My Blessed Life

Enchilada Casserole

2009-11-11T07:05:00.003-06:00

1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg corn tortillas ( I got the 24 pack)
1 can ranch style beans
1 can rotel
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sliced colby cheese (I used sliced pepper jack)
1 onion, chopped ( I used green onion)

Brown hamburger, drain. Lightly grease bottom and sides of your casserole dish and layer corn tortillas on bottom and up the sides.
Layer the following ingredients on top of tortillas:

hamburger
chopped onion
ranch style beans
sliced cheese

Add another layer of tortillas covering the top. Mix soups, rotel and green chilis together and pour over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

You can substitute cooked chicken for the hamburger. I think I will try it with the chicken next time. This was really yummy! We added it to our 'have it again' list.

Enjoy!

Quick thoughts.....

2009-11-07T08:10:00.005-06:00

1.)I prefer my toenails in the summer time and perfectly polished over the nakedness of them in the winter. They are u.g.l.y without polish!

2.)Wednesday night after our connect groups Keith and I were talking with a friend in the lobby area when their 3 year old niece said something to me that I didn’t understand. I asked her what she said, but still didn’t understand (I hate that). ‘Auntie’ asked her again and she said “you danced with him”, talking to me. For goodness sakes, this little girl remembered Keith and I dancing at our vow renewal reception. How sweet!

3.)Michele took Rylee on a mother/daughter shopping trip this week. Evidently Rylee prefers lip gloss and bling over clothing. During their trip she would walk into the store and if there wasn’t any lip gloss she would say ‘I’m done, let’s go”! Her store of choice on this trip was Claire’s.

4.)Jaedyn turns 3 this month and will be having a Minnie Mouse party.

5.)Surrendering control of my life to God is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of faith.

6.)I am ready to decorate for Christmas….Keith is not. :-)

7.)I am enjoying all my new relationships that I am building through Wednesday Night Connect.

8.)Keith and I went to a Mustang/South Moore football game with some friends. This is our first HS football game since we moved here 12 years ago…sad isn’t it. South Moore won, 22-19...it was a great game! We ate at Chilis after the game...didn't get home and in bed until after midnight..broke curfew..LOL

9.)Keith and I will be reviewing our budget/finances for next year. We want to live off less than we make, give more and save....be better stewards of our money in 2010. If you need to learn how to honor God with your finances I recommend the new series that our church is in called Green Peace. We have 3 experiences for you to choose from- 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00. See you on Sunday…come ready to be blessed!

10.)Emery turns 4 this month and his party will be all about Spiderman

Have a blessed weekend!

Family Pictures

2009-11-07T08:09:00.002-06:00

We met a friend/photographer at Hafer Park in Edmond and had family photos taken. This is our first time to do this and we had a blast. It will now be family tradition! We did some posey posey pictures, but the rest were candid photos of us playing. We hid behind trees and threw leaves. Jaedyn wanted to climb a tree, so we put her into one. Keith climbed into it a little later and then pulled me up....old people in a tree.hmmmm. However the little kids thought it was great and a couple of them let us pull them up with us, those will be great photos. I am excited to get them back and will be sure to post a few. After about little over an hour of picture taking and running around the little kids were done. So we called it a day and headed to Steak ‘n Shake….great food and shakes....and of course awesome family time. Keith and I got different burgers and then shared…the Guacamole burger was my favorite. I finished my meal off with a Peppermint Chocolate Shake….YUMMY.
Once again, another fun family adventure.

I love my family

Halloween

2009-11-07T08:00:00.003-06:00

The family met at Matt and Christy’s house on Halloween for pizza and we walked the kiddos around their neighborhood. We had some great costumes this year. Snow White, Mulan, Spiderman and a Fireman were this year’s costumes of choice. I love to see them dressed it. I bought some costumes after Halloween for dress up at Nana and Papa’s house…can’t wait! We headed out after dark, which wasn’t our plan, but we had a pizza issue that I won’t go into! LOL As soon as we stepped out the door Emery said, ‘Nana, I am going to be scared’. I took his hand and told him it would be alright, I wouldn't let him be scared. He doesn’t like the ‘scary’ things about the holiday and steers clear of them. There were several houses that he wouldn’t go to because there were ghosts or ghoulish characters in the yard or on the porch, but those people were all very nice and came down to the street to give him his candy. There were also a few occasions that we had to stand between him and a scary costume so he wouldn’t see it. However, when he would see a carved pumpkin, he would say ‘It’s okay, it’s just a pumpkin.’! Not his favorite holiday! The rest of the gang did fine, although no matter how many times you said ‘don’t run or you will fall’ they all ran and we did have one accident. No major injuries, just total wipe out on a drive way. We also worked on them saying ‘thank you’, which was usually said as they were running away to the next house! It makes me laugh now at the memory of it.
It was another great family evening….

