..mi pensamientos...

2010-10-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here's something that I love to do. Coupon. Its like a sport to me. :) And here's a great site to help! The Sassy Saver Enjoy!

WE MOVED!

2010-01-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

I just wanted to tell you that I've moved! Yes, physically, but over the net, too. You can now keep up with me and the guys through THIS site. See you soon!

Ok, ok, so i lied.

2009-09-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

so, i haven't posted my super delicious gumbo recipe yet, and i did forget to take pictures. sorry bout that. i will post the recipe, but you'll just have to wait one more day for it. we ate it tonight for dinner with my sweet friend, and it was good! i started cooking it entirely too late on monday night, so it was much to late to post the recipe that night. and tonight i'm skipping it because i'm fulfilling my other commitment as witnessed by you in the previous blog: i'm going running in the morning. i am starting to train for a 5k, so i have to get to bed soon so that i can make myself get up and go running. thankfully i have a friend who is counting on me to actually scramble out of bed and meet her or else i would have ZERO motivation to do it. i mean, i do want to look good, and i do want to be healthy, but lets be honest folks, i don't give a rats'...heiney...about that anytime before 9 o'clock. but i'm doing it, and it'll be by the grace of God alone if i finish it. but i will. i will. which reminds me, anyone know of a 5k in around december? i've got one for february-ish, but hopefully by then i'll have trained for the 10k that they do. let me know if you hear anything. i have hopes of running the boston marathon in a couple of years. not winning it, running it. i just want to be able to finish. i mean, heck. i'm barely in my mid-twenties. i can do this. right?...anyone?

leize le bon temps roule

2009-09-27T12:17:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite time of day. Well, actually, this is my favorite time of the week. Sunday afternoon. Just after lunch and the boys are in bed. They barely make it through lunch before zonking out in their bed (if not the car seats). Heck, my eyes are half-open, myself. I have a netflix movie in, the couch to myself, and silence in the air. Wes is watching some guy-movie that i am not the slightest bit interested in on the mac with the headphones. All I need now is a little scoop of ice cream while i half-doze to the background music that is a movie.

This evening before meeting with our Sunday-evening group, I am planning on making gumbo, my semi-homemade version. I created a recipe for gumbo accidentally (i was trying to make jambalaya) and it turned out really good. So i have also created a more condensed version for when i don't feel like making every single thing from scratch (i.e. i don't feel like boiling a chicken and making stock, etc.) that i believe is still just as good. And we'll have it over brown rice. However, chances are that we won't actually eat this deliciousness until tomorrow because I believe we have already made some dinner plans with some friends. I just know myself, and won't actually get around to cooking it unless there is a chunk (what a gross word) of time allotted specifically for gumbo-making. So, should i get around to it, i will be posting pictures of this gumbo (hopefully in step-by-step fashion) with the recipe so that if you choose, you can create my yummy gumbo.

But for now, back to the movie...

2009-09-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hello. Yes, I know i've been away for a very, VERY long time. However, that happens, and we move on. I am contemplating combining my two blogs (one professional and, well, this one) but haven't yet done it because I don't know if the general public wants to hear my craziness while trying to look at their pictures. The other night Wesley and I finally got around to seeing Julie & Julia. I know you all have probably seen it, but let me tell you, it might be my favorite movie. At least top ten. Big fan. So, now I'm back into the blogging.

Anyway, my boys are probably a good 3 inches taller than the last time I posted. Knox's love for the drums is growing with each moment, and it seems that not only does he turn anything his huge imagination sees into a drum, but apparently can keep a really good beat. We are toying with the idea of getting him into drum lessons. I think he would love it and it would be really good for him. From what I understand, he will most likely be receiving a real set of drums for his birthday soon, so with actual drums in the house, there really is no excuse not to provide him with lessons.

Kuyper is almost a year old. I know I've said it, but man, where does the time go??? The older I get, the faster it jets past me. And its like I don't even realize it when it does. Kuyper started walking last week. How insane is that? Granted, he is tiny, so he looks like he should not be walking anytime soon. And, true, Knox walked at the same age, so I guess I should have anticipated it, but still.

And speaking of having a ten month old, it has been 10 months, and do i feel remotely as in shape as i was before i was pregnant? no. Am I remotely as in shape as i was before i was pregnant? no. (and let's be honest. am i even trying remotely as much as i was before i was pregnant? no.) But Today is a new day. Today I am trying. Today I decide, "baby weight, I am gone of you forever." Today I say, "Good-bye, Fat Jeans." and, "hello, Cute white lacey tank top that I have missed for a good...(...hmm...ten plus nine)...nineteen months!" I have given little half-a$$ed attempts to getting in shape, but today I have decided that i'm jumping in full fledge (is that a word? what does that even mean?). Today I decide that I will be training for a (...marathon? seriously? do you really think that's a realistic goal right now?...hmmm...what's shorter, then? a half-marathon? that sounds ridiculous. I'll say a 5k. yeah, that's more realistic.) and training for a 5K. Speaking of, does anyone know of a good 5k that'll be playing out this winter-ish? I need concrete goals if this is going to work. Daily training. Daily eating healthy. Daily cooking healthy. Really, that's one thing I'm excited about. Cooking more. Now I have more of a reason to do it. I thought about getting Gordon Ramsey's Healthy Appetite the other day while i was in Square Books, but decided to wait. So, until I find a race, I guess it's a vague determination. But I'm looking and open to suggestions.

I'm Back!

2009-07-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ah summertime.
Although the heat has been bearing down, this week looks like its slightly cooler. Just cool enough to sit outside and enjoy a breeze. So far this summer I have visited with a few friends from out of town, replaced our little Subaru when a tree squashed it, watched (slightly shamefully) the Bachelorette, watched the Next Food Network Star (with dreams of being on it one day), a few weddings, a few more on the way, and hopes of moving off to another town.
Knox has been praying at night, and I have been LOVING them. I don't know if there is anything cuter. He prays for the family, and things of that nature, but once he's through listing them off, its anyone's game as to what he'll pray for next. He has prayed for God to "help Jesus drink His 'N0-no Juice.'" (which is what he calls beer b/c he can't drink it)
Next week we will be going to a photography conference, and I am SUPER excited about it. Not only do I have high hopes for learning loads about photography and business, but it is an entire week away with Wesley without the kids! :o) Oh, I'm pumped.

our damage

2009-05-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

the street, notice the tree down. street still blocked off power line infront of our house
wesley's work truck, notice that it is IN the ground.
the hugeness of the tree. you can see how tiny the truck looks on the right bottom corner.

the roots are past the photo on the left and the top is past the photo on the right.

the inside view of where the kitchen roof is crushed. missing the tin on the outside. large leaks and crunched corner.

part of the roof that used to be on top of the house. also, large leaks above the window

the carport and our car

the top of the tree. it extends past the carport and the house.

2009-05-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen "Elmo in Grouchland?" I'm sure not. Unless, of course, you have a 2 year old (or so), or possibly nanny a 2 year old (0r so), or have a 2 year old little brother or sister. We have been watching it around the clock, oh, since, well, since I grew weary of "New Bob." The music is in my head (especially the "trash lady's" song as Knox calls her). It sounds like a cheesey Christian song. The more I watch it, the more I find Vanessa Williams' character offensive. After her song, she starts talking about raspberries. I tell you, she almost sounds...well, lets just say it is an inappropriate tone. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But it makes me uncomfortable. I tried to find a youtube clip, but i could only find her singing her song; not the raspberries part afterwards.

Granny's Birthday Roses

2009-04-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Lake day from 2008

2009-04-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

These shots are about 6 or so months old now, but what the heck, I'll post 'em anyway. Classic Tiffiany Pose :)

Ah, the wonderful Crawfish Bucket in the background. Time for another one!

Matt Karote' chopping in the air above Darrell. Yes, he really did it above Darrell.

Knoxy Man & Daddy

Knoxy Man & Pregg0-Mommy

Darrell & Preggo-Nicole

Mac 'n Cheese: Version I

2009-04-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd do a little reporting on one of my all time favorites: Macaroni & Cheese. Now, up until a few years ago, that (exclusively) meant out of a blue box. My Mom tried and tried over the years to get me to eat real macaroni and cheese, but I wouldn't do it. Weird, I know. That is, until I ventured into what would become my Mother-in-law's kitchen and ate her macaroni and cheese. And I will not go back. So, though this is not her traditional version of macaroni and cheese, it is a version that she cooked the other night, and I thought it was very yummy, so here it is for your consumption. (I made two slightly-more-than-individual sized portions, but you could easily double the recipe for more people.)

Cook elbow noodles until very al dente, not too mushy b/c you'll be baking this.
In a bowl, combine about a half cup ricotta cheese, about 3/4 cup cottage cheese, about 3/4 cup grated jack cheese, a pat of butter, 1 egg, and a splash of milk. Once noodles are cooked, drain and add to cheese mixture. Pour into dish. Take 1 slice of bread and pulse in the food processor. Add to 1 Tablespoon of melted butter and spoon onto macaroni. Bake on 375 until hot and bubbly, or about 20-ish minutes. YUM!!! Did you notice I couldn't wait to eat it? Its just too good.

By the way, I used skim milk, low fat ricotta, and fat free cottage cheese. Oh, and Smart Balance Light for the butter and wheat bread for the bread crumbs. You could easily use a handful of ready-made bread crumbs, crunched up crackers, or omit it...but who am I kidding? The crunchy topping is the best part.

Hello world.

2009-04-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

I have made Amish friendship bread today that my mother-in-law gave me. It was YUMMY.

We still have a bit left. It is cinnamonny goodness in a loaf. Yum. Also, a perk of the bread is that the starter is alive...yes, alive...and it more than quadrouples (sp??) each week.
This is AFTER I took my portion out to bake it! So, this week I am giving 1 bag to my mother-in-law (because she gave me her kit after Wesley threw mine out. Tell you about that in a bit.), 1 bag to Merisha, and 1 bag to Robin, as promised. However, if YOU would like a bag next week, just holla, b/c there's always plenty! Its super easy, too. The starter comes in a ziplock bag with the date on it (the date that the cycle starts over) and directions.
Wesley got the boys a new video the otherday, so we are watching it around the clock. Well, around the clock when Knox is up. Soccer Bob. In one of the clips, he has a cold. Knox is pretty concerned for Bob whenever this scene comes up. We have to tell him that he's ok each time. He doesn't cry or anything, but he notices and says that Bob's sick over and over. And says that Bob's cold. He doesn't quite understand that Bob HAS a cold, and isn't cold, but I stopped myself from trying to explain that one.
A new small group is starting for young married couples on Sunday nights if anyone married or close to marrying wants to come. We are meeting at Mr. Dennis & Mrs. Mary's house at 6-ish. We are going to go through Love & Respect by Dr. Emmerson Eggriches. Wesley and I did a bit of a study on it a few years ago in pre-marital counceling. I look forward to going through it. It is always one of those subjects that never gets impractical.

