A new way to post my pics!!

Yay! I discovered how to create and share photo galleries with my Adobe Photoshop Elements. So when I have a big collection of pics to share with you, I can make my own little web galleries. It's faster than posting a bunch of pics through Blogger and Hello doesn't work with Blogger anymore since it merged with Google. I've posted a new gallery with my niece's sweet 16 party pictures. Push the play button for a slideshow. Here's the address and let me know if it doesn't work:

http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewFlashMedia.aspx?AID=14016&AT=3

Taking a little break from the regular

I need a break from the regular ordered posts this week. Just can't get my mind focused on it. I've started a new Bible Study at church called "The Frazzled Female", and well, trying to focus on blogging this week was too much frazzle, so I'm just doing a random post here and there. I haven't gotten the hang of peace among the frazzle yet. I can't even remember the last 5 days of my readings. I hope it'll kick in eventually.

I have pictures I want to post too. My neice had a sweet 16 party a few weeks ago and Zoe turned 2 last week. We had a party for her at my in-law's house and some aunts and uncles, and 3 of my nieces were able to attend. It was nice having so many there to celebrate our "Zoe the Joy". I've so loved watching her grow. So, pictures and posting them--next blogging priority.

And 8 days and counting, by the way....that's all I have to say about that :)

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me to tarry 'til a more convenient season. "
Mary Todd Lincoln US wife of Abraham Lincoln 1842 (1818 - 1882)

Mary Todd has spoken to me today. Winter is my main season of procrastination. So, literally, I do "tarry 'til a more convenient season", i.e. spring. I do procrastinate every season, but particularly when it's cold out and I just want to cozy up and shut out the responsibilities that call to me. And I'm not sure it's all that bad a thing either. I think we all need seasons, whenever that may be, to just not focus on too many things at once, to just do the necessary and relax a bit more. I also think it tends to relax our minds a bit more so our maybe not-so- "evil genius" can help our brains to think more creatively. To ponder more and worry less. More time to focus on creativity, on memories. Yep, I've determined that my winter procrastination is not such a bad thing after all.

Thursday's Laugh Out Loud--A day late again :)

I found 5 reasons why we tend to procrastinate on this site:

http://www.businesstown.com/time/time-5reasons.asp

They are:

1. You Haven't Really Committed to Doing the Job
2. You're Afraid of the Job
3. You Don't Place a High Enough Priority on the Activity
4. You Don't Know Enough to Do the Task
5. You Just Plain Don't Wanna!

Oh, yeah, I'm all over number 5 there on most of my daily tasks. Also number 3 when it has related to my blog this week. And occasionally number 4 when I can't think of what to blog. I would also add 6. You just don't think about it or remember it. I just don't remember to blog sometimes or pay a bill or write things on my calendar or do a load of clothes for hubby when he's out of something. I bet you all can relate to these reasons and more. Winter is also just my hibernation time. I really don't get out much and don't want to. I don't want to do much more than the really necessary stuff--you know, keeping everyone fed and not stinking.

Now, much to my amusement (or dismay, can't decide) I present the Procrastinator's Creed:

1. I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done
already.
2. I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.
3. I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.
4. I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount
of bodily injury I expect to receive from missing them.
5. I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new
technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.
6. I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the
amount of time given.
7. I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though
infinitesmally small, is not exactly zero.
8. If at first I don't succeed, there is always next year.
9. I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to
change my mind.
10. I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or
write the first word, when I get around to it.
11. I obey the law of inverse excuses which demands that the greater the
task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior
to beginning the greater task.
12. I know that the work cycle is not plan/start/finish, but wait/wait/plan.
13. I will never put off until tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.
14. I will become a member of the Ancient Order of Two-Headed Turtles
(The Procrastinator's Society) if they ever get it organized.

Phew....

Zoe will be 2 tomorrow. I can't believe she's growing so fast. She's potty training now, so wearing pull-ups most of the day, diapers still at night and naptime. She's eating with a spoon and fork now and talking more all the time.