Fall Family Fun

2009-11-06T17:09:00.008-06:00

We enjoyed a trip to Orr Family Farm early in the fall season. We wanted to take advantage of the warm October weather and spend some quality time with our kids and grandkids. What better way to do it then take them to a place with every kind of fun imaginable. It seemed this year they had added some great fun things to do. The carousel was a hit for the girls, but neither of the little boys would ride a horse, they choose to sit in the benches. But they rode it twice, so the motion doesn’t bother them, just the horses. They played a little in the park, petted a lot of animals and the girls rode the ponies….again the boys weren’t thrilled with the horses! We rode the train….it took a long time and went really slow…not sure what exactly we were looking at. Saw a house, some grass, a pond, maybe a horse or two and some more grass! The kids loved it though, especially when we went by the pond. There were these giant ‘pillows’ for you to jump on…I didn’t jump, but took pictures instead. Everyone else enjoyed a little bit of time on that and then we headed over to the giant bikes. That was a huge hit. We saved the hayride for last so we wouldn’t have to lug around our pumpkins. There was a corn maze that we paid extra to do, but once inside realized it wasn’t an activity for pre-schoolers. They all wanted to be carried after only a few minutes inside. Luckily Matt had taken a picture of the maze map with his iphone before we headed in and he was able to get us out in record time. We did the micro version of the corn maze! I was very thankful for his great navigational skills!

We ended our day at our house with a hot dog/sausage cookout and pumpkin painting. The little kids were very artistic! It was an awesome fall adventure.

Diamond in the Rough

2009-10-28T17:31:00.000-05:00

There was a time in my life, really not so long ago, that I thought I was nothing special. I felt as though I was beneath all those that I came in contact with and would probably never amount to much. The enemy would like us to hang onto the things of our past and never attain the true knowledge of who we are in Christ, but God’s word tells me that I am more valuable than silver and gold. I am above and not beneath, the head and not the tail. Most of all I am a conqueror! Today I heard the words diamond in the rough and I felt like that was a good definition of who I am in Christ. I ‘googled’ it and found the following definition:

Someone that has hidden exceptional characteristics and/or future potential, but currently lacks the final touches that would make them truly stand out from the crowd.
The phrase is metaphorical and relates to the fact that naturally occurring diamonds are quite ordinary at first glance, and that their true beauty as jewels is only realized through the cutting and polishing process.

Over these last few years (weeks and months) I have allowed God to work and form me into the woman that He designed me to be. At first glance I might seem ordinary to you, but God doesn’t design ordinary. We are each individually crafted and designed into the gem He wants us to be. Each of us will shine in a different way and have unique ‘cuts’ that allow us to shine in specific lighting. I have come to realize that through the cutting and polishing I am a new jewel, treasured by the Jeweler, carefully crafted and gently polished so that I can shine for Him. God treasures me enough to help me find my hidden potential and make me stand out from the crowd. The cutting and polishing may not always be comfortable or enjoyable, but when all is said and done I will shine. The shining isn’t about me or who I am…but instead it is all about Christ and who I am in Him.

I can continue to allow the past to dictate who I am or I can allow the Jeweler to continue to cut and polish until I am the precious stone that He knows I am. I choose to be cut and polished, I choose to be a Diamond in the Rough. How about you?

Hamburger Stew

2009-10-19T20:34:00.000-05:00

It's my favorite time of the year when it comes to cooking....well, not really....I love to barbeque as much as I like to make soups and stews...LOL Tonight I threw together one of my favorite quick dinners, Hamburger Stew, so I thought I would share the recipe.....

1.5 lbs. hamburger
1 large can of large cut Veg all (don't drain the juice off)
1-15 oz can of small cut Veg all (don't drain the juice off)
1- 15 oz can creamed corn
1 small can of original rotel
1-15 oz can beef broth
1 package of spanish rice mix (the kind in the pouch) ( I use the walmart brand)
1-11.5 oz can Snap-E-Tom Tomato & Chili Cocktail (you find it by the tomato juice)

Brown your hamburger with a little onion and garlic powder....dump in the rest of the ingredients..simmer until the rice is cooked and eat! It is really yummy and quick! We enjoy it with cornbread.....

