" of our knowledge - proved

Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453132920166993877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-71717520689481738492010-05-14T09:12:00.002-05:002010-05-14T09:47:17.884-05:00

...but here's what happened in Oklahoma on Monday, May 10, 2010.

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-79494477032326950312010-05-01T13:17:00.003-05:002010-05-01T13:49:19.439-05:00

Those of you following Karen's post-employment blog know that I am now employed at Kimray, Inc., packing up oil field valves. Different from my previous (desk) job, it's very physically demanding, which I enjoy.But as part of the whole discussion of what to do next, Karen and I decided that perhaps I should start pursuing my interest in philosophy and apologetics more purposefully. One

Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453132920166993877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-42540263666971421982010-03-17T21:00:00.000-05:002010-03-18T18:42:17.935-05:00

When we were courting, Luke's family took me to the hot springs in Thermopolis, which had a ten-foot diving board. We watched a kid climb the steps up to the board, walk to the edge, and chicken out at least a dozen times, despite the fact that everyone in the pool was cheering him on.Sometimes I feel like that kid. I walk to the edge, but before I leap, I think through all the reasons why I

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-3196434349554926722010-02-16T15:44:00.007-06:002010-02-16T20:24:09.136-06:00

In celebration of Chinese New Year, here's a recipe for one of my favorite Chinese snacks of all time... green onion pancakes. When I was in junior high/high school, my mom taught me how to make the "Chexican" version (layers of tortillas spread with oil, sprinkled with chopped green onions and salt). It's good-- but after moving to Taiwan, it's not quite good enough. That is why-- when I wasn't

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-85354375649290659192009-12-24T16:14:00.007-06:002009-12-24T16:39:52.038-06:00

still alive. still in oklahoma. still together. still happy. (in case you were wondering...)

Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-67415553883487100132009-10-30T12:12:00.003-05:002009-10-30T12:21:07.072-05:00

Brought to you from our friends Tim & Matt Morgan who did our wedding video... Check out their album here.

Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-38503200594891965552009-10-19T22:00:00.000-05:002009-10-19T22:00:07.323-05:00

I never dreamt that my first year would be spent in a hotel room. It wasn't much, but we didn't have much. We ate in our bedroom and washed dishes in our bathroom. I learned to shop for a dorm-sized fridge, to cook with one burner, to make pasta in our rice cooker.There is something sacred about the simplicity of that first year of marriage.Within these walls, we built our home-- a home not made

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-63138992664540406232009-10-08T08:56:00.002-05:002009-10-08T22:49:52.995-05:00

I’m sure you’ve heard lots of people talk about the importance of character. Unfortunately, much of it sounds something like, “We need to start a character emphasis because all these people are doing bad stuff, and we want them to start doing good stuff!” Though understandable, this statement focuses completely on behavior and really isn’t very character-based at all. People can do lots of good

Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453132920166993877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-65798464206992834602009-09-29T14:18:00.004-05:002009-09-29T15:35:59.076-05:00

They say that moving is one of the greatest stresses in a woman's life. I concur. So after taking Dad to the airport, we picked up a Venti Peppermint White Mocha Frappucino and headed home to throw the rest of our stuff in boxes before friends arrived to help.Ironically, as we piled our stuff according to the rooms we wanted to move them into, our apartment began to look the way it did when we

Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-56499726277864357362009-05-11T14:21:00.005-05:002009-05-11T14:32:11.947-05:00

This is what happens when you don't write your thank you notes right away...Hee hee... happy seven-month anniversary to us.PS: Your thank you note is coming...

Luke and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02762458706495716681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-68545707353589907122009-02-17T21:54:00.003-06:002009-02-17T22:36:29.271-06:00

Last August, I returned to Guatemala.It was a dream come true not only to revisit the place where God first planted a seed for missions within my heart, but also to take Luke with me. At the end of the trip, Bob Henriques, our host missionary, asked us all to write a letter to ourselves, which he promised to mail half a year later.True to his word, I received an envelope addressed to myself last

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-67955855718473073882009-01-26T20:18:00.000-06:002009-01-26T22:52:31.776-06:00

Hello and many blessings to you, family and friends!2008 has been an amazing, challenging, and…very new kind of year for Karen and I. Marrying each other has been a big change, but actually the many other changes that come along with it have been much more significant than marriage itself. I have been amazed at how normal it feels to be married – I’m still me, Karen is still herself; we’re just

Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453132920166993877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553598095953549432.post-72861135685608913512009-01-01T22:23:00.007-06:002009-01-26T22:30:52.039-06:00

I'm out of practice. Digital photography has spoiled me-- not just the technology, but more so the availability of other photographers and their better cameras.Nevertheless, I did shoot a number of gigabytes last year and whittled it down to the Sweet 16 of 2008. In chronological order...Kaohsiung, Taiwan: I don't know why it took me 13 years to discover this view...Qijin Beach, Kaohsiung: Our

Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616759604604010121noreply@blogger.com4