our little life

inner debate

2012-01-26T20:41:00.001-06:00

i've been going back and forth between returning to this here ole blog. and the truth of the matter is, i really want to. i do. i miss it.

it once served as a release, an outlet for my thoughts. sometimes i would allow the deep thoughts to seep onto the screen you are reading now. and other times, i would fill it with posts on frivolous matters such as my house and cooking - maybe in a effort to allow something out of my head so that i would not burden any readers with the "heavy" stuff! and not to mention, i am a sharer by nature. possibly even an over-sharer in some instances.

so, here i am - having not blog for almost the first full year of my child's life. let's face it. i can barely manage being a wife, mom, and teacher. it's no wonder that a silly little blog feel by the wayside. i feel like i've missed so much already. maybe i will recap the end of 2011 soon. maybe i won't. part of my debating my return has hinged on if i should go back and update what has been happening around here or just pick up where we are now.

who knows?

all i know is i have lots of thoughts and things i want to share. some serious and some silly.

so, dear blog - our friendship may be somewhat strained right now but we are old friends. and everyone knows old friends can just pick up and carry on like no time has passed. i am looking forward to what time we may spend together soon.

and just so you can agree on how cute my kid is now - here is a picture of the little sweetie! surely can't get enough of her!

ten on ten

2011-11-10T21:50:00.002-06:00

i thought maybe the best way to get back in the swing of blogging would be to participate in 10 on 10 today. even as busy as i have been, it was nice to stop real quick and snap a picture. it was a pretty typical day - probably boring to most other people. but this is how life looks right now.

running late already

riding to work with my honey

the pledge

planning time - lesson plans and homework for next week

how to cook a turkey writing via whattheteacherwants

end of the day - there's strange peace in a classroom after an eventful day

picking up the hubs from work

snack time for the baby (and the dog)

freezer meal lasagna - interesting

play time with daddy

life is honestly good right now. things are busy and exhausting but oh so wonderful. school is kicking my rear and i am drowning in paperwork. i am just trying to remember what it is I am there to do and to enjoy my kids. chloe is at such a fun age right now and i am trying to soak it all in. it is all flying by. i will truly be thankful for our break in a few weeks so i can spend days playing with my family!

can someone please make her stop growing?

2011-10-16T21:31:00.001-05:00

i don't know if i can handle the pace of her growth. i am trying my best to soak up every minute of it. this whole process of watching a child, your own child, grow and develop is absolutely amazing. seriously, i am constantly amazed. jacob and i were talking the other night about being obnoxious parents who thing their child is the best. we hope we aren't too annoying. it is just so hard not to be when you see all of the awesome new things your child is doing. it's just crazy to witness. it truly is testimony to God's greatness. i stand in wonder and awe of His works. especially this little one named Chloe.

city chickens

2011-08-20T21:26:00.001-05:00

Several months ago, Jacob found out we could own up to six chickens where we live in the city limits. It didn't take long for him to begin construction on a hen house to be tucked away in our backyard. Once Jacob's dad got involved, we had a grandiose poultry paradise.

It was originally supposed to be about half this size. But we like to spoil our chickens. :)

They have a nice little window with a pretty plant ledge.

A little door for easy egg collection.

A pretty, shady white crepe myrtle to keep them from cooking in the backyard.

FRESH eggs are so much better! So fluffy and much more taste.

And Chloe loves her new little friends - I think we have an animal lover on our hands.

Yes, I know her pacifier is dragging the ground - gross. We do clean it.
My favorite hen is the white one with the feathers on her legs - see her there on the left?

wow! has it really been three months?

2011-06-28T13:18:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe I haven’t blogged in over three months. With the end of school and a baby in the mix, blogging definitely got pushed to the bottom of the list. Heck, even scrubbing the toilet got pushed pretty low on the totem pole.

The good news is….I have scrubbed the toilet….a few times since March. But my return to blogging has more to do with my bad back. I’ve been out of commission for about 4 days now. Lying down when I have the chance and carefully choosing when I pick up my daughter. It has not been fun. It’s life though.

Oh, and our dryer went out and it is raining today. So if it can’t air dry in the hallway – it is not getting washed right now. Wah-wah, I know.

BUT on the flipside, my summer has been wonderful! Lots of fun stuff and good times with great people. We’ve also been very busy around the house.

Some things that I will be posting about soon:

Our chicken coop
We’ve built a deck
Thrifting finds
Working on an Etsy shop
and one precious little girl

Speaking of, I soaking up every minute I can with this blue-eyed beauty.

She just melts my heart.

Spring Sunday

2011-03-20T08:04:00.000-05:00

"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness
and praise to spring forth before all the nations." Isaiah 61:11

friday finds

2011-03-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

wow. I really like this. like really, really.

{addicted 2 decorating}

funny.

{jpharris}

um, yes please.
be careful going to this blog.
tip#1 – wear a bib because you’ll drool.
tip#2 – don’t nurse while looking at this blog because you’ll laugh out loud and make the baby mad.

{confessions of a cookbook queen}

and in case you were wondering (in which case I know you were just dying to know) if all I do is look at pretty things and make myself fat by finding yummy recipes, the answer is no. I also read blogs. like good ones with good things to say. so, go bake those cookie muffin things then sit down and enjoy them while reading these posts!

Liz @ Mabel’s House on good men
Rachel @ No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane on scripture
Julie @ Joy’s Hope on her babies

Have a happy weekend!

pictures with mama, e.t.c.

2011-03-17T08:02:00.001-05:00

I only have like two pictures with chloe. and, of course, I don’t like either of them. hence the reason I typically have the back of the camera pressed to my face. well, it dawned on me the other day that I didn’t have many pictures with my own mother. it made me want to be more intentional about taking photos with chloe and not caring what I look like in them. she won’t be critiquing my double-chin or crooked teeth. when I look at pictures of my mother I think she is beautiful – because I knew her.

so when chloe took a liking to my nose the other night – I practically yelled at jacob to grab the camera. we laughed as she was going to town on the tip of my nose – she LOVED it. I am glad we captured this moment. she is at that age where everything is interesting and she is trying to find a way to get it to her mouth.

and just for kicks – I dug up a photo of my mom and I when I was about chloe’s age. LOVE IT!

I am linking up over at the anderson crew for embrace the camera. I love this linky – it challenges me to think about snapping different images and capturing memories – not just events. every day life. head over there and check out the other links.

return of the teacher

2011-03-15T09:11:00.001-05:00

I am on spring break this week – three days after going back to work after maternity leave. ha! I love that it worked out that way. my first few days back at work were good. I keep telling everyone it was like riding a bike. it was nice to go back for those three days and just get reacquainted with my students and get everything back in order.

I enjoy my students and I enjoy being in my classroom. teaching is a challenge but it is a fun and very rewarding challenge. I so glad this is what I can do with my life and talents.

I will be glad when the weather is warm enough that kids do not have to wear jackets. our school is an open campus so jackets come off and on at least three times a day. they had to clean up this area just after I took this picture. they will tell you their jacket should be on a hook. pet peeve maybe, but I view it as teaching them to be responsible and respect their property as well as thinking of safety. mine and theirs. ha!

the morning message – ask my principal, I am a little neurotic about this. it is usually a lot longer than this and the kids complete it. they haven’t done it since I have been gone. this was the first time since December for them to try it. it’s not pretty – they’ve regressed some. we will get back on track. they LOVE doing the morning message and our morning meeting.

midday shoe change – sometimes I hate doing this in front of my kids because the first time I did it this year one little girl shook her head and said, “all them shoes.” a sharp stabbing reminder at how blessed I am. and just fyi – I only change into my crocs in my classroom, I travel around school in my ‘cute’ shoes – you know, because I have to pretend to be professional and all.

today, I will spend a good portion of this spring break preparing lesson plans and activities for the rest of the school year. I will not take time away from my family to do it in the evenings. I am excited to be back but it will be a whole new set of challenges to balance home and work. any and all suggestions are welcome. :)

this face

2011-03-08T11:20:00.001-06:00

I am going to miss it tomorrow when I go back to work.

birthday happys

2011-03-07T08:00:00.003-06:00

yesterday was the big day. thrity-schmirty. so far, so good.

here are a couple of ‘things’ that represent wonderful people in my life.

flowers from two people who ‘reappeared’ in my life about 2 years ago. I am so happy to call them friends now. funny, funny girls.

a *super cute* reusable bag from my old college friend. so glad we live near each other and get to see each other from time to time.

a new stone from my mother-in-law, with whom I share a birthday.

a cute scarf from my sister-in-law that I wore to church in the morning.

a few other blessings of this weekend:
a new nephew named Zeke
a chance to hang out with the ‘old and new’ friends (no picture. why do I do that?)
two naps
estate sale-ing
listening to an entire sermon (and processing it)
mexican coke
muddy’s cupcakes
kissing my husband

and A LOT of other little things.

looks like 30 isn’t going to be so bad after all.

thoughts

2011-03-01T12:41:00.001-06:00

I’ve been struggling lately. it’s my own fault really. I realized over the weekend that it is anger and anxiety, mostly, that I am struggling with. I’m not sure if it stems from being subconsciously stressed or lack of stimulation or just knowing I will never have control. I know I will never have control but it is still a rough wrestle of the mind.

whatever it is, it’s eating away at me. I just feel so robbed and defeated by it. I have absolutely no reason to be angry but little things have set me off so very easily the past few days. I will suddenly catch myself getting upset over the smallest of inconveniences and then quickly remind myself how easy I actually have it. and then I get upset and angry at myself for getting upset over the small thing. argh!

