How I spent my birthday

My birthday has passed, but I want to remember this one not for my age but for the meaning of life.  I did not expect my mom to die this year and I know no one ever knows when the end is near.  My mom always told me she wanted to be cremated and her ashes spread across Pilot Mountain which is her hometown.  To honor her on my birthday which is after all the day she became my mother I did just that.  Go rest high on that mountain, your time here on earth is done.  Miss you mom!

Pioneer Woman

I will be having this soon.  If I know my mom this is what she would have gotten me for my birthday or Christmas this year.  I miss her every day.

Oh how I love the smell of clean laundry....

My newest favorite combination is the Mountain Spring Tide with the Original Snuggle.

My second favorite combination is Wisk with this original Lavendar Snuggle which has become hard to find.

My third favorite is Gain with Gain fabric softener. 

I love pretty much anything that is Gain scented and now they have many products to choose from.  I will use one of these combinations until I start not noticing the smell and then I switch and use one of the other favorites for a while.  There is nothing like the smell of clean sheets when you crawl in bed after a hard day.

Duck Dynasty

Love me some Duck Dynasty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Yogurt EVER!!!!

These yogurts are so awesome!  I am hooked on the key lime crumble and the coconut almond.  If you know me you know that yogurt is not usually my snack of choice, but this stuff is really good.  I was eating Key Lime by Oikos before this, but now I have a new love.

Trying to get back into blogging about random things again.  :)

Getting back on the horse...

What a summer....


My luck this summer kind of sucked.  I wanted to write this blog so I can move on with the next chapter of my life.  I started this blog to record family recipes and new ones I want to try.  At times I share some of the events in my life so I can remember them.  This summer will not be one I will forget, but I feel I need to write it out to move on.

It started when I fell down the entire flight of wooden steps in my house a couple of months ago and it went downhill from there.  I got a new car- then someone crashed into it.  I had a bad rash that went on for weeks.  The biggest event was the death of my mom which was unexpected.  Devastation is slow process that does not hit you at once, but more like a slow painful process that just goes deeper and deeper as the days go on.  While in my stupor state I managed to gracefully slip on a sidewalk and break my first bone and land myself out of work and in a cast for weeks.  While struggling to grieve I was forced to sit and be at the mercy of others for my care.  My moms house to empty, work being missed, crutches, pain, thank you cards to write, bills to pay, stuff piling in around me.  What a time this has been.  On top of it all the life insurance has raked me over the coals on an almost daily basis and are probably going to not pay her policy.  As I write this I am slowly starting to function and not feel like I am in a total fog for each of the 24 hours I have been granted, but the process is still slow.  Grief sucks!  I am determined to get back on the horse and get my life back together because that is what my mom would want and expect from me.  I miss her more than words can express.  Fall will be better and winter even better.  Prayer helps!  I will get through this.  One day at a time.

Ham and Noodles

(photo and recipe from meg duerksens "whatever" blog.

Ham and Noodles

1 can cream of chicken or other cream of… soup

1 c. cream

1 c. milk

2 T. butter

3 T. Parmesan cheese

½ t. onion powder

1 t. Italian seasoning

2 T. parsley flakes

2 c. cubed ham

3 T. cornstarch

½ c. milk

Mix all ingredients except last 3 in saucepan with whisk.

After it is all mixed well, add ham.

Simmer 20 minutes.

Combine cornstarch with milk until combined.

Add to sauce and stir to thicken for a few minutes.

Serve over hot noodles or spaghetti.

Make-up Favorites

FINALLY!!!! I have finally found an eyeliner that did not run, smear, smudge, drip or otherwise disappear during my hectic workday.  If I can only find a mascara as good as my favorite discontinued CG Marathon I will be set.  Liquid is going to require a little more practice to perfect, but the first day people noticed and I noticed.   My luck they will discontinue this, but hopefully not. 

