New Year's Eve 2010 I was looking forward to my college graduation, finding a job, and supporting my husband as he headed back to school to get his degree. I made resolutions to lose weight, to stress less, and to be my own person. I had no idea what 2011 had in store.Now it's New Year's Eve 2011. My resolutions are somewhat the...
This revised recipe comes from the fabulous Skinnytaste.com. My older sister introduced me to the site and I've been super excited to finally try out a recipe. Since my husband is a fan of barbecue, I thought I'd try a different way of cooking it to celebrate the end of his exams. I also have to admit this is my first time ever...
While visiting Clark's family for Thanksgiving, we got into a bit of an argument. I won't give you all the dirty details, but I can tell you it was about Clark being on a leash.I have always been a controlling person... with the best intentions, of course. When I was little, tantrums were inevitable when things didn't go my way. As I got...
So, our supposed *surprise* Christmas present was discovered when my mother called it and our photographer posted the pictures on Facebook. No worries! It was bound to happen. And I must admit I'm glad it did because now I can share this fabulous picture with all of you! Her name is Courtney Valentine and she's fabulous. Look her up!Michael is three months old...
Oh, the holidays.This is a time for celebrating. A time to spend with friends and family. A time to enjoy good food. A time to be thankful. A time to remember.A time for stress.Thanksgiving was wonderful. We enjoyed time with Clark's family and introduced Michael to relatives that he won't remember (for obvious reasons) until he's older. He was the star of the...
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!Yes, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but odds are I won't be able to post again until we are home (around Saturday). It has been a very eventful week.Last week on Thursday, Clark, Michael and I got our gear together and road-tripped to Parris Island, SC where Clark's brother graduated from Marine Corps Boot Camp.(As promised in Beating Reality, here's a current picture of...
(Cartoon fromcitizenmom.net).I've been struggling with our apartment again.No joke.It's hard to feel at home in it. I don't know if it's because it's so small or if it's because many of my possessions are in storage in Clark's grandparent's attic. I'm not sure if it's because I don't know many people here or if it's because I'm homesick for Boone/Banner Elk. I'm just...
This is the first follow up to Realizing Reality.One month later and not much has changed.I haven't lost anymore weight, but I've been working extraordinarily hard.I learned that I really have to watch my calories. By this I mean that I probably wasn't eating enough to begin with, so now I make sure I eat every two to three hours. Basically, I eat...
This is my first time making these and I must say they turned out to be a delicious treat!Supplies:- 1 C All Purpose Unbleached Flour- 1 C Whole Wheat Flour * You can just do two cups of All Purpose Unbleached Flour*- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda- 2 tsp Baking Powder- 1/2 tsp Salt- 3/4 C Sugar- 2 Eggs- 1/2 C Butter, Melted- 1/4...
Today stew, tomorrow muffins!At least, that's the plan.It's been an interesting week. Busy with appointments and a baby that couldn't adjust to daylight savings time. So, I thought we could use some new home cooking to make our night just a little more cozy.This stew can be time consuming. The longer it cooks, the more flavorful it is. However, it is another recipe...
Today Michael is two months old!We can hardly believe it. This morning Clark was going on about how big he's gotten. He becomes more aware daily and his personality comes shining through with every new challenge he faces.He has a check-up Friday, but we're guessing he weighs around at least 9lbs since at his last visit he weighed 8 lbs 1 oz.Michael still...
Have you ever had one of those days?You started doing the laundry, maybe took a shower and told yourself you were going to get ready, made a to-do list... the works. All of a sudden, you're exhausted. You just don't feel like doing anything?That's how I'm feeling today.I made breakfast for my husband and myself. I vacuumed once he headed off to class....
Happy Halloween!I LOVE Halloween. I don't necessarily love it for the haunted houses or the sugar rush, but I do love it because it kicks off the Holiday season. This means that Thanksgiving is less than a month away, followed by Christmas, followed by New Years, One of the best times of the year in my book. Holidays always mean reuniting with family...
Have you ever seen Disney's "Tangled"? If you haven't, go watch it. Whether you're a mother of boys or girls, or not a mother at all and just looking for a sweet movie, it's wonderful.There's a song that Mother Gothel sings to Rapunzel. Here's just a glimpse of it: "Go ahead and leave me I deserve it.Let me die alone here, be my...
October is the time for soups! I'm sorry I failed to post the promised Bean & Bacon Soup (via Twitter). Michael would not let me take pictures. So, the next time I make it, I will take pictures and post the recipe!This soup is completely vegetarian/vegan friendly. Not to mention delicious. The last time black bean soup was made in our house, we...
It is natural for every mother to have doubts. Since I have only been a mother for six (almost seven!) weeks, I cannot pretend that I have as many as a mother of 30 years, give or take.However, at this stage I'm already beginning to wonder if I'm doing things right.Am I holding Michael enough?Am I checking/changing his diapers quick enough?Am I putting...
Yesterday we had perfect weather here in Western NC. Well, almost perfect. The wind had a mean streak up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Other than that... perfect.So, the hubby, the baby and I seized the opportunity and went for a hike. Well, considering Michael is five weeks old and I am still recovering/getting back in shape, it was more of a nature...
I positively LOVE pie. Almost as much as I love muffins. I know... hard to believe!October and November are the months I take advantage of. Although thus far my pies have stuck to apple and pumpkin, I'm hoping to challenge myself this year. We'll explore that statement at a later date.Today, it's all about the Apple Pie!In the past I've been strict to...
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