Among The Chaos

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T16:32:00.003-06:00

I got my Valentine's gift early from Kyle, and then I forgot to bring my camera so that I could blog it. So, first, he brought me this gorgeous pink rose on Sunday. OMGosh it smelled SO good!

Then, Sunday night, he brought me this cutie! It had better not be a hint, because we are NOT getting a pet. Anyhoo, I took it to work so I could look at it on my desk all day.

Tonight, I am taking the sweetest, most handsome Valentine evah out to dinner, and I think he has decided on Mexican food. Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

We Want to Know Wednesday

2012-02-08T09:07:00.013-06:00

This week is going by fast, for which I am SO glad! In honor of Wednesday, I'm linking up with Mamarazzi, Queso, and Crazymama for We Want to Know Wednesday...HOLLA!

1.) What is for dinner? (bonus for sharing the recipe)

Tonight, I'm having chicken asparagus stir fry, egg rolls and pot stickers. YUM! Kyle's not with me tonight, so I'm fixing something I know he won't eat. For those who asked me the last time I mentioned pot stickers, this is what I'm talking about and they are SOOOOO good! Go ahead, you can be jealous ;)

As for the stir fry recipe, it will have chicken, asparagus stir fry vegetables, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and then whatever else I throw into the pan with it. It's going to be a stir fry free for all!

2.) Share something that you are currently looking forward to.

This is EASY! I have two somethings! Go me! The first thing is on Valentine's Day, I'm taking Kyle out to dinner. He has narrowed it down to two restaurants he wants to eat at, so we'll see what he chooses. I'm really looking forward to dinner with the most handsome Valentine evah!

The second one is a girl's weekend the weekend after. Two friends and I are going to the Winterjam concert, then spending the night and then going shopping the next day. SO MUCH FUN! I haven't done this in years, and I am so PSYCHED! I'm already figuring out which clothes I want to take. Yep, it's that bad, here. My friend's husband is probably getting tired of us talking about it...probably because it's accompanied by squealing and exclamations of "I can't wait!"...awww, he'll be okay, though ;)

3.) What are your thoughts on re-gifting?

Make sure you don't give it back to the person who gave it to you. No, really. When I get a gift for someone, I put alot of thought into it. If I happen to receive a gift that I don't have a place for, or won't use, I try to give it to someone who would love it and use it. Thankfully, I get good gifts, so regifting not necessary :)

4.) How often do you rearrange your furniture?

You've seen my apartment. What?! You haven't?! Then here's the Grand Tour. Anyhoo, it's little, and the furniture is in the only place it can be, so there will be no moving of the furniture....ever.

5.) Share a pic from your cellphone or camera.

I'm cheating here. It's a picture that I want to share, but it's not from my camera or my cell phone. It was taken during Thanksgiving and I like it. Besides, I've blogged the pictures I've taken recently, so they would just be re-runs.

Friday Funnies

2012-02-03T08:39:00.003-06:00

My best friend from high school sent this text to me yesterday and I just rolled. Then I shared it with some co-workers. And now I'm sharing it with you because it's just too funny not to. HEEHEE!

As we are all getting older, I would like to educate my friends on some new acronyms so that we can understand each other:

ATD: At the Doctor

BFF: Best Friend Fell

BTW: Bring the Wheelchair

BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth

FWIW: Forgot Where I Was

LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out

ROFLACGU: Rolling on Floor Laughing and Can't Get Up

TTML: Talk to me Louder

T4M: Time For Meds

PMA: Pissed Myself Again

SHTTF: Shouldn't Have Trusted That Fart

And now you're up to speed on Old People's Acronyms. Happy Friday y'all and have a good weekend, folks! :)

Show us Your Plum!

2012-02-01T12:38:00.008-06:00

So about a month ago, Janette had a challenge through Pick Your Plum for those who were interested. Get a package in the mail and blog about it, YOUBETCHA! So I signed up and waited for the mail. And then it came and I opened it up and read about it and said, "Crap!!! I am not crafty!" Then I panicked and called my sister, who DID get the crafting genes of the two of us. Stinker didn't answer or call me back. I talk to my Mom every day, people, and kept forgetting to ask her. I'd end up glancing over at it after we talked and wanting to kick myself.

Finally, Monday, I talked to my sister and told her that I had gotten this and I had to find something really awesome to do with it. They are cardstock cards, probably 4x4 and then some Mod Podge and a sponge brush. The cards are printed on both sides and are really cute. For Christmas, Kyle and I went to the Dollar Tree and stuffed each other's stockings (one of our new holiday traditions). One of the things that he bought me was an insulated coffee cup that you could decorate. He asked me what I was going to put in it, and I gave him an evil grin and said, "Duh, coffee!" And he's like, "Nerd, you knew what I meant." Indeed I did, but I still needed to give him a hard time, anyway...muwahahahaha!

Anyhoo, I got it decorated, and it turned out absolutely adorable, I think! Don't you?! Remember that I'm not crafty and say yes...

And I have lots of the cards left over and I plan to make some Christmas cutouts and attach some pictures to them and tie some yarn at the top and make some ornaments for our tree next year.

Thank you Janette and Pick Your Plum for helping me finally decorate my cutesy coffee cup and my sister for the crafting idea! :)

The Grand Tour of My Little Place

2012-01-31T11:30:00.008-06:00

Well, I'm all settled in and finally took the time to take some pictures of my new place. I love it. It's tiny, but it's big enough for me and Kyle...and it's mine.

This first picture is the view from the front door. Just to the left is the kitchen which you will see a little later.

My dining room and living room are bunched together. This is the dining room

The living room

My bedroom

The kitchen.

Kyle's room. I wasn't able to get the rest of the furniture in the picture, but yes, he does have other furniture. My Mom got him the new bedding for Christmas (he had had his other bedding since he was 6 and he was ready for a change). He said that he didn't want any of his sports stuff hanging up on the walls in his new room, so I am going to let him find what he wants to hang there. He found one picture which we may get in the next couple of weeks.

Our bathroom

So this is it...my little place. It has its quirks...my Mom prefers to call it potential blog material. Just you wait, cause you can't make this stuff up ;)

Put a Smile on Someone's Face Today

2012-01-24T10:45:00.002-06:00

Sometimes an unexpected phone call from a friend or family member can put a smile on my face for the entire day. Just knowing that they were thinking of me and made that effort to reach out and call means so much.

Sometimes it seems like I do alot of the reaching out. And that used to hurt my feelings. I'll admit that it still does at times. Without even realizing it, I cut myself off from people because they didn't make the effort, so neither did I. And like I said, it's easy to do that without even knowing it's happening.

At the beginning of the year, I blogged that I wanted to focus on building and maintaining friendships. I've been making more calls, and making more plans. Maybe a phone call or invitation from me puts a smile on someone else's face like it does mine. Hopefully so :) And hey, I've been doing more things and enjoying myself more lately, so it's a win-win!

So, call someone today who's been on your mind. Make some plans with them. Get out more and have fun. Yes, it's nice to be the one that gets called, but I'm finding that it's pretty okay being the one that puts a smile on someone's face, too. Do it today!

Friday Confessionals

2012-01-20T07:50:00.004-06:00

Today is Friday, and it's been a while since I confessed. I'm joining up with Mamarazzi so I can get them out of the way and start the weekend with a clean slate. Ready?

I Confess...

I decided to give my underwear drawer a small overhaul. In this quest, I decided that I needed two new bras, a red one and a gray one.

I Confess...

I found a two-for-one, and get this one was red, and the other gray. It was FATE I'm telling ya!

I Confess...

They did not have my size and I was totally disappointed. I decided to go ahead and buy one cup size up. I mean, how bad could it be?? I held them up and compared them and there didn't seem to be that much difference in the size I needed and the size they had in those colors. And helloooooo, they were $3 a piece, so what did I have to lose?

I Confess...

Girl was wrong...only a little wrong, but still...

I Confess...

I'll be sending out a search party to look for my boobs tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!! ;)

We Want to Know Wednesday

2012-01-18T09:02:00.006-06:00

This week is half over, which makes me half giddy!! :D To celebrate, I'm joining in with Mamarazzi, Queso, and Crazymama for We Want to Know Wednesday.

1. Which of the following phrases characterizes how you live your life?
a. you only live once
b. test the water before jumping in
c. stability is the key to life

A little bit of a and a little bit of c. After my medical emergencies, I more fully realize how precious and fragile life can be, so I want to have a "you only live once" attitude because I don't want to have any regrets. How I'm implementing that is an ongoing and changing thing. I can defiintely say that lately I've had more fun, memorable moments that I've had in a very, very long time. I also appreciate the security of stability and how comforting that can be, because I am definitely a creature of habit who likes stability and predictability.

2. What were you doing the last time you had a really good laugh?

Most likely talking on the phone with my Mom :)

3. Who is the last person you hugged?

My Kylebug

4. What song always makes you happy when you hear it?

Would you believe that it's songs from my teenage years?! I love hearing them and being taken back to those moments, and I also like making fun of the boy groaning in the seat next to me. That was me when my Dad was listening to the oldies when I was a teenager, and I find it quite funny to be able to torture my child in the same way...muwahahahaha

5. What's the first thing you thought about this morning?

First, finding something big and sturdy to smash my alarm clock with. Next, it was WOOT WOOT! Only two more get ups until the weekend ;)

We Want to Know Wednesday 1/11/12

2012-01-10T09:26:00.007-06:00

Thankfully, this week is going by much more quickly than last week did. And if I just hang in there for a couple of more days, I get a three day weekend YAY!! I'm joining up this week with Mamarazzi, CrazyMama and Queso for We Want to Know Wednesday.

1. What is your most commonly used word or phrase when you are frustrated?

My first phrase that is all mine, is 'Crap in a bucket'. I don't know why I say it or when it started, but I do. I also say "Snap!" Other words I say, I'm not admitting to, and am trying to be better about saying them, anyway :-0

2. What random question do you usually get from strangers or casual acquaintances?

Not a question, necessarily, but usually comments about how short I am.

3. Did you correspond by mail with anyone? Who? Do you still have the letters?

Yes. In college, I corresponded with my boyfriend (who later became my first husband) while he was working at a baseball camp for the summer. No, I don't still have the letters.

4. Do you dance in public? Why or why not?

Yep. I love dancing. I have more enthusiasm than skill, though. But, who cares. It's still fun. ;)

5. What is your favorite kind of chapstick or lipbalm?

Oh my gosh, I love Carmex! It is the most awesomest lip stuff evah!

Hope everybody has a super week!!

Sunday Skateparking

2012-01-09T12:42:00.007-06:00

For his birhday, back in July, Kyle ordered a skateboard online...well, parts of a skateboard. He picked all the hardware out, and it came unassembled. It has taken until now to find a place to have it put together...that is actually open. We got it taken care of this past weekend. And of course, he wanted to try it out. Sunday after church and lunch, we headed to the Skatepark.

Texting and skateboarding...don't try this at home :-0

Skating on the new board...and the old one...he didn't want the old one to be neglected...

Another texting break...at least he's not skateboarding, too....

Yep, it's a keeper! Of course, it needs to be broken in properly, and of course, that means he's going to be bugging me to go to the skatepark all.the.time. Pity me fo' real...

A Boy, a Drum, and a Band Concert

2012-01-06T12:01:00.004-06:00

During all the Christmas hubbub, Kyle had his first Christmas concert. He was supposed to dress up, and the black pants, white shirt, and tie weren't going to cut it this time. He wanted a black button down shirt. So he and his Dad went shopping and found one, and I have to say BOY HAS GOOD TASTE! He looks so handsome...and grown up... ::sigh::

So neat to be in the seats watching for a change. I can remember when I was up on the stage, and I loved it! So proud of my handsome drummer boy <3

We Want to Know Wednesday

2012-01-04T07:50:00.007-06:00

This week is creeping by, and it's a short week, too...go figure. Anyhoo, to celebrate that it is finally Wednesday, I'm joining Mamarazzi, CrazyMama and Queso for We Want to Know!

1. What do you love about blogging?

Sharing what's happening with my family far away. The friendly people I have "met" online, and the support and friendship that they have given me over the last three years. I can't believe that I have 400 posts now! This is a hobby that I absolutely love!

2. What is your favorite scent of candle/air freshener?

I love candles that smell like home and baking. Right now, I have apple cinnamon candles all over my apartment. Anything to get rid of the musty smell that was there when I moved in.

3. How would you describe your style?

Out and about, I like to look conservative and trendy at the same time. At home, it's grubby couture.

4. What are 3 things that your dream home would have that your current home doesn't have?

Space
A jacuzzi tub
A swimming pool

5. Do you look at your keyboard when you type?

Nope.

Hope everyone has a superduper week!!

We Want to Know Wednesday

2011-12-28T08:47:00.008-06:00

Hey guys, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with all the chaos going on around here. My excuse came in the form of an email from Mamarazzi with this week's questions for We Want to Know Wednesday. So, I'm joining in with Mamarazzi, Queso, and Crazymama for this week's fun!

1. What was the best part of 2011?

The Summer. The fun, the sun, the swimming, the time with my family. All of it.

2. What do you look forward to in 2012?

I'm surprisingly looking forward to moving forward with my life. Seeing where my new job, new apartment and newly single relationship status take me in the following year.

3. Do you actually keep your New Years resolutions?

Ummm....no. I'm going to read all of your answers, and if any of you said yes, I'm going to have to come and find you and thump you on da head...

4. What are your top three resolutions for the New Year?

I don't make resolutions. I like to think of it as looking back over the past year and seeing where you would like to make some changes and improvements, and then reshifting your priorities to make them happen. In that spirit, I plan to focus on maintaining friendships, take 'me' time more often to recharge, and spend as much time as I can making memories with Kyle because he is growing up before my eyes!

5. Do you have any fun New Years traditions or plans?

Not yet, but I'm trying to make some. My married friends have family plans, and I'm trying to get some single gals together for a Girls Night Out. Lets hope it works out!

Hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and is looking forward to a wonderful New Year!!

Friday Frittering

2011-12-16T11:03:00.002-06:00

I'm blogging from an undisclosed location (heehee!) and can't take the time to hook up to my Friday Confessionals, so I decided to Fritter instead. Fun, huh? Just say yes and nod...

We've got the apartment unpacked and got pictures hung (except in our bedrooms). I decided that come Christmas, it would look like a home, and thankfully it does. Without trying to, Kyle's room became the catch-all room while we were moving, and we saved it for last. Then the kid declared mutiny. Probably because he was exhausted from the basketball game, then helping hang pictures all over the place, then helping assemble and decorate our Christmas tree. It won't take us long once we get in there, so I made him PROMISE that we would do it this weekend. I am ready to get this place finished :) And maybe I'll post some pictures when I am blogging from my own computer.

In the next week or two I should have my internet, and after seeing all the blogs in my blog roll, it will take me FOREVAH to get caught up with all of you :-0

Hope all of you are doing well and are gearing up to have a wonderful Christmas!! I am getting excited about it!! HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!

Bunches of Changes!

2011-12-01T09:03:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone! I've been away for a while, but things have been so busy
lately. I had my throat surgery last Monday, and couldn't talk for five
days...argggggg... Then Kyle and I made a whirlwind trip to see family
over the Thanksgiving holiday. I loved getting to see and spend time
with everyone! (and true to form, I had a very hard time NOT talking to my
family!!)

Now we're back and I'm packing boxes to move into a one
story apartment in the same complex. YAY for saving money!! Anyone
who would like to come and help, just let me know. Oh come
on, you know you want to...

Also, I'm starting a new job next week. So lots and
lots going on, and I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I haven't
even had a chance to get on the computer, and it's down until I get
moved anyway. Thanks to my Mom for helping get
this post up for me.

Hopefully I will get settled quickly because I have
basketball games, a Christmas parade, a first Christmas concert, and lots of
other stuff and the new job all next week! AYE AYE AYE, I made
myself tired just typing all of that.

I just wanted to say hello to everyone and I hope you
all had a great Thanksgiving!!

Bri

The First Basketball Game of the Season!