Megan is 5 and has just learned to tie her shoes. Mind you, it's still not the best tying, but she's getting better at it. I have let her tie her shoes for preschool this week. She's also learning to read, and is finally starting to sound out unfamiliar words a bit. They have little reading circles in preschool for the older ones entering kindergarten this fall. This fall....she'll go to kindergarten...I don't know if I can handle it. For the first time, she won't be home for lunch during the week.

And--I need more patience. Lots of patience. Last night, I was far from patient, nice mom. Hubby was out of town the night before and got home last night. I was trying hard to spend some time just cuddling on the couch with him to watch American Idol. Zoe was trying equally as hard to get our attention. She bounced all around the couch beside me until....BONK!...her head somehow came crashing down onto mine. Hubby even heard the resounding thud. It felt like a baseball bat to me. Zoe was just fine. I saw stars and felt nauseated for a while. Megan was misbehaving in her room as well, so I was not a happy camper last night.

Though they're growing up and maturing fast, I'm torn because I want them to be mature enough to just find something good to do while I sit for a while with my husband. Then again, I don't want them to grow up too fast. Maybe more one on one attention is needed, but I need some quatlity time with my husband too, other than just when after we put the kids to bed. I'm not sure where that transition happens or if we have to make it happen. Since I'm beginning to be incoherent, I think I'm still suffering from my head injury, so enough of that. Hope to have Wed. faves and flops soon. Maybe this is my flop?? :)

Tuesday's Terrific Food

I've been wracking my brain trying to think of what to post for a recipe. I've been repeating a lot of favorites and easy stuff for a couple weeks here when I cook, so no recent new recipes came to mind. However, I remember posting about my hubby making his stuffed shells for our Christmas Eve dinner, but I don't think I posted the recipe here so here it is. It's a great recipe to make ahead and freeze or eat part and freeze the rest. It warms up great. It's also great for entertaining. I hope you'll give it a try!

Bryan's Stupendous Stuffed Shells

1 tbs. Butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 lb. Italian sausage

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried basil leaves

2 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/2 lb. ricotta cheese

1 lb shredded Mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup parmesan/romano cheese (in the can thingy)

2 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

black pepper to taste

1/2 can chopped spinach (drained)

1 large jar spaghetti sauce (2 lb, 13 oz or similar)

1 package jumbo pasta shells (approx. 24 shells)

1.Cook shells according to package directions. Drain; set aside. 2. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until just tender. (3-4 minutes). Add sausage, beef, and worcestershire. Continue cooking until meat is browned (8-12 minutes); drain. Set aside and allow to cool. If in a hurry, place in the refrigerator. 3. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan/romano cheeses, reserving one cup of Mozzarella for later use. Add in basil, oregano, eggs, spinach, salt, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Stir until mixture is consistent and smooth. If using an electric mixer, use slow speed only. 4. Add cooled meat mixture to the cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly. 5. Add mixture to each shell by hand. Stuff as much as desired. 6. Spread 3/4 cup of spaghetti sauce onto bottom of ungreased 13x9" pan. Place stuffed shells, meat side down, into prepared pan. Cover shells with additional sauce, reserving approximately 3/4 cup for later use. 7. Preheat oven to 350. Cover pasta with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated thoroughly. 8. Remove aluminum foil. Cover shells with remaining sauce and Mozzarella. Continue baking, uncovered, until cheese is melted. For a finishing look, finish with a broil setting to brown cheeses. 9. Place shells on plates and enjoy!

Monday--Misty's Challenge

*Blogger is not good with formatting paragraphs. Sorry for the run-on posts. It won't acknowlege my spaces sometimes. I'll have to use lines until I figure out a better solution.

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Don't Worry

First of all, I've gotten behind on my blog this last week. It happens--get used to it :) So, back to bloggity thoughts this week. "Don't worry!"-- I think that's one of the last things my hubby said to me as he left this morning.

