Mmmmm. Yummy.



Yummy goodness in the pan...




Crispy whole wheat buns...spray not spread!!!

  

They look good even on a paper plate!!!


We are always searching for new recipes, I like ones that I can adjust with healthier options and not ruin the taste.  I made the Pioneer Woman's BBQ Whiskey sliders tonight with sweet potato fries.  I used ground turkey (2 oz / patty) and whole wheat slider buns.  I sprayed the buns with cooking spray to give them that crisp.  They were delicious!!  I am loving cooking these days...especially when things turn out.  Tomorrow is a nice cured ham, Au Gratin potatoes, because it's a weekend, and no you just can't adjust the potatoes they are one of those things that you just have to suck it up and have a small taste of...there is NO way to make them healthier, it's just not worth it then.

I did get up and yoga for 30 minutes this morning....tomorrow will be day 2 of 20 minutes minimum.  Fingers crossed...one day at a time. 

Ugh, what a bust...

So I figured I would get a jump on my D&E and start before the first of the year...RIGHT!!!  Woke up at 4 AM with Jeff and then fell back to sleep and didn't wake back up till 6:30, which then I decided I had to get into work....sigh....okay first attempt was a bust.  Let's see about tomorrow...I am not going in to work, I have work to do but I'm not actually going in....let's see what happens.  Wish me luck.

D&E...

Kind of sounds like something illegal doesn't it?  I am not looking forward to this....not the day to day anyway.  Diet and Exercise.  D&E.

I don't do well....when I make a mistake and let's face it, getting into a healthier lifestyle is hard and you make mistakes along the journey. You fall off the wagon.  So these first few months are going to be day by day.  I've decided to pick one thing to do everyday of the month at hand.  I should be able to handle that, do one single thing everyday.  I know that it takes 3 months to make a habit stick, but each month I won't be choosing something huge to change.  Like January will be a big one, exercise 20 minutes at minimum everyday before work.  Very specific...because I know myself, I know that if I am not specific about what I want to do...I won't do it or I'll lie to myself and do some half ass version of it.  NOT THIS TIME!!!  January I will spend the month exercising every morning at 5:30AM, I'm up anyway.  I will have some choices but it will be pretty basic.  Yoga, Eliptical or strength exercises.  20 minutes is the minimum...even if I don't feel like it, or if I have woken up late, or I have a hangover (which a single glass of wine seems to give me these days).  20 MINUTES!  It's part of the 30 minutes or more I spend laying in bed with coffee watching TV...waiting to get up.  Ridiculous isn't it....not anymore. 

People are always telling me that they don't have time for exercise or they are too busy or too tired.  NOT me...I have plenty of time in the morning to do it, I am an early riser, always have been, no one in my house is up at 5:30 and Jeff has already gone to work.  I have an uninterrupted hour to do as I please...well I please to exercise going forward.

I will exercise for 20 minutes no less..but certainly more if I am being ambitous.  So there will be no decisions made about it after today...no well I can do it later or I don't have time etc... I can get into work when I get there...for pete sake how can I NOT be the fittest person on the planet with all this time!!! 

 I'm also..as I sit here, contemplating if I should or shouldn't do this, it's embarrassing.  It's bad...it is....a picture of me NOW, today.  Yuck.

But there it is...I've made them small so they don't scare you.  Poor dog, has no idea what the heck I am doing or why....

SO..on with it!!!  I've put this out there for the world to read so no backing out now and honestly in 6 months if I don't say anyting about all this...you can chaulk it up to giving up.  I am determined not to let that happen this time.  Again, sitting here thinking...don't hit publish.

Is it really over?

Wow, really?? it's over?  That's it?  Sigh.  I look around and see all the Christmas decorations, remember all the fun we had over the last few days...and am...am....sad.  Yes, sad.  It's so fun to have everyone home and to not worry about work, to just cook great food and eat, laugh and sooo much more!!!  Sigh, again.



Jason, Kellen and Amber!!!!



Ondrea and Corey!!



The gang at Kelly & Shaneice's



Playing pool....so much fun!!!



Love lego's and a hoodie footie!!  I had a hoodie footie till after I was 18...and now i have one again LOVE THEM.

Christmas was fun.  Now on to the business of the New Year.  They say that blogging can help you reach your goals because you are...keeping a record and being accountable to the world.  I have to agree!!!!  On to the New Year!!!!  What will we do????

Another Tradition is born???

Here we are, Christmas Day...Christmas Eve was a blast.  First we got up went to breakfast at Emily's, a breakfast place here by me that Niece Steph works at, and she waited on us.  Then the girls went back to the house and we made a Pinapple Upside Down Cake for Kellen to take to her sisters....Kellen did a lot of it all by her self!!!

Kellen mixed it....and put the batter in the pan....

 after she placed the pineapple and pecans in the bottom of the pan of course.  It was very funny, she and Jason didn't realize that it really was baked upside down in the pan!!!  That is how the girls spent their Christmas Eve afternoon...playing Christmas songs and watching Christmas movies as well..but the big deal was that Kellen made the Pineapple Upside Down Cake...hopefully another tradition is born???