Oh, Wesley threw out my starter of the friendship bread because he saw the date was old and it had been on the counter for days and thought the bag of mush used to be icing or something, so he pitched it. Sad. Thankfully Mrs. Karen came to the rescue and gave me hers that she had been keeping up. Wesley now knows what it is and not to touch it.

an Ode to Brooke...

2009-03-30T09:57:00.001-07:00

My lovely and adorable, sweet, and all-around innocent friend this weekend introduced me to Jack & Coke. Sheesh. I will post pictures when they come in.

Greylikesweddings

2009-03-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying this website: http://greylikesweddings.wordpress.com/
If you are planning a wedding or just like to look at neat & creative Ideas, check it out.

Plus they have cool giveaways.

Candy

2009-03-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

Wesley & I went to my sister-in-law's wedding this weekend, and it was a lot of fun. I shot the picutres. This is one of the beautiful bride that I was playing around with a new technique. I haven't perfected it yet.

2009-03-20T00:05:00.001-07:00

i cannot believe that it is after 2 a.m. my internal clock is officially completely turned all around. its like i have jet-lag or something, but instead of it coming from a change in time zones, its really from me watching tv at night. boo... i stay up ENTIRELY too late, and then sleep til about 9 something (unless the boys are starting to get rowdy), and am still groggy when i get up. tomorrow i have a full day ahead of me, from laundry to delivering some dishes to my mother-in-law for my sister-in-law's wedding, to finishing some work projects for the office. not to mention my recent obsession with The Office. i'm so glad that jim and pam got together finally!!! i'm such a dork.

the office

2009-03-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

so, i knew "the office" was a pretty funny show, and we've been sporting "the office" magnets on our refridgerator for about two years now (from a gift from my mom) but i had never really watched the show, only clips here and there. that is, until now. let me say, it is freaking hilarious. i cry. every episode. EVERY episode. and to just look at their expressions, especially the people in the background. especially anything dwight does. i CRACK UP! i just look for the people's expressions to see when they're about to crack up. its just about every scene. watch it from the begining. its funny sporatically, but it such a good show from the begining.

Cake Balls

2009-03-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

I got the technique from Bakerella. I have only tried this once, but it turned out Good. She has other variations of this that you can check out at her blog. This is just an overview.

In order to be more figure-friendly, I used half sugar, half Splenda.

This is the recipe that I vaguely followed. It is from Cooking Light, the Best of 2007. (By the way, I HIGHLY recommend this cook book. Great, great, great. One of the few I actually use, plus, LOTS of pictures.) Instead of adding coconut extract and butter extract, I used double vanilla and 2 teaspoons almond extract. I omitted the coconut and the nuts. I only did this because I didn't have them on hand. You could follow the recipe exactly, and I'm sure it would be equally good. My version is less like an "Italian Cream Cake" and more like "Cream Cake, or Wedding Cake." Very yum.

Just the butter, sugar, and 2 egg yolks. Look how yellow it is! I am able to use fresh eggs from my Mother-in-law's chickens.

Once you make the cake according to the directions, you let it cool, and crumble it in a big bowl. Mix it with one tub of icing from the store. I'm sure if you're adventurous, you could make your own, but I'm not that adventurous...at least not today. Mix it good until all the icing is mixed into the cake and it turns kinda like sticky crumbles. Once it is, its ready to be rolled into balls. When your cake balls are all made, pop them in the fridge for about 30 minutes or so.

When they are good and solid-ish, dip those bad boys in melted chocolate or white chocolate. I added food coloring to mine to give it the blue shade. This recipe that I used combined with the white chocolate (or blue chocolate) tastes like petite fours. Yum.

Last Night's Dinner

2009-03-13T19:09:00.002-07:00

Ecuador

2009-03-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Right now I am missing Ecuador. The sites, the smells, the people, and, yes, even the food. I was browsing a friend of mine's amazing photos from Ecucador and instantly I was in awe of the beauty of the country. Its been so long that I had forgotten the details. But when I see those pictures, I'm brought back just as quickly as when I smell Purell or a diesel truck. Actually, one time in college, it was an overcast day, and I had just Purelled my hands when a diesel truck came by. There was no mistake, I was in Santo Domingo again.

Prison Break

2009-03-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

I have become lost in a whirl-wind of Prison Break episodes the past few days, and all signs point to a few more days of it. We're trying to catch up before the new season starts in April. I am pretty sure that we will be able to do it with ample time to spare, at the rate we're going. It is really a good show!!

Updated Knox

2009-02-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

laundry laundry laundry!

2009-02-09T14:20:00.001-08:00

I am swamped. But secretly, I kinda don't mind laundry. I don't know why I let it get this ridiculous, though. Really. And now its to the point where I have to finish all of it today and tomorrow because I have to pack all day Wednesday for our trip to Florida early Thursday morning. I kinda like packing, too; I just am so concerned that I'm going to forget something. I make lists of what I need, lists for what I need to get, lists for what I have in each bag, and lists for how many bags we have.
Kuyper is laying on the couch beside me and giggling. His little sounds are so sweet. And Knox is enjoying seeing Kuyper more alert these days. He gets excited whenever Kuyper is looking at him. Yesterday Kuyper was crying in the car and Knox told him, "Its ok, Little Buddy. Don't cry." How sweet.

2009-02-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

Here's some updated pictures of Kuyper :)

silly, i know, but...

2009-02-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag 10 people. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real. . .nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

1. What is your name? Claire
2. A four-letter word: cold
3. A boy's name: Colin
4. A girl's name: Catherine
5. An occupation: chef
6. A color: crayola
7. Something you wear: clothes
8. A food: cookie
9. Something found in the bathroom: Comet
10. A place: Constantinople
11. A reason for being late: crash
12. Something you shout: crap
13. A movie title: Coraline
14. Something you drink: Coke
15. A musical group: choir
16. An animal: cat
17. A street name: Circle
18. A type of car: Camry
19. A song title: Can you feel the love tonight
20. A verb: create

It says tag ten people, I will tag Kierstin, Heather, and Ashley Crisp.

2009-02-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

the laundry is quietly murmuring a sweet song in the distance, and i am thankful for the peaceful break from the day. both boys are temporarily asleep and the sun is begining to go down, causing a big red portrait to glow against the living room wall.
dinner is already planned (grilled salmon on a bed of spinach and mixed greens with fresh louisiana strawberries and goat cheese). at the begining of the month i planned all of february's menus, instead of just a week at a time. tonight's festivities include a trip to snap to run and lift weights, and hopefully, finally getting around to watching fred claus, though a new movie did come in from netflix, so wesley may prefer to watch it instead. today has included suprizing wesley with breakfast, a trip to the grocery store - where i got groceries plus the last of my valentine's day gifts, assorted errands run, and one of several valentine's day cards made. i hear knox asking politely to get out of bed, so i will go and help him to encourage his polite-ness.

"Free" time...?

2009-01-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

here i sit on my pretty comfy, but not so attractive sofa, barefoot on my cold hardwood floors typing again. i have wet spots on both of my shoulders because i forgot (again) to get a burp cloth out before burping kuyper, who is currently (and finally) asleep in his little vibrating bouncy chair. knox is in his room sleeping, also. laundry is running, dinner is already cooked, and i know there are a million other things to do, but here i sit. this is the time of day that i never quite know what to do with. i have a tiny window of opportunity that i could use in a thousand different ways, but i never can decide how. i think, 'i could pull out the dusty scrapbooking stuff, but then i'd just get into it and have to put it all up before the boys get up. besides, i need to print off pictures, anyway.' then i think, 'well, i guess i could keep cleaning up, but i'm tired. (though, this suggestion usually wins.)' then i think, 'well, i could take a little nap while they are sleeping, but man, i have a lot of laundry to catch up on...not to mention dishes or dinner or work or ...(etc.)' so, here i sit, on the computer, linguistically contemplating what to do with the rest of my "free" time.

2009-01-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

Hello world. I feel like its been a long time since I've blogged, though I know it hasn't been that long. I guess its just been a while since I have blogged regularly.
This week's dinner menu (you can tell how behind I am...making the dinner menu on Wednesday...):
Wednesday: Church night
Thursday: Steak, squash & onions, spinach salad
Friday: Crawfish stuffed chicken breasts, green beans, spinach salad, brownies for dessert
Saturday: homemade whole wheat 4 cheese pizza, spinach salad
Sunday: leftovers/grilled cheese & vegetable beef soup

Kuyper

2009-01-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

baby pictures of kuyper are up here.

how was your holiday season?

2009-01-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

so, it's naptime here at the strebeck household, which means i have a (very) few minutes to think, catch my breath, and hopefully, do so things around here. i am (sortof) back from maternity leave, though not completely back at the office (yet?). I have been working like a mad woman these past few weeks on some pictures. I have a couple of shoots coming up that i'm excited about.

how was your christmas holidays? ours was, well, crazy. honestly, i'm glad its over. i hate to say that, but its true. i think next year we'll have people over to our house if they want, and if not, that's ok, too. we just cannot keep running all over back and forth anymore. not with so many places to go and not with 2 kids. anyway, our holiday season included: 3 rounds of the stomach bug for knox, two rounds for wesley, and one round for me; traveling about 1400 miles in about a week and a half (not exaggerating); finding and buying a new car (which is good news, but still crazy); and a newborn.

so, happy new year. i'm glad it is.

watch us dance!!!

2008-12-12T13:07:00.001-08:00

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watch us move!

2008-12-12T13:00:00.001-08:00

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2008-12-03T20:03:00.001-08:00

i have the best husband in the world.

do you know the muffin man?

2008-12-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight i heard a little voice singing in the next room. i wasn't sure what it was saying, but it didn't sound like the normal cry for milk or wah-juice, so i listened a bit longer. i realized it was singing along with the cd playing nursery rhymes and children's songs. "muffin man! muffin man! muffin! muffin! muffin man!" i think it was one of the sweetest things i have ever heard come out of knox.