_________________________________________________________________

I'm going to divulge a little thing to you all now. Bryan and I are trying for number 3. Of course, hoping for a boy, but primarily a healthy child, and next primarily...just ONE, and we hope that ONE, healthy babe is a boy. We were not lucky to succeed last month, and I was hoping to blog some good news, but I decided to just go ahead and get it out there. We are trying to conceive or TTC, as it is commonly referred to. And I can't help but worry.

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So, that is my challenge of the week. Not to worry about if I can or when I'll get pregnant--or to worry about anything really. It doesn't do any good to worry about stuff, and Jesus told us that, right? Worry can even be harmful to our health. Stress is not good for the mind or body. I've heard it said, "Let go, and let God". I think that means give your worries to God. Do actively what you can and let God do the rest.

_________________________________________________________________

Last month, I about drove myself crazy looking for "symptoms", taking temps, using ovulation predictor kits, etc. I am going to try harder not to do that this time. It's just different this time though. We're trying the "Shettles" method for conceiving a boy, which means we need to time the "attempt" as close to ovulation as possible (among other things which I will not discuss, ha ha). So that means for the first time, I've been charting my cycle with basal body temperature and other factors for about 4 months now. The last 2 cycles I've also used ovulation predictor kits that are supposed to detect the level of LH (luteinizing hormone) in your urine, and a positive result means you will probably ovulate within 24-48 hours.

________________________________________________________________

What worried me is that I have not been lucky enough to even get a positive result with one of those things, so I'm worried I'm not ovulating. All other signs would indicate otherwise. Now, the ironic part is that we did none of those things with our first two babies and we got lucky the first month both times! So I'm being all scientific about it this time around, and it's not as easy.

________________________________________________________________

So there we go--my worries are out there on the table. I've gotten them off my chest, and now I'm letting God do his thing. I'm going to keep busy with my winter DVD burning project and my other chores and enjoy this thing. Trying for a baby shouldn't be a bad thing, right? It's a good chapter in life and I'm glad to share it here. Also, any "advice" would be welcome, especially if you have used any of that stuff I mentioned earlier. :)

Wednesday's Faves and Flops--a day late

A bit late, yes, but umm... motherhood has been calling. And my computer game. And burning DVD's of the 28 (you should see the stack) mini DV's we have made over the years. I've burned about 4 so far, I think. Using Pinnacle Studio 9 on my laptop here--quicker than our PC downstairs, but still takes at least 2-3 hours per DVD. That's my winter project. So, burning DVD's in the morning while Meg's in preschool, then playing my computer game in the afternoon while they're asleep. I've got a full day! I actually have managed to be productive today. I washed some laundry, exercised, dressed a chicken for supper (you should see his tux--haha!), and burned a DVD. I even managed to fix my hair and brush my teeth before I picked up the kids from preschool. Attempted to burn another DVD this afternoon, but it froze up, so now I'm gracing you with this post.

My fave and flop of the day (or yesterday) is American Idol. Out of the countless reality shows on TV, this is the only one I keep up with. I love to hear the diversity of the contestants and the first week, they show all the preliminary auditions from across the country. Listening ranges from goose-bumpy to absurd as they move on from one contestant to the next. That's my fave--never knowing what talent ,or lack thereof, may come next. My flop this year though--the judging is really getting harsh. Yes, Simon Cowell has always been a jerk, but this time around Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson are dishing it out too. I'm sure it's a ploy to beef up ratings, but putting a 16 year old boy down so hard that he's literally weeping on his mother's shoulder--now that's just mean. I'm concerned about all the impressionable pre-teens and teens out there that watch the show too, thinking their self-worth may be tied up to whether they can be famous or not, whether they have celebrity talent. Heck, even I daydream when I watch it. I can only imagine how a 16 year old girl must feel. And these kids the judges are bashing (if it's not staged)--what impact will that have in their life? I can totally respect the bashing of the crazies who come on there just to be seen. There was a guy dressed up as "Apollo Creed" from the Rocky movies, all decked out in red/white/blue boxing shorts and crazy top hat--singing OPERA! A girl who sang like the growling lion in the Wizard of Oz. And a red-haired 27 year old software engineer that tortured everyone's ears with the worst "Unchained Melody" I've ever heard. Go ahead and bash those people, but give the 16 year old kids--yes, even the kid who juggled while he sang--a little slack.

