Saturday Night

Do you remember the time when Saturday nights were the biggest thing on earth???

The anticipation of waiting all week, pushing and plodding through school or work because you knew that when Saturday night rolled around you would be dressing up, hanging with your friends and going out to party.

Yep, I remember those days vividly actually but to be honest with you, even just the thought of those nights now makes me tired and cranky and I feel like my head would explode if I ever were to be put into the middle of a noisy loud club.

I've come so far since those nights.....cause nowadays, instead of high heels and tight jeans, it's shoeless and wearing my Cath Kidston PJ's.

Instead of Tequila or Rum and Coke, the only thing I'm guzzling is hot tea.........

Instead of crazy, loud, partying girlfriends.....it's a snorting furry girlfriend named Lola, and sometimes to make it really party like I will turn to her and start loudly singing "Her name is LOLA, she was a show girllllllllll, With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there. She would merengue and do the cha-cha". HA!

It also used to be that if I was not out having fun with my friends, I would be laying on my bed with a diary in hand and drawing random scribbly pictures or "Sandra loves _______" whoever the crush of the moment was on paper.

Now....this is more my style

Writing menu plans and grocery lists, budgets and bills to be paid. 

Yep, my Saturday nights have completely changed but you know what?  I'm fine with it, cause that's how I roll. 

Oops, it's 9:01pm, I'm usually fast asleep by now, guess I stayed up late *snort* 

I really am a rebel aren't I????

13 Years Ago I said "I Do"

I had no idea what I was getting into.  I was a young girl in love with this handsome Air Force Sergeant and all I could think about was being with him, making a life with him and embarking on a new journey.

I didn't really think about what it meant, the fact that I would be packing up all my belongings, leaving my family, my home, my friends and everything I had ever known, behind me.  It didn't even register at the time, not until I stepped into the airplane and felt like my heart was being ripped in half, one half pulling me to stay and the other half pushing me to go.

13 years ago today.

I said "I do".  

I don't think there is anything I would change about my marriage, even the bad times, the rough patches, the heart break, the difficult task of being married to a military man and enduring the separations, the worries and the hurt it brings with it.

Because it's all just a small part of the big picture, just a little piece of the puzzle that makes the rest of our amazing marriage.  He really is my best friend, my confidant, my rock.  I don't function very well without him, to be honest and when I'm having a bad day or I'm sad, the only thing I can think of is "when will he be home from work, I need his hugs".  

So Curtis, I love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.  Thank you for everything, for the laughs, for the joys, for being the best husband and best father I could have ever wished for.  You complete me!

I thought it would be fun to do a little trip down memory lane starting with our wedding.  Are you up for it????   You might want to grab a cup of coffee LOL

1997:::

1999::::   Bringing Jasmine home from the hospital

I can't believe I don't have photos between 1999 and 2003 on my computer, they're all in photo albums.  Oh well.

Let's fast forward to two miscarriages later and our next joy, Nicholas......

2003:::

 

2005::::

2006:::

2007::::

2009:::

2010:::

2011:::

I could go on and on but I think these are enough.  Looking back I am not only amazed at how we've all grown but how the love we have as a family has continued to grow and blossom. 

I really am truly blessed!

When a man loves a woman.......

He surprises her with birthday gifts that send her into a screaming tizzy and lots and lots of hugs and kisses directed his way.  Come to think of it, that may have been the plan all along?  Haha

I HAVE to show you some of my birthday presents, not all because he did give me some of my favorite perfume too "White Diamonds" and some books and DVD's I had been wanting.

But this, THIS package brought me to tears.  No I'm not kidding.

So, picture this, you're sitting talking to your kids and there's a knock at the door, your husband gets up and goes outside then comes back in and says "You need to go write a check for $20 to the UPS guy, it's a brokerage fee".  I grab my check book and think "What the?  Why are we paying brokerage fees, for what, on what?".

I'll admit I was a little miffed LOL

So I go outside and I ask the nice UPS man how much it was and he tells me and I write the check, give it to him and he says "here you go ma'm" and moves aside."  I look behind him and see this....

