A time for Reflecting

While thinking about Christmas and awaiting its arrival it made me realize how close we are to the end of 2010. Another year gone and another year older right? While that maybe true i have to say that durring this year we have gained an emotional bond with each other that is stronger than anything else, we have suffered through storms with faith and came though the other side stronger than we thought we were. We have wept for hurt feelings, times lost and awful words from unknowing strangers. Most importantly durring the bad times, we stuck together and stood strong. We have/had faith that God will pull us though and if we keep looking to him he will show us the path that we must take.

Having a friend write our "reflection" letter that was sent out to friends and family we havent seen or herd from in a while it made us realize all we have been though this year, espically when you have a 3rd party writting your lives!

Below is our newest family photo and we hope that this holiday season brings you and your family as much love, joy and happiness possible. Wishing you and years a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year

Love,
The Gifts

30 Days of Gratitude...Follow Up

Spending the last 30 days being grateful for something every day gave me lots to think about. I didnt want to repeat a "Thankful For" post because I have so much to be grateful for and wanted to make sure I listed them all, I found my self thinking about it everyday and then somedays trying to find something to write about. On those days I had so much to be thankful for, just a bad day where I wanted to scream and yell and cuss.

Now that the days are over, I found my self asking "Why does it have to end?" Just because November will offically come to a close in 2.5 hours doesnt mean I cant do something for the month of December. Hummmm Something to think about! Maybe...I can do the 25 days of Christmas, each day something I love about this time of year and it cant include presents.

We will see....

Pork Chop...Yummm

A wonderful new way to make pork chops


Boneless Pork Chops (cheap ones will work fine)
8oz Tomato Sauce
3/4 Instant Rice -Uncooked
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 1/2 Cups of Water
9x13 Pan
Foil
Skillet
Salt & Pepper or your seasoning
Sherredded Cheese


Take your Skillet and brown each side of the pork chops, season each side BEFORE browning. Once Done Set Aside

Turn on Oven to 350

Now in a 9x13 pan mix your rice, water, seasoning and tomato sauce.

Once throughly mixed, place pork chops into mixture. Some may sink and others may stay on top. Cover with foil and place in oven for 30-45 mins.

Once they are done, turn oven off and take off top foil. Sprinkle with Cheese and put back in cooling oven to to melt the cheese.

Then Enjoy!!

It is simply wonderful and should be served with mexican beans and a tossed salad.

Catlina Chicken -Crock Pot Recipe

4-5 Boneless Skinles Chicken breast
(depending on how much your crock pot will hold)
1 Bottle Fat Free Catlina Dressing
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Green bell pepper
1 Can diced tomatos, drained

Place chicken in crock pot, cook on low for 4-6 hours

Enjoy!

Meme's Famous CornBread Dressing

My Meme gave me a cook book she made when I got married, its chopped full of old family recipes, ones she made, my dads fav and of course mine. I treasure this more than the most expensive thing in my home. It was made for me, with love with generations of womens traditons written on those pages. Its living history if you ask me. I love and adore each and every one of them and I feel the love and history when i make one. One in particular is Meme's Cornbread Dressing...a simple fav of mine I use to call her "Famous Dressing" at the end of the recipe she wrote
"Carolyn you said I was famous for my dressing - prehaps I was only famous to you, for you loved my dressing"

My meme has Alztimhers now and yes can still remember me, but to her I am a little girl, who always asked for tea cakes and dressing. Thanksgiving hasnt been the same in many years because she isnt there making the dressing. Sure the dressing is still there, by recipe, but not by her.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did

3 cups CornBread Crumbs, make cornbread per box instructions and then crumble up
3 cups Biscuit Crumbs - same as above
5 teaspoons of Sage
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Chicken or Turkey broth

Combine all ingridients using enough broth to make a moist dressing, sorry no exact measurement listed.
Pour into casserole dish and bake at 400 until tick and browned on the sides.

Ribollita Soup & Garlic Sourdough Crutons

Ribollita is Italian for "Remade"
The soup was usually made a day after a big family feast with all the left overs, and on the second day the soup was reheated and additional things were added to make it a meal. Below is the best version I could find that didnt have to be made after a large meal, its yummo, filling and most importantly its one of my hubbys fav dishes. So grab your large stock pot, wooden spoon and prepare to make the best "Stoup" you have ever had.

Incase your wondering "Stoup" is a word I made up for something that was thicker than soup but thinner than stew / chili.