2008-11-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

the smell of a new baby...bliss.
this weekend was interesting. we decided last minute to go to baton rouge to visit family and try to buy a much needed suit for wesley (he's ushering in a wedding this weekend) and a dress for me for the aforementioned wedding. on the way down, we had a wreck that could have totaled our car. we won't know until tomorrow morning. the car ahead of us hit their brakes really fast, and in order to not run into the back of them (and probably killing them &/or us) we swerved to miss them, but the highway was wet, so we skidded off the road and off the shoulder. thankfully, no one was injured. the car wasn't squished or anything. the seating part wasn't affected, just the front of the car. oh, and we took out some sign with our side-view mirror...yes, the mirror we JUST got fixed. blech. so, the people are evaluating it now, and i am praying.
so, after all of that mess, we went to my sister's house and spent the night, which considering the circumstances, was really restful. the next morning we slept in and then went to get wesley's hair cut at the new aveda. it was incredible. we've been to aveda before, but this time it was an experience. the guy who cut his hair was also in massage therapy school, so he ended up giving wesley a neck and shoulder massage complimentary (which was exactly what he needed with a touch of whiplash from the night before), and i got a complimentary facial while i waited (which is always exactly what any girl needs). oh, we also got a goodie bag filled with a certificate for a free hair therapy thing (some sort of moisturizing treatment) and miniature sized aveda products! hooray! then, after that wonderful time, we went to tsunami, one of our all-time favorite (wes's all time favorite) places to eat. after lunch, we went by the dg house so i could feed the baby for a bit, and then back out again shopping. we got wesley's suit for $115, and my dress for $75, originally $180. so, i would call it a successful shopping day, though i can't exactly call the entire trip successful....i don't guess. i don't know. i haven't figured out (nor will i ever) this whole God-is-sovereign thing in respect to practical life. but, i can't argue with scripture, and i know that God works all things for the good for those who are called according to His purpose. i guess we'll just have to wait and see how that looks.

so, for an update

2008-11-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

well, baby kuyper has been with us a week now. he is so darling. really. some babies are kinda ugly when they first come out, but he was always cute. he kinda looked like a monkey at first, and still does on occasion, but a cute one. he makes the cutest faces. he is soooo tiny! i forgot how tiny newborns are! mostly, he just eats and sleeps, with some pooping mixed in. however, the past couple of nights have been hard, especially last night, as he did not want to sleep - only eat. and last time with knox i could just sleep when he decided to sleep, but things are a lot different the second go-round. we are still adjusting to life with 2 children. i am learning that knox's schedule wasn't just for knox's sake, but for my own, as well. so, i am having to re-learn how to live without a schedule, or at least figure out this new schedule. i really have not figured out in the least how this is going to work. but, i assume it will. i see millions of people who have more than one child, and somehow they do it, so somehow i will, too. i think last night kuyper mainly had his day & night a bit confused, b/c he slept all day yesterday while he was being passed around at thanksgiving lunch. so, to compensate, today i will be making sure that kuyper stays awake for extended periods of time during the day so that he'll be sleepy tonight. he's asleep now, and should be waking up soon for a feeding. knox is still down for his morning nap, thus i have 2 seconds to type this update. please pray for us all. i hope you all are well, too.

big day

2008-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

i am hours away from my 2nd delivery. i'm sleepy, but have a feeling i won't be able to sleep much tonight. we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, so i guess i had better try to go to bed.

2008-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

tonight i have been re-inspired to cook. and i'm soooo glad that i am, because (besides needing the food in a few days) it smells incredible in the house. last night we cooked a pork tenderloin in breadcrumbs and rosemary that we didn't get around to eating, so we're eating it tonight. baking in the oven right now is a whole chicken. how good is baked chicken! i'm tempted to eat it instead of the pork, but i know we won't get around to eating the pork if i don't do it now. so, we're having that, potatoes au gratin, spinach salad, and probably an early round of cranberry sauce! :) mmm. i believe i'll be freezing the chicken, well, all but the wings. i think i'm gonna cut them off and make some stock out of it for quick and easy soup and/or gravy.

2008-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

today i woke up to the little man singing and talking to his stuffed animals in his room. after getting him dressed, wesley took him to ms. ladonna's so that i wouldn't have to get out. while he was gone i finished the laundry and found the long-lost gift cards i needed to finalize the baby shopping (thank you Lord). wesley suprized me with drive-thru breakfast (mmm), and i ate it while shopping around online for last minute baby items. i thought i would just spend a couple of minutes online, but i also found some friends online on facebook, so we chatted for a while. once i left facebook i watched some tv online while i scrapbooked. kinda trying to get some last minute scrapbooking done, too, before there's a whole new set of pictures to scrap. after lunch, i had time for a much-needed grocery trip with robin, and then back for a nap. usually i just put knox down, but today i needed it, too, so i took it. he's still in his room being quiet, so i have just a few minutes left before the dinner rush. pop pop is coming over tonight to watch the little guy so wesley and i can go to the movies one last time before we have an official family of four.
tomorrow i plan on getting some picture cds out to people and cooking food for the freezer. i am trying to stock pile a little bit of frozen food so that i won't have to cook so much once the baby arrives...thursday! that's so crazy. it doesn't seem like it should be here already. 3 more days!

happy day

2008-11-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

oh for every morning to be as relaxing as this morning, and it's not quite 10 yet.

this week

2008-11-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

well, this week i've tried to do some finalization things for work for a little while, since i won't be "officially" at the office anymore for a while, though i do have my trust laptop that links up to the work computer and plenty of things to do for a little while. this week i have scheduled to get lots of last minute things accomplished here around the house before thursday's new arrival! in the midst of all these tasks, i am going to try to rest. hopefully i'll be able to manage both. i believe this is my last week to have Ms. Ladonna as Knox's babysitter, too, so this will present a change in schedule, as well. i think my mom is going to take knox for a few days after the baby is born to help give me a chance to "rest." :0) i don't know how much real rest i'll be able to get in, hopefully this new child will sleep a lot (at least at first). knox had a touch of gas for a little while, but it didn't really start at first. not until he was about a month or so old, i think. it's hard to remember.
so, this week i have a trip to the grocery store planned with the one and only, and newly married, robina; cook several dishes and freeze them for easy meals after thursday; putting away the last of the laundry (now that i have enough hangers); ordering/purchasing a couple of new warm onesie-type sleepers for the baby (all the little-bity sized onesies we have are not quite warm enough); maybe order a couple of extra lollies (blankies); order the bedding (yes, i'm last minute on that) and possibly a moses basket (anyone ever try that? i haven't. i'd love feedback if you have any); and finally, for the huge task that i think may be wishful thinking (and solely depends on my husband & father's schedules, as they will be doing all of the work, and i just point and talk)....rearrange knox/kuyper's bedroom and wesley & my bedroom! ha! i'm hoping for it, but i know deep down it's not utterly essential that it get done this week, since the baby will be in the same room with me & wesley for a little while.
anyway, i will be taking a couple of weeks off from photography and my desk job, though i plan on resuming photography very soon after kuyper's birth, if anyone needs/wants a photo session. please spread the word. :)

2008-11-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

Oh man, i have been so tired this week. i guess its about time, seeing as how the baby could come anyday now. all i have wanted to do is lay around and watch the shield. and eat every-so-often is an understood.
wesley is at a meeting tonight with the session regarding his soon-to-be position at the church leading music. i hope it goes well. i think he was a bit nervous about it. it'll be nice to have somet hings nailed down.
i think i'm in nesting mode. i have felt particularly finicky about things being in a certain order. though, this morning i slept in until the last possible moment, so i didn't make the bed. i am still going to work, but i don't think i have to. i think i will make this my last week to go into work. i am working from home in the afternoons.

rush rush rush

2008-11-08T23:31:00.000-08:00

wesley is home again after being on the road today. i tried talking with him when he got in, but the smoke ~~scent~~ stench from the bar was too strong, and was irritating my allergies and hurting my head. so, i sent him off to shower it off before i could really talk to him. this weekend has been very busy, but very enjoyable so far. we have been practicing most nights this week to play at robin & cole's wedding reception. this morning i got knox up early to go eat breakfast with pop-pop and after a biscuit and a few rounds on the jungle-gym, we headed back to dad's house. soon after, i met a sweet couple for an engagement photo shoot around town. then it was time to get knox down for a quick nap before the wedding. while he napped, i visited with some friends in town for the wedding. wesley had been out all morning setting up sound equipment all over town. next was the wedding, then the reception, then wesley left immediately for a gig (the smokey bar i referenced earlier) a couple hours away. i'm really glad he was free to sing tonight. i think he enjoyed it from the couple of minutes of conversation we had when he came in. tomorrow will probably be busy, as well, though much more relaxingly so. i believe we are planning on going to shreveport to visit his grandmother possibly one last time. so, it'll be a full day of traveling, but not rushed or on a time-table.

i guess you sing what you love

2008-11-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

knox is supposed to be napping, but instead he is singing at the top of his lungs. his song goes a little something like this:
water tower! water toooooower! waaaaater toooooooooooower! ms. ladoooooona! water tooooower! little water tooooower!
my little songwriter.

busy days

2008-11-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

its been very busy around here the past couple of weeks. last week wesley's work schedule was pretty insane, then it was combined with several practices for the 2 gigs we have this weekend, and preparations for the halloween gathering and the birthday party of our 2 year old. so, it's been nice to have the day off of work today. well, not technically, but i am working from home, so it's still nice. i made biscuits for breakfast and watched knox play excitedly on his new "4 wheeler" from his Papaw and Mamaw. i have to admit, its pretty much one of the cutest things that you ever did see when he rides it in his wranglers and john deere boots.
wesley and i have gotten into yet another tv series, since we finished Alias. The Shield. its really good, but i'll warn you if you don't know anything about it, it gets pretty graphic at times. we have to make sure knox is safely deep asleep before we watch it.
tonight for dinner i'm going to make loaded baked potato soup and cobb salads. i have to grocery shop today because our cabinets are looking a little scarce. but it should be a good break after knox's nap to get us out of the house. it's my week to cook for wednesday night supper at church, and some of the ladies have very graciously offered to help me cook (being that i'm about 9 months pregnant, though i feel normal) :) so, i'm also planning on making Jennifer's Squash Dressing and green bean casserole today in preparation for tomorrow night. :) yummy!

2008-10-31T13:30:00.001-07:00

Knox is back! :) Happy birthday, Knox!

He is going to be Nemo for Halloween.

I am looking forward to trick-or-treating with him. It will be his first time. Tonight we are having some friends over for games and appetizers, so I've been in the kitchen cooking this afternoon (and cleaning the house), and I should be back in the kitchen cooking some more. Once the dishes are done I'll make the Rice Crispy Treats, but I have to wait b/c the pan is dirty...sad.

Today I had an ultrasound, but sadly I wasn't able to get good pictures. The baby kept his face cover the whole time. :( This was a bit disappointing to both me and Wesley, but the good news is that we are both healthy and on schedule.

