It hangs above my altar
Like they hung him from a cross
I keep one in my wallet
For the times I feel lost
I feel lost
In a wooden frame with splinters
Where my family kneels to pray
And if you listen close
You'll hear the words he used to say

I've got a picture of Jesus
In his arms so many prayers rest
We've got a picture of Jesus
And with him we shall be forever blessed
Forever blessed
Forever blessed

Now it has been spoken
He would come again
But would we recognize
This king among men
There was a man in our time
His words shine bright like the sun
He tried to lift the masses
And was crucified by gun

He was a picture of Jesus
With him so many prayers rest
He is a picture of Jesus
In his arms so many prayers
So many prayers
So many prayers rest
With him we shall be forever blessed
Forever blessed
Forever blessed

Some days have no beginning
And some days have no end
Some roads are straight and narrow
And some roads only bend
So let us say a prayer
For every living thing
Walking towards a light
From the cross of a king
We long to be a picture of Jesus
Of Jesus
In his arms
In his arms so many prayers rest
I long to be a picture of Jesus
With him we shall be forever blessed
With him we shall
With him we shall be forever blessed
Oh- Oh- I long
I've got a picture of Jesus
Mmhh

--"Picture of Jesus", Ben Harper

Taco Pizza

Ignore the foil...I left my pizza pan in the other apartment, so I had to improvise. I had heard of taco pizza (I have a true heart for pizza...I just love love love it!) before but never had it. I was attempting to use up some groceries we had in the house, because I HATE to buy more groceries when we haven't gone through everything first, and low and behold, I had ingredients for taco pizza. And, turns out, taco pizza is stinkin' delicious! And so, so simple! The method is below:

Brown the meat (I used ground turkey, but any ground meat will be perfect)

Add taco seasoning

Put seasoned meat on pizza crust

Top with mexican blend shredded cheese

Throw in oven at 425 degrees until cheese is melted

Remove from oven and top with chopped lettuce and crunched up taco shells

You can add anything to the top of the pizza that you would normally eat on a taco (peppers, tomatoes, olives, etc.) but, I live with a picky eater, so our toppings were restricted. We did add a bit of salsa and sour cream to each slice, and THAT really topped it off and pulled the whole thing together. Andy said it was the best pizza he had ever had! We'll definitely make it again.

I also have a new passion for frugal living and am particularly interested in eating well on a (tight) budget. So, as I post recipes, I'm going to include price breakdowns. For this one, I'm estimating prices but will be more exact in the future.

Ground turkey - $3.00

Taco seasoning - $0.85

Lettuce (from the Farmer's Market...delicious!) - $2.00 for the bunch. We used approximately 1/4 of the bunch, so $0.50

Cheese - $2.00

Pizza crust - $3.00 for a package of two crusts, so $1.50 for this pizza

Taco shells - $0.88

Sour cream and salsa - already had in the fridge (free for this recipe!)

Total: $8.73. However, the pizza provided three meals (me and Andy for dinner, and then Andy for lunch that week). That's a total of $2.91 per meal! Bet you can't get that delicious meal at a pizza place for less than $3.00.

A new home and a new degree!

Andy graduated last Saturday! We had both sides of the family up for the occasion and it was a fabulous weekend! I was so proud of Andy and he even enjoyed himself a bit too! On Saturday evening we had a graduation party and got to celebrate with lots of friends and family.

Monday officially started summer and I couldn't be happier. Though this year in residence life has been satisfying, the pace is so intense that summer vacation really is needed for a recharge. As of right now, Andy and I don't have any plans to travel, but we'll see what develops :-).

Andy is still enjoying his job at Sofa Mart, and continues to do really well. It's so rewarding to see him in a position that he loves.

This week we also moved into our new apartment, which we lovingly refer to as our "summer cottage". Our building is under construction this summer, so we've moved across campus into a cozy apartment across from our friends. Given that last night we played hours of Super Mario Brothers together, I think the new home is going to work just fine ;-:

Here's to enjoying summer and being patient about the future!

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:3