Weekend Off

2009-10-11T20:56:00.000-05:00

Keith and I decided we needed to get away this weekend and relax. We have been so busy this last few weeks that we just wanted to get away and 'chill'. As the weekend got closer we decided we didn't really want to drive anywhere. A chauffer and a limo would have been nice, but since we don't have either we decided to stay home. Friday we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and enjoyed some shopping before heading home. Once home we snuggled into the couch and watched some recorded TV. It had been a while since we had time to sit and watch any of our recorded shows, so it literally took us all weekend. Of course we also watched the Sooners and Dallas Cowboys games and caught several hours of The President's Cup. Saturday morning we slept until 7:30, enjoyed coffee and breakfast then settled in for more recorded shows! I made Chicken Marsala for lunch/dinner and we both enjoyed a large bowl of ice cream for dessert...with caramel, fudge and cool whip. :-) Sunday's sleep in time was 8:30...not sure how I slept that long, normally I am awake by 7 with the feeling I have way overslept. I must have needed the extra rest. We enjoyed a late breakfast and did a little bit of laundry, but overall it was another relaxing day. Now we are both chilling on the couch, we have caught up with all our tv and are ending our weekend off with the Tennessee and Indianapolis game. I love these relaxing weekends off.

More vows

2009-10-03T08:09:00.000-05:00

Here are the words I shared with Keith at our vow renewal.

Dear Keith, I love you….thank you for this awesome celebration of our love. I am blessed to be your wife, honored to share life with you. I smile when I look back at the last 25 years, which by the way flew by. What a journey this has been and what a journey we have ahead of us. Remember that first night we met? The first thing I noticed was your beautiful blue eyes. Over the years those eyes have always looked at me with love and tenderness. They do sometimes look at me with wonder and quite often with “oh know you didn’t”. But, most of the time it’s just love! Your heart shines through your eyes and I am glad that you only have a heart and eyes for me.

You have always loved me like God loves the church. Thank you for showing me what it means to be loved unconditionally, for introducing me to God by displaying Him in your life. Thank you for loving me through thick and thin, in my good times and my bad.
You are my knight in shining armor, my hero, the person I want to wake up next to and lay down with at night. I want to hold your hand, know your heart and share your dreams. You are an awesome husband, lover and friend.

What a wonderful Dad you have been to our children and I love to watch you be a Papa to our beautiful grandchildren.

In James 1:17 it says ‘every good and perfect gift comes from God’ Today I want you and all those here to know that you are my good and perfect gift from God and I will love you always and forever.

25th Anniversary Wedding Vows

2009-10-02T05:15:00.001-05:00

While we were planning our vow renewal we decided we wanted to be 'different'. One way to do that was to leave out the 'typical' vows and write our own. Here are Keith's vows and I will share mine in another blog.

September 26, 2009
On September 28th, 1984, 25 years ago, God joined our hearts together and we became one. I am so thankful that God chose you and me to travel this journey together. We have had some of the most memorable and amazing times together and there have been some difficult times as well, but there is one very important belief that we share. That belief is that we both know that our relationship with God is number one. You and I have been extremely blessed with a beautiful family and did I mention precious grandchildren? God has truly shined on us.
With that said, in front of our family and friends…Winnie, for the next 25+ years, I promise to continue to love, respect and cherish you, to laugh with you during the funny times, and comfort you during the sad times, to always support you as you strive to reach your goals in life, to love you even when the Dallas Cowboys and the Sooners are losing, to listen to you with compassion and understanding, to encourage you when you are discouraged, to be more sensitive to your needs when you’re sick, to always take you on romantic get-aways, and to play lots of golf while you enjoy lots of shopping.
But seriously, I just want to say ‘thank you’ for putting up with me for the last 25 years. God has truly blessed my life with a beautiful woman inside and out. I love you so much and I look forward to continuing our journey together. I’m confident with this renewal of our vows, that our love and commitment will grow even stronger. I will continue to give you my everything from this day forward, and I will love you always and forever.

Our Amazing Day

2009-10-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

On September 26th, Keith and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary and renewed our wedding vows. It was the most amazing day!!! We planned this event over the last year and did everything in ‘our’ power to make it unforgettable. But, all the planning on our part couldn’t exceed what God did. The sun was shining, the winds were calm and there were butterflies enjoying the flowers that surrounded the ceremony area. Keith and I both woke up at 3 that morning with our heads swirling, knowing that our big day had arrived. At 4 we enjoyed a cup of coffee in bed, talking about the day ahead of us. As the morning kicked off, I was having nervous stomach issues and was a little sick for a few hours and of course somewhat emotional. But, by the time we arrived at the Dominion House, I was walking on air. It was time to change into our formal attire and shoot some family pictures. Our family, including our Pastor, looked amazing all decked out. We had the most awesome photographer, Ashlea Wright, she was all about taking candid shots which we loved…can’t wait to see the pics. We had been praying for good weather since we had been experiencing rain for several weeks, so I was so happy when we saw the sun. God is so good! All praise goes to Him for not only the beautiful day, but for the relationship that Keith and I share.
Thank you to our Pastor for doing an amazing job officiating the ceremony. Herbert and Tiffany have been a huge influence in our lives over the last 6 years and we wanted them to be a part of this celebration. Their example as husband and wife has allowed Keith and I to grow in our relationship with one another. Their spiritual leadership has also guided us to a stronger relationship with God. We are so blessed to be a part of their ministry.
Also, thank you - to all those who shared in this day with us. We were blessed to have all of you share this wonderful celebration with us.
Here are a few pictures from our day. I will post the ‘professional’ photos when we have them.

