I know you're out there...

So yesterday when I clicked on my lil'ole blog, I couldn't help but notice that I had reached 99 followers!  I know that's not much to some of you, but to me, that's crazy!  Especially since just a few short months ago I only had about 60 or so followers.

Now my question is, where is everybody?  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a comment junkie at all - I blog for myself, really.  Even if no one ever read it or left a single comment, I would still blog.  It's my own personal scrapbook. I don't mind you reading even if you never comment.  But I do like to meet new bloggy friends.  So introduce yourself!

And since there are so many of you out there that I don't think I've met yet, I thought I would offer up a bit of a Q & A.  It's been spreading through the blogoshere like wildfire, I know, but I love to read them, so I figure you might like them as well.  (And I've never done one before, so it should be fun!)

If you're new around here, hopefully you have some questions for me.  So ask away.  Anything you want.  I'll start answering next week, so make 'em good!

wednesday ramblings

I pretty much have nothing of substance, so what I give you today is simply the meaningless ramblings in my brain. 

You're welcome.

1. The Bachelor: Ali is my favorite.  I can't believe that Vienna is still there.  It has to be some sort of ratings gig by the show because, really?  Vienna?  Is it just me, or does she look way too much like a horse?
2. Last night when Taylor got out of the shower, I told him to come over to me because I love the smell of clean kiddos.  (The best smell ever, right?)  After I smelled his yummy hair, he wanted to smell me, then he said, "Mommy, your arm smells kind of funny but your hair smells good.  You may need to take a shower in the morning."  Thanks Taylor.
3. Saturday, Joey has another ride-along.  He's super excited because he has the busy shift and the busiest sub-station (i.e. where all the thugs live, I suppose).  His last two ride-alongs have been less than interesting, so he's hoping for some action.
4. Since he'll be working on Saturday, if we can arrange for childcare on Friday, Joey and I are hoping to see Edge of Darkness - the new Mel Gibson flick.  I LOVE movies like this!!  Can't wait!
5. The Baby Gabriel story makes me very sad and extremely angry.  I simply don't understand how a mother could kill their child and throw him in a dumpster.  Crazy to think that this national story is unfolding right here in SA, but Joey heard yesterday that his class may be out at that landfill tomorrow assisting with the search.  Since the mom won't talk, I just pray that they find something.  Anything.  The rest of Baby Gabriel's family deserves to know something.
6. I got my phone fixed!  No thanks to S*rint, who immediately told me it couldn't be fixed and tried to sell me another phone and extend my contract for 2 years.  PUNKS!  I've been a S*rint customer for YEARS... they should really focus on customer service at some point.

I probably have plenty more floating around in my head, but that should do you for today, don't you think?  Happy Wednesday!

Refridgerator art

My children love to draw. And I love to display their art work.

Check it out.  (BTW, don't you love my magnets?  I know, I should dish out some pennies, but I'm a bit too lazy for that.  My mom always has great magnets.  I didn't inherit that trait...)

On the left is Ashton's art work.  I know it looks like a page out of a coloring book, but it's not.  She drew it freehand and colored it in.  I'm totally convinced that she will be a famous artist one day and we will see her work hanging in a gallery.  She is amazing.

On the right is Taylor's work.  I LOVE it.  Can you read what he wrote?  It made me laugh out loud.  "This is miyu dad as a cop aresteg a bad giyu".  I think what I love the most is the smile on "dads" face and the um, "not-smile" on the bad guys face.  Hilarious.

I have a dream...

* Please note: This title is not related, nor meant to be disrespectful to MLK.  It's just a title.

I have a dream... of one day (in the not-too-distant future) taking a long weekend trip to New England with Joey.  I would love to see Boston in the Fall.  I've always wanted to go there.

I have a dream... of making great memories with my children.  I have such wonderful memories of my childhood and I want that so badly for my children.  We never took extravagant vacations, or had the latest and greatest toys, but looking back, I don't remember that ever meaning a thing to me.  What I remember is the fun times we spent at my Aunt and Uncles house in Houston, traveling to Amarillo to visit my Mama, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins, and vacationing to Six Flags in Dallas. I had a wonderful childhood and I want the same for my kids.

