looking into my magic oracle... i see the future:

day 17:
i am looking forward to...

GRADUATION!


sorry, i don't feel like posting much today... i woke up this morning with a sore throat and feeling like my eyes were trying to explode out of my head... i didn't even get out of bed until noon (after a very sweet younger brother brought pride and prejudice in to keep me company while i tried to go back to sleep). he's actually pretty sweet on occasion!
i never get sick. i'm usually the family member that laughs while everyone else is sick in bed. not today apparently. so, i'm going to go and sit on the couch, drink some (more) herbal tea, and beat this! because i don't like being sick while i'm at home. 


but today hasn't been all bad (i was about to go crazy, but my younger sister saved me by taking me to the store... we found some sweet red mugs at d.i... which will be a project that will take place sometime within the next few days. it's gonna be sweet!) 


feel better!
yes, thanks. i will!

a castle on a cloud

day 16:

my dream house.

i tend to collect pictures, and i usually don't write down where i get them.

(so for the sake of attributing these... none of them belong to me... but i don't remember where i got them. oops.)

***

now if anyone else out there is like me - and LOVES hot chocolate... but for the sheer fact that i would sit and drink cupfull after cupfull... (calorie counters cringe at the thought)

i found this to be a good alternative.

and homemade. (gotta love that, huh?!)

homemade sugar free/ fat free hot chocolate

3 cups instant powdered milk

1 cup splenda

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 sm. sugar free/fat free jello vanilla pudding, instant

mix all of the ingredients in a gallon size zip lock bag and close bag - mix. store in air tight container or the zip lock baggie. to make a cup of hot chocolate, use 1/4 cup of mix to 1 cup of hot water.

serves 18

i also have a fetish with mugs. i want this one.

...or for a single serving  (i mean... am i really going to make 18 servings worth of hot chocolate???)

1 cup non-dairy milk (you can also use unsweetened almond milk)

4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 packets stevia

Optional: pinch of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla 

first measure out one cup of milk, and then transfer 2 tbsp of it to a mug. Heat the rest of the milk on the stove top or in the microwave (it took me about one and a half minutes in the microwave) until steaming but not boiling.

while the milk is heating up, add the cocoa, stevia, vanilla and cinnamon to the 2 tbsp milk in the mug. stir it together until it forms a chocolaty paste.

once the milk is heated up, add it to the chocolaty paste and stir till combined. just whirl a whisk between your hands back and forth to froth it up if desired.

***

i bet there is no better remedy for a stuffy head and sore throat than a hot cup of chocolate and nice warm toes by the fire  errr... space heater? (we'll just pretend for imagination's sake, shall we?)

i need a theme song for moments like these.

 warning: 

if you have a problem with cold, damp, tight spaces,

you might get a little claustrophobic reading this...

you might want to have a little baggie on hand just in case.

one of my favorite adventures thus far -

(drumroll everyone!)

dum da da dum!

Hezekiah's Tunnel!!!

 this might look like we could see where we were...

we couldn't see anything until the flash illuminated (or rather blinded) the entire tunnel...

they said the water levels were low.

i want to know what the term "low" is actually referring to! 

this is the "upper pool" that is referred to in 2 kings.

the pillars are from a byzantine church that was built on top of it.

we also went to the pool of siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man. (see john 9)

cathedral of st. james

the lamps are called "ganteghs" 

i barely made it out alive...

other places of note:

we heard about church of saint john the baptist.

it is the oldest church in jerusalem, and if you don't know that you are looking for it, you'll never find it.

it's a brown door in the wall.

and it usually isn't open.

but as luck would have it, we found it open!

but i learned that you can't learn everything from the internet... if i would have followed these directions, i would have gotten sooooo lost!

we also found the jewish open market it west jeru...

and then another pedestrian shopping street called mahane yehuda. (much like our favorite place to get gelato... ben yehuda!)

we're leaving for jordan on sunday!!!

(which means amman... petra... eek! i'm excited!)

the scary thing is that 17 people were sick today.

the odds are kinda scary.

--------------------------------------------------------------

but on a good note:

finally done with midterms!!!

{i don't know whether to be happy or sad about this... finals are in two weeks, and we leave for jordan on sunday! which means that i will probably forget everything by the time i get back... hehe...}

wanna know something weird?

the bananas here are green. but they are still ripe.

it kinda weirds me out.

you take my breath away... literally.

dear mr. cold.

i hate you.

despite the fact that you are a major inconvenience on my life normally, i would

really appreciate being able to get back to hanging out with my family. since this is the first weekend i have been home this semester. instead i am sitting on the couch coughing and feeling like a lame fool

because i can't do anything. please go and bug somebody else.

jess

in my best attempt to pretend that i am a healthy individual, i went for a run this morning. oh my heavens the weather here is amazing! going from crazy rexburg, idaho weather

to boise is

like walking into a sauna. (not really) but gone is the snow, the wind, the ice, the boots, the jackets, and the thermal socks. i almost felt like i should be wearing shorts!

oh i can't wait for this summer!

but for now, i must make do with the methods to entertainment i have been given...

i think snow sculptures sound like a fantastic idea right now. :)

do you collect anything?

i collect lots of things.

which are... mostly things.

i have always wanted to find something that i really like. that i want to have a lot of. (and not have it look like a bunch of crap that is taking up space...)

my sister collects perfume bottles.

my other sister collects salt and pepper shakers.

i collect... stuff.

but not anymore! i have discovered something that i love.

and i love it sooooo much! (no these aren't mine, but i wish they were!)

aren't they cute?!

i have a couple of suitcases that i bought... not even realizing that i would start a collection, just knowing that i thought they were awesome!!!

i don't have a ton, because i get overzealous really easily, and i don't want to buy some just because i am "collecting" them. i just have to keep reminding myself - "take it easy jess..." (said with a nacho libre accent in honor of our party on wednesday) this means that i have an obsession with the D.I... (this is where i usually assuage my addiction)

i love old luggage with personality and cute little cups. none of the cups in my cupboards match... my roommates might get annoyed that they don't stack, but for now they have the decency not to tell me and undermine my joy. i love them so much!

one of these days you might get to meet them all!

ah! i almost forgot about today's music!

i shan't forget that!

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i am so grateful for home!

... and for my mommy that watches out for me!

(and helps me feel better when i'm sick!)

and for angry birds.

horribly.

addictive.

stupid.

awesome.

ridiculous game.