Happy Birthday Keith

2009-09-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

Keith's 49th birthday was Friday. We celebrated at our house with a brisket dinner followed by an ice cream cake. Earlier in the week I asked the little kids what kind of cake we should get for Papa for his 'happy birthday'. Rylee said a blue star cake and no one else really had an opinion. You can always count on Rylee having ideas/opinions! Anyway, I searched and couldn't find one, so I got a small ice cream cake and found star candles. After dinner I pulled the cake out and Rylee's first question was why isn't it blue! LOL The little ones each chose a candle and we put them on the cake. It was cute to hear them singing Happy Birthday. Emery sang it for the rest of the evening....too cute.

Here are some pictures from the fun family get together.

Visits with the kids always end with horsey rides and they always want to ride together! This horsey is too old for that much weight! However, the horsey's wife thinks he still the hottest horsey in the barn.

The big kids were there as well, but I didn't get pictures of them....hmmmmm.

Night of Fun

2009-08-29T19:20:00.000-05:00

I picked up Rylee and Jaedyn on my way home from work last night to sleepover. It had been too long since we had had them over. On the way to the house I asked them what we should do and Rylee said we should eat with "Memory" (aka Emery) and Liam, play at the park and then take Molly (our dog) for a walk. Keith and I had talked about taking them to Chuck E. Cheese, but when I mentioned it to Rylee she said she was scared of him....we didn't want an evening of hysterics, so I hoped Keith would think their idea was a better one. Once we got to our house Keith checked with Matt and plans were made to meet at the park. Rylee was so excited to see Emery and she immediately complimented his new haircut. She is so grown up and loves hanging out with Emery. We sat down to eat our picnic and every fly in OK made an appearance. It was gross, but we managed to eat real fast. The kids snacked because they were too excited to play and off they went. They really did quite a bit of running around and we took a very long walk to the pond to see the ducks. It was some great exercise for us and the kids had a blast. When it was time to leave the park Emery didn't understand why he wasn't going with us. It only took me 1 second to decide Christy needed to run home and get them some sleepover gear and bring them back. His sad face turned happy right away. By the time we left the park it was getting dark, but Rylee didn't forget that we were going to take Molly for a walk. She was excited to help put Molly's 'buckle' (harness) on. It was a short walk on our street which for little legs was plenty. The kids ran like crazy once Christy got the boys back to our house. One would think they would be worn out from 2 hours at the park....but they weren't. They played hard until about 10:30, then we settled in for the night. Nana slept with Rylee, Emery and Jaedyn in the guest room and Liam slept with Papa in the king size bed. I still haven't figured out why it turns out that way, but the kids always want to sleep in the 'big girl/boy bed' with Nana.....one day I will talk them into the king size bed. Hopefully!

Jaedyn and Emery were up first, but at least it was after 8. Once everyone else was up we ate waffles on the back porch, played for a few minutes then came in and got dressed. The kids wanted to take Molly for another walk and let Papa pull them in our wagon. It was a much longer walk than last night, but 3 rode in the wagon while each child had a chance to hold the 'buckle' and walk Molly. Molly was exhausted when we got back, but the kids were fired up and ready to go!

On a funny note, Rylee asked if I had a purse she could play with so I pulled one down from the closet and off she went to fill it with cell-phones and sunglasses. Of course, it only took a minute for Emery to realize that she had a purse and he wanted one. So, I dug one out for him, too. He immediately went off to the toy room and filled it with cars. When he came walking out with it on his shoulder Papa wanted to know what he was doing! He said 'playing with my purse'....to which Papa replied, 'duffle bag Emery, duffle bag'! I must have heard Keith say that a hundred times last night and this morning. Emery did finally start calling it his duffle bag, but it took quite a bit of brainwashing from Papa first!

We ended our time together with lunch....and then it was time for parents to pick them up. It was great to have them over,but I was ready to relax and sit for a minute! I always enjoy our time with them and sometimes get a little emotional when I realize what a big blessing we have been given in each one of them.

This 'n That

2009-08-20T19:35:00.000-05:00

This summer has been so busy that my blogging has suffered from it. I make attempts to sit and blog, but always get sidetracked! I always thought summer time was a little less hectic than any other time of the year, but this summer has been very busy. I think Keith and I went out of town at least once each month beginning in May. We have never gotten away as much as we did this summer, but we enjoyed each trip we took.

