A Christmas Wedding

18 months ago when Hubs' Mom passed away, there was no doubt in our minds that his Dad would get remarried.

Saturday was the big day. The scene was a little country church surronded by farm land. The nearest farm land was occupied by a hog farm. Anyone who has ever been around a hog farm can sympathize with the terrible smell we were greeted by as we excited the car to enter the church. Uck!

Being a Christmas wedding most of the church was already decorated, but they had added a few extra touches of red and white. This was a full-meal-deal wedding. There were attendents, a reception, cake cutting, garter tossing, and bird seed throwing.

My father-in-law even sang to his new bride in the ceremony. I think the name of the song was "Only God Could Love You More."

All of the small children were well behaved. And my father-in-law's good friend was a trooper despite threats to dress in drag and make a scene on the front pew!

The whole experience was quite odd, even though we are quite happy with their relationship. Now we can relate to some experiences of today's blended families.

The Productiveness has Officially Ended!

The snow held off until the truck was about half unloaded and then we only got less than an inch!

Adults, kids and all we had nearly 20 people help us move! Wow, I'm still amazed! My soon-to-be step-mother-in-law invited her sister-in-law from her first marriage over. Apparently they live a couple of towns away. They really came to visit with Sue, but lucky for us they grabbed some boxes and carried them in.

Gigi and her lovely family came to help. It was quite an educational experience for her. She now knows what a "holler" doesn't necissarly have to do with yelling. And, she also has sources for horse linament that she didn't have before! Hubs and I both originate from "the sticks." I was a little surprised that Gi didn't know this stuff, she is far from a Yankee!

Anywho, we rested on Sunday. Didn't unpack a stinkin' thing. Yesterday my friends, I busted it. Unpacked the entire kitchen, put the living room and dining room in order (minus some decor on the walls), went shopping for new bathroom acessories, and put up the Christmas tree. Whew!

Gi and the fam stopped by last night with a house warming meal! Clever idea, huh! She will have to explain the origin, but basically the meal consists of mashed potatoes smothered with chicken and noodles, served with a side of cornbread!
Dude we pigged out!

Today I tackled the Master Bath. Had to see how the goodies I bought yesterday would work out. Very well, I must say. I will put some pics up soon. The camera is dead and we can't seem to locate the charger.

As of fifteen minutes ago, the DSL (Thank You, Jesus!), and the satelitte are installed and ready to roll! This is why the unpacking has ceased!

So as much as I would love to stay and chat, I'm off to organize!

To Snow or Not to Snow

I love snow. Especially right before Christmas! It just makes the world a nicer place!

Currently the forecast calls for anywhere from 'a light dusting' to 12", depending on who you talk to. And, this is all scheduled to start this evening.

Now, it is important to note that I am one of those "If-you're-gonna-go-GO-BIG" kinda girls! A light dusting, really shouldn't be classified as snowfall. It's like a bald guy with comb-over thinking he has hair.

So bring on the 12"!

SFX: brakes screeching to a halt

It can't snow tonight! Please Dear Jesus -- wait another 24 hours and you can double the snow blessing!

Tomorrow is the day. Moving day! Five and 1/2 years of marriage, one child, miles (nearly 100) from the in-laws, two many job transfer offers to count and I am finally a home owner! The Hubs, A-Man and I are so very excited. We will have Christmas in our new (10yr old) home!

I must say it's quite adorable! We're keeping most of the color scheme from the previous owners, including RED on the walls! God blessed them with some decorating skills and I gonna piggy back! Lord knows if I would have done it myself it would have looked like the outside of McDonald's!! Oh, and there is a cute little pond outside the front door with, Koi. Do fish like snow?! I know what you're thinking! -- a house with a great color scheme and pets, STINKIN' AMAZING!

And back to that snow in the forecast ...
Anyone every tried to maneuver a moving truck on snow? Hubs thinks he can drive anything! He can, too. But it usually involves me, feet pressed through the floor board (I swear there are actual size 6 1/2 indentions), eyes shut tight, repeating the phrase "covered by the blood!" He did mention something this morning about snow chains! And with his automotive connections it wouldn't surprise me if he came home with some.