DORKS!!!

The  Boys on the other hand....well they went to the shooting range..Yup I said it and I believe that I without a doubt belong in Oklahoma now.  It was RJ's first time shooting a hand gun so it will absolutely be a Christmas to remember for him.  Jeff let him shoot the 9mm first, and let's face it that has a bit of a kick!!

The video is pretty funny...it's very short but you see how the kick surprises him and his reaction was priceless...he did really great.Especially for his first time.  It was a great thing for the boys to go do together.  It's funny...while the other families are out playing football mine is out shooting at things.  Whch is A O K with me.  I love them all for exactly these reasons...we don't do what everyone else is doing we do what WE enjoy and to hell with the rest.    Happy Holidays All!!!!

It's not always perfect...

Thank GOD!!!  Okay twice in one day I know is a lot of blogging but, that being said, starting tomorrow it's full on Christmas for me...Kellen and Jason will be here tomorrow afternoon and I have lots to do!! Amber is sick....RJ has been sick all week but we think he is over it.  Jeff is congested and C.R.A.B.B.Y!!  I know hard to believe right?    Hopefully Amber will rest up and be better for the holiday, she has work etc... but better yet we have the Holiday and time together.

My tree is crooked...okay so maybe it's tough to tell in this picture because it looks like it is laying down....whatever!!  My camera skills are soooo lacking as well it's not even funny!!!    okay moving on...

Then in this picture, which is too dark...you can't see it but the stockings that were all hung with care....ya well I didn't get names on the two new ones...(I actually bought 3).....

It seems as though I can't finish it all..of course that is my own fault....I could finish, had i NOT watched 2 Christmas movies yesterday morning, and not gone and had a facial today or...let's see the million other things I did in order to avoid the "work" of the season.  I'm terrible...I really am. 

I can't complain though since I am okay with the imperfections of ME, the things that don't get done or done quite right...I am A.O.K. with that.  I am okay that my husband tries without fail, to be a grinch and pissy...all up until we get home Christmas Eve he generally succeeds but then when it's just us...and his family surrounds him...SUCKER!!!! Christmas Day starts with Mamosa's, now let's face it, on more than one occassion Christmas Day's meal doesn't get done because well..we are too snockered to cook anything complicated...frozen pizza's and snacks always at the ready.  Of course this year, we have planned a beef tenderloin, duchess potato's, green beans and rolls.  Ham is Christmas Eve...that is easy enough.

Funny thing, I had brought up to RJ that maybe we should open the presents on Christmas Eve..he said no he wants to do it Christmas morning...no sleeping in for Kellen...LOL, it's always been the stick in her side...of course it's what she loves about Christmas at home...Heck last year we all were up before he was.

Agh...once Christmas is over...it'll be on to the New Year...oh the thoughts on that..2012 will hopefully be my transformation...HAH!  Who are we kidding...?

Agh...off work...sort of..

Okay so as of yesterday, i am off of work for the rest of the year.  Good luck with that.  I have work to complete before the end of the year soooooo i'll have to spend tomorrow morning catching up on that.   But aside from that I am getting my house ready for the holiday.  Kellen and Jason are home this weekend, excitedly enough Kellen is pregnant, yup I said it, she is pregnant and they are thrilled.  So exciting to open this chapter in their lives.  So excited that I get to share it with them.  The baby is due on June 21, 2012...yup my birthday! Of course I would of had a better change of having the baby actual be born on my birthday had the date been a little before or after, when was the last time a baby actually came on the day the dr. said it would...EXACTLY! 

So today will be spent getting the last gifts and pampering myself...yup ME!!!!  I am getting a mani pedi as well as a facial at Mario.  Tomorrow I will get through the work I need to and then the house.  I'll have to figure out what to cook for dinner...since we'll have a full house.   Saturday...Christmas EVE, do you believe it.  Sigh...years do go by fast.  Saturday the boys will go to the shooting range and the girls will go see....the Muppets probably but a movie none the less.  Then Christmas Eve will be spent with my brother and his family, always a great night.  Brings back memories of going to my mom's brothers house for Christmas Eve.  Those were memories for a lifetime.  RJ has never had that, there are no cousin's his age, he doesn't have anyone at these events.  This year, I am looking to spend time with him at my brothers, see if I can get him to play darts or pool.  We'll see how that goes.

Christmas Eve...I'm considering opening all the gifts....my mom and dad always had us open all our gifts Christmas Eve so that mom didn't have to get up at the butt crack of dawn on Christmas Day.  So I think we may go that route.  Of course with all of us it took till 2AM to get through it all...but it was fun.  We shall see we shall see...

Off to start my day today....have to think about New Years Eve...we don't ever really do anything but I think I'd like to start changing that.  We'll see, I may not be able to do much this year but we can plan for next.