4 Can Northern / Cannellni Beans
1pkg Panchetta or Smoke Bacon cut into little pieces
1pgk of Eckerde Sausage (I use the turkey) cut into small child bite size pieces
1 Cup chopped Onion
1 cup Chopped Celery
3 tbs Minced Garlic / Fresh or Jar is fine
28oz Can of diced tomatos - I use two Cans
4c Chopped Cabbage
6c Chicken Stock
1pkg Frozen Carrots
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Celery Salt
Basil Leaf

In a large stock pot put 2tbs olive oil, panchetta / bacon, onions. Cook on high for 7-10 mins, until panchetta is done and onions are clear. Add Carrots, celery, garlic and seasoning, generally 1tsp of each. Cook over medium until veggies are tender
Once veggies are tender add tomatos, cabbage for 7-10 mins, then add 6 cups of stock for 15 mins let simmer, stiring occassionally. Then add beans with the juice

Let simmer with lid on for 20-30 mins, additional seasoning may be needed.

Garlic Sourdough Crutons

1large boule of Sourdough bread
2tsp oil oil
Garlic Salt

Cut sourdough into small crutons pieces, place in a freezer size ziplock baggie, add oil and salt. Shake bag to coat all pieces (this step maybe done several times to insure all pieces get same mixture), then place on baking sheet put in oven at 350 until hard and crispy.

When soup is served into bowls besure to put small amounts of crutons on soup. The purpose of the crutons is to add flavor, and if the person desires more salt to the soup they simply add more crutons.

Enjoy

House Seasoning

Simple yet flavorable seasoning you can sprinkle on anything

1 Cup Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Garlic Powder
1/2 Cup Onion Powerder

Mix all together and place in a shaker bottle, salt shaker. Honestly I have a Lawyers Garlic Salt (Jumbo Size) container I put it in, works well. I just peeled off the lable once the container was empty and put the house seasoning in.

Layer Cake / Sex in a Pan / Robert Redford Cake

Same cake...different names

My friend Sissy gave the below cake for no reason one day, that day my life changed. Ok not really but it did make life much more tasty..at the moment. I have been hooked on the cake since...and everyone who has ever tried it as well.

I will warn you, you can make this cake with " Low Fat, Fat Free" but the cake is best when all fat is left in...trust me. It may taste similar but not the same.


1c. Flour
1 stick Butter - Softned to room temp
1c. Chopped Pecans
1 8oz Pkg Cream Cheese
1c. Powered Sugar
1 Container of Cool Whip
1 Large size pkg of Vanilla & Chocolate Instant Pudding
Milk - For Pudding

Crust:
Take butter, flour and 3/4 of the pecan mix well and press into bottom of 9 x 13 cake pan. Once done bake at 350 for 15 mins

1st Layer:
Blend Cream Cheese, Powerded Sugar, 1c. Cool Whip, until well blended and smooth. Set Aside

2nd Layer:
Mix & Make the Pudding per box instructions, allow to firm up and set aside

Allow Crust to cool completely before adding the layers

Once Crust is cool add the 1st & 2nd Layers
Once Completed add the following final layer

3rd Layer:
Apply remaining Cool Whip to 2nd Layer, once done top sprinkle remaning nuts on top.

Finally: Enjoy and try not to eat it all at once...its hard trust me but you can put down the fork

Funeral Potatos/Cheese Potatos/Pam's Cheezy Taters

They go by many different names but the most common is "Funeral Potato's" I love these taters so much that one day I googled the name to see why they call it that. The best I could find was that it was a old Mormon Tradition and it was bring to family's homes during a wake because it would feed many and could stay out longer than potato salad. So sometime during the late 1890's people coined the name Funeral Potato's....so here it goes

1 Pkg Frozen Hasbrowns in Cubes (cowboy taters, western style)
regular size bag
1 Can of Cream of Chicken
1 16oz Sour Cream
8oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Stick of butter melted

Topping

2 Cups of Post Corn Flakes (or cheap brand)
1 Stick of Butter Melted


Mix Taters, Cream of Chicken, Sour Cream and place into a 9 x 13 pan top with shredded cheese. To make topping mix the flakes and the butter together and place on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 mins


Enjoy!

Can you give me that Recipe please?

A wonderful friend of mine Holly referes to me as Betty Crocker...umm no way am I there yet. LOL

The next couple of days I will be posting receipes that several of my friends ask for. Some are a staple and some are a special occassion. LOL Enjoy

Parting is such sweet sorrow

I miss my friend, simply put.

