Boyd's Crazy Mama

coffee with a friend

2012-01-24T11:32:00.001-08:00

Boyd and I spent this morning at our sweet friend Megan's house. We visited for a few hours, Boyd played with her son's toys {he had a ball, and wanted to bring them all home, of course}, and we had coffee and dessert. I have always thought that coffee tastes better when I'm having it with a friend or family. We talked for 3 hours, but I think we could have talked for the entire day. I drove home and thought of a hundred other things to talk about. I can be myself around Megan, and that is one of the best things about a true friendship. She is genuine and welcoming, beautiful and real. It was such a good morning.

Her home is as beautiful as I had imagined.

Delicious.

Megan posted some cute pictures of Boyd on her blog, and the recipe to that yummy dessert. We didn't get a picture of her and I this time {I was too busy trying to cram in 6 months worth of conversation}, but I know we will have many more opportunities for that.

Blogging has blessed me with some amazing new friendships, in addition to the lifelong friends I already have. I am a lucky girl.

The 2nd best part of today...it started raining, it's 4:30 pm, and Boyd is already bathed and in his pjs.

xo.

on my mind

2012-01-23T06:37:00.001-08:00

We had a great weekend. Boyd's cousin Cale Jean turned 4 and had a bounce house party outside. Boyd had a ball, and we had such a good time visiting with family. I did not take my camera. Each time I do this, I kick myself. It's fine though, I probably had more fun enjoying the moment, instead of taking pictures. My sweet grandma also turned 83, but she has been sick, so we will have to take a raincheck on her birthday celebration. We love you G.

We met Kevin's mom last night for a quick dinner of sub sandwiches. It was nice.

Today is the anniversary of my daddy's homecoming into heaven. I always say I won't get emotional on this day, but really, it happens. I miss him.

Kevin and I watched the movie Fireproof last night. I know, we are a little late to the party. It was a great movie. We also bought Courageous, but haven't watched it yet.

My mom and stepdad hop a plane tomorrow for Maui, and I wish I could go too. I hope they have a lot of fun. That's a given, I'm sure.

This article in my recent Southern Living magazine has got me craving a grilled pimiento and cheese sandwich. They are gooey and delicious.

I'm still going strong on my simplify project around the house, throwing out something each day. The best part is, it usually turns into 3 or 4 pieces of junk that I toss each day. It's so easy to do, and simplifying is an ongoing process. It's not something you do, and then you are finished. It makes me very happy. My house feels lighter.

Lots of good coffee was had this weekend.
{The mug says, The Big Cup Eatery. Glen Rose and Granbury, Texas}.

I'm reading Gift From The Sea again. My favorite book ever. I started reading it in 2003, and I read it once a year, plus I take it and read it each time I go to the beach. I love this line.
One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.

have a great week.

yesterday

2012-01-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

It didn't seem right, but we were in flip flops yesterday afternoon, the windows were open, and Boyd had ice cream from the ice cream man. It's hard to believe it's January.

These were taken before the ice cream. Sometimes I look at Boyd and he looks so grown up. {And I don't like that one bit}.

Me and my babe. He will be 4 years old in 2 more months. That feels like a crime.

We're still doing the mismatched shoe thing.

At this point Boyd waved his hands and was saying, no more pictures.
No more pictures.
No more pictures.

Boyd pushes my buttons. It's his job. He's 3 years old. The other day I said, Boyd you are stressing me out, and he replied, no YOU are stressing ME out. Ok, that's fair.

xo.

friday and a coffee question

2012-01-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

I know. I talk about coffee on here, a lot. I just love it. I'm embarrassed to say that I just now changed the water filter {not to be confused with the paper coffee filter} in our coffee maker. We've had this coffee maker for a few years now. The directions say change it every 60 days. Oops. Our machine was also having a hard time grinding whole beans, so I cleared out the chute, and magically it works now. I actually got the directions out this morning and read them. I guess I need to pay more attention.

I love coffee beans, and am glad our coffee maker has a built-in grinder. That does not mean that I don't like it pre-ground too, because I definitely do. We have been gifted many bags of coffee, and we love it all.

I never drank coffee until after I had Boyd. I believe I had one cup before that, my entire life. A friend said to me once, you are gonna need some coffee after that baby is born. She was right.

So my question is, do you store your coffee in the fridge/freezer? I started doing this, but now I'm hearing just a cool, dry place is better. What do you think? I know this is not earth shattering, but I just had to ask.

I wanted a few pictures of Boyd, so we went outside. He was doing something he shouldn't have been and I said {yelled}, stop that right now. This is the look I got, with the arms sticking out. Like I should have been scared or something. Sorry Boyd, your mama is not scared.

I got a couple of smiles, then he saw a beetle, and it was all over.

These are Boyd's favorite snack lately. He doesn't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, so I am happy he likes these so much.

Boyd's great grandma sent him subscriptions to these magazines, and he loves them. Thank you grandma.

It's gorgeous today in Texas, high 70s. We are headed out to play.

have a good weekend.

cupcake thursday

2012-01-19T08:56:00.001-08:00

Boyd and I started out this morning at the indoor bounce house, but the loud music scared him. Even though they were really nice and turned it off when they saw him crying, it was too late. Loud noises have always terrified him. Sometimes I worry if he has something wrong with his ears, or if this is just normal for little kids? We love the bounce house because it's such good exercise for Boyd. I really love it because I get to sit back and relax and let him run wild. Truth, the one thing I don't like is some of the looks from some parents if Boyd bounces too close to another kid, or he passes them on the stairs, etc. I mean this in the nicest way possible. Let them be kids for goodness sakes. They will figure it all out. It is a bounce house after all. Boyd is an energetic boy. He is only 3 years old. He is polite to the other kids. Of course I watch him, and if he is being ugly then I address it. I know my child does things. Ok, moving on. He bounced for about 30 minutes today, then he asked if we could go home. Poor babe. Dang it though. So, we ran to Target for a few things, and cupcakes, then home.

I found this cute card at Target, in the dollar section.

Now we are home. Boyd is watching Nemo. I'm about to drink more coffee, and maybe have a few minutes of quiet time.

have a good day.

tuesday things

2012-01-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

I am convinced that boys are just as moody/dramatic as girls.
Or, maybe it's just 3 year old boys named Boyd.
He was cold, and upset that his friend Todd was not home.

Texas grapefruit is so good.

I've been eating yogurt with granola and adding ground flax seed. I love flax and just thinking about how healthy it is makes me happy. I've been taking my vitamins and drinking water. I feel good.

Tonight for dinner we had stir fry. Instead of rice, we had quinoa. It was delicious. I mean, really delicious.

This morning I vacuumed the house, we met some dear friends for taco tuesday {thanks Whitney, HG and Harper. It was great fun!}, then I came home and shampooed carpets. I love freshly shampooed carpets. Mentally I feel so good, and I know it's because I'm taking my vitamins regularly {a woman's multi and a b complex}. Maybe it's the flax too? I don't know, but I like the feeling.

And then I have more energy to keep up with Boyd, which is always a good thing.

Boyd likes blue tic tacs. And, he likes to wear mismatched shoes. We let him.

This sweet face makes me smile.

Boyd really wants a baby sister. The other day he said we could make one out of paper mache'. ha.

good night.

yesterday

2012-01-16T04:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a great day. I spent about 6 hours alone. Alone time is good, and necessary. I headed to Central Market after running a few other errands. I am a foodie, and always will be. I love how the employees at CM have Foodie written on their name tags. I think I want to work there, or I could just live there. I shopped for a long time, but only picked up these 3 things.

Texas grapefruit.
Dark chocolate sea salt caramels.
Wild blueberry flax granola.

The caramels are crazy expensive, so I only buy a few at a time. Plus, that is all I need. I ate some of the granola in my vanilla yogurt, and it was delicious. I have a feeling I will be buying this granola often. We haven't tried the grapefruit yet, but it smells really good.

When I get old, will someone please bring me dark chocolate sea salt caramels?

I could not get over the gorgeous sky yesterday. I must have looked at it a hundred times while I was driving around. It was perfect. This sounds silly, but it was so blue and so mesmerizing, I felt like I was looking into the ocean. I wanted to pull over on the side of the highway and just stare at it. God is good, and so beautiful.

Then I picked up a diet coke, went to Half Price Books and bought some magazines, and sat in my car for over an hour. I read, drank my diet coke, and people watched. Does that seem weird? Not to me. Remember, I'm ok with weird. I've embraced it. It was great. Not to mention, I will take some quiet time wherever I can find it. I checked the clock and it was already 4:30 pm, so I decided I should head home to check on my guys. Alone time is good. I think I already said that. Yes, it is very good.

Off to make coffee. Enjoy your day.

breathing room

2012-01-15T05:54:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas is finally back in the attic. I have the front living room back to normal. It's my breathing space in the house. It's not a fancy room, but a comfortable room with things that make me happy. I'm thinking this couch could use some colorful pillows, or maybe we could use a new couch. And, this is not even the broken one I was telling you about a while back. I do like this one though, because it is comfy, and simple.

Books and art and memories from places we've been.

Things that make me smile.

Shells from beautiful beaches. I love Texas, but looking at them makes me wish we weren't so land locked here in Fort Worth. And, it's been a few months since my last adventure, and I'm feeling a trip coming on, maybe.

When Boyd used to nap, I would sit in this room and read, or nap, or just sit in silence. It's still my favorite place to be when I am home alone.

Speaking of breathing room, last night Kevin realized that I needed some alone time. So today I am running away, to do whatever I want, alone. At this stage in my life, alone time is the best gift I can receive. So, my mind is racing with wild and crazy things like the bookstore and Central Market. :) I will let you know what I did today.

Happy Sunday.

cupcakes and stuff

2012-01-12T11:27:00.001-08:00

Boyd and I set out this morning with a list of things to do. We are out of food. Our fridge is bare. We haven't been by our favorite cupcake place in a while. We stopped in real quick. I had german chocolate, Boyd had plain chocolate.

Boyd was all over the place, so I put my camera down, and we both just enjoyed our cupcakes.

This morning Boyd ate 2 containers of mandarin oranges. That is a big thing in our house, as he doesn't really like a lot of fruit. He announced to me and Kevin that he only eats oranges on Friday, and he doesn't eat them on Tuesday. Well, thank goodness today is Friday.
:)

Kevin is still recovering, and I'm doctoring up his leg twice a day. In sickness and in health. I wouldn't have it any other way. Even though we make each other crazy, I love him so much, and only want him to get well. We are in this for the long haul. Together.

Boyd got this sweater from a friend. I think it is so cute.

This is how I feel most days.
{Oh well yes, those are Christmas lights you still see on our bushes}.

I made the mistake of only getting through half of our errands today, and then coming home for a mental break. While we were at Sam's, Boyd found something on the floor that resembled spilled cola, and he had his hands all in it {drawing pictures} before I realized. He was also using the grocery cart to try out for the gymnastics team. Oh, and he likes to sing, bow chicka wow wow, really loud, in the store. Strangers think this is extremely funny. We only did half of our list and we need a few more things, so we are off again.

Motherhood has relaxed me in many ways. You learn to deal with crisis. I've become a juggler, I suppose. It's all a big circus, and no one who knows me believes I can manage, but sometimes I do.
~Jane Seymour

ordinary days

2012-01-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

It is cold and wet. We tried to play outside today. We lasted about 15 minutes.

I feel like my sister and I have had 5 gallons of coffee in the last few days, so I'm having my 2nd favorite this afternoon, coke zero, in my mom mug.

These are the best kind of days. When nothing big happens, when Boyd finds a new cartoon that he likes {so I can have 30 minutes alone}, when I get a few minutes to read, and the house stays clean for longer than an hour. Dinner is ready, and I feel a sense of calmness in our day. I'm thankful for that, because most days I look for the calm all day, and never find it. Know what I mean?!

We've been reading a lot, about Clifford.

And dragons and turtles.

And, dinner tonight is my version of lasagna soup, minus the pasta. It's one of our favorites.

Who knew cold, wet leaves could be so fascinating. You know, the whole through the eyes of a child thing. I love it. I have learned so much from my baby boy.

I hope your day was good.

i love lemons

2012-01-09T05:17:00.000-08:00

Good morning. How was your weekend? My sister is at our house for a few days and is a huge help and great company, while I am taking care of Kevin {and Boyd, and cleaning, and groceries, and errands, and cooking, and losing my mind}. Kevin had a rough day on Saturday, but yesterday was much better. We really are fine, and everything is coming along just great. Life is definitely full of twists and turns, and that's about the only thing that is certain in this life. If you learn to ride the waves instead of fighting them, it's a lot easier. We're good, I promise.