2011-11-20T16:58:00.006-06:00

Last Monday, Kyle played his first basketball of the season, and I was there cheering for him in the stands. I love watching him play basketball! Okay, fine, I like watching him play any sport, it just happens to be basketball season right now :p

I finally got the pictures off of the camera...thank you $8.00 card reader from Wal-Mart :)

I may have actually squealed when I realized that I got this shot!!

Making the spirit line for the 9th grade basketball team to run through. Yep, basketball is my favorite season...for the moment!

Hoping everyone is having a wonderful weekend!!

Chicken Veggie Stir Fry

2011-11-17T20:01:00.007-06:00

After a massively busy week, I actually cooked something for dinner tonight that wasn't heated in a microwave or the oven. I KNOW!! I saw a recipe online for this yummy chicken stir fry, and then I forgot where I saw it. I hate it when I do that! I remembered the important stuff that was in it, so decided to fake my way through it. And thankfully it turned out really good!!

Chicken Veggie Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used the two biggest ones in the bag)

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1/2 onion

broccoli (I used frozen)

baby spinach

2 cloves of garlic pressed

ginger root

soy sauce

cashews

rice

Directions:

Brown chicken breasts in a little bit of olive oil

While chicken is cooking, slice your veggies and set aside

Take chicken out of skillet

Add a little more olive oil to the skillet along with the garlic, ginger, bell peppers and onion and broccoli

Cook rice and let it sit covered. I used instant and it was 2 cups of rice and water.

Cut chicken while the vegetables cook.

Add soy sauce to vegetables and cover and cook them some more.

When they are almost done, add the chicken and a couple more splashes of soy sauce and stir.

Tear the stems off of the spinach leaves, and add leaves to the skillet.

Add rice to the veggies and stir.

Add cashews.

I served it with an egg roll and pot stickers. It was awesome!

I'm Aliiiiiiiiivvvvvveee!!

2011-11-16T16:09:00.005-06:00

I have so got to catch up with you guys! I stepped away from the computer for four days. Four.whole.days. (And I didn't have an anxiety attack or a case of the vapors or anything!) I KNOW!!

I left town Thursday night to head south to see my Mom and go to a doctor's appointment. The nurses thought it would be funny to make it on 11-11-11 at 11:00 so I wouldn't forget. It was also my Auntie B's birthday, so we got to have some fun with her and my Nanny. It was a wonderful weekend away, and I sure needed it!!

I came back Sunday to find 75 emails and fifty bajillion posts to read through. I'm almost caught up, too, thank goodness. But haven't made one of my own in a week. OOPS! My Auntie B said I was slackin', so I'm making this post in her honor.

Kyle had his first home Basketball game Monday night, and I got pictures, but the computer is not recognizing my camera (still!) and I'm not sure how to fix it. I'm going to take my camera to work tomorrow to see if I can get the pictures off of it that way. Dang computer!

Tuesday night was supposed to be Band Night, but it got rescheduled due to the weather, so I hightailed it to the grocery store to finish up some grocery shopping.

I am halfway through my crazy, busy week, and tomorrow, I am not going ANYWHERE after work except home. Hope everyone is enjoying their week!!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 11/9/11

2011-11-09T03:30:00.004-06:00

It is 3:30 a.m. SERIOUSLY?! I went to bed at nine and woke up at 1:30 hungry for oatmeal of all things. Odd, because I don't want oatmeal unless I'm sick, which I'm not...I hope not...I better not be...knock on wood... I told myself that I would have it for breakfast in a few hours, but that wasn't going to work. At 3:00, I gave up and came downstairs and made some. Grrrrrr...I just don't do this kind of thing! Well, since I'm up, I've decided to play along with my girls Mamarazzi, Queso and Crazymama and join up for We Want to Know Wednesday.

1. What is your "can't go without it" beauty product/cosmetic?

Hairspray. I have thick, fine hair and if I don't spray it within a few seconds after getting it fixed, it's gonna fall. I've got it down to a science, people. And when the can of hairspray starts feeling empty, I start feeling antsy.

2. Do you apply make-up before or after doing your hair?

I fix my hair before I put on my make up.

3. How would you describe your personal style?

When I'm home, I'm in my comfy clothes, which if you know me and my blog, I lovingly refer to as my grubbies. So, at home, it's grubby couture. Out and about and at work, I try to be trendy, conservative and fun, all wrapped into one. Is that a style? Oh crap, I don't have a style. Well, that's just great because I don't think I'm going to find one at 3:45 a.m....

4. How long does it take you to get ready each day?

An hour. I like to give my self an hour and a half in the mornings to get ready so I don't feel rushed, though.

5. What is your one pamper, just for you, beauty splurge?

Pedicures. They're not something I can afford often, and when I can, they're a treat. I love getting a pedicure :)

Alrighty peeps, I'm going to try to go back to bed and get a little more sleep before the evil alarm goes off. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!!

Friday Confessional 11/4/11

2011-11-04T21:42:00.004-05:00

Oh yeah baby, it's finally Friday! Did I mention that I was so done with this week, like three days ago? Yep. And now the week is done with itself, too, so we're on the same page, so WOOHOO!! And now it's time to celebrate by confessing with Mamarazzi!

I Confess...

That this week is one time that I definitely wish I could drink.

I Confess...

I left dirty dishes in my sink not one, but two different nights. I just don't do that, but I just wasn't feeling it this week.

I Confess...

That I came home from work today and got in the shower and got in my pajamas...all before 4:30.

I Confess...

That I may not get out of said pajamas tomorrow.

I Confess...

That I will fill this weekend with reading and a mindless, entertaining marathon of DVD movies.

I Confess...

I will also consume copious amounts of popcorn during said movies :p

I Confess...

That I wish this weekend would last more than two days. I think I may need longer than that to recharge...

Hope everyone has a great one!! :)

We Want to Know Wednesday 11/2/11

2011-11-02T16:31:00.007-05:00

YAY for Wednesday, but if it's all the same, I'm ready for this week to be OVER! But Wednesday is the half way point, and also the day I join up with Mamarazzi, Queso, and Crazymama for We Want to Know Wednesday. Crazymama is asking the questions, and she wants to know all about our Halloween.

1. How did you celebrate Halloween? Trick or treating? Adult Party? Trunk or treat?

Our bible study group had chili at the pastor's house and handed out candy to the neighborhood kids, so I went to that.

2. What candy is your favorite/the first thing you steal from the kids?

Snickers and Reece's and Butterfingers. And I don't have to feel guilty because Kyle is allergic to peanuts...so really I'm doing him a favor...yeah, let's stick with that ;)

3. What kind of candy do you give out, is it your favorite? Or something you know you won't be tempted to eat?

We don't get trick or treaters where we live, and I don't even buy candy anymore, but when I did buy candy, it would be something we like, so that we could enjoy whatever was left over.

4. How soon after Halloween do you do take down decorations and put away costumes?

I don't usually decorate for Halloween, and we didn't wear costumes this year.

5. When do you decorate for the next holiday?

We'll decorate for Christmas, and we'll do it shortly after Thanksgiving, but I don't know exactly when. This year will be all about Kyle and me coming up with some new traditions, but we haven't really talked about any yet, though.

Hoping you all are having a good week!

Tuesday Tidbits-Basketball Season!

2011-11-01T19:11:00.006-05:00

Football season ended last week, and sadly, it may just have been Kyle's last game. He was not a fan of playing, but that's okay, at least he tried it. Just like baseball. And who knows, he may decide to play it again next year. But now starts basketball, and that is definitely his thing.

Kyle has played for 6 seasons. At his other school, if you wanted to be on the team, you were on it. Not so, here. There were 30 boys trying out for 14 spots. Oy! My stomach cringed, and if I were a person who bit my fingernails, they would so be gone right now. I know he plays well, but I was so nervous for him. He told me last night that he only signed up for football so that he could play basketball. He said that if he spent all that time flipping tires and running laps for football practice, then didn't make the basketball team, he was going to be majorly ticked off. Alrighty then...tell me how you really feel :p

I was a nervous wreck wondering how it went today. And I whooped and hollered when he called to let me know that he made it WOOHOO!! I am so proud of and for him!

It seems like it was only yesterday that he started playing. Wasn't he just the cutest basketball player ever??? Still is, he's just lots taller...and eats more ;)

Life With Kyle

2011-10-30T13:55:00.003-05:00

After church today, Kyle and I went to the Dollar Tree. As we were searching for the Saltines, he picks up a jar of strawberry applesauce and asks for it. Yuck! I won't touch the stuff anymore, so I told him that if I buy it, he's going to eat it...all of it. He agrees.

We check out and get into the car and before my seat belt is even snapped in, the boy is popping the top of the applesauce and guzzling it. There's just something creepy about watching him do that... :-0

He catches me looking and grimacing at him and says, "What?! I'm starving!" Well of course you are dear, since you only had four (4!!) muffins two hours ago.

We go home and I fix hot dogs for lunch. I ask if he wants me to heat up some chili to go with it, and he says yes. Now I need to point out here that I have never seen this kid eat chili, and most certainly not on a hot dog, but I will continue to offer just in case he decides to surprise me, like he did today.

Today's lunch included:

the above mentioned applesauce

a bowl of salad

1 hot dog with shredded cheese

1 bowl of chili with crushed up saltine crackers (because apparently you can eat chili and eat a hotdog, but not together...)

and baked beans

The most random lunch ever, for the most random boy ever.

Friday Confessionals 10/28/11

2011-10-28T17:47:00.004-05:00

HOLLA!!!! It's Friday!! I plan to celebrate my weekend, by doing I'm not sure what. But the weekend's mine, so there!! :p

First things first....I've got some confessing to do. WOOT!

I Confess...

That I was very nervous about going back to work this week with my fractured foot. Even though I did it last year with my fractured ankle...ahem...graceful much?! Anyhoo...

I Confess...

That it went much better than I had expected. I haven't used my crutches in a week, and I'm doing well without them...besides, helloooo, I fell while walking. In my possession, the crutches can become instruments of death and doom...it was better to try to get along without them.

I Confess...

That I went to an orthopedic specialist who took a look at my xrays and said that he had a hard time believing that I did all of this just by falling...yup, I did. He informed me that he doesn't see injuries like the one my foot sustained unless a car has run over it. What the What?! Just call me an overachiever :p

I Confess...

That after the appointment, I had a super time with a new friend. We ate, we window shopped, we had coffee...I can't tell you how badly I needed the girl day and how much it meant to me.

I Confess...

I went to Kyle's last football game last night...in the rain...the freakin' COLD rain...

I Confess...

I was a "Brisicle" (heehee, spell check had a field day with that one!!)

I Confess...

That I love that neither Kyle nor I have plans for this weekend, once my Roadie guy gets home tonight from the High School's last away game. Probably by then, I'll need toothpicks to prop my eyelids open!

Everyone have a wonderful weekend!! muwah!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 10/26/11

2011-10-24T17:54:00.014-05:00

WOOHOO!! It's Wednesday, and you know what that means! Yeppers, it's time to link up with Mamarazzi, Queso, and Crazymama for We Want to Know Wednesday! This week, Queso asks the questions, and she wants to know about shopping. Oh yeah baby!!

1. Do you shop til you drop, or are you in and out as soon as possible?

When I go into a store, I'm going for something specific, so I guess that makes me an in and out as soon as possible person. It's been a while since I went anywhere with the intention to just look around and browse and see what I see.

2. Are you a price conscious shopper?

I have to be, now that I'm on my own. Not only price conscious, but creative, which makes it more of an adventure. The Dollar Tree has become one of my new favoritest places to shop, seriously!

3. What store could you spend HOURS in?

If I had money to burn, I could spend hours in and do some serious damage in Pier 1 Imports or Kohls. Either one, I'm not picky.

4. What is the most frivolous purchase you have ever made?

It was ten years ago, and shortly after my first divorce. I got a really big tax return. I was living on my own for the first time ever and money was so tight. I hadn't gotten to buy myself anything in nearly a year and all of a sudden, I had this tax return money. And then I saw these gorgeous, luscious, cream colored satin sheets in a Victoria's Secret catalog...and I HAD to have them. Just had to. I absolutely adore those sheets. They are so soft and comfy...and freakin' expensive, but we won't discuss that part. I love them. They're on my bed right now, in fact, and they make me happy :p

5. What was the last thing you bought for yourself?

Three weeks ago, I bought a sheer to go on the third window in my bedroom plus a tie back all for $11. I was totally excited!! My bedroom is coming along...slowly but surely, and I'm loving it :)

Friday Confessionals 10/21/11

2011-10-21T16:32:00.005-05:00

WOOHOO it's Friday! I've been off from work all week (thankfully with sick leave) to nurse my fractured foot back to health so I can be ready to go back on Monday. I've been reading lots of books and watching lots of movies and getting lots of rest. And now, I'm joining with Mamarazzi this week for Friday Confessionals!

I Confess...

That a friend from work and I went to Wal*Mart today to go grocery shopping.

I Confess...

That for the first time ever, I had to drive one of the little riding carts.

I Confess...

That they don't give tutorials on how to drive those things, and I may or may not have given myself whiplash while trying to learn how to maneuver it.

I Confess...

Those babies will really go when they are fully charged... :)

I Confess...

I actually cooked most of dinner tonight. Kyle assisted, but I was glad to be back in the kitchen.

I Confess...

After a big day involving grocery shopping and cooking dinner, my pain pills can take me to my happy place tonight ;)

Hope everyone has a good weekend!!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 10/19/11

2011-10-19T10:58:00.007-05:00

Alrighty, it's Wednesday so it's time to join Mamarazzi, Queso and Crazymama for our mid-week question answering partay! This week's questions are brought to you by Mamarazzi.

1. When was the last time you lost your temper?

You know, I actually had to think about this one. It's been so peaceful here, and it's been a while since I've had to raise my voice. But, a couple of weeks ago, I told Kyle to take a shower before he went to bed, and he said he would wake up early and take one in the morning. He didn't wake up early, but still took one the next morning, and almost made me late for work having to fight him for the bathroom. It wasn't pretty since we wouldn't have had that problem if he had just minded me the night before...

2. What 3 words best describe you?

Loyal, loving, and strong.

3. What movie could you watch over and over again and never get tired of?

Blindside. That movie is amazing. I also love 13 Going on 30, Dirty Dancing, and the Legally Blonde movies.

4. If you could do something dangerous, just once, with no risk, what would you do?

I would be a race car driver. I think it would be so awesome to drive as fast as I can around the track.

5. Which is more important, intelligence or common sense?

Ummm, I would say common sense.

Alrighty folks, that's my answers for this time, you guys have a super great week!!!

Impossibly Easy Chicken Taco Pie

2011-10-18T01:19:00.007-05:00

I have GOT to brag on my boy for a minute!! With my fractured foot putting me out of commission, I have been SO thankful for Kyle. Sunday night, I talked him through it, and he cooked us tater tot casserole. (Recipe here). Last night, he did double duty. I have found that if I cook three meals over the weekend, then I have leftovers that will last us throughout the week. One of the meals he cooked tonight was one I had intended to try out and post on here over the weekend, but ya know...life happened.

I have been trying for a while to get Kyle to help me in the kitchen. I keep thinking that he's going to be grown up and on his own soon (not too soon, I hope) and he won't know how to cook anything besides chicken nuggets, fries, tots and corndogs. When I try to get him to help me, he's simply not interested. Well, he's sort of been forced into it this week and I have to say that he has done an AMAZING job. I have been so proud of him and keep telling him how much I have needed and appreciated his help. So tonight's dinner was made by Kyle. The recipe was emailed to me from Bisquick.com and comes from their "Impossibly Easy" recipe collection. This picture is the one from the website because for some reason, my computer is not recognizing my camera and me and my foot aren't going to be crawling around trying to figure out the problem. I did get a picture and it does look like this...minus the sour cream and garnish. Kyle did a great job!

IMPOSSIBLY EASY CHICKEN TACO PIE

Ingredients:

2 cups cut up cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp taco seasoning mix
1 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease bottom and sides of glass pie plate (I used a stone pie plate and it was fine)

Mix chicken, onion, and taco seasoning mix, sprinkle into pie plate

In a separate bowl, mix Bisquick, eggs, and milk with a fork until blended.

Pour into pie plate.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake 1 or 2 additional minutes until cheese is melted.

Garnish with lettuce, tomato and sour cream if desired.

