Christmas :)

It's no secret that I love Christmas. 

Everything about Christmas.

The music, the movies, the decorations, family time, overall holiday joy.

This year was a little hard for me with Chris being overseas. 

I tried my best to be my normal cheerful self and not let it affect me.

But it did, and I think it hit me harder the day after Christmas. 

So I did what I normally do, tried to keep to myself.

But overall, I had a pretty wonderful Christmas.

My wonderful siblings were down here in Florida with my mom, stepdad and I and I got to Skype with my husband Christmas night. 

So I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas, all things considered. 

There are people out there who have things a whole lot worse than I do, so I shouldn't be complaining. 

But I did miss my husband more than usual and wished we could've shared our first Christmas as husband and wife together. 

Although we promised not to get each other gifts this year since he's overseas, he surprised me by sending me a MACBOOK PRO!!!!

AHHHH what a gem!!! He sure knows the way to my heart!! And he totally caught me off guard and shocked me!!

Here's a couple pictures from the weekend :) 

My Fabulous new shoes, thanks mom :) You know the way to my heart!

Rainbow Cookies :) A childhood classic...shipped all the way from New York!! Mom sure does love her children!

White Lasanga just for me! :)))

We Believe :)

Check our our wine cozies...don't be jealous!

Sibling love!

Merry Christmas Eve!

When you gather around your Christmas tree to open presents or are sitting around the dinner table laughing and enjoying your time with family, please remember all the soliders and my hero who are still overseas fighing for us ♥ Keep them in your hearts and prayers this Christmas ♥

 

 

Gives Me Hope

Progress is Being Made

My mom recommended I read this article this morning, so I did. 
After reading it, I couldn't help but have hope that maybe this really is the end and all our troops will be out of there by the end of next year.

That all our men and women will be home with their families, where they belong.

That our country can focus on fixing the problems we have here in our own nation.

At least there is some sign that this is all coming to and end.

True Friends

Every once in awhile something bad happens and it's those friends that can make you feel better and laugh when you are so sad that you can't help but think

"there's no way I could survive without them."

I have a handful of friends like that.

And I am beyond thankful to have been blessed with them in my life.

They know who they are and I hope they know I love them.

My life wouldn't be the same without them.

I hope they know how much they mean to me and how much I treasure our relationships.

We may not see each other all the time, but it's the friends who you can pick up right where you left off that are the ones you want to keep forever.

I'm truly so lucky to have a handful of girls like that in my life.

"Friends are like stars, you can't always see them, but you know they're there. "

Tumbling

I love tumbling! Gymnastics is my passion and it always will be.  I'm so glad to know that at the age of 26 I can still tumble like I did when I was 17.

It's nice to be able to tumble after work with my co workers.

It just makes me so happy to be able to still do what I love.

A Christmas Poem

A CHRISTMAS POEM

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

(This poem was written by a Marine)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've found an amazing recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

These suckers are delicious times ten.

So so yummy.

Nice and chewy on the inside with a crisp outer...perfect!

Ingredients:

*1 cup butter, softened

*1 cup white sugar

*1 cup packed brown sugar

*2 eggs

*2 teaspoons vanilla extract

*3 cups all-purpose flour

*1 teaspoon baking soda

*2 teaspoons hot water

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

*Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

*Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

I saw this article online the other day and just thought I'd share it since it's pretty spot on!

10 Things 90s Kids Will Have To Explain To Their Children

While most things we experienced as tots in that headiest of eras seems pretty self-explanatory (plaid was everywhere, Leonardo DiCaprio was the molten ball of light around which the solar system turned, and there was no color too bright for your sweatpants) there are some things that will be a bit harder to explain. Here, a primer for when your future children want to know what the hell you were doing with your boxy, multicolored electronics.

Nov. 23, 2011

By Chelsea Fagan

 

1. Topanga was at some point in human history considered not only a legitimate first name for a human being, but the kind of name that would inspire in malleable teenage boys a life-long infatuation. Topanga, in our day, was leading lady name-material. Topanga (pronounced Tah-payne-ga, for those who will have only ever seen in it written down) is the name of the quintessential girl-next-door who will live, along with Feeney, in our hearts forever.