Keith and I are working hard to pull together our 25th Anniversary vow renewal. So far we are on track with everything. The guys ordered their tuxes last week and I am being fitted for my dress tomorrow night. Hopefully I have lost enough weight that it will have to be taken in! I really wanted to loose my back fat since it is strapless and I think I have managed to do that. We’ll see tomorrow night! We are working to pull together as many loves songs from the 80’s that we can find. Some of them are pretty lame, but we loved them back then! I am on the hunt for a topper for the cake. I don’t want the traditional '25' that most people use, I want something different. I found a porcelain bride and groom in a dancing position, but can’t find it locally and am too cheap to pay $11.00 to have it shipped! I will be on the hunt this weekend. Also, we aren’t going to do the traditional exchanging of the rings, but want to do something different. Anyone with ideas? I really don’t know what I want to do, but want it to be as non-traditional as possible. We are both writing our own ‘letters’ to each other that we will read in place of the I Do’s. I would love to hear your ideas!

My tomato plants are finally growing some tomatoes! I can’t believe I had to wait all summer to finally get a home grown tomato. Well, one from my own plant anyway. I have eaten tons of them from other people (jealousy inserted here) that had plants that cooperated and produced in the right season. The upside is I have tomatoes now and everyone else is done. Hope I can grow enough to share with those who shared with me.

Rylee and Emery both start pre-school this week. I can’t believe they are both at the age to be doing this! They have grown so fast.

We attended our first Wednesday Night Connection at church last night. It was amazing to watch as people connected with each other. I had expected to encounter times of awkward silence, but that was not what took place at all. People connected right away within each small group that was formed in our class. There was so much laughing going on that it was hard to hear sometimes. If you didn’t come out, I want to encourage you to try it next week. Connecting people to God and to others is what it’s all about.

Keith has been fighting off a sinus infection for what feels like months, but I think it's only been a couple of weeks. He got a 'Z' pack on Wednesday and now he is sick to his stomach. Crazy!

Molly, our mini dachshund, had her first dental visit today. Weird, huh? She has had really bad breath for a few months and Keith noticed her gums were red the other night. So, off to the vet we went. She has gingivitis, was put on an antibiotic and had to have her teeth cleaned. This requires that they put her 'under', so it was a day visit for her. She is home now, with white teeth, that by the way were even given a fluoride treatment. Unfortunately she doesn't have dental insurance and we had to pay out of pocket!

We'll catch up again real soon!

Things that make me smile......

2009-08-04T17:59:00.000-05:00

Knowing that God loves me….no matter what!

Hearing Keith snore at night…yes, I know that’s weird, but I always smile…then I nudge him to roll over.

Going to sleep and waking up next to Keith, the love of my life.

Walking in God’s plan for me.

That I have two awesome children, who are blessed with great spouses, and knowing they all love and serve God.

Those beautiful grandkids….Rylee, Emery, Jaedyn and Liam Baby!

Worship music….especially in the car on the loudest volume possible!

Those ‘ah-ha’ moments with God!

Finding the right scripture that speaks to me at 'just the right time' ….God is good.

Quiet mornings by myself on the couch with my first cup of coffee….

And then the end of the day on the couch with Keith and a cup of hot tea.

Watching God do amazing things in my friends’ and families lives.

Babies

Attending a church that wants us to take our Light into the world and not hide it in the church.

What makes you smile?

Yes, we have no bananas

2009-07-15T17:39:00.000-05:00

Or tomatoes for that matter……..I had this same problem last year. I have two tomato plants this year and neither is producing the fruit they are born to produce. They are growing and making lots of pretty flowers, that to my understanding are suppose to be tomatoes in the making……but, NO…I have big leafy tomato-less bushes. Geesh, what am I doing wrong? Last year when I ran into this problem the advice I was given was to beat them with a paper sack or grab'em and shake‘em. So I grabbed that bad boy and shook the heck out of it. Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but it worked. I had tomatoes through to the first freeze! Well, I have shaken these two little guys this year and sadly, it’s not working. Maybe I need to grab the paper bag!

P.S. This morning Keith found a big ugly green worm on one of the bushes. I decided to leave him alone...I mean what harm could he really do…..well, I came home today and he had eaten the leaves off one complete stem and was working on another. Needless to say I took him and his current meal off the plant and he took a one way flight into the field behind our house. Ewwwww