Baby Hiccups

2008-10-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

they feel kinda like what i would imagine a belly spasm to feel like, although now that i have it in writing, it sounds painful (its not). for all of you out there who have never been pregnant (and i'm hoping the days are numbered for some of you....i won't mention any names...) it kinda is strange feeling, but really cool. i mean, really, it feels like overnight someone has surgically inserted a basketball inside of my belly, one that dances and squiggles all on its own. so, that ended up being a poor analogy, but too bad. i can't think of anything else.
tomorrow is halloween, which is subsequently knox's birthday. i cannot believe he is 2 years old already. i know, i know. you hear this sort of thing every year from every mother, but its true! where did the time go? somewhere in the past two years, between nursing, diapering, watching knox learn to talk, to walk, to run, to make complete sentences (they're getting better), to eating more and more vegetables without getting into trouble, learning the first 6 questions & answers of the catechism, learning to sit still at times, learning to be quiet at times, going to the playground, playing with chalk, seeing the chickens, going on trips, and everything else in our daily routine, i don't know where the time went! ;)
we have plans for trick-or-treating at friends' houses in his nemo suit, and possibly stopping by a fall festival if we have enough time. after we put knox down, we are having some friends over for games and appetizers (hooray for adult time!). i am looking forward to it.
saturday is knox's birthday party, again it will be at the little park, as we like to call it. i still have need of wrapping the little gifts i got for him (shhh, keep it a secret & i'll tell you what it is! a spiderman potato head, little bob-the-builder trucks, some sort of non-dripping go-diego-go bubble blower, and some cash we'll put away for his savings.) i still need to make the elmo cake i'm planning on baking, but perhaps i'll do that saturday morning so it will be fresh and so that i won't be overwhelmed with other things.
this afternoon i have a bridal shoot with robin (shoot 2). we ran out of time...and lighting...last time, so we're going at it again! i am looking forward to it. i wish i could post some of the pictures from the last shoot, but the nature of the shoot is relatively secret, so once they're safe and married, i'll try to post the pictures. :)

2008-10-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

i think i've been having braxton-hicks contractions. they are not painful, and they are not causing labor, so it's either that or the baby feels strange every now and then.
i hear knox playing in his bed, so i assume nap time is over. :o) it is about that time.

new photography blog

2008-10-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

ok, its set up. here's the link.
Claire Strebeck Photography

a new blog

2008-10-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

i wanted to let you know that i am currently working on a new photography blog. i have no plans to rid myself of this blog, i just am adding a new one to the mix. i hope it will be one you will enjoy! more info on it later.

2008-10-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

hiya.

today i imagine will be pretty low key. wesley is off to a song writer's conference, and i am at home with knox without plans. we got in from singing at a lock-in and visiting some friends out of town last night (or this morning, however you look at it) at about 4 a.m. knox, who woke up at about 1 a.m. when we left town, managed to stay awake the entire trip home. i'm not sure how he did it, but he did. suprizingly enough, he was pleasant during the trip. no tantrums of any kind. perhaps it was because he was in pseudo-sleep the whole time. i'm not sure. and wesley and i, though very tired, had good conversation during the length of the trip, so i was pleased with the ride home so late. wesley got up at eight this morning...after 4 hours of sleep! yikes! i stayed in bed 'til about 9-ish...though i had plans to stay 'til 12. perhaps i'll crawl back into the warm, cozy sheets in just a bit. i was just too curious to see if anyone had updated. turns out, i needed to update, myself. i hear knox rustling in bed, and talking quietly. he generally plays with his toys before calling out to be gotten out of bed. sometimes he'll even get quiet again and go back to sleep. i am hoping he does that today so that i can get a few more minutes of shut-eye.

my only real plans for the day is to possibly see if anyone wants to do lunch (btw...holla) and perhaps make an appearance at dirt cheap. yes, i know it is filty. but, i believe i have mentioned in a previous post my love-hate relationship with dirt cheap. and i got an email saying that all their halloween stuff is 90% off, and costumes are $1 (i'm not so much interested in the costumes as the halloween stuff. i'm also hoping to have a little gathering on halloween...we'll see if it comes into fruition...).

i have linked up my computer at work to my laptop, so now, i should be able to work some from home, 2 days a week to be exact, for the time-being. i am hoping that it goes well.

Balloon Races!!!

2008-10-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Annual Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, and I am excited. I love to see the balloons flying overhead in the sky, just leasurely passing the world by, floating through the air. This morning as I was getting back into my car from dropping Knox off at his friend Sam's house, I saw a big balloon gently drifting above me towards the river. It was the first balloon of the season (for me, anyway), and i always love waking up early this weekend just to see them. Its always a rainbow of bubbles floating up high in waves. Sometimes a big mass of colors, sometimes just one or two at a time. This year Knox is old enough to see it and know that it is unusual, so i hope to get him up early, also, to look at the wonder that is a hot-air balloon. I don't think he's ever seen one, not to mention in person, so this should be a real treat to show him. Wesley and I have plans to take him to the little fair that they have along side the races. I think he will love to run around and play the games with all the excitment.

i've been tagged

2008-10-15T08:48:00.001-07:00

by brooke, so here's my random 6 things about me:

1. I love cheese. Yummy, delicious, and creamy. Melted, solid, chunks, string. Bleu, mozzarella, feta, cheddar, the sky's the limit. I don't think i've ever really met a cheese I don't like. the stinkier the better.

2. i don't like taking medicine. fortunately, i don't get sick that often, but i think i really get on my husband's nerves when i am, or when i have a headache. he's like, "have you taken anything for it?" and i'm like, "no." oh well. i hate being sick and having headaches, but i really just hate taking medicine, too. and vitamins, but i am in LOVE with the new (well, new to me) sour gummy flintstone vitamins. they really are good. and you get to eat 2 of them!

3. I am addicted to Snood. It's a total waste of time, but i can't stop once i start.

4. while i used to be more of a compulsive shopper, now-a-days, it's really hard for me to buy things....well, let me qualify this statement. It is way too easy for me to go out to eat. but what i'm really referring to is clothes, housewares, etc. fun stuff. i don't know why but everytime i go to buy something i always talk myself out of it. yes, this can be a good thing, but sometimes i try to impulse shop, and i can't! :( i dont' know if it is because i am in pregnancy clothes, and in my mind they are just temporary clothes, but i lean against that being the sole reason, because i try to buy things for the house like a new lampshade for a lamp that is sadly topless, and i couldn't do it. i have giftcards that i even haven't used for a year because i can't make up my mind on what to get. sad sad sad.

5. Halloween is probably my favorite holiday. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, too, but Halloween is where its at. not the creepy, murderous stuff with blood dripping and the like, but the cutsey, kitche stuff that is comical and silly is wonderful! candy and costumes and children and autumn weather and caramel apples and pumpkin pies and cheddar cheese and candles and cute little witch decorations and hay rides and bon-fires and gords and full moons and glitter and shiny things and excitement! there seems to be a magical-ness (if you'll excuse my word-making tendancy) about it!

6. if i were an extremely wealthy person, one of the luxuries i would spend on myself (beyond traveling and regular pedicures) would be fresh flower arrangements regularly. i would not be without them. beautiful, sometimes exotic, fresh flowers!

ok, that's it. i tag ashley!

2008-10-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

i am gearing up for the busy weekend ahead, starting in about 30 minutes. Here's the to do list for the weekend. hopefully i will accomplish all...most...of it.

-run by 2 (hopefully three) banks
-eat a quick lunch
-take knox to the doctor (coughing and mucus...same as me)
-cook my share of the food for robin's shower tomorrow morning; list is as follows: ham sandwiches, cookies (1/2 sugar free, 1/2 not), mixed nuts (hooray, an easy one!), mini spanikopitas, mini blackbean cakes, tomato-basil dip with crackers, and pick up ice before the event
-visit/eat dinner with my in-laws
-attend shower tomorrow morning
-hopefully rest for a few minutes
-hopefully a bridal portrait shoot tomorrow evening, if the weather is permitting
-send wesley off to band practice tomorrow evening
-church sunday morning, including talking with the session about membership

whoow. I'm tired thinking about it all. if you want to see a blog about what i wish i were doing this weekend, go here. (although i will enjoy every bit of the current schedule)

Tristan

2008-10-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

So, one of my friends had a baby a week ago today (happy birthday, Tristan!) and I took some pictures of them all at the hospital. Here are a few of my favorites.

(she's not disgusted with the baby. its one of the first dirty diapers!)

update

2008-10-04T19:43:00.001-07:00

so, about the bug issue from the previous post. i ended up not having to worry about it for now. i was supposed to meet the bug man at the house at 12:30 friday, but wesley and i went to a funeral yesterday morning that went longer than we expected, thus missing the appointment. so, i'll have to reschedule with the bug man, and therefore giving me more time to research and figure out what to do about the situation.
some of our closest friends moved out of town today. it was a sad day. but, we wish them well.
mom, knox, and i went to the cathedral fall festival today (my grade school and high school) which was fun to see knox running around and playing the different games. he really enjoyed "go-fish" and the "duck pond." i think his favorite thing to do was climb on the "bad boy buggy" (if you don't know what this is, its a supe'd up, high quality hunting golf cart thing that is supposed to be amazing for hunting). i put in some tickets for the different raffles that i thought we'd enjoy (cash, liquor, and a tv) and then we headed home. i had expected the day to be much cooler, and in my anticipation i wore fleece pants and a light-weight, long sleeved shirt. gah!
so, tonight wes and i had nice plans for an evening out to see a hitchcock movie that the city was playing on a screen on a roped-off block down town, but because i didn't double check the timing, we missed it. :( talk about a bummer. i was so upset, buuuuut settled for catching up on tivo'ed survivor instead. look out gabon.

it's that time of year again

2008-10-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

so, it's time for us to get our home sprayed for pest-control. I, with it being a bit cooler these days and looking for more of the same, and though am partial to being eco-friendly most of the time, am completely fine with doing whatever is necessary to not ever see a single insect in (or around, if i could help it) my home. however, my husband, being the wise man that he is, wants to research more green ways to keep our home bug-free. so, while i know that this is probably a really good idea, especially since we have a toddler and a newborn on the way, i am not so thrilled about the idea of it. i HATE bugs. i dont' even want to mention the type of bug that is so common here in the south that can so easily come into your home, and so, i want very badly to go ahead and have our home sprayed at the thought of it. buuuut, i guess that would not be in keeping with submitting to my husband in all things. i have spent some time this morning trying to research other methods than just toxic chemicals sprayed in & around the home, but really, the best info i can find in my area is just preventative, and doesn't even look that promising. it seems that some areas of the country have more organic companies to come and do pest-control, but nowhere near ms that i have found. PLEASE help if you know ANY information.