I have a dream... of one day moving into a great home, with a beautiful back yard, and fabulous porch where we can sit in the evenings and relax.  A house with a driveway that doesn't slant at a 225 degree angle.  A house where the master bedroom is secluded and not right off the living room.  Perhaps a house like this...

Ok, I realize that's a bit lofty.  That's actually one of the Dream Homes from the HGTV website. But hey, a girl can dream, right? (And don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the home we've owned for almost 8 years now, but it's time.  Trust me.)

I have a dream... of taking a family vacation to Mexico.  The kids have been asking to go to Hawaii.  Yeah, spoiled much?  Well, I'm not really into Hawaii.  I've never been, but I just prefer the all-inclusive aspect of Mexico and since we've been so many times, the last few times we went, we both said we really thought it would be great to bring the kids.  They would love it!  And that would certainly create a memory, right?  A much cheaper memory than Hawaii, since I'm not made of money.  (And saving for that home above. LOL)

Do you have a dream?

Cry me a river

That's my phone.

My beloved phone that I dropped in the parking lot yesterday at lunch.

Let this be a warning to all you multi-taskers:  Don't text with one hand while digging for your keys with the other, all the while holding your Lean Cuisine and a banana.  Tragedy is sure to come.

Cry me a river...

When it rains, it pours

Yesterday was just one of those days

I was so stressed about a lot of things...

Stressed about the rain.  I hate rain.

Stressed about a design we're working on.

Stressed because I want to lose 10 pounds.

Stressed because I can't seem to get to the gym.

Stressed because I decided to keep a food journal... which makes me think about food all.the.time.

Stressed because when I got home I had two gigantic, soaking wet dogs dragging mud through my entire semi-clean house.

Stressed because my husband had to stay at the academy until 9:30 last night, which made me wonder how in the world I was going to handle it when he's not working an 8 to 5 job like I've been used to our entire marriage.

... which all lead to a slight mental breakdown when he walk in the door last night.  Which I'm 99.9% certain is the last thing he needed after the day he had, but he was so despite his day, he was so supportive.  And that's why he's prefect for me.  He can talk me off any ledge.

Wordful Wednesday

Today, I'm joining Angie's crew over at 7 Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.  Wanna play along?  Just click the link and get blogging!



I'm so ready for Spring... and dying to be here!

Playa del Carmen, Mexico is my absolute favorite place to be.  We've been multiple times, have our favorite resort, and just absolutely love the relaxing time away.  Just looking at the picture makes me ready for Summer.

But then again, so does the warm-up we're having right now.  It was 65 degrees in South Texas yesterday!  Yeah, I'm ready for tank tops and flip flops and SO done with Winter (well, if that's what you can call it here).

Stephanie cooks: Breaded Tuscan Chicken

So I'm trying to get back into the routine of cooking actual meals.  The holidays really throw me off, I don't know about you...

Last night I made a recipe I found from Mrs. Jetplane.  It was so yummy!  This was actually my second time to make it.  I was planning on making Crispy Onion Pork Chops from Here's What's Cooking, but I forgot to get the crispy onions at the store.  Umm... seemed essential to the recipe so that will have to wait.

Anyway, on to last nights goodness!

Breaded Tuscan Chicken
(Note: I made a few alterations from Mrs. Jetplane's original recipe.  Click the link above to view the original.)

What you need:

• chicken breasts (i used 4)
• italian dressing
• bread crumbs (your choice)
• 1-2 roma tomatoes
• shredded mozzarella

How to make it:

1. Place raw chicken breasts in a large baggie and coat with italian dressing. Refrigerate and let marinade for 5-30 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from bag and dip in bread crumbs to coat.  Place in greased baking dish.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
4. Remove dish from oven and top the chicken with sliced roma tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
5. Place back in the oven and cook until cheese is melted (approx. 5 minutes).