Holiday Season

So, we don't make a ton of money.  We don't live in a big house, we save to buy everything and don't use credit.  It's taken us a long time to get here....when the kids were smaller that certainly wasn't the case.  We couldn't save money to save our lives....you know how it is with small kids every time you turn around you are spending money on them...diapers, clothes, etc.. it never ends.  But that is okay...it's how it is...right?  So now we are able to say if we can't pay cash..we don't need it, which is nice.  I've been saving all year to pay for Christmas gifts...I knew it was coming.  I am very excited about all the gifts I got.  I love to buy gifts so it's important to me to save to be able to do that.  Again....it's not a ton of money..everyone isn't getting an iPad or anything....be serious.

I've never been down or depressed about the holiday....even when we were broke and I didn't know how to save.  I enjoy family and friends and the season as it is.  I'm excited about this year as well.  I will have everyone home for Christmas Eve and most of the weekend.  It will be a blast...I'm excited for a new year.   Excited about another year....of course as always I have goals for the year.  Which of course I have every year and which I never reach my personal goals, my career goals are a different story, those always seem to get met.  So this year is all about balance....but we'll get into that later.

I hope everyone can enjoy the holiday...enjoy and not be bitter about what they don't have or are unable to do.  To not be bitter or angry about being sick or hurt.  To enjoy the days as they are and how they are...regardless of how trying any given day can be.  I want everyone to "Be Happy" as per RER. 

Cookie making was wonderful this year...we had a lot of fun.
Sugar cookies....with lots of decorations....

Decorating a gingerbread house...

Window Pane Cookies...yummy sweet!!

We even caught Jeff on Video decorating gingerbread people!!!!!...but it won't upload....figures.

The kids went to the light display at Cuneo Museum...here are a few of those picts and video....

They waited in line for an hour....for a 20 minute car ride through the museum grounds...and paid $10....they had fun and as brother and sister...it was certainly a great memory!!!

Have a great Holiday everyone.....keep it simple!!!!

Back to blogging

So the last few weekends have been spent shopping, wrapping and baking!! Work hours are longer... No one seems to want to slow down.. I am at work Monday and Tuesday this coming week...then I am mostly off work till the end of the year. Of course I have lots of things I want to get done before the end of the year. I want to start the new year running full steam, organized and easy to win!! To shine!!! To succeed!!

Wow..November...

The year seems to fly by...but it only hits me in November.  There must be something about the month of November that makes me realize that another year is almost gone.  That there are only a precious few months left in the year and they are going to be busy months at that.  I haven't started shopping for Christmas, it just seems wrong to do that before Halloween is over.  Like if I wait till after Halloween it won't seem like the time is slipping by faster.

So now looking at the prospect of Christmas shopping when I haven't got all the money in the world is depressing.  Somehow as I've aged I've realized that I can't just spend whatever that I need to be careful and work within my means....which is another reason I don't start Christmas shopping to early.  I either find something I like better for someone or I forget that I've already bought something for someone therefore spending twice as much.  

Thanksgiving first right....not going to make it to Texas this year for Thanksgiving with my sister.  I love staying here with my family here...Brother and his wife and family.  It's fun since one day we eat at their house and we for the last few years have then gone to my house to have a Thanksgiving dinner as well a day or two later...so it's fun, I like to cook but I don't have any other family here...but Shaneice does so it's nice since everyone is together, her side of the family and ours.  Makes for a nice big holiday, which are what I miss most about when I was a kid...sitting in the back hallway at Mimi's house at the kids table...the eternal kids table.  A bunch of people had to die and move away before I got to sit at the adult table, I think I was 30 before that happened.

It'll be a fun few months....these are the months that I wish I had more disposable cash.  More cash to decorate with to buy more presents for everyone...I wonder if anyone ever really makes enough??  Makes me happy to think they don't.

Cooking...

I am really getting into this cooking thing...as long as I don't have to do it during the week.  I just don't have the energy when I get home....but the weekends were made for cooking...and eating...which is the problem.

I really like to eat...I like flavorful dishes, now I know that you don't have to use high fat ingredients but let's face it some things just taste better that way.  The search continues for recipes for foods I love but without the guilt and weight I seem to gain.  Moderation right...ya that is a concept just outside my reach...self control is the current thing I am practicing and it's not going fantastic.

I am definately an emotional or boredom eater.  I have started to make large bowls of air popped popcorn because I like to nibble...constantly.  SO popcorn and veggies no dip are my current choices for this vice.  I don't buy anything else that I can nibble on that will kill my weight loss efforts.  Of course I really kill my efforts with the wine..the wine is the devil.

I enjoy a glass of wine after work.....not a 4oz glass of wine.  My favorite wine glass looks like a fish bowl with one leg.  So is it worth it...can I give up the wine until Thanksgiving.....none, not on the weekend .. just none until Thanksgiving.....I'm going to give it a try.  It will help me practice self control as well so I am killing two birds with one stone per say.

Wish me luck (and yes I mean all alcohol, not just wine) !!!