I bought a bag of Meyer lemons the other day. They are beautiful and so fragrant. I used them for homemade hummus, and we are using them for fish tonight.

Last night's dinner was hummus, smoked cheddar and zucchini. It was so good. I made the hummus extra spicy, and we loved it.

Obviously we are back in the goofy, hard to get a photo phase.

We are supposed to have soaking rains today and tomorrow. Rain + being at home is so comforting to me. Our morning coffee just finished brewing, so I'm off to enjoy.

Have a good week.

ps. This post has been going around, but if you haven't read it, please do!

all is well

2012-01-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

Kevin's surgery went so well. Thank you for the prayers and well wishes. You are all amazing and beautiful to us, and a true blessing in our lives. He is resting now and I'm enjoying some comfort foods, and a quiet house. The doctor told me Kevin shouldn't have too bad of a scar once he heals {which is nice}, but I thought, that doesn't matter, as long as he is healthy. Then I started thinking about how our bodies will never be whole or perfect on this earth anyway. That's our prize for another day.

I skipped the coffee at the hospital this morning, because I was so nervous {and they didn't have half and half}. I just had some outside, in the amazing weather that we are having today. Thank you Lord for this day!

When I picked up Kevin's medicines, etc, my first thought was, I need some salsa. So I picked up the 2 ingredients that I didn't have at home, and came home and made some. This is comfort food to me, because I love it so much. Don't worry, Kevin is being fed as well, just not what I'm eating.

I think my energy is about to run out for the day though, so I am going to go enjoy some silence, practice my nursing skills, and eat some salsa.

love you all.

when it rains it pours, or something like that.

2012-01-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

I hope you're still reading my blog. I promise to be back soon with the happy things that I love. At this point I feel like I've become one of those people that others roll their eyes at, and run from. I promise our life is never this crazy.

Apparently my husband didn't get the memo that medical emergencies and such were all to happen this past December for our family. He wouldn't want me sharing all of his business on here, but that pull in his leg turned out to be a severe internal infection. We were referred to a surgeon today, and they will be operating on it tomorrow. This week has been a crazy blur.

Boyd is being loved on at my mom and stepdad's house, with my sister there too.

I have been away from here for a few days, and thought I needed to pop on over and post a quick update. I appreciate the emails and texts I have received, wondering where I have been.

If our Christmas decor is still up in February, you will know why.
:)

Love you all and be back soon.

xo.

a few things

2012-01-02T13:33:00.001-08:00

I was trying to get a few pictures of Boyd today. His hair was super messy, and just the way I like it. Lately he likes to say, that is ridiculous. The other day his meemaw made some brownies, and he looked over at them and said, oh meemaw you made brownies, how special. {Yes, our lights are still on our bushes. Apparently Christmas is coming down slowly this year}.

We ran some errands today, and had Fuzzy's for lunch. I had one of their sandwiches. It was like a taco on a sandwich, and I loved it.

I got a new candle. This is one of my all time favorites, for $5.

I'm really excited about one of the goals I set for this year, get rid of more and buy less. I've simplified a lot over the last few years, but it's an ongoing process. Except for groceries, oh yeah and candles, I am really going to try to not buy a lot of extras. My goal is to stick with purchasing only those things that are disposable or will be used up. I also want to find one thing a day to get rid of, even if it's really small. I've already started. Think of ridding your house of 365 pieces of junk in a year. I love the sound of that.

It's 4 pm, and about that time of day when I like to drink a fresh cup of coffee, so I'm off to brew some.

Have a great week.

out of sorts and happy new year

2011-12-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

I've been out of sorts lately. That is the best way I can describe it. I'm writing this down so that I can look back one day and remember, and hopefully laugh. The last few weeks have been filled with a lot of surgery, sickness, injury, etc for our family. We are usually all pretty healthy, and drama free, and I like it that way. Everyone is ok and we are thankful, but it's been a bit crazy. Kevin is actually limping around with a torn ligament or something, and will see the doctor Monday. We've all had colds. My sis and stepdad had surgery, my grandma has developed Bell's Palsy. Oh, and life with a 3 year old is the most exhausting thing I think I've ever experienced. Thrown into the mix are all the other little kinks in life. There is still a lot of joy to be had in our lives, sometimes you just have to seek a little harder, and you can find it. Thank goodness. So, that is where my mind has been lately. Then we went out of the New Year, with a bang.....

A couple of nights ago Boyd woke about 11 pm, said he didn't feel well, he got a bath, a popsicle and a bedtime story in bed with daddy, and was back in bed by midnight. It actually turned out to be a sweet night, and Kevin and I loved that Boyd needed the extra attention and love.

Last night I was so excited to put Boyd down early. We were sitting in his room, and he vomited all over me and his clean pjs and lovie, the white carpet, etc. It took me a full minute to gather myself and figure out what to do. We were sitting in a pool of it, maybe our worst one yet. I stripped us both down, got us in the shower, threw clothes in the washer, and got the carpet shampooer out. In my frenzy, I shampooed the carpets sans clothing {sorry, but it's the truth}. Boyd was crying that he just wanted to go to bed, and at one point looked at me and said, mommy please put your nite nite dress on.

Wait, it gets better. We finally get to bed, and at 1 am our smoke alarms go off. Not go off like a dead battery, but like there is a fire....get out of your house now. Well, after about 2 minutes they stopped. We checked the attic, outside, etc. We felt like we were fine. An hour later they went off again. Then several more times. We googled and saw that if there is dust, etc this can happen. We vaccummed them out, then one started making a crazy noise. Unplugged it and we were good to go.....at 4 am. This would be ok if Boyd was not an early riser.

Are you still with me?

With that being said, we are hoping for smooth sailing as the New Year begins. We are taking it easy, very easy. I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year's Eve celebration, and that the new year is beautiful, peaceful, happy, and everything you want it to be!

The new year does hold some wonderful news for us, already. We are excited that we will become an aunt and uncle again in this new year. Congratulations to Kevin's sister and her husband, and their daughter in Hawaii. We are so happy for them. We will be blessed with 5 nieces and nephews now.

xo.

new years and a recipe

2011-12-28T04:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a few things I would like to do, or improve on, for the New Year.

1. take my daily vitamins.
2. drink lots of water.
3. walk around our large block once a day with boyd, no matter the weather.
4. less time on the computer.
5. buy less, get rid of more.
6. buy food for the local food pantry every time i grocery shop.
7. send more surprise happy mail to friends and family.
8. don't raise my voice to boyd. i don't want him to remember me as the mama who yelled a lot.
9. eat a lot of fruit. {and cupcakes}.

10. breathe in, breathe out, move on.

My beautiful friend Kim inspired me with this recipe, here. The night I wanted to make this chicken and quinoa stew, I didn't have all of the ingredients that she had. I improvised. I love it. I am sure I would love her recipe too. Thanks Kim for the inspiration.

I'm not good with writing down or following measurements, but here goes. Brown a pound of chicken tenders with olive oil, black pepper, onion, minced garlic. Tear apart the chicken, and add a can of diced tomatoes, and one can of water. Cook 1 cup of raw quinoa separately and add to stew when done. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

The other day Boyd was playing with his 7 year old friend Todd. Boyd was saying something about if you are bad you will go to jail. Todd said, no Boyd you will go to juvie.

So, just remember that, and be good.

tuesday

2011-12-27T06:48:00.000-08:00

Good morning. I am in cleaning mode. About an hour ago I said no way, but a couple of cups of coffee later, and I have some energy. We feel happy, but exhausted after the holiday. How about you? I don't have an explanation for this picture, except that I love half and half, and the little people on this carton, so there you go.

I've got most of our Christmas stuff stacked on the couch in the front living room. I plan to vacuum now, and run the carpet shampooer over a few places. I also have a stack for Goodwill, which I should have done before Christmas. We had such a great Christmas and I've been wishy washy about taking down our decor, but right this second I am ready. I always love having my normal house back. I even took away my Christmas header on here. Time to get ready for the New Year.

I have one small problem. I'm not sure how to dispose of Boyd's gingerbread house. He is going to be mad.
:)

My cousin and his wife had their first baby on the 26th at 1:35 am. Almost a Christmas baby! We are so happy for them. I went to visit yesterday, and I had about 2 hours of loving on their precious, snuggly 12 hour old baby. I could eat him up. He is perfect. Say hello to Andrew.

Ok, that's about it. I better run before I lose my will to clean. Have a good day.

christmas eve and day

2011-12-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve at my mom and stepdad's house.

Boyd and his cousin Cale Jean. Isn't she a doll. Boyd and Cale are 2 months apart in age. Boyd had to make his usual faces, but in spite of looking sad in a couple of these, he was really happy and on a sugar high. These pictures make me smile. I love Boyd's smile, but his goofy pictures are always my favorite.

We had great food {ham, dressing, green bean casserole, brie, salads, rum soaked pineapple, desserts}, big laughs, and everything looked so pretty.

One more picture of the babes, before the antlers.

Boyd loves his cousin Cale, but it makes me miss him being with his other cousins, in Virginia and Hawaii.

Christmas morning was quiet and peaceful at our house. We woke up, snacked, watched tv. Boyd opened gifts and we did stockings, etc. Christmas really takes on a new meaning with a child. I loved this holiday with Boyd so much.

We went to Kevin's mom's house on Christmas day, for fondue and other snacks. It was all delicious, and her home is really festive for the holiday. Boyd played with his new Tonka truck, we watched a movie, and stuffed ourselves for several hours. It was a great day.

I feel a drop-off trip to Goodwill in my near future. How about you?!

It's hard to believe we will be putting Christmas stuff back in the attic in about a week. It always flies by. This was a really great Christmas. I hope yours was too!

merry christmas

2011-12-24T07:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:7,14

a few things

2011-12-22T03:30:00.000-08:00

My coffee was sitting right next to Boyd, and I said don't spill my coffee. Don't spill my coffee. Don't spill my coffee. Then, for some reason he said, would you like some tea? And I swear he talks in a British accent sometimes, which made me laugh, then made him laugh. This child. I love him.

Boyd has been pretty good, so we have decided to let Santa in the house on Christmas eve. Maybe.

We met Kevin for lunch the other day at Chubby's Burger Shack, and of course I had to get a picture of this street sign hanging in the restaurant.

And, of course I had to get a picture of my green chile pepper jack cheeseburger.

I hope your week before Christmas is merry and bright.

I'm grateful for:

1. spicy hamburgers.

2.belly laughs.

3.sippy cups.

4. a clear calendar.

5.fuzzy pajamas on boyd. because that means he goes to bed warm, every night.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Matthew 2:10

words of wisdom from my grandma

2011-12-21T07:05:00.000-08:00

I called my grandma last night for some advice. She is really good about giving me ideas and words of wisdom, without being preachy. My heart has not been in the right place lately. I don't want to overshare on here, but I get hurt feelings, feelings of being ignored, I keep track of wrongs too often, I hold certain people accountable for things, and say oh that's ok to others. I have been talking the talk, but not walking the walk. God doesn't keep score of my wrongs. He doesn't strike me down when I ignore Him, or when I forget about Him on some days. He doesn't get mad at me when I forget to pray. He loves me always, He forgives me always. I take Him for granted often, and yet He doesn't have a tally sheet for that.

I find myself saying lately and way too often, but what about me? That is not the spirit of love that I want to have in me. It goes against everything I know and believe, and yet I have found myself sinking into this dark hole.

My grandma reminded me that we all have very tight circles of people in our lives, and although we may be very important to many people, we may not be in that certain circle, and that's ok. Those circles change too, people come and go. She reminded me that we are all capable of different things in our lives, and not necessarily to lower expectations, but to accept the gifts as they come, for what they are. She gently pointed out that it's human nature to do for some and not expect anything, and then those closer to you, you expect much more from. However, that way of thinking can make you bitter. Light bulb moment. I have not been doing what I know I should. My thinking has been wrong, my heart has been wrong.

As my grandma always reminds me, a trouble shared is halved. I felt so much better after talking to her last night. I felt lighter on my feet, happier, and relieved. I know I have been wrong. I have got to make it right. I fully believe there is good in every person. We each do what we can. We do what we know, what we've been taught, what we are capable of. We are all different, and I have to remember that.

{This is one of those vulnerable posts that I write and wonder if I should have, but I feel so much better being able to write it out}.

I just wanted to share this in case someone else out there is feeling the same way. I know it's a beautiful season of Advent, and love. Somehow I have not been in the right frame of mind. I have not had the spirit of kindness and love and forgiveness in me. I will do better. It is such a wonderful time, and I just needed a little push to get over this ugly bump in the road.

I'm grateful for:

1. grandmas.

2. gifts of delicious holiday food.

3. love and forgiveness and kindness.