I stop, often in mid-activity, and just say “what’s wrong with you?” I know I have every reason to be thankful and grateful and I am. I know I have it good, better than good even. It’s just those moments that catch me off guard and take over.

it’s silly. it’s ridiculous. and I’m tired of it.

I know what it will take to ‘fix’ this problem. getting back to the basics and drawing closer to God. giving it to Him.

and not getting angry in the process when it still doesn’t go my way.

friday finds

2011-02-25T17:07:00.001-06:00

I started this post last week ~ but as I’ve said before, it was a rough week. I just took it easy today and then remembered I hadn’t posted this yet. hope you enjoy fun finds, even if they are late according to my clock :)

sweet and simple sentiment and it’s *yellow*

{tuesday mourning}

how cool is this?

{ohdeedoh}

i heart clouds.

{etsy}

i think i am going to try this.

{homemade cream of chicken soup}

chloe needs this…..okay, I’m kidding but c’mon, it’s wicket

{where else?}

mommy’s day out, etc

2011-02-24T17:35:00.001-06:00

today, I am typing this while not popping a paci back in or holding a little one. today, I am typing this with a tear in my eye.

chloe is with her mimi and she is going to have a great day. her big cousin will stop by to play with her and her gigi, jacob’s great-grandmother, will get to love on her as well.

we are so very blessed with wonderful families. we are especially blessed to live fairly close to jacob’s family. mimi, jacob’s mom, will be keeping chloe when I go back to work in a few weeks until the end of this school year. what a blessing! and I couldn’t think of anyone who could care for her better than her mimi.

^that is what I wrote this morning. then, I got too choked up to finish. :)

I ended up going to a small local consignment sale for one thing I’ve been hunting for chloe and a consignment store for a couple of clothes for me. it was nice. breathing room. but I missed my little girl like terrible. I only called twice.

jacob got home early and we decided to have a day date. it was unexpected and very nice. we held hands. and pop-kissed in public.

gag if you want.

it was a good day. and now we are settling back into our regular routine.

sweet kisses

2011-02-17T09:28:00.002-06:00

today. last night. and the beginning of this week.
they just haven’t been great. rough for us.

chloe hasn’t been napping ~ maybe thirty minutes at a time ~ maybe.
and her awake time has generally been a fussy time.

but i need to focus on happier things. like the way she is when she is on her changing table. she could lay there all day and play. we kiss and sing and just have sweet little conversations there.

i snapped this the other day when we were playing.

i’ll be glad to have this some day when i am chasing her down to give her kisses.
or just to look at on these rough days.

there is something to intentionally capturing the little moments in life. definitely.

linking up here

two months

2011-02-15T16:00:00.001-06:00

dear baby girl,

you have been in our lives for just a few short weeks but it seems like you have been here forever. i think that is because you have always been in our hearts, but we just now have the blessing to be with you in flesh. what an amazing life ours has become!

as far as your development goes, you are well on track – quite impressive actually.

you smile all day long. and you laughed once for daddy.
you LOVE being on your changing pad.
you prefer to be naked. and hate getting into clothes.
you hold your head up. and have since you were born.
you sit straight up. and fuss if we don’t let you for very long.
two people in two separate venues have stated that you look like you are about to talk.
you take in everything around you. you are so very alert. always.

and the kicker, you have been sleeping through the night for almost 4 weeks!!!

we love you.

you have made our lives more wonderful and we praise God for you.

friday finds

2011-02-11T14:52:00.001-06:00

i adore this.
but i must say there is still something grand about making a fort out of dining room chairs, couch cushions and sheets

{found here}

a happy quilt.
i could have a picnic in the snow on this thing.
maybe.
okay, i was exaggerating.

{she's talented}

i want to make this SO BAD. you don’t even know.

{just the most famous blog ever}

adorable.
and so very true.

{etsy shop}

i’ll be joining in next week.
i should be more intentional about taking photos with and of loved ones.

{read more here}

the josie gellar.
definite birthday potential.

{eclectic whatnot shop}
{her hilarious blog}

Have a happy weekend! It is supposed to be in the 60s here – woohoo!

ten on ten

2011-02-10T21:29:00.001-06:00

early morning sun and snow

spinach and feta omelet

chloe got her shots yesterday – not cool, not cool at all

this baby is SO happy when naked – maybe that’s why she spits up so much

i drove in this icy weather to a consignment sale

to get one of these for our beach trip this summer – ironic?

my little sweetheart

darby’s favorite show – she watches like that the whole time

jacob cooking dinner

our bedtime story

so, what did you do today?

ten on ten – take a photo every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of each month. document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments.

share the beauty of your day

please excuse the mess

2011-02-10T07:30:00.001-06:00

i’m in the middle of making some changes. things needed updating around here. i will get there eventually. but between tending to baby, laundry, and sweeping up dog hair….well, creative things just get drawn out.

i know you probably do not care. but i am overly-apologetic.

sorry.

a hospital visit

2011-02-09T07:34:00.001-06:00

chloe made her first trip to the hospital earlier this week. we went to visit some friends from church whose son was having heart procedure done. it just happens that jacob was not in surgery and we were able to eat lunch with him.

of course, daddy had to show off baby.

some people hate hospitals. not me. in fact, i kind of like them. humans hurting and humans healing. have you ever noticed that a smile goes a little further in a hospital?

it is a strangely beautiful place to me.

more on that later.

friday finds

2011-02-04T17:16:00.001-06:00

i have been really lazy today. it is cold outside. that’s my excuse and i’m stickin’ to it.

this is what Chloe’s next room could look like. LOVE. IT.

{smart-bottom enterprises}

blast from the past. which was your favorite?

{on etsy, of course}

possible birthday present? cute.

{ruche clothing}

just my style. i really like the church pew with yo-yo quilt on back.

{found here} via {this blog}

i heart these. big time.

{mod cloth}

after a quick nap with the baby, i am going to get started on this project.

{tutorial found here}

Have a happy weekend!

Pass It On: the rest of the story

2011-02-03T22:37:00.001-06:00

One of our local news stations has a special segment that regularly airs called Pass It On. Each segment highlights a person who is given $300 to pass along to someone who has a need or has made and impact in the giver’s life. It is always interesting to watch the touching stories of relationship and generosity. Never, ever did we think that we would be a part of one those stories…..much less on the receiving end.

A random afternoon shortly after Jacob had returned to work from paternity leave, he got a call from the RN, Chad, that works with him in the neurosurgery operating room. Chad asked if we were home and said he had something for us. We got excited. Chad’s wife makes really delicious red velvet cupcakes and we were preparing ourselves for some. Chad did not come bearing cupcakes.

Instead, I hear Jacob say “Chad has a t.v. crew with him.” WHAT?

We gladly and gratefully accepted the $300. We jokingly mentioned that it would buy a lot of diapers.

That’s what aired. But there is much more to this tale of pass it on.

As soon as we closed the door and our visitors had cleared the porch, Jacob and I looked at each other in shock and laughed. We said “Chad is awesome” about thirty times. Then, we sat down at the dining room table and almost simultaneously suggested we give it away. Or at least most of it.

It wasn’t that we were ungrateful. We just know how blessed we are and that there could be someone who needed it more. We talked about donating some of the money to victims of a recent apartment fire. We talked about how much to give to Chad as a thank you. In that discussion some things came up and we made our decision.

The next day, Jacob took the money and gave it to Chad. All of it. As per the news stations rules, the money could not be given to a family member; but there was someone in Chad’s life, an extended family member, who needed it much more than we did. She had suddenly found herself with three additional children to care for and raise after their mother died back around Thanksgiving. She definitely needed it more than we did for our one child’s diapers.

I wish I could have been there when Jacob gave him the money.

Later that week, Chad told Jacob the rest of the story. He had tried all week to get in touch with his relative to give her the money. He had had no luck until Friday when she called to say she was in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by his house. Once there, she revealed that she stopped by to humbly ask for money. Since taking in the three additional children finances had gotten tight and she was unable to pay her $250 light bill that was due the next day. Chad revealed that he had been trying to reach her to give her the $300.

I wish I could have been there for that too.

I tell this story not to toot our horn or call attention to us by any means. I want to remember this story to tell our daughter – to tell her that she was a part of something much bigger than her when she was just a couple of weeks old. This story serves reminder of our place in life and the impact that small choices can make.

Chad didn’t have to choose us. We didn’t have to choose Chad.

God chose us. And I hope He continues to choose us to work in each other’s lives.

you know it’s love when…

2011-01-30T16:02:00.001-06:00

your husband says any one of the following:

”Why don’t you roll over and I’ll rub your back?”

”Do you want to go to the thrift store?”

or when he leans over in the middle of worship and whispers “I’ve missed you.”

life really doesn’t get much better than this.

random tuesday

2011-01-18T20:03:00.001-06:00

a little girl completely uninterested in her morning nap

chocolate oatmeal no-bakes

today’s goal – not accomplished
confession: i am terrible with thank you notes

the never ending story

playtime with daddy while i cook dinner

life on a random tuesday is good.

baby love

2011-01-17T19:01:00.001-06:00

we’ve been a bit busy for the past month or so. our waking (and some sleeping) moments have been consumed with our precious baby girl. she was born December 15, 2010 at 4:32pm. she weighed 8 lbs even and was 20 3/4 inches.

the truth is i have been spending all of my time loving on this cute little bundle. i just CANNOT get enough of her. she quite simply is our pride and joy. and what a wonderful baby she is too!

i’m sure you will be seeing a lot of her on here.

the room is finished

2010-12-01T20:48:00.001-06:00

finally! remember WAY back when i said we were ahead of schedule on the baby’s room? and that i wanted to be finished by halloween?

yeah right!

well, the room was mostly finished before halloween. i’ve been taking it slowly and doing bits here and there. today was the day.

here is chloe’s happy room….

the beloved ikea fabler canopy – my inspiration

as you walk in the room

another piece of inspiration – a great estate sale find

this picture if full of DIY projects – the bunting, the lampshade, the pillow, the ottoman

a close-up of the button lampshade – happy

we set our budget of $200 very early on. i need to gather all of the receipts and find out exactly what i spent.

of course, all of the furniture was free. the crib and rocker came from my sister. the dresser has been mine since i was about 14. i simply changed out the knobs when i spotted them on sale at Hobby Lobby - $15 total. that budget also didn’t include bedding set– that was a gift from chloe’s fairy grandmother.

so, basically i had a budget for crafting and projects. ha! most of that money was spent on fabric and supplies for those DIY projects. we pulled things from around the house and repurposed other stuff. it was great fun to piece together and see it all fall into place.

i cannot wait to get this little girl home to dream in such a bright and happy place.

don’t judge a cook….