Oh my this dish was AWESOME! It was easy for Kyle to make, although he has found that he does not like cooking anything with onion because it burns his eyes. All three dishes he has cooked has had it in it, and he hasn't been happy. "How do you stand it?" he asks. I'm used to it and it just doesn't bother me anymore. Whatever, he's not impressed. I think he would just as happy for me to stock the freezer with microwave meals. He's found that cooking isn't so easy, and maybe this will give him an appreciation for what goes into putting a meal on the table.

We didn't have lettuce and tomato to garnish with, but I did have some sour cream so he put some on mine, and it made it even more wonderful. I got mine half eaten before we realized that he skipped the step where he was supposed to put the cheese on it. It was still good, but when we heat up the leftovers, we can add cheese then. Easy to make, looks good, tastes good...this recipe definitely gets two thumbs up over here! :) I am so very thankful for the help he has given me the past few days!!

Not The Weekend I Had Envisioned

2011-10-17T14:12:00.004-05:00

This weekend was going to be really great. I was going to get some cleaning done. I was going to get some rest. I was going to give myself a mani and a pedi (I had even found the coolest teal colored polish to use on my toesies). I was going to bake. I was going to do some laundry. It was going to be a good weekend.

But then Reality Bites doesn't it, and we don't always get the day that we planned on...case in point, my weekend....

It started out fine. I got up, threw on some clothes and some slippers and got Kyle to the high school so that he could travel with the band to a band contest in Little Rock.

After dropping him off, I went to Wal-Mart and got a few things that I needed.

I came home, put it all away, then I swept and mopped my kitchen and dining room floors.

I went upstairs and cleaned out my cabinets and got rid of stuff that was out of date or that we don't use anymore. And gave Kyle his own cabinet in the bathroom.

I'm mentally high-fiving myself because I've done all of this and it's not even 10:45. I'm rockin' it people!

I grab up the discarded items from the bathroom and put it in the trash and begin to haul the trash outside to the dumpster.

And that is when my weekend trashed itself...

As I stepped from the pavement of our parking lot onto the grass next to the dumpster, my foot kept going and I went down. And I fractured my right foot. I fractured my ankle last year, and let me tell you, this hurts way worse.

And I found out this weekend how terrifying it can be to be alone and hurt and need someone's help. It took me a couple of hours, but I found someone to bring me to the hospital. They X-rayed it and put a post-op shoe on it and sent me home with a pain med and instructions to see my family doctor. As luck would have it, I already had an appointment for Tuesday to see him, so that's not a problem. The sweet friend who took me also took me to get my medicine and she took me to Burger King so I could get some dinner since it was pretty much a given that I wouldn't want to cook.

The next morning, the pain medicine started making me violently sick. And moving wasn't an option because the hospital didn't give me any crutches. WHAT?! (I stupidly got rid of mine from last year a couple of weeks ago--I'm keeping this set forevah!) I called the hospital and they said that I would have to be seen again to get them since another doctor was on duty. Since I was throwing up just about every 5 or 10 minutes, I decided to go back and be seen. They gave me some phenergan and a new pain medicine and some crutches.

A lady I work with brought me and Kyle a pizza for lunch today, Kyle made tator tot casserole last night while I talked him through it and he did an amazing job. So, I'm not totally alone. But I have to say, this was definitely not the weekend I had envisioned! :(

Friday Confessionals 10/14/11

2011-10-14T18:35:00.003-05:00

Hey folks, I'm tardy to tha party this week, but there's still time for me to get in a Confessional with Mamarazzi! YAY for Friday!!

I Confess...

For the first time in a long time, I had a great week at work, and I'm very thankful!

I Confess...

I haven't had a pedi in a couple of months. I found and bought some teal blue polish for $1 yesterday so that I can give my toesies some TLC this weekend. WOOHOO!! Project for tomorrow after I sweep and mop and do some other house cleaning.

I Confess...

While I'm at it, (now that I'm noticing), a mani would definitely be in order, too...although I will not be sporting blue fingernails. just toenails ;)

I Confess...

That while I am definitely enjoying the cooler weather, it's still pretty warm (high 80's), and I am ready for it to decide to get cold so I can bust out the long sleeve shirts and scarves. Soon.

I Confess...

Last night, I missed the first Football game of Kyle's that I've missed all season. I confess I hated not being able to go.

I Confess...

That Kyle is with the High School band tonight, and won't be home until late. I'll probably be picking him up in my pajammies again...heehee!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I'm going to try to enjoy every minute of mine :)

We Want to Know Wednesday 10/12/11

2011-10-11T18:07:00.019-05:00

It's Wednesday!! Joining up with Mamarazzi, Queso, and now also Crazymama, for We Want to Know Wednesday. This weeks' questions are from our newest co-host, Crazymama.

1. What is your feel better remedy when you are sick?

When I 'm not feeling well, I want oatmeal and hot chocolate. And lots of sleep.

2. When illness strikes, what is your policy on staying home from work, school, or church with yourself and your family?

As a child, we were at school unless we were throwing up or running fever. Of course, I have a naturally low body temperature, so did I ever run fever....um...no. (And I tried, too, dadgumit!) As an adult, it was the same, at work unless I have fever. Since my first heart surgery, though, I don't adhere as strongly to that as I used to. When I get sick, there's very few medications I can take, so I have to stay home and baby myself and rest. For me, being sick can be very dangerous and I have to stay on top of my health as much as I can. You should see me wiping down the phones, counters and keyboards at work. As soon as I start feeling sick, I get home and rest. Sickies are bad...very bad.

3. What do you think is worse? Flu or cold?

The flu. It's like a cold, modified by 10. Of course, I don't want either of them, just sayin'

4. Flu shots? Do you get them? Have you yet?

I don't get them. I'm one of the people who get sick after getting a flu shot. I don't necessarily get the flu, but I get really bad cold symptoms. And since I can't take anything for them, I'm not going to take a shot that is guaranteed to make me feel bad and then have to ride it out. Thankfully, so far, that's worked out okay for me and I haven't had the flu.

5. When you are feeling down, what is your usual go-to therapy? (retail therapy, exercise, comfort food, etc.)

If I had the money, oh baby, would there ever be some retail therapy going on up in here! Since I don't, I give myself a pedicure and I call my Mom because she's the bestest ;).

Hope everyone is having a good week!!!

Southwestern Skillet Bake

2011-10-09T13:00:00.001-05:00

I've been getting some of the greatest new dinner ideas lately. Well, new to this house anyhow. I got on Bisquick.com after discovering their Ultimate Chicken Fingers recipe on the back of the box. OMGoodness!! I subscribed to get email recipes from them, but I also get a seperate email from Betty Crocker (maker of Bisquick) and also one called Dinner Made Easy (also from Betty Crocker). All from subscribing to Bisquick.com. YAY! Anyhow, last week, we tried the Southwestern Skillet Bake. I was already posting my lasagna recipe, so I saved this one for today. You.are.welcome.

Southwestern Skillet Bake

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat

1 can thick and chunky salsa (16 oz.)

1 can corn (drained)

1 cup Bisquick

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 eggs

Directions:

In an oven safe skillet, brown the hamburger meat and drain.

Stir in salsa and corn.

In a mixing bowl mix Bisquick, cheese and eggs.

Spoon Bisquick batter around edge of beef mixture, leaving the center uncovered.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into batter comes out clean.

First, the recipe said to reserve 2 tbsp of the cheddar cheese and mix the remaining cheese with the Bisquick and eggs. Reserve, schmerve...I cheated and used the whole cup and a half of cheese in the mixture, then sprinkled more on the top. Oh come on...did you expect anything less? That being the only change, it was awesome! Six ingredients, easy to make, and tastes great. Kyle liked it, too...and so did his friend who said he was coming back for dinner when he heard what I was making ;) This meal is definitely a keeper!!!

Friday Confessionals 10/07/11

2011-10-07T18:32:00.009-05:00

HOLLA!! It's Friday, peeps!! Which can only mean that it's time for Friday Confessionals with Mamarazzi!

I Confess...

That last Friday night, Kyle went with the high school band to their away game, as a Roadie. What's a Roadie? The band directors hand pick some of the junior high band members to go on the band trips with the big kids to help load and unload equipment, help carry things on and off the field, and do anything else that needs doing. The junior high kids have to be well behaved, follow directions, and be willing to work. Kyle loves it because he gets to hang around the high schoolers and when he is a Freshman next year, he will know the upperclassmen. Anyway, he got home at 1 a.m. I know, because I was the one that picked him up. We were tired fo realz.

I Confess...

That my little Roadie went to a Marching Contest at my old college alma mater this past Tuesday. He liked seeing the bands, and thought that the college band (who put on a exhibition performance at the end) was 'totally legit' (his new word). I think I scored cool mom points when I told him that I was in that band for four years and also their color guard. :D

I Confess...

That his Dad forgot to give him money to take with him, so I ran and picked the money up from him and took it to Kyle at school. Kyle gave me a hug...in the school...in front of other people....awwww!! I melted. -.-

I Confess...

When I picked him up at midnight on a school night (gasp!!), I was wearing my pajamas and flip flops. I didn't get out of the car, so no one saw...unless someone had night vision goggles and was looking into the little Ford car at the woman wearing pj's and sporting freshly washed slept on hair...you don't think anyone would do that, do you??

I Confess...

Kyle's game last night had an exciting, nail biting ending. Which wasn't in our favor, but that's not the point...the point is that when I was telling others about the last few plays, I actually sounded like a bona fide football fan. I KNOW!! I've gone from the girl who only knew that if the guys in the black and white shirts raised both of their arms, then we played the fight song, to a Mom that somewhat knows and understands plays and groans at penalties!! Who knew!!

I Confess...

I had a mini melt down yesterday when realized that the headlight on my car was out when I pulled up at work. The problem is electrical, which makes it suck so much worse. Being alone and handling things by myself is overwhelming at times, and it's taking a lot to get used to it. I am so thankful for my family, though. They are amazing and I couldn't have gotten through the last six weeks without them.

Alrighty then, that's my confessions for this week. I'm glad it's Friday, and I plan on enjoying a quiet, restful weekend. Hope yours is great, too!! Toodles! :D

We Want to Know Wednesday 10/05/11

2011-10-04T18:06:00.012-05:00

It's Wednesday and time to link up with Mamarazzi and Alicia a.k.a. Queso for this week's We Want to Know. This week, Alicia's asking the questions, so here goes!

1. If you had an extra hour to do ANYTHING for yourself each day, what would you do?

I would sit on my patio in my porch swing every night (as long as the weather was nice). It's so relaxing! Lately, I've loved taking my coffee and a book out there on Saturday mornings, I just hope the weather cooperates with me for a while so I can keep doing it.

2. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Oh my good gracious...how about neither. If you threatened to beat me with a bat if I didn't pick one, I would say I'm more of a night owl than morning person...cause this chick is NOT a morning person, just sayin'. But at the same time, I'd be happy to be in bed at 9:00 (reading) every night if it was possible.

3. How much sleep do you get on an average night?

I wake up several times a night and have trouble going back to sleep. I go to bed with 7 to 8 hours to rest, but all told, I probably get 5 hours of sleep if I'm lucky.

4. When do you find the time to blog/surf the ol' interweb?

I usually get on the computer right after I get home from work and then again after dinner and chores are done and I'm settling down for the night. I have plenty of time to surf (sometimes more than I want) when Kyle is with his Dad.

5. What is the ONE thing you're never too busy for?

Family, friends, and chocolate :p

That's it for today, hop on over to see what others had to say!

Lasagna

2011-10-01T09:04:00.019-05:00

If you're anything like me, or this guy...

Then you LOVE you some lasagna!

During this past week's We Want to Know, (which just happened to be about one of my favorite subjects), I mentioned that I make a pretty mean lasagna. It seemed like a dish that several of you were interested in...even though I can't come to make it for you. Although I wish I could, though ;)

I figured that the next best thing would be sharing the recipe with you, dontcha think?

Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound hamburger meat

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

1 can tomato sauce

1 carton cottage cheese (the one I have is 24 oz.)

1 small can of mushrooms

1 box of lasagna noodles

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

chopped onion

garlic powder

Italian seasoning

Directions:

First put a pot of water on to boil. Pour in a little salt to flavor the noodles. Add the lasagna noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain, rinse and let cool in a pot of cold water so that they don't stick together.
At the same time, in a large skillet, brown your hamburger meat and onion. Drain.
Add the spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, and some garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the sauce.
Let it simmer for a few minutes.
Stir in the cottage cheese. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
In the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, make a single layer of noodles.
Top with spaghetti sauce mixture.
Top with Mozzarella cheese (I don't use as much cheese in the layers, I try to save most of it for the top)
Repeat layers of noodles, sauce and cheese, ending up with a layer of noodles and then cheese on the top.
Bake in 350 degree oven until edges of the noodles are a little brown, and the cheese is melty (about 25 or so minutes).

This dish sounds difficult, but really, it's not. And it tastes wonderful! You can do different things to it, such as add bell pepper when you brown the meat and onion, or throw in some fresh garlic (which I didn't have this time). One thing I would definitely suggest is that if you buy your cheese already shredded, don't buy the finely shredded, buy the regular shredded. It just melts and works better, and your lasagna looks better when it's done. Also, cook the noodles first and let them cool. I have forgotten to do that step first, and working with hot noodles is not fun at all...really it isn't...

Friday Confessionals 09/30/11

2011-09-30T05:36:00.008-05:00

It's Friday, and I'm Hap Hap Happy!! What a better way to celebrate it than linking up with Mamarazzi and joining her Friday Confessions. What do I have to confess??

I Confess...

That Kyle's first away game was last night. I rode up with Kyle's friend's parents and it was a blast!

I Confess...

That as I was trying to get out the door, Kyle called wanting me to come pick him up and take him to the store and get him something to eat. (now before you say that it would have been smart for him to take some snacks to begin with, I totally agree! Except he was with his Dad the night before, and they didn't plan ahead...)

I Confess...

There was no way that there would be time to do that before his bus left heading to the game. So I brought him a soda and snacks from the house.

I Confess...

That I had to chase the bus (in my car) from his school to the high school to give him his backpack and snacks. Only to have him refuse the drink and snacks...after I followed the bus...hmph.

I Confess...

That I called his dad at work, and the conversation started with, "Your child..."

I Confess...

That in my haste to deal with the hungry boy snacking issue, I forgot my camera at home. I did manage these cell phone shots, but my cell phone camera doesn't zoom :(

I Confess...

It's been a good week, but I am ready for the weekend!!!!

Hope everyone has a great one! Go take a look at what everyone else is confessing :)

The Parade Came to Town

2011-09-28T21:36:00.007-05:00

And Kyle marched in it. I tried to find a place to get the best view of the most handsome percussion player ever. I sat and waited under a tree next to the county library. I heard the band and got into position for a picture. And I got this....

and I was not happy. I mean, it's going to be Christmas before he's in another parade, and he's only going to have one first parade :( (and that's the face I made to his grandmother and great grandmother, too). I was bummed. I got another picture of the band from behind. Well of course it was clear.

And then I had a brilliant idea. I called Kyle's Dad. "Hey, Kyle is coming toward you, please snap me a picture from your phone and text it to me, my picture sucked."

"I got one but don't know if it turned out or not. I'll text it."

"Huh? I thought he was heading toward you..."

"Um, no, he passed by a minute or so ago."

"Where are you?"

"The bank parking lot."

Nice. "Text it anyway, please."

And he wins.

And that my friends, is Kyle's first ever parade. This kid had gone to the dentist earlier that day and had the shot and the gas to have a filling replaced that broke during football practice. He didn't want to miss the parade, so he went straight back to school. The guy's a trooper. And he's getting taller. He walked in tonight and went to give me a hug. I had to stand on my tippie toes to kiss his cheek ::sniff sniff::

"Kyle, you're getting taller."

"Am I really?"

"Uh huh"

And he grinned...

Love love love him to pieces!

We Want to Know Wednesday 9/28/11

2011-09-26T21:11:00.010-05:00

Teaming up again this week with Mamarazzi and Alicia a.k.a. Queso for We Want to Know Wednesday. Today's questions are about a subject near and dear to my heart and my waist. Food.