4. little boys and their sticky, dirty faces.

5. light bulb moments.

the last few days

2011-12-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Kevin and I had a fun afternoon & night alone on Saturday, Boyd had fun with his meemaw, then Sunday night I spent with my mom and sister. My sister had a successful surgery on Monday, and we appreciate everyone that checked in on us, prayed, sent good wishes, etc. She has a long and painful recovery, but the surgery was good and we are so happy for her. Kevin is back to work, I'm back with Boyd, and my sister is being well cared for. I will see her again in a few days. I've been extra emotional lately, and I've been missing Boyd, so we went to one of our favorite places this morning to eat and walk around. The Fort Worth Stockyards. It was cold, but full of Christmas cheer and music, good food, and lots of tourists.

I had just picked up my camera and Boyd noticed something on his side of the table and was flipping out about it. Makes me laugh to see this picture!

I had fried pickles {surprise}, and a bleu cheese wedge salad.

There is always so much to see down there, and I love it all, especially at Christmas.

Boyd always gets his lollipop when we go there. I love that he still calls them wollypops. I hope he doesn't say it right for a long, long time.

I'm going to brew a fresh pot of coffee, and we're headed out to play.

I'm grateful for:

1. skilled surgeons and my sister's health.
2. fried pickles.
3. my funny child.
4. boyd's stroller. even though i know he's almost grown out of it.
5. texas.

dark chocolate covered espresso coffee beans

2011-12-18T06:40:00.000-08:00

Good morning. I hope your weekend has been a good one. I made this last night. Coffee lovers, you will love this. Well, eating a candied coffee bean is definitely different than drinking coffee, but I like both, a lot.

Dark chocolate covered espresso coffee beans.

This was so easy. Melt a bag of dark chocolate nestle baking chips in a saucepan on low heat, stirring until melted. Throw in about 3 handfuls of espresso beans. I am no good at measurements, but you can tell when you have added enough. Stir, stir. At first I tried to take one bean out at a time. Much too time consuming. So I dumped it all out on a piece of wax paper, spread until the beans were in one layer but not too thin, and dried several hours. Break into tiny pieces, try to get only one or two beans per piece.

I'm grateful for:

1. coffee beans {as boyd now says, duh!}.
2. books and pretty bookmarks.
3. the christmas spirit.
4. sleeping in today. because it rarely happens. ok it never happens.
5. friendly neighbors.

Are you ready? Are you counting down?
"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people".
Luke 2:10

friday

2011-12-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

I really love this boy.

I just don't even know what this face is, but I love it.

And what about this face.

We've been playing, Christmas-partying, drinking & eating lots of good stuff, shopping, snacking.

Boyd is very ready for Santa's visit to our house, or more like his toy drop-off.

I'm going to try to make chocolate covered coffee beans this weekend. I'm excited. Kevin and I may have some alone time too. That is even more exciting!

I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season.

I'm grateful for:

1. popcorn.
2. beautiful bible verses.
3. chips and salsa.
4. strong, salty margaritas.
5. you.

bricks walls and stuff

2011-12-14T03:57:00.000-08:00

I know I don't do near as much as most of you, but I hit a brick wall last night/this morning, big time. So, mid-morning I locked all the doors, shoved my to-do list in the bottom of my purse, put the living room tv on for Boyd and gave him some snacks, and then I crawled into bed for 3 hours. I never would have thought I could allow myself to do that, or that it was ok. I did get up to check on Boyd, and he was an angel. God heard my prayers. I loaded up on ibuprofen, gatorade, vitamins, caught a quick nap, and watched some tv. I was desperate. My mental side was as worn down as my physical side. I had a few tears in my eyes when Kevin left for work. I needed him to stay home, but I knew he couldn't. After a few hours, I was better. I crawled out of bed with the promise to be a little easier on myself, whatever that might mean, on any given day.

A few new ornaments.

We played in the rain, and lots and lots of muddy puddles. I had to strip Boyd down at the door by the end of the evening. I picked Boyd up and we ran through the house to the bathroom, and he laughed all the way. THAT'S THE GOOD STUFF!

I made my version of pad thai. I love this dish, a lot.

I'm grateful for:

1. finally finding a toothpaste flavor that boyd doesn't cry and gag over.
2. spicy food.
3. that night in bethlehem.
4. gatorade when i feel like i might crash and burn.
5. kevin's daily text that tells me he is on his way home.

tuesday

2011-12-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas cards. I love them.

Bonnie, this picture is for you.

Boyd kept making these funny faces, then he said, what do you think of that? ha. Well dear, this is what I think. I think that God may have given us the most high energy, most hilarious, most stubborn, and most intelligent child in the world. I think that for 3 1/2 years now, each day I look at you and know how much of a miracle you are because you are ours. And yes, I still wonder where you came from. I think that you frustrate the heck out of me most of the time. I think that you are cute and handsome and the sweetest thing I have ever laid my eyes on. I think that when you get up at 5 am, I want to scream and cry. I think that we wouldn't know what to do without your silliness and crazy ways. I think that you talk back a lot, you don't always listen, you remember things we don't even remember, you make a lot of people smile. I think that you are going far in this world, and that I want you to become whatever your heart desires, and that I will always support you. Always. That's what I think of that. So there.

Our list of things to do today includes Mexican food for lunch, and a trip to the bookstore.

I'm grateful for:

1. lunch dates with boyd, because one day i know we won't have as much free time together.
2. extra food in our pantry.
3. legos.
4. inexpensive children's clothes.
5. peace and goodwill, and that it still exists.

the last few days

2011-12-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

So much love in the mail. Just a tiny glimpse of so much that we received. Thank you Suzette and Michelle and Kris. You made us smile. I know I don't always get the chance to mention everything on here, but we are so blessed by our friends and family.

A wonderful, happy box from Hawaii from Kevin's sister and family. Love it all. So much fun stuff!

Boyd received 2 very special Advent calendars, and we LOVE them both.

That's a lot of goodness, huh?!

Boyd saw Mrs. Clause, and Santa.

Boyd asked Santa for Mack the 18 wheeler, from Cars. Thank goodness that is what he has stuck with wanting for months now, and Santa has purchased.

We have a Christmas party this week at Joe T. Garcia's. {Julia, don't be jealous}. I can't wait for some of their yummy mexican food, and a margarita.

I'm grateful for:

1. free santa pictures.
2. half and half in my coffee.
3. happy mail.
4. a simple christmas.
5. heart to heart talks with my grandma.

have a great week!

friday stuff

2011-12-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

I use a lot of epsom salt in my bath. I love it. It cures a lot of ailments. I decided to make my own scented epsom salt, and my frugal self is very happy.

I bought a four lb bag of regular epsom salt for $1.99, and a 1 oz bottle of eucalyptus essential oil for $3.79. I put all the salt in a large plastic mixing bowl. I added 20 drops of the oil, and stirred. It's amazing. The bottle of oil will last through many batches. If you are a lover of epsom salt, you have to try this.

Today I had fried green tomatoes for lunch, all fancied up. I am in love. I can't stop thinking about them. My sister and I had lunch at a local soul food restaurant called Buttons. She had salmon with greens. We both had iced tea. {Boyd had french fries, and a bottle of ketchup}. We were in need of some SOUL food. It hit the spot.

I'm grateful for:

1. fried green tomatoes.
2. homemade epsom salts.
3. boyd's sweet southern accent.
4. colored christmas lights.
5. the magic of santa claus. {or the fact that during the entire month of december, you can tell your child you will call santa if he misbehaves}.

have a good weekend.

ps.
My friend Sloan sent this video to me. It is beautiful. Thank you Sloan!

thursday

2011-12-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling kind of exhausted. How about any of you?

Boyd said to me today, don't do anything radical. He certainly makes us laugh, even though he is a 3 year old STINKER....and he wears me out. He is in a bossy, yelling, talk back kind of stage. Today he had a wrinkly shirt, a hole in his pants, and red socks that matched nothing. He looked like a rugrat. I can't blame him, I dressed him.

Our toilet paper is now under lock and key. Boyd thinks it's funny to dump an entire new roll in the toilet.

He's gotten a little bossy when I am driving too. He likes to yell, HIT THE BRAKES. Oh, and he says, hit that dammin car. Whatever that means. Lord have mercy on me.
:)

I'm grateful for:

1. my sister took boyd to the park for an hour today. i stayed home in silence.
2. hand me down nativity scenes.
3. holes in boyd's pants, because it means he's healthy and can crawl around on his knees and play rough like little boys do.
4. sleep.
5. the acorn boyd brought me from the park today, and told me it was my christmas present.

Boyd and my sis.

goodnight.

pearl harbor day

2011-12-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

Today is special in our family, because it is the day that my sister became my sister. Our parents adopted her on Pearl Harbor Day, 1972, at the age of 2 months. I came along 8 1/2 months later {Surprise!}. I love my sister! My sis is here, and we are busy running a ton of errands, and enjoying some gingerbread spice coffee that we picked up at Central Market.

I'm also remembering my extra special visit to Pearl Harbor this past February/March. What a sacred and solemn place.

I'm grateful for:

1. holiday coffee flavors.
2. noxzema.
3. boyd's chubby little hands.
4. dark chocolate sea salt caramels.
5. my hawaiian mommy vacation.

yesterday

2011-12-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

We were not brave and we didn't get out in the cold yesterday. It was colder that I thought it would be. I even thought about driving out west to see the snow. We got in the car for 2 quick errands, then stayed home the rest of the day. I am not sure what Boyd was doing in these pictures, but I guess it's his cold face. We lasted about 2 minutes on the front porch.

We watched a ton of cartoons, we read, we ate pretzels, we played.
{It's going to be a long winter!}.

I attempted to get a few bokeh shots of our christmas tree lights. My friend Karina took a beautiful one the other day, here.

I'm grateful for:

1. my bathtub.
2. ordinary days.
3. vitamin b.
4. raw peanuts.
5. books.

weekend things

2011-12-05T04:40:00.000-08:00

It rained all weekend. I loved it. This morning it's snowing about 30 miles west of us, but not here. Looks like it's going to miss us this time around.

I made big pot of tomato basil soup. Sort of. It was canned tomato soup, canned tomato bisque soup, milk, dried basil. It was still good.

I'm a sucker for coffee mugs, and coffee pictures. Yesterday I drank Coke Zero and coffee from this mug, and ate tomato soup from it.

I went all over yesterday looking for an Advent calendar, and they are sold out. Figures. I do realize I'm a few days late though. I just might make one, or chalk it up and plan ahead for next year. I wanted a chocolate Advent calendar, but I am guessing that Boyd would have all the chocolate eaten in one day anyway. He begs us every day for "just one bite" of his gingerbread house.

I really wanted it to snow here today. Since it didn't, I think Boyd and I will bundle up, get out and explore something new today.

I'm grateful for:

1. baby jesus.
2. blog friends.
3. mouse traps.
4. having a meal in a restaurant, alone.
5. mango fire cheddar cheese from sam's.

things on my mind

2011-12-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

My tacky wreath makes another appearance. It has grown on me, but it still makes me laugh. I just had to have it a few years ago, the minute I hung it up, I was like, oh my this is not pretty. I hang it now to kind of laugh at myself, plus it's gotten prettier. Does any of that make sense? Probably not. I haven't had my coffee yet this morning.

Today we have to go couch shopping. It pains me greatly, because couches are so expensive, and this wasn't really on our radar. Ours is 9 years old. We have been guilty of letting Boyd jump on it. It has 2 recliners built in. One recliner is shot. Part of the couch is falling apart. It will be nice to have something new though. I stress over these things, and my sweet husband says, don't worry, life is too short.

Boyd was playing outside the other day, and some older girls were being mean to him. Although I know kids are kids, mama bear came out. It was not pretty. I had to confess that to make myself feel better, because I've felt pretty bad about it.

Another kid was playing with Boyd and I said, Boyd it's almost time to come in and get a bath. This kid looked at me funny and asked, why does he need a bath, I haven't had one in over a week.
:)

This is kind of heavy, but sometimes the news is more than I can handle. I read this story yesterday, and can't get it off my mind. Is there anything worse? It makes me want to cry out to Jesus to come now, come heal this broken world.

After a few delays and bumps in the road, my sister is having a major surgery on Monday December 19th. I know she would love your prayers now and especially on that day.

We are expecting snow/sleet in North Texas on Monday. Who knows if it will really happen. It's exciting for us though, well most of us, since it's a rare thing here. It usually happens in January or February, if it happens at all.

Have a good weekend.
xo.

I'm grateful for:

1. my sister.
2. fuzzy's taco shop, because i know we will eat there at least once this weekend.
3. cartoons.
4. christmas music.
5. the chance of an early snow in texas.

good morning thursday

2011-12-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

Do you love pomegranates? I do. Now I'm wishing I would have bought the pears I saw as well. I love pears this time of year.