A few people I did see were very promising and had great stories. One was a 16 year old girl who had been a "crack baby" and had a great voice. Another (*see above pic) had left Colombia, South America with only a couple back packs and a teddy bear when she was 15 and went from periods of being homeless, sleeping in her car, to this audition, where she won a spot for the Hollywood trials. She sounds amazingly like Shakira, who happens to hail from Brazil. I'll keep watching. Let me know if you watch too.

Tuesday's Terrific Food

I made these delicious and easy brownies on Friday and on Monday I ate the last one. I think Bryan only had one and the girls had maybe 2 full pieces. Needless to say, I spent about 1/2 hour on the treadmill this morning. :) Try these though, and you'll see why. They are from Sara Moulton, who hosts "Sara's Secrets" on the Food Network.

Triple-Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan melt bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring, until smooth and remove pan from heat. Cool mixture to lukewarm and whisk in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in salt and flour just until combined and stir in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

Monday--Misty's Challenge

Finding Direction

It's been raining for 3 solid days and the ground can't hold anymore water. It's standing everywhere. Temps are falling from 50's to 20's tonight. It's gloomy and I'm gloomy. Hubby stayed home sick today from the stomach flu. I made a run to Wal-Mart with Meg to stock up on Immodium, Sprite, and groceries in case of a freeze. Took Meg for a 5 year old checkup. Got a prescription for Phenigren (sp?) gel in case the kids get sick.

Dishes have piled up in the sink. I want nothing more than to curl up and befriend my computer the rest of the day. But wife and mom duties are still here. The challenge for today and the rest of the week--just to find direction, to prioritize taking care of who needs what the most and let the non-essential slide a bit. To keep my head above water. I think I've said it before, but I'm living in mommy fog. The days fly by and I seem to be walking in a fog all the time, always saying, "Where did the day go?". Early childhood years--very normal feeling, I've been told, when the little ones need you so much.

I felt a pull though the other day, to get back into nuturing the spiritual and pull back from media distractions. That's hard to do, in my mommy fog, even to sit down and concentrate/meditate on such deep matters, but that may help to get me back on solid ground a bit. My small group is finally meeting for the first time this new year tomorrow night. I have to get my chapter reading finished before then. We're still into Intimate Issues--21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex. A new study is starting soon at church--The Frazzled Female. I think God has His timing right on that one. I've taken the semester off for teaching Team Kid, so I can attend it on Wednesday nights. Hopefully, I'll gain some insight into how to navigate the "fog" better and still bless and be blessed. I look forward to keeping you informed on it.

Saturday's Quote to Ponder

"Health is not valued till sickness comes."
Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732British physician (1654 - 1734)

I missed Friday. My dear old Aunt Flo decided to grace me with her presence yesterday so I accomplished little except for visiting the grocery and making a new brownie recipe. What better time to indulge in chocolate? I'll share the recipe next Tuesday--good easy one too.

So, today, hubby has a stomach flu--who hasn't had it? I had something like it back in October, and the girls had it last summer, and everyone I know has had it or someone in the family has had it. People are being hospitalized too. Kinda scary. Anywho, the quote reminds me that we don't really know how good we have it until it gets bad--like health. We may be tired or sore, or whatever, but when a real sickness (or mean Aunt Flo) hits, then we realize we're ok most of the time.

Me with Aunt Flo, Bryan with stomach bug, and two bouncing wild girls--not a gracefully happy family at the moment. I wouldn't stop by for a surprise visit if I were you :) Now off for an attempted nap on a dreary rainy day...and more chocolate.