I didn't quite get it at first, all I thought was, Wow that is a really cute mailing envelope

but now look closely and see if you can figure out where it's from.... Uh huh....yeah a little closer.....Oh.MY.GOSH!

I ripped into it and the first thing I saw was this

I think at this time I let out a little scream cause the kids came running and asked what was wrong.

This amazing husband of mine made my day, wait no, scratch that, he made my YEAR.  I think by far this is one of the best birthdays I have ever had, presents from my favorite store on earth, even though they came all the way from England.

That is my new wallet.  I am like totally in love with it, I mean literally in love with it, I pick it up and caress it and open it up and look inside and close it and hold it to my chest....it's quite ridiculous actually but I don't care.  I LOVE it.

Bluebell Shower Gel and Body Lotion which smells A.MA.ZING.

And the matching Bluebell Hand Balm.....

Pajamas.  Which I'm wearing right now and I have to tell you they are SO comfy and so adorable. 

My purse....my new purse which I have wanted forever.  I've been oogling these at Cath Kidston for years LOL

And finally my apron.  I already love cooking but now I think I'm going to conjure up reasons just to throw it on and wear it around the house LOL

This has got to be the best present I've ever gotten.  I am not joking.  Some may think jewels and extravagant gifts are great, but me.....I'm happy with simple things and especially if they come from my favorite store.

How I love this husband of mine, he really does know me so well.

I'm going to go finish my coffee and then get changed and start the housework, have a ton of laundry to do, floors to mop, dishes in the sink and dust that is threatening to take over my surfaces even though it was dusted just two days ago.  Oh well.....here's to the joys of homemaking :)

{ Cooking Thursday }

Good Morning everyone :)

Another Thursday and it's time for another Cooking post, let's see what everyone is sharing, oh and I do plan on coming around to visit. I apologize for not always getting the chance to leave a comment but I DO check out the recipes you leave :)

Chicken Pepper Pasta

6 T. butter or margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 t. garlic, minced
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 T.  fresh tarragon, minced
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t.pepper
3/4 c. half and half
1 c.  shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
7 oz.  vermicelli, cooked


Melt butter in a skillet until sizzling;  stir in onion, peppers and garlic.

Cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender.  Remove vegetables from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add chicken, tarragon, salt and pepper to skillet.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes or until chicken is golden and tender.  Add vegetables, half and half and cheese to chicken mixture.  Reduce heat to medium;  continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Add vermicelli;  toss gently to coat.

Serve immediately.  Serves 4 to 6.

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

Well folks, it's my birthday.

Another year, another moment to reflect and to be thankful that I am still here, surrounded by my family.

Used to be that my birthdays were exciting, as a child I would literally count down the days because I knew I would be getting presents and the whole day would be about ME.....cause you know, when you're a child that is a huge thing, to be able to tell your siblings that you're the Queen Bee, at least for those 24 hours.

As I got older, I started paying less attention to such things and now truthfully, I look forward to the birthdays but for a whole other reason.

Because I'm thankful.  Thankful that I got to spend a whole other year with the ones I love, thankful that I'm healthy,  and thankful for their love, their unconditional love because they've seen me at my best and at my worst and yet, the love me, no questions asked.

So I'm turning 37 years old.  37.YEARS.OLD!

How can that be possible, I don't feel it, though I have to say that I am starting to look it.  There are lines on my face where there used to be none, there are wrinkles where there used to be smooth tight skin.  But most of all, there is a wisdom in my eyes, a reflection of what I've been through, what I've done and who I am.

Yes I may be a year older but whereas before I would wish to be younger, now I just embrace it, I feel like I'm growing up.  How odd is that???  I still see myself as the young skinny girl (though not so skinny anymore) who loved playing house, who loved drawing and coloring and playing with her brothers, who could run around outside in the backyard without a worry in the world.

That girl is still inside me, that's still who I am albeit older and more mature....thankfully  LOL

So Happy Birthday to me.  It's not very often that we congratulate ourselves, that we give ourselves merit and credit for the things we've done.  I'm proud of who I am, I'm proud of what I've accomplished in the past 37 years, so with that in mind.......