I tried to sneak outside this morning for a couple of minutes, with my camera and my coffee. Boyd was watching a cartoon, and I thought I could have a few drinks of coffee in silence. It lasted about a minute before the door opened and my name was being called. That's ok, it's my job. I don't deserve the silence, I was just hoping!

The weather was a cool 60 degrees on Wednesday, but the sun was out, so we went outside and enjoyed nature. It was a gorgeous day.

I made this recipe, here.
Rigatoni pasta with pumpkin & sage cream sauce. It is to die for. It's so good, very easy to make, and so different.

I'm grateful for:

1. boyd wore real underwear to kroger the other day, without an accident.
{this was a bigger step for me, than it was for him}.
2. beautiful pomegranates.
3. hot wheels because they only cost $1.09.
4. nature and clean air.
5. warm socks.

a quick post

2011-11-30T05:10:00.000-08:00

We substituted our cupcakes this week for one of these mini bundt cakes. Have you been to Nothing Bundt Cakes? It's the cutest store, and the cakes are delicious. I know they have them in several states. We got the chocolate chocolate chip. Boyd, my mom, and I all shared one. It's maybe a tiny bit bigger than a cupcake. I loved it. {I will lay off the dessert posts now}!

Cindy, this photo is for you, and I'm copying your grateful list at the end of my December posts too. Well actually starting today. Thank you! Here is the full length of our tree. Guess I could have straightened up Boyd's Christmas books first. I was so excited to find the capiz shell star topper from Target yesterday. My frugal self didn't want to spend the $25, but my mom talked me into it. I'm glad she did. It's hard to see it in this picture, but I just love it.

xo.

I'm grateful for:
1. a best friend who sent me a jean jacket for Boyd, that all 3 of her babes wore. that makes it extra special, and it still looks like new.
2. my other best friend who got me hooked on cinnamon stick coffee. yum!
3. heat in our home.
4. boyd's crazy laugh.
5. kevin who works so hard that sometimes i feel guilty, and i am forever grateful.

cookies

2011-11-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

Good morning. I forgot to share this cookie recipe. I made them last week. You've probably seen the recipe in a recent magazine. I've seen it several times now. They remind me so much of the chocolate and red chile cupcake I had when I was in Santa Fe in August. Have you ever had the sweet/spicy combination? It's so good. I think next time I make them I will add extra of the chile pepper.

If you want something different but definitely delicious, you should try these.

I'm looking forward to spending the day with my mama.

Enjoy your day.

monday

2011-11-28T07:02:00.001-08:00

Dino jammies, Cars socks, and a new haircut that makes my 3 year old look like he's 5.

A few quick errands.

To my artistic friends & family, don't laugh. We decorated our first gingerbread house today. We tried our best. It really was fun, in spite of being messy and a little unorganized.

I finally ran out of icing {patience}.
Ours most certainly does not look like the picture on the box. I knew it wouldn't. That's ok. Boyd loved it, and I loved doing it with him. That is all that matters.

happy monday.

christmas tree truths

2011-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas tree is up, and trimmed. I could post these pictures and act like we put up the tree while singing Christmas carols and laughing all the way. We didn't. It was a mess. That is life, right?! After some short tempers, time outs, raised voices, and a bad word that was said that Boyd ran with, used completely out of context, and made us laugh so hard that Kevin had to leave the room, it all turned out ok. I'm not saying the bad word made everything ok, but you know what I mean. Laughter always makes things better. Especially the hysterical kind.

I have a couple of hours alone right now. The couch and a cup of coffee and a new book are waiting for me.

xo.

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

We have much to be thankful for. Tonight, I am thankful for all of the delicious food we ate today, precious family & friends {near and far}, and a bed to sleep in tonight.

this

plus this

and this

and 4 of these

has exhausted me.

I'm tired, so happy & thankful, but still tired. Kevin's dad came up as a last minute surprise. We just came home from spending the day at Kevin's mom's and aunt's beautiful new home, I took an epsom salt bath and 2 ibuprofen, and am about to crawl into bed.

Hope it was a wonderful day for you!

ps. Happy 1st birthday to our niece Clara Jane. We got to sing to her over the phone today. Both sides of our family were scattered all over for the holiday. I got a little emotional missing everyone, but it was a nice day to have an extra thankful heart for everyone in my life.

Enjoy your long weekend.

tuesday

2011-11-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

Boyd and I drove down to Granbury today, to visit with my mom and stepdad. Then we headed to the town square to eat, window shop and sight see. I had a chocolate covered cherry cappuccino, and it was so good. Sinful, but good. The coffee shop was adorable, and I loved everything about it.

Boyd had a brownie at the coffee shop.

I know we haven't had Thanksgiving yet, but everything was decorated for Christmas. It was so pretty!

I love how the courthouse is reflecting in this window display.

My cute mom with Boyd. Granbury is really rich with Texas history. I love it. There is a haunted opera house down on the square, from the 1800s. It's believed that John Wilkes Boothe hid there for a while, after assassinating President Lincoln. Cool, huh?!

Now that you've gotten a little Christmas, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

xo.

date night

2011-11-21T05:10:00.000-08:00

On Saturday afternoon, Boyd went home with his meemaw and Aunt Terry, and Kevin and I had about 24 hours alone. We ate, shopped, ate again, drove around town, watched a movie, and just had fun. I think it's the most fun we've had in a long time together, alone. We needed it.

We had a light lunch at Fuzzy's Taco Shop, which we are now both officially obsessed with. Kevin had a burrito, then we shared the best chicken nachos ever made. This poor guy sat next to us with his 2 small boys. The boys were wild and at one point he said, I'm done. I just want to eat one meal in peace! I felt for him. I could totally relate. I almost felt guilty being there without our wild child. Oh wait, no I didn't feel guilty at all.
:)

{Kevin took some pictures for me, for my blog. He knows me well}.

Isn't my date cute! Kevin took a picture of me, but I will not show it, because I was shoving a chip in my mouth.

We picked up Boyd's santa gift, so that is out of the way. No more shopping madness for us. Thank goodness. The stores are already crazy.

We ended the night with a quick burger. Yes, we indulged that day, big time.

When we left In-N-Out, we drove around for a while. At one point I looked over at Kevin and said, are we cruising? He said yes, and we both laughed. Well, he laughed at me for asking. I love my city. There are so many neat places to see in Fort Worth. We drove by and pointed out all the fun restaurants we've been to, or where we want to go. We drove downtown, through the Stockyards, around the TCU area. Anyway, the night was so nice, and I felt like I could breathe & relax a little.

Then, I missed Boyd like crazy, and was so glad to have him home on Sunday! Your children become so much a part of you that it's hard to be without them.

oh how he loves us

2011-11-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

Boyd and I went downtown this morning.

We found our friend Mr. Jule, and were thankful to feed him and wish him a Happy Thanksgiving.

We fed this man. I later saw him sitting on the side of the road, brushing his beard with a toothbrush and smiling. You can't help but love them.

Downtown was a busy place this morning. This may not make much sense, but this is where Jesus is. I feel closer to Him when I am around the needy, than anywhere else I have ever been.

We fed two people in these tents. They were so nice. They looked like they could have been any average person you passed on the streets, except they don't have a home to go to at night. Yes, maybe they've made some really poor choices in their lives, but that is not for me to judge. Who of us has not made bad choices?
There but for the grace of God go I.

Isn't she beautiful.

We fed another man who had just gotten off the bus. He was reluctant to take the food. I am sure I would be too if some stranger pulled up and handed me something out of the window. Before we could pull away, he had a sandwich out and was eating. Knowing he was that hungry made me happy that we were there at the right time. I hope we gave him a tiny bit of happiness & love today, because he seemed so sad and so lost.

We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.
~ Mother Teresa

yesterday

2011-11-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

A few pictures from yesterday.

A really sweet surprise.

We survived Target this time around.
:)

For the first time in over a month, Boyd took a long nap for me. I had almost forgotten what quiet time in the middle of the day feels and sounds like. It was heaven.

I woke up freezing today, probably because I slept in a summer halter top thingy. I cranked up the heater, and am about to brew some coffee. Boyd is taking a morning bath, and having a sugar free popsicle. That's how we roll around here. We have so much, and I am so thankful.

It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart. ~author unknown

cupcakes {and other stuff}

2011-11-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

We had our cupcakes yesterday. Lemon for me. Chocolate for Boyd. I love lemon anything, and mine was so good. Of course Boyd loved his. Can't you tell. I hate to say, but I'm a little burned out on the cupcake posts. You are too probably. Maybe we will give them a break with the holidays coming up.

My happy spot. What is yours?

Last night with our dinner I made mashed cauliflower. Have you ever made it? It's a close substitute for mashed potatoes. I steam two 1 lb bags of frozen cauliflower until very tender, drain all water. Mix with an electric mixer, salt and pepper, milk, a dab of butter. I think a food processor would make it better, but I didn't want the mess. I've made it twice now, and we love it.

Boyd had his new neighbor friend Todd over yesterday evening. It was one of those strange moments when I really felt like a mom. You know one of those moments where it just hits you. We started out playing outside, but it was cold, so I told Todd to ask his mom if he could come inside to play. Even though Todd is a few years older, he and Boyd have fun together. So the boys played and I was in the kitchen cooking dinner. Boyd still doesn't like it when it's time for a friend to leave. In between sobs, Boyd kept saying, Todd is breaking my heart. It was so funny. I didn't want to laugh, and I tried to tell Boyd that Todd could play again anytime because we are neighbors.

I made a fresh batch of salsa yesterday, and I'm dying to eat some right now, but salsa and coffee don't work well together. I think we are off to Target to look for Christmas cards this morning. I can't come up with anything creative, and I don't think I'll ever love a Christmas picture as much as last year's, here, so I think I'm going the regular route this year. Which makes me just as happy.

I'm still trying to get one picture of Boyd to send with cards though. That may be hard. He won't be still, but he sure is cute.

Have a good day!

yesterday

2011-11-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Boyd threw up in Target. It went all over him and the floor, in the cart, in my purse, on my feet, in his new bag of popcorn, on his friend Jonas. Jonas' mommy Rachel was quick and jumped back, so she stayed clean, and all I could do was yell, oh sh*#! Really loud. Honestly, we got a really good laugh out of it all. I'm still laughing. Boyd was fine, he just drank his juice box too quickly and got a tummy ache. He does this often. I should have seen it coming. I offered 10 times to help the store employee clean it up, but he was so gracious and told me it was fine.

{I think it was too bright outside for Boyd. I love that he's fresh and clean here, this is post-throw up. AND I love that some of his curls are coming back}.

We made it out of Target with some cards, a Cars car, and 2 really cute tops, that Boyd desperately needed. In a size 4 T. Be still my heart. We got home and both had baths/showers, and did a load of laundry. We were good to go.

Can you tell, I really love this new shirt.

I had this salad for lunch. Romaine lettuce, poppy seed dressing, pumpkin seeds, and craisins infused with pomegranate juice. It was so good. I think I will have it all week for lunch.

The rest of the day we watched cartoons and played outside. And made pb&j. And ran to the potty a thousand times. And cleaned up 2 accidents. And wiped off a dirty face and hands. And changed clothes 5 times. And filled up a sippy cup 10 times. And comforted Boyd when his friends never came out to play. And searched for that one missing matchbox car, because he always knows the one out of 100 that is missing. And so on.

This is what our days are filled with right now. I am sure tomorrow will be much of the same, and I'm good with that. {Wash, rinse, repeat. You know what I mean}. I write all of this here so that I will remember. I love having the memories to look back on, good and bad.

good stuff

2011-11-14T05:21:00.000-08:00

This weekend was filled with some good stuff. Alone time. Seeing my mom and grandma. Sharing a meal with Kevin's mom and aunt at their new home. I got to eat a meal, in a restaurant, alone. In total silence. I savored every minute. Lots of funny sayings from Boyd, including, mom you're my captain, and, let's go homies. Good food. Lots of football. Errands. Lots of coffee. Warm weather. A family baby shower.

The baby shower made me want another baby, for about a minute. However, it did make me sentimental for when Boyd was an infant. Our sweet little niece is about to turn 1. Why are these babies growing up?!

Have a good day.

cupcake friday {and mama stuff}

2011-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Boyd and I met our sweet friend Kathy for cupcakes today. It was a great morning. We truly enjoyed every minute of it. We have been to this cupcake shop one other time, and to be honest, I didn't love it the first time. It was really good today.