1. What is one thing (food or drink) that you MUST have every day?

Coffee. Lately I've been drinking iced coffee, but it's starting to get chilly and pretty soon I'll be drinking hot coffee. YUM!

2. What is your "go to" food when you don't feel well/need comfort?

When I'm feeling bad, I want oatmeal and hot chocolate.

3. Is there a dish that you make that people request when they visit your home/a family favorite?

I make a really good lasagna :D

4. What are 3 foods that you have TRIED and do not like and will NEVER eat again?

Liver
Radishes
Apple Sauce (after having my medicine crushed and mixed into it in the hospital last year and for weeks afterward) which tasted AWFUL...I can't even look at it anymore. Blech.

5. What's one thing that you love to eat that most people would think was weird and/or gross.

I don't really eat anything I would consider gross. Hmmm...I like the green sauce at my favorite Mexican restaurant and I only know one other person who does. Also, my son thinks it's gross that I like honey mustard with my chicken tenders, but what does he know... :p

Okidokey folkies, that's all I've got today. Hop on over to Mamarazzi's to see what everyone else had to say!!

What Was YOUR Weekend Like?

2011-09-19T18:38:00.016-05:00

Mine was pure absolute madness...and it was wonderful. Friday night, I worked in the concession stand at the Football game. I must have put chili and cheese on fifty bajillion servings of fritos, tortilla chips, Doritos and hotdogs for four solid hours. But hey, I'm earning money to go in Kyle' s band account, so it was worth it. (Helping is free...his drum sticks and marching shoes are not :p) It was crazy, tiring work after working all day, but I liked it.

Saturday

Saturday morning, I took Kyle up to the school to be fitted for his band uniform at 9:00.

Went grocery shopping.

Baked a Halloween Funfetti cake...Kyle mentioned that it wasn't even October. Come on ya big party pooper! Do we seriously need a reason to bake a cake? It looked fun, so I bought it ;)

Washed, dried, folded and put away 5 loads of laundry.

Cleaned my bedroom and hung curtains.

Bedroom redo brought to you by my Auntie B and my Mom. My Aunt paid for the new bedding (which included the matching curtains) and my Mom and I shopped for it and rearranged the room and set it all up. And I'm loving the antique table she brought me :) Now all I need is matching candles and table skirts, and it will be complete. I'm not in a hurry, though. I'll do it as I can.

Wrestled clean sheets onto the bed--it was quite comical, really.

Sunday

Went to Sunday School and church

Fixed lunch

Dusted the living room

Had Kyle clean his room -- he even dusted his room without me asking, HOLLA!

Fixed tacos for dinner

Went to meet Kyle's girlfriend's parents

Came home and rested up from my crazy weekend

******************************

I'm finding my Inner Girl Power, and I'm rockin' it, Baby!! What was your weekend like?

Hoping you all have a great week!

Friday Confessionals 9/16/11

2011-09-16T05:38:00.009-05:00

Oh my gosh, it's FINALLY Friday, folks!! And you know what that means...Friday Confessionals with Mamarazzi!

I Confess...

I think I found the most awesome way to get a Football post and a Friday Confessional post in at the same time. By combining the two of them! :)

I Confess...

That it actually felt like Fall last night at the football game. A wonderful, chilly 69 degrees. Total bliss.

I Confess...

That I was wearing a tee-shirt and flip flops to the game.

I Confess...

I didn't care, it still felt terrific. But next week I will have tennis shoes and a parka on hand for Kyle's first away game.

I Confess...

That Kyle actually got to play on the field a little bit last night! YIPPEE!

I Confess...

That I danced a little to the band cadences last night. Maybe no one that Kyle knows saw me... ;)

I Confess...

That I heart Football season! <3

Kyle joined the band during the 9th grade game. He is really loving being in the band this year!

Wanna hear other people's juicy confessions?! Head on over to Mamarazzi's and check them out! Have a super weekend, peeps!! :D

We Want to Know Wednesday 9/14/11

2011-09-13T20:28:00.008-05:00

Good glory this week is creeping on by! Seriously. But, alas, it is finally at the halfway point, so I'm joining in with Mamarazzi and Alicia a.k.a. Queso for this weeks We Want to Know Wednesday. WOOHOO!

1. What are three must haves for a long road trip?

A book to read
A bottled water
My ipod

2. What was the destination of your most recent road trip?

I went to Houston, TX for a long weekend to see my Mom and go to some doctor's appointments.

3. What do you miss most about home when on a trip?

I'm an absolute homebody, so I would have to say that I miss all of it, but since I have to narrow it down, I would say my bed.

4. What is the furthest you have traveled while on a road trip?

When I was a teenager, we used to take a two week vacation every summer. We have been all the way to Canada (from Texas) before. But in college, we took a 29 hour bus trip to Mexico City to play in the Aztec Bowl. Football team and cheerleaders got to fly, the band and color guard (YAY color guard) had to ride a charter bus....anyhoo, I don't know if that was longer or not...it sure seemed like it especially on the ride back :)

5. Will you "stop for the largest ball of twine, etc." or are you a "hurry up and get there" road tripper?

It would depend. When I'm going to see my parents, I've traveled those roads all my life and I just want to get there. Going places I've never been, I want to explore and see stuff on the way.

Alrighty, that's all I've got for today folks!! Hope you have a fabulous week and hop on over to see what others answered this week!

Cheez Its Chicken

2011-09-12T11:23:00.007-05:00

When I wrote a post several weeks ago asking for recipes, one of my favorite blog/email buddies, Impulsive Addict, sent me two of them. (And I accidentally deleted the email, so IA, please email the crockpot one again, mmkay?!) They both have four ingredients, and seem easy to prepare, and they sound yummy!

Cheez Its Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
1 stick of butter
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (you can't taste either of these in the final product)
2 cups Cheez Its in a large zip lock bag and crushed

Directions

Melt butter in oven in a 9x13 baking dish
Coat chicken in sour cream or yogurt
Place in bag and coat in Cheez Its
Put chicken on dish then flip it to get both sides buttery
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Now before we go any further, I should mention that I yanked this picture off of the internet because my chicken did not look like this. I apparently need to work on my breading skills. But I had a wonderful time ~~beating the crap out of~~ crushing the Cheez Its. Nobody will ever convince me that cooking's not therapeutic. Anyhow, it was super easy and I thought it tasted really good. Kyle, who does not like chicken usually at all, wasn't very impressed. Basically. if it doesn't come in the form of a nugget and served in a McDonalds box, boy doesn't like it, so I would have been surprised if he had. Since I was heating up the house anyway, I made some scalloped potatoes and green beans to go with it. Mr. Picky made a meal off of salad and the potatoes. And now we're out of Thousand Island dressing, so it's not going to be happy at our house until I get some ;) Thank you so much Impulsive Addict for this awesome recipe!

Hope everyone's having an awesome week!!

Football Season is Here!!!

2011-09-08T20:36:00.009-05:00

Tonight was Kyle's first football game and it was such a blast!! At first, Kyle only signed up for football because the coaches want the basketball players to sign up for football so that when it changes from one season to the other, it doesn't affect any of their classes. They just go from playing football to basketball. Anyway, Kyle had the choice of being a manager or playing on the team, and he chose to play. He is finding out that he's not as fond of it as he thought he'd be. And I'm hoping that he changes his mind fo' real. Because I was totally meant to be one of the Moms cheering from the bleachers. I mean it! I love being at football games. I love listening to the band play, the crowd yelling, the cheerleaders cheering. It's awesome! Number 48...that's my guy!

The 8th graders won 3 to 0 WOOHOO!! Afterward, while the 9th grade football team was playing their game, Kyle joined the band in the stands. He did not want me to take pictures. Seriously. He threatened to take off the drum if I brought out the camera. I won mwahahahaha!!

And just to up the mad factor for later, his Dad had his camera phone cocked and ready, too. Yep, the kid can't win for losing!! I'm sure there will be payback. I hope he decides he likes football, because I sure hope to see him rocking the football field for this season and the next four after that.

We Want to Know Wednesday 9/7/11

2011-09-06T21:06:00.005-05:00

This week is flying by and it's already Wednesday. YAY! So, I'm linking up with Mamarazzi and Alicia a.k.a. Queso for We Want to Know Wednesday.

1. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas. The spending time with family, the lights, the Christmas carols, the decorations, the food...all of it.

2. Do you have any fun holiday traditions? What are they?

I make cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I will probably still do that this year, but Kyle and I will also be starting some new traditions this Christmas. Don't know what they'll be yet, but I'm looking forward to them.

3. When do you start Christmas shopping?

When I have the money. How terrible is that??

4. What is your favorite holiday food?

OMGosh, all of it! But the holidays wouldn't be the holidays without my Nanny's dressing.

5. Share a favorite childhood holiday memory.

I actually have so many, which is a wonderful blessing. But, my sister and I used to hide a flashlight in one of our rooms, then after everyone was in bed, we would get up and go see what Santa left us.

6. Have you ever actually tried fruitcake?

Yes, and I'm not a big fan. I like it when it has more of a cake consistency, then it's tolerable. Otherwise...blech.

Okidokey, that's my big answers for this week. Hop on over to Mamarazzi's place to read other people's answers! Have a wonderful week!

Friday Confessional 9/2/11

2011-09-01T19:16:00.012-05:00

I really wanted to do a Friday Confessional post this week, but as I've mentioned before, it's been a rough couple of weeks and I don't really have anything worthy of confessing. I tried to get Kyle to hijack my blog again...I mean seriously, dontcha think an 8th grader could burn the blog up with confessions?! But alas, it wasn't his idea so he wasn't interested.

But, I have some supah cool ladies that are helping me out with this week's confessions, so let me "introduce" you. Today's confessions will be brought to you by my awesome Mom, my Favorite Auntie B, my wonderful sister, my gorgeous cousin, and my feisty Nanny. Are you ready?!

My Mom confesses...

That I groomed my two dogs and they looked like aliens, so I was going to blame it on my sister.

My Favorite Auntie B confesses...

That I called someone a b*t*h today... and meant it...

My sister confesses...

That my three sons want a parakeet and I do not want another thing to take care of. I also confess that if they mention 'bird' one more time, I'll be tempted to put them in a cage.

My cousin confesses...

On my drive to work this morning, I changed lanes without using my blinker, only to see a police officer behind me in my rear view mirror. When they changed lanes (using their blinker) and got behind me, I immediately decided that if I got pulled over, I was going to swear that I had used it, but it must not be working properly (hoping that the fact I drive and older model truck it would work in my favor!) and promise that I would have it looked at that day! I was very thankful that I didn't have to use my "clueless" girl act that I had been working up!

My Nanny confesses...

They were giving flu shots today, and nobody wanted to go first, so she did. She was going to pretend to faint, in order to give the ones in line behind her a little scare.

Thanks to these lovely ladies for helping a sistah out with a blog post!! You girls are the bestest and I miss and love you so much!!! To see what everyone else is confessing this week, just hop on over to Mamarazzi's place and take a look :)

Happy weekend y'all!!

We Want To Know Wednesday 8/31/11

2011-08-31T11:25:00.007-05:00

Getting back into the groove and linking up with Mamarazzi and Alicia aka Queso for Wednesday's We Want to Know. This week we're talking about cell phones.

1. Do you prefer to text or call?

I prefer to call. I like the fact that it is the next closest thing to being with that person. And sometimes you just need to hear a person's voice **coughcough*MOM*coughcough** Also, you can't tell a person's tone by what they are texting and things can get misconstrued quickly.

2. What is the last text message in your phone and who is it from?

It says "crappy for sure" and it was from my Mom. We were expressing our thoughts on the cast of the new season of Dancing With the Stars and neither of us were very impressed...still aren't...

3. What are your favorite phone apps?

I have a dumb phone, so I don't have apps. I get by, but you can still pity me.

4. At what age do you think kids are ready for a cell phone?

I don't think it's an age thing as much as a situation and responsibility thing. We got Kyle his first phone when he was nine. We got it so he could call me or anybody else when he needed to. And, I didn't always have to go through his Dad to talk to him when he was with him. He lost that phone after only a couple of months and we did not get him another one until he was 12. Now, he can call when he needs to be picked up from somewhere or when he's almost home from an activity with his youth group. I really like the convenience of it. And it seems like more kids his age have one than don't. His father, stepmother and I monitor his texts and calls and pictures. He doesn't like it, but that's how it is. It's either that or no phone...and he doesn't like that idea at all :p

5. Share a current pic or video taken with your phone.

I don't normally take pictures with my phone. And when I do, I can't upload them to anything. I have to text them to my sister and have her email it to me (and I'm sure that she really looooooves that) so, meh, I mostly just use my digital camera.

As consolation, here's my phone...I love the zebra striped phone face :)

Alrighty, that's my answers for this week. If you want to see what all the other cool kids had to say, hop on over and take a look! muwah!

Burrito Bake

2011-08-29T18:44:00.009-05:00

I have loved this dish since I was a little girl. It's a comfort food, and this past week, I've certainly needed some. I know that you are all probably sick and tired of looking at the Ultimate Chicken Strips. (if you weren't, I certainly was) In an attempt to land on my feet, look ahead, and find a new normal in my life, I stepped back into the kitchen tonight for the first time in a week and made this Mexican casserole.

Burrito Bake

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat
1/2 onion, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 can refried beans
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup Bisquick
Picante Sauce
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion and drain. Return to skillet.
Add taco seasoning mix and prepare according to packet directions.
In a mixing bowl, combine Bisquick, refried beans and water.
Spread evenly into a 9 x 13 pan.
Top with picante sauce and spread lightly with a spoon. I don't measure it, just use as much as you like. I put enough to have a thin coating over the "crust" which is probably a cup to a cup and a half.
Pour taco meat on top of salsa.
Top with cheddar cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes and cheese is melted.

I love this meal because there are so many different things you can do with it. You can make it like above or be as adventurous as you want. Some different ways to change it up are to top it with some olives, jalapenos, sour cream, tomatoes or guacamole. Serve it with your favorite Mexican side dishes. Me, I made corn to go with it tonight.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

Ultimate Chicken Fingers

2011-08-20T20:30:00.007-05:00

I know, I know. You are probably thinking that all we eat is chicken. Not true. But I go grocery shopping on Monday and right now we have chicken in the freezer, so that's what we're eating. Kyle is not a big fan of chicken, so I was looking for a way to make it that he might like. Which brings us to tonight's little gem of a recipe, which just happens to be on the back of my box of Bisquick. I'm also sure you can go to their website for more recipes, which I intend to do later, now that the thought has crossed my mind.

Ultimate Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips
2/3 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt or garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

In 1 gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika.

Dip half the chicken strips into the egg; place in bag. Seal bag; shake to coat.

Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12-14 minutes turning halfway through bake time, until no longer pink in center.

It was easy to make, except for the part where my hands got messy. If you know me, or have read my blog for any time, you know that me no likey the messy hands. Not.at.all. I didn't have 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, (it was more like 1/3, so I used what I had) and I didn't have garlic salt. I didn't want to use just salt because I did want the garlic flavor, so I used salt and garlic powder. Those small changes aside, these turned out really good! I was grabbing ingredients, and had the cooking oil out, thinking that they would be fried, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that they needed to be baked. Not for the hotter house, but because they were healthier. Kyle said he liked them, so kid approved, too.

So there ya go. Easy, quick, yummy and Mr. Picky liked them. Go make you some, and I promise that next week's recipe won't have chicken. You have no idea how excited I am about grocery shopping Monday. Seriously. In the heat, after working all day, and I will SO be okay with that :D

Friday Confessionals 8/19/11

2011-08-19T04:25:00.001-05:00

Oh Happy Day it's FRIDAY! I will say that this week has kicked my bootay! Badly. It was the first week back to school for the kids and I am exhausted. I'm going to dredge up the energy to link up with Mamarazzi for this week's Friday Confessionals, though. WOOT!

I Confess...

That I really didn't have any idea of what I would post today. This week has been insane, and I am tired and seriously contemplating sleeping until 11 on Saturday and staying in my pajamas the rest of the day. Yeah that bad. I was even toying with the idea of skipping out on another Friday Confessional post. And then....

I Confess...

Last night, I was sitting in my recliner, reading my blogs, and needed to go to the bathroom.