Is this really goodbye? Or Hello Again?

30 days
No Make up
5 Free Days
4 Used
End Result?

I ABSOLUTLY ADORE REQUIRE NEED MUST HAVE MAKE UP!!! No dought about it!!! I love the way I look in make up, I feel like trash when i dont. IDK why I just do not belive I can be pretty and professional with out, not that I am pretty with it but you know what I mean.

I used 4 days of my 5, all on a goat show weekend. I guess I couldnt bear for them to see me with out it, I did how ever on the last day not wear any. I was simply too tired to try and make the effort.

Did I learn anything? Yes I love makeup, and am addicted to buying it and I guess collecting it. LOL

Did I like what I saw in the mirror any better? No, I still dont like the way I look. I can just bear it more with make up.

So that being said my 30 day sabaticial from makeup with just that, a break...I am so going back....I can actually hear my eye shadow calling me.

Love the Way You Lie

I totally dig this song! I know not my typical type of music; LOL

I am so listening to it on my Ipod while blogging! LOL I had no idea what to blog about so I decided to tell you how much I love this song.

LOL We had an awesome fun weekend, I am sad show season for 2010 is over....COME ON 2011 SHOW SEASON!!!!

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo - The worlds oldest and largest stock show January 2011
My ABSOLUTLY love FWSSR!!! My all time fav stockshow, if you win here... for that year you are the best in the world. Each state and 5 countries are representated by stock here. IDK why I love this stock show...but Oh do I!!!

On the road again

Two goats
3 adults
1 child
4 bags
feed
hay
water
buckets
medical emergency kit- for goats
portable DVD player
and all the little nessitity stuff that everyone needs
raffel items

all packed into an chevy treverse north east bound for a goat show 150 miles from home!!

Yeehaw!!

We are living the good life!!

30 Days of Gratitude

30 Days of Gratitude can it change your attitude?

Ok I know I am doing 30 days of no makeup but come on, honestly I think at the end of these 30 days I will feel the same way I felt before I started it....I LOVE MAKEUP! LOL Only 12 more days to go!

While doing that my wonderful sis in law Jenifer decided to do 30 days of gratitude on facebeook...well that being said I thought why not here? So here we are!

What am I thankful for?? My Family...I love them all deeply and with out them I would be lost. Chuck my wonderful husband who is my best friend and despite our hardtimes and lows we come though it all stronger than when we entered. Chandler, my baby, my beautiful sweet, smart Chandler. I love you, Shelbie my beautiful, smart and funny stepdaughter, I love you.

Yep thats what I am thankful for

3 Down and 27 More to Go!

Ok since nobody gave me any direction on here! I asked my friends and they all looked at me and said "Why?" my reply was "Why Not?" So I decided to do it.

3 Days in and I allready hate it, I feel like a slob! 50 Years ago women were naturally beautiful with out makeup and that is still true today, but why do many young women today think they are only beautiful if they have makeup on???

I do I feel ugly, extra fat and like a slob. I feel extremly unprofessional and well again a slob. I have allowed my self 5 furlough days durring this 30 day time period (Ending Nov 12th) for special occassions or if I just need to have some of it on my face!! LOL I am though going to strive to take better care of my skin durring this time period.

3 Down only 27 More to go

To Wear or Not to Wear that is the ultimate question

After reading that another blogger decided to take a 30 day challange of no makeup for 30 days it peaked my intrest. Should I do a 30 day (or shorter) challange as well? What will I discover about my self with it? Will I save that much time? Will I like the person in the mirror that much more?

So I am going to let you decided.... 30 Days No Makeup? 15 Days no Make up? Or ditch the idea (its madness!!!) all together?

Pretty Please (with SUgar on top) let me know what you think!

Captin Green....Captin Chandler

I have nothing against recycling or saving the earth, its just something I dont do often. I mean I dont litter and I do use green products in my home but i dont recycle and i am not worried about my carbon footprint so you must imagine how much of a shock it was to me to see how worried my daughter is aobut the earth. Since Kindergarden she has been recycling when she can, talking about saving the earth, gets her friends to recycle and is so happy when she sees recycling containers or recycled products.