Kathy treated us to cupcakes. She had lemon, Boyd had chocolate/vanilla, I had strawberry. The red velvet was an extra one that she bought, and while she and I were talking, Boyd grabbed it and already had a bite out of it. So Boyd had 2. Two icings that is. That was all he ate of them. I love Kathy because she has so much patience with Boyd, and realizes that he does things that 3 year olds do. Boyd had so much fun playing with her. Thank you Kathy!

Here is the little thief with his 2nd cupcake.

Then we all walked around the corner and had a quick lunch at Chimy's. I had not eaten there before, and I loved it.

Yesterday was one of those days that took every ounce of mental energy out of me. Boyd still won't poop on a potty. Yesterday I was determined and not giving up. He needed to go, and he was going to use the potty. I was not giving in. I was not trying to be mean. Bless his little heart, I know he gets it by now. After 1 hour plus of him crying, at least 3 attempts on the potty, and me on the bathroom floor crying with him and praying {literally with my hands together and asking Jesus for help, I was desperate}, I put the dang pull up on him and told him to just poop. I mean really, how do you know when you have reached your limit? You just have to do what you can sometimes. I'm trying my hardest. I know Boyd is not doing this on purpose. I just want him to get it. Then we played outside and Boyd hit a kid on the head with a plastic shovel, and although that mom said it was fine and I apologized like crazy, and I know Boyd was just playing, my other neighbor yanked Boyd by the arm. hard. .....and this mama doesn't go for that at all. Thank you but no thank you. Our street was just a madhouse with about 20 kids outside. Boyd had fun, but it was way too loud and chaotic. By the time Kevin got home I was a big mess.

And 2 days before I had just hung the verse about loving your neighbor, on our fridge.

In spite of yesterday, today has been such a good day, thank you Lord, because You know my heart. I know for sure that this stage is hard, as is life at times, yet it's hysterical and so sweet too. The next stage will be the EXACT same mix of emotions, and so on and so on. :)

wednesday

2011-11-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Boyd had to put up with a crabby mama today. It took me until this afternoon to snap out of it. It was cold, but we needed some fresh air, so we spent a couple of hours outside. We started off without jackets, but I quickly realized that we really needed them.

Boyd and his neighbor friend Todd planted hoison {poison} berries in the sidewalk crack. Because that's the thing to do, you know. :) They took their planting very seriously. The berries are not really poison, but Boyd thinks so, and it's funny to hear him call them hoison.

Boyd got a little carried away with his watering. I think he and Todd will be bummed when their berries don't grow into a tree.

I ate a lot of homemade hummus and pita chips. I love this stuff.

I burned a new candle, which always makes me happy.

I made this chicken dish, a recipe from my sweet friend Genn. It's her Nana's chicken recipe. I think it's the first time I've ever cooked with capers. We LOVED this dish. It is so full of flavor, and the chicken almost melts in your mouth. Thanks for the recipe Genn. {Genn's mom Kris posted about it too. I adore Genn and Kris}. Do you love my new enamel dutch oven? I've wanted one forever. Kevin bought it for me recently. I love it!

Boyd is watching a cartoon, Kevin is at a training class, I'm going to relax.

Good night.

the last few days

2011-11-08T05:59:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon stick flavored coffee. I love it.

I'm reading this book, Under The Overpass. There is so much love and hope and inspiration in this book, along with a lot of heartbreak. I'm soaking up every word, and I can honestly say it is already changing me in some ways. Worship and faith extend way beyond the walls of the church. I love when the author says faith is more than saying amen at the end of the Sunday sermon. There is a lot of good in this world, and people doing good makes my heart sing.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18.

Boyd calls this little corner on his toy shelf, his library. Since he doesn't nap anymore, he is so tired at night and doesn't want a bedtime story. Bedtime is 7 pm or earlier. Heaven. I know some people say, why have kids if you can't wait to put them to bed. Well, it is what it is. :) Anyway, I have been reading more to him during the day. I miss the bedtime reading though!

That's about it. Boyd and I get to go to Costco, Sam's and Walmart today. I have to really psych myself up for these shopping trips. Plus, it's raining.

Have a good day.

a little more nascar

2011-11-06T04:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a very windy weekend so far. The weather has held out, but still, the wind has been crazy.

Friday night we had hamburgers and hot dogs at the campground. Saturday we had Cornell chicken. That is a staple for us now, at the races. It's so good. Have you ever had it? The menu this year has been pretty simple, nothing too different.

We do this a lot with whole onions, but this is the first time to do it with cabbage. This was my mom's idea. Core it out about 3/4 of the way down, stuff with butter and bouillon. Wrap in foil and grill about 45 minutes.

Yummy snacks.

One more picture of the BIG chair. We had to add a step stool to get in and out. My mom and stepdad below.

I think Boyd has had the time of his life this week. Saturday he was the referee while everyone played bean bag toss. It was hilarious.

Kevin's dad, Boyd, and our friend Mike up from Corpus Christi, Texas. Mike and his wife Stephanie have joined us several times now. They are good friends of Kevin's sister and her husband, and we have enjoyed being around them. Some other friends came out with their tent trailer that you see here.

And if you are lucky enough, you will see plenty of characters like this. The people watching part is the best part.

Or, how about a romantic Nascar marriage proposal. "Candy I love U with all my heart. Will U marry me?" ha.

Sunday's dinner is fajitas on the grill, after the big race.

You're all welcome, anytime, to join us! If you dare.

I am EXHAUSTED, and ready to put race weekend behind us, until spring.

Ok, that's it for Nascar posts. Hope I haven't scared you off.

:)

anniversaries and nascar

2011-11-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary yesterday. Since becoming Nascar fans {something I swore I would never love}, the fall race in Texas usually falls right around our anniversary. So, you know where we spent our anniversary. I know you're totally jealous. :) We are saving a weekend in the near future to have a nice date night. Boyd and I headed out to the campground last night. We had a fun time. Kevin is camping all week, and Boyd and I are back and forth. We all camp together sometimes, but it gets a little crazy out there, and I'm just not ready for Boyd to be out there a lot. I always feel the need to clarify. We love Nascar, we are not rednecks. I don't even like that word. Or, maybe we are by default, because we live in Texas and we do love Nascar. Hmmmm. I am always defensive of Nascar, because it really is such a great sport.

Kevin boiled/grilled bratwurst last night and they were so good. Happy anniversary to my love! We were truly meant to be, and I'm a lucky girl.

My mom bought my stepdad this ridiculously large camping chair. Isn't it hilarious. The red chair in the 2nd picture is a normal sized chair. I think the chair is almost as big as their little Casita camper.

Another night, another hot dog.

More homemade salsa, eaten with these lime chips, heaven.

I was not prepared for how cold it was yesterday evening. I had to borrow some socks from my mom, to wear with my flip flops. Very stylish. Oh well, out there you can get away with just about anything. ha.

Our camper fridge has more in it right now than our fridge at home does. I love camping food!

Lots of racing cars everywhere.

So far it's been a fun week, but Nascar week is always crazy around here. It takes a few days to get that campfire smell out of everything, and get things back to normal. I'm always glad when the camper is cleaned out and put away, and we are all home, together.

So, there's a little bit of Nascar for you, and if you're not a fan, I hope we can still be friends. :)

Enjoy your weekend.

cupcakes and a recipe

2011-11-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Boyd and I had our weekly cupcake date, today. He had chocolate. I had Samoa, as in those wonderful Girl Scout Cookies. You know the ones. This might be one of my favorite cupcakes so far. I was so tempted to take one more for the road, but I didn't.

I think we candied ourselves out this past month though, so I'm committing to getting back to one dessert a week. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again. It also makes our weekly cupcakes that much better.

I came home and made this Polynesian salad that I love. It's always so much better when my mom makes it though. Why does it work like that?! Anyway, I can eat on this for a few days. Even though it's best right away because of the crunch, I still enjoy it leftover as well. Most of you have probably had this, but I am writing out the recipe below anyway.

Chop up one small head of cabbage and about 8 or 9 green onions. Put in large mixing bowl. {A small head of cabbage is plenty}. Saute 2 T of butter, 2 packages of crushed up Ramen noodles, 1 small package of slivered almonds, 2 T sesame seeds. Stir until slightly browned. Set aside this crunchy mixture until cool and add to your cabbage and onion. In sauce pan bring to a boil 3/4 c oil, 1/2 c sugar, 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 T soy sauce, 2 seasoning packets from your Ramen noodles {oriental flavored}. Boil a couple of minutes and keep stirring. Cool. Add to other ingredients. Stir well. Serve immediately.

We spent this afternoon outside. I love my coffee in the afternoons. I love this new book too, but I don't get to read much when we are outside. That's perfectly fine. I get a couple of pages in.

The other day I was crying and Boyd looked at me and said, mommy are you crying because I ate all the candy pumpkins?

Today Boyd told me I was RUDE. I'm not even sure why. I probably deserved it. It's all good. I still love him.

good night.

the year of the pirate

2011-11-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

Here is our goofy pirate, full of personality and energy. He was so excited to go trick or treating. My sis went with us, and Kevin's mom was here and passed out candy. Our neighborhood was packed full of kids this year, the most we've ever seen. It was crazy and made it really festive. We hope everyone had a good Halloween, Boyd certainly did.

Ringing the first doorbell of the night. It's the 3rd year he has carried his blue pumpkin. I hope it will make it all of his trick or treating years. I'm kind of sentimental in that way.

I've got to get a few cups of coffee in me now.

Happy November!

the last few days

2011-10-31T04:40:00.000-07:00

The cutest boy I know.

Taking pictures and walking around the Fort Worth Japanese Gardens.

My sister is in town, and staying with us. Kevin is camping at the campground at Texas Motor Speedway all week, with friends and family. The Nascar races are this coming weekend. We went out there last night for hot dogs and steaks. We live about 10 miles from the track, so it's nice to be able to go back and forth. The weather could not have been prettier. Boyd was one exhausted babe though.

We've got a few things to do today, then trick or treating tonight.

Thanks for what you all said in my last post. I love each of you!

Happy Halloween.

blogging

2011-10-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

This post is not about halloween candy, but I like the picture, and pictures make me happy, so there you go.

I have felt really vulnerable lately with blogging. Lately, as in for a couple of months now. Blogging is fun, but there sure are a lot of crazy things in this corner of the world. I wish I could just sit here and write it all out, but I know better and that's never a wise decision. Why do I even care? This is my diary. I am not a blogger, but somehow along the way I've gained some amazing friendships through blogging, and I love keeping in touch with family and friends this way. The inspiration I find on here has blessed my life in countless ways. Sometimes I wonder who all is reading, and what they are truly thinking, or maybe I don't want to know. So I'm thinking about it all, and hoping in a few days I can gain a better perspective. Remember a while back I said this is my happy place. It is. In no way is it a total reflection of my life, but in general, I do have a really good life. I thank God a hundred times a day for what I do have. There are many days that I do have to search out some joy though, and that is what I try to do here. We deal with health and financial issues, family struggles, stress and anxiety over life, just like everyone does. My choice is to not put a lot of that on here, but at times I do share some of it. Sharing your heart is one thing, being disrespectful or mean or ugly about someone you know, or a stranger, is another. The things I read sometimes just break my heart. In real life I cry, I yell, I curse, I lose my patience. If I have something really ugly to say, I call one of my best friends. :) BUT, I try to be kind and respectful to others. Every single day I make a decision to be a better person than I was the day before. {I wish I knew what I was really trying to say right now}. Here is one of my favorite quotes, most of you already know it. Maybe this sums it up, and remember what you see is not always what you get. Let's just be a little more gentle with each other, there is too much ugliness in the world already. Let's lift each other up, instead of the alternative. The beauty of life is that we are all unique. We are all different.

Be Kind, For Everyone You Meet Is Fighting A Hard Battle.

{Please be gentle, I felt really vulnerable writing this}.

friday night

2011-10-28T17:05:00.001-07:00

I wore makeup to dinner tonight. Well chapstick, but that counts, right?! My friend Suzette posted a blog a while back, a reminder for us to be in more pictures with our kids. Even though I don't like myself in pictures, I've been more motivated to do this, by what she said. So, thanks Suzette! And, even though the sun was glaring on us in my car and we were squinting, these pictures remind me how sweet Boyd was tonight, and how many kisses and hugs he gave me. I look at these pictures and am still mystified at how I am a mom, and where did this little boy come from.

Oh, and he picked out the blue sweater for me at the store the other day. I love it, even though I wanted the brown one. :)

Boyd and I had dinner with Kevin's mom. Now we are home and cheering on the Texas Rangers. I do believe it's a bubble bath and wine kind of a night as well.

Have a great weekend.

thursday

2011-10-27T15:06:00.001-07:00

Today has been all about a goofy little boy, coffee, and homemade beef stew. It's cold, cloudy and rainy. We are loving it all.