I Confess...

That just as I started to pee, my son says through the door, "Hey, I'm going to type a blog post!" I told him that he had better not. Yeah, that was real intimidating...from the throne!

I Confess...

That I came back into the living room to see him indeed typing on the computer. Oh dear Lord. I tried to wrestle the laptop away from him, but he was holding it in the air and typing. Seeing that I wasn't going to win this one, I told him that he had better let me read it before he published it to my blog.

I Confess...

That he is a teenager and English is his second language (textspeak being his first). And apparently it is harder than it looks to type while holding a laptop in midair all while trying to keep it from being taken away from you.

I Confess...

That it took every ounce of restraint I had not to go back and correct typos and insert punctuation. But I didn't. Because one day I'm going to look back at this and smile and remember the night he hijacked my blog, and I don't want to have changed a thing.

Besides, one day, I'll probably show it to his wife and kids...heehee!!!

What Happens When Your Kid Hijacks Your Blog

2011-08-18T20:47:00.008-05:00

ok well its kyle the retrted random kid my "among the chaos"{my mom}always talks about i decided that i would put a post on her blog and see how many comments i cold get so i dont really kno wat too tlk bout so im goin to talk bout school[boring] going to public school is alot different from my old school because theres lockers [which i suck at opening] like300 kids more teachers,sports,and kids in my classes and i like it alot better ik alot of people already frm church and stuff so thths good [lol i saw the more girls comment on her other post on the 8th grade post lol hah yep] and theres band which i like alot since at my old school there wasnt there was only football which ive nver played before so im goin to prob fail at it lol and this is probly goin to be a un-awesome post since my mom is'looking' at it before i post it.well im done cause im bored and out of stuff to type bout im goin to go find some food and television lol bye [idk how to put kyle in big letters like it says bri so ill do this] KYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!

Watch Out Junior High!!

2011-08-16T19:49:00.008-05:00

Yesterday school started for the kiddos. So hard to believe that Kyle's in the 8th grade! For the last six years, Kyle attended a private Christian school. It is a wonderful school. There is one teacher for each grade, so the kids move together each year. So neat, because one, Kyle's class had 10 kids in it. We liked the individualized attention that the teachers were able to provide, and felt that Kyle really thrived in that atmosphere. Two, the kids were like a little family and it was neat to watch them grow up together.

However, a lot of his friends go to public school, including his two best friends. He has asked for some time for us to let him go to the Junior High School. There's several sports and activities offered there that he wanted to be a part of, that weren't offered at his previous school. After much thought, and much discussion, Kyle's Dad and I decided to let him go.

One of the activities that he desperately wanted to participate in was Band. My Dad and Step-Mom gave him his first set of drums. The kid has always been about the drums. Always. He now has an electric set of drums in his room (much quieter for our apartment) and he can often be found playing them. The first thing I did when we made the decision to let him go to the Jr. High, was call the Band Director that I work with. She agreed to let him enroll in the band program, and she will let him play percussion! He.is.super.psyched!

Kyle is going to play on the football and basketball teams, and in band. Things are going to be quite different and much busier this year, but we are looking forward to it. I'm praying that this is a change that works well for him, and that he has a wonderful school year.

Watch out Junior High!! Here's to a terrific 8th grade year!

Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken

2011-08-13T14:22:00.011-05:00

In my quest for new recipes for my family to try, I've hit up family, bloggy friends, and the internet. This week's recipe comes from www.momswhothink.com, which popped up after googling "dinner ideas". This is in their 30 Minute Meals section. Anyhoo, I am need of a trip to the grocery store, which should happen tomorrow. I had the ingredients for this recipe on hand, though, so I was able to make it and post about it. I only want to post recipes that my family has tried personally, so that I can give you our reactions, both as the person who cooks it and the people who eat it.

Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
4 tbsp Butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Coat cooking sheet with nonstick spray.
Combine the paprika, salt, cinnamon, cumin and black pepper in a bowl.
Rub the mixture over the chicken breasts and put them on the baking sheet.
Position the baking sheet in the upper 1/3 of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over low heat.
Cook, stirring until butter melts and the mixture is well combined.
After the chicken has cooked for 15 minutes, brush the mixture over the chicken and bake for 5 minutes more.
Brush the chicken again and bake until cooked through. About 5 more minutes.

This meal was so easy to prepare. It actually called for bone-in chicken breasts. I don't DO bone in...so I got the boneless skinless. I was fully prepared to modify cooking times if need be, but it ended up that I didn't have to. I cook just about everything at 350, so my poor oven was like, "What the what?!" but it finally preheated...the entire house. From start to finish, the entire meal took me 45 minutes to prepare. To go with the meal, I made shells and cheese and then sweet potato fries dusted with powdered sugar. It was SO yummy! The chicken was moist, which I was nervous about since it was cooked uncovered, and boneless. When you first take a bite, you taste the sweetness from the brown sugar and the cinnamon, but then you get the tang from the other spices. Love. Easy to prepare, tastes really good. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!

Life With Kyle

2011-08-11T20:20:00.006-05:00

Kyle and Michael were working on the brakes on Michael's truck. Kyle comes inside and starts telling me what they are fixing to do. They're talking about working on a truck, so I hear a whole bunch of BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...YADA, YADA, YADA...Do re me fa so la ti do...

Imagine the blank look that they would be wearing as I told them about the most incredibly adorable shoes I found while shoe shopping. Yeah, that look. But that wasn't going to fly with Kyle because he was telling me that he washed the rims on the truck (HA! See, I WAS listening). And he was expecting some kind of response other than, "Oh, that's nice...." So I ooohed and aaaahed appropriately. Even though it was rims. On a truck. Yeehaw. Then he mentions that he came into the house for something, but he couldn't remember what.

ME: You needed to poop?

KYLE: REALLY Mom?! That's the best you can come up with?

ME: Well, if the toilet seat's comfy....

KYLE: GAH! I just needed to change my clothes so they don't get dirty!

We Want To Know Wednesday 8/10/11

2011-08-09T21:42:00.007-05:00

Linking up with Mamarazzi and Alicia aka Queso for this week's We Want to Know Wednesday.

1. If you could be on any game show what would it be?

Wheel of Fortune. I'm actually pretty good at it and really like it. And I've watched it since I was a little girl.

2. If you could choose to stay any certain age forever, what age would it be?

Wow. I really don't know. Maybe 25 when Kyle was born, and then I would enjoy his babyhood forever. But really, I don't know that I would want to stay a certain age forever because it would mean that I would stop changing and growing and learning.

3. What were you doing thirty minutes ago?

I was ~~stuffing my face~~ eating dinner. A taco and some spanish rice.

4. What would I find in your fridge right now?

Milk
Eggs
Sugar
Flour
2 Liter Pepsi
2 Liter Sierra Mist
Bagels
Butter
Cheese
Lunch meat
All of the normal condiments in the door
Left over chocolate chip waffles from this past weekend

Yeah, girl needs to make a trip to the grocery store...soon...

5. If you were a piece of furniture, what would you be? Why?

My recliner. It's comfy and cozy and I love to relax in it.

Alright, that's my answers to this weeks We Want to Know Wednesday! Click the button to check out everybody else's answers. Have a supah week!!

Tater Tot Casserole

2011-08-09T17:41:00.009-05:00

Yesterday I asked for recipe ideas from all of you and mentioned making Tater Tot Casserole. It's yummy and easy and I'm sharing, just in case you would like some new dinner ideas, too. I've got several recipes to share and will start doing it once a week, probably on the weekend. Since I've had readers that sounded interested in this recipe, I figured I'd post it.

This is not a picture of my tater tot casserole. I grabbed it off the Internet since I didn't think to take a picture of mine, but mine looked like this, only in a 9x9 pan.

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
salt
pepper
1 bag tater tots
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown ground beef and chopped onion in skillet. Drain the grease. Stir in the cream of mushroom soup and add salt and pepper to taste. Put in 9x9 baking dish. Top with tater tots (It took 3/4 of a bag) and then cheddar cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven until tater tots are done and cheese has melted.

The one thing I like about this recipe is how diverse it can be. I went to www.allrecipes.com and got several variations. People put a can of green beans, or corn, or mixed vegetables in it to add flavor or sneak some veggies in for picky eaters. I had made some lima beans earlier in the week and my guys are leftover snobs and will not eat leftovers. I put the lima beans into the casserole to use them up, and not have to finish eating them by myself. So, you can make it like it is above, or add your own flair to it. And it's still really good. Notice that I didn't put a measurement next to the shredded cheese. I put quite a bit on ours (I would guesstimate a cup to a cup and a half). Of course, I've never heard a person complain that a dish was ruined because it had too much cheese. You? Put however much you want.

Kyle ate two helpings at dinner, then went back an hour later and got another helping. So, definitely kid approved :)

Variety Is The Spice of Life

2011-08-08T21:24:00.008-05:00

Yes, but sadly our dinner table hasn't had much variety lately. I was walking in the grocery store this past weekend and passed by the tater tots. I don't know what made me think of tater tot casserole at that moment. I've never made it before, don't even truly ever remember eating it. Not to say I haven't, just that if I had, it had certainly been a while. Not really sure what ingredients would be needed, I grabbed what I thought would go in it. The first being the tater tots. Duh. Then hamburger meat, onion, cream of mushroom soup, and cheddar cheese. I decided to google a recipe for it and if I was missing something, I'd make a quick trip the next day and get it. Guess what? I did pretty good!

I was secretly dreading the "what's for dinner?" question from Kyle. Would Mr. Picky go for it or not? As anticipated, he asked me, and I told him what I was planning to cook. He wanted to know what was in it. I told him, and he says, "Cool." YAY, the kid's given it a preliminary thumbs up. Then he ate three helpings of it. So, it was a winner! That whole episode got me to thinking. I have fallen into a slump lately. I really have.

Maybe it's just that it's so hot, that cooking is miserable. Or, we just keep having the same things over and over. Most likely it's a combination of the two. But as I was browning the onions and hamburger meat for the tator tot casserole, I sat the laptop next to the microwave and emailed my sister and asked for some recipe ideas. Then I plugged in a thumb drive of recipes that my Mom gave me at Christmas. And now I'm coming to you, my bloggy friends!

Down at the bottom of my blog page are labels for my posts. I have one for recipes, and there are four or five recipes that I have shared on my blog so far. What are some of your family favorites? Something simple and good that you can whip up after a busy day. Email them to me at www.breezy_bri02@yahoo.com and I'll post a recipe each weekend. If you have an idea for a recipe sharing meme we can do once a week, I'm in, I just would have no idea how to start one up on my own. I'm just desperate for some new ideas. The ones from my sister and Mom are a good start, but I'd love to hear from you, too. My family will thank you. I mean, you can only fix spaghetti so many times before you get tired of it...but hey, the last time I made it, I used penne pasta, so it was like totally different, but not. Help. Please.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

2011-08-06T07:14:00.004-05:00

Amy did this on her blog and it looked like fun...of course, once I got started, I realized that it wasn't as easy as it looks. So I called in my immediately on-hand reinforcements. Someone shoot me now...

I Can't

Be awesome, because Kyle is. (and that, my friends, is Kyle's first contribution to today's post)
Whistle.
Stand this blistering heat. It was 113 yesterday...grr!
Wait for Fall!

I Can

Spot a shoe sale a mile away.
Make awesome chocolate chip waffles.
Snap my fingers on my right hand, but not my left.
Make yummy homemade guacamole.

I Won't

Touch bugs or other creepy crawlies...dead or alive.
Go a day without griping at my husband (aye, aye, aye, he said that and he's fixing to be in some trouble!)
Complain about the bright red zit that appeared at the top of my nose between my eyebrows...I'm just going to go all ninja zit warrior on it! Seriously, doesn't it know that I'm not a teenager any more?!
Eat turnip greens.

I Will

Make lists. It's just something I do.
Read until I fall asleep every night.
Sit in this recliner with my feet propped up and play on my computer, because I'm tired.
Always try to make the best out of what life throws at me.

I Shouldn't

Put off chores in the house that need to be done.
Have the hiccups now, but I do.
Try to do anything that requires a certain amount of balance or coordination...sometimes walking should be included in that list.
Ever forget how blessed I am.

I Should

Clean Kyle's room for him. (once again from 'you know who'...the kid's on a roll today, I tell ya!)
Be more spontaneous.
Make Michael a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (would someone please tell me why I include the guys in these things?)
Get more rest at night.

We Want to Know Wednesday 8/3/11

2011-08-03T11:38:00.023-05:00

Alrighty folks, it's Wednesday again! Yep, it rolls around once a week...ahem. I'm slowly getting back into school and back into a groove, so I'm linking up with Mamarazzi and Queso for We Want to Know Wednesday. WOOHOO!

1. If you could spend a day with a blogger, who you haven't met in real life, who would you choose?

OMGosh who came up with this toughie?! There is no way I could choose ONE. I mean, seriously! I have different reasons I want to meet different people, but really I want to meet all of my bloggy buddies in person!

2. What website do you check first when you go online?

Okay, here is your quota of lame for the day...I have a method. First I check my email, then I check Twitter, then Facebook, then Blogger. Don't hate...

3. What is something you are saving money for right now?

A nice camera. Sigh...it's gonna be a while. A long while...

4. What is your go to silly face when a silly face is needed? (post a pic of it and be entered to win a prize from Mamarazzi)

Um, yeah, aren't you so glad that this question was asked?

5. How do you relieve stress?

I blog and Facebook and call my Mom.

Okay, peeps, that's all for this Wednesday! Hope everyone has a great week, and don't forget to hop over to see what everyone else had to say!

Monday Musing

2011-08-01T23:07:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh, it has seemed like forever since I've been on my blog! What's been happening? Lots! Last week, I went back to work after a five week summer break that flew by at warp speed. It was good to be back, but sad that summer has ended.

I would like to announce that I washed, folded and put away 5 loads of laundry, and all the socks were present and accounted for afterward. YAY ME! I did it all so that I could go out of town. I was exhausted because I normally have help with this chore, but my guys were not here. Hubby was at work and Kyle was with his Dad. And I was Super Laundry Diva! And tired...did I mention that already?

I mentioned heading out of town. I went to Houston to see a cardiologist. Back in February I had a couple of tests done here to see how I was doing after my surgery. In April, when I went to see my cardiologist here for my follow up appointment, I got the results and they found a leak around the valve that was replaced. He referred me back to my surgeon in Houston after seeing the test results, and after me showing him bruises on my legs that have been there for months and not gone away. I had some more tests run in late April and the results were sent down to Houston. My surgeon in Houston referred me to a cardiologist that he works closely with. The second tests did confirm the leak, but they are very optimistic because it is a "good kind of leak" if there is such a thing. Meaning, that after discussing it with the doctor, we are going to try to repair it using a non-surgical procedure while I am on Christmas break. Thanksgiving will be taken up with the procedure on my throat; Christmas with the heart procedure. I am forbidding anything else to go wrong because I would like to enjoy my Spring Break. Yes, I said it, and yes, I'm already looking forward to it, too ;)

Since we didn't work Friday, I stayed in Houston through the weekend for some girl time with my Mom and Nanny (and a couple of quick guest appearances from my favorite aunt). Such a blast! Hanging out. Eating out. Laughing alot. I loved it!

I thought I would share a little of our fun with you all. As my Mom and I were running errands Saturday, we drove past this. I did a double take and asked what it was that we had just passed. "What?" "That bathtub at the end of that driveway that said 'Love Shack' on it." When I mentioned that it was crazy and deserved a place of honor on my blog, she offered to go back so I could snap a picture. So, she flipped the car around and I got it. People were standing outside as she slowed down, and I snapped the picture then giggled, ducked my head and ordered her to "Go, go, hurry!!"

By the way, while I'm still not entirely sure what kind of place it was advertising, I sure enjoyed our Thelma and Louise moment!!

Something really special that happened this weekend was that I got to meet people who prayed for me while I was in the hospital last year. What a gift it was! My Aunt also introduced me to the lady responsible for getting me down to Houston last year. When my Aunt told her who I was, she walked up with her arms outstretched and said, "I'm getting a hug". It was so awesome. And, a wonderful weekend.