**Who didn't love Boy Meets World? No one that I knew.  In fact, most people I know, still watch it every morning while they are getting ready for work. Why? Because they just don't make shows like that anymore.

 

2. At some point, we carried around little plastic eggs with tiny screens on them — in these screens lived our hearts, our pets, our raison d’etre, our very own Tamagotchi. We loved them, we listened to their tiny electronic screams of malnourishment, and we occasionally forgot to pick up their poop for long enough that they died a tortured, poop-filled death. They were perhaps our first foray into the life-consuming world of electronics and self-absorption, later to be fully manifested by Facebook.
**Tamagotchi. Ahh it was hard keeping those stupid things alive but everyone sure was obsessed with trying.

3. The black Power Ranger was black and the yellow Power Ranger was Asian because…we were so completely ahead of our time and beyond the capacity to even think in terms of something as inconsequential as race that… uh… I don’t know. Casting directors were racist in the nineties.

4. Long before he was spending his days foisting his mediocre children on us, Will Smith was actually the perfect human specimen. He also undoubtedly holds some world record for saving the world the most times while simultaneously delivering flawless catchphrases and giving cool guy nods to the camera. The Men In Black rap song, at the time, was created and received by the public without the slightest trace of irony. Really. He was that good.
**Everything Will Smith sang we loved.  Every movie Will Smith was in we watched.  Fresh Prince of Bel Air? We were obsessed.  We still love watching reruns of that show.

5. In some inevitable shift of the time-space continuum in which James Cameron continues to rob humanity of all that is good and sacred in this world, Fern Gully will be known as that movie that ripped off Avatar. It will be up to us to crusade for what is right. It is up to us to explain that Fern Gully was not only a predecessor to Avatar, but far better, in that it contained both Tim Curry as a singing pile of molasses and Robin Williams rapping about animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry. (As a side note, if you have not recently listened to the full lyrics of the “Batty Rap,” I recommend you do, as they are horrifying.)
**Fern Gully not my favorite movie but definitely the first of it's kind.

6. A neighborhood boy who completely disregards your family and puts a ladder directly under the teenage girl’s window to climb up at his discretion is not only acceptable, it’s charming. It’s the kind of stuff that would make said family take the ladder boy under their wing and into their heart. The nineties were a simpler time, one where we didn’t have to worry about things like breaking and entering. Clarissa today would have steel bars on the inside of her window and her father would continually remind her that the next-door boy with his ladder and his touchy hands have no place in his household.

7. Though on the surface, they are the exact same thing in every conceivable way, whether you liked The Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC said more about your character than all of the terrible macaroni art you could ever make for your child psychologist. Essentially, liking *NSYNC meant you liked Justin Timberlake, as he was clearly the Seabiscuit in that race from the get-go. You even liked him with his terrible, icy-blond mini-fro. Liking the Backstreet Boys gave you a bit more of a cultured palate, as there was no clear Diana in those Supremes. Nick was kind of the wholesome, if northern-Florida-redneck safe choice (save for his humiliating younger brother, Aaron). Brian was the shy, sensitive type. AJ was the hottt, dangerous meth addict. Kevin Richardson was mute with sexy, sculpted facial hair. No one liked Howie. Choosing between the two groups was like choosing between two beloved children, but once that line was crossed–there was no going back.
**I'm a *NSYNC girl, loved them.  Still love jamming out to their music when it comes on the radio...at full blast. Don't judge.

8. “I wanna really really really wanna zig a zig ahh,” has a meaning, and all true nineties kids know it, but we must never share it. Like the Illuminati, it must remain between us, the keyholders. With great power comes great responsibility.
**I remember going to gymnastics practice and one of us girls putting this CD on repeat and singing along for our 4 hour practices because it pumped us up.

9. Lisa Frank is not the name of a woman, it is the name of a movement, a culture, a way of living. It is a theory, a concept, a belief in something greater than yourself. It is the belief that all girls are entitled to dolphins covered with rainbows, jewel-encrusted frogs, and unicorns in acid-trip colors hugging each other. It is the ideology that no notebook is complete until it literally hurts your eyes to look at from so much color saturation. It is the hope that no school supply, no matter how insignificant, will be left un-bedazzled. It is the knowledge that your eraser cap, and that of your granddaughter’s, and her granddaughter’s after her, will not be some boring little nub–it will be a diamond covered with butterflies in a rainbow of colors. It is the dream of a better tomorrow.
**Lisa Frank made school supplies fun.