2010-11-22T21:32:00.001-06:00

today was our teacher’s thanksgiving celebration. we feasted potluck style. there was A LOT of good food. my contributions included squash casserole and a red velvet cake with peppermint cream cheese icing.

i was happy to see dressing prepared like my mom’s. it was delicious. i even had to correct one teacher who said, “oh, there’s stuffing.” we don’t eat stuffing here in the south, we eat dressing. there is a difference.

after that, one of the teacher’s assistants made the remark that i “don’t look like the type that can cook.” what is THAT supposed to mean? i don’t look like i can cook? i found her comment highly amusing and so asked her to explain. apparently, to her, i look like a prissy princess that has no skills in the kitchen. (my words, not hers) really? that’s even funnier.

i told her you can’t judge a cook by it’s cover.

and just to prove my point….here’s a picture jacob snapped yesterday when i was making the icing – big belly, double chin, cute apron and all.

busy

2010-11-15T18:19:00.001-06:00

that pretty much sums up life as of lately. it’s been all good but busy! too busy to post about anyway or maybe i am just so braindead at the end of the busy day that i cannot muster the energy required to complete a thought.

yep, that sounds more like it.

maybe someday i will post on worthwhile, thought-provoking, or even slightly entertaining topics. here are a few that have been rolling around in my head….just cannot make a complete thought to get them out of that knot on my shoulders correctly.

- evangelism and service, not confusing one for the other and not neglecting either
- throwing together a nursery on a budget and craft tutorials
- curry pumpkin soup
- how i have been up to my eyeballs in pumpkins at school
- how blessed we are by our family and church family
- nesting could quite possibly be the best thing ever
- free/low cost classroom Christmas presents

just to name a few. maybe i will actually post about one of those soon. ha!

but in the mean time i will just leave you with this picture because i don’t like not having a picture.

more about me and baby. sorry.

camping

2010-10-31T20:21:00.001-05:00

i’m a bit behind on blogging actual life events. a few weeks ago, we went camping with jacob’s family and several people from their church. jacob and i slept in a tent right next to the river. the first night was freezing. we woke up saturday morning to a thickly frosted windshield. we had an air mattress – which we replaced the second night with the mattress from the sleeper sofa in jacob’s parents cabin. much better for a 8 months preggers back!

we were so close to the river you could hear the ripples and flow of the soothing water all night long. and in the morning, the fog dancing on the river was a beautiful reminder of God’s creation. it is always refreshing to be so surrounded by nature.

in the day, the boys spent most of their time fishing. jacob, of all people, had the most luck. his first catch got away when he was trying to get back to shore with it.

we girls hung out with the kiddos while they played in the river, threw big rocks and other kid type things. we went on a little walking trail along the river to get to this sweet spot. this little guy was a great leader and guide. the rest of them went on a raft down the river while i took a nap and chickened out for the sake of my baby girl.

our nights were filled with fires and the usual fire-related events. dinner consisted of amazing “baked” potatoes, roasted corn and steaks. yum! later, dessert was smores with a few lessons on roasting marshmallows.

one of the other families hosted a pumpkin carving before the big potluck. yes, we had a potluck at a campground. we southern Christians love our food and fellowship. it was wonderful!

what a fun weekend. it only took me a few days to recuperate and we added a another thing to the list of what Chloe has done in utero. and speaking of Chloe, here is the obligatory belly shot from 32 weeks and camping.

happy halloween

2010-10-30T21:46:00.001-05:00

Chloe’s first costume – a bun. We’ve already figured out we can wear the same thing next year and she can go as a “cutie pie.”

We loved passing out three Sam’s size bags of candy at Trick-or-Treat-a-Trunk. There were so many cute kids. But of course, we think ours was the cutest even though she can’t really be seen yet.

Here’s to hoping the fun and innocence of the night were yours to enjoy as well!

pumpkin cake

2010-10-10T20:40:00.001-05:00

i haven’t vanished……i’ve just been busy. really, really busy.

what better way to make a comeback to blogging than to share an amazing recipe? you’ll be glad i’m back. promise!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
1 box yellow cake mix
1 (3.5oz) package cheesecake pudding
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry cake mix and pudding together. Then, add eggs, water, oil, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes then turn out onto cake plate.

Cream Cheese Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Soften cream cheese and butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of milk until well blended. Stir in second cup of sugar and tablespoon of milk along with vanilla. Add a little more milk if mixture is too thick to pour. Drizzle over warm cake.

* I did not have any Pumpkin Pie Spice but had all the ingredients to make my own. To make your own use 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ginger scant. Then, measure out the 2 teaspoons for the cake recipe.

Jacob’s comments, “It was good. I ate two pieces in one day and I could go eat some more.”

fun at the fair

2010-09-07T20:31:00.001-05:00

we went with our family over the holiday weekend. it was nothing fancy…..just good ole-fashioned fun.

fabulous sunset

funny farm animals and fearless florez

food and fifties trucks

and of course, the ferris wheel

my parents

2010-08-27T22:27:00.001-05:00

this is my favorite picture of my parents.

we think it is when they had just found out they were expecting their third child. it’s just so cute to me.

I’ve been thinking about them a lot lately. just last Sunday, I bawled my eyes out when I looked at the date on the church bulletin and realized it had been 12 years since my mom had passed away. I blame a large part of that on hormones – the other part on an extremely tender heart. (and just for those who know me, i’ve barely cried at all during this pregnancy. weird.)

today I cried again. my doctor’s appointment had been moved to a new office – at the hospital where we will be having Chloe. i wasn’t prepared to be going to that hospital yet. in fact, i showed up to my appointment at the wrong office not knowing that when they had rescheduled my appointment the location had also been changed. so, i had no time to mentally brace myself for going to that hospital.

i refer to it as that hospital because it is the facility where those two bright and happy people in the picture lost their battles in this life. (mom in 98, dad in 08)

i cried as i waited to see the doctor thinking about the countless hours i had spent in that facility under such different circumstances. i cried because i have been thinking about my parents and how absolutely mind-blowingly different life would be right now if they were still living. i cried thinking that Chloe would be ushered into our lives in the same place that my parents were ushered out of our lives. these weren’t big, bellowy tears. just simple thoughts trickling from my mind as i allowed myself to relinquish them.

part of me loves the thought of having her there. like they are somehow connected. and part of me dreads it with my every fiber. i know it is just me being silly and hormonal – because really it is just a building. i know that everything will be perfectly happy and wonderful when she arrives, come what may. however, these days, i just can’t get them off my mind.

i think that may be perfectly natural. to want to tune in to your own parents when you are on the brink of becoming one yourself. not that we do not have amazing resources in other family and friends – it’s just that i feel this urge to want to know from my own parents. again, i think that is a natural thought and quite possibly another step in that ever-so-lovely grieving process.

it gets easier, but it never seems to go away. grieving is such a strange process. it can be so painful yet create so much joy too.

funny how life’s little incidences scream God. i love watching that work.

watching Him work.

chloe’s room – in progress

2010-08-24T20:22:00.001-05:00

it has taken us a few weeks to get this far, but i would say we are running way ahead with our schedule. my goal was to have the room finished by Halloween since school stays crazy from around that time until Christmas. at this rate, we will be finished by Labor Day. here’s a peek at what we have done so far.

first, the room was known as the “black hole” or jacob’s mancave, aka the star wars room. painting over the black was a little intimidating but that new paint and primer in one did the trick. two normal coats and the black was gone!

well, at least on the bottom. so, we halted things to order the bedskirt and choose a color for the top half of the room.

isn’t it bright and happy? but we weren’t finished yet. we added the board and batten Sunday afternoon.

i couldn’t resist getting the furniture into place to get a feel for how the room will be arranged.

it will be another couple of weeks before we do any more. it may take that long for jacob to recover before putting the bed together.

chloe’s fairy-grandmother is ordering the rest of the bedding. it should be here next week when she comes to visit.

accessories have been nabbed from around the house and other things have been repurposed. i have plenty of little projects that i will be posting later. those probably will not get done until fall break though. ah, it does feel nice to have the bulk of the work done though.

*please excuse the horrid variation in picture color/lighting. i didn’t feel like editing them to look a little more the same with the differences in sunlight and boring indoor light. :)

nursery inspiration

2010-08-09T20:59:00.001-05:00

Well, we did actually start on the nursery a couple of weeks ago, but things have been put on hold with the beginning of the school year. Setting up my classroom and getting ready for those kiddos has taken precedence over our little bit’s space.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures to show what direction we are headed with our baby girl’s room. Originally, I had planned to have the bedding made by a relative, but it proved to difficult a task to even choose the fabric! Then, I found this bedding that incorporated the colors I wanted. I wasn’t exactly crazy about this bedding choice at first but it has most definitely grown on me the more I look at it. Now, I love it more and more each time I see it. I will probably only let the big dots show on the bumper and crib skirt and keep the comforter turned over to show the little dots.