So you all can see why I'm torn here. Not to mention the new abode has a awesome sledding hill!

Oh my, only time will tell.

There are still a few more things to pack, very strategically I might ad. Gigi, I'll be dropping by to borrow one of those locking suitcases!

Wordless Wednesday

More great WW here.

Thanking Church Volunteers

Gobble Gobble!

Thanks to Karla @ Looking Towards Heaven for hosting this recipe extravaganza!

My family is pretty traditional (except for the year we had Cashew Chicken). The only tradition we don't get excited about is the stuffing/dressing. We could take it or leave it.

I expect this year will be a little different. Instead of stuffing we will have Corn Souffle (don't let the fancy name scare you away).

This is an easy dish I discovered in Kraft's Food and Family magazine a couple of months ago. BTW, if you don't get this mag, check it out. It's free!! I appreciated the simplicity of the recipe. My husband (border line finicky) enjoyed it. My 4 year-old (extremely finicky) couldn't get enough of it. Click here to print the recipe.

Now, the turkey. If you are looking for something a little different, but not too much. I suggest soaking your bird in brine. I baked my first turkey last year for my in-laws, of all people. My sister encouraged me to use the apple cider brine she uses in her catering business. I did. It was quite simple. Soaked the bird about 18 hrs. Rinsed it. Baked it. How did it turn out? Well, my husband's 85-year old grandmother told him last week (almost a year later) that it was the best turkey she has ever had, and she added "I'm serious."

The bad news, my sister asked that I not give out her catering recipes on my blog. The good news, Google "apple cider turkey brine" and you will have a vast array of options that I'm sure will turn out just as well!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A new passion and a giveaway!

In my efforts to give unique Christmas gifts this year, I have developed a new passion for, of all things, APRONS! I couple of months ago I decided to make (as in sewing for the first time in years) my sister a very fun apron along with a set of embellished rubber dish washing gloves.

The way I see it an apron is the perfect way to have a little "glam" during kitchen duty. We have shoes for every outfit, why not a cute apron for every recipe?

As you all know bloggyville has everything for everyone, including the fabulous (really I think made just for me) Apronista! If you get the apron thing and you haven't stopped by The Apronista, GO NOW! If you don't get the apron thing go to The Apronista for a look around, and you will.

The best part, an adorable apron giveaway! Careful, don't sprain your clicking finger!

WW -- McLonely

More Wordless Wednesday here. Go ahead click, you know you want to!

WW -- Young Love

More WW here.

Observations in The Ozarks

I have lived in the Ozarks all of my life. I am VERY comfortable with the fact that I do not meet a majority of stereotypes associated with hillbilly life.

Now, please understand that I'm not a cultured, gotta-have-my-Broadway-and-lattes kind of girl. God didn't make me that way. I guess you could consider me a redneck (Yes, there is a difference between a redneck and a hillbilly.). I enjoy deer hunting, fishing, NASCAR, riding 4-wheelers, the smells of dirt, dairy barns, and the lake. I also like to sew, quill, bake, shop, eat chocolate -- all the girl things.

I am obviously unique. However, some of my fellow Ozarkians will fit any vision you may have concocted to a "T". Let me give you some examples from a recent craft fair I attended.

Last Saturday my sister and I grabbed a friend a piece and headed of to a local craft fair we attend every year. There are always great sights to be seen.

We hadn't even been there five minutes and lo and behold if we did not run into some people form the town we grew up in.

Neither my sister or I live there anymore, but our parents do. It's rich with small town gossip and snootiness. If your last name isn't such and such, well forget about ever getting the time of day from half the town. I thought maybe I was just bitter from attending 13 years of school in the town. After I went on my way and started my grown up life I was sure I would have a more mature perspective on the whole hoop-ti-la. I gave them all the benefit of the doubt, until I wasn't invited to my 10 year H.S. reunion! Now, that just made me mad. I'm still a little bitter.