These are those ordinary days that everyone talks about, that there aren't enough of, and that I treasure more and more.

It has taken awhile, but I certainly do know it now - the most wonderful gift I had, the gift I learned to cherish above all else, was the gift of all those perfectly ordinary days. ~Katrina Kenison

cupcake day {and other stuff}

2011-10-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

How has your week been so far? We've had a good week. A few tantrums here and there, several potty accidents, scraped knees and toes. Minor stuff.

Lots of coffee and early mornings. Lots of afternoon coffee as well.

This week I had a caramel apple cupcake. {We had them early this week. Lots of stuff coming up over the weekend}. I am in love. Caramel on top of white butter cream icing, with toffee bits on the sides, and apple cake. It might sound like a bit too much sweet, but it was light and just perfect.

Boyd had chocolate, what can I say. He is predictable.

Do you want to see it again, up close?!

I got very few pictures of Boyd on our cupcake day. It was a good day, but just one of those days that everything felt too hurried and hectic at times. My fault. I tried to fit in too many other errands.

We spent Monday and Tuesday afternoons outside this week, playing for a few hours at a time. Boyd has come in filthy dirty and dog tired, and I love it. He runs himself ragged out there. I think Boyd has a crush on our neighbor. She is 7. Wait, excuse me, 7 1/4 as she told me. Boyd kept trying to kiss her the other night and she would run away from him. I think she was running because he was stinky and dirty. Or maybe because he is 3 1/2 and she is 7. I guess I'm in charge of popcorn now, for the neighbor kids and Boyd. I've been making a big batch and sprinkling it with a tiny bit of salt, butter and sugar. It's takes very little to sweeten it. It's delish!

This picture makes me laugh so hard. Boyd was in the middle of telling me a story about the RUDE kid who ate his popcorn. ha.

I absolutely love the funny things that kids say. Boyd was playing with a new neighbor kid the other night. He is 6 years old. He asked me what Boyd's name was. I told him, and he said, why? I said, well that is just his name. He said, ummmmm Mike would have been easier.

Hope your week is going well.

Happy Wednesday.

ps.
We've heard the rumor that Trader Joe's is coming to Texas, and Dallas was to get the first store. Last night on the local news, they said Ft. Worth gets one soon. I was so excited I jumped out of bed and ran into the living room to tell Kevin. Oh, I'm so happy!

this week

2011-10-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband asked me if I needed to go shopping yesterday, because I had on a new shirt that I recently bought, and he told me I have worn it at least 10 times since I bought it. True. So, I am going to try to find a few new shirts today, with a 3 1/2 year old in tow. Wish me luck. Other than that, I'm hoping for a quiet week. Lots of coffee, and some nice rain and cold weather coming up. My sis will be back in town this weekend, and we will go trick or treating with Boyd in his inexpensive, make-shift pirate costume. I mean, you can't really even call it a costume, but I'm ok with that. I was very frugal this year, but it works for us, and Boyd won't know the difference in a $9 costume, or a $50 one. {I somehow managed to dress Boyd as a dog, a frog and then a dog again for his first 3 halloweens}. Oh, and the Texas Rangers are in the World Series and we are so excited about that. I'd like to remove myself from technology for the week, but we will see how that goes. I never keep my promises to myself in regards to that topic. Boyd won't poop in the potty, and it's getting ridiculous. I'm glad I could share that with you. Ok, we are off to do some shopping.

Halloween 2008
{be still my heart!}

Halloween 2009

Halloween 2010

Have a great week.

the country

2011-10-23T08:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we took a drive out to the country, to my mom's land. This is not where she lives, but property she and my dad bought back early in their marriage. Kevin needed to check on his deer feeder, and we wanted to walk around. Of course, Boyd was dirty almost instantly, but he loved being out there.

Going to the land always brings back sweet memories from my childhood. We would picnic out here, pick up pecans and walnuts, play in the creek. Now I get to bring my baby boy out here.

It's definitely rugged and overgrown, and after this hot summer, the creek is pretty dry, except in a few spots now.

Unfortunately a couple of months ago, there was a fire, and it burned the back of the property, and into neighboring properties. We don't believe any neighbors lost a home or anything, and we don't know how it started. An old camper of my uncle and dad's was destroyed, and hundreds of trees. It sounds silly, but it felt like I was walking on another planet or something. I guess because you expect to be walking on grass and briars and seeing tons of green trees. It was kind of surreal.

We got home, cleaned Boyd up, and went to Cabela's. We got there just as the Thunderbirds were performing at the air show at Alliance Airport. We had not planned on seeing them, but it was perfect timing. We stood outside and watched for a few minutes, but Boyd didn't like the noise at all. We shopped and "played" at Cabela's, and had dinner there. You can spend hours in that store. Well, Kevin and Boyd can. I'm good for about an hour, then I'm done.

I made another batch of that salsa. Yes, I'm crazy. It's so good. I did use the mexican oregano in this batch, like I mentioned wanting to do the other day. The recipe is out of this world delicious, but I do prefer the mexican oregano in it. If you are a salsa lover, I hope you try this!

happy sunday.

cupcake thursday

2011-10-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

We decided to do our cupcakes last minute, yesterday, after I wrote that we were waiting until today. Why wait until Friday?! We went to the little place in Keller that we love so much. Boyd dug into his cupcake as soon as I sat it on the table. He had chocolate with chocolate sprinkles. When Boyd is older I am going to look back and remember that he took a car or cars with him everywhere we went. I love that.

I had a vanilla cinnamon cupcake. I am a cinnamon fan all the way, so when I saw that one, I knew I had to have it. I love trying a new one each week. It was delicious!

Some days are a mess, but our morning was so great. We laughed and talked and I just stared at Boyd a hundred different times, trying to freeze these moments in my memory. I'm still holding onto whatever baby is left in him, at 3 1/2. I know I can't claim that much longer. Or, maybe I can.

Later in the day we played out front and ate chips and salsa. Ok, you've got to try this salsa recipe, here. I can't even explain how good it is, how these ingredients just all work together. It's to die for, the best salsa ever. I have a salsa recipe that I only thought was good, this one kicks my recipes' butt. My friend Megan has been making it for a couple of months now and she makes it weekly. I was intimidated at first because of all the ingredients. BUT, I only had to buy chips and fresh cilantro. I had everything else.

It's so good, I wish you could taste it right now. The only thing I am going to change next time, I will use mexican oregano instead of regular. The only reason is, my weird mind says....oregano. italian. not for salsa. However, I did use regular oregano in my first batch and it's SO STINKIN GOOD! I'm pretty sure if I had to pick one food to live on, it would be chips and salsa, and it would be this salsa. I'm still on the hunt for a really healthy tortilla chip. Is there one?

This post is already long, but I have to add this. My sis drives an 18 wheeler for a living, so Boyd is very interested in them. He points out when he sees one, and tells us if it's a Mack or a Peterbilt. He knows the difference, even from far away, and he's always right. It's amazing. If it's neither of these, he asks us what kind of 18 wheeler truck is that one.

My friends, you said the nicest things on my post yesterday, and gave me even more inspiration. That is what blogging is to me. This is what a good life is to me. Life is not always perfect and it's never easy, but this is my happy corner in the world, and you make it happier. I've learned so much from all of you. Thank you.

Have a good weekend.

when your child walks into the room

2011-10-20T05:18:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite lessons from poet and author Maya Angelou. She says that your face should light up when your child walks into the room. Your child should know how happy and excited you are to see them. Think of how good it makes you feel when someone is happy to see you. I realize in lala land this would happen 100% of the time, but we can try to make it happen more often than not.

When Boyd and I are having a rough day or he is just so wild, I will be conscious and do this. It makes such a difference. Or if we are coloring or doing any activity, I will exaggerate my voice and say, oh my goodness that is the best coloring ever. What a great picture. Boyd that is so wonderful.

I know this may sound silly to some, but it works. It works wonders. It calms him. It makes him feel so important. It makes Boyd's face light up and he has so much pride in whatever he is doing. Then he starts talking to me and we have these hilarious, wonderful conversations.

We've had a simple week around here, but Boyd has been a little stir crazy. We spent a few hours coloring yesterday, and it was just the best afternoon. I praised him and acted excited at every color he chose, every scribble he made, in or out of the lines. He sorted the crayons, gave me some and kept some for himself. He got onto me a few times because I mixed the colors. :) It was just a sweet afternoon.

Our lives don't stop when we have kids, but our kids should be the most important thing in our lives. They need us to sit on the floor with them, interact and love on them, give them our undivided attention whenever possible. This is definitely something I could work on being better at, because when I do it, it feels amazing. Life has way too many distractions, but only we can do something about that. I get bogged down with too many things, and I don't make enough time for Boyd, and before I know it he will be enrolling at college {Harvard}, and I will kick myself for not coloring with him more often.

Here is my favorite quote from Maya that I have loved for years, and leaned on for years. It has nothing really to do with this post, but then again it does.

I did then what I knew how to do, and when I knew better, I did better.

Cupcake friday is tomorrow. Enjoy your day.

fruit and a recipe

2011-10-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

I have been crazy over honeycrisp apples {thanks Genn for mentioning them} and kiwi fruit this week. Although I read that kiwi is not really a fruit, but a flower that turned in on itself. Whatever you want to call it, it's delicious & pretty, and really, really good for you. What are you snacking on?

An old neighbor gave us this bean dip recipe, and we've been loving it for years now. Kevin needed something for a function recently, so I made a double batch. It's good with veggies, or fritos. It's spicy and cheesy, and so easy to make.

It takes 2 cans of pinto beans with jalapenos. Drain but don't rinse. Throw beans in a large mixing bowl. Put these in microwave about 25 seconds just to warm. Then add 1 jar of Old English Cheese Spread. It's usually by the Velveeta at the store. Use an electric hand mixer to mix and mash. You can determine how chunky you want it.

And I've been burning my favorite pineapple candle.

And just so you know, in between yummy food and pretty candles, I'm losing my mind with potty training. Ok, it's not really that awful, but some days are better than others. Some days with Boyd are pure bliss, and some I still feel like I'm in survival mode. I texted Kevin the other day when Boyd kept having accidents, and he sent me 2 of the sweetest texts back. Not everyone knows this, but Kevin really is a softie. :)

Have a good day.

today is my favorite day

2011-10-17T10:32:00.001-07:00

Boyd and I went to the Fort Worth Stockyards this morning. We walked and listened to the music, window shopped, took pictures, enjoyed the breeze, went to the candy store, bought a few postcards, bought a couple of inexpensive plastic toys that will surely be lost or broken by tonight, ate bbq for lunch, and watched the cattle drive. We love going there, but try not to go too often, or it would lose it's magic.

Don't look close because I'm so wrinkly in this photo, but I'm posting it anyway....because I'm 38, and I'm owning it! :)

Kevin and I ate a ton of fruits and vegetables this weekend, so I was ready for something different. I had fried pickles, and bbq brisket tacos. Yum! Now back to fruits and vegetables for the week.

We had a great seat at lunch to watch the daily cattle drive. Boyd was so tired though, and kept asking if we could go home. Sweet baby boy. I think I'm sneaking in a nap for him today.

I brought home some taffy. Coconut, mocha, key lime, and banana.

Come visit and I will take you to the stockyards. It will be fun!

popcorn and a birthday

2011-10-16T05:20:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try this forever, microwave popcorn in a brown lunch sack. I got the recipe here. Another recipe, here. It's delicious. It's free of chemicals. It's very inexpensive. It's not greasy like your typical packaged microwave popcorn. Boyd is on a popcorn kick and wants it all the time, so this is great. We love it too.

My first batch burned at almost 3 minutes, as the recipe calls for, and there were many unpopped kernels still. Our microwave cooked it perfectly in 2 minutes, on high. The entire bag fills up. Tip: Don't lay the bag on it's side, sit it on it's bottom. It may fall over and top may open a little, but it's still ok, and will continue to pop. I also used a tad bit less than 1/2 cup of kernels. Almost every one of them popped, so there was no waste. It may take you a bag or two to experiment with your microwave, but once you get it down, you will love it. We like lime flavored popcorn, so next time at the store I will be stocking up on some flavors to add.

This coming week my dad would have turned 67 years old. I'm not sure if he is 67 or 54 up in heaven, as he was when he left us. I know that doesn't really matter, but I've always wondered. Do you age in heaven? I have 2 sweet things to remember him by each day. My husband who somehow acts just like my dad and has a ton of common interests...even though they never met, and my son who looks a lot like him. I'm happy to have so many good memories, past and present. My heart aches for my dad, but I know he's up in heaven with his sweet tooth having a big piece of birthday cake. Happy Birthday dad!