She wants to save the earth, and single handly she can! She is always talking about saving energy, gas, earth and is worried about her carbon footprint. Now she is quite young and probly shouldnt be worrying about these thigns but due to nicklodean and disney chanel she is. She came to me one day crying because her friend wont put her lunch sack in the recycling bin, she said she has asked her and told her about the earth and wanted me to give her suggestions on how to win her over. A little girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. I see great things.... lots of great things ahead for her. I told her to offer to take her friends trash and recycle it her self or ask the teacher to do a lesson on recycling. Long story short her friend now recycles her lunch sack and if I herd her correctly a few other of her classmates are as well.

I could do more to save the earth and I will honestly try.

Heart in my Thoat

This weekend was well a "raw" one, me and my daughter experienced life and death and how quickly things can change first hand. Both of us took a moment to fully let it sink in, it seemed like a dream (nightmare), it happened so quickly and I felt helpless to change the outcome.


Eeyore... a black and white little buckling that was born here in March died. Me and Chan were doing our worming as scheduled and we gave the goat an animal cracker, he choked. I did everything I could, himlech manuver, trying to dislodge the crackers, physically trying to pull it out, blowing breath into him and anything elses I could think of. I know its a goat but for us farmers its our lively hood, our pets and our lives. Chan refused to give up even after it was evident that he had passed. He tried CPR and then helped me dig a hole. She didnt shed one tear until later that night durring feeding time. I think it was then it finally hit her.

Its easy to explain life, death, birth to farm kids, they know it before most kids do, they experience it when others only hear about it and the live it with others watch from the sidelines.

These goats are chans, they are her pets, projects and her pride and joy. So when one is lost its a great pain and loss to her. She works hard to see to the best of her goats, she feeds them, trains them and watches over them. She loves them and they are who she is.

My heart goes out to Chan today and was in my thoat all weekend, I love you baby girl

Fall...I LOVE fall...Its FALL!

I love Fall

I love Cooler Weather

I love Leaves falling to the ground in the most beautiful colors

I love that it leads to Thanksgiving

I love to Decorate for Fall

I love Fall

If you havent noticed.....we had our first fall day today, it was 45 degrees at 5:30am!! YAY!!!!! FALL IS HERE, FALL IS HERE, FALL IS HERE, FALL IS HERE, FALL IS HERE

I did buy some fall decor for the office this past weekend, I didnt spend alot, there is some really cute stuff at Dollar Tree and Walmart. I cant wait to decorate!

That being said I have goats that could use my assitantce this morning (with what IDK, just wanna enjoy this weather) so grab a cup of coffee and meet me at the gate and we can do some chatting, bs-ing and enjoying this weather.

Love ya

Good Bye Earl ; I hope you Dance

My teenage years where the best, simply the best. I had the best friend any girl could ever ask for, I actually pray my daughter has a "Carrie" as a friend when she is older.

Carrie my BF of high school and well still a friend today, our lives have taken different paths that don't cross as much as they use to but I know if I picked up that phone today it would be just like old times. We have face book, this hear blog and my space and who could forget text messaging to keep up with each other.

I herd a song today by the Dixie Chicks that transforms my current state of mind and makes me smile beyond measure. As a friend of mine said "It makes my heart smile". If you ever herd the song you would probably think " ummm what?" but it isn't necessarily the song that told our lives but the lives we lived while it was playing.

All my life I have had friends, and family around me but none to date could simply compare with the way Carrie was back when i needed her the most and the best part was I didn't even know I needed her she was always there. Thank you!

Late night sleep overs, stock shows, Ag class, or just jamming in her truck with the radio loud, windows down and the heater on. Or when she bought her truck and I got one of the first rides and I got the seatbelt stuck. Or the time we ate all of the cookies in that Christmas tin and you got sick and had to go home. Or when it snowed, really snowed and we made snow angles in the street, or how we drove by our "crushes" homes.

FFA Convention - Corpus Christi Texas...what a trip. I can still hear the song that was popular then and see all the blue and gold jackets flooding the convention. The bird pooping on Ashleys hair, the hermit crabs, our back seat DJ-ing we did and the shoes...oh how our feet hurt...or at least mine did, the jelly fish stings and calls to home. In my pocket of my FFA jacket I still have one of those lifesaver mints, our lime green "voting" bands, and a knee high panty hose, I believe thats carries...I went with full blown panty hose or none at all. IDK how I got it but I am sure there is a good story behind it.

I herd these too songs today both on my way to work and I don't know just figured I would tell the world (or the little piece of it a that reads this) what a good friend I had and how these two songs mean to me...ironically not what the songs are about.