10. Incredibly depressing women in Indiana covered in cats and glass figurines they buy at The Hallmark Store used to troll the web 1.0 to invest thousands of dollars in tiny stuffed animals filled with plastic beans. That happened. Beanie Babies were not just significant, they were the first example most of us had of envy, greed, and wrath. If someone messed up that little heart-shaped Ty tag, so help you God, that was the end of whatever contact you had with that monster of a human being. That tag-less Beanie Baby was now trash, and you had to deal with the consequence. It was at that moment, that de-valued Beanie Baby moment, that most of us accepted the truth… we’ll never have nice things.
**Ahhh the Beanie Baby obsession.  So wonderful and fun.  Who could collect the most? I had more than I could count of those little suckers.

Half Marathon

I have officially registered for my first half marathon.

I don't know if I should be excited, nervous or scared that I'm going to die halfway through.

But I've decided to embrace the challenge that lays ahead of me and put forth 150%.

I don't think this is an impossible task for me, I work out regularly and I'm in decent shape.

This is a goal for me to accomplish while Chris is away.

This is something purely for ME.

With the help of my sister, I've put together a training schedule for the next couple months.

I am going to try my hardest to stick to it regardless of those late nights at work when all I want to do is go home and sleep.

Now, I have a reason to work out.

 My December Training Schedule

My January Training Schedule

My February Training Schedule

Something I found online

Dear Military Wife,

I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news.

I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for.

I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband.

I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so.

I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand.

I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home.

I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with.

And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.

For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel.

I can not tell you that you must be strong.

I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man".
I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes.

What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - -

I will never have to walk in your shoes.

I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now.

I have figured out that you are not like other women.

You are of a special breed.

You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess.

The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America.

You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American.

I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.

Until this moment I could never put into words exactly what
America meant to me.

Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you.

Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family.

You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down.

Military families make this nation what it is today.

You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

Because of you and your family...I am able to be me.

I am able to have my family.

I am able to walk free in this great land.

Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay.

Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday.

I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom.

I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable.

However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...

what you are doing...

what has happened today...

or what will happen tomorrow...

Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me....

And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten.

You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely.

May God Bless You

Top Things NOT to say to a Military Wife

One of my childhood friends and fellow military spouse had this posted on her facebook earlier today and I just thought I would share it along to the blog world.

Things NOT to say to a military wife.
Since I've been with Chris and we've gone through 3 deployments together (and he did an additional tour before he met me), I have experienced almost every single one of this comments.  Some of them are just kind of like "well duh" questions and others ones are just on the very annoying side.  I understand that people who are not married to a military man or who have never gone through a deployment really have no idea the things we go through, so sometimes they are just trying to find the "right" thing to say.

1. “Aren’t you afraid that he’ll be killed?”

**This one ranks in at number one on the “duh” list. Of course we’re afraid. We’re terrified. The thought always lingers at the backs of our minds while they are in a warzone.  Sometimes, it pays to think before you speak, or even imagine if that was your husband fighting a war...wouldn't YOU be afraid he would be killed??

2. “I don’t know how you manage. I don’t think I could do it.”

** We’re not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable, we just got asked to take on a challenging job. So we rose to the challenge and found the strength to make sacrifices. And if you were put in the same situation, you WOULD be able to do it as well.  This is intended to be a compliment, most times I honestly don't even know how to respond to this comment except to say thanks.

3. “At least he’s not in Iraq.”

**This is the number one most annoying comment for those whose husbands are in Afghanistan. What do they think is happening in Afghanistan? An international game of golf? Guys are fighting and dying over there...turn on the news, open a newspaper or log onto the Internet...catch up on your world news.

4. “Do you think he’ll get to come home for Christmas/anniversary/birthday/birth of a child/wedding/family reunion, etc?”

**Don’t you watch the news? No! They don’t get to come home for any of these things. Please don’t ask again.  Unfortunately, the war is still going on regardless of the special events that are going on at home and their job is to be defending our country. luckily enough, their families know and understand that their job is going to require them to be away from the home on more than one special occasion, so we embrace the ones we get to celebrate together with twice the joy.
5. “What are you going to do to keep yourself busy while he’s gone?”