This could be why I did everything in my power to avoid having to converse with the people from our hometown. The group consisted of Aunt, Mom and Daughter. It's important to know that I went to school (K-12th grade) with daughter. Until Saturday, I had not seen her since our Graduation day. We were friends in school. Everyone was friends, kind of. There were only 36 people in my graduating class. I told you it was a small town.

My sister was quite helpful in helping me avoid the hometown peeps. Now, some of Sis's comments were not so Christ-like.

"Oh, yeah, I saw Daughter's Mom in Sam's the other day. She was wearing that same silly fanny-pack! I'm so glad our Mom is not the only weird person out there!"

"Daughter's hair is the exact same as when you guys were in high school!"

Now she was right about the hair thing. It was the same shoulder-length spiral perm with chia pet bangs Daughter had when we were in Junior High. It looked like she had some method of freeze drying her hair every night to preserve the 80/90's look. I didn't really think any less of her for not changing her hair. It just truly amazed me.

Ozarkers (aka Hillbillies) seem to be like this though. It seems like every time a tornado comes through it freezes people into the style of the given decade. If you've been here, I know you've seen people like this. They're everywhere. Especially craft fairs.

I also noticed that her face was quite wrinkled. YIKES! Quick a mirror. Do I have wrinkles?
Let me just tell you that it is extremely frightening to run into someone you grew up with and realize they look old. I'm not old. I don't know what happened to her. Maybe all the strife involved in keeping her hair preserved.

The real reason we were there -- the crafts. There are lots of handmade wooden toys at the craft fair. The really nice kind that don't need a "for ages ?+" label or a recall notice. The kind that a grandpa makes. The kind you can pass down from generation to generation. There are homemade soaps and lotions, jams and jellies, quilts and floral arrangements. Booths manned by SAHM's and retired couples.

One particular retired couple, bless their hearts had a booth with lots of homemade items. She had sewn lots of things. He had contributed his own handiwork. They obviously have chosen to spend their twilight years traveling the craft fair circuit together.

This would be where the Hillbilly craftiness comes in. The old man had made some reindeer. They could be purchased for $2. They were made out of red Solo cups. Two cups glued end-to-end for each leg, again for the body, and one cup for the neck and one cup for the head. Wow! $2. Solo cups.

Not to be outdone the old lady had purchased several types of children's themed material and machine stitched kid size quilts. One particular material was originally intended to be one of those quilted books. A large printed square at the corner of the quilt included a verse on the material the went something like "This Book blah, blah, blah. . ." Well, if obviously wasn't a book so the little old lady had used her trusty Sharpie marker to cross out "book" on the material and write (again, with her bold black Sharpie) "quilt" above it. Again, wow!

So tomorrow, I'm off to another Hillbilly fest, uh, um . . . I mean craft fair.

Don't back out on me now, Sister JB! The fun has yet to begin!

TT -- A Hunk of Burning Love

Today, I'm throwing back to Halloween 2 years ago.
A-Man was two. My mom and I made his Elvis costume. This is his best costume to date. I don't know if I'll ever be able to top it. The guitar was made from a tissue box, paper towel roll, gelatin box, some brads and rubber bands!

Go retro with Pinks and Blues Girls Throwback Thursday!

WW-Doggie Costumes

I cannot take credit for this photo. I cannot give credit for this photo. It arrived in an e-mail from a friend.

If I had a dog, this is probably how I would dress it for Halloween or when company came over. Then the dog would bite me.

Probably a good thing I don't have a dog.




More Wordless Wednesday at:

5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday

TT-Daddy's Little Girl

I was desperately needing a Throwback Thursday. There are currently a lot of grown up things going on in my life and a trip down memory lane was just what I needed to remind myself of what life is all about. . . Sweet Memories!

The first 4 and 1/2 years of my life I was the only princess in the kingdom. Those years were a special time. I was Gramma's Little Girl, Papa's Little Girl, Mommy's Little Girl, Daddy's Little Girl. And, yes, that probably equals spoiled.

My Daddy and I have always had a special bond. We're very much alike, the list is endless. So, this one is for you Daddy! I love you!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer in general is devastating. It's hard to say one type is more difficult than another. Anyone who has dealt with cancer in any form has faced a life changing experience.