The room definitely needed a new coat of paint – or a few coats of paint. The walls were black and the trim grey. Valspar paint with the primer in it is amazing – it covered the black in two coats! This is the look we are going for but the top color will be a different, probably blue.

And the one thing that inspired the whole look for the room is the Ikea fabler canopy. I’ve just absolutely fallen in lust with it. Isn’t so cute?

To get a better view of it, check out this picture on flickr. Ric-rac, polka dots, and bright….who wouldn’t love it?

I have several other ideas rolling around in my head but I have to get these big things out of the way before I proceed with them. We are SO blessed to have gotten both the crib and older PB rocker from my sister. For the changing table, we are using a dresser that was mine growing up. And of course, I have enjoyed being frugal with the baby decor and renovations. Cutting corners on cost is always a big challenge that I enjoy for some reason. It sure helps to be so blessed by generous friends and family. Our baby girl will still have an amazing life and surroundings. We are excited to be setting up both of those for her. Christmas come early, please!

*images: dwellstudio for target dot fun, board and batten flickr, ikea children’s department

road trip side effects and more pics

2010-07-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

so, i mentioned in my last post (forever ago) that jacob and i played a little license plate game while on the road for 17 hours. it was fun. maybe a little weird how fun it was.

we got all but three – Rhode island, Delaware, and Connecticut. we have both been plagued with a thrill of the hunt and cannot stop looking at license plates even now that we are back in town. crazy! take today for instance, my 2nd Alaska for the week, California, South Carolina, North Carolina, but, alas, those three New England states evade us. boo!

okay, now for some more pictures of our trip to my sister’s house.

star wars trivial pursuit - blurry

pikes peak in the background

cassie’s shot – i love it

boys and all grown-up

tough choices

purple mountain’s majesty

two of nature’s beauties – one a little more sunshiny than the other

downtown denver

garden of the gods – colorado springs

dinner made by the girls and “whoa this is dangerous”

dinner of buffalo, elk, ostrich, and rattlesnake

they get their blue eyes from their mama

aspiring baker and wii dance

baby bed, nursery rocker, yard sale finds, and our basic luggage – packed.

a good trip. a very good trip.

Arkansas, and Oklahoma, and Kansas, oh my….

2010-07-12T23:18:00.001-05:00

we spent quite a few hours in each of those states. we are now in colorado…..denver to be exact.
we have been 1102 miles according to the GPS. our license plate game has left us with 9 states left to “see” – mostly new england states. can you believe we have seen license plates from hawaii and alaska?!?!?

and now, scenes from a road trip.

just before getting lost because of a detour – NOT fun!

jacob got so bored he cleaned out my purse……seriously.
no worries, i still had my eyes on the road and there were no cars around.

a prairie storm. very intriguing and mesmerizing. truly a testament to God’s awesomeness.

the face i make because i hate serious pictures because they usually contain a double chin. yep.

it was a blast and not nearly as bad as i thought it would be. we are here now and enjoying our family.
wonderful weather, endless games, and tons of conversation. just the way things ought to be.

more to come later!

a family story

2010-07-08T10:24:00.001-05:00

A little history on this bit…..I wrote this back in 2006 after finding out my sister was having another baby.

“So, my sister is having a baby - yes, this is number three. Funny thing is I was the first to find out; well, not that that is funny in and of itself.

However, she told me and then made me wait for over a week before she would tell anyone else in our family. If you know me, you know how difficult this was! Then, she told my little (yeah 6'5" 230 lbs, little) brother - but she made him think that he was the only one to know! Then, she thought this was pretty funny, so then she told my dad and stepmom and made them think they were the only ones to know also. Now, I am the only one that knows that everyone else knows she is pregnant and that everyone else thinks they are the only ones that know.

Or at least I think I am the only one that knows that! Ha!”

We are going to see the little guy that stirred up this whole family situation. He’s almost four now and hilarious!

PLUS, he is being gracious enough to let our baby have all of his old nursery furniture that has been stored in the attic for a while.

patriotic pancakes and big butts

2010-07-06T15:12:00.001-05:00

these have been a semi-tradition around here since we have married.

red, white, and blue pancakes to celebrate our country. yummy!

we may have started another tradition this year too. it involves big butts – butts that are meaty, juicy, and smokin’. no, i am not talking about sir mixalot here! (i couldn’t resist)

step one: rub your butts with dry rub, preferably Rendezvous seasoning (bought at Sam’s)

step two: fire up the smoker box on the grill

step three: wait

step four: wait

step five: wait some more

step six: find a luscious piece of meat charred in your backyard.

YUM!!!

barbeque is a way of life here in the south, especially for summer holidays. and you HAVE to eat slaw on your sandwich….have to.

i like big butts…………….and i cannot lie. they are yummy!

farewell “black hole”

2010-07-01T13:36:00.001-05:00

the walls are painted black. the crown molding and trim are dark grey. there are black, black-out curtains.

it houses a frumpy sectional sofa, a very large television, and all of the gaming equipment and cords.
the shelves are adorned with childhood treasures and countless star wars memorabilia.

it is home to quirky nods to my husband’s eclectic personality.

yes, the “black hole” is jacob’s man-cave, or more specifically his star wars’ room.
and we have begun cleaning it out for transformation into a nursery.
a little sad, but mostly exciting.

to my wookiee, i love you so much and i am terribly thrilled about the changes our little life is undergoing.

starting to show

2010-06-30T10:21:00.001-05:00

today we are 16 weeks. our baby is the size of an avocado and it shows – a little.

the search is over……

2010-06-28T01:24:00.001-05:00

a little hole-in-the-wall, very authentic (forget tex-mex), mexican eatery carries it. and it happens to be just a few blocks from our house!

it was wonderful!

Ghana vs USA

2010-06-26T00:18:00.001-05:00

This could be a really tough choice for me - I cannot quite decide who to cheer for in today’s game. There is nowhere else I’d rather be to watch today’s World Cup matchup than at the Village of Hope in Ghana, West Africa.

Why would I rather be there? If only you knew. Beautiful people, and to think of their excitement piled around the television watching today’s game….oh, how grand that would be.

For those of you who do not know about the Village of Hope. I’ll explain more later – it’s pretty much heaven on earth.

*notice what she is drinking? :)

going hunting

2010-06-24T22:01:00.001-05:00

for “coke” like they serve in other countries – how unAmerican of me.

in glass bottles.
made with real cane sugar.
nothing here compares.

i shall find it and it shall be blissful.

*if you are from the south, then you understand that “coke” pretty much covers any carbonated beverage. no pop or soda for this girl.

a little Memphis pride

2010-06-22T08:28:00.001-05:00

i’ve never been shy talking about Memphis. when i was younger, i could think of nothing more than getting the heck out of here. i mean really, it isn’t the most glamorous place to live. it was recently ranked as the 4th most miserable city. whoa! but it definitely has its perks and I choose to focus on those. this place is FULL of history, especially of the music and civil war varieties. there are quirky celebrations and cultural festivals all year round. great little communities. and fun things to do all over.

along with the constant negative publicity about crime rates and poor education, we have recently seen in a surge in positive views of the city.

did you know that Memphis the musical just won a Tony for Best Musical? I want to rush to NYC to see it on Broadway. Anyone want to buy me a ticket?

TLC has a new season of a previous show called Police Women of Memphis and let me tell you, these women are TOUGH! Truth be told, there are a lot of rough neighborhoods around here. Shoot, I teach in one of the worst neighborhoods. Just think back to The Blind Side. Yep, it’s really real. You should watch these ladies kick some booty on the streets of Memphis. You’ll be amazed.

And another show premieres tonight. I’m a little worried about how this show will fair, but I’ll take any quirky semi-positive view of Memphis they will put out there. Memphis Beat begins tonight on TNT starring Jason Lee. Playing an Elvis obsessed police investigator, the show apparently is a twist on the reality of police scenes around town. And just for fun, each of the 10 first season episodes are named after Elvis song titles. I think I’ll watch just for fun but cannot commit to loving it.

Then, of course, there was The Blind Side. For those of you completely removed from this realm of America, racism and subtle forms of segregation still reign supreme in some areas. It is not a practice that all Southerners prescribe to, however, it does occur. From both ends of the spectrum, might I add. The Blind Side was a reminder of what we are expected to do – love one another no matter what.

I think that is another reason I love this city – there are so many dark spots that need light and love. It is a haven for God’s people to constantly do His work and serve others.

Memphis – it’s home.

wedding weekend

2010-06-21T07:33:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was spent in celebration of one of my favorite people and the love of her life. My best friend, Lindley, was married Saturday in a beautiful ceremony. She was gorgeous and just to show you a glimpse of how amazing she looked, here are her bridals portraits I took a couple of months ago. (Sorry, these will have to do because I have nearly no pictures of her from the wedding – it’s hard to be the matron of honor and be preggers and tote that camera around!)

She was even more beautiful at the wedding, if you can believe it. I’m sure you can since you probably know that look every bride and groom get – that “can’t stop smiling and glowing” look.

Lovely. Absolutely lovely.

And about the only decent picture I have from the weekend. Me and the bestest at rehearsal dinner. (please excuse the rounding out and fattening of the preggo-face, i’ve only gained 6 lbs in 14.5 weeks, all in my face and neck)

Happy Father’s Day!

2010-06-20T22:02:00.001-05:00

I miss my daddy! I cannot believe it has been two years since he passed from this life. I think about him every day, not just today.