Loong Week

Okay so, you know how it is, you have to work late for a few days..no big deal right?  Right...but of course today feels like Friday now...so what happens if I think tomorrow is Saturday?  First I would never live it down around here...some horrific nickname would probably come out of it.  Second...i would probably feel horrible about "forgetting" to come in to work...but I wonder how many people do it?  Forget to go in, don't realize it's not Saturday or a holiday....I've never seen it but it has to happen right?  Especially since I've known people, including myself, get up on Saturday morning and head into work thinking it's a weekday.  Are we that conditioned?  So conditioned to worry about our jobs and our employability that we will get up and go in when we aren't supposed to but we NEVER neglect to head in to work mistakenly....  Not a sick day, I've taken those mental health days, but someone knows I won't be there or that I'm working from home. 

Maybe it's only for a moment and no one really notices since we aren't really late...we skip the shower once we realize it.   Hmmmm may be worth a try one day....would anyone notice?  Would they get really worried?  Would I get in trouble...I guess I'd make up something right?  I wouldn't just tell someone that oh, I forgot it was only Thursday or I thought it was Saturday it's been a long week...

It's getting colder..

Okay granted, I'm not a huge fan of rain and crappy weather when I have to go somewhere.  But on a day like today, where I'm cleaning house, baking cookies and getting some dinner's ready for the week...I'M A HUGE FAN....it's cold and creepy outsde.  Perfect day to snugge up with hubby and watch a movie, eat some popcorn etc... 

I have been a little confliced at work.  I love what I do, my career is perfect for my personality and my abilities.   I've added on a ton of responsibility and some bonus pay, but, and it's a big but, where do I go from here?  I'm at the top of my pay grade for this company, I'm not feeling effective in what they have me trying to do....SO I've been looking around the company and I've found that one of our Business Units really has some opportunities for me.  Here is the catch....they are in Tulsa.  Yup Tulsa.  NOW there are a TON of pluses to this.   I would love to live in the Tulsa area, weather is great.  I'd be like 3 1/2 hours from my sister.  The company is growing by leaps and bounds.  I think Jeff and I both could benefit career wise and personmally from this move.  NOW...that being said, I love who I work for.  They are family.  How in the world do I say I want to look at other opportunites?  Crazy....absolutely crazy.  If I hated what I did and who I worked for this would be as easy as pie...SEEYA!!  Yes I understand they should be supportive in my career objectives...that's not the point, they will be....the point is that it's still hard to have his conversation.

Well I'm certainly not going to say anything this week.  The Board of Directors are in and there is enough going on I don't need to add to it.  So I have at least a week to figure out my approach.  I have to have a plan and I think I just want to open the door to the possibility..it may not even pan out.   So I guess I'm getting a head of myself.....first the conversation.  Which I think is more about my effectiveness and future prospects more than it is about WOW I want to move to Tulsa....sigh.....life decisions, opportunity to be viewed and reviewed.  I just don't want to miss an opportunity that could alter and enrich our lives for the better.

Okay well now that I've gotten that out there...I'm going back to my cleaning..yipppies for me!!

Piles of paper....

Oh the piles of paper on my desk...I know tht if I go through it I will throw most of it away.  I also know there is some forgotton bill in there too...that sucks.

You can't even tell that is my printer in the picture!!  It's also a copier and scanner but of course you can't use those right now because of all the stuff on it!!

Also, after tackling the pile of paper on my desk I am going to attempt to clean out the corner cabinet of the kitchen.  You know that loooong cabinet in the corner that goes so far back that you haven't seen the things in the back for years?  Yes that cabinet, scary thing, but a necessary thing this time of year..I think my cookie cutters and baking needs are all back there.  This is the time of year I start to bake and be all domestic.  During the summer months..nada I don't even want to grill out.   Unfortunately the weather isn't really cooperating with me ... it's been over 80° for days...HELLOOO it's October!!  I want warm spiced wines or ciders, yummy breads and all the good stew's and chili's that come with the Fall.  But noooo it's too hot.  I decided yesterday that I was drinking the spiced wine anyway..I just didn't heat it up, it was still really yummy. 

RJ has a new friend that he is spending a lot of time with.  He is over there a lot so next weekend I think I am going to have them over here for the sleep over.  Although there really isn't anything for them to do here...yes I admit my house is boring.  Other than video games and a walk to the plaza there is nothing here.  BUT they can't possibly have that much to do over there... can they?

Amber has been working her butt off, 2 jobs...good for her!!!  I'm proud of her...she is moving forward and I don't seem to hear any excuses this time.  Relief also passes over me, let's be honest, she's my daughter I want her to want the world and then of course to have it.  

Jeff and I had a nice quiet evening last night .... hung out had a nice steak dinner, caught up on shows from the week and went to bed early.  Not the together time I was hoping for but I'm not sure what I expect when we are alone..mainly because we are rarely alone.  I was able to walk around in my underwear this morning...it was liberating!!!  We had a nice breakfast...see a pattern?  We eat when we are alone...hmm that doesn't seem like what we should be using this precious time for does it?  Go figure...

Off to my paperwork and cabinetry!!  I will conquer them both today!!!  Then Jeff is taking me to get a jelly roll pan and I'm going to make CAKE!!  YEAH...