As you probably know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I hope all of you find your own way to show support for those who have been stricken with the disease and survivors alike.

With all of the respect in the world and my crazy sense of humor I would like to suggest the following website:

Save the Ta Ta's

P.S. For the record, my favorite is "My ta ta's could beat up your ta ta's!"

Lost and Found

Okay, so I work at a college newspaper. Some days it feels like a glorified babysitting job. Other days its a complete riot, like today!

A little background.
I supervise the advertising department. This semester we started offering classified advertising, FREE of charge to students, faculty and staff! Little did we know the fun and exciting things we would have the opportunity to advertise!

First free ad of the semester:
--For Sale, Precious Moments Collectibles,
because the HOT item on college campuses these days is who has the limited addition of the "You are my sunshine" figurine!

Ad that was canceled before it ran:
--Wanted to buy reasonably cheap, various sports memorabilia, hay, and laptop computer.
I am currently doing research to find the percentage of college students who have some extra bales of hay lying around.

Now this one an honest to goodness paid ad, from a professional business man.
--Worried about passing that test? Hypnosis works, guaranteed!
Where was he when I had college algebra?

Today's submission and my personal favorite so far:
Found, guinea pig near science building. If lost call XXX-XXXX.

Thank you Jesus, for humor on the job!

It's not a joke . . .

So a blonde walks into a review . . . and this amazing blog happened.

It's an amazing blog with a great giveaway!

If you like cool stuff for kids or cool stuff for moms (like the "Ice Wrap Ring") you will want to enter this giveaway for a $100 to Skimbaco!

The Big Boys -- Wordless Wednesday

Surely my road rage would diminish if I could drive this!

Wordless Wednesday

Throwback Thursday

One of the times in my life I cherish the most are my college years. I'll never forget the paper I wrote about Coca-Cola, and how amazed the professor was with how well it was done. My public policy class with Dr. Morrisey was my favorite class of the whole 4 years. Math was a different story, I changed my major after my first class so I wouldn't have to take any more!

Now, you should know I was more than a nerd in class. I was uber-involved. I worked PT on campus, was a University Ambassador (Student Public Relations for the university), Student Government Association President, Resident Assistant in the dorm, and my most cherished memory . . . College Cheerleading!

Wordless Wednesday -- Chasin' Chickens

Wordless Wednesday

E-mail Forwards

It's National Friendship Week, send this to 188 people in 45 seconds or something terrible will happen right after the screen pops telling you Bill Gates is going to put you in his will.

Barf, gag, spit, etc. Sorry for being a party-pooper but I can't stand that stuff!

However, occasionally someone will forward me something that is a true nugget of wisdom.

Like this gem:

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cellphone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go... hmm... where is my Bible?
AND, as an added bonus: NO dropped calls!
Oh, and one more thing. ...
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think "where are my priorities?


Ouch. It just kind of gets you, doesn't it!

The Talents of Others

I don't consider myself to be exceptionally talented in any particular thing. So I chose to feed off the talents of others!

Such as . . . .
Organized Chaos

Don't miss this giveaway. Join me in feeding off the talents of others.

Crazy Animal Lovers

I wouldn't consider myself an animal lover.

Definitely NOT a dog person. (However, we have promised A-man he can have one when we buy a house next year. So I'm gonna have to deal with my issues.) I was bitten by a pit bull when I was 5. You just never forget things like that.

Growing up in the country, we had all sorts of animals. Horses, a donkey, a mule, cats, dogs, rabbits, a tarantula, ducks, a deformed calf. Before your visions of me growing up on some kind of freakazoid petting zoo go any further . . . you should know that we didn't have all of those animals at any one given time.

My sister has always been the animal person. The deformed calf was hers. My ducks were normal. She would take hers down to the pond for a swim, claims to this day she could hear them giggling, and would always dry them off with a towel after their swim. We kind of shared the tarantula, but I had absolutely nothing to do with Harrietta's funeral that was videotaped while the soundtrack to "The Bodyguard" played softly in the background. No, I'm not joking. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up! If you are lucky some day I will tell you more about the deformed calf!!