Thank you, I am thankful


** Yes Carolyn if fully aware that this blog probably makes no sense and is just a bunch of rambling about times you know nothing about, but just know that this silly blogger was happy today because a radio station played songs that made me smile**

Fiesta Ware!

Have I told you I just discovered Fiesta Ware?

Ok if not....

Have I told you how much I love it??!!

Ok if not....


I LOVE FIESTA WARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Now that is taken care of let me tell you about a spot my neise Leah just turned me on to. Canton Dish Barn, Google it, it has its own website!!

They sale First Run new Fiesta Ware and Second Run Fiesta Ware. Second run is something that is not perfect, sometimes you cant even tell. At oh so wonderful prices!! In the Second Run you can find discontinued colors and sizes and such.

Go and tell me you didn't like it or didn't find a good deal, I will faint. I have to save up some more money but I am SO going again. I want the bake ware, mixing bowls and veggie bowls and...well the list could go on and on! LOL

So take a moment to discover fiesta ware if you haven't already and then get your booty down to Canton Dish Barn and pick up some really good buys!

I give them 4 Tumbs up...I would give 5 but I bought all of their Chartreuse (color)fiesta ware and they didnt have any more!! (shock) But considering its discontinued I cant blame them so ok 5 thumbs up.

Bad Dog!

I have the little wonderful Lhasa Aposa named Jack





Who is my baby, and I love very much



And then I have my Gentle Giant...KeeNodge...who is too big to be my baby but I love him OHHH SO MUCH!!



These two were given a pigs ear rawhide each to eat and play with....did that work...NO they faught over them and Jack being who he is feels threatened by KeeNodge because he was there first. So Jack snaps at KeeNodge and in the process my daughter decideds to resolve this solution by taking Jacks rawhide away...Poor baby girl...she got bit. :( I spanked both dogs, put them in keenels and while only one was at fault they should have eatten their own rawhides instead of arguing over one.

My girl is allright, no stitches no nothing major. Her big toe. Jack is still in his kennell today. I dont know how to feel about him, my first instinct is to protect my girl but he has no history of this ever!! Sure he has snapped at her sometimes but if I pulled you on the bed by your ears I would snap at you too, or tried sitting on you to paint your nails. He always takes this all in stried and cries for me to rescue him. LOL Silly boy.... We are going to wait and see. I dont want to give up my baby Jack but we CANNOT have a dog that does that.

Going Back to School... Is not Easy to Do!

I want to start this by saying I have a wonderful husband, he is just awesome. There are some days he gets on my last nerve but overall...hes great. He decided last week that he wanted to go back to school, he called the school counsler and meet with them last night. He came home with a wonderful packet on his choice of career and then he handed me the tution bill. Uh Oh

18,548.00!!!! WOW Alot for only 13 months!!! Then he said "But honey I did a student loan, and it included all my books and materials and I got a little pale grant. So in 18 months we will start paying 250.00 a month for my tution." As I slowly recover from my heart attack I tell him that its ok and we will survive. I told him we would do this, then he says "Ya I am going to have to give up alot to go back to school but I want to do it so bad or provide for my family"


That being said I know you are thinking " awe so sweet" but in my head this is what I am thinking " Ya I gotta give up alot too, my dishwarsher, homework helper, goat feeder, bedtime story reader, boggie man catcher, cat litter box emptier" LMAO I know thats awful, and some of his classes he will just be ont he computer at home. I am very proud of him, and am extremly proud to say "Yep thats my husband".

Till Tommarow...Later Gaters

Gotta Head to Work

Love,
C

Dorito Chicken Bake...Yummo! :)

Dorito Chicken Bake


1 Bag Doritos (reg size)
3lbs Chicken, bonelss skin less
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 ziplock bag, gallon size
1 Can Cream of CHicken
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 Can Mild Rotel
1 Cup Sour Cream
Sheered Cheese

Cut up raw chicken in to bite size pieces, place into ziplock baggie. Sprinkle Taco seasoning over chicken, close baggie and shake to coat well. Place in fridge for 2 hours or less, I did mine for 1 hour

Cook chicken on stove top in frying pan until done.

Crunch up bag of doritos and place in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Great job for the kids
Place chicken on top

In a mixing bowl combine Cream of Mushroom, Cream of CHicken, Rotel and Sour cream and pour over chicken.