Too fast....

GEEZ....I can't get a grip on time.  I go to work I come home I go to sleep and I start all the madness over and over.  I've taken on more executives to handle at work...3 to be exact and the three of them are running at so many things, especially in this economy.  New strategies, new initiative, new ways to keep associates engaged and happy, re thinking everything in order to stay ahead of the curve all the time.  It's a wonder they are at all sane at the end of a few years of this activity.  Now I don't believe that executive should get paid for not performing, with all their golden parachutes and seperation agreements.  I do feel very good about the leadership where I work, they take it very seriously and failure is not an option and it's not just for them it's for all the managers that have incentive plans that won't get paid if the wrong direction is taken or the wrong decision is made.  It's for the 401k's that won't get added to.  For all the little people who work every day to keep the company running these guys work 24 hours a day 7 days a week to be sure all those people have a job to come in to. 
So back to my days...which I can't remember...I absolutely hate not knowing how I drove in to work or if I bit anyone's head off because I was busy.  Ugh...I will say that this week so far I have only had to apologize once which is good since last week when all this madness started I am certain even with all the apologies I made there were those that I missed.  It's a terrible feeling and so back to normal, back to organized chaos...starting tonight. 
Starting now!!! 
This weekend is getting the back yard ready for the cold winter...pulling the tomato's that I planted and never picked..so sad.  Put away the furniture etc... It's going to be nice weather here so it won't be so bad to be doing things outside.

Book Club is at my house this month,  Hunger Games was book I chose and now I have finished all three books in the Hunger Games series...it was a very good series really kept me interested.  I would recommend to anyone!!  I'm hoping that we can talk about all three books, of course we only have to have the first book read......I'm really looking forward to the evening of book club we have a very cool collection of women with all different views, which is what I really like about the group.  I like when it get''s uncomfortable and weird...is that twisted?

Other than those boring things...ain't shit going on.

Canning is COOOL!!!!



Cooking down the yummy apples we picked!

 Sooo my canning adventure this weekend was a HUGE success.  We made applesauce.  It is one of the easiest things to make and can.  So Jeff wanted (since he is the only one that is going to eat it) to make red hot apple sauce which is his fav!!!  It came out beautiful.  If he doesn't eat the 4 jars we canned I am giving them for xmas gifts.  Canning was so much easier than I though.  With that being said...I wonder if my neighbor will teach me how to grow veggies....those are the next thing I want to can next year.



In the water bath canner!!



 Making the applesauce was a breeze nobrainer recipe....



Canned Cinn Apple Sauce







Canning was way easier than I had thought it would be.  Of course I did a ton of research and didn't just run into it.  I made sure I understood the science behind it and what needed to align in order for it to be a success... I cannot wait to break into those jars in a few months.



Apple Butter In the Crock

 Of course my apple butter wasn't such a success...I'm not sure what I did wrong and maybe I didn't do anything wrong but it cooked down to half and is still too runny to be butter like.  So, and I could find nothing on this, it might need to cool before becoming spreadable so I am waiting to see. 

RJ has been at a friends all night...I have figured out that I am way tooo nutty and need to start trusting other people more...but I just don't like to put him in situations where he may not do well.  Which in itself makes it so he doesn't do well in certain situations.  The kid is fearless, loves to do whatever he can...I am the chicken.  I am officially letting go.  Right now.  sigh.

Amber has actually picked herself up, dusted off and started to look forward and be happy.  She has two jobs currently!!  She is living with a girl and her father whom are helping her immensely, she doesn't want to take anything from us, she feels more obligated when it's someone else.  SO i have stopped being cynical and let that go and stopped taking it personally, her and I are way too much alike for me to take it personally.

Next weekend will be decorate for the season!!  LOVE Halloween!!!  The week will bring eating all the chili and slow cooker recipe's I made this weekend....I have my lunch ready for the week.  Down 4.5 lbs for 2 weeks, very excited and motivated!!  I am finally making friends with exercise...



 

Civil War Reenactment

What a fun day!!  We started out early this morning...headed to the civil war camps.  It was fun to see the camps of the different armies and how differently they lived.  We saw the games that kids played and RJ was taken a back by the lack of everything we take for granted.  Rolling down a steep hill was as fun as a roller coaster back then. 

We learned a lot about the way of life, I was amazed at how much everyone we talked to knew.  We would stop people just walking through and ask why their uniform looked a certain way or why they had a certain instrument and they knew..of course the could of been BS'ing us but I like to think that they were knowledgeable.  It was a great experience all in all.

We toured the Lehman mansion and learned the history, which I embarrassingly say I had no idea who the Lehman's were or why I cared.  But now that I know, i like the story, it's very interesting.   The house is beautiful, although renovated and added to in order to accommodate modern conveniences like...oh a real kitchen.  The fact that the swimming pool was fed through a pipe coming from the either Cedar or Crooked lake was amazing...they didn't truck water in and they certainly didn't chemically treat it.  The pool is filled in with cement now but you could see that it was a big one for those days.  The gardens, although nowhere near the glory of the 1850's were still beautiful and the fountain, which was original, was amazing to see working. 