O' Happy Day

2009-07-12T16:10:00.001-05:00

So, I went to go get my hair trimmed yesterday at a new shop by a new stylist. I wasn't real nervous because she had been recommended to me by a friend. I don't know about you, but I get really frustrated when I have to search out a new stylist on a regular basis. About 4 months ago I had to do the same thing, but found someone that I really like, she did a great job and was available in the evenings after work. I had my hair cut by her 3 or 4 times and she even did an over the top job on coloring. Before my next appointment I received a call that she was no longer with the salon and if I would call back they would set me up with someone else. Well, let's just say this is the norm for this salon and the reason I left there several years ago....can't remember how I ended up back there, but anyway.....I was frustrated. So, I thought I would call and see if I could get her number or find out where she went. The information I got from the person who answered the phone was just a lot of drama and nothing that would help me in finding her. So the search for a new stylist began..........fast forward to last week. I called and made an appointment with this new salon/stylist for Saturday afternoon....walked through the door and there she was...the long lost stylist that had 'left a note, walked away and disappeared into the night, and changed her cell phone number'. I wanted to jump up and down...you know how it is ladies when you find that one person who can do with your hair what you want them to do and do it very well.. Well, Heather is that person for me........so the sweet stylist who I had an appointment with let Heather cut my hair. I am over the top happy! We have now exchanged cell phone numbers and become facebook friends.....just in case she ever leaves a note, walks away and disappears into the night.......thanks Heather for being awesome at what you do! Hair color is right around the corner. It is definitely a happy day!

The Latest Scoop

2009-07-09T20:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, it’s been a while since I last blogged…..I thought this time of year was suppose to be uneventful and relaxing. Mmmmmm, we’ve been busy and seem to run from here to there! So much for uneventful and relaxing!

Let’s see….where do I start:

I fainted in a restaurant parking lot while out to lunch with co-workers, fell on my face and spent a night in the hospital back in mid-June. After a nights worth of testing I know I didn’t have a stroke, a heart attack and I’m not pregnant! (woot woot on the not being pregnant) :-)I am a medical mystery, but most of you already know that. Oh, for those who saw me, as bad as it looked, I didn’t fracture my cheek bone either! Thank God! Anyway, I am fine, but still doing some further testing. No worries on this end…God are my Healer!

Keith and I got away the following weekend and enjoyed a stay at the Waterford. Both of us needed some down time. Keith even managed to fit in a massage and I got a pedicure. Didn’t do much of anything but relax, shopped a little and we ate at Cheesecake Factory…it was very good. We even split a piece of some scrumptious Chocolate Coconut Cream cheesecake. Yum

I took a business-shopping trip to Dallas and visited ‘all’ of the party stores in the area….well, it seemed like all of them. It was great to get out and get a feel of what the department is all about. I am excited to be learning a new part of our buying department. Scrapbooking will always be near and dear to my heart!!!

Rylee, our oldest grandchild, turned 4 on the 1st of July. Keith and I can’t believe she is already 4; she is really very grown up. We took her out to eat and shopping for her birthday. She choose McDonald’s, (Keith was disappointed-LOL) but she didn’t want to play because she knew we were going shopping. She is a true female! We told her she could get a pair of shoes and a new outfit. She asked if they could have ‘sparkleys’ on them. Again, true female….don’t we all like a little bling! We did find some flip flops with glitter that she loved and 2 cute little sundresses. We enjoyed some ice cream, picked up a movie (Cinderella) and went home and enjoyed some popcorn. It was a great evening!

We enjoyed the 4th of July with Matt and his family at our house with a cookout and some fireworks. We live in Mustang and everyone does fireworks, so we didn’t spend a dime, but enjoyed a great show. Michele and her family went to the lake and enjoyed their 4th with Brandon’s family. Emery and Liam didn’t like the ‘fire crackers’ so Christy and I watched through the window with them. Our neighborhood was pop-pop-popping and a haze of smoke hung over it, probably why the boys were a little scared!

I think I have found a new hair person (really what do you call them). I have my first appointment with her on Saturday. Definitely time for a haircut and this time, I will get her cell phone just in case she ‘disappears into the night’ like the last girl!

Keith and I are planning our 25th wedding anniversary vow renewal and enjoying it. A friend designed our invitations (I haven’t seen them yet) and if they are anything like the other things she has done, they will be SPECTACULAR. I have a few things left to do, create centerpieces, wrap candy bars, bag up some M&M’s, have our dresses altered and get the guy’s tuxedos rented. Not stressing yet…..hopefully I won’t!

Well, I think that should have everyone up to speed. I have some new recipes that I want to share and will try to get those posted tomorrow.

Have a blessed week!

Thai Shrimp Salad

2009-06-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

Keith and I are still on our menu plan and try new recipes on a regular basis. Last night I fixed a shrimp salad that was really good, it will be on our fix it again list. I thought I would share it since it's summer time and salads are quick and easy.

1/4 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 Tbsp minced fresh mint

1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb. uncooked, large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced

4 cups torn leaf lettuce

1. In a large bowl combine the first seven ingredients; set aside

2. The recipe calls for grilling of the shrimp on skewers, but I sauteed them in a Tbsp of butter and a Tbsp of olive oil....sprinkle with the salt and pepper

3. Stir the reserved dressing; add the shrimp, cucumber and onion. Toss to coat . Divide lettuce among four salad plates ; top with shrimp mixture and serve immediately.

This recipe was enough for Keith and I to have a full plate with a small portion left over. Unless you are serving something else along with this, it really isn't enough for 4 servings.