Bake at 350 for 45 mins. Then remove from oven, turn oven off and sprinkle with as much shreeded cheese as you want. Return to oven and let cheese melt.

ENJOY!! Its really yummo!

National ADHD Awareness Day/Week

Today is the start of National ADHD Week. Anyone live with an ADHD Child? I do!

I have a saying " Celebrate it, not Ridicule it"

Its part of who they are! Its what makes them special & unique! While that is being said I know it can be EXTREMLY Frustrating on living with an ADHD Child. Homework is a nightmare, their bedroom is a mess and they simply dont know how to fix it. :)

Thats where Mommys come in. Weather you are the mommy who using the all natural diet, supplements or the mom who opts for medication. You are a wonderful mommy! I cant tell you how many parents are out their who simply refuse to see that their child is having troubles and need some help. No matter how you choose to handle ADHD (and its different for everychild) we all know the mantra that comes along with what ever path we choose. I have been told horrible things because I choose medication. That being said I did try the all natural diet and the supplements and they simply did not work for her, I did try I promise! I do know some children who respond very well to the diet or the supplements. It just didnt work for my little one. So taking the medication route you know about all the trips to the doctor, side effects, doseage and headache it takes. UGH...But in the long run when they bring home the 100 on an assignment you know its all worth it.

My little is repeating her grade, I felt horrible about the discission but her ADHD simply prevented her from paying attention in class! We spent all last year playing with her medications, trying diff ones and combinations and dosage amounts. So by the time we found something that worked it was too late she had missed the building blocks and was struggling to keep up.

As a mother I feel proud of my ADHD Child, I wish it were me who suffered from it (oh wait...I do...I have ADD) instead of her. I wish it didnt make her feel self consious or self aware. I wish all the nasty probs that go along with ADHD werent there (inability to control her volume, blurting out, definance, friend issues) and that I could make it all better, but I do what I can when I can and as much as I can. I am mommy HEAR ME ROAR! LMAO I love that saying!!!

Take a moment today to educate your self on ADHD and the problems we as parents face in dealing with it and the general population that just does not understand. Maybe next time when you see an ADHD child and a very exhausted parent you will be quicker to understand than look down your nose at them and think horrible thoughts. Its not easy by any means but its better than some of the other childhood problems (autism, mental retardation, social anxietys or a rase diease)

Oh Me Oh My!

I thought today was Firday, I got all excited about sleeping in tommarow and today being payday....OH YAY! I got up took my kids to the school bus (even though they dont go to school on Friday) and went home to get ready for work.

I head to work, and suddenly....I feel exhausted, heartbroken and all the blood drain out of my face...I realized it was Thursday. OH Gee Golly Whiz!!! Thursday?! Are you Effin kidding me? Seriously Thursday? After several of the same rants I give in and realize no matter how much poutting its still going to be thursday. :(

But hey...Tommarow IS Friday!

Mosey

An old fashion way of walking on a sunny day, nothing important to do, no were special to be just enjoying life. You dont see this much now days, or hear people use the word much well I have to say my daughter Chandler is single handedly bringing back the "Mosey".

She is country as the day is long, she is no hurry to be anyware and not really intrested in anything inparticular just mosey-ing her way about. This is how she plays baseball as well or completes an important task in speed.

Picture this: A rainey day, the gate is open and I ask her to close it....she "mosey's" her way down the drive way, slowly grabbs the gate and gentely closes it shut. The hole time i say says "Hurry honey, its pouring down rain!! Hurry Chan you will catch a cold!! CHANDLER HURRY!!!" She then turns around and moseys back to the house. A hot summer day in the sun at a baseball field, she gets the most important hit of the game the bleachers are yelling "RUN RUN RUN" mommy & daddy are yelling "RUN CHAN, HURRRY, NOW CHAN HURRY" and shes out on first base. She sees no real importance of getting to the base on time she just thinks "gosh almighty people, shush up I am hurrying" then after the game she says " How come we lost?"

May people may simply say she is just lazy, while others say she dont understand the game I say...we are mostly to blame. :) We have stressed that the simple slow life in the country and enjoying the simple things in life are the most important. I guess she listened to well (for the first time) because she is in no hurry to do anything.

Several years from now when the Mosey is back in style please remember this blog and know that my youngest is responsible for that movement...then again maybe we should thank her.