And, no my sister isn't that weird either. She functions normally in society. I adore her and her stinky ferret.

In honor of my sis, all of the other animal lovers, and those of us that don't get it but play along anyway . . . check out these links!

Fuzzy Nation

Ferret Couture

Mmmm, that smells good!

You know.
It's that smell that takes you back to the good ol' days when life was simple.

My smell.
Fresh baked pie crust.

My sis and I were rather spoiled as children. For years, we would spend every day before and after school at my grandparents house. Looking back it seems as though my Gramma would have some sort of homemade treat for us every afternoon.

My favorite. Pie crust crackers. The odd-shaped pieces of pie crust would bake in the oven until golden brown. I remember looking at them like they were clouds, trying to imagine what animal or object they would be if they could come to life.

The were flaky, crispy, and just a touch salty!

The extra special treat was when we were able to dip our pie crust crackers in any leftover pie filling! My favorite was chocolate! I know shocking! Seriously, my Gramma made the absolute best chocolate cream pies I have ever had!

If you have a smell induced memory please stop by The Crazy Hip Momma's Blog and enter for a chance to win some lovely "smellies" from Missy's Tempting Tarts!

Hello?

I'm not quite sure when "Hello" went from a greeting to a one-word question meaning "Hey, are you listening to me?"

However, I'm pretty sure it may have started with God talking to me. "Hello? Are you listening to me? I can make this a lot easier. But, you are going to have to stop and listen to me for a minute!"

The last two weeks have been NUTS! I feel as though I have been bombarded from every direction. I have managed to keep myself standing up right physically.

Emotionally has been a different story. Look at me the wrong way and I will tear up instantly. And, let me tell you . . . one little tear swims to the corner of my eye and it's like the Hoover dam breaks. The sobs, the snot it's a bit nasty.

So finally last night, using my dear Husband, God finally got me to listen. If I would let go of the tasks, jobs, responsibilities, etc. that He has entrusted me with things would be a lot easier.

What? He "called" me to do this, but I'm suppose to give it to him! That's a little contradicting isn't it?

So after some "just me and God" time, I was gently reminded that God didn't call me to be a "do-er" He called me to be a vessel!

It's not what we do, it's what we let him do through us!

His way is always so simple, His yoke is so easy! And I am so hard-headed!!!

I'm off to work on being a vessel! Happy Tuesday!

A-

Long time no blog.

I'll explain later.

So I told you about my potluck ordeal. Boy, did it turn out to be an ordeal!

I decided on a Cucumber and Tomato Salad courtesy of SouthernLiving.com. I chopped my veggies Thursday night and I whisked my dressing. The colors, the aroma, it was so beautiful it brought a tear to my eye. Off to the fridge to chill over night.

Friday A.M.
Me, the Hubs, and the A-Man are carpooling today. It will all be much easier with one vehicle. Except that I'm not a morning person and I'm stuck in a very small space with two very awake people. Enough about me. Just before we arrive at our drop of locations, the Hubs decides to do a drive thru breakfast. I would rather be sleeping, the A-Man wants something to eat even though he will be eating at school in ten minutes, and the Hubs who, bless his heart, NEVER thinks to ask others in the car if they know what they want before the box asks to take order, pulls up to the speaker on a stick.
Nano-seconds before the Hubs pulls up to the window, I get whiff of cool cucumbers. My brain says, "How relaxing in this moment of chaos." Wait a minute, that bowl is covered, I shouldn't be able to smell that. A quick reach to the back floor board reveals the the bowl has tipped over, ever so slightly, and a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and olive oil has made an aromatic puddle in my car! Can you say pickle-mobile? I managed to find a spare pair of A-Man's whitie tighties to sop it up with.
The chaos goes from mild to full blown. That poor drive thru attendant must have thought we were a traveling circus. It was nuts, to say the least.

Good News
The salad was intact, the Hubs found a safe home for in it in his office frig for the day. Fast forward to Friday evening. We are all back in the car along with the salad. Despite 100+ degree heat the car smelled fairly normal. We drop A-Man off with my rents and head to the potluck.