Enjoy

New Job/Position

2009-06-05T18:04:00.000-05:00

I was offered a new position at work….I will now be buying in the Cards and Party Department. It is hard to leave Scrapbooking because I really enjoy that hobby, but am excited about the opportunity to learn a new category. I love a challenge and am ready for something new. Some of my responsibilities will include gift wrap and bags, tissue paper and shred, take out boxes, party décor and favors. How great is that! I am really looking forward to this change and working with old friends and making new. Scrapbooking will always be a part of my life because it is one of my favorite hobbies, however I will not be as ‘in the loop’ as I have been the last 3 years. I have made some great friends and learned a lot from them; I will take a lot with me to my new position that will help me to be a great Card and Party buyer!

See you in the gift wrap aisle.

vAcaTiOn

2009-06-05T18:03:00.000-05:00

Vacation (vey-key-shuh n)
~Noun
1.a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: Schoolchildren are on vacation now
2.a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of law courts, legislatures, etc., are suspended
3.freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.
4.an act or instance of vacating.

~Verb
1.to take or have a vacation: to vacation in the Caribbean

Yep, that’s what we did…..we suspended ourselves from work and enjoyed some rest, recreation and travel. It was freedom from our duties and daily activities! It was so much fun to get away with Keith and not have anyone we had to visit and anything we had to do. We didn’t go with any schedule, just knew what we wanted to do and accomplish while we were gone and managed to do it all in the 7 days we had. I came back well rested, tanned and with 4 new pair of shoes! Woot Woot! Keith was able to enjoy a game of golf at one of the local courses and have a massage (his other favorite thing to do). We spent a day at the zoo and another at the aquarium, several sitting at the pool reading a book or working Sudoku puzzles…we really had so much fun. The weather was perfect and the company was over the top! I love spending time with Keith!

Fancy Footwork

2009-06-05T17:59:00.000-05:00

Michele started taking tap lessons last fall and had her first recital last Saturday. It was so much fun watching her do something that she really enjoys and is all about her. She did a great job! I am toying with the idea of joining her….mother/daughter tappers! LOL I figure it would be great Mother/Daughter time and good exercise. Here is a picture of her with her flowers; Brandon and the girls got the roses and Keith and I got the spring bouquet.Once again, my beautiful daughter was a shining star!

Spring has brought about some changes......

2009-05-18T18:02:00.000-05:00

The rain has allowed our grass ….and the weeds to grow. Seems those weeds like to come in mass quantities, but we have had them taken care of. Now we have beautiful green grass, and it seems it needs to be mowed every other day. We bought a new tree for our front yard…it’s a Chinese Panache’ and I love it. We also had a kidney bean shaped flower bed cut around it and had all the front beds ‘curbed’. It all looks very nice. This weekend I shopped ‘til I wanted to drop getting all the flowers, bushes and a few veggies to fill in all the beds. Keith and I got the front beds done yesterday, but were too tired to work on the back two. I hope to get them done in the evenings this week. Once it is all done and everything starts to grow and bloom it is going to be beautiful. Thank you God for spring! I love it!

Our neighbors have started attending PC and their daughter was baptized on Sunday…..the best thing about it was that Keith was able to baptize her, and she was so excited when she found out he would be the one to do it. We really enjoy this family.

Keith and I are going on our first ‘real vacation’ since we became empty nesters! Woot Woot. We have taken a lot of weekend trips and a few mini vacations, but have never taken a week off just for us. So, here we go, off to enjoy ourselves with a week of pampering, shopping and relaxation…no one to visit or entertain, just the two of us..I will be sure to let you know all about it when we get back.

On a personal note:

Several months ago a friend blogged about letting go of your tumor, that thing in life that holds you back from having complete freedom in God’s love and forgiveness….I remember thinking what a great blog, but it didn’t really apply to me because I didn’t have a ‘tumor’. LOL…..Well, I did and it was a pretty large lump! That blog put me on the road to healing, made me realize I did have things I needed to ‘put down’. God has helped me put the past hurts and failures behind me…I refuse to be a victim any longer. In the course of this ‘tumor removal’ I have heard messages, read devotions and even heard songs that talked about putting your past behind you and moving forward. Much like Lot’s wife I would start walking, but then turn and look back which in her case was a pillar of a problem! But, what it did in my life was halt my spiritual forward progress and tie God’s hands. Once I made the decision to not allow my past to dictate who I was and where I was headed and decided to allow my path to only be forward in God’s plan for me, it has been amazing! Now when I look in the mirror I like what I see! On Easter Sunday, in the last experience in our old auditorium I found my seat and sat down. As soon as I sat down I felt compelled to put on my seat belt…..almost like I had just sat in the car. It was a weird sensation, and I kind of laughed at myself and thought I was having an ‘old age moment’. But, as I sat there thinking what a crazy person I was, I felt this still small voice say “fasten your seat belt”. Part of me wanted to brush it off, but all through the message I kept thinking back on it and decided God was telling me to buckle up….the best is yet to come! I have allowed myself to live in my past for so long, to hold onto a victim mentality that I can almost picture God breathing a sigh of relief and that is why I need to fasten my seat belt….He is going to pour out all I have been missing out on. Well, this old gal is ready….I will not look back….I will not allow the enemy to have a stronghold on my life any longer….I am determined to live my life as God intended me to. I will enjoy it everyday and stand firm on the belief that ‘the best is yet to come’.