Thursday's Laugh Out Loud

I've read somewhere that the shortened daylight hours make us naturally more lethargic in the winter--yep, that's it, see it's NATURE! I can't control that, can I?

Well, I CAN get up off my hiney and get on my treadmill for 20 minutes....starting next week, yep next week is looking really good :)

Here are some really funny joke lists I've received recently. The first one just cracked me up so bad I snorted when I laughed! Enjoy!

20 WAYS TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY
1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
3. Every time someone asks you to do something ask if they want fries with that.
4. Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "IN".
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. In the memo field of all your checks write, "For smuggling diamonds".
7. Finish all your sentences with "in accordance with the prophecy".
8. Don't use any punctuation.
9. As often as possible skip rather than walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat - with a serious face.
11. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go".
12. Sing along at the opera.
13. Put mosquito netting around your work area and play tropical sounds all day at work.
14. Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.
15. Five days in advance tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
16. Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, Rock Bottom.
17. When the money comes out of the ATM scream, "I won! I won!"
18. When leaving the zoo start running toward the parking lot yelling, "Run for your lives, they're loose!!"
19. Tell your children over dinner "due to the economy we are going to have to let one of you go."
20. And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity: E-mail this to someone to make them smile and laugh. It's called therapy.
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Top Ten Things To Say When Caught Sleeping at Your Desk

10.) "They told me at the Blood Bank this might happen."

9.) "This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about in the time management course you sent me to."

8.) "Whew! Guess I left the top off the Whiteout. You probably got here just in time."

7.) "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the Mission Statement and envisioning a new business strategy."

6.) "It's true what they say about all that harmful radiation that these monitors put out. My eyes started stinging and I got real dizzy."

5.) "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress. Are you discriminatory toward people who practice Yoga?"

4.) "Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out how to handle that big production problem."

3.) "Did you ever notice sound coming out of these keyboards when you put your ear down real close?"

2.) "Who put decaf in the wrong pot?"


AND THE NUMBER ONE BEST THING TO SAY WHEN CAUGHT NAPPING:

1.) Just raise your head slowly and say, “. . . In Jesus name, Amen."

Wednesday's Faves and Flops

My fave today is so sneaky, really it is. "Tee-hee!" My friend Maggie came by for lunch today. Apparently, my minestrone (*see yesterday's post for the recipe) AND the ice cream (mmm, Moose Tracks) she brought for lunch today just hit the spot, and she got very relaxed. All 4 kiddos (my 2 girls, Buddy, and Red) were playing quietly (Thank you Lord!) so I got this shot:

It really is nice to know a friend can be that comfortable in my home. Great compliment for me! Hope you don't hate me Mag! :) It was just too hard to pass up.

I don't really have a flop today, except that Meg's been a little cantankerous (I don't even know if that's a real word) at preschool and at home, and not sure exactly how to nip it in the bud. I'm trying taking the video games away for a few days to see if that will help. I don't want her to get out of hand, especially in school. She's very bright--she is in a reading circle now for the older kids in preschool and got stars for reading some words today--and I just don't want that intelligence wasted with bad behavior. Trying to really praise the good and correct the bad, and hope the good wins out more :)

Tuesday's Terrific Food

Today's recipe comes from a great site, www.savingdinner.com. Leanne Ely, who co-hosts "The Fly Show" with the FlyLady herself, and contributes greatly to FlyLady's site and system, has designed this website. She offers several menu planning options, called "menu-mailers" that you can have emailed to you weekly to plan your dinners for the week, along with shopping lists for all the ingredients. This is a recipe from one of the free sample menus. I am cooking it in my crock-pot as I write, so I have not actually tried it yet. However, it smells greatwhile it's cooking! It also uses many fresh veggies, and looks very appetizing. Hopefully it will be on my fave list tomorrow instead of a flop! ;)

Crock Minestrone Soup

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups low sodium chicken broth—or
use homemade
4 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, un-drained
1 15-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups corkscrew pasta or other medium shape, uncooked
Parmesan cheese as garnish
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all ingredients, except pasta and cheese, in a 4- to 5-quart
slow cooker; cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours, or
until vegetables are tender. Stir in pasta; cover and cook on high
heat setting for remaining 15 to 20 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
Sprinkle each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
A big spinach salad and garlic toast.