But of course the piece de resistance of the day was the civil war reenactment of the Battle of Monasses, they did a great job.  I took this picture in a sepia tone...trying to get the flavor of the era....below is a little video I took of the battle.  It was really pretty cool to see.  They were realistic all the way down to the undertaker walking around taking measurements of the dead for their caskets.  The modern technology that keeps our soldiers safe now were no where to be seen then it's amazing they were even able to coordinate since they didn't have any means of communication other than yelling and relaying it and it seems to me that by the the front lines got word....the plan had already changed.  It was a neat thing to watch.



RJ Talking to a Confederate Soldier.




Me and Jeff...sitting on the hay...or straw..or whatever.  Ree Drummond would know the difference




Federal soldiers in their camp.




I know this guy is Federal but who he is no idea....




Pres. Lincoln's Speach





Holidays....really?

Wow I don't know about anyone else but I'd like to enjoy Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving before having to look at Christmas decorations in the stores.  They are starting to put the Holiday decorations up next to the halloween stuff it's nuts...

Of course I found this Lolita wine glass that I think is pretty great...and it's holiday...it's okay if it's wine related but when they are selling you lights to decorate your house it's as bad as leaving them on the house year round...in my humble (not) opinion. 

I want to get through my apple sauce extravaganza before talking about the holidays....which I might add that the apples are fabulous.  I am waiting for my water bath canning equipment to get here so I can make the apple sauce and apple butter!! YUM!!!

This time of year brings school and now that I don't have to go, I am thankful for school, it gives us a foundation.  Summers are tough since Jeff and I both work and there isn't much out there for a 12 year old to do for those months.  RJ is really enjoying being back in school, socializing and having fun.  Tonight is an Open House at his school, which is a special education district.  They just got done re doing the entire building over the summer and they have moved into larger classrooms etc.  I can't wait to see how nice they are. 

Now on to the meat of today....I started Weight Watchers on Tuesday and I'm doing okay making better choices (it's been 2 days..really) but ...staying within the points I am supposed to have in a day has not been easy.  Of course that would be why I'm so over weight, yes I do see the relationship.  I have written down everything I've eaten every day and it's easier with the iPhone app than it used to be, yes I've been on WW before and I was successful in weight loss just not holding on to the lessons that I learned.  So this time I am going slow and really learning the lessons...more fruits and veggies, bite it write it, drink water and move more.  So...feeling positive about this journey and yes that is the way I'm looking at it, as much as I'd like to be skinny and sexy by this weekend for our drinks with the Lincoln's but I'm thinking that is unrealistic...which makes me sad but does bring me into reality. 

Of course exercise would make this all a lot easier and as soon as I get released to exercise, which should be tomorrow, I am back on it.  One that I really enjoyed was Jazzercise so I'm looking forward to getting back into that!!!  It definately helped me lose weight and feel more toned and energetic.

Joined Weight Watchers On-Line

Okay, signed up for 4 months so I am committed until January!!!  Sigh... saw some pictures from a few weekends ago WOW is all I have to say.  I know what I need to do but maybe that is the problem, counting calories and trying to know it all and remember it all is just too much!  Exercise and eat right, why is it that I am too stupid to be able to do that.  I am hoping that the WW program will take some of the thought out of it.  I am thinking that the goal setting and seeing progress each week on a chart will help...not that i can't make a line chart at home but this will be easier and automatic.  Stay within points and exercise.  Sounds a lot like eat right and exercise....but that is okay because WW is giving me the tools to do it without me having to make things up.... I believe that it is stupid proof so that even I can handle it and stick to it.  I'm excited...I need this.    RJ has given me the motivation to exercise and move more, he wants to do more so we are going to do more together.   Okay first goal is a small one but it's 5%, I'm hoping to do this in the first week or so.  We shall see.  Wish me luck on this journey it will be a tough one!!

Fall...hmm not really Fall weather...

but we went the apple orchard anyway.  It was 80 degrees or so and it got a little hot in the corn maze...especially when we thought we would have to call for help!!  It was a good cornmaze and we found our way out of phaze 1 but I couldn't get the boys to do phaze 2... so sad.

It was a lot of fun though.  It is called All Seasons Apple Orchard in Woodstock.  Yes we drove an hour to get there.  But I will say it was cleaner, less crowded and there were TONS of apples on the trees for us to pick.  They even provided really cool apple picking thingy's that you could use to pick the apples up high.   It was not cheap...it was 18.00 per person for the whole experience and you can't just do the corn maze and apple picking.  You can just apple pick for 10.00 for 5lbs, and it does always seem odd to me that I pay more for apples when I have to go out and pick them myself BUT that being said, nothing, I repeat NOTHING tastes like a fresh apple from the tree.