**Anything and everything I can to help the time pass quicker.  Including uping my workouts and working longer hours. We get lonely but not bored. 

6. “How much longer does he have until he can get out?”
**This one is annoying to many of us whether our husbands are deployed or not. Many of our husbands aren’t counting down the days until they “can” get out. Many of them keep signing back up again and again because they actually love what they do or they VOLUNTEER AGAIN and AGAIN to go back to Iraq b/c there is work that needs to be done.

7. “This deployment shouldn’t be so bad, now that you’re used to it."

**Sure, we do learn coping skills and its true the more deployments you’ve gone through, the easier dealing with it becomes.   We figure out ways to make life go smoother while the guys are gone. But it never gets “easy” and the bullets and bombs don’t skip over our guys just because they’ve been there before. The worry never goes away about not ever seeing your husband again.


8. “My husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you’re going through.”

**This one is similar to number two. Do not equate your husband’s three business week trip to . with a 8-15 month or more deployment to a war zone. Aside from the obvious time difference, nobody shot at your husband or tried to blow him up with an I.E.D., your husband could call home pretty much any time he wanted to, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for it.

9. “Wow you must miss him?”

**This is one of the stupidest questions people ever ask me. Would you miss you're husband if you didn't see him for 6+ months and barely talk to him??

10. “Where is he exactly? Where is that?”

**Non military folks don't need to know everything, but they need to know the basics. Know that Kabul and Kandahar are in Afghanistan. . Know that Iran is a major threat to our country and that it is located between Afghanistan and Iraq. Our country has been at war in Afghanistan for seven years and at war in Iraq for five years. These basic facts are not secrets, they’re on the news every night and in the papers every day.

11. “Well, he signed up for it, so it’s his own fault whatever happens over there.

**Yes, ignorant, he did sign up. Each and every day he protects your right to make stupid comments like that. He didn’t sign up and ask to be hit by anything, he signed up to protect his country. Oh, and by the way, he asked me to tell you that “You’re welcome.” He’s still fighting for your freedom.  

12. “Don’t you miss sex! I couldn’t do it!”

**hmmm, no i don’t miss sex. i’m a robot. seriously…military spouses learn quickly that our relationships must be founded on something greater than sex. We learn to appreciate the important things, like simply hearing their voices, seeing their faces, being able to have dinner together every night. And the hard truth is, most relationships probably couldn’t withstand 12 months of sex deprivation. Deployments create this intense, extremely strong emotional bond that I don't think many relationships are lucky enough to find.  Within every downside there is an upside.

Ahhhh I'm melllllting

I'll admit it, pinterest has the most fabulous ideas for fun baking adventures.

I saw these cookies on pinterest and decided to try my hand at making my own little spin on them; and I think they turned out rather fabulous.

Behold my melted snowman snickerdoodle cookies.

Pinterest recommended store bought sugar cookie recipes but I don't make anything out of a box and I really wanted some snickerdoodles so I decided to try, and they turned out just as well.

We'll see if they make it all the way over to Chris and if he agrees with cuteness factor.

Basically after I let the cookies cool off I iced them, not very pretty since it's supposed to look like they are melting.

Then I used jumbo marshmallows and sprayed a plated with cooking spray and microwave the marshmallows for 30 seconds.  Just long enough for them to start to puff but not double in size.  When I took them out, I sprayed my fingers with cooking spray before taking the marshmallows off of the plate.

Then I place them on top of the icing and pushed down so they look a little flattened, as if they are melting.

Next, I just decorated as I wished.

**Please ignore the piping arm...I stuck my thumb in it right before I took the picture so I messed up his arm.

But here's a picture of the snowman, grinch and reindeer all together :)

Reindeer Cookies

If these aren't the cutest Christmas cookies I've ever seen, then I don't know what are!

(I saw these on pinteret and altered it a little bit and decided to to make them with a peanut butter cookie because I love peanut butter)

Adorable!

I made these adorable festive cookies using a delicious peanut butter cookie recipe that I found online (a new favorite...much creamy than my other one!), mini chocolate covered pretzels and M&M's.