I served this with a yummy salad, avocado slices for the kiddos,  and "Here's What's Cooking" skillet potatoes - shared before HERE.

What are you cooking these days? Got a recipe you want to share?  I'm open!

Weekend Review

This weekend was pretty uneventful.  Well, except for watching the Cowboys ANNIHILATE the Eagles.  That wasn't uneventful at all.

We watched the game with some friends that we don't see much and it was great to just chill, eat some wings, catch up, and of course, watch The Boys kick some Philly tail!!

Before the game I cleaned the house.  Well, at least the downstairs.  Don't judge.  I'm seriously missing the wonderful woman who used to clean for me every other week... and counting the days until she can come back. (Joey's graduation!!  It's my graduation present.  LOL)

I also did laundry, had rehearsal for church and watched the first Wild Card game.

Sunday, Joey and I sang/played at a starter church that our worship team is helping out with, had lunch with Joey's mom and then it was the second best part of the weekend - NAP TIME!  We got a new comforter for our bed and it is sooooo cozy it was really hard not the sleep the entire day away.

But alas, there were uniforms to iron, menus to make, and groceries to buy.  Funny thing though... when I was sitting in bed with the computer and my recipe box, Taylor came in and was complaining that he had nothing to do.  (This is a regular occurance.  He's one of those that must be entertained at all times.  LOL)  I suggested he come up in bed with me and watch some TV and rest for a bit.  He told me that he only likes funny shows and scary shows, so I flipped through the channels and found Harry Potter. Just a few minutes into it, Harry seemed to be in some trouble and Taylor said, "Momma, they're in grave danger!"

Please tell me where he comes up these things!!  Honestly, I don't care, I just love that he says things like this all time.  He keeps me laughing, that's for sure!

I was also looking forward to watching Chuck, but didn't get around to it. Joey says he's committed to too many shows already and he can't add any more to his plate so I have to watch this one alone.  It's ok, though, because we have a new CSI: Miami tonight and we both like that one!

(Please note that this post is the very reason that I don't do "weekend reviews".  I'm pretty sure you all can live without knowing about my house cleaning (or lack thereof), laundry, and grocery shopping.  If you made it this far int eh post, you're a trooper!)

MHR Friday

It's been a while since I told you all about how fabulous my husband is, so I think it's time.

I've told you all about how funny he is, but what I love the most about our relationship is how much fun we have.  We are constantly laughing and genuinely enjoy being together.  I love just being with him, even if it's just being in the same room while he studies.  He's my best friend.

After nearly 11 years of marriage, I'm more in love with him now than I was the day we said our vows.  Sometime people grow apart the longer they're together, but we've grown closer.

Baby, I love you more today than I did yesterday.  I'm so proud of you!  Thanks for being my best friend and always making me laugh.  I hope you have a better day today than yesterday.  And... nyum, nyum, nyum, nyum, nyum.


(yeah, that was totally an inside joke.  sorry.)


PS - what do you think of my new design?

Blondie's Year in Review

This is too funny!  I got it an email and had to share...

January: Took new scarf back to store because it was too tight.

February: Fired from pharmacy job for failing to print labels.  Helllloooo!!!  Bottles won't fit in the printer!

March: Got really excited. I finished jigsaw puzzle in 6 months - box said 2-4 years!

April: Trapped on escalator for hours - power went out!

May: Tried to make Kool-Aid but they had the wrong instructions.  8 cups of water won't fit into those little packets!

June: Tried to go water skiing but I couldn't find a lake with a slope.

July: Lost breast stroke swimming competition.  Learned later the other swimmers cheated. They used their arms!

August: Got locked out of my car in rain storm. The car was swamped because soft-top was open..

September: The capital of California is 'C', isn't it?

October: Hate M & M's.  They are so hard to peel.

November: Baked turkey for 4 1/2 days.  The instructions said 1 hour per pound and I weigh 108!

December: Couldn't call 911. Duh!  There's no 'eleven' button on the stupid phone!

Looking back...