It is not a sad day. It is a day of good remembrances. Like the Father’s day we spent the afternoon sneaking into new construction houses of the multi-million variety just to gawk. Or good memories like the one where Jacob and I took him to Zaxby’s and he said he was going to steal crepe myrtles from the Methodist church to propagate in his yard – he liked the color. He was a goofy man and I truly miss that about him. I quite liked that our Father’s Days the last few years of his life were mine and his day – circumstances just always led to that. It was good for us.

From now on, today will be a day to celebrate Jacob’s new role in life. I cannot wait. I know Daddy would be proud of us!

we’ve been in Belize

2010-06-15T14:51:00.001-05:00

the last week, we have spent our time in another country helping to heal people both physically and spiritually. we made it safely back home today after a week of nearly 50 surgeries, nightly VBS sessions, and hours of riding from village to village (some in the rain forest) visiting patients. how wonderful is God’s love!

we are truly blessed to have had this opportunity. more details to come. just pictures for now though.

Just FYI – that picture with the little boy asleep in Gordon’s arms is my FAVORITE!!!! His name was Raynel and he had an abundance of health issues. Gordon is one of the CRNA’s (nurse anesthetist) and Raynel had just come out of surgery and was not yet awake. Isn’t it sweet?

And the bread you see there, oh the bread, was made for use by one of the cleaning ladies, Lucy. She baked it over an open fire. Best bread ever!

More later.

a little bit of news

2010-06-03T19:11:00.001-05:00

our little life is getting a bit bigger. “little bit” is scheduled to arrive december 14th!

i know all ultrasounds pictures look the same, but i just cannot get over that leg sticking straight up (or whichever way it really is)! wow, was that little bit busy and energetic last week.

we’re excited!

sunset symphony

2010-06-02T09:34:00.001-05:00

our holiday weekend began with the ending celebration of Memphis in May, the sunset symphony, along the banks of the Mississippi River. This year the guest performer was KC and the Sunshine Band! we were able to go again this year with one of our favorite couples – it was their first night out post-newborn baby. there were several other families from church also.

we endured an hour’s worth of raininess. but we were lucky to have trashbag ponchos and an air show to distract us.

once the rain went away, the music was a nice addition and i was ready to devour our picnic we had hauled down to the river. there wasn’t much of a sunset due to the clouds but there was plenty of symphony. just as dark really began to set in, KC and his crew took the stage, complete with feather boas and silvery clad back up dancers! we were all shaking our booties!

and there’s nothing like a good set of laughing pictures as a souvenir of a good night…..

i love these pictures!

today…..

2010-05-25T07:41:00.001-05:00

is the last day with kiddos at school.

the sun is shining brilliantly already.

I am wearing a pink maxi dress with black cardigan.

jacob will come help me load up my classroom stuff.

summer break officially begins in two more days!

i’m pumped.

i’m exhausted.

i CANNOT wait!

stakes and steaks

2010-05-16T20:00:00.001-05:00

we had a wonderfully rained out friday night. our nephews ended up spending the night and getting educated in the ways of Star Wars.

our Saturday seemed completely uneventful after enjoying the company of a 6 year old and a 4 year old. we found ourselves going back to grown-up chores, like staking all of the tomato plants in our garden.well, that’s what jacob did while i stayed inside doing laundry. then, we topped off uneventful day with steaks from the local meat market. yum!

i like lazy saturdays, don’t you?

If You Give A Mom A Muffin

2010-05-09T20:02:00.001-05:00

As a teacher and fan of Laura Numeroff books, I couldn’t resist posting this poem in honor of Mother’s Day. I found the poem on this lady’s blog. You should go visit, good stuff.

If You Give A Mom A Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin,

she’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She’ll pour herself some.

Her three year old will spill the coffee.

She’ll wipe it up.

Wiping it up she’ll find dirty socks.

She’ll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

she’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her

she has to plan for supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She’ll look for her cookbook.

The cookbook is setting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse

that is being dumped out by her two year old.

She’ll smell something funny.

She’ll change the two year old’s diaper.

While she is changing the diaper the phone will ring.

Her five year old will answer and hang up.

She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.

Thinking of coffee will remind her

that she was going to have a cup.

And chances are… if she has a cup of coffee

her kids will have eaten the muffin that goes with it.

– author unknown

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

up and growing

2010-04-28T21:36:00.001-05:00

our garden has been all set up for a few weeks now. jacob worked really hard to dig the two new beds. we decided to move our original raised bed to the back of the yard and add another bed. they are both 10 x 4. then, we had to add another 4 x 4 bed to accommodate all the seedlings we had.

we are eagerly awaiting four different types of tomatoes, including one heirloom variety, bell peppers, jalpenos, habaneros, squash, zucchini, and eggplant.

i also have mint, rosemary, and cilantro growing in pots.

good stuff.

my brother is a champ at this gardening bit. maybe he can pop over to this here blog sometime and offer some tips.

focus on the good

2010-04-26T21:19:00.001-05:00

that’s my theme for the week. i read it in my teacher’s devotional book this morning before school and immediately thought, “I’m going to make this my personal theme this week.”

i’ve been too stressed and worried over little things lately. i am letting go and thinking instead on the good things.

question

2010-04-21T17:47:00.001-05:00

what do you think about the new blog layout?

bigger pictures. that’s why i changed it. i like having big pictures.

what do you think? too big? too spread out?
or could you really care less?

please leave a comment telling me your opinion.

my 2 cents or $65.51 opinion

2010-04-20T20:50:00.001-05:00

back in january, we were lucky enough to find a fabulous Pottery Barn basic sofa in a thrift store. we would not have been able to buy the couch for any other price, and i could not have been happier with our find.

i was so excited about the sofa that i posted about it and then put a link in my facebook 365 album. excited.

it is absolutely living up to all the fabulousness that i thought it would. even this weekend, when i was sick as a dog and spent nearly every moment nestled amongst it's cushiony softness, i fell in love all over again.

so, when i got a random email from someone (a friend of a friend on fb) who had been looking for a PB basic sofa and was asked whether i would recommend buying the sofa for $300 used from craiglist, i said absolutely! this couch at any price less than half the original would be worth it.

and about the white slipcover, i really like it too. yes, it gets dingy. but it washes quickly and looks brand new again! beautiful. i have spilt coffee, darby has gotten it nasty, i dripped a fudgesicle, blood, and it has all come out. no, i do not yank the slipcover off each time it gets dirty. it really only needs it about once every three months.

and about a white couch being kid-friendly? well, we don't have kids, but my nephew sure had a ball jumping on the couch from the ottoman when he was here for a week back in january. and when we do have kids, they won't be swatted away from the sofa as if it should be in a museum, they can jump too.

so, would i recommend the PB basic sofa? you betcha. now, go craigslist one.

no more griping

2010-04-14T22:22:00.001-05:00

i promise.

so moving on to more FUN and HAPPY things…..
these are my best friend’s feet. in her wedding shoes. under her wedding dress.

see, i told you FUN and HAPPY.

she is getting married in June and i’m trying to get her girlie weekend organized.

see more FUN and HAPPY.

i’ll show more of her bridal portraits i took at a later date. oh, how i wish i could shwo you how gorgeous she is!

she is FUN. and she is going to be oh so HAPPY.

an accident (for my teacher friends)

2010-04-13T20:12:00.001-05:00

i got yelled at today. by a parent. a parent whose child had an accident yesterday afternoon while we were outside. and i made a mistake.

we were outside to relieve some of the pent-up energy left over from state testing all morning. we were on our way inside when a child began jumping up and down. she stated that she needed to use the bathroom. i acknowledged her request, assured her we were going inside as quickly as we could, and suggested she not jump up and down because that would make it worse.

one more jump…….and the accident happened.

she cried. i felt horrible. the other kids were laughing.

then, we made our way inside, lined up at the bathroom, then i asked another teacher to watch my class for a second while i got the girl some fresh clothes.

to the library, to the guidance counselor, back downstairs to another teacher, then another. finally, pants and brand new underwear. i did not want this child to sit down in wet clothes and be uncomfortable. i felt like i was on autopilot.

fast forward to today…and my mistake.

i remembered last night that in all the commotion of getting the child clean and the rest of the class resettled, i had completely forgotten to call the child’s mother.

horrible. unforgiveable.

i call the child over to me early this morning and apologized to her for not calling her mother. i would do it when i got a break.

then, THEN. i get a message from the office. the mother called to talk to me.

i called her back. i explained the to her that i had been so busy trying to get her daughter comfortable that i had forgotten to call. and i apologized over and over again for not calling.

the mother said that she did not understand how this could happen to her child. she acknowledged that her child has a “thing” and doesn’t use public restrooms. (literally, i do not believe i have ever seen this child use the restroom at school) she stated that she didn’t understand why i wouldn’t let her go to the bathroom. she stated that i shooshed her off and didn’t let her go.