Now I am back home and reality is rearing its ugly head. Dishes have been washed. The alarm was set this morning. Groceries were bought after work (in 108 degree weather, might I mention...arg!). But, I'm glad to be home.

Here's hoping all of you have a great week!!

Friday Confessionals 7/22/11

2011-07-22T09:09:00.007-05:00

WOOHOO today's FRIDAY, folks, so let's do the Friday Happy Dance and start confessing with Mamarazzi!!

I confess...

That I made eggs and forgot to spray the pan with no-stick spray. It wasn't pretty...

I confess...

I was about to wash laundry, when I realized I had put detergent into my Downy ball instead of fabric softener.

I confess...

That I, the granny driver in our family, the one who always tells Michael to slow down, I mean seriously, I once told him he needed to slow down because he was going 56 in a 55, got pulled over for speeding, but thankfully got a warning. Unbelievable! I DON'T speed! (except apparently this time). Guess who will never live this down :(

I confess...

I may or may not be shamelessly offering cookies, snacks, trips to the skatepark and swimming pool, and later bedtimes, to distract attention from said warning ticket...

I confess...

That staff starts back to work on Monday and my Summer will be officially over.

I confess...

That after going to the doctor for my throat this past week, I'll be sporting my supah sexy raspy voice until Thanksgiving..since that is the next time that I have available to go five days without talking. YAY me!

Got something you need to confess? We're all ears...er...eyes. Hop on over to see what everyone else has to say!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

I'm Featured and I Won a Giveaway!

2011-07-21T10:22:00.013-05:00

Today, I am being featured on Janette's Friend 2 Friend, and I'm so excited! Each week on her blog, she will introduce her readers to two new bloggers so that we can get to know them. If you found me from Janette's blog, then HI and thanks for stopping in!

She paired me up with Sarah Kate, and I immediately went to check out her blog. She's the Mom of one, too, and her blog is awesome.

I met Janette through another blog meme, and I've had so much fun getting to read about her adorable (soon to be bigger by one sweet girl) family. If you want to be featured in her Friend 2 Friend, or just want to find some new blogs to read, hop on over and get the details. Thanks so much for hosting this, Janette!

*************************************************

When I got back from Florida, I had a package waiting for me! I had entered and won a giveway from Ashley at Cruce's Corner. The prize is close to my heart, and soon to be close to my waistline for sure because it's PIZZA! That is unless you, my blog friends, can confirm for me that giveaway prizes have no calories. No? Well crap. Anywho, I won a cutting board and a coupon for a free Freshetta's Simply Inspired pizza. I forgot the coupon the first time I went to the store. The second time, I brought it, and forgot the pizza. Third time's the charm, folks, and I chose the Harvest Supreme. We only have two grocery stores in ~~the hole we live in~~ our town, and they only had this one and a pepperoni one to choose from. Definitely gonna have to have a talk with Walmart about that ;)

Can't wait to try this one out, or use my new cutting board! (I'm thinking lunch today sounds good). Thanks to Ashley and Freschetta's for hosting this fun giveaway!!

Hope everyone is planning on a great weekend!

We Want to Know Wednesday 7/20/2011

2011-07-20T09:01:00.009-05:00

Linking up with Mamarazzi and Queso this week for We Want to Know Wednesday!

1. What would you do with an extra $1000 a month?

I would get my hair done every month, and a pedicure every month (instead of just whenever I can afford it), and I would hire someone to come in once a week to clean my house. Then I'd save the rest.

2. What category of blogger do you think you best fall under?

If I had to choose a category, I'd say Mommy blogger.

3. What is your go-to solution when you are having a bad hair day?

If I have the time, I've been known to wet my hair and start over. If not, I throw a headband in it.

4. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Red

5. They say love is in the little things. What is a little thing someone does to show you love?

When Michael helps with the housework or the dishes, or cooks when he knows I'm tired, it makes me feel very loved.
Okidokey, that's mine for this time! Happy Wednesday y'all!!

Happy 14th Birthday, Kyle!

2011-07-18T17:02:00.010-05:00

He's changed so much, but not as much as he has changed my life. I love him more than I can ever say!

This morning the birthday boy requested triple berry muffins. Today we took him and his friend to Pizza Hut for lunch, then we went swimming. Tonight he is going to IHOP and the Harry Potter movie with his dad and family. This weekend we will celebrate his birthday here. Can't wait!!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 7/13/11

2011-07-13T09:01:00.006-05:00

Linking up with Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Shawn and Janette for this week's We Want to Know!

1. Which activities make you lose track of time?

I can get totally absorbed in blogging, facebooking or reading a good book.

2. Is there such a thing as perfect?

No there's not, and trying to obtain it only leads to frustration because you can't. I think that the closest a person will ever get to perfect here on earth is being true to themselves, and finding contentment in who they are.

3. When do you feel most like yourself?

I feel most like myself when I am at home or with family or friends.

4. Describe your life in a six word sentence.

Living a double miracle every day.

5. Share one of your most beloved childhood memories.

Standing in the kitchen of my grandparents house while my Papa taught my sister and me how to draw a box. I can't draw one or see a drawing of one without thinking of him. Either that or my grandparents giving us a spoon and letting us dig outside in the dirt while they sat on the porch drinking their coffee and then tossing us in the bathtub before my parents woke up :p

Click on the box and hop on over if you want to see everyone else's answers. Happy Wednesday y'all!!

Birthday Fun!

2011-07-08T21:28:00.005-05:00

One of the benefits to being in Florida this week, is that I was here for my birthday on Wednesday! And I have to say that it was a blast!

We were swimming in the pool, and I was innocently minding my own business when someone announced that there was going to be a cannonball contest and the winner would win a free drink from the tiki hut. My lovely sister, who I will get back for this someday, went and signed me up. Are you kidding me?! She smiled and said that it would be really fun. Oh, really? I asked her if she had signed up, and she said, "Ummmmm....no." WHAT!? So here, on my blog, (and I CAN NOT believe I am posting it) because it will be the first and last time you ever see this girl cannonball into a pool, is the picture that my dear sister took. See the guys lined up on the other side of the pool? Yeah, I was the.only.girl that did this. Thanks alot sistah! I didn't win the contest, but because it was my birthday, I did get a free drink. And I can say that I totally earned every sip of the yummy mango daiquiri that I drank poolside.

Later that evening we rode the Jungle Queen IV to an island where we were treated to dinner and a show. The food was so yummy and the show was hilarious.

There was another lady there celebrating her birthday and they brought out a cake that her family had brought ahead of time. Kyle says "Mom, they're bringing it to the wrong table! See the '80' on it, it should be coming to you." Gotta love the little booger...okay, fine, I was just too full to kill him... Right after everyone sang to her and she blew out her candles, it was my turn. It was a great birthday!

Tomorrow we fly back and I have three more weeks of my summer vacation. I am SO lovin' Summer! :)

Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-07-03T21:36:00.007-05:00

We are here in Pompano Beach, FL, and it is wonderful. I didn't bring my camera because it wouldn't fit in my luggage with my shoes :p besides it had been decided that my sister would bring her camera and be the camera girl this week. Just look at these pictures she took of my handsome guy! Is it any wonder that I'm drooling over her camera and her natural knack for taking gorgeous pictures?!

I hope everyone has an amazing Fourth of July weekend!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 6/29/11

2011-06-28T22:08:00.004-05:00

Oh WOW this week is flying by! I can't believe I haven't blogged since Friday. Been busy washing laundry and enjoying the week with my boy since he's been home from camp. But today I'm joining Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Shawn and Janette for this weeks' We Want to Know Wednesday.

1. What was the last thing you searched for online?

It was a bathing suit...always lotsa fun...found a really cute one that I totally heart ;)

2. If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving?

I live in Arkansas, and believe it or not, our state has lots of things to see and do:

Go digging in a diamond mine in Murfreesboro (this is on our family's summer bucket list!)
The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs
The Oaklawn Racetrack in Hot Springs
DeGray Lake (my favorite!)
The Hope Watermelon Festival
The Arkansas State Fair in Little Rock
The Jonquil Festival in Old Washington State Park
Lots of State Parks and places to camp

3. What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet?

I needed a little help with this one, so I asked my guys...::sigh::...I know better, I really do...
Kyle says they should make a pill for video game addicts
Michael says a pill to remove unwanted hair so he wouldn't have to shave all the time
And me, I think it would be fun to have a pill that makes you invisible, dunno why, but I just do

4. When was your first kiss? Was it good or bad?

I was 16 and my boyfriend and I had been to the Four States Fair. When he brought me home, he asked me if he could kiss me. Meh, it was okay.

5. What is your guilty pleasure TV show that you can not miss?

I must be sitting and watching Dancing With The Stars and texting with my Mom. We had said Kyle Massey and Jennifer Gray from the very beginning of that season, and this past season, we said Hines and Kirstie from the start...we're pretty good at picking them! And it's fun to text while I watch...

That's all I've got, hop on over and see what everyone else has to say! Happy Wednesday y'all!!

Friday Confessionals 6/24/11

2011-06-24T07:14:00.005-05:00

I Confess...

That I have enjoyed swimming and getting my tan on the past couple of weeks

I Confess...

That Tuesday, I had a follow-up appointment with my throat doctor. I called Monday to confirm the appointment and to find out what time it was (I'd forgotten). They were really nice and said it was at 9:30 on Tuesday. Cool.

I Confess...

I got up early Tuesday, got ready, dragged myself and husband the 45 minute drive to this appointment. I walked in, told them my name, and they started typing on the computer and then got this glazed confused look on their faces. They're checking the spelling of my name, confirming my birthdate, and I'm thinking "crap, this can't be good". Then they informed me that my appointment wasn't until JULY 21st. JULY?! Then why did the doctor say in April that he wanted to see me in two months, and someone just yesterday tell me it was at 9:30 TODAY?! Well, they must have read it wrong. Well, I'd like the person I spoke to, to know that I really appreciate driving 45 minutes this morning because they read it wrong...

I Confess...

That I consoled myself with an Iced Coconut Mocha from Starbucks since I was finally that close to it, and I didn't have to pay the co-pay at the doctor's office...it kind of worked...kind of...

I Confess...
That in just over one week, I'll be hopping a plane to Florida...squee!!

I Confess...

Kyle has been at church camp this past week and I'm glad he'll be home tomorrow. I've missed him <3

Okay, I feel all better now :) Hop on over to see what everybody else is confessing this week! Happy Weekend!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 6/22/11

2011-06-22T09:21:00.006-05:00

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Hangin' with my girls Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Shawn and Janette for We Want to Know Wednesday. I'm having tons of fun with these questions and answers every week :)

1. What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given?

Hmmmm...I have racked my brains all day and I haven't come up with anything. So, should I be feeling kind of lame that not even a loser guy has thought enough to try and use a pathetic pick up line on me?? :-0 (feel free to say something nice to boost my poor deflated ego, it's okay...)

2. What is your most and least favorite day of the week?

My most favorite day of the week is Saturday or any day that Michael and I are both off work together.
My least favorite day is Monday

3. How many hours of sleep do you require at night?

I like it best when I get between 8 and 9 hours of sleep, but I wake up several times during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep, so I would have to say I normally get about five (during the school year). Now that it's summer, I'm actually getting sleep and it feels wonderful!!

4. Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it and what memory is it attached to?

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. I remember driving to the mall with my friends and jamming out to that song. But really, any song from the 80's takes me back to my teenage years...

5. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

Flavored coffees and pedicures. I don't get them that often, so when I do it's really a treat! Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh and flip flops!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY Y'ALL!! :)

Fun In The Sun!!

2011-06-21T22:14:00.009-05:00

This past Saturday, we grabbed one of Kyle's friends and headed to the pool for some fun in the sun!

I am SO enjoying my Summer and I hope you all are too!!

Proud To Be a Southern Girl!

2011-06-18T10:31:00.003-05:00

This joke was sent to me in an email, and it was too funny, so I thought I would share with all of you! Happy weekend y'all! ;)

Three men married women from different parts of the country...

The first man married a woman from Wisconsin. He told her that she was to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man married a woman from Minnesota. He gave his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, cooking and dishes. The first day he didn't see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done, and there was a huge dinner on the table.

The third man married a girl from the South. He ordered her to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't see anything, but the third day, some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye, and his arm had healed enough that he could fix himself a sandwich and load the dishwasher. He still has trouble when he pees...

We Want to Know Wednesday 6/15/11

2011-06-15T15:52:00.011-05:00

Joining up with Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Shawn, and Janette for this week's Q & A. There are some tough, thought-provoking questions this week!

1. You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about?

It would be about self esteem. And definitely not because I have it all figured out. Quite the opposite, in fact. A few weeks ago, knowing that I needed some encouragement, my Mom emailed me her devotion for that day. It said:

"God knew how much the world needed your smile, your hands, your voice, your way of thinking, your insight, your love. God speaks through you in a way He can through no other. Be true to the person that He created."

I have opened that email up SO many times over the past month, when I needed a pick-me-up or a virtual hug from her. If these words were written on a piece of paper, it would definitely be all crinkled and wrinkled from being read over and over. I would share that with them, in hopes it would touch them like it has me.

2. Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why?

No pets. We live in a townhouse, and while some people have pets, we didn't want to deal with the pet deposit. Also, there is no place for a pet to really run around inside or outside, and it doesn't seem fair to a furry family member.

3. What is the biggest inconvenience about the place where you're currently living?

The fact that there isn't a washer/dryer hook-up in the townhouse. There is a laundromat at the end of the building, but it is tough to climb up and down stairs and traipse all the way down there with the laundry. Also, if I have an emergency load to wash, I hate to have to hunt around for quarters. I miss being able to just toss a load of clothes in the wash when I need them, not when I've gone and gotten a roll of quarters.

4. What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

The decision to adopt. Our adoption attorney compared the adoption journey to a roller coaster ride. We nodded our heads naively when he asked if we were prepared. Truth is, I don't think you ever can be. There were probably a dozen times that we wanted to give up. The journey was most certainly tough, but oh so worth it.

5. What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done)

I have never been on a cruise or traveled across the ocean to another country.
I will never wear high-top tennis shoes
I have never been para sailing.

Wanna play along?? Hop on over to see what others are saying. Happy Wednesday peeps!

A Day At The Lake

2011-06-12T10:39:00.009-05:00

A wonderful, fun, relaxing, sunny day at the lake....ahhhhhh, I love Summer <3

Friday Confessionals

2011-06-10T07:16:00.004-05:00

Hooking up with Mamarazzi for one of my favorite days of the week!

I Confess...

That since school got out, we went to a four day work week.

I Confess...

BUT, instead of leaving at 3:30, we are currently leaving at 5:00.

I Confess...

While not physically tiring by any means, that extra hour and a half has kicked my bootay this week. I was in bed at 8:30 Monday.

I Confess...

My Summer begins next Thursday...GIDDY!!!

I Confess...

That Kyle and I are going to the pool today, and all three of us will be heading to the lake tomorrow...HOORAY!

I Confess...

That I need to get some cleaning done today, but I'm really tired so I probably won't...who knows...{{shrug}}

I Confess...

That I use Snuggle fabric softener in my Downy ball. shhhhh...

Here's hoping everyone has a super weekend!!!!

We Want to Know Wednesday

2011-06-08T17:57:00.014-05:00

It's time to join up with Mamarazzi, Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Janette for We Want to Know Wednesday. These are always so much fun! WEE here we go!!!

1. Everyone seems to have a quirky family situation--what is something unique about your family dynamic?

Oh good grief this one is tough! I'm sure there's plenty, only I'm so used to it, that it's not quirky to me. I really can't think of anything except that people find it strange that Michael and I get along with my ex-husband and his wife. LOL, Michael, my ex-husband and I sat at the same table and had dinner together at Kyle's sports banquet a couple of weeks ago. But, we do it for Kyle, and for his sake, I wouldn't have it any other way.

2. What is the most stressful aspect of blogging (aside from the network going down)?

I consider blogging to actually be my stress relief. I just love it. It makes me sad to lose a follower, though.

3. We all end up on a blog at some point in our day, but name your top three favorite websites you flock to daily (non blog).

Every night I go to Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo...geesh how lame do I sound?