the longest day

2008-09-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent the afternoon running errands. After work i went to pick up Knox, who was sleeping (this is normal). However, I decided to wake Knox up early from his morning nap to go ahead and go to the grocery store. Mistake number one. Knox did pretty well most of the trip, though dealing with whiney moments throughout (which I guess would be understandable, seeing as how I hadn't fed him lunch yet and it was about 12:30...mistake number two). Until the checkout line. I believe I witnessed one of the largest tantrums that anyone in the civilized world has ever seen. After trying to discretely discipline, and quickly trying to get out of there, we left to run a couple more errands. After trying hard neither to let Knox bite Sam's fingers nor Sam pull Knox's hair, we arrived for lunch. Sam ate relatively quickly and was off to bed. Knox ate much more quickly, but wanted to hang around and play for a little while, so I let him (mistake number three). By this time it was at least two or so (early for him not have fully napped in the morning), so he should have been ready to sleep, but like any two-year-old, Knox wanted to stay up and play. Robin & I ate a VERY YUMMY lunch of her homemade chicken penne alfredo while Knox played in bed. After lunch, since Knox was still not asleep and was getting quite unruly, I picked him up to take home, where we both crashed until around 6 or so. Then, wesley came home from working out and we headed off to his parents' house, stopping by Burger King (mistake number... i lose count). We order. We double check my sandwich to make sure that it is infact grilled chicken and plain. It is, so we continue on our way, about 20 miles out, to Wesley's parents' house. We arrive; we pull out our combos only to find Wesley's sandwich is no where to be found. No where. So, I call Burger King, get it sorted out (and we can go pick one up whenever we choose, though that didnt' help us any last night). Finally, Knox began to start his I'm-sleepy-defiance-of-rules bit that children do when they've been up too long, so we put him to bed. Well, that just doesn't work well when you are over exhausted and two and at your grandparents' house. So, after about and hour of dealing off & on with an unpleasant child from the bedroom, he finally went to sleep! (Hallelujah!!!!) I put my feet up, watched much too much tv for one night, and went to bed way too late to get up as early as i did this morning. But, I am at work early this morning, and perhaps i'll get a nap in this afternoon. Wesley & I got to peek in on Knox before we headed out to work early (Wesley's mom is watching him today) and he is so almost angelic looking when he sleeps. What a sweetie. And we have lovely plans of friends coming for dinner, so I am very excited about what this day holds. Oh, and we rented Run Fatboy Run, so I'm excited about getting to watch it, as well!

i just realized that my shirt has been inside-out all morning.

2008-09-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Knox was poking at my newly "outie" belly-button this morning, and I was explaining that there's a baby in there. While he was poking around at my belly, the baby kicked, so I told him to put his hand on my tummy where he could feel his baby brother. He looked pleased. When I started to sit down, he wanted to poke at the baby again and said, "belly brother, belly brother!" :o)

My version of the yumminess I ate at Red Tree Coffee

2008-09-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

I call them biscuit muffins.

4 eggs
a pinch of cheese for each muffin
1/2 slice of ham, sliced quite thick (and cut into cubes)
1 can of whop-biscuits, flaky style
onion powder to taste
garlic salt to taste

Preheat oven to whatever degree your biscuit can says. Spray the muffin tin with Pam. Put 1 biscuit in each muffin tin, pinching the sides up the tin. Mix the eggs where the yolk and whites are inseperable and add onion powder and garlic salt to taste. Pour on top of each biscuit. Add a few ham cubes to each egg mixture. Add cheese on top. Bake for about 15 minutes or until biscuits and eggs are both done. Eat! Yummy!!!

Yellow Butter Cake & Chocolate Frosting

2008-09-22T08:36:00.001-07:00

Chocolate Frosting

1 lb. semisweet chocolate chopped
6 T. Dutch processed cocoa powder
6 T. boiling water
3 sticks unsalted butter
½ cup powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

Melt chocolate in a double boiler until melted, turn off heat (about 15 minutes).
Combine cocoa & boiled water, stirring until it’s dissolved.
Beat butter, powdered sugar, & salt on med-high (3-4 minutes). Add melted chocolate, & beat on low until combined (1-2 minutes). Beat in cocoa mixture.

Yellow Cake

2 sticks butter
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 cup cake flour
1 T baking powder
½ t salt
1.75 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1.25 cup milk

Preheat to 350. Butter 2 9x9” round cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper. Sift flours, baking powder, & salt.
Beat butter & sugar till light & fluffy (3-4 minutes). Beat eggs (1 at a time) and vanilla. On low, add flour. Bake, rotating ½ way through, for a total of 30-35 minutes. (20 minutes if making cupcakes.) Cool 20 minutes. Trim cake to make level. Add ¾ frosting to middle layer, and frost the remainder frosting around the sides and on the top.

Fudgy Brownies

2008-09-22T08:35:00.002-07:00

1 stick butter, unsalted
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1.5 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
¾ cups all-purpose
½ t salt

Preheat to 350. Butter a 8” square pan. Line with parchment paper.
Combine butter & chocolate in a double boiler stirring frequently until melted (7 minutes). Cool 10-15 minutes. Stir sugar until combined. Whisk in egg 1 at a time. Wisk in vanilla. Fold in flour and salt. Bake 40-45 minutes.

Icebox Butter Cookies

2008-09-22T08:35:00.001-07:00

2 sticks unsalted butter
¾ cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 t salt
½ cups sugar

Beat butter & sugar on medium (2-3 minutes). Add egg, vanilla, and beat again. Add flour & salt on low. Divide in half & roll into logs 1.5” in diameter. Cover completely in parchment paper, put in paper towel rolls, & refrigerate 1-24 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Roll logs in sugar. Slice ¼” cookies, place 1” apart, and bake (rotating ½-way through) total of 15-20 minutes. Cool.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-09-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

3 cups all-purpose flour ¼ t allspice
2 t baking powder ¼ t salt
2 t baking soda 2 c pumpkin puree’
2.5 t ground cinnamon 1 c packed dark brown sugar
½ t nutmeg 1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat to 350. Coat 2-8.5x4.5” loaf pans w/butter. Whisk flour, baking powder, soda, cinna, nutmeg, allspice, & salt. Combine puree’ with both sugars, mix on medium (2-3 mins) add eggs & oil, mix until incorporated (2 mins). Add flour on low. Bake (rotating ½-way through) total 55-60 minutes.

Blueberry Muffins

2008-09-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

1 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla extract
½ cup milk

Preheat to 375. Butter pan & dust with flour. Whisk flour, baking powder, & salt. Toss blueberries with flour. Beat butter & sugar on med-high until light & fluffy (3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time & mix until combined. Mix in vanilla. Add flour on low until just combined. Add milk; fold in blueberries. Bake, rotating pan ½-way through, about 30 minutes total.

Planning

2008-09-20T19:22:00.001-07:00

Lee & Brad are in town, and I am enjoying spending the weekend with them. They are at a friend's wedding, and I wish they weren't, b/c I'm dog-sitting for them instead. But, Ellie's a sweet girl, and I don't mind. Oneday, maybe they'll babysit! :o) And this gives me an opportunity to watch some much-missed cable television (i.e. Law & Order).
Today Knox, Lee, Mom, and I went for a little walk around town in which Knox promptly spotted a "little horse," a "ly-won," and white flowers (the little horse being an anti-bellum horse & carriage pitch that is so common here in small southern towns, the ly-won being how Knox says 'lion,' though he mistook a yorkie for it, and white flowers being, well, white flowers). Wesley has been working on music all weekend, though mostly not his own, so far. He recorded a co-worker's music most of the day today, thus sending Knox & I to Dad's for a good part of the day. Then, after a quick dinner, he headed off to band practice. I am excited that he is getting back into playing with a band. I really enjoy his acoustic work, but there is an aspect to playing with a band that I think Wesley misses when he doesn't play with a group for a while. I don't know if its just that its something he really enjoys, or that its b/c he has basically always played music in bands since he was quite young (or both), but either way, it's good for him to get back into it.
This week, I have planned a menu and already bought the groceries, so I am excited to get started on the meals! :o) Here it goes!
Sunday a.m.: my best attempt to re-create the breakfast-biscuit-egg-muffin things that I had at a little coffee shop in Kingston Springs, which are incredible.
Sunday p.m.: Mammy's Cupboard's recipe of Vegetable Beef Soup w/my Granny's Jalepeno Cornbread Muffins
Monday: Slow-cooked Chicken with bacon & greenbeans, and "potato salad" (though if you know me at ALL, you know this must not have the "m"word in it. It doesn't. I'm going to do my best attempt to duplicate the potato salad from the restaurant Zoe's Kitchen).
Tuesday: Mammy's recipe (again) for Chicken Salad Sandwiches (but, again, without the M-word, and instead, fat free plain yogurt) with a side of vegetable soup and mixed fresh fruit
Wednesday: church night
Thursday: chili dogs with Kosher dogs & wheat buns & fat free turkey chili, and steamed broccoli
Friday: miniature whole-wheat pizzas
Saturday: breakfast with Dad, and a wedding to attend that night, so I'm sure we'll eat there

our trip

2008-09-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, we are back from nashville. I say we had a good trip. nothing in particular is settled, and though we do have some job leads, nothing is certain. it was nice, however, to even get out of town for a few days and spend some quality time with wesley. so, i say its a success. in addition to putting in job applications, working on the record, and trying to meet with some hopefully future boss(es), we:
-visited with some friends;
-caught 2 movies;
-walked around several shopping centers;
-ate at an Italian restaurant with REALLY good food (Antonio's of Nashville)
-got some other really good food (5 guys burgers, or something like that, Zoe's Kitchen, etc)
-rode around and saw different neighborhoods;
-saw just about every guitar store in the nashville area.

and when we finally got home last night, we were soooo excited to see knox, and hoped during the whole ride home that he wouldn't say, "shoot," or, "dang-it" when he saw us. he didn't. he bawled. (eyes rolling)

currently

2008-09-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

so, we're currently in nashville looking for jobs. please please please pray that wesley is able to meet for interviews and get a job that will provide for our family.

wheat pizza dough

2008-09-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

yummy. this recipe is from the best of cooking light.
1 pkg dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c. warm water (100-110')
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 all-purpose flour, divided
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
cooking spray

1. dissolve yeast & sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 mins. lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level w/a knife. add 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour whole-wheat flour, oil, & salt to yeast mixture, stirring until well blended. turn dough on a floured surface. knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 min's); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, to prevent the dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).
2. place dough in a large bowl coated w/cooking spray, turning to coat top. cover & let rise in a warm place (85'), free from drafts, for 45 min's or until doubled in size. (press 2 fingers into the dough. if indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) punch down; cover and let rest 5 min's. divide dough in half; roll each half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. top & bake at 450' for about 15 min's on a pan or stone. note, if you want a crisper crust, place directly in oven (off pan) w/about 8 or so min's left.

life without gas

2008-09-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

we don't have gas right now. it was shut off because we have a big leak problem in the pipes under the house. but its really not been that big of a deal, practically, with it being off. we can't use the stove or oven, and we do not have hot water, but that's it. we have a little toaster oven that i have been suprised at what all you can do in it. we also have an electronic water-boiler thingy for wesley's tea that i have been using to heat up water, though with the heat outside, i don't nearly mind the cool water as if it were cooler out.

Sooo...Gustav...