Monday Morning Thoughts

I know monday mornings should not be spent lost in thoughts but today I am. I am not perfect nor do I claim to be, I am not truthful 100% of the time (do you really want me to tell you that you look good? Cuz Sometimes ya dont, sorry I love ya too much to hurt your feelings) I cus, scream, yell and flip people off. I love to listen to my music LOUD and I dont like speed limits (my pocket book dont like tickets though)I am country too the core. I get disappointed, hurt, I cry and even get mad. I have a temper and a mouth, I fight for what I believe in and for those that I love. I have two kids, daughters who I think are incredibly special and who I love very much, I know they will do great things in life. I have a hubby who isnt the most emotionally support person on the face of the earth, but when he gives me a hug I know it means more than a hug, then he tries to make me smile. I have goats who are some days more trouble than they are worth and a few dogs and cats. I am simple, non complicated, hard headed, republican, prolife, gun owning, gun toteing, anti gay marriage, anti illegal, mom.

Just incase you ever wondering about what made me tick, or who I really am.

I know I know

I know I know I NEVER EVER update my blog, I only make it look pretty and then never post any thing. I am going to try and change that, I know I know I say that all the time.

Summer has come and gone and school has started, Chandlers still showing goats and Shelbie is a cheerleader! Aws they are so cute! Well I gotta run, uniforms to wash and lunches to make...yeepee!

Mother

A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” - Cardinal Mermillod

I finally freaking started it!

After much delay I finally started reading Gone with the Wind, I am very much suprised how much like the move it is! I absolutly love the movie and I have fallen head over heels with the book. Its 30 something chapters and 1,258 pages....I LOVE IT.

I am currently half way through chapter 3, and in the movie that would have been the first ummm... 15 mins! The author is so detailed that while it may not seem like it in the movie its there all of it all of the details and words...I am going to love it.

I am reading 3 Chapters a day...or more if I feel like it. I should be done with it in two weeks. Then its on to Scarlett.

Being a strong southern woman coming from a family with strong souther ties and traditions its so hard for me to look at a yankee and not feel anger for that they did to the south. They not only took the south down it brung us to our knees and destroyed us so much that there was no way we could ever rise again, and then the carpet baggers came in raised taxes so high that us southerns had to pay up or leave. Most left...those that surived the war. They stole from us, raped and killed our women and children...how can a nation that is so great do that to its own kind?? But then again its no different from today, you have those who truely need assistance from the goverment and cannot get it because they are not the right color or from a certian back ground. My friend a single mom of 3 with a dead beat ex-husband who does not pay child support cant even get good health insurance for her children. They say she makes too much, when she is hardly meeting the bills. She cant even get food stamps...they gave her 11.00 a month, but there are those who get well fair, food stamps and TANIF, and medicade who are living high on the hog? Explain that to me.... somebody please.

I will get off my soap box, I love history and discovering my heritage from my ancestors. I am a very proud Southern Italian Woman who is not afraid to love her past and the ancestors who faught in the Civil War for the Confiderates and the one who died in a Yankee POW camp in Virginia. He died from the torchre the yankees gave him. I am a pround memeber of the United Daughters of the Confideracy. I promise my next post wont be so preachy.

I got the book!

The library couldn't seem to get me the book so I called our local used book store they had a copy for 7.25 WHAT A DEAL!! Its brand new to boot! So Gone with the wind is finally in my possession and I think I am going to start it on our 3 hour trip to Fort Hood on Friday. My mother also had a copy of Scarlett, so I am set!

I have to tell ya some of the luster is gone from my list now all i worry about is achieving it all in time. I will, I think I can I think I can I think I can.

So Far So Good

So I didnt really get anything on my list done, I did how ever mark one off my before 28 list and am off to a good start on my before 27.

I finally made a good meatlaof!!! I consider my self a pretty good cook, I mean there are still things I need to learn how to make and somethings need improvement. But this one is KID APPROVED!

Turkey Meat Loaf

2lbs of lean ground turkey breast
1 box of Stove Top Stuff (any varity)
1 Large can of Tomato Soup
2 Eggs
1 hand full of oats

Mix turkey, stuffing and eggs together then add 3/4 of the soup and mix some more. Form into a loaf or put in a 8 x 10 cake pan. Spread the rest of the soup on top. Cook at 350 for 1 hour or until done.


I use a cake pan because it spreads thinner and cooks faster and any left overs can easily be put on a sandwhich. Sides my loafs never turn out right.

Gone with the Wind

Such a romantic, historical movie that just freaking rocks!