Boyd and I are up early this morning. surprise. I'm about to brew some coffee, and watch cartoons with my bubbie. We're letting Kevin sleep in. Have a great Sunday.

what i love about today

2011-10-15T12:06:00.001-07:00

kevin and boyd are gone,

{oh you know you understand}.
this means i get a potty training break!
because yesterday was a mess.
i worked hard all week,
and i'm just going to say this,
i deserve {desperately needed} a little time off.
:)

pumpkin spice coffee.

a new book and magazine.
laying on the couch.

silence.

the weather.
naps for mama.
looking through recipes,
wanting to make something new.
deciding between brunswick stew,
or a fig/goat cheese/pecan/bacon appetizer.
have you ever made or eaten brunswick stew?
an epsom salt bath at noon.
the option to make plans or not.
mexican food.
rest.

can every saturday be like this?

feeding the hungry {i'm thankful}

2011-10-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

thank you lord for my bed.
sometimes i complain that i wake up tired.
i get too cold or too hot at night,
i don't get enough sleep,
the bed is too hard,
my pillows are too thin.

i have nothing to complain about.
i have everything i need.

thank you for the roof over my head,
in my cookie cutter home,
in my middle class neighborhood.
for a dresser to put my clothes in.
and for my choice of couches or chairs to rest my feet upon.

thank you for my 10 year old car.
and for friends that are just a phone call away,
and family who is always there.
i can't imagine having no one.
{that is our friend mr. jule below}.

thank you for the 50 blankets that we have,
scattered throughout our home.

thank you for the abundance of food.
i am well provided for.
i'm sorry when i say,
there is nothing to eat in this house.

i write about the hungry and poor because they are on my heart.
i don't know why god put that passion there, but he did.
it's not just about passing out food to the homeless.
it's about opening your heart to anyone in need.
not turning a blind eye or making fun of them.
so many friends & family have told me amazing stories.
you have been in a restaurant and bought someone a meal,
left a restaurant and handed your leftovers to someone in need.
or seen someone on a street corner and smiled at them,
then ran to the grocery store to buy them some food.
or taken food to a local food bank,
made sandwiches for the hungry,
or bought groceries for the lady who begs outside the grocery store.
you keep bags of food in your cars just in case.
my sweet family has contributed food, money and supplies.
every story amazes me and touches my heart.
i'm inspired even more, by all of you.
isn't all of this what life is REALLY about?!
we are not here to change people,
we are here to love them.
it's really that simple.

there will always be poor in the land.
therefore i command you to be openhanded towards your brothers,
and towards the poor and needy in your land.
deuteronomy 15:11

pumpkin patch and a recipe

2011-10-13T09:50:00.001-07:00

there is a tree farm that runs along side our neighborhood.
this year they have a pumpkin patch.
boyd and i got there early this morning,
and enjoyed being the only ones there for an hour.
we shopped, he played in the 2 bounce houses,
i pulled him around in a wagon,
we loved the cool air and peace and quiet.

then i took boyd to whataburger for fries,
and we went to kroger for a few groceries.
i came home and made this dish.
i have made it many times, but not for a couple of years.
i call it messed up chicken enchiladas.

mix in a large mixing bowl:
15-18 cut up white corn tortillas
1 large and 1 regular sized can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of rotel, slightly drained
2 cups of shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese
1 12 oz can of chicken, drained and shredded by hand
black pepper
dried minced onion

mix well.
pour into a large baking dish, sprayed with cooking spray first.
back at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, uncovered.

i made a sour cream sauce to top it off with,
and put it in a squeeze bottle.
sour cream, cholula, lemon juice.

enjoy.

ps.
i try to keep this blog clean,
but this is too funny not to share.
sorry if it's too much for some, sharing anyway.
i was getting dressed this morning and boyd was in the bathroom too.
he looked at me and said,
what are those big things.

i'm still laughing.
i needed a good laugh today.
i'm sure some of you have similar stories!

tuesday

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

boyd and i spent yesterday at my mom's.
we celebrated my sister's birthday a couple of days early.
boyd played outside the entire day.

i love when boyd is covered in dirt.
he is happy and healthy and full of laughs.
and energy!

a few of my mom's halloween decorations.

boyd helped himself to my mom's reading glasses.

it was a fun and full and busy day.
my sis is coming to our house today, for a couple days.
boyd adores his aunt shell.

i picked up a pumpkin spice donut for me and my sis yesterday.

on sunday afternoon kevin heard a loud bang/noise outside.
as he was running out, our neighbor was running over.
our a/c literally blew up.
kevin ran back in and turned the system off.
thank goodness we were at home.
so, we get an entire new a/c system today.
and we'll be broke for a year. ha.
we take really good care of our home and the things in it.
it's so frustrating, but it's just life, and i know this.

i have good friends that pray for my heart when it is troubled.
i have a couple of things weighing on my mind.
i am so thankful for friends.
thank you and i love you.

now we're off to the bounce house.
our house will be swarming with a/c guys today.
boyd would want to help them,
and well, that just won't work.

:)

candied jalapenos

2011-10-09T11:41:00.001-07:00

have you had these and do you love them?
they are still very spicy, but sweet as well.
we just bought a jar recently for about 8 bucks.
a small jar.
i knew i could make a large batch, for half that.
here is what i did.

buy a 64 oz jar of sliced jalapenos.
pour all of the juice into a separate bowl.
slowly add in about 4 1/2 cups of sugar,
and some juice.
you want the juice to come to the top of the jar.
you will throw out some of the juice.
cover top with saran wrap, and put lid back on.
shake several times a day,
for about a week.

here is what we eat these with.

on a cracker with cream cheese.
{our favorite way to eat them}.
on a cracker with sliced havarti cheese.
on a plain slice of cheddar.
on hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches.
anything you can think of.

we are having a lazy sunday,
with tons of rain and cool temps.
oh and about 25 power outages so far.
we've stopped re-setting our clocks, for now.

enjoy.

cupcake friday

2011-10-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

boyd and i both had chocolate cupcakes this morning.

of course, i love the lettering on their wall.

then lunch.

happy weekend!

thursday

2011-10-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

i got my car back from the shop yesterday.
minor repairs. thank goodness.

i'm loving my pumpkin spice coffee.
i think i could make drawer sachets out of these beans.
not really, but i'm tempted.
i just open this bag and smell and i'm so happy.

beautiful eggplant from our friends' garden. thank you m&k.
i'm going to make eggplant lasagna tonight or friday.

boyd had to smell the eggplant this morning.
like mother, like son.

i already told a couple people this,
but yesterday a stranger said to me and boyd,
oh my goodness he sure is having a bad hair day.
i didn't know what to say, so i just stared at her, then ran off.
i've got to be quicker on my feet,
with a "nice" comeback next time.
i have always loved boyd's messy, crazy hair.
that is part of who he is.
one friend said to say,
we like it that way! :)
{in all honesty, i can't tell you the last time i brushed his hair.
wait, i don't even know if he has a brush}.

we are headed to the bounce house again today.
cheap entertainment for boyd,
he LOVES going,
great exercise,
and i can have a little alone time,
while still watching him.
never say never,
because that is another one of those places i swore off,
a long time ago.

have a good one.

crock pot pinto beans

2011-10-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

i already posted once today,
but my beans are ready so i wanted to share.
here is what i do.
so simple, and less than $2.
we can eat on these for days.

a 1 lb bag of raw/dry pinto beans
{sorted to check for rocks or dirt, etc,
rinsed a couple of times,
and soaked overnight.
the beans absorb a lot of water,
so make sure it's a few inches above the beans.
then throw out this water in the morning,
if there is any left}.
1 can of rotel, undrained
3 or 4 slices of raw bacon, diced
black pepper
dried minced onion
pinto bean seasoning or chile powder

put all into a large crockpot.
fill to about 1 inch from top, with water.
stir.
cover and cook on low for 5 or 6 hours.
stirring once or twice.
sauce will be thick and beans will be fork tender,
when done.

this is the seasoning we love.
we get it at wmart.
i don't have measurements,
but we use maybe a couple of tablespoons.

we like to put hot sauce on our beans,
and have raw onion and ham slices on the side.

enjoy.

god's grace is sufficient

2011-10-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

i had some anxiety on my mind this morning.
i asked god to take it away for me.
he did.
do you pray often?
i know i don't do it enough.
i feel like i have an ongoing conversation with god,
but i don't stop and actually pray, enough.
i am going to work on that.
if you need something,
god's grace really is sufficient.
i hope you know this.

today i am making pinto beans in the crockpot.
we are waiting to hear about my car.
boyd and i have the back door open,
and he is running in and out.
the weather is beautiful.
potty training is going well.
so far.
although boyd doesn't really think so.
:)

not sure what this face is.
oh wait,
here is a smile for you.

laters.

monday

2011-10-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

over the weekend i had 8 glorious hours alone.
boyd played at his memaw's,
and kevin helped his mom with stuff at her new house.
i thought i was in for about 2 hours alone,
so 8 hours was a huge bonus.

i've been eating lots of quinoa.
i love it with butter, splenda and cinnamon.

my friend keri p. tipped me off on these candies.
i had to get some immediately.
pumpkin spice caramels from central market.
heaven.
{i trashed those weird candy corns from the other day}.

my mom knitted this cute hat for boyd.
we've had it a while,
but i keep forgetting to get a photo.
it's a fish hat but you probably can't tell from these pictures.
boyd was not very cooperative.

my car is at the shop,
with a list of issues.
probably for a few days.
i would say it's 10 years old and still going strong,
but i'm not so sure anymore.
i'm very thankful we don't have car payments.
but, still.

boyd and i spent most of today with my mom.
dropped off my car, esperanza's for mexican brunch,
central market, hobby lobby.
then home.
we all tried to nap, but that was a flop.
i did get to soak in the tub and relax.
that is always a treat in the middle of the day.

have a good week!

cleaning out

2011-10-01T06:12:00.001-07:00

i'm without the use of my car for a few days.
my 10 year old car has to go to the shop on monday,
for overheating and other stuff.
i don't drive kevin's "monster" truck.
he keeps saying i need to learn,
and i guess i do.

anyway,
for part of the weekend,
i plan on filling our guest room with stuff,
stuff for goodwill and the food bank.

i try to make a habit of cleaning out often.
i used to do it every monday morning.
now i kind of do it when the mood strikes.
my aunt always keeps a large box in her office,
and makes a point to put stuff in it on the weekends.
once it's full she takes it to goodwill.
then she puts out a new box.
i love this.

i get such a natural high on cleaning out and decluttering.
i feel like i've done this so much over the last 3 years,
but with boyd,
it seems like we are always adding new stuff.
my friend shelley came over once and said,
you are such a minimalist.
that made my day! :)

i'm not mocking anyone,
but sometimes i really think i could be a nun,
if it wasn't for missing my family and friends.
i look at all of my stuff,
and i could seriously get rid of 99 percent of it.

i love peter walsh on tv.
have you seen him.
i always perk up when i see him on a show,
cleaning, organizing, de-cluttering.
oh just talking about it makes me happy.
{i'm so weird}.

i feel like less is more,
it works for me.
i do feel like everyone should be comfortable,
in their own home though.
we all love different things.
that's the beauty of life.
so keep it if you love it,
but don't feel like you have to.
you are not tied to any of your material possessions.
even if it's still good,
don't feel weighed down by anything.

i saw this quote recently.
i try really hard to live by this.
keep what you love,
trash what you don't.

homemade hummus

2011-09-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

when my mom and i went to santa fe recently,
we bought some hummus at trader joe's.
i think it's the best hummus i've ever had.
i've been wanting some more,
but the closest trader joe's is 600 miles from here.
i googled and found a recipe that is supposed to be similar to theirs.
i made some yesterday.
it was delicious.

do you like hummus?
we love it.

here is the recipe.