Thank you, ‘friend’ for sharing your story of healing from a past failure…..I appreciate you more than you realize….muah!

In the meantime, if you have something that is holding you back from receiving everything God has for you, I encourage you to put it down and never look back. God never intended for us to live a life of feeling ‘less than’ and He has great plans for you. So, today I say move forward in the great life God has for you! Be the awesome woman of God He has designed you to be! That’s my choice and I won't settle for less!

Bubbles & a Haircut.....

2009-05-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

Friday night we planned to have Emery and Rylee over for a sleepover, but Rylee had a graduation to attend and couldn't come. We decided to go ahead and have some one on one time with Emery- and it turned out to be a lot of fun. We ate at McDonalds and then tried to get his haircut. He is not a fan of getting his haircut. When I say not a fan I mean, kicking his feet, screaming and yelling NO! Normally I coax him with a toy, but he wasn’t having it this time. We asked him if he would come back tomorrow and he said yes….not sure if that would really happen, but what else were we to do. He wasn’t having anything to do with a haircut.

After attending to a few other things, we took him to the Family Video store and he picked out a Donald & Daisy movie, we got Madagascar and some popcorn. Emery was excited about the ‘copcorn’ as he called it. He decided he wanted to watch Madagascar, but was only interested in it for about 15 minutes, so we took it out and put in Donald Duck. He loved this one. It was 10:30 before we new it and we headed off to bed. Since he was alone on his sleepover, he got to sleep with Nana and Papa.

Normally Saturdays are our sleep-in day, but this Saturday Emery woke us up at 6:30….way too early for me! The night before I had bought a ‘bubble-gun’ and that was the first thing he wanted to do. I told him it was too early and he would have to wait, but that only worked for about 30 minutes and then we were outside, in the backyard, in our pjs ‘shooting’ bubbles. (with a cup of coffee in my hand) He loved it. We started talking about his haircut, but he had on his selective hearing and wasn’t really giving it too much attention. We did make it to the shop, and after Papa got a pretend haircut, Emery agreed, half heartedly to sit on my lap and let Laurie cut his hair. It is practically impossible to get a ‘good’ haircut when you are leaning over and hiding! LOL Here are some pictures of us getting Emery’s haircut. It was fun to have some one on one time with him….we hope to be able to do this with each of the kids.

New stuff

2009-05-08T07:21:00.000-05:00

It has been way too long since I blogged and I have all this neat stuff to share........I could spend hours on here catching up, but I only have a few minutes and wanted to share our new bedding! Keith and I have been married for 25 years and have never decorated our room beyond just the simple bedding and have never owned a bed frame past the medal thingy you get for $25 when you buy your mattresses. Okay, don't feel sorry for us, we were just too lazy to put our time and effort into it, so now that we are in our new house we decided it was time to really do it right. It took a year, but we finally agreed on the bed and the bedding. We knew what colors we wanted, but hadn't stopped long enough to get it done....pretty typical for us. Anyway, last weekend we headed out to find a new kitchen table and ended up finding the bed we wanted. Woot Woot We knew we wanted to purchase a down comforter and then find a duvet, but we were a little intimidated by the whole process. Well, we ended up finding the perfect sales person to help us get it all accomplished and we walked away happy.....and broke! LOL

One of the funny moments in the process is on Saturday evening we found the down comforter at another store on sale for half price and decided to go ahead and pick it up. We brought it home and put in on our bed and it didn't seem to fit. Keith decided we had probably bought something that was considered a 'second' and we discussed returning it. But, thought we might look at the duvets first since we really didn't know if it was suppose to be larger than the comforter or not.....we are challenged in the area of duvets/comforters. So, on Sunday after church we ran out to a bedding store and met up with a very helpful sales person who when shown the picture below (I took several of what we had already done and took our camera with us) informed us that we had the comforter on the bed wrong...it was suppose to be turned the other way so it would hang down the sides and not touch the floor on the footboard! Talk about feeling dumb! Anyway, several hours later we ended up with what you see in this picture and are VERY happy.

We still have a long way to go in having our room done, but this is such an accomplishment for us that I had to share.

I will defiinitely have more to share in the coming days...........