The Verdict
I completely over estimated the number of people in attendance. - 15 points
Nearly everyone complimented the dish. + 3 points
The hostess asked for the recipe. + 5 points
Total score 93 out of 100. A-

Competitive Potluck

Okay, so my competitive spirit is totally NUTS!

The proof is in the pudding. HA! You'll laugh in a minute.

The Hubs works with the hospitality team at church. I tend to think of him as Super Usher, although he refuses to wear a cape on Sunday! What a stick in the mud!

Anywho. . . there is an appreciation potluck Friday night for the workers and their families. I believe the menu is BBQ. We, based on where our last name falls in the alphabet, are assigned to bring a side dish.

So after yesterday afternoon the conversing goes something like this:

ME: So did you find out what we need to bring?

HUBS: I told him we just wanted to check so we didn't end up with too much of one thing. He said to bring any side dish that goes with BBQ.

(Note: "We just wanted to. . ." That would interpret as me and my mostly-when-it-relates-to-event-planning Type A personality.)

ME: Okay, then it's on!

See, I have this thing about cooking for gatherings. Whatever I choose to bring has to be different from all the other entries, uh I mean dishes. It also has to taste SO good the platter is nearly licked clean of crumbs. Bonus points are issued based on the number of people that ask for the recipe.

You are probably starting to think that competitiveness is an understatement, aren't you! Well, stop being judgmental and let a girl live a little will you!

This potluck is on Friday so I have just a few days to plan my strategy. I will admit desserts and main courses are my specialty. This side dish thing is going to be a challenge. I'm thinking something cool and fresh, since it is going to be a million degrees outside. Potato salad an coleslaw are out, too obvious.

Please say a prayer for me as I embark on the ultimate church potluck challenge!

I'm off to search the volumes of trusty cookbooks!

Toodles!

Go, Fight, Win!

The hubby and I are both very competitive people. Not in the cut throat kind of way. Last month when the A Man played t-ball we were not the parents yelling at the coaches. We have not tried to instill our competitive nature in our son.

Our competitiveness is just part of our personalities. Really we are only competitive with one another. Yeah, you are thinking how devastating that must be for our marriage. But it's quite healthy really. No, I'm not totally naive!

Okay, think of the hubs as the jock and me as the cheerleader.

Except he has really never been a jock.

Me on the other hand I really was a cheerleader. Now before you pass judgement I was more than the fifi, fufu, snotty high school cheerleader. I really took this stuff seriously. My senior year of high school I quite the squad with nearly 6 years experience after our sponsor let the squad elect a captain and co-captain who had never cheered before, ever! I didn't pout about it. I just told them it was something I took seriously and I choose not to make a mockery of it. Go me! It all worked out for me because I ended up cheering in college on a scholarship!! Yeppers, the collegiate level. We were in the gym 5 days a week, we had our body fat % checked every 14 days (ouch, those pinchers hurt!), and boys could hold me up in the air with one hand. Pretty amazing since these days it would take a fork lift to accomplish any of that!!

Enough about my glory days, back to my competitively energized marriage. I think we are competitive with ourselves more than we are with each other. But you see it's the spark in our relationship.

Last night for instance, we went to my in-laws to get some things out of storage to give to a family we know whose house burned down last weekend. One of the things in Granny's basement was a gun cabinet that I bought Hubs when we were dating. It has officially been in her basement 3 years, empty. A few months ago Hubs told uncle Dan he could just have it, but he was pretty sure he had accidentally thrown the key away. Now if Dan was going to use this cabinet he was going to have to saw the lock off of it and replace it. A hassle, but not the end of the world. So every time we have seen Dan the past few months Hubs gets the "You haven't run across the key for that gun cabinet have you?" No, because Hubs has no idea where it is. His rule is if he hasn't seen it in 3 or more weeks he must have accidentally thrown it away.

So we go downstairs to pull out some boxes of clothes and what not. The very first thing I do is pull up a dilapidated shirt box stuffed with all kinds of junk . . . playing cards, old pay stubs, receipts, some loose change, pocket lint, etc. I spy a gold colored key. I pulled it out and walked over to the gun cabinet. What am I thinking, even I'm not that good, this key was surely too small. I walked back to the box to put it back, but I just couldn't let go.