2008-09-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

We made it. We got power back on yesterday, and there was no damage to our house. I am very thankful. This afternoon I have the daunting task of ridding the fridge/freezer of everything. Thankfully we still have bread, peanut butter, noodles/sauce, and canned stuff that we can eat b/c there is NOTHING food-wise in any of the grocery stores here. Even some of the fast food restaurants have nothing.
Lee (my sister) said that Baton Rouge is a Mess. No one still has power and trees are down everywhere. She said that for the first hour of the storm, she and her husband just watched trees fall down on houses in her neighborhood. Brad (her husband) went outside and watched. They say that the damage is almost (if not worse) than Katrina there b/c of the wind damage, not water damage. But they were peeved b/c none of the national news people are reporting it. They all go down to New Orleans, and saythat, well, it wasn't that bad. Not as bad as we expected. But it is that bad in Baton Rouge. Thankfully, the police and National Guard were ready, and they are helping patrol the area. Some area drugstores and Walmarts are opening, letting people in about 10 at a time with flashlights, and people are getting some supplies. They are waiting hours and hours in line for the stuff, but Lee said that they didn't even care that much b/c they don't have anything else to do.
Lee is here for a while, and her husband will be joining her soon. We went to Jackson Tuesday, adn stayed until yesterday, since we didn't have power. Thank you Brooke & Chad for letting us stay! :) We had a fun time! While we were there, we were able to get some sushi-making supplies that I have been needing and wanting since forever. We got sushi rice, seaweed, chopsticks, rice paper, and soba noodles from a little Asian Market. I also got some cute glass canisters from Hobby Lobby that I have been wanting along with a couple of seasonal candles. We got back last night around 10:30 or so, and went strait to bed. Knox didn't sleep a wink on the way home, so he slept in this morning.

Sooo...Gustav...

2008-09-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

So, we're riding it out here in good 'ole southern Mississippi. Winds are blowing pretty good, and rain is pretty regular, but I don't think the worst of it has hit us yet. There's a little tree down outside of my Dad's house, and thankfully it landed on part of a powerline of some sort, or else it would have clobbered our car. However, I am still hoping it doesn't do any scratches. And, while we still have the internet & electricity, I have decided to watch a movie and catch up on blogging. Here are some pictures that I have been needing to post.

Go Tigers!

blueberry "nuffin" faceKnox singing into his drumsticks

Wesley singing into Knox's drumsticks

2008-08-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

I just got through labeling all my posts that i thought could use labels (all but i think two), and it took a while! I didn't realize it would take such a long time. But, it included reviewing each post to see what labels needed to be applied. So, maybe it won't be such an ordeal if I do it as I post. The work day is almost over, and I am thrilled. Tonight I plan on cooking the grilled chicken that we were going to eat last night. (We went for sushi with my Mother-in-law, instead.) Well, I have been contemplating cooking jambalaya instead. I think it just makes a big batch, and there's not much sense in making a big batch for just two people; we were originally going to wait until we could have company over. But, the chicken, sausage, and shrimp sound really good right now. Sooooo, I may have just talked myself out of grilled chicken. :o) Although.....now I remember that we are planning on going to church tonight, and that is at 5, I believe, so, I guess we'll have to see what'll be ready in time to eat before that. :o)
The rain finally let up. Its been clear for the past two days, and I'm thankful, but I have to say that I enjoy the rain. It's bittersweet for us, b/c Wesley usually gets to stay home (with me!) on days that it rains, but also, they are not paid days. Still, I enjoy taking advantage of the quality-time opportunities while they present themselves.

2008-08-21T07:45:00.001-07:00

This weekend I got some pretty good finds. I have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with Dirt Cheap. I love going there and finding really good bargains. However, I am very picky about what I buy from there for several reasons. One is you can't return anything for any reason. Another is stuff is usually pretty grimy, and you don't know where its been. And finally, because I have some sort of mental block that won't let me buy something from there if I think I could have gotten the same sale or percentage off from where ever its from originally. It doesn't matter in my mind that I don't live in a town that has a Gap or a Target, but the fact that something came from somewhere like that, and may be sold there for the same price inhibits me from buying the item. But, with that being said, I was able to make some purchases that I think were worthwhile.

4 pair of heels for $1 each. Wow.
1 gray cotton polo for Knox from Old Navy for $2. (by the way, i plan on going back today to see if i can find anymore)
1 Shabby Chic lamp base from Target for $10 (i almost didn't get the lamp, but i have been really wanting a lamp for my side of the bed, and i liked this one a lot.)
1 brown Gap Maternity skirt for $4 (originally $50, so I think this is a double bargain)
1 pair of Gap Maternity khaki pants for $4 (originally $54, so I think this is a double bargain, too, plus I had just said the day before that all i want is a pair of good fitting maternity khakis! God's good.)
1 black Gap Maternity pencil skirt (dressy) for $4 (i don't know the original price, the tag was cut. sad.)
1 little girl's green necklace for my neice for Christmas for $0.50
1 (completely sealed in the original packaging) flavored lipgloss for my neice for Christmas for $o.50

So, everything together was about $30. I have to say, I was pleased. :o)

Baking Days

2008-08-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

What are you doing for Labor Day?
I haven't yet decided. Wesley & I may go visit my sister & mother (finally!) b/c we've been trying to do so pretty much all of August. Also, Tsunami is calling us. More specifically, the Michael Dumit roll & the cucumber roll (minus the sauce...).
Wesley has been having chest pains for the past several months, and lately it has gotten worse. With it getting worse, we have been more and more nervous about it, and finally decided yesterday to just go to the doctor and find out what it is. We were both quite anxious about it, though Wesley seemed particularly nervous (and understandably so), especially after we had a conversation about how I heard on Paul Harvey that there is new research that says that drinking Red Bull can increase your risk for heart problems. So, we (very thankfully!!!) found out that it was not heart related and was some sort of inflamation where the sternum meets the rib cage, and Aleve will solve his problems. (HOORAY!!!)
This week so far I have baked another batch of banana bread (b/c my 2 boys seem to like it as an easy breakfast, and b/c I had bananas starting to turn brown), blueberry muffins (an Alton Brown recipe that I personally was disappointed in, though they are not particularly bad), and started a sponge for the ciabatta rolls i'll be making for tonight's pork tenderloin sandwiches. Tuesday night Wesley grilled 2 pork tenderloins (we almost all of one of them that night!), so we will be using the second tenderloin for tonight's dinner. I had originally planned to have the sandwiches last night for dinner, and chicken & dumplins tonight for dinner, but the bread didn't work out in a timely manner, so we're having the sandwiches tonight on the ciabatta rolls, and we ate McDonald's last night for dinner.
Lately Wesley & I have been getting to sleep much earlier than what used to be the norm, and I have to say, I feel Much more refreshed in the morning. I cannot remember a single time in my life where I woke up at 6:30 and didn't particularly care to go back to sleep. Generally its a struggle and a battle to make myself get out of bed. However, the "down-side" (if you want to even call it that) to this waking up early thing is I get very hungry before lunch, sometimes twice, where used to, I would just munch on a handful of cereal or something to satisfy my til lunch. But I like breakfast, and if I'll be up anyway, I may as well eat breakfast. So, maybe I'll do biscuits in the morning...we'll see.

dreams of vacation

2008-08-14T09:01:00.001-07:00

so, for some unknown reason i've been feeling a bit gloomy today. i know this probably sounds incredibly spoiled, but i'll be honest...i probably am...anyway, the truth is, i think i'm down b/c we haven't gone on a vacation this year. we are still hoping to, but i just don't know if it'll happen before the year's out. it's been very busy so far, and doesn't look like things are going to slow down anytime soon. plus the baby's coming at the end of the year, so that'll keep us even more busy. good busy, though. i think it also has to do with the fact that we were hoping to go to visit my mom and sister this weekend out of town, but are not able to b/c she starts rush workshops this weekend. so, that leaves us bored in natchez, although it will be nice to have a weekend with nothing to do. wesley has been working on building us some bookshelves, and they are looking incredible. seriously. who knew he had a talent at carpentry? i'm sure he'll want to finish those this weekend. he's gotten one set finished and moved into the house, and he's working on the other. in addition to the bookshelves, he's decided to build a new cabinet for our bathroom (yay!!!) so that we can get rid of our old hand-me-down, k-mart special shelving system that currently is holding our toiletries. the new shelves that wesley is making is soooooooo much nicer!

the baby is kicking my right side. knox used to kick my right side more than the left, too. i'm not sure why that is, but maybe they'll resemble each other somehow in how they kick... or maybe he's starting to get cramped. that could be the case. i'm preeeetttttty sure knox got cramped in my tummy a couple of years ago.

me at halloween 2 years ago with my friend Ashley who was not pregnant, but instead had her pumpkin that she was carving inside her shirt.

2008-08-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is another "stolen" recipe from This blog. We had them for dinner last night, and they were really really good. And healthy. (I always use fat free sour cream; you can use skim milk, and low fat cheese to make it really lean. Also, while wesley & i were eating it, we realized you could very easily add black beans and/or corn to the recipe for more nutrients without changing the recipe really.) Also, it makes a good bit, so you could probably entertain with it or freeze half of it. I would recommend saving the cheesy-goodness topping for after reheating if you do freeze it.

Fiesta Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, minced
3 fresh cloves garlic, minced
10 oz bag baby spinach leaves, chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 10 oz can Mild Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chilies

1 lb (Lg family size can) cream of chicken soup
1 Cup red enchilada sauce
8 oz sour cream
1/2 Cup milk
Pinch of salt

Corn Tortillas
2 Cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oil into a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and jalaepeno until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted down. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin and diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

2. Place soup, enchilada sauce, sour cream, milk and salt into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until warmed though.

3. Ladle a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a large 9x13 inch baking dish (or bigger if you have one), just enough to cover the bottom. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture inside of corn tortillas, roll and place seam side down. Fill tortillas until chicken filling is used up. Top evenly with sauce and shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

10-12 servings

Another recipe

2008-08-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

So, I stole this from another website. I have full intentions of giving them complete credit, so perhaps it is not really stealing. I have not tried them yet, but have faith that I will as soon as I enter my kitchen this afternoon. They look incredible. Check out this website: Claire Nettles.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies slightly adapted from Picky Palate

1 stick softened butter
6 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ Cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
9 Oreo Cookies, broken into pieces
1 Cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter, and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla until mixed well. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients then stir in oreos and chocolate chips until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked, but still soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

And now for a recipe!

2008-08-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

This has become one of my husbands top two favorite meals of all time. I am excited, b/c I cannot cook the other (literally, b/c its sushi). And the bonus is that it is INCREDIBLY easy. And can be affordable, Much more so than ordering it or anything resembling it in a restaurant. So, don't be afraid!!!! :) I have put my side notes in itallics. They are just hints I learned along the way, not the actual recipe.