Happy Birthday Sandra, Keep on Rocking!!!

So good to be back

Reconnecting with yourself is such a pleasure.

Why do we allow ourselves to forget who we are, to just fall through the cracks and get caught up in all the craziness and the hoopla around us?

This wasn't a very long break, truthfully I don't think I'm the kind of person who needs weeks or months to deal with something, I get to the problem, figure it out and move on.

So I'm here, I'm back and I feel like a completely new person.  The time I took has helped me remember who I truly am, what my purpose on this blog is and to stop trying to mix with the crowds, it's just not me and it ends up making me really unhappy and cranky to boot.

Anyway, I started by cleaning out the cobwebs, giving this place a spiffy new look and removing all the preconceived notions I had about what I should and shouldn't talk about, honestly I guess I convinced myself that people didn't want to read about my day or what I was doing without realizing that this blog is EXACTLY for that purpose and that purpose alone.  Silly woman.

I hope you're ready to read about my days, what the family and I are doing and all that other stuff.  I apologize in advance if it bores anyone but it is what it is :)

The past few weeks I've been busy getting ready for the beginning of the school year, which started today.  I now am the proud mama of a 3rd grader and a 7th grader and it makes me wonder just how I got to this point....goodness, just yesterday I was chasing them around in diapers and giving them bottles.

This year instead of a gazillion composition books, I've decided to go the binder route. I think it makes things a lot easier and I'm able to get everything in there including the lesson guides after each lesson is completed plus the individual printouts for each etc.

Another thing I'm starting this year is our Bible Study. Every day after dinner, the whole family is sitting down and doing these together, Curt and I are extremely excited about it and so are the kids :)

I'll be sharing the links everyday on the Diary of a SAHM facebook page, but I'll share them here too for you :)

Here is the first one from Genesis called Creation.

This morning we did the obligatory first day of school pictures, and because we're homeschooling it doesn't mean that we forget that little ritual :)  Matter of fact, from here on out, all school pictures will fall on mama's shoulders and I'm fine with that :)

I could easily just say, don't worry about the pictures, I see them everyday but I think it's so important to keep this tradition, to be able to look back and think, my gosh look how much they've changed from one year to the next :)

I've also been doing a lot of this, just reading on my bed and absolutely loving the Nancy E. Turner series. I recently finished The Star Quilt and am now on the last book called The Star Garden. If you've never read any of the books you simply must, These is My Words is magnificent and also the first in the trilogy.

I grabbed my crochet too, am busy making some crochet slippers for me and Jasmine and of course I'll share the pics with you when they're done :)

Something else I've been enjoying is vintage pillow cases.  I don't know, they just make me smile and I find them so soft and comfy, I'm always on the look out for more :)

Aside from reading I've been trying to find some good shows to watch and I was thrilled to get my hands on Meek's Cutoff this weekend, I can NOT wait to watch it :)

You can watch the trailer if you would like:



Alright, now I'm off to finish dinner which is Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes and green beans. Last night I made a delicious Chicken Pepper Pasta and I'll post the recipe for it on the food blog very shortly.

Have a Blessed night everyone!

Happy Homemaker Monday

(New HHM button)

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Cloudy and 88 degrees.  It feels absolutely amazing.


Things that make me happy:
Replenishing my soul


Book I'm reading:
Sarah's Quilt by Nancy E Turner


What's on my TV today:
Eureka
Meek's Cutoff -  Been waiting so long to watch this one I can't wait


On the menu for dinner:
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans


On my To Do List:
Iron clothes
Homeschooling
Put up a new post here on the blog


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Chicken Pepper Pasta -  will have the recipe up this morning :)

In the craft basket:

Crochet Slippers


Looking forward to this week:
Starting Homeschooling :)


Tips and Tricks:
The first day of school is no time for a drastic adjustment of household sleep schedules. Instead, ease children back into a school year routine gradually.




My favorite blog post this week:
No blog reading yet, I do plan on at at least opening my Google Reader today.


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
^^^^^^^^ read above



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
Life is about making a conscious effort, it's not about sitting back and expecting things to happen.