(need I remind you that we were outside in the parking lot moving as quickly as we could to get inside?)

i assured her it was an accident – a true accident and that had the circumstances been different, the outcome also would have been different. i apologized again for not calling her as soon as the incident occurred and assured her i would communicate better in the future.

she continued to question my abilities in keeping the class in control and offered to call a parent meeting to get me help in the classroom.

i continued to reassure her that it was an accident. and that everything was controlable in the classroom. i apologized again that i had failed in communication.

all the while, my class was getting restless because they knew i was preoccupied on the phone and they had nothing to keep them occupied.

i hung up the phone. two tears formed on my right eye. i covered them while i got another teacher to take my class for a minute.

i stepped in the hallway and cried. until all of my mascara was gone.

luckily, i have good co-workers who watched my class and reassured me that parents will get angry with you no matter what you do. and tomorrow is a new day.

in which i talk about barbies

2010-04-09T17:55:00.001-05:00

well, that’s what my nieces once called my boobies – barbies. the same day they said that one of them asked me if “they are like carrying around buckets of rocks”! ha – at that time i was a bit larger and my cup size matched my face size. double delight :) so, yes, they were like carrying around buckets of rocks.

when i was 20, i found a lump and had shooting pains. luckily, it was just a fybroid cyst. unfortunately, the first time i was ever oogled and fondled by a man was by the doctor I had had my entire life.

in college, we were easily humored by boobs. in a really naive, innocent Christian college girls dorm, crazy-dorky, fun-loving girls kinds of way. like, would laugh until we cried about the extra appendages or lack thereof. (amber, i didn’t say t-i-t-t-y just for you)

i’m noting these funny boob stories because all the booby stories in my life aren’t so good. if you know me, then you know my mother passed away from breast cancer when she was only 42.

forty-two.

that used to seem somewhat old to me. not anymore.

(woh. woh. woh. debby-downer moment, sorry)

so, in the spirit of being my goofball self, here’s where i’ll get funny again.

I GET TO HAVE MY BOOBIES SQUISHED EVERY YEAR FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! Woo-hoo!

yeppers. apparently, if your mother lost her battle with breast cancer, you are to begin getting yearly mammograms 10 years before the age she was when she was diagnosed.

(can you sense my funny tone in this flat screen, cold machine?)

i’m cool with it. glad, actually. early detection is good. just know, the jokes will ensue. i just can’t help it.

moral of the story: get your boobies squished! especially if you are my sister! (hint, hint) and joke about it.

a girl with plaster wall’s best friend

2010-04-08T19:59:00.001-05:00

with our house being built in 1950, there are certain things that add charm and other things that…well, just down right make you want to cuss sometimes.

one of those things that sometimes pushes me to the brink of saying wordy-dirds in my head is the plaster walls. we are not in a position to replace the plaster walls with drywall to make it more efficient, so we just make do in other ways. eh, that is not the biggest of my concerns.
what really chaps my hide, though, is how difficult it is to simply tack a little nail in the wall to hang a picture. OR the gaping hole that is left crumbling and crater-like if you happen to want to move the picture. heaven forbid!

so, i knew that a gallery wall was probably out of the question since I would probably make a mistake somewhere along the line and leave pock-marks all over the wall.

then, what to my dazed, tired, and overly creative eyes should appear?
this magical little strip of part-velcro, part-stickiness, and part-“i have no clue what” that caught my attention on a coupon website. (yeah, i coupon when i’m not pock-marking my walls with another decorating idea.) strange as that may seem, but i thought i would give her a go.

with my gallery wall planned, i headed to the store with two printed coupons in hand.

voila, a gallery wall for a gal with plaster walls. and cuss free I might add!
even if you don’t have plaster walls go here and get your very own coupon. great for renters and lazy people who do not like to putty and paint. or for homeowners with plaster walls who would rather not cuss.

you can thank me later!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T08:08:00.001-05:00

May all of the egg hunts, candy, family meals, and new clothes be refreshing today. Most of all I hope your worship and praise are refreshed this Lord’s day.

Aren’t you so glad that we get to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Christ each Sunday? Each of the Easter traditions holds special meaning. I hope you enjoy the reason for each of them as you celebrate today.

Happy Easter!

zoo bound

2010-04-02T08:49:00.001-05:00

on this Good Friday, we are headed to the zoo with some of (4 of 11) our nieces and nephews.
i am oh. so. excited. we have a pretty rockin’ zoo.

the zoo by itself is fun, BUT nothing can beat the zoo with kids you love in tow. AND a beautiful day.

i think this may be the best spring break I’ve ever had!

as of lately

2010-03-29T22:43:00.001-05:00

baby boy cupcakes.
to remember when paying off student loans.
he is old(er). thirty-one to be exact.
return of the turtle hunter.
posers.
grilling season.
long live the church potluck.

life is good.

spring break plans

2010-03-25T21:43:00.001-05:00

a baby shower
drink lots of coffee
go junkin’ at least 3 times
bridal portraits *
finish projects
some gardening
soak up some sun

but i’m most excited about friday night’s events. two college buddies are meeting here and we are road tripping for an overnight get together with our college girlfriends. yep, we are having a good ole fashioned slumber party.

i can’t wait.

*dress pictured is not actual dress purchased :)

stressed and pouty

2010-03-23T22:13:00.001-05:00

i just want to cry today.
work has been extremely stressful this week.
the kids have been especially disobedient and other work circumstances have gotten much worse.

maybe this is God’s way of making me fully appreciate next week – it’s spring break.

yeah, yeah, I know, most people don’t get a spring break or any kind of break at a much needed, high stress period of time. so, to those of you thinking that…..bring it on, i’ll trade jobs with you for a week and see how it goes.

see? i’m crabby. and i just want to cry.

three days. i just need to survive three more days.

some days I really do love my job. just not today.

but I should leave you with a positive thought instead.

spring

2010-03-21T17:43:00.001-05:00

it’s official even though the weather isn’t cooperating with the calendar today.

the next few weeks will be packed with buds and blooms. sun and showers. warmth and soft breezes.

ah, and our street will look like this again soon.

i hope your first week of spring is wonderful!

new addition

2010-03-18T20:34:00.001-05:00

we’ve been moving some things around to make some room for a very life-changing addition to our household.

a dishwasher.

yes, life changing.

we found an unused apartment sized dishwasher on craigslist for cheap.

jacob (kind of) rebuilt a 9” wide cabinet and drawer from the previous 28” cabinet and drawer. he wired the dishwasher and reworked the plumbing. he rocks!

now, i just have to make a little curtain until we can get a door fixed up and recaulk the base boards. and that’s okay.

because i am one happy wife!

now, we have less of this.

which leaves me more time for 30Rock.

it’s on now, gotta go!

school lunches

2010-03-17T21:46:00.001-05:00

do you remember what you took for lunch when you were in school?

i do. a turkey sandwich, usually some chips (cheetos if we were lucky) and a fruit (green grapes were my favorite). i think i must have had that meal every day in high school save the occasional pizza fridays that were a special treat to our household.

i had intended on writing a post on something else completely but will save that for another day. i found a new blog and i am hooked.

she is a teacher who has made a commitment to eat school lunch every day for this year. wow! that’s all i can say. wow!

you must go and read. it’s called fed up with school lunch.

paging Mrs. Obama, paging Mrs. Obama

monkey bread

2010-03-11T20:20:00.001-06:00

i make this every once in a while for our Bible class breakfast. we had something similar on Christmas morning when growing up. it is pure cinnamony, sugary, buttery deliciousness. oh, and easy too.

first, you cut canned biscuits into quarters.

then, let them go for a swim in butter.

next, toss them in the cinnamonny, sugary mix.

finally, you pile them in a bundt or tube pan.

it’s SO good. not that good for you but SO good.

monkey bread:
2 cans of pillsbury Grands! refrigerated biscuits
1 cup white sugar
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt or tube pan.
2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake a few biscuit pieces at a time in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange pecans in with the biscuits pieces as they are placed in the pan.
3. Melt margarine and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Let boil for 1 minute. Then pour over biscuits.
4. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and turn over onto serving plate.

Enjoy!

oh, and this week is really kicking my rearend. is this the lion part of March?

30 before 30

2010-03-07T19:44:00.001-06:00

inspired by several others in blogland, i set out a couple of months ago compiling my list. this project is about living life more intentionally. i think i am up for this adventure and a final who-rah of my 20’s.

quick birthday recap and winner

2010-03-07T00:00:00.001-06:00

how’s that for original titles?

today has been a good day. breakfast cooked by jacob, shopping with free reign of the debit card (within our budget, of course), lunch with my best friend, a free dinner with good people, and hubby getting recognized at and NBA game. there were no cupcakes but a crepe instead. busy and fun!

anyway, what you are probably really wondering about is….the winner.

i asked jacob earlier today to choose a number. real scientific, i know, but he had no idea the reason behind the question. he chose #4. Congratulations Mitzi!

birthday giveaway

2010-03-03T21:34:00.001-06:00

Saturday is my birthday. Have I mentioned that yet? I’m turning 29. Yep, only one more year until the big 3-0! **Yikes, bikes!**

In honor of my birthday, I’ve been doing a little coveting. Here are a few things that I just thought were cute and might look even cuter on me or near me. Ha! I mean maybe they will make me look cuter – okay, whatever it’s just good eye-candy.

and the only probable option (and the most exciting one)……. a cupcake with sprinkles from here.

And here is my gift to you, an anthropologie initial mug of your own ….just leave a comment telling me the best birthday present you have ever received.

I will randomly choose and announce a winner on Saturday!

top three images from anthropologie

for wednesday

2010-03-02T22:08:00.001-06:00

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
James 3:17

curry schmurry

2010-03-01T21:32:00.001-06:00

I don’t know why but in college we often added “sch” to the beginning of words after saying the original word. For instance, my name became Candace Schmandace.

That snippet is totally unrelated to the post save the fact that it further explains the title. Now, to explain the curry part of the title……

Our recipe is adapted from Paula Deen’s Curry Chicken Salad but tweaked because I can’t leave well enough alone.

Here is our version:
2 lbs of chicken breast, boiled and chopped
1/4 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cup of green grapes, measure then cut in fourths
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
2 T soy sauce
1 T lemon juice
2 t curry
1/4 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Mix together and love every bite! We are on our second batch in a week.