Filet Minon with a Port Reduction topped with Caramelized Onions:
1 4oz. and 1 6oz. filet, very lean
about 2 tablespoons (plus or minus according to your taste) of cracked black pepper
a pinch or two of salt
olive oil
1 vidalia onion
a couple tablespoons of butter (though i like to use smart balance light)
about a teaspoon or so of sugar
honey
port wine (a good one. Spend around $18 bucks or so, plus or minus)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Chop onions to very thin (and even sized) circles. Add the sugar and butter to a hot skillet, and stir occasionally. They will be caramalized in about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile:

Put a little (maybe a teaspoon or two) olive oil in a skillet, and crank it up to medium high to high. Take the filet (I have been getting a 6 oz. for wesley and a 4 oz. for me, and, especially with the sides, I cannot eat all of mine, and he is full off of his.) and rub them down good with the salt and pepper. Coat them pretty well, then place them in the skillet. Sear them on the hot skillet for about a minute on each side (depending on how well done you like your steak, you can leave it on longer. We like ours about medium, so adjust accordingly. By the way, the steak will be pink inside and incredibly tender, but not bloody the way I cook it, so let that be a reference.) Once steaks are seared, place the pan (with handle covered in tin foil) in the oven for 10 minutes. When you take the steaks out, let them sit for about 10 minutes before you cut them.

Take about 1 cup of port wine and boil in a shallow dish, stirring often, until syrupy. (This takes about 15 minutes) Once it has reduced (by about half is what you're looking for), stir in about a tablespoon of honey. Set aside.

It is super easy. And the reduction can be saved in the fridge for steak later or other things like chicken if you have any leftover.

Some photos I should have uploaded a while back

2008-08-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

My sister Lee & her Dog, Ellie

Ellie Bean
Knox playing with his Dump Truck. Probably his favorite toy.
Ellie Bean

Baby Ellie

Knox playing at the Lake in his little pool.

Knox & his "cool dude" glasses

Mommy & Knox

2008-07-24T07:27:00.001-07:00

this week wesley and i watched a couple of movies. we saw the other boleyn girl and bee movie. i really enjoyed both, although, i must admit we had to turn off bee movie last night before it finished because we were both so tired. i imagine we'll try to finish it tonight. so, honestly, i guess i can only comment on the former. while i enjoyed the movie, the plot was rather disturbing. i think what made the plot most disturbing was that it was mostly based on facts. i understand that it is a very romanticized version of whatever did happen, but the basic plot, the events, what a difference in mindset. oh, and we also watched definately, maybe, which i had great hopes for, but was disappointed with the ending. (if you don't want to continue in this discussion, please skip the next paragraph.)

***spoiler alert!!!*** i don't know, maybe its because i am sensitive to divorce lately, but i am not satisfied with the simple pat-on-the-back answer of hey,-let's-just-move-on-to-the-next-thing-and-see-if-it-works mentality about divorce. I don't think it is a justifiable answer to the reality of the situation. it seems more like a fairy tale ending on a story about reality (though a comedic interpretation). so, anyway, you can watch it and judge it for yourself. i'd love to know what you think about it.

ok, back to other topics. I made whole wheat pizza last night that was really good. I have noticed that the more i make it, the quicker i get at it. which, i guess, is like anything with anyone, now that i think about it. i should have taken pictures of it, but i did not. i did, however, take pictures of wednesday night's dinner (southwestern grilled chicken and avacado sandwiches with fresh salsa), but i will have to post those pictures later this afternoon, being that i forgot to take my camera with me currently.

Tax Free Summer Days

2008-07-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, its true. Some states (almost half) have days were they remove sales tax from assorted purchases. Bear with me if this is old news to you. Since Mississippi is one of the states in our Union that does not have tax-free days, I didn't know about this phenominon. But, take heart if you are in Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Alabama, or Louisiana (among many others)! You have days very soon where you will not have to pay sales tax on purchases such as clothing, school supplies, energy efficient appliances, or basically any other personal property item, excluding things like eating at restaurants. An example, according to AOL.com today,

Tennessee
Date: Aug. 1-3

Tax Savings: 7%

Eligible Products:
Clothing and school supplies worth $100 or less. A single purchase of a computer, software and/or computer accessories with a combined value of $1,500 or less.

(Cost is per item unless otherwise noted.)

or

Louisiana
Date: Aug. 1-2

Tax Savings: 4%

Eligible Products:
All "tangible personal property" — except vehicles, meals and services — worth $2,500 or less.

(Cost is per item unless otherwise noted.)

I guess I'll have to do my shopping in LA next weekend!

Review

2008-07-17T06:41:00.002-07:00

It really amazes me how much Knox is learning so quickly. It seems like every day there are new words that he says, things that I don't even know he has heard before. Yesterday we practiced saying "Happy birthday, Daddy" so that he could tell it to Wesley when he got home. It came out as, "Happy Daddy, Birthday." It was really cute. :o) That got me thinking. I am starting to realize what a challenge it must be for him to learn a whole vocabulary in English (and what Spanish I can remember). Sometimes he gets his words a little mixed up (as in "happy daddy birthday") but he always stops and thinks for a while and tries really hard to get out what he wants to say. Really, it reminds me as if someone picked me up and dropped me in China, or somewhere. The thought of just being alone where I have no idea how to speak the language is terrifying to me.

Last night Wesley and I went to get sushi from a local Thai place. It was good! :o) It had been a long time since I had eaten sushi, so I was ready for it! I couldn't even think about sushi my first trimester, so it has been a pleasant change. I got my usual: Shrimp tempura roll & the Philadelphia roll. I like alternating the creamy & the crunchy. Mmmm. Wesley got a Spider roll and a Planet Thailand Special roll. I don't remember what was in either (although I do know the Spider roll had Soft Shell Crab, mmmmm) but they were both Really good. Then we saw Dark Knight. It was so good, and so creepy! Truely the character of the Joker is such an evil villain!

Well, I guess that's all I can think of for now. I'll get back to eating my cajun turkey on whole wheat and baked ruffles.

24

2008-07-17T06:41:00.001-07:00

Today Wesley is Twenty-Four. We are planning on going to dinner to one of our great little local restaurants and then going to see Black Knight. We have been looking forward to seeing it for a while, but whenever the opportunity presented itself, we weren't able to go for one reason or another. So tonight is the perfect chance to see the movie, I think. Wesley and I are going to High Cotton, a wonderful gourmet cooking class here in town Friday night for both of our birthdays. I am very excited about the class. We went to one about a year ago and it was so much fun. Each class has a different food theme, and last time it was grilled seafood. This time I'm not sure what it is, but I know I will love it. We learn and participate in making a 4 or so course meal and then everyone sits down and eats it afterwards!

So far

2008-07-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

This week Wesley & I (and Baby X) have been in Nashville scoping out jobs and housing. We have some leads on each, but if you happen to know of a job in the Nashville area, give us a buzz! :) So, anyway, we found a nice apartment that is spacious that looks promising, and (even better) a possible rental house with a yard (!!!) in a cute little neighborhood outside of Nashville that would be ideal. So, we are basically waiting to hear back about Wes's job interviews.
In other news, on the drive home yesterday, Wesley felt the baby move for the first time. The baby gave a big 'ole kick, and there was no questioning that our little boy could be a great soccer player. Our older son, as expected, told us "shoot" & "dangit" when we arrived to pick him up from Pop-Pop's house. Oh, he smiled when he saw us, and told us all about the cement truck (in his own language, of course, with the occasional "cement tuk" mixed in) that he was excited about, but none-the-less was a bit upset to go home with us instead of his grandfather. I guess I'd probably feel the same way. :o)

2008-07-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

I did a photo shoot for my sister's dog Ellie Bean not too long ago. Here's one of my favorites from the session.

These are photos my mother-in-law took of the little man playing on the phone. He likes to say "what?? oh, really?"

And last, but certainly not least, our little man (the first) eating "moat-meal."

The Weekend

2008-07-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

This festive weekend we have mostly visited with family. Thursday night Wesley's grandmother came in town (one of the first times she's seen Knox in person) so we came to visit Friday for most of the day. My mom being also in town, we visited with her over Mexican food for lunch before making the trip out to the country to see Mamaw & Papaw. Knox had a big time looking at the chickens and riding in the boat. He gets so excited about chickens and boats, but mostly boats.

While we were there, I sorted through some of my mother-in-law's cookbooks from her extensive collection, and found some really great sounding recipes that I have high hopes for this week. I'll try to remember to post how they went. Two in particular being Overnight Sticky Buns and a variation of Roast Chicken. Tonight we had breakfast as usual with my Dad, which was nice. Then we spent the day together as a family, and while Knox napped, Wesley & I watched The Spiderwick Chronicles. I enjoyed it, knowing ahead of time of the fantastical nature of the storyline. I don't think we could have watched it with Knox, though, which Wesley & I were both suprized for a PG movie. It was a bit too action-y and slightly grotesque at parts for him yet. Tonight my in-laws watched Knox so that Wesley & I could go into town to watch a movie that the downtown development group was playing for free. It was so nice to sit there in the street with a bunch of other locals just there to watch a movie. We watched Independence Day, which oddly enough, I had never seen. Wesley thought that was particularly funny, but it let me enjoy the movie that much more. After 1.5 chili dogs and 1/2 a funnel cake and a good movie, we were ready to call it a night.

2008-06-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

So, a fair amount has happened since I last posted, though I'll only mention the highlights.
Several Fridays ago Wesley & I went to the doctor and found out that we are having another boy! :) We are very excited about this news. We would have been very excited about a girl, as well, but I am hoping that with Knox's hand-me-downs, this child will not be a source of immediate expenses. Hooray for that! And, we were kinda hoping that Knox would have a little buddy to pal around with, so this is another plus for having a boy. Our pictures are so cute! We got one of him sucking his thumb. I'll try to post it later. Sooo cute!
A friend of mine had a bridal shower, in which I gave her THIS from the Etsy shop StudioElan.
Next, my friend Nicole and I had a garage sale. Woo-hoo.... Not as exciting as the first news. But, I cleared out some junk and I made a little cash for the youth trip to Gatlinburg that Wesley & I helped chapperone last week, which leads me to our next highlight.
Wesley & I chapperoned the youth trip to Gatlinburg last week. (Real subtle intro, I know.) It was a pretty good trip. No major infractions or anything like that, pretty smooth as far as behavioral issues, so I think it was a good trip! I am worn out from it and I missed Knox a whole bunch. I have a feeling he missed us, too, judging by the voicemails he & Mom would leave us. But it's tricky to tell b/c the first thing he said when he saw Wesley & me was, "Shoot. Dang it." Which led to an immediate thumping, and crying, and nap-time. Lovely. But after nap-time, he was a joy, so I don't mind bearing the initial rebellious "cussing" (haha, in his little 1 1/2 year old way) at us if he can eventually learn from his "punishment" and be sweet & obedient.