4. What's your sign? Believe it or not, does any part ring true to you??

I happen to be a Cancer. I don't necessarily believe in astrology, but I will admit to occasionally reading my "horriblescope" for giggles and kicks. Also, just for fun, I googled some information. On the positive side, Cancers are loyal, dependable, caring, adaptable, responsive, and homebodies. On the not so positive side, they can be moody, oversensitive and emotional. I can say that I can agree with alot of these. Not all, but alot. (hush family!) Also just for some fun tidbits, I share a birthday with Sylvester Stallone, Tia and Tamera Mowery, George W. Bush, Della Reece, and 50 Cent. I think we all should get together and have a huge birthday partay next month!! Think they would be available?

5. IceCream!! ICECREAM!! We all scream for icecream! Name your favorite flavor/brand. (It's hot here, can't help it!)

My all time favorite is Bluebell Nutty Coconut icecream drizzled with chocolate syrup. However, it is a seasonal flavor...ATTENTION BLUEBELL-please, please make it year round!!! I also like Rocky Road and Banana Nut Fudge, too.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

Name the blog you credit for linking up with us today.

Wellll, I already followed Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict and Shawn so I credit all three of them. And I also credit them with introducing me to Janette, who I also now follow.

Suggest a question you want to see in future WWTK's!

Most Embarrassing Moment
First Job
First Car
Did you pass your driver's test the first time

I could go to town coming up with questions!!!

Alrighty peeps! Hop on over to see everyone else's answers. Happy Wednesday! Tomorrow is my Friday, so hooray for me!!!

Saturday Fun!!

2011-06-04T17:00:00.006-05:00

Sometimes the best days are the ones that there are no pictures of. A day that you can etch in your mind and file away under the category of "fond memories", to be pulled up at random for a quick smile. Today was one of those days.

It started this morning with breakfast in bed. For no other reason than that Michael wanted to surprise me and do something nice for me. It was early when he woke me up, and I was about to fuss that it was still dark outside, when I saw that he was holding a makeshift breakfast tray with blueberry waffles and sausage. So sweet! He apologized for the earliness but knew I could go back to sleep after I was finished. And I did. For another three hours. It is the first time he has ever made me breakfast in bed (when I wasn't sick) and it was absolutely awesome!!

Today was also the first day that our city pool was open. I knew it would be crowded. I knew that Michael wouldn't particularly want to go because he is not all that fond of our city pool, and the only reason he would go would be to make me and Kyle happy. But, last year we only got to go to the lake one time all summer long, and I really, really wanted to get into some water. Today, Kyle was visiting a cavern with his church youth group, so Michael and I went to the pool by ourselves. It felt so wonderful (well, not the part where one person pushed another person into the pool and he fell in on top of me and I felt like I had been bodyslammed...not that part....but the rest, yeah) The cool water, the warm sunshine, I'd missed it and I enjoyed it.

We came home and I cooked dinner and sent him to work. I've cleaned the kitchen and am now sitting in the recliner with my feet propped up, watching TV and playing on my laptop. A picture perfect day, and not one picture to show for it ;)

Friday Confessionals

2011-06-02T20:16:00.010-05:00

Time once again for a Friday Confessionals. Mamarazzi is flying solo with this weekly dose of fun-ness for the first time (Did you notice the cute new button?? Love it!) Anyhow, this week...

I Confess...

That today is the kids' last day of school....HAPPY!!

I Confess...

That I only have seven more days and then I'll be celebrating Summer! EVEN HAPPIER!!

I Confess...

That Thursday, a student accidentally kicked a trash can over and it fell on my big toe. It hurt and I yelped, and my eyes teared up as I told him that I was okay. And an auditorium of giggling students probably got more entertainment from that than the movie they were there to watch. So glad I could make their day...no, really... :p

I Confess...

That the other morning, I made a pot of coffee, poured it into my "to go" cup, added my Southern Buttered Pecan coffee creamer...and left it sitting on the counter when I headed to work. Apparently I don't just play a dork on my blog, I'm one in real life, too...SHEESH!

Alrighty, hop on over to see what everyone else is confessing this week!! Happy Friday, y'all!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 6/1/11

2011-06-01T17:35:00.008-05:00

Teaming up with Mamarazzi, Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Janette for We Want to Know Wednesday! Our questions this week are:

1. If the blogging world had a talent show, what would your act be?

Before my surgery last year that messed up my vocal cords, I would have said singing. But, not so much anymore... maybe dancing? Ummm...Nope. Hmmm...swimsuit model is a no-go. Oh, I know! Tricks on my son's scooter! (I've been known to do an awesome faceplant off of it!)

2. What's the most likely reason you might become famous?

I'm not going to be famous...directly. I'll be known as the mom of that famous (heehee, or infamous?) kid, and that will be my claim to fame.

3. What question are you repeatedly asked that you are tired of hearing?

When I was a kid, it was, "How's the weather down there?" That was, until I told the guy that "Heat rises, so I'm way cooler than you!" Anyway, now, it's, "Your voice sounds awful, how long have you been sick??" Or people may see my surgery scar and ask me what happened.

4. What's the last thing you broke?

My ankle almost exactly a year ago. Good grief is that all I can come up with!? Seriously? I KNOW I've broken something since then. A year is a long time, and my middle name is klutz.

5. Finish this sentence. I can't believe I used to....

Have big hair in the 80's.

Hop on over to see what others answered. You know you want to know!!

Boys Weekend!

2011-05-28T21:58:00.013-05:00

Call me crazy, but the minute I found out that Michael had Saturday off, I started brainstorming and planning. After finding out that it was supposed to be a gorgeous day, I asked the guys about going to the lake. Sounds good. Well, what if we brought Kyle's two best friends along? Even better! What if they both spend the night Friday night, then we head out Saturday morning? (and that's when I crossed the line from reasonably sane to completely certifiable...)

After making arrangements with the boys' parents, it was brought to our attention by my son that the lake had risen alot because of the rain and storms a couple of weeks ago, and it would probably be closed. Well, if it is, we'll just go to our other favorite lake. Before driving all that distance, though, I had Michael call, and BOTH lakes were closed!! :(

You.are.KIDDING.me!!!

After a week of having my heart set on getting in some water, I was bummed. Never mind that, we had to figure out what to do with the boys! Okay, Plan B. Plan B?! Oh wait, there was no Plan B. Greatttt...

Try asking three teenagers what they want to do, and have them agree on it...come on, I triple dog dare ya!

They ended up having fun, though! They ate pizza, they colored on the parking lot with sidewalk chalk, they rode skateboards and scooters, they played on the computer and played video games. Sometime after we went to bed, they built a fort with blankets and the kitchen chairs. I came downstairs at 4:30 and they were laying under it with a flashlight. At 9:00, I found them like this: I panicked for a second when I didn't see kid #3...he was asleep in the fort :p

(you can't tell it from my picture on the stairs, but it takes up the entire living room and I had to jump over the chairs to get to the kitchen)

After muffins and sausage and leftover pepperoni pizza for breakfast (because they are weirdos and apparently have indestructible digestive systems), they decided that they wanted to go to the mall. So we took them to the mall, then afterward we went to Chuck E. Cheese.

These guys are hilarious together, and all around good kids. I think Michael and I laughed as much as they did.

After we came home, we grilled hamburgers for dinner. Then the boys took their party to one of the other guys' houses for the night. I have to admit that it's just a little too quiet here now...sigh...

2011 Sports Banquet

2011-05-26T22:26:00.012-05:00

Tonight was Kyle's Sports Banquet, and it was so awesome! We were served a delicious dinner of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and cake. We then watched a video of clips of their basketball season.

My son is almost 14 years old, and I have never seen him in a suit. But he wanted to wear one for the banquet, and Oh My Gosh he looked so handsome and so grown up! He took my breath away when I walked in and saw him.

Getting his first award, a sports devotional Bible. Love the goofy grin on the way back to his seat! :p

Proudly wearing his next award, a Letter Jacket!!! It's in the high 80's here, but I know a bunch of boys and girls who aren't going to care--they'll probably be wearing their new jackets to school tomorrow anyway LOL!

Love this kid and SO proud of him!

We Want to Know Wednesday 5/25/11

2011-05-25T17:10:00.005-05:00

Once again, I am hooking up with Mamarazzi, Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Janette for We Want to Know Wednesday.

1. What must you do before you go to bed at night?

First, I check to make sure the doors are locked. Then, I brush my teeth, check my alarm clock, call my husband and tell him goodnight if he's working late, and I grab my book and lay in bed and read until I fall asleep.

2. What is one thing you must snack on at the theater?

Going to the movies is not something we get to do very often, so when we do go, we get a coke and popcorn to share.

3. Before going on vacation, what must you do?

It's been seven years since I have been on a vacation, and in a little over a month, I'll be walking along a warm, wonderful stretch of Florida beach and I am SOOOOO excited!! Right now, I've got a list of things to pack, which has resulted in a list of things I need to buy.

4. What is one thing you must do every day?

I must have my coffee...you may not want to know me without it...

5. Is there something you do that must be done in a particular order?

I put my make-up on in a certain order...foundation, blush, powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. If I go out of order, things just seem wrong... Actually, that could be said of my whole morning routine.

Hop on over and check out everyone else's answers! Happy Wednesday, y'all!!!

Friday Confessionals

2011-05-20T11:23:00.008-05:00

Friday is here, and OH HOW GLAD I am to see it! I am, I am, I am!!

I Confess:

That an iced mocha from McDonalds and a sweet email from my Mom helped make this day better. (We won't mention that once AGAIN, McDonalds made me an iced caramel mocha...without the caramel...it was an iced coffee and I drank it. It was necessary.) I am so blessed to have such a wonderful Mom who knows exactly what to say when I need it, to put a smile on my face.

I Confess:

With my surgery scars, it is a wee bit difficult for me to find a swimsuit. Have I ever mentioned before that I feel like a doctor's doodle pad? Yeah. When I do find one that covers where I need it, it is usually $100 just for the top. Then another $20 or $40 for a matching skirt. Hence the fact that they are not in my dresser. One summer I did stalk a bathing suit at Dillards that was $110, and got it for $30 at the end of the season. But this week, I found the perfect suit online for $35.00. {{SQUEAL!!!}} It is now on it's way for my summer vacation!!!

I Confess:

That tomorrow Old Navy is selling their flip flops (in store only) for $1. I confess that I will be there to get some, because I like me some flip flops. My co-worker shouldn't have sent that email to us this morning...and it's probably a good thing that they have a limit, I'm just sayin'...

Do you need to start your weekend off with a clean slate? Hop on over to Glamazon and Mamarazzi's places to see what everyone else is saying. Have a great weekend, guys!

We want to Know Wednesday 5/18/11

2011-05-18T16:53:00.011-05:00

If you could choose a super power, what would it be?

I would want to be invisible. I wouldn't have to worry about my hair, my make-up, or my clothes...and I could go wherever I want to. So cool!

What would be your first frivolous purchase if you were awarded a million dollars tomorrow? (and don't say it's not alot of money, that sounds pretentious)

A new camera. I want a Nikon or a Canon so so so badly, but sadly that hasn't happened yet. I'm not giving up hope, though.

What would be the hardest current luxury for you to give up?

The internet. Girl's gotta have it! ;)

If you were given a choice between being given great wisdom or great wealth, which would you choose?

Great wisdom. Because you can have great wealth, but without wisdom, you'll just squander it away by making bad decisions.

If you were to be stranded on a deserted island for 100 days, what five things would you pack?

my netbook

my camera

books to read

food to eat

my ipod

Pop on over to Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Shawn and Janette to see what everyone else had to say. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Weekend Fun

2011-05-17T19:38:00.012-05:00

Sunday afternoon, Michael and I took Kyle and two of his friends on a picnic lunch to the skate park. Armed with the makings for hoagie sandwiches, chips, pickles and chocolate chip cookies, we all had a blast! One of Kyle's friends said that he had never been on a picnic before. Well, we fixed that real quick!

Hope everybody's week is going great!!!

We Want to Know Wednesday 5/11/11

2011-05-10T16:47:00.013-05:00

I have really loved this blog party! It's been fun getting to stroll down memory lane, and getting to know the other gals that play along a little better. This weeks questions are:

1. What game show have you always thought you could be on and totally WIN!

Wheel of Fortune! I remember watching it as a little girl at my grandma's house. When I was staying with my parents this past summer recuperating from surgery, it was on every night and I was constantly blurting out the answers before the contestants.

2. Do you have a tattoo(s)? What are they and what made you choose them? If not, would you get one, yes/no/why?

I have a tattoo of a heart on my ankle. I got it when I was 29, so I can't use the "young and stupid" excuse. My first marriage was crumbling and it was my declaration of independence, I guess. I had always wanted to get one, and I just did it. I love it.

3. What is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?

My grandmother gave me, my sister, and my cousin matching necklaces. And she gave my Mom and my Aunt matching pinky rings. The diamond in each one came from a ring that belonged to my Grandfather, and each item has some of the gold from his ring in it as well. My Nanny worked long and hard to be able to give these to each of us, and it is even more special to me because of that.

4. What is your driving pet peeve?

There are seriously so many to choose from, and I'll be here forevah trying to narrow it down to one. So, I'm just going to let 'er rip and give a little rant...

People who do not use a turn signal.

People who don't look before changing lanes.

People who turn out in front of you when there is NO ONE behind you.

People who speed down parking lots like they are trying to qualify for the Indy 500.

People who drive the wrong way down parking lot aisles.

People who stop in the middle of the street and have a conversation with someone either driving or walking by.

People who text and drive.

Phew, I feel so much better now ;)

5. What was your favorite sitcom growing up that you wish was still on?

The Cosby Show and Family Ties.

And there you have it folks! Want to see who else played along and what they said?? Hope on over to Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Shawn and Janette to check it out!

Mondays Get A Bad Rap

2011-05-09T22:14:00.010-05:00

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day, and it's about time. It was 88 degrees when I left work, and I was craving a grilled chicken salad for dinner. Michael was off today, so we went to the store to get the rest of the stuff to make it...little things, like lettuce :p Michael fired up the grill, I marinated the chicken. While he was cooking that, I was getting the salad fixings all cut up. Kyle has decided that he loves salad now, but I wasn't sure he would put the chicken on it, but he DID!

After we finished dinner and got it put away, we headed to the skate park to savor some of this beautiful sunshine.

See, not all Mondays are bad, just most of 'em... ;)

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T17:39:00.004-05:00

My reason for a Happy Mother's Day

We Want to Know Wednesday

2011-05-04T16:31:00.010-05:00

It's that time again, time to link up with Mamarazzi, Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Janette and answer questions so that we all can get to know each other better.

This weeks' questions and answers are:

1.) If money didn't matter, where would your perfect vacation take place? Briefly describe.

I have always wanted to go on a cruise to a tropical place. It would be warm, sunny, and restful.

2.) What's a bad habit that you have/had that is/was hard to break?

I bite my lips. Carmex is my best friend :D

3.) If you weren't on a diet or counting calories, what would you like to have for dinner tonight?

I would like a steak, baked potato, corn on the cob, salad and a warm roll all with a big glass of iced tea. For dessert, I would like a piece of turtle cheesecake.

4.) If you had the chance to interview anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what's the one question you would ask?

Louisa May Alcott because she was the author of some of my favorite books growing up. My question would definitely be for her to describe a day in her life.

5.) Describe yourself in six words.

Loyal, friendly, funny, scatterbrained, loving, sarcastic

Alrighty, wanna play along? Go link up!! Hoping you all are having a supah week!

I Am Becoming My Parents

2011-05-01T21:25:00.008-05:00

When I was a teenager, my Dad had a 1988 Aerostar Van. Oh yes. Not only that, but he loved listening to oldies music. His favorite way to torture my sister, step-brother, and me was to drive down State Line on a Friday or Saturday night with the windows down and the oldies cranked up. We were mortified. I mean GAH, people might actually see us!

Funny thing is that, looking back, I would have to rank those as some of my favorite teenage memories. And now we have come full circle. Same scenario, different characters.

I listen to a pop rock station sometimes. Friday mornings and afternoons are the bestest though. Wanna know why? Flashback Friday baybay!! Music from the 80's and 90's. All of a sudden I am beebopping down the road behind the wheel of my 86 Chevy Spectrum. And what could make this any better? The teenager sitting in the seat beside me with his ears covered up and groaning. Yep, parenthood definitely has its perks ;)

Think he'll look back on this one day and laugh??