I used mostly red M&M's for the noses and any color for the eyes. The eyes in the pictures are brown but any color looked cute, I like the blue a lot as well :)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

*3/4 cup peanut butter

*1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

*1/2 cup shortening

*3 tablespoons milk

*1 tablespoon vanilla

*1 egg

*1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

*3/4 teaspoon baking soda

*3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 375°F.

*Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.

*In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

*Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown. 

*Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose. 

*Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 



You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch

I have found a new favorite cookie of this holiday season.

Behold my masterpiece...

Ahhhhh! Isn't it the best Christmas cookie ever?

Ok so it's not your usual holiday cookie, but i LOVE it!

I think it came out adorable.

And so grinch-like.

So basically I used a sugar cookie recipe and then the wilton comfort grip cookie cutter mold in the SANTA shape.

Next, I made a batch of wilton buttercream icing which I used for the coloring.

I used the kelly green icing dye color for the bottom half of the grinch and the the no taste red dye for the top half.

Next, I piped the furry part of his hat with a star tip.

I used the golden yellow colored dye for his eyes, which I kind of made into upward,slanted shape to give them that evil eye look.

Finally, I piped the lining of his face with a small circular tip.  I made the lines of his face based on a picture I was looking at and then just went from there.

I have to say,  for my first time making any type of character, I think I did a pretty decent job.

 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving.

A day to be thankful for everything that you have been blessed with amd remember that you are luckier than others in life.

I am so thankful to have a husband who loves me more than I ever thought was even imaginable.
Who loves me through everything, even on our bad days.

Who has shown me the true meaning of love.
I'm lucky to be able to lucky such a selfless man.

A man who is willing to give up his family time and his holidays so that other men and women can be with theirs.

Even though it's hard, I couldn't be any prouder of him.

I'm thankful for a strong and supportive family who stands behind me and believes in everything I do.

Without them, I would not be the person I am today.

I'm thankful for my true best friends who have stuck by me through the good and the bad times.

Who have made me realize that real friendships don't need to be the kind that have to be seen everyday.

I'm thankful for every lemon that life has thrown my way because it has made me the women that I am today. 

And without challenges, life would be boring and easy.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas



A day off from work and I baked. ALL. DAY.

Ahhh. I just love to bake. and decorate. and make cute little things.

These were my first Christmas cookies of the season and I think they turned out fabulous.

It also helps that I have icing bags, tips and icing colors to make the decorating look a lot better.

Obviously, those are just a couple of them, but I adore them.

I used the Wilton Comfort Grip Cookie Cutters.

I also used a new sugar cookie recipe that turned out amazing.

They're soft, chewy and very tasteful.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

*1/2 cup butter

*1/2 cup shortening

*1 cup sugar

*1 egg

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*1 teaspoon almond extract

*2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

*1/2 teaspoon baking powder

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

*In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
*Add egg and vanilla and almond; mix well.
*Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
*Shape into 1-in. balls.  Place on greased baking sheet; flatten with a glass. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

**I only cooked mine for exactly 10 minutes and they came out perfectly.  Also, I added the almond extract to the recipe.  Feel free to take it out of the recipe but I think it adds great flavor to the cookies.  Another thing,  if you are going to use this recipe for cut out cookies, I would strongly suggest freezing the dough for out 20 minutes or so before you start to roll it out.



Cupcake Pops

Cupcake Pops

I have these super adorable snowman cupcake MOLDS that I got last year.

They are in STORAGE. Kind of like everything else I own. haha.

So i went off I went on the hunt for some other cute Christmas themed, cupcake MOLDS.

Which I could not find. ANYWHERE.

Instead, all I could find were cupcake pop molds.

So, I gave up my dream of making my adorable snowpeople cupcakes again this year.

And I relented to making cupcake pops.

After much pouting, I have to admit.

Because those darn snowpeople were so cute!

Anyways, this is the mold I used.

It's a wilton mold; I'm a fan of Wilton products.

So, you have to be careful when filling up the cavities because if you fill them up too much, they get way too puffy and they don't deflat.

Also, you have to make sure that the lollipop stick is completly covered because if it isn't covered all the way, when it done baking the cupcake will swivel around on the stick.

As you can tell, I went out and bought new icing bags and new decorating tips so these are much prettier than my pathetic attempt at thanksgiving cookies :)

I also got a new box of Wilton icing colors, which makes decorating so much easier.