I'm not big on New Years Resolutions.  Never have been.  But I am big on reminiscing and looking back at what has happened in the past.  How we've changed, grown, what we've accomplished... it makes me thankful for everything that I have and what the Lord has entrusted me with.

So let's take a stroll, shall we?

In January of 2009, not much happened.  Joey had just started a new job that we were sure was the answer to our prayers.  One evening I found the kids actually playing together instead of almost killing each other.

I also made my Isabelle Resolution.

In February, my Izzy Resolution was holding strong, we went to the Rodeo and saw Taylor Swift in concert,

 

and Joey and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.  10 years... it's hard to believe.

 

Joey also lost his job at the end of February.  The job that we thought was the answer to our prayers turned out to be, well... not.

In March, Joey got a new job, but before he started, he did some major work at the house and cleaned out, organized, and painted the extra bedroom.  He also kicked my tail at the gym.  Still working on that Izzy Resolution!

April was quite a busy month. We buried a family pet, registered Taylor for kindergarten, celebrated Joey's 30th birthday, and Ashton got braces.  (Why I have no photos from April 2009, I'll never know. Sad.)

In May, I beat Joey at Rock, Paper, Scissors, I decided to take up running, Joey began the process of applying for the SAPD, I learned to shoot a gun,

Ashton had oral surgery to extract 5 teeth,

 and we celebrated Mother's Day.

In June, Taylor graduated from pre-k,

 
Ashton went to summer camp,

Joey hacked into my blog, we celebrated Father's Day,

 
Ashton got her ears pierced, and we spent time with the cousins who came to SA for vacation.

July was just as fun as June, since we celebrated my BFF's 30th birthday - 80's style!

We got a new puppy,

 
took a trip to Houston to visit my family and took the kids to the beach,

and I cut my bangs (these didn't last long).

In August, we went to Cowboys Training Camp,

 bought Guitar Hero,

celebrated my baby boy turning 6,

the kids started school (Taylor started Kindergarten!), and I cooked.

In September, I kept cooking, I celebrated my 32nd birthday,

Joey shaved his head and started the Police Academy.

October was a great month!  I threatened to move to Boston because the SA heat was killing me, I cooked A LOT, and Izzy came to visit!

While she was here, we ate yummy nachos, worked out, and carved pumpkins.

Oh, and we may have clogged the sink, too.

November brought several milestones for the kids.  Taylor lost his first tooth

 
and Ashton got glasses.

Oh, and let's not forget... Joey cooked lobster.

We also celebrated Thanksgiving with all of our family and watched the Cowboys win!

December was different this year.  It was all about "Love Jesus. Spend less. Give more."  I felt a little less stressed and a lot more love.  It was great!

My baby girl hit double digits and celebrated with a slumber party.

I had the big Christmas Party FAIL, the Cowboys upset the Saints, and then, of course, there was Christmas.

All in all, 2009 was a great year.  It was chock full of change, but it was good change, for the most part. I'm certainly looking forward to 2010 and the changes that it brings.

Back to reality

This morning, reality slapped me in the face with my alarm clock.  UGH!  No more staying up late, sleeping in, only working 2 or 3 days a week...

NOPE!  It's back to the 5:45am wake up call, dragging kids out of bed, making lunches, fixing hair, hustling kids out the door so they don't miss the bus, TRAFFIC, and 5 day work weeks.

So let's look at the bright side, shall we?

Joey is starting week 15 today at the Academy, which means only 17 weeks to go!  He's still at the top of his class and loving every second of it.  I couldn't be more happy for him.  I'm definitely counting down the weeks to graduation!

We get all new episodes of my favorite shows, so that's great, right?

Taylor is halfway to being a 1st grader and Ashton is halfway to being a 5th grader.  Wait, that's not all that great...

It's about this time of year that I start to get to Spring fever.  I'm done with the cold and ready for Summer!  Tank tops, flip flops, weekends at the pool...

Oh, and let's not forget, the Cowboys are NFC East Champs, which makes January so much more fun!!

All in all, we had a 2009 that was full of change, and I'm excited for 2010.  This year will be full of change, too, but I'm up for it!

Happy New Year!