We Want To Know Wednesday

2011-04-27T14:55:00.011-05:00

1.} What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Are you an eyes or a smile person? Maybe another body part?
2.} If a movie was being made about you, who would you like to see cast to play you? And would your movie be a comedy, drama, romantic-comedy, action film or a horror movie?

3.} Does your high school yearbook include a senior comment section? If so, share what you said about your future goals. Have you met those goals? If you do not have a yearbook, just share what your goals were when you were 18 and if you have met them. If you’re brave enough, include your Senior picture!
4.} What latest trend simply baffles you?
5.} When you walk into a room how do you present yourself? Do you walk in with confidence and command the attention of others or do you slink in and do your best to go unnoticed?

1.} What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Are you an eyes or a smile person? Maybe another body part?

Hmmm, I would have to say their eyes.

2.} If a movie was being made about you, who would you like to see cast to play you? And would your movie be a comedy, drama, romantic-comedy, action film or a horror movie?

I would love Sandra Bullock to play me, or Jennifer Garner (Hey Jen and Sandra, let's do lunch sometime) . And it would definitely need to be a comedy.

3.} Does your high school yearbook include a senior comment section? If so, share what you said about your future goals. Have you met those goals? If you do not have a yearbook, just share what your goals were when you were 18 and if you have met them. If you’re brave enough, include your Senior picture!

No Senior Comment section, but, my plans were to get a degree in Accounting and move to Dallas and work for an accounting firm in a high-rise building. As far as what actually happened, let's just say that God had different plans and a sense of humor ;) This is a very blurry picture, but you get the idea.

4.} What latest trend simply baffles you?

Teens that stand in front of the bathroom mirror and pose and take fifty bajillion pictures of themselves and put them on facebook. I juz don't get it...

5.} When you walk into a room how do you present yourself? Do you walk in with confidence and command the attention of others or do you slink in and do your best to go unnoticed?

I try to slink in incognito. I'm not the popular girl with tons of friends that everybody in the room would stop and say hi when I walked in. I'm the one that someone notices me and says, "How long have you been here?"

Whatcha say? Pop on over to Impulsive Addict, Shawn, Mamarazzi and Janette to play along!

Birthdays and Bunnies

2011-04-24T20:19:00.006-05:00

Today is Michael's birthday. Poor thing had to work for part of today, but when he got home, I had everything ready for a cookout. I had marinated steaks and summer sausage and corn on the grill. I prepped it, he cooked it...we make an awesome grilling team. The steaks he made were sooooooooo good. Throw in some baked potatoes and salad and dinner is served!

When I tell you what he wanted for his birthday, the people that know me in real life may not be able to finish reading this post for laughing so hard. He wants us all to go fishing. Yes, you heard me. Can you picture it? Me either. I haven't fished since I was a little girl, and it wasn't exactly something I was terribly fond of. But, I'm going to be a good sport and try it with my guys. In the Sporting Goods section of Wal-Mart, I made them promise that I would not have to touch live (or dead) bait, or touch or clean fish. I tried to get them to raise their right hands and repeat after me...they didn't cooperate. But, they did promise, and I'm sure it's on Wal-Mart's security camera if I ever need to refer back to it :p Because I am all about girling it up, my pole is pastel pink...and I'm bringing a book just in case...

I've been wanting to take a picture of these guys for a while. A family that lives in a house next door to our apartments, has these domesticated bunnies and they just hop wherever they feel like hopping. Some mornings they will be laying in front of my car. The first time that happened it freaked me out. There's this black one, and then there's a white one, and a black-and-white spotted one. This one was over by our patio while we were grilling.

Happy Easter, and Happy Birthday Michael!!

Friday Confessionals

2011-04-22T12:55:00.008-05:00

I Confess...

That since I took off work yesterday for doctors' appointments, I'm having a four day weekend. LOVE IT!

I Confess...

That we let Kyle miss a day of school to go with us, so we could take him shopping for some clothes afterward. The boy has outgrown everything from last year, and the closest mall and other places to shop is 30 minutes away where my appointments were. He's in 7th grade and we've never done that before, so it was okay this once.

I Confess...

That I'm rabidly doing laundry today...because my love of clean clothes severely trumps my dislike of doing laundry. And I want to get it over with so I can relax for the next two days. Motivation and planning, people!

I Confess...

That Michael's birthday is Sunday, so he got to choose where to eat yesterday after my appointments were over.

I Confess...

I have GOT to get him something for his birthday and I have no idea what. He won't say anything he wants, the stinker!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!! Hop on over to Glamazon and Mamarazzi's to see what everyone else is confessing this week ;)

Life With Kyle

2011-04-20T22:10:00.007-05:00

Boy Wonder has gotten himself grounded from his Facebook and cell phone. And, he's not handling it so well being isolated from the world of social media...which was kind of the point, but still...

KYLE: Mom, can I check my Facebook?

ME: No. You're grounded from it.

KYLE: But I might have messages on it.

ME: Well, I'm sorry.

KYLE: How about YOU check it for me, and I'll just stand here and watch.

ME: Since you put it that way...ummm...the answer's still No.

muwahahahahaha

We Want To Know Wednesday

2011-04-20T18:54:00.008-05:00

{1} Do you make friends easily?

{2} What 3 qualities are a must in a friend?

{3} What makes you a good friend?

{4} Have you ever met a bloggy friend in real life?

Yes? tell us about your meet up. No? who would you love to meet?

{5} Who is your best friend? Tell us about them.

1. Do you make friends easily? No, not really. Not that I'm not friendly, but I'm pretty shy until I get to know a person.

2. What 3 qualities are a must in a friend? They must be loyal, sincere, and have lots of money. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding!) I guess the third quality they would need to possess would be a fun sense of humor :p

3. What makes you a good friend? The same qualities above (well, all except the money part...)

4. Have you ever met a bloggy friend in real life? I've never met any blog friends in real life, and oh, man there are so many I would love to meet! There's Melissa, who was my first introduction to the blogging world, and who encouraged me in starting my own blog. There's Sami, who I just "met" a few weeks ago (we're zipper sisters, which I think is so cool!). There's my bloggy friends that live in Arkansas. Everyone who prayed for me or wrote me sweet comments when I was in the hospital last year. I would also love to meet my blog buddies that have been here almost since the beginning of my blog. Simply put, I'd love to meet ALL of you. And I'd even try not to be shy ;)

5. Tell us about your best friend. The first person I met in my new school my Junior year in high school was Kerri. She became my best friend, and twenty three years later, we're still friends. We live about an hour away from each other, so we don't see each other that often any more. In high school, it was rare to see one of us without the other one. One of our teachers used to call us the Bobsy Twins. She's the kind of friend that you can pick up the phone and no matter how long it's been since you talked, it seems like it was the day before. Twenty three years of friendship, and we have one picture together. One. And it's picture of us with Santa at the mall. And I would have to dig for ages to find it. So, I apologize here for the total lack of pictures.

At my previous job, I had two friends, Hilary and Ellen, also known as Hills and Ellers. I don't get to see them or talk to them as often as I would like, but Ellers and two other girls I used to work with, and I had a girls night out several weeks ago, and it was lots of fun! And because this blog post got me feeling all nostalgic and made me start missing my friends, I called and am having lunch will Hills this weekend. YAY!

Want to play along? Hop on over and tell us about your friends. And check in next Wednesday to see what they'll want to know about next.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-04-19T16:30:00.001-05:00

Recently I had the pleasure of "meeting" a new bloggy friend, Rebecca from Southern Charm, through the Friday Confessionals that I've been participating in. I have really enjoyed getting to know her, and you can never have too many blog buddies! She gave me the Stylish Blogger Award, and I am just giddy to get it!

1. Link back and thank the person who gave it to you.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 5 stylish blogs you read.

4. Contact them and tell them about their award!

Okay, since I'm playing by the rules, here goes...

1. I'm not a morning person.

2. I'm a big homebody.

3. I can not cook in a dirty kitchen. During the weekend, when Michael and Kyle mess up the kitchen after I am in bed, I have to clean it first before I can even make my coffee...

4. Candles that smell like vanilla, cinnamon, and other baking scents make me happy.

5. I usually fall asleep at night reading a book. I love to read!

6. I like to cook and bake.

7. I never learned how to whistle.

Now for the tough part, passing it on to five blogs I love. Five? Just five?!! Ach, I love all the blogs I follow! I want to live in a neighborhood with all of you. To simplify it a little, I've met several people recently (and gotten to know a couple that I already knew, even better) through the Friday Confessions:

Shawn
Mamarazzi
Impulsive Addict
Ashley
Vanessa

THANK YOU, REBECCA, FOR THIS SWEET AWARD!!

Impromptu Picnics Are The Bestest

2011-04-17T21:13:00.010-05:00

Saturday, Michael got off of work at 4:00, so we decided to take a picnic supper out to the park. It was a spur of the moment decision, and we packed up stuff to grill hotdogs. All was good, except for one teeny problem. We have never grilled at the park before. And now we know why...because there were no grills. None. Instead of heading back home to get sandwich stuff, we decided to have cold hotdogs, chips, pickles and cookies. And laugh and joke about the fact that there are all these picnic tables and no grills. Silly little town!

We went and walked around the park for a little bit before it got dark and we had to go home.

Attention everyone, this is the last time I will wear a headband in public....gross!

I think that spur of the moment picnics are the bestest!

Friday Confessionals

2011-04-15T20:03:00.005-05:00

WOOHOO!! It's Friday again!!!

I Confess...

That I sat down to do this on Friday night, and I had nothing. NOTHING. So, I am late getting this out...

I Confess...

That this morning, I am making chocolate raspberry scones. I've never made them, but my mom has made scones for us before, and they were really good. I googled the recipe and it looked yummy, so I'm going for it. I'll let you know how this works out for me...

I Confess...

That I forgot the dark chocolate bar, so looking all glamalicious, I headed to the store. I went to our Family Dollar, hoping that it wouldn't be crowded and I could get in and out incognito. Besides, it's only a few blocks away. No such luck, people. They were having a Grand Opening to celebrate their new remodel. I was one of the first 100 customers, so they gave me and the rest of us a backpack of goodies and a five dollar gift card. I needed some laundry detergent (spoiler for my next confession) and decided to get it with the gift card. Laundry detergent and one big Hershey's Dark Chocolate bar for $1.70...SCORE!!

I Confess...

That I have tons of laundry to do this weekend....TONS. Let me paint a picture for you...there are twenty eight units in these apartment complexes, and three washers and three dryers in the on site laundromat. You do the math...it isn't pretty. I may or may not be heard from again...there are people who think it is funny to use all three at the same time so nobody else can. I may have to beat them up.

Hop on over and see what everybody else is confessing to!! Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend!!

Boys Will Be Boys!

2011-04-09T14:05:00.016-05:00

One of my new bloggy buddies commented on my last post and asked how Kyle's sleepover went last night. I thought I would give all of you the stats, for all the moms out there who may have no idea just HOW MUCH teenage boys can eat. I know I didn't ;)

Number of Teenagers in da house: 2

Food Consumed last night:
1 and 1/2 Lg pizzas
1/2 carton of Chips Ahoy cookie dough icecream
2 packages of skittles (and they must have been chunking them at each other at some point because I am STILL finding the little suckers all over the floor)
2 20 oz Gatorades
1 two liter Sprite Zero
1/2 two liter Coke Zero
1 pan of fries, chicken nuggets and taquitos that I threw in the oven because the pizza didn't make it here until 8:30 and the natives were hungry...

Sleep Stats:
Up until lord knows when (I gave up at 1)
The boys report they were up until 5
Slept until 10:30

Kyle and his friend had both said they were going to use a marker to draw on Michael while he was asleep. Instead, Michael got Kyle's friend while he slept last night, and this morning his face was all decorated. Michael then woke up with some drawings on his arm, and a big X on his chest...which Kyle used as a target for the place he punched him to wake him up...heehee! (Thank you crayola markers for being washable so I don't have to send Kyle's friend home to his mom with graffiti all over him <3)

This morning I made muffins for breakfast, and packed a picnic lunch. I am trying to not be such a planner, so while it was kind of new to me, it was also fun. The "do we even have enough bread left to make four sandwiches?" (we did) and the going through the pantry and throwing whatever I can find that could even remotely be taken on a picnic. We were going to take it all and head to the skate park before taking Kyle's friend home, but the boys were tired and didn't want to go. So, we went and got snow cones. I got Tootsie Roll, and all three guys got Ninja Turtle. I guess the picnic lunch can be eaten in the dining room when the boys get hungry (in about 20 minutes or so...geez, since they ate only 2 hours ago)

I call it a SUCCESS!! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!

Friday Confessionals

2011-04-08T17:21:00.004-05:00

I confess...

That after three weeks of Blogger slamming my paragraphs together, I think I've solved the problem. I checked all of my settings, but they were what they were supposed to be. It was driving me nuts. Until I started using Mozilla Firefox. I have mentioned before my aversion to change, and I have been perfectly comfortable with Internet Explorer. My husband swears by Mozilla...me no likey. Well, now I do. Shhhh...don't tell him, though. Thank you Mozilla for making Blogger be sane again <3

I confess...

Kyle's best friend is spending the night tonight. They are entertaining themselves, and I can ~~do important house work~~ blog and facebook. I usually have something planned for dinner, but tonight I sweetly asked the husband to please bring home pizza. I enjoy listening to the boys talk, because I find out all kinds of things that Kyle has been up to that he doesn't tell me. Yep, I confess that this has been the best way to keep tabs on what he's been doing...heehee! BOY'S BEEN BUSTED!

I confess...

Am I the only one that has to catch up on the blogs I follow before I can make a new post? Crap, probably so. I don't know why I do this, but tonight, in the interest of spontaneity, I am posting first, then I will catch up with the rest of you. I confess, that it kind of feels "off " to me, though...OCD much?

I confess...

That I am OH SO GLAD that it is the weekend!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Hope everyone has a great one, and hop on over to Mamarazzi's and check out what everyone else is owning up to!

What's Up Wednesday

2011-04-06T19:54:00.007-05:00

My first thought when I woke up this morning was "only two more get ups until the weekend!" WOOHOO! Come on Friday, come on...

Monday, I got to go shopping in a torrential downpour. Which might have been okay if I had been shopping for me. But no. A coworker and I were shopping for work. When we got up to the checkout counter, we had three buggies with us. When it got all checked out and bagged, it was in four buggies. Don't you just love how it never goes back into the buggies the way it was before. It's like playing shopping cart Jenga. So anyway, it didn't take long to figure out that the umbrella was serving no purpose as I helped load the items into the truck, so I chunked it into the front seat. I then spent the rest of the day looking like the poor unfortunate soul who sat in the wrong seat on the log ride at the water park.

Kyle and I are gonna fight. Yep, we are. We have one full bath and one half bath in our townhouse. I got tired of having to fight him for the bathroom in the morning, then being rushed and late for work, so on the nights he stays with us, we both take our showers before we go to bed, to help save some time (and stress). However, Boy Wonder is adamant that he smells better when he showers in the morning, and I cannot convince him otherwise. And because I ~~am sick and tired of hearing him gripe every single night~~ love him so much, I caved. Yes, I have allowed a change in the morning routine, and yes, it was a sacrifice. I am not a big fan of change. I feel like going from being asleep to being awake is all the change I should have to endure. And yet, here we go. Wish us luck with our new arrangement...this should be fun.

I need ideas. Some of the best family memories cost little or nothing, and I want to have some fun this summer. Keep in mind that we live in a vast wasteland for fun things to do. We've got a park, and we can have picnics. We can go to the skate park, the city pool, and the lake. I also want to have cookouts on our back patio. But, I want you to tell me some fun, inexpensive things you do with your families during the summer. I would like to be able to say that I'm doing this to satisfy my deep need to plan things, but not this time. It's so I don't have to hear, "I'm boooooored" on day two of our summer vacation. Brainstorm with me, people.

All right folks, I'm fixing to head upstairs to lay in bed and read until bedtime. Happy Wednesday and have a great rest of your week!