Anyways, I baked red velvet cupcakes, which I have posted the recipe on my blog in the past.

I have found that when you are doing decorating such as I did in the above picture, buttercream icing is the easiest to work with.
I like the Wilton Buttercream Icing Recipe.

It's a stiffer icing which makes decorating easier.

I've also found that when I'm decorating, to get the icing to appear perfectly even and smooth I dip my knife in a bowl of warm water and then the icing that works the best.

A little tip that my mom taught me :)

Wilton Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup shortening

*1/2 cup softened butter

*1 teaspoon vanilla

* 4 cups confectioner's sugar

*2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

*In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.

*Add vanilla.

*Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.

*Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

*Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.For all of you who are dying to see, here are the snowpeople from last year :)



Halfway

EEEEEKKKKKK!!!

We've made it to the halfway(ish) mark of this deployment.

FINALLY.

I can only hope that these next three months go by quicker than these past three months did

because...

I want my husband back.

I want him here in Florida with me.

I want to do so many things with him.

But mostly because I miss the heck out of him, day in and day out.

Especially with the holidays right around the corner.

Especially since I've moved here.

Deployments were a little easier for me when I was back in Virginia, surrounded by my friends.

This deployment has been so hard.

Maybe it's because we are newlyweds and there are so many things we should be doing.

Being separated by war is not what I had in mind during the first year of our marriage.

But hey, when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.

And that's what we've done.
We've made the best of a icky situation and remained strong.

But at the end of the day, when I lay down, all I really want is my husband laying next to me.

So, I cross my fingers that these next few months fly by quickly.



Water for Elephants: The Movie

Lead Actress: Reese Witherspoon
Lead Actor: Rob Pattinson

I hate when movies are based on books and fall so far apart from the storyline of the book.  This was not one of them.  It stayed pretty close to the plot of the book and the end result was fabulous.  The cast was wonderful and delivered the story wonderfully providing the viewers with an in depth look at circus life in the 1930s.  Although, I have to admit, being the animal lover that I am, a couple scenes Rosie that were incredibly hard for me to watch.  Which I think might have been an underlying political statement for the way circus animal were and still are treated to this day.  Overall, this movie is a terrific, must see movie for everyone in the family.

Water For Elephants

Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.  Set in the circus world circa 1932 tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

I personally loved this book. It was one of the best books I've read in a very long time.  It come highly recommended to me and did not disappoint me in the least.  I think the most important aspect of books is feeling whether you could actually see the events on page come to life in your mind. In reading Water for Elephants in less than one day, I found that happened to me. I love how the author authentically researched the circus to add in non-fiction details that really intrigue the reader.

A highly enjoyable, well-researched, somewhat romantic read that brings to life the era of the traveling circus and small town America during the Depression.   

Siiiigh

I was a competitive gymnast for a majority of my life...12.5 years to be exact.

I have tumbled on and off since giving it up. (Not by choice by the way.)

I have been teaching for the past 4 years.

In addition, I taught while I was in high school.

I think this gives me somewhat knowledge on the subject.

I hate that people seem to think I have absolutely no idea about gymnastics.

I have been hired in both my gymnastics positions due to my background and ability to teach.

I ran the gymnastics program at my former job with little to no supervision for 4 years with no complaints.

That right there says a lot about my skills and abilities to not only teaching but also in dealing with parents and children.

If you are unsure about my background in gymnastics, ask me.

Don't just assume this is my first gymnastics job and I know nothing.

It's extremely insulting.
Why are people so annoying.
Get off your power trip.

So Heartwarming :)))

Watch this video and I  dare you not to get teary eyed.

It won't happed.

Unless you are a total scroge with a cold heart.

It's just that much of a heart warming video.

Definitely makes you warm and tingly all over.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Bruins-surprise-serviceman-8217-s-parent?urn=nhl-wp17324

ahhhh, so sweet :)

Acorn Treats

These are very simple to make and they are super cute.

They're good for any type of fall party, not just Thanksgiving!

Ingrediants:

*Peanut Butter

*Hersey Kisses (unwrapped)

*Bite Sized Nutter Butters

* Chocolate Chips

Directions:

*Dip one side of the  Nutter Butter in peanut butter

*Stick it the flat side of a Hersey Kiss

* Dip the flat side of the chocolate chip in the peanut butter and stick it the to top of the nutter butter

Football Cookies

Chris is a HUGE football fan.