The overall experience seemed genuine ...unlike other places that have totally gone commercial, Apple Holler brings in apples and pumpkins from outside sources.  Last year by the time we got there in late September all the apples were picked and there were only apples in big cardboard bins in the isles and we saw them laying out the pumpkins form large bins into the pumpkin patch...sort of ruined it for me.  If I wanted a prepicked apple or pumpkin I can go to WalMart.

All Seasons had some unique things like an apple cannon which the boys absolutely LOVED, this sucker really chucked the apples.  There is also a pumpkin cannon....seriously!!!  It looks like an old military weapon.  The corn maze was one of the best we've been in, it was tough but you can figure it out if you take your time.  You also get tickets to take a shot with the apple cannons when you complete one of the corn maze phases...of course that is  how they hook you because shooting it off once is NOT enough.     The food was okay but pricey of course.  The petting zoo was good as well...of course we were there early in the day so the animals were hungry and not overly hot.  There was lots to do with the littler kids to...a cow train which was adorable a couple of bouncy things, one was actually in the ground like an airpillow sand box if that makes any sense, it was cool.  A corn sand box.  Check out their website...  http://www.allseasonsorchard.com/new/orchard.php

All in all it was a fun day....so this week I'm making my apple butter and apple sauce...so excited.  I've ordered my water bath canning stuff..can't wait to receive.  Next weekend is Civil War Days in Lake Villa...looking forward to that as well!!!  I LOVE FALL!!!!

Oooglie Mooglie....it's Friday already!!!

Wow this short week has FLOWN by.  My 21st wedding anniversary was yesterday, hard to believe really.  Lot's of ups and downs and now we are really planning our future, not just our kids future.  What hubby and I want from our older years...yes I'm serious!!!  We had a financial planner take a look....which thankfully we did cuz seriously we would of never retired.  It was exhilarating to know that it's not too late at 42 to plan for this and actually be able to do it.  So it's a little exciting to think of retirement and the things we can save to do and what we want to have by then.  All of our planning has been for the kids and for emergencies and living in a check to check world of small children and dreams for them.  Now...well now it's all about the cabin up north that we want and at what age we think we can swing retiring and how I don't want a new car because I won't be able to save as much if i have a car payment....THAT has never been the case we've always wanted shiney new now not later.  So we are re looking at our 401k's, opening a ROTH IRA for basic savings...something I find very interesting about the ROTH IRA is that you can put as little as $500 in and you have access to the principal, it takes a little more effort than a plain old savings account but you just fill out the paper and can have the money for an emergency....so it's still liquid but not so liquid it leaks out of your savings account.  That is what always seems to happen to ours...I put money in there but it never stays put, I buy this, I buy that, even if I don't really need it.....so I end up pissing away money and then I can't figure out where it all went....very disturbing. So all in all it was a great experience and now I have people to give me advice on how my portfolio (hah) should be divided up etc. to give me the best opportunity for growth and success.  I LIKE IT!!

This weekend is apple picking in Woodstock.  I refuse to go to the place that is close by...I saw that they shipped in pumpkins and apples and the tree's were all over picked so you really didn't even pick your own apples and they were double the cost...it's nuts!!  So we will pick them this week and next weekend will be an entire weekend of making pies and apple sauce and apple butter!!!  I am absolutely excited!!!

Oh and they come and install my carpet on Monday!!! Very excited about that too!!

The Long Weekend

I just love long weekends...it gives you time to do your chores and have fun.  Usually it's hard to get everything done in one weekend..and of course the long weekend is really no different.  I never get to do everything I want to do because all of the sudden I realize that summer is almost over and I haven't done ANY of the things I thought I would so now I have to do them all in the three day weekend....(deep breath)

REALLY...who am I kidding.   I have to be thankful for the things that I do get to squeeze into this weekend.   Yesterday was a great day...went to a fundraiser for ROAR, had dinner and too many cocktails with the neighbors...woops....and I didn't get lost on my way home (again they are the neighbors as in right next door...).

Today I am taking my daughter to get a knee brace and we will swing by Good Will see if we can't find her some new jeans....she still isn't living here with us, which is really ok, I apparently spoiled her rotten and she seems to be more indebted to the people she is living with.  She watches their young son for them which saves them a ton of money and she has a place to live that isn't with my critical self watching over her.  I do however see a glimmer of hope (shhh don't want to say that too loud....every time I do it seems to cause her to go backwards) that she may just be coming around to the real world where people work hard and get to enjoy the fruits of those labors on long weekends.... =) 

Today and tomorrow I am going to catch up on my reading.  Hunger Games.....I need to sit and read and have a glass of wine this afternoon.  I am making chicken fried steak, mashed potato's and probably green beans for dinner....something nice and stick to your ribs.  I'm also going to plan a few more good meals during the week this week, it seems I am always flying by the seat of my pants when it comes down to dinner time...I want to try to avoid that going forward.    A little more planning and couponing and we will be golden for dinners galore...note I did not say gourmet, big difference......

My son and I have been working out....he is really enjoying it.  He likes to see the results.  In the beginning, which was only about a week or so ago, he could only do push ups part of the way now he can do a full push up, same with a plank he couldn't hold it for very long and now he can go a full 30 seconds.  I know that doesn't seem like much to most people but it's a huge step in the right direction for he and I.