Haiti pictures

2010-02-25T22:44:00.001-06:00

There’s not much to say on the matter. rubble
a tent city
damage in the patient waiting area
the OR when the team arrived
the OR after the team cleaned up and moved the storage boxes
sleepy
cute little girl
doesn’t this just break your heart?
that tear is precious
Columbian Red Cross on the same campus
mounds of rubble
gathering water – this is the run-off of a man washing his mo-ped
another tent city
check out the building to the left
i suppose most everyone has seen the palace by now
the OR at Sacred Heart (the second placed they worked)
the triage and “patient rooms” outside the hospital
resting
more tent city – sharing and bathing in the river with the animals
another tent city
waiting for mama at the doctor joy and excitement

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matt25:40

Wonderful Wednesday

2010-02-23T23:15:00.001-06:00

It has been a while since I have done a Wonderful Wednesday post. I am not quite sure why I ever stopped.

All of the old ones are over there to the right >>> in that jumble of words.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Trust in the Lord and do good
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:3-4

It is difficult to respond to this scripture. It calls me to just sit and think about what God has given and how He has displayed His faithfulness to all of the world. It calls me to read and feast on the word of God. I am hungry for more. To be filled. And to be fulfilled by the one true and living God.

going for the gold

2010-02-21T00:17:00.001-06:00

have you been watching the olympics? we have, sort of. we’ve caught a bit of snowboarding cross and curling. we saw sean white’s winning run.

i’m not a fan of the redesigned medals. not that anyone is asking me though. but really, why wouldn’t they ask me?

i mean, I DO have a few medals accumulated in my own personal olympic sport – target clearance shopping.

three bronze, two golds. and i have a silver somewhere.

back to the real olympics….does anyone actually know the rules for curling?

a good weekend

2010-02-17T21:12:00.001-06:00

valentine’s weekend started with good vibes.

my class party was that friday and all things were hectic but fun. it is always nice to let loose a little with the kiddos. plus, it helped the day move faster towards jacob’s arrival time.

she certainly is a little diva
friday night was fabulous. we just spent our time together catching up and enjoying each other’s company. (oh yeah, and waiting on the cops for the hit-and-run we were in)

saturday was special too. my best friend came to town with her entourage and we had our very own version of “say yes to the dress” from TLC. there were lots of dresses and of course her sassy shoes. she bought a dress almost as beautiful as she is.

then, jacob and i celebrated valentine’s with fondue and chocolate covered strawberries at home. we went to see avatar after that. both the meal and the movie were amazing.

all in all, i would say it was a good weekend full of love – all sorts of love.

p.s. florescent light is horrible. just compare the first two pictures to that last one. gag! any suggestions for getting good color in that light?

you might be a……

2010-02-11T22:56:00.001-06:00

redneck

if

you use cinder blocks and old cut up doors found in the attic to hold up your box springs and mattress.

of course, you can always hide your redneck tendencies with a $4.98 (clearance) bed skirt from Target and a King (on a queen bed) quilt.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
in other news. jacob’s flight gets in around 5pm friday (tomorrow).

we are both so excited.

just a few things

2010-02-10T19:50:00.001-06:00

i almost cried today. i didn’t.

they called to say 4:30 is the time on friday.

seven-fifteen a.m. – i left the house
seven-fifteen p.m. – i returned home

i’m working my way through a little caesar’s cheese pizza.

i’ve lost four pounds since jacob has been gone.

yep, can’t really remember praying today. sad.

it really cracks me up when darby watches t.v.

the laundry detergent just flew off the washer/dryer combo and slid across the hallway.

JACOB COMES HOME IN LESS THAN TWO DAYS!

wicket awesome

2010-02-07T21:00:00.001-06:00

jacob and i are both nerds. there is no doubt about that.

we are star wards nerds too. i asked for the new release trilogy for my 17th birthday in 1998. his college nickname was wookiee. nerds, yeah. we even have a star wars room in our house.

the great debate is if episode 5 or 6 is better. his favorite is empire strikes back and mine has always, always been return of the jedi.

it’s my favorite because of the ewoks. they are funny and furry and cute – and they save the day! i had a pink ewoks nightgown when i was a little girl.

now i have an ewoks apron! isn’t it awesome? that’s wicket, the leader of the ewoks, there to the right.

a girl i went to college with sells them in her etsy shop, razorBloom. she has all kinds of great blasts from the past kind of aprons. go check her out here.

if you buy something from her, maybe she will send a cute note to you too!

now, i’m off to bake with luke, leia, and han on my hip!

p.s. do you like my $4.98 converse? I heart target!

**********************************************************
jacob returns this friday.

photos are being gangked from the corporate blog (does that count as crediting the source?)

i can’t get enough of this man.

******edited: i would like to show you pictures of more than just jacob, but i do not want to overstep my bounds of “gangking”. maybe when he gets back we can show the patients. ***********

he’s amazing

2010-02-06T23:18:00.001-06:00

he had a long day
the longest day since they have been in Haiti
but he stayed up late
to talk to me
we talked for an hour tonight
i cried a lot
and laughed a lot.

he kept telling me about the times in the day he wished i was there to see what he was seeing.

he’s amazing. he really is.

the witch

2010-02-02T17:52:00.001-06:00

all of this winter weather we have experienced over the last week has been beautiful in its own respect.

icy weather is not my friend though.

it’s so pretty but it has me turning into a witch.

icy. cold. mean. and ready to devour children.

they have been CRAZY this week. and i am ready to shove them back into a giant wardrobe and let them escape to another world. maybe haiti. then they would appreciate what they do have and would make the most of school. plus, it would be warmer there.

shoot, maybe i’ll just crawl in the wardrobe and disappear.

you get my point. i’m grumpy and have spring fever.

one potato, two potato, three potato, four

2010-02-01T23:00:00.001-06:00

*******update from Haiti below*******

So, I tried to make sweet potato fries because we love them. We always get the frozen ones but I had a hankerin’ to make some fresh ones.

It was somewhat of a fail. Luckily, my brother popped in just in to time to deem them “sweet potato hashbrowns.” It works for me.

Easy-peasy but don’t expect the fried, crispier version.

rinse, peel, cut

cut
cut
cut

put in a gallon bag with 1T of olive oil, some sea salt, and Mrs. Dash and toss a bit

arrange on a baking sheet and cook at 400
get annoyed that they are so mooshy
take from over and brown in a skillet

enjoy with flank steak and brussel sprouts

**********************************************************
update received from Haiti correspondent today

Le Bonheur's team began treating patients this morning at the clinic in Croix-des-Bouquets. As word spread that a group of pediatric experts was ready and waiting to see patients, a steady stream of people began arriving at the clinic. By 9 a.m. this morning CST, more than 100 patients were waiting at the clinic to see our specialists. Our physicians had already treated one child with a wounded arm as soon as the clinic doors were open, and the team has recruited about five local students to help check patients in and keep things running smoothly. Our doctors anticipate treating many children today and will update us early this afternoon with a full report. Stay tuned!

Good stuff, huh? I was able to talk to jacob tonight and he gave me this information in more detail. There was a lady who was cooking with hot grease when the earthquake struck. She had severe grease burns and they had not been treated yet. bad stuff, but she will be good now.

missed

2010-01-31T20:26:00.001-06:00

Dear jacob,

I missed you in worship this morning.
I missed the voice God blessed you with singing His praises.
I missed your arm around me.
I missed you reaching for my hand during the closing prayer.

You missed a combined service and no Bible class.
You missed a loose piece of communion bread. :)
You missed ice chunks breaking off the steeple and tumbling down the roof during a prayer, of course.
You missed a very good lesson on how everything belongs to God.

37 hours down, 275 to go. I love you!

Candace

****For everyone else, I promise I’ll quit moping and write something actually worth looking at in the next few days.

he’s off

2010-01-30T07:37:00.002-06:00

**** update: The plane landed safely in Haiti around 1:45pm central time.

jacob just left the house but is not in the air yet.

his friend, Gordon, came to pick him up so I wouldn’t have to drive the icy roads. (Gordon is the man who invited jacob to go to Belize last year. He is a deacon at Park Ave church of Christ and works at LeBonheur as a CRNA.)

i tried not to cry. then jacob pulled me in real close and tight and well…….you know how that goes.

our house is disgusting, so i have plenty to keep my mind from worrying. it smells like sausage and french toast too.

the team should be in Haiti by this afternoon.

thanks for reading and praying!

leaving for Haiti

2010-01-29T21:33:00.001-06:00

so plans have changed a little and been up in the air for most of this week.

Jacob and the team leave tomorrow morning from Memphis. They are traveling on a Fedex jet, so they will be able to leave the area despite the inclement weather and delays of other flights.

Over 40,000 lbs of supplies are already on the way and will arrive Sunday. FedEx has been very instrumental in this whole process.

Here is a picture of the team and a list of names. Please pray for them and their patients.

Dr. Sunny Anand, Le Bonheur director of Critical Care
Dr. Gordon Kraus, internal medicine, Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis
Dr. Derek Kelly, pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Campbell Clinic
Dr. Josh Meier, pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Kosair Children’s Hospital, Louisville, KY; Children’s Orthopedics of Louisville
Dr. Trey Eubanks, pediatric surgeon, medical director of Trauma, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center; Pediatric Surgical Group
Dr. Joel Saltzman, medical director of Anesthesia, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center Pediatric Anesthesiologists PA
Gordon Corder, certified registered nurse anesthetist, Pediatric Anesthesiologists PA
Jacob Howell (<I love him!), surgery technician, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center

Umm, yeah, that’s my husband. I’m just a little proud of him.

I will be posting updates on here as well as Facebook.

do you have a heart?