Did you know...?

2008-06-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

That for a mere few million dollars you can buy your own private island virtually anywhere in the world? And, there are some (obviously) for much more (ie 45million or so) and some in the multiple thousands. I mean, I figured that they were expensive, but I didn't know that you could get them in the thousands, either, though. http://www.privateislandsonline.com/

2008-06-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

Monday: Dinner with friends; started a movie, but the stupid tv messed up (again), so we opted to go to bed early, instead. I had grand plans of deep cleaning the entire house that got shifted instead to going to the grocery store and pricing most of the garage sale junk, er...stuff.
Tuesday: Hopes for French dip sandwiches for dinner with baked sweet potatoes and a spinach salad. Hopes for deep cleaning the house today, again. I have a good start, though b/c I got up early. I have already swept, started laundry, disinfected the counters, done the dishes (last night), picked up the trash, cleaned out some of the fridge, and gotten Knox ready and off. I still need to pick up some buckets for my plants so I can plant them into something larger. Oh, did I tell you what happened to Fred? Its sad. More later. And I need to go by Dirt Cheap again b/c Wesley liked the deoderant I found for a buck.
Wednesday: Dinner with friends? Usually, but not always. I should thaw chicken as a backup.
Thursday: Slow Cooker Chicken if we don't do it Wednesday, but if so, I'll use the leftover chicken to make the Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
Friday: MY SONAGRAM!!!! Yay!!!! I have no clue what's for dinner. Leftovers? Home made pizza? That's always a good backup b/c it doesn't take that long and I always have the ingredients hanging around.

Mammy's Cupboard Vegetable Soup

2008-06-04T08:08:00.001-07:00

(The best Vegetable Soup you'll ever eat.)

2.5 lbs. stew meat
64 oz. V8
64 oz. picante V8
2 packs frozen gumbo vegetables (or soup veggies work well, too)
4 peeled and cubed baking potatoes
Tony's seasoning (1 T. or to taste)

Put meat in a pot and just cover with water on high for 30 minutes. Next, add both V8 juices. Once hot, add gumbo vegetables and cook another 30 minutes. Add seasoning and baking potatoes and simmer up to 30 minutes (or until tender). At this point it is ready to eat!!! :o)***Note: If you are going to cook it in a crockpot, do all of it in the crock pot, but at this point, you want to put it on low for a few hours. I did mine about 5 hours, but could be more or less depending on the heat the crockpot puts out.***

This is so good with any cornbread, but Jalepeno Cornbread with a little Cheddar cheese mixed in is AMAZING.

2008-06-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today I watered my plants, as usual, and I am excited about how much they are growing. Not just barely hanging on, but actually growing and producing fruit! Fred has 3 more little tomatoes growing and Madam Bleu has several ripe blueberries everyday! I picked 2 more tomatoes the other day. They are so cute and tiny! The 6 squash plants have blooms all over them, so I am hoping they will successfully turn into squash plants, although I have heard you can eat the squash blossoms themselves. Actually, Sookie on Gilmore Girls has recipe for stuffing and frying the squash blossoms, and the thought of that sounds AMAZING.

Earlier this morning I believe my sugar was low. I began shaking a little (not like tremors or anything, but just a bit shaky) and feeling weak, so I opted for a pack of peanut butter crackers and a sprite. It has helped a good bit. My sister does the same thing occasionally, and her husband (a nurse) laughs at her when she says its because her sugar is low. My husband (not a nurse) does the same to me when I have these moments. What do you think it is? A few crackers or something moderately sugary usually fixes it relatively quickly. I'm not saying I think I'm diabetic or anything; just that I haven't eaten something substantial in a while.

Last night I made Mammy's Cupboard's recipe of Vegetable Soup (except I did mine in the crockpot) and made corn bread to go with it. It was sooooo good. I haven't had vegetable soup in a long time, so I was really looking forward to it. Wesley always likes a good bowl or 2 of it. I'll post the recipe. I just did Jiffy Cornbread. We had brownies for dessert. Yum.

The First Snow Cone of the Season

2008-05-28T07:54:00.001-07:00

It was bliss. I opted for something a little out of the ordinary in the form of a "topless" (b/c I don't want it spilling in my car) sour apple and lemonade mixture. I figured you can't go wrong with anything fruity mixed with lemonade. O how true. Yum.

Also, I have been picking blueberries from my blueberry bush the past few days and freezing them with dreams of a blueberry pie. I also picked my first cute little cherry tomato from the plant that I named Frank. I later saved him from a tragic ending by rescuing him just before Knox popped it in his mouth. I wouldn't have minded, except judging from past experiences with tomatoes, Knox would have just spit it right back out. And all my hard work...haha...of trying to remember to water Frank would have been wasted on the little tomato. But, Frank is producing several more tomatoes that look like they will be ripe and ready to be picked within a few days. (As long as I remember to water him...)

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Wesley and I stayed in. My mom had stayed the night, so she took Knox to church with her, and we had the morning to ourselves. It was nice, honestly. We went on a pseudo-morning-date. We went to McDonalds (b/c Main Street Marketplace was closed) for breakfast, and then tried to rent a movie, but it was closed. So, we went to the park to swing instead. We watched all the different woodland animals run around, collecting their food, preparing already, I'm sure, for winter. There were woodpeckers, bluejays, cardinals, squirrels, and chipmonks. Then we took a nap, and went back to the movie store to rent No Reservations. We originally had plans to have a major junk night including local pizza, candy, brownies, cream soda for me and Strawberry Abita for Wesley, but after going to a "church fellowship" and filling up on junk there, we were too full to eat the original planned junk. But, the movie was still good.
Next, this morning we had breakfast (again) at McDonalds! haha, well, we never eat there, really, but the Marketplace was closed (again) for Memorial Day, so we went again with my dad and grandparents. Knox loved it.
I made my strawberry jam last night. It tastes very good, but apperently I cooked it too long, b/c it's more like the consistency of taffy than jam, but it's still very good. I think if you heat it a little it'll loosen up. For sure it will preserve this time. In just a little while we will be heading to the lake with a group of friends to ride on the boat , tube (though, sadly I cannot participate), and boil crawfish! Yum.

in other news

2008-05-23T07:26:00.002-07:00

I am going to attempt canning again. I canned some of our figs last year into preserves, but as I went to open a jar the other day to make Knox a peanut butter and jelly (or preserves) sandwich, I smelled the figgy spread. Though the lid was sealed, the figs themselves were ruined. I believe I must not have used enough sugar or cooked them long enough (to get all the impurities out), because it had ferminted. Yuck. It smelled like fig mouthwash. So, after throwing out that batch of preserves (and the stinky sandwich that Thankfully I had smelled before anyone ate it) and slightly discouraged, I located the rest of the jars of "preserves," that I now can rename "not-preserves," and threw them out, too. This afternoon, however, I am going to get more plants from a local grower and try to keep them alive so that I can try to can all over again. This time, under the watchful eye of my experienced Mother-in-law.

Play Days

2008-05-23T07:26:00.001-07:00

Wednesday afternoon I spent most of the day being a highway for Little Knox. He would run his tiny yellow truck up and down my arms and legs and head. It amazes me how much he loves trucks. He will stop anything (even eating a banana) to listen to a truck. "Brmm-Brmm!"
He is growing into quite the young man. I used to think that he looked like a big baby, but more and more he is looking like a little man. He is very much a little boy. I am not quite sure when he turned into this little boy. He is learning to determine yellow from blue. He can answer correctly 3 questions from the shorter chatechism. He gets upset when the top is not on the laudry detergent correctly. He can eat with a fork.
And now we are waiting on number two. I still don't yet know if they are a girl or a boy, but by now, I'm sure it's determinable. Wesley told me he kinda hopes they are a boy so that Knox will have a little buddy. I think this is good logic. Although, a girl would be nice, too.

This week's Menu

2008-05-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today I didn't have to go into work until one, so I was able to get dressed leisurely and cook breakfast, which was a joy.

Monday: Dinner: Pasta Quattro Formaggio with Roasted Chicken
Tuesday: Lunch: Mammie's Chicken Salad Sandwich (without M-Word) on Home Baked
White Bread
Dinner: Bacon Turkey Burgers on Onion Kaiser Rolls with Baked Macaroni &
Cheese and Green Bean Bundles
or
Breakfast Casserole
Wednesday: Dinner: Church or @ the Townsends'
Thursday: Dinner: whichever I didn't cook on Tuesday
Friday: Date Night/homemade Pizza
Saturday: Fundraiser for Mr. Mike Byrne @ Mainstreet Market Place Cafe'

Saturday

2008-04-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

We ate at Main Street Market Place Cafe twice today, as it is one of our favorite spots here. Here's a few shots taken there.

2008-04-11T09:07:00.002-07:00

To do today:

Finish invoicing, ~~file paperwork~~, ~~enter bills~~, pay bills, deliver ductilator, go to bank, pay taxes at bank, go to Kimbrell's Office Supply and get more supplies for the office, set up electronic bill pay,~~print check register~~, go jogging, ~~eat a waffle~~, finish laundry, go to the grocery store, maybe go walking with Robin?, deliver mail, check on my sad little rose bush. Whew. I'm tired thinking about it.

CDs & Canvases

2008-04-11T09:07:00.001-07:00

Wesley is on his last day of recording today. It is such a good cd. I know that I may be bias, but I was drawn to his music before I was attracted to him, so I think I can say objectively that it is good stuff. And it is good stuff. It has been almost exactly a year in the making, so it's nice to see it come together. I have heard just about all of it (save for the stuff they are currently working on, though Merisha and I will be going up there later on this afternoon to work on it some more, and we shall hear it then) and it is Excellent work! So, because today is the last day of recording, the cd should be out (Lord willing!) by the end of this month! Hooray! And, we've been getting some pre-orders in (...ah, hem, at $10.00 each, including delivery which will be $12, so order your copy today!!!...) so that's reassuring that the cd will sell. I have full confidence in that its completely worth of listening to and worth of buying. I just hope that we can get the word out there. It will be available on iTunes eventually, too. Ok, enough about that.I have to order canvases this weekend. I was just commissioned recently to paint a portrait of a dog. I have only done this sort of portrait once, so it shall be a new venture. The one time I did a portrait of a pet was of our "stray" cat Clarence that adopted us, and it was for Wesley, so it will be interesting painting the portrait for someone outside of our home. I love doing people and animals. The pressure is in that it has to be exact. Its just not the same otherwise. Have you ever seen something someone's painted or drawn and thought, "well, I can tell that it looks like so & so, but somethings just not quite right." Exactly. It has to be exact. Generally animals are less stressful than humans, but you would be suprised (or maybe you wouldn't!) at how detail oriented you have to be when its someone's pet. People see their pets almost as children, and in this case, sometimes the pets are their children.