May

Spring has been a busy time for us.  After our allergies have settled down somewhat it seems like there has been a flurry of activities to keep us busy.  Boy Scouts has had many events planned that fill our weekends and I have been finishing my first semester of school  Needless to say the excitement I had in the beginning was beginning to wane in the last week.  I thought of stopping and then decided to take a full load for summer because I am just a glutton for punishment.  Really I know if I stop I probably won't start back since it was such a pain getting started. I will keep trudging along as long as God provides a way.  My son was baptized and it was an awesome blessing.  He listens to his Bible on a ipod type device everynight and follows along with his reading.  He has almost finished the entire Old Testament.  This will serve him well in life and luckily I am taking that as one of my classes for summer so I am sure he will be a big help.  He starts high school next year and I can hardly believe it.  I am longing to get my house caught up and presentable again after many months of neglect and I want to plant some flowers and make a basket.  I did actually start a book this week and I want to spend time enjoying that.  I also started to walk with a friend that I had lost touch with and I know that will boost my mood and spirits more than anything.  I feel like after a terrible March and beginning of April things are finally starting to look normal and doable again.  I feel so much better when the weather changes and things are in order.   I look forward to trying to keep my blog more up to date so I can remember these times.

Italian Chicken Sub Rolls

Recipe and photo from Love of Family and Home blog:

Ingredients:
5-6 Frozen Chicken Breasts
1 tsp season salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp onion salt
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup water

Directions:
Place all ingredients in the crock pot & cook on high for 5-6 hours. When finished cooking, remove the chicken breast from the crock pot & shred meat with a fork & knife. Place the shredded meat & juices from the crock pot into a pan. Place pan on the stove & boil juices down. Place shredded chicken on hoagie rolls or a loaf of italian bread. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and/or italian cheeses on top of the chicken. Wrap hoagie/italian bread loaf in aluminum foil & bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes to toast bread & melt cheeses.

Cindy Farmer Vegetable Soup

Cindy Farmer is a local television personality and recently I tried her family recipe for vegetable soup. Enjoy.

1 to 1 ½ pounds of stew beef
3 cans beef broth
1 large onion- diced
1 can corn (or fresh corn cut off cob)
1 can green beans (or fresh green beans)
2 cans diced tomatoes
I can carrots (or fresh carrots sliced)
4 to 5 potatoes- diced into bite sized pieces
Bay leaf
Dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

In a stockpot, brown the beef well. Add onion and cook until tender or translucent. Add one can of beef broth and one can of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Turn down the eye of the stove until the soup is just below the boiling point and let cook until all vegetables are tender and the flavors blended. It usually takes about an hour or so. Then serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or cheese bread! Soup is great the next day as a left-over too!!!

January

January has flown by.  It was a cold month with several warms days to make it bearable.  There has been a lot of highs and lows already this year that have caused me to have less time to blog.  I am not going into the details on my blog, but I want to remember some of the trials my family encountered this year.  They say to look at a situation and see if it will matter in five years.  Some things will still matter.  Sin is hard on everybody and not just the person who committed the sin.  Decisions we make affect other people.  I find that the closer I am to God the more challenges I face.  This is true and He said it would be.  I am thankful for the awesome God I serve and I am so undeserving of his love and mercy.  I worry too much.  That has been the sin I seem to be dealing with.  I try to turn everything over to God because I know He has the greatest plan and I do not need to worry, but for some reason at this stage in my life I am a worrier and I have started having anxiety.  I thought that was something in people's head they could control.  I am learning that is it not.  I am generally a very happy and content person, but I have seen so many things that have saddened me lately that I have really struggled with my feelings.  I have been in a funk!  On a happier note, my son celebrated his 14th birthday.   As a mother it is hard to believe your "baby" is no longer a baby anymore and you will never have that sweet smell of baby shampoo and tiny little fingers to wrap up in a blanket.  Where does the time go?   I want to cherish each day and be thankful for what God has planned for me.  Some days it is easier than others.  I didn't start this post with any real topic in mind, and I simply let the words flow so I can remember.  If you read my blog or stumble on this post, pray for me and my family.  I would really appreciate it.