2010-01-26T19:33:00.001-06:00

jacob was on call the other night and had to go back in to the hospital at 4:30 in the morning. he knew he would probably get called around that time.

you see they were performing a harvest on a teenager who had died earlier in the day from a tragic accident.

a harvest? yes, they had to harvest all of the child’s organs because his or her parents decided to donate them.

i laid awake for at least an hour thinking about that child’s family and the bad that happened to them, BUT on the same token thinking of all the good that will come from that bad.

amazing!

are you signed up to be an organ donor? here in our state, you are identified as a registered organ donor by a heart on your driver’s license picture.

so, do you have a heart?

will your children have a heart?

i for real want to know, so leave a comment.

my space in cyberspace

2010-01-22T22:47:00.002-06:00

I thought this was interesting. Myspace was my first experience in “blogging.” The last comment on my page is dated October 17, 2007. It was long before that that I actually gave myspace any attention. Here is what I said about myself nearly 2 1/2 years ago. (yeah, i know - me, me, me)

About me:
I can be very outgoing yet can be extremely shy. I love to sing along with the radio or just sing randomly. Clouds are beautiful and absolutely amazing, I mean they are JUST water! Coffee makes my heart flutter, literally. Chocolate is the best medicine. I love meeting people and building relationships. I am beautiful and I love knowing that about myself! I am a sucker for butterflies in my stomach and stopping to smell the roses. I am loud and often explode with laughter! I am far from where I need to be in life but exactly where I belong......

Who I'd like to meet:
C.S. Lewis, Dr. Seuss, and my mom at my age.

Candace's Interests General:
God and His Word, teaching and learning, CLOUDS, the Village of Hope, finding life in the little things, the people around me, details, small-world occurances, that sense of accomplishment that comes with a good run, traveling alone - anywhere, discovering new places, finding something in the Bible that had been forgotten or never before found, smiling at strangers and having them smile back, doing a good job, crashing at the end of a full day, having a Saturday to sleep in.....

Nowadays:
1. Not as much singing these days, I get too lost in my thoughts.
2. There’s not so much running…..honestly, almost none at all.
3. Switching to half-caff coffee alleviates heart palpitations.
4. Saturday mornings are for coffee on the couch, time with God, blogging, and cleaning in my pajamas. Not so much sleeping in.

The rest is pretty much the same. At least as far as this description goes. Life has changed a lot though.

Hmmm, I wonder what I will think when I read this post two years from now?

it just became more real

2010-01-21T22:21:00.001-06:00

Jacob is leaving Tuesday for Haiti. He will be going with a surgical team from the children’s hospital where he works . He will be doing what he does best.

I am excited for him.

I am nervous for him.

I love him.

God is in control and HE will be glorified!

picniking

2010-01-18T22:07:00.001-06:00

***thanks for introducing me to all the fun, Meg

don’t you love this last one? blurry, but i don’t care – it’s my favorite. that’s what he wanted most for his birthday. tape. so we got him three rolls of colorful tape.

no, i didn’t make the cake. mine wouldn’t have been that cute.

just having fun with the rebel and picnik

Healing Hands in Haiti

2010-01-17T18:44:00.001-06:00

Have you been able to help the people of Haiti yet?

If you would like to see the relief Healing Hands International already has in place and what they have lined up for the following weeks, go here. You can make donations on their website or by calling (615) 832-2000.

$50. That’s all it takes to supply clean water to 100 people a day.

Fifty dollars.

all I have needed Thy hand hath provided

2010-01-10T15:35:00.001-06:00

great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Here is collection (piece meal) of thoughts from worship and Bible class this morning. I had to write (type) them down again so I could further sear them into my mind for the coming week.

2 Kings 4:1-7

God provides.

Luke 12:22-31

”Instead, strive for his kingdom…..”
(the whole passage was read, but this bit stuck out for me)

Psalm 34

God always shows up!

Matthew 14:15-21

God can do great things with little things.

Celebrate. Praise Him for His marvelous work.

What little things are you celebrating and praising God for today?

oh, brother

2010-01-07T08:06:00.001-06:00

*for my sister, Jennifer and other brother, Timmy

Jonny – that’s what I call him. He is now 22, as of this last Sunday.

When he was little his nickname was Bruiser.

He’s goofy. He’s smart. He’s charming. He LOVES his nieces and nephew. He’s good with animals. He hates onions, celery, and mushrooms.

He’s also hurting. Physically and spiritually.

A week ago, he lived just around the corner from me and Jacob. Less than 1/2 a mile. He would pop in randomly. Sometimes to come cook cornbread because his oven didn’t work or sometimes just to play with the dogs. He would come here to take showers when his hot water heater went out. He would just stop by and shoot the breeze.

For the next 6 months, he will be living 20 minutes away. I am both glad and sad. His apartment before was a dump and it was getting worse. His apartment now will be more dependable but I am not so sure about his roommate.

Sometimes I feel like Jonny’s mother more than his sister. Or maybe I am just a big sister and I feel like that because he has no mother. He was 10 when our mother passed away and 20 when our dad died. I wonder what he would be like without those completely life altering circumstances. Oh well. I cannot dwell on that.

I know he has a heart of gold. I know God works wonders. I know prayer works. Now, if only I would remember that every night.

Jennifer, quit crying.

that Country Living lampshade

2010-01-05T10:04:00.004-06:00

I saw it and gasped. I really liked it. Without a doubt I knew I would be making it. Easy, easy but time consuming.

Don’t be fooled by the cover. That lamp may be $39.99 but the lamp SHADE is another $59.99!

Here’s my version…..

Pretty, huh?

I found a much less expensive shade at Garden Ridge and used a 40% coupon to get the stencil at Michael’s. The paint is some leftover from something else. And I improvised by dabbing on the paint with a wadded up napkin rather than a sponge.

Perfect? Nah.

I kind of like how the paint is thick in parts and thin in others. It really shows when the light is on.

Jacob really likes it. Before I went to bed last night, I admitted I liked it but didn’t love it like I thought I would. He said that didn’t matter because he liked it.

Linking up to DIY day at A Soft Place to Land because you can SO do this yourself!

January junkin

2010-01-02T19:42:00.002-06:00

Any given Saturday you can usually find us at estate sales, yard sales or an antique store. We just have fun looking at all the cool stuff and finding things we had as kids. I guess you could say that junkin’ is one of our hobbies. It’s fun for us.

Well, today we hit the jackpot of all jackpots. Okay, not really, but I am really excited about today’s find.

We went to an antique store close to our house and were looking for a pipe for him and a chandelier for her. No such luck, but we did find these ~~so insanely large they moved up with my cheeks when I laughed~~ awesome glasses. Cute, huh?

Our adventure then took us to the thrift store across the street in hopes that we could steal away ten more minutes out of the house. That’s when I saw it.

White. Dark legs. I knew those sleek and curvy lines from years of dreaming in catalogs .

Could it be?

I checked the tag. It just said “couch” and “$90.00.” I was on a mission now. I decided I needed to flip this couch over to hunt for a label. Then, my senses came to me and I simply lifted the middle, slipcoverless cushion to find……

Yep, she was. So, I grabbed the cushion with the “Couch $90.00” tag and started towards the front. But Jacob had noticed another tag. It said “Couch $79.98". I began sniffing the couch all over to make sure it had not been peed on. I was looking for rips (it has one small one). I was expecting to find broken springs or busted legs. No smells. One rip. No breaks. A little surface dirt. SOLD.

When we got to the front and handed the tag to the lady, she said “Oh, you’re not going to pay this much.” My heart sank. “What?” I happened to stammer out. “It’s not going to be this much” she said coolly. I (stupidly) asked, “Why?” Again, she said, “It’s not that much. I can mark it up if you want me to.” Jacob and I together, “NO!”

The top tag is the tag on the couch. The bottom is our receipt that shows what we paid tax and all. Steal? I think so.

We got the couch after a trip home to get Jacob’s truck. I ran the vacuum over it (a few times) and cleaned it with damp washcloth. It is now drying from a round of febreeze.

We have already picked out and bought a slipcover on eBay (only $149)! I am am one happy junker tonight.

If you want to see what we bought yesterday while junkin with jacob’s family, go here. It sold in less than 12 hours for more than twice what we paid for it! Woo-hoo!

it’s almost here……

2009-12-31T16:01:00.001-06:00

the BEST chicken ever

2009-12-29T21:49:00.002-06:00

This recipe came from a fabulous lady that I went to church with and was close to back in college. It is so good and so easy! We have it so often I have the recipe memorized.

What you’ll need:
1/2 cup butter (or margarine), melted
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

What you’ll do:
In a pie plate or shallow bowl combine butter, mustard, and Worcestershire. (Sometimes, I marinate my chicken in this mixture for about 30 minutes.) In a plastic bag, combine crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken in butter mixture, then shake in crumb mixture. Place in 9x13 pan. bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
(I do not take pictures of every bit of the process, sorry.)

What you’ll think:
That really is the BEST chicken ever!

Shown with (lower fat) homemade alfredo on angel hair pasta and steamed broccoli. Goodness on a plate!

out with the old, in with the news

2009-12-28T10:37:00.002-06:00

okay, so for the news I told you about the other day. (as if you really remember or care)

Jacob got me a new camera! He found a screaming deal on ebay, of course. And like I said I have been having some fun with it.

How do know someone got a new camera for Christmas? They take pictures of everything. Like one of three Christmas turkeys.

Then, your husband takes it for a little joy ride and you get pictures like this.

bye, bye Kodak Z710. You shall be retired to my classroom forever.

Hello, Rebel. You and I shall become great friends. I just know it.

last photo taken with the Kodak