One of his favorite things to do on Thanksgiving is watch football...just like 95% of males.

So since he can't be here to watch this thanksgiving I figured I'd send him these...

Again, pardon my piping; all my tips and icing bags are still in storage so i was working by hand and with toothpicks!

 To make these I made a simple chocolate cookie.

I wanted to make a whoopie like cookie but I was afraid too much icing, and it being too hot would equal a disaster.  Meaning, it might go bad by the time it actually got to him, so I'll save those for when he actually gets home.



Ingredients:

*1 cup of all-purpose flour

*1/4 cup of cocoa powder

*1/2 tsp of baking powder

*1/2 tsp of baking soda

*1 dash of salt

*1 cup of sugar

*1 beaten egg

*1 tsp of vanilla extract

*5 Tbsp of melted butter

*1/2 cup of melted chocolate semi-sweet morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
2. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Mix the sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract and the beaten egg until creamy
4. Mix in creamy mixture from step 4 into the melted semi-sweet chocolate morsels
5. Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients little by little
6. Form into 1 inch round balls and place on a cookie sheet evenly spread apart
7. Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until done.
8. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Turkey Cookies

I wanted to send Chris a little taste of Thanksgiving while he's overseas, and since I can't very well send him a turkey and all the fixings that make for a turkey day dinner.

So after a little research (aka pinterest) I found a cookie that looked like these.

After making a few alterations of my own to make them last a little longer and send better, this is what I got.

Not my best work, since my icing bag and tips are in storage but they'll do. :)



Basically I started with a sugar cookie recipe from scratch...

Ingrediants

*1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
*1 cup butter or margarine, softened
*1 egg
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1/2 tsp almond extract
*2 1/2 cups flour
*1 tsp baking soda
*1 tsp cream of tartar
Directions
*Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
* Add egg, vanill and almond extrat and beat until well mixed
* Add flour, baking soda and cream of tartar
* Roll into circular 1/2 balls
* Place in a preheated 375 oven and bake for 7 to 8 minutes



I am grateful

I am grateful for everything that I have been given in this life.

I have a husband who loves me and would absolutely anything to see me smile.

I have a husband who I adore more life itself.

I have found a love that is true to the core.

I have found a love that is honest and real.

I have found a love that is rare and sparkles like a diamond in the rough.

I am grateful for everything that I have been given in this life.

I have a handful of true, real friendships.

The kind of friends I can call in the middle of the night if I need them and know that they'll be there for me and not care what time it is.

The kind of friends that no matter how long it's been since the last time we've seen each other, we pick up right where we left off like no time has passed.

The kinds of friends who are more like sisters than friends.

The kinds of friends my children will grow up to know as their "aunts" because that's how close we are.

I have truly learned the value of the saying " it's better to have a handful of true friends, than a ton of acquaintance."

I am grateful for everything I have been given in this life.

I have a truly wonderful family.

I have a brother and a sister who are two of my best friends.

I have two wonderful parents who raised me to be a kind, considerate, thoughtful, polite adult.

They raised me the right way, and for that I am very thankful.

I have a strong family behind me in everything I do.

I have a family who will be there for me no matter what the circumstances may be.

I believe in strong family relationships.



I am grateful for everything I have been given in this life.

I am blessed with two loving, adorable, sometimes crazy cats.

They have two very different personalities but I love them both to pieces.

My life would be so boring without them, they provide us with so much entertainment.

They love us unconditionally.

And we love them unconditionally.

I know how much I've been blessed with in my life.

Not a day goes by that I don't remember that and I'm not thankful.

I thank my lucky stars each and every day for all that I've been given.

Florida Pictures

A random collection of pictures I've taken since I've moved to Florida

Siesta Key Beach

Welcome Home flowers from my Hubby :)

Halloween goodies I baked for Chris

 Beautiful Beach Day!

Me and Marsh catching some rays by the pool

Marshmellow decided to take a little snooze in the flower pot

Fall Chocolate Chip Muffins

The girls sleeping one sunny morning

 Back to the propsal site :)

All tucked in for bed