"Honey, is this key too big for the cabinet?"

He tried it, IT WORKED!

I got the ten-year-old-that-just-got-whooped-at-Asteroids reaction. Hubs could not believe that I walked down to the basement to get boxes of clothes, had not been there 20 seconds, reach into the disorganized chaos of yesteryear and pulled out the key he was sure he had accidentally thrown away!

Honestly, I couldn't believe it either, but it wasn't the time to admit it. He acted like he was aggravated that I just did something that he couldn't do or wasn't as good at. But I could see in his eyes and his heart that he was proud of me and his love for me had grown just a little bit more.

So that is an example of my Hubs and I always trying to do something the other one can't (whether accidentally or on purpose) makes use of our natural competitive spirit to make our marriage thrive!

Confessions from the Mother of an Only-Child

I was the little girl that dreamed of having a family. In the years before I wed I always told people I wanted three children but I reserved the right to change my mind after the first one.

Good thing I got that disclaimer in there. Within a few months of having our son my husband and I agreed that we were content with the "A Man" and had no intentions of expanding our family.

Deep down I was perfectly content with this decision. My pregnancy was not complicated. However, it did have some hiccups at the end.

My pregnancy WAS complicated for my husband. I am a firm believer that a man that grew up without sisters should have to go through some type of training before entering the emotional and down right complicated world of vowing to spend the rest of his days with one of God's most delicate creations! My poor hubby had no idea what to expect. The intense emotions and mood swings that would make the world's highest rated coaster seem like a merry-go-round, we almost too much for him at times. Although he anticipated the arrival of his son with much joy, he was a miserable person. I could never intentionally to that to him again.

So the decision was made, the "A Man" would be our precious prince, sole heir to our throne. Now don't you believe for a minute that I didn't have my days of doubt. My moments of meandering over pink bows and pigtails have been numerous. There have been maternal worries of raising a socially defunct child. I even have a list of nice, respectable, and professional individuals who are only-children. Deep down I have always felt we were in God's will, but also as if God had something else for us as well.

To be honest most days are filled with enough hustle and bustle the idea of adding to our family doesn't cross my mind. Until . . .
"Mommy next year when we get a new house I want a brother and a sister. I have names for them too Shooba and Soobee."
Don't ask me where those names came from because there are times the mind of a 4 year old is just too difficult for me to understand.

My son has asked about a sibling about every six or eight weeks for a while now. The thing is I don't have an answer for him. I knew this time would come, but I don't think I realized how unprepared I was for it. Rarely am I ever at a loss for words, but this subject makes my tongue tangle and tie.

All I can do for the time being is talk about the dog we'll get when we get the new house!

easy, beautiful, scrumptious food

I like to cook. I despise the mess. Who has the time. My family has learned to eat whatever I cook for them. I'm not a bad cook, I just like to experiment.

Now when it comes to cooking for others, like people at the office or friends at my church, I become a perfectionist. Life is good when perfection comes easy. (Oh, that was deep. You should right that one down.) This weekend I discovered a very simple lemon tart that I received rave reviews for and I want everyone to know about.

I found it at the Southern Living website. Click here for a wonderful Lemon Cream Tart!

Common Sense

Why didn't every human receive a fair share of common sense? I suppose I could argue the fact that everyone has received it but global warming is depleting it from from the brains of humans all over the world at a rate that would make Al Gore hyperventilate. (note: I currently have no opinion on global warming. I know I should, but I don't. So you'll just have to live with that for now.) I think as each day goes by senseless (I would have used the word stupid, buy my "Pre-K"er has informed me that it is a BAD word, so I'm trying to set a good example.) people become more senseless. I know you have witnessed the atrocious phenomenon with your own eyes, ears, etc. Think of the peace I could bring the world if I could only discover the path of prevention I unknowingly take to keep my common sense about me. Is it the occasional bologna and cheese or maybe taking short naps at red lights? If you would like to join my research team please let me know.