1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 4oz jar of roasted red peppers
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons of tahini
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt

blend all ingredients in a food processor.
{i started out using my blender and that didn't work}.
blend for a long time, until creamy.
let sit in fridge at least one hour before serving.
we like pita bread or pita chips with ours.

money saving tip:
tahini (ground sesame seed) is expensive.
some hummus recipes call for peanut butter instead.
my friend bonnie uses it at times,
and says you can't taste the pb.
unfortunately i bought a honker jar of tahini,
so i will have to use it for a while.

if you come over,
i will serve you some hummus,
but not this caramel apple candy corn.
i won't be buying that flavor again.
don't mess with a good thing, right.

my little sweet pea got up extra early this morning,
as in 5:40 am.
so i've got to get some coffee in me right away.

enjoy your weekend.

what does your house look like at 6 pm

2011-09-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

6 pm last night.
boyd is taking a bath.
the trash can is overflowing.
dirty clothes are on the counter.
i'm sitting on the floor drinking a coke zero,
and eating pork skins,
that are sitting on the toilet.
{i know, you do what you do though}.
i'm reading a trader joe's magazine that i got in santa fe,
and dreaming of when they finally open in texas.
{supposed to be dallas, austin, houston by the end of the year?}.
the place is a wreck,
i'm happy, but exhausted.

i just thought this was funny.

and in other news.
oh. my. goodness.
a couple of my friends suggested a star chart,
for potty training.
now,
i realize i am neither an artist or creative.
but to a 3 year old,
this is the best thing in the entire world.
sometimes boyd gets 1 star, sometimes 4.
it's all kind of arbitrary.
whatever works, right?!
this page is half full now.
he was so excited yesterday to keep getting stars.
boyd even woke up crying this morning,
because he had peed in his nighttime pullup.
bless his heart.

and later i will probably be eating my words,
but for now this is working.
who would have guessed?!

:)

half birthday

2011-09-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

yesterday boyd turned 3 1/2.
i wanted to do something to celebrate,
{thank you cindy for the idea}
and i usually keep things pretty simple.
so we went to kroger.
boyd picked out a 69 cent cupcake,
and an 89 cent hot wheel truck.
my kind of party.

boyd was so happy.
he thought the spongebob ring from the cupcake,
was a prize that he just magically found,
and he loved it. ha.

i kept saying happy half birthday baby,
and he would say,
oh thank you mommy.

kevin works a million hours,
but i emailed him and asked if he could come home,
so we could go to dinner.
he came home fairly early,
and the three of us went out for pizza.
it was a perfect evening.

i'm not sure if i can imagine boyd being a 4 year old,
but here we come.

:)

a few things

2011-09-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

ok, i really have nothing to blog about.

i got a few more of my ceramic pumpkins out today.
i guess i'm not in the full fall decorating mode yet.
we have been playing at the park,
playing with our old neighbors,
and yesterday we went to the indoor bounce house.
i love the amount of exercise boyd gets there.
i bounced and slid with boyd,
only after the place was empty.
we had it all to ourselves for about 30 minutes,
so unless they have hidden cameras,
no one saw me acting like a 3 year old.
and i will admit,
i loved it.

it's warm here again.
boo.

boyd is 3 1/2 today.
i can't believe 4 is creeping up on us.
this morning he ran up to me and said,
stop in the name of the law.
oh goodness, i was scared.
:)

after not napping for a week,
guess who is passed out right now.

i really wish i had something else to share.
life is rolling along,
good and normal and a tad boring,
but i like it that way.

have a good day.

the weekend

2011-09-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

i hope you've had a good weekend.
we were child free for about 24 hours.
kevin and my cousin ryan did guy things,
at my mom's land.
i went to central market with ryan's wife, emily.
central market is the best store ever.
i know i have said that a hundred times.
{of course i had my camera}.

we went back to emily and ryan's house.
emily made a homemade apple pie.

she is a serious gourmet in the kitchen.
the pie was fabulous.
we talked and snacked and laughed.
i drank yummy coffee all day.
the guys finally came home.
we ate and played cranium.

so kevin had to act out and have ryan guess humphrey bogart,
while we were playing cranium.
kevin turns to ryan and says for his clue,
frankly my dear i don't give a damn.
me and emily die.
seriously.
we are crying with laughter.
AND RYAN GUESSES CORRECTLY anyway.
cheaters.
:))

i've already been to costco and sam's today.
now it's walmart.
pray for me.

have a good evening.

napless friday

2011-09-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

we made it to the weekend!

i made more of the pumpkin muffins.
i used chocolate cake mix this time.
they are delicious.

boyd has been fighting naptime recently.
i was in denial until today.
{he will be 3 1/2 next tuesday,
so i'd say we got our goodie out of naptime}.
i finally said ok, we're done with them.
{that took a little bravery on my part,
you know i love his naptime}.
maybe not forever,
but for the most part he is done napping.
and somehow i think we will survive. ha.
the positive side of it,
he usually crashes at night if he hasn't napped.
and let me tell you,
bedtime has become a bit of a challenge.
i'm totally winging it when it comes to being a mom.
i know this.
i do my best.
bless his baby heart,
i love him so much.

so it's all good.
LIFE IS GOOD.
:)

have a great weekend.

breakfast picnic

2011-09-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

good morning.

we woke up to amazing temps this morning,
here in north texas.
so boyd and i stopped at our favorite convenient store,
for a super healthy breakfast.
it's probably wrong to love a convenient store,
but we love qt.
then we drove to the fort worth botanic gardens,
for a breakfast picnic.

not sure what i was doing,
but boyd kept saying,
you crack me up nic.

we had this view all to ourselves.

and we saw this pretty butterfly.

the pictures were scarce this morning for 3 reasons.
i have a monster headache.
{my allergies and boyd's potty training}.
i grabbed the wrong sd card.
and boyd was running all over the place.
but we still had a lot of fun.

and one other thing.
i don't like this whole potty training gig.
it's hard.
much harder than i thought.
we are armed with jelly beans, pullups and undies.
wine and prayers.
i know there are no magic answers,
so we will just keep plugging along.
and i will try to stop talking about it.

:)

{and don't even dare to google potty training.
it's like googling when you think you have an illness.
it will freak the crap out of you}.

i can hear boyd in the living room,
and i know he's up to something,
so i better go.

laters.

2 ingredient muffins

2011-09-20T09:54:00.001-07:00

1 box of classic yellow cake mix.
1 15 oz can of pure pumpkin.
{recipe, here}.

mine were actually 4 ingredients.
i added some pumpkin pie spice,
and some chocolate chips.
without the chocolate chips,
these are 2 weight watchers points,
per muffin,
if you are interested.

they are like gooey pumpkin cake goodness.
spice cake mix is also great,
instead of the yellow cake mix.
we are having a few,
and sharing the rest.

my mom is coming over shortly for a visit,
but i think i might escape,
and let her hang out with boyd.

enjoy.

a few things

2011-09-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

boyd and i went to the bookstore this morning.
we were in search of a new potty book.
this makes 2 potty books and a dvd.
as if that will be the answer.
{i love this sweet baby boy}.

then we broke my rule,
and stopped at mcdonald's,
to eat and play.
my rule was no more mcdonald's playgrounds.
but, it was the perfect time, and it was empty.
except for one lady who was there in the playroom,
with no kids.
that is weird/funny. no, just weird.
and it's also weird that they sold me an asian salad,
but were out of the asian dressing and they knew it.
{that is what makes this salad}.
like, here is your burger patty, we just don't have a bun.
hope that's going to be ok with you.
whatever, i still ate it.
{my grandma doesn't like the word weird.
hey grandma, is it ok to use it here?!}.
:)

here is boyd's new potty book.
i'm hoping lots of prayer,
and lots of patience will do the trick.
although we were going to wait,
boyd was dying to wear his new underwear this weekend.
that lasted 10 minutes.
he did "both" in them.

this is the best page,
right?!

this completely has nothing to do with anything,
or anybody.
i was looking around blogland today,
and i realize my blog is not very noteworthy,
or exciting.
but then i remembered these sayings.

don't let comparison steal your joy.
and
i have decided to be happy,
because it is good for my health.

we all blog for different reasons.
we are all different.
i LOVE being different.
i used to want to be like everyone else,
but as i get older,
i embrace doing things my own way.
being different is fun.
that is all.

laugh a lot,
and have a great day.

ps.
i'm not stressing about the potty training.
just talking about it,
and taking it slow.
i was given some great advice,
from some wonderful mamas.
mostly to not stress over it.
thank you!

good morning

2011-09-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

happy sunday to you.

highlights of our weekend:
lots of rain.
found canned pumpkin.
{there is a shortage}.
fortunately,
there is no shortage of candy corn.
i will lie and say this is for guests,
not for me.
:)

grocery shopping.
a few hours of alone time for me.
visiting a friend in the hospital.
football and snacks.
stuffed mushrooms.

time spent with kevin.
i feel like i haven't seen him for a week.
lots of boyd's laughter,
lots of toys everywhere,
lots of fun.
answering 47,986 questions,
everyday from boyd.
a completely messy house.
mondays are for cleaning.
i'm learning to live with the chaos,
over the weekend.

i bought boyd some underwear.
we are on the last of our diapers.
i had to fight back the tears.
seriously.
i was standing in walmart,
and i almost cried.
i'm excited for no more diapers,
but i guess this is the last baby thing,
about my sweet little boy.
it's hard on a mama's heart.

off to pour more coffee,
and play outside.
have a good day.

the last few days

2011-09-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

obviously i can't stay away long,
but i'm spending much less time on the computer.
it has been so nice.
we have been to central market,
to shop and eat and play.

my new favorite snack.
sweet tomatoes and tuscan cheddar.

and cantaloupe.
it's like candy to me,
i can't stop eating it.

and buffalo chicken lettuce wraps.
ok, i live for food.

and i confess,
i have had some sinful pizza.
and maybe some chocolate.
but i've been balancing it with tons of water,
and playing tag you're it all around the house.

i've been burning my pumpkin candle,
like crazy.
candles burn on top of the fridge now.
{boyd=monkey}.

i stocked up on fall scented hand soaps,
and hand sanitizers.
bath and body works is a splurge for me.
i rarely go.

please say a prayer for my friend,
whitney b.
she is 31 weeks pregnant,
and will need to deliver her baby girl,
in the next couple of days.
a last minute miracle happened today,
and although she was scheduled to deliver,
the baby gets to grow a couple more days.
thank you jesus.

we went downtown one morning,
and found our friend,
mr. jule.
i was so happy to see him.
we gave him a bag of goodies,
{food, water, and a rosary}
he smiled and said, perfect.
his smile has blessed me.
he was walking down the street,
with 2 suitcases and a trash bag.
i am guessing he was leaving a night shelter,
where he probably sleeps.
i was happy and sad all at once.
one day i will sit and talk to him.

i keep trying to write how i feel,
when i watch this video,
but you just have to see for yourself.
i can't find the right words.
it's beautiful and amazing.
click here.
{thank you holly}.

we've also played with friends,
and i have enjoyed adult conversation.
that is always a good thing.

i feel happy and refreshed and thankful.

ps.
and i did clean my baseboards.
:)

cupcake tuesday {and i'm moody}

2011-09-13T12:09:00.001-07:00

we moved cupcakes to tuesday this week,
to share with my sister,
before she leaves town this evening.
my frugal side came out,
so we spent $2.68 on a dozen mini cupcakes.

and i'm moody.
the computer is making me crazy.
i'm tired of wanting to check it all day long,
and then getting aggravated or upset over something.
i don't like it when i feel that way.
{i take full responsibility for my feelings}.
why am i so drawn to the computer,
and i hate it at the same time?
like i've heard so many times before,
i won't look back and regret that i didn't check an email,
or facebook,
or a blog,
or pin something on pinterest.
{that statement sounds silly}.
but i will regret not spending more time with boyd,
and caring for my family,
and doing what i truly love.
{i do love my blog friends a lot though}.

so i'm doing what i try to do often,
{but most times i fail at sticking with},
and turn off the computer for a few days,
and not check emails from my phone.
or at least not feel pressure,
and check when i can.
i'm going to visit my homeless friends,
because i miss them.
they mean the world to me.
i'm going to cook kevin a couple of good meals,
play cars with boyd,
clean my baseboards. {maybe}.

laters.

monday

2011-09-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

good morning.
it's been a good weekend.
lots of hanging out at home,
drinking coffee,
way to many trips to walmart,
kevin's aunt and my sister are in town.
i made this halloween wreath.
it will go on our front door next month.
my sis said i should add a bat or spider to it.
i used these ideas, here and here.
my total cost was about five dollars.
i love it.
kevin said it looks like bert and/or ernie's hair.
boyd said it looks like a cake?!
obviously boys don't know what they are talking about.
:)

kevin made bratwurst.
yummy.

we visited a memorial for the 9/11 victims.
a flag for every life lost.
it was very emotional,
and i wondered what boyd would know about this,
one day.

my sis loves macaroni and cheese.
i made some for her since she is in town.
i used the new queso blanco velveeta in it.
i don't believe i have had any pasta since march.
boyd just scarfed down a bowl,
i had a few bites.
and it was good!

happy monday!

it is well with my soul

2011-09-11T02:35:00.001-07:00

{march 2004, my visit to ground zero in NYC with my best friend}.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, it is well,
With my soul, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, It is well,
With my soul, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
It was nailed to his cross, and I bear it no more,
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, It is well
With my soul, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul

lyrics by horatio g. spafford
1873