On my mind:
Homeschooling


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

{ Cooking Thursday }

Couldn't get into Blogger this morning so I apologize for the delay in getting this up.

Harvest Apple Ice Cream with Warm Salted Caramel

Lindsay W.

1 21-ounce can LUCKY LEAF ® Premium Apple Pie Filling, chilled
1 cup whole milk, chilled
1/2 cup whipping cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Seeds from one vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup purchased or prepared caramel sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt


Preparation
1. In a blender combine pie filling, milk, whipping cream, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean seeds or vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and blend until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Spoon into a freezer container and freeze for at least 30 minutes or until desired consistency.

3. To serve, heat caramel sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Spoon caramel sauce over ice cream.

Servings: 8

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Adam and Eve by Sena Jeter Naslund Book Tour

By decoding light from space, Lucy Bergmann’s astrophysicist husband discovers the existence of extraterrestrial life; their friend, anthropologist Pierre Saad, unearths from the sands of Egypt an ancient alternative version of the Book of Genesis. To religious fanatics, these discoveries have the power to rock the foundations of their faith. Entrusted to deliver this revolutionary news to both the scientific and religious communities, Lucy becomes the target of Perpetuity, a secret society. When her small plane crashes, Lucy finds herself in a place called Eden with an American soldier named Adam, whose quest for both spiritual and carnal knowledge has driven him to madness.

Set against the searing debate between evolutionists and creationists, Adam & Eve is a thriller, a romance, an adventure, an idyll—a tour de force from Sena Jeter Naslund, one of the most imaginative and inspired writers of our time.

My Thoughts:

Well, I don't even know where to begin, I will say that it was nothing like I was expecting but not really in a bad way.  I'm so used to reading a certain kind of genre of books that often times I find myself a little scared to pick up something out of my comfort zone.

When I first read the preview for the book, it did catch my attention, extraterrestrials, Egypt, Eden, and alternative version to the Book of Genesis....which really that was the only part of it that I literally rolled my eyes at but that is purely because of my personal beliefs.

All in all, I think it was a book that was written beautifully.  Now if you're going to read a book and dissect every single thing, then yeah it may not be the book for you, the author does make quite a few religious references and I guess for some it may be taking out of context or confused or get muddled up in the whole theme of the book.....but for myself, I like reading a book and taking it for what it is, I read it, I either love it or hate it and then I move on, unless it truly is a thought provoking story or something that touches me to the core.

Neither of which I felt was achieved by this book, but it wasn't a bad read, I think it was actually fun to tag along while we were on vacation.  :)

Sena’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, August 2: Broken Teepee
Wednesday, August 3: Much Madness is Divinest Sense
Thursday, August 4: The Scarlett Letter
Wednesday, August 10: Man of La Book
Thursday, August 11: Rundpinne
Thursday, August 11: Wandering Thoughts of a Scientific Housewife

I received this book free from TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Happy Homemaker Monday

(New HHM button)

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Had another dust storm come through yesterday, that makes it the third in about 2 weeks time, what on earth is going on?  We've also been blessed with a lot of rain lately so I'm happy with that :)


Things that make me happy:
Reading a really good book that I can't put down


Book I'm reading:
Sarah's Quilt by Nancy E Turner


What's on my TV today:
Eureka


On the menu for dinner:
Jambalaya


On my To Do List:
Vacuum house
Pay bills
Grocery Shopping
Have to go sit at the MPF building to get mine and Jasmine's ID cards renewed


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Haven't made anything new lately but do have some recipes coming soon :)

In the craft basket:

Same as before, haven't been crocheting at all so have a few things in there needing my attention


Looking forward to this week:
Getting everything set up for Homeschooling, we start next Monday :)


Tips and Tricks:
Does your pupster have an itch that he just won't let alone? Dab some apple cider vinegar onto the spot. That should take the itch away.




My favorite blog post this week:
No blog reading, unplugged everything and that included Google Reader


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
^^^^^^^^ read above



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
That if you allow yourself to forget who you really are, you will never be happy.  Take time to think, take time to rest, take time to focus on the things that really matter and stop trying to follow the masses.


On my mind:
Homeschooling


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:21