My goal is to read that 1,053 page book by my 27th birthday! I went to the libray today and it was checked out. It should be in on Friday. If i like it as much as I think I am going to, my goal is to buy it!! I JUST LOVE THAT MOVIE

January Update

So far I am off to a good start on my list, here goes

I lost 5lbs since 12/13/2009 so thats only 15 more to go!

I found my pasta maker : Atlas (Marchato) Past Machine Set (198.00 at Amazon)
~This will probly be my last thing on my list todo, thats a good chunk of dough~

I bought me two roast, hopefully we will have good results

Going to check out Gone with the Wind today or tommarow.

Getting Right with God, I need to find a church and start going. This is the most important on my list and I need to get it done. Heck my hole family does.

My List

This is not a bucket list, I repeat : NOT A BUCKET LIST!

We only get this one life and most of us spend it by working too much, and not spending enough time with the family and making memories that are worth while. I want to when I am old and gray, raising hell in the nursing home to look back on my life and say " Yep I did that, I did what needed to be done but all my fun stuff along the way"

So I have set up a list of things I want to do before each birthday so that the last year while it was not wasted I want it to be a year where I did something I always wanted to do. No I will not be jumping out of planes or getting tattooed (allready am) but things that I think would be cool. Here Goes.... I warn you...some of it is Corney

Before 27 (April of this year!)

Buy a Pasta Maker- DONE!!
Read Gone with the Wind (My Fav Movie!!!)- DONE!!
Make my own Pasta Sauce and it be good!-- UMMMM I created one, not good.
Learn how to make a good Chicken Fried Steak & Roast - DONE!!
Get Right with God
Loose 20 Lbs
Forgive my Mother


Before 28

Read Scarlett --- All the way through this time
Make a good Pasta Recipe
Start (and Finsh) Beth Moores Esther Bible Study Series
Get a Professional Back Massage
Forgive my Mother
Loose an additional 30 lbs (so thats 50 before April 2011)
Learn Italian


Before 29

Hopefully another Son or Daughter (Yes I have names picked out!)
Start & Finish Beth Moore's bible study series on Ruth
Do a complicated (Stamped) cross stitch blanket for the bed
Learn how to make awesome Candles (or bars for my scentsy)
Loose an additional 30 lbs (so thats 80)
Forgive my Mother

Before 30

Be 100 lbs less than I was at 27, have another son or daughter
Do a Counted Cross Stitch
Learn to sew a Dress (and it look good!!)
Get a (another) Tattoo, I dont know what But I want to start 30 off right, something to remember my 20's by
Get me a New Truck
A Vacation at Gulf Shores Beach Alabama
Go to Montana
Forgive my Mother

Before 31
Renew me and Chucks Vows, and have a real wedding.
Be 150 lbs less than I was at 27
Forgive my mother

Before 32
hummmmm Still Thinking here


You may notice that Forgive my mother is on there every year, well I dont know how long it will take but I want to. I want to get it right with God and with his help I can forgive and forget and move on. She will always be that thing in my side that always hurts but I know that with Gods help it wont hurt as much, it wont hurt as long and forgiveness will come easier.

New Year, No Resolutions

As everyone starts this new year we each make resolutions about what we want to do or need to change. This year I dont have any! I do have a To-Do list though.

I was sitting around thinking about life and how we only get one, and how in a few months I will be 27 and since I had a hard time turing 26 I only declared 25 and now 26 has almost passed me by. I figured since We are only these ages once I would make a To-Do list, a list of things I want to do by each birthday. Like before I turn 27 there are a few things I wanted to do, and I even have a list of things I want to do before 28 (since 27 is only right around the corner).

Well I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to do, some were simple like: Loose 20 pounds, have a girls weekend with just me and Chan, read Gone with the Wind. Others were hard : Get right with God (and stay there), Forgive my mother (this is on my before 28 list too), buy a pasta maker and make pasta, learn how to make a good meatloaf, chicken fried steak. You get the general idea.

I am still thinking about my list and what I want on it. I will keep up on here with what I do and how I am doing it and my thoughts.

You guys know me better than I know my self sometimes so give me Ideas!

Oh and before I forget I do have one on my list that will be there every year until its achived. See Chandler win Grand Champion at County & Fort Worth Stock Shows, the two most important Shows in my opinion, she works so hard and deserves them. If we never achive it ( oh we will!) it will be the ride along that will have mattered the most and the lessons learned and the time we spent together.