Monday--Misty's Challenge

Hibernation

It's winter, well at least it feels more like winter today--40's instead of 60's. I've unofficially entered into my winter hibernation. I'm lying around more, staying inside, indulging in hot beverages and chocolate :) I think I'm part bear. Each winter, all I want to do is lie around and get fat.

Which leads me to my challenge today. Don't just lie around and get fat! At least stay moving with regular chores. Try to get back into the exercise routine. And watch what I eat, for goodness sake. I don't need to eat enough to put on a nice layer of blubber to keep warm. That's what our natural gas is for. I've been getting back on track today a bit. I'm off my post-holiday vacation, and back into full-time wife/mom/babysitter mode. I've been cleaning, doing laundry, dishes, and generally putting some order into the chaos. I made a trip to buy much-needed cleaning supplies and groceries this morning. I'll be on my third load of laundry soon.

My main goal for this season is to keep priorities as straight as possible. To balance my routines so I won't be stressing about stuff. But, also, to enjoy a bit of my natural hibernation. To get my work done early so I can rest, relax, and enjoy being cozy and warm. It's good to be back.

I'm kinda on vacation

It's my unofficial post-holiday vacation. I'm doing just enough to keep the household running. I just need a little refreshing after the hustle bustle and wierdness of this past Christmas. I'm playing my game a lot more, watching more TV, not exercising, just hanging out with the kids and Bryan and enjoying it. I did manage to put away Christmas decorations yesterday, though they're not really put away until I get them back in the garage. I have posted some pics on my picture blog of Christmas and my little Meg's 5th birthday. She had a nice birthday party. Just 2 little friends and some family, but she kept saying, "I really like this birthday, mom!" Sounds like a success to me! I attempted to do a Strawberry Shortcake theme, but couldn't find any actual themed decorations at Wal-Mart, so I improvised with a red tablecloth, green plates and pink napkins. I also made a strawberry cake, shaped like a real strawberry, with pink strawberry icing, red sugar, green icing leaves, and yellow "seeds".

Here's the link for the pics: My Pictures

Oh, bummer, it's over....

The holiday season--Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year--all over for another year. I've had a hard time getting back into gear today. My Christmas decorations are still up, toys still scattered. I'm still munching too much. I have really not made any resolutions for the year either, except maybe to take each day a day at a time, be productive as I can in that day, and move on to the next.

How was Christmas for you? Ours didn't turn out perfectly, but we enjoyed our time together. One of Bryan's uncles had a heart attack on the day before Christmas Eve, so our Christmas at Bryan's grandmother's was cancelled until he can recover. We had a nice Christmas at my in-law's house though, but my oldest neice and nephew couldn't be there and I missed them. I made breakfast at my dad's house the day after Christmas, but my brother didn't get any of his girls that day, and something so totally gross happened right before I started cooking, that I will not talk about (you'll have to ask me in e-mail or phone if you want to know). Anyway, I missed my neices and nephew and wished some of my family could have put forth a better effort. Other than that, my hubby was home for the whole week after Christmas and we loved spending time together, and the highlight of our Christmas break--we saw the last Rocky movie in a theater in Campbellsville on the day after Christmas. Bryan had always wanted to see one in a theater, but we were just babies and little kids when they first came out. So that was nice to do that together.

I thought I'd share a few pics of our holiday happenings. I'll post some more each day this week. I'll try to get back to regular blogging soon.

Our Christmas card this year. Aren't we cute?

Our Christmas Eve dinner--Bryan's Stupendous Stuffed Shells!

They were divine!! We ate for 3 or 4 nights on those. So good. My hubby really CAN cook when he wants to!

Megan leaving apples on the porch for the "reindeer" :)

Milk and cookies for Santa!

Santa came!! :)