Jeff got a letter in the mail from Northwestern University.  Because of the extent of his blockage, his age and the surgery he had to have they want him to be part of a genetic marker study.  They are trying to see if there are early signs or genetic signs they can see in people before this type of blockage and risk happens.  We were lucky, can't believe I'm saying that, but we are lucky that we caught it when we did and that the blockage was where it was and not someplace close to his heart or brain stem. 

Well off to put on my yoga pants..yes my yoga pants because I'm too lazy to put on real pants... (love that commercial).

and one last thought as we barrell towards another winter in Chicago......that is the neighbor....waste deep in snow Feb 2011...I better do the things I want to do outside...BEFORE it's too late!!!

Agh the end of Summer...

I am looking foward to my new canning quest, I found some appleasauce and apple butter recipes that I am looking foward to trying.  Apple picking is one of my favorite things to do with my kids.  We are going early in the season this year because last year we went around Halloween and well all the tree's were pretty well picked and honestly i think they brought in apples in crates to buy..don't want to do that.  So I am on the hunt for new apple picking grounds....the pickings are slim, no pun intended.

I am looing foward to a nice long weekend.....with nothing totally structured to do....looking foward to dinner tomorrow night with the neighbors...my husband is going to get him a surprise (it was his birthday yesterday).
I think I am going to bring the fixins for a martini...a yummy one...like cucumber or blood orange..we'll see maybe even grapefruit!!  YUM..

Quest for doing something new...

Okay so, I really want to do new things, broaden my MIND so to speak.  Husband and I are going to the Lake Villa Civil War reenactment of Bull Run. http://www.lakevillahistory.org/services.aspx  The day looks packed with stuff to do and then that night we are going to spend an evening with the Lincoln's, yes THE Lincoln's.

It sounds kind of geeky but I've never seen a cicil war reenactment, well except for on TV on some murder mystery show where someone actually get shot with a real bullet....and you know the rest...

It is so fun to be able to go and walk around and see things.  (Husband has not been able to walk around leisurely for many years...and since his surgery we can walk and enjoy all kinds of things.) This past weekend we went to the Wilmot Flea Market...which is a giant garage sale.  There weren't many new product vendors mostly people selling used stuff.    I didn't bring any cash with me because I really didn't need to buy anything but I saw some great antique glass mason jars and some neat wine bottles.  It was fun to just spend time together.

This weekend is the baggo tournament at KC's Cabin http://www.kcscabin.com/ for ROAR (Roll Over Animal Rescue).  Jeff and I aren't very good so I'm sure we'll be knocked out in the first round.  But that is ok...what fun..hopefully the weather holds.

I have a painter coming to give me an estimate on painting the inside main areas of the house, carpet measuring guy coming this week as well.  Two things that, besides my horrendous kitchen, need to get done sooner rather than later.  All very exciting.  Just have to remember to get out of here on time to get there for the painter guy.

I just had chicken chili for lunch....brrrp.....

Today IS Monday..

Well it was definitely a Monday.  It seemed to take forever for 4PM to come but then of course it snuck up on me and I wasn't ready for it.  Pathetic.

I ate okay but still need to do better....mainly because the only reason I didn't eat more for breakfast was because I didn't have time.

REALLY you say, yes really.  Isn't that ridiculous?  I think so. 

For dinner I had a turkey burger not on a bun but wrapped in lettuce, which was okay actually, surprisingly really.  I didn't miss the bun at all.

I also walked when i got home, I ran about 1/4 of the distance but my knee kept hurting.   It has to be the way my foot is striking the ground I'll hopefully figure it out since I would like to run more than walk.   I do not think I can run hitting with my mid food, I think that may have been it....

My son wants to take martial arts...but which one?  I mean seriously, there are a million different kinds of martial arts and I am trying to figure it all out but..they are all cool.  Which one is the best to start off with?  Which one is the best for a sedentary 12 year old to start out with?  I don't want him to get discouraged.. ..

I have been taking a lot of photo's lately, I have a waterproof little digital camera.  I know it's not ideal but I want something that when I am out on the kayak i can take with and not be spastic about getting it wet.  So that is what I bought, I can put this one under water up to 10 feet...very fun.  I wish it were better on land..but I am not completely disillusioned thinking that it is all the camera, it is definitely the operator.

Probably MOSTLY the operator. 

So many things so little time...I mean I like the blogging, I want to workout more and cook more and kayak more and go out more and.. and... and.. sigh.  There is never enough hours in the day.  Why is that? 

Fall is coming..

This year I've decided to can some apples....we love to go to the orchard and pick a ton of apples and desert is okay but i want something that i can have for more than just those few weeks.  SO i am going to make apple sauce and apple butter...as well as preserved apples.  I think apple butter might be a great gift for the holidays!!

In searching for the perfect apple for those items...I find that it is all a personal perspective.  I think I will go for sweet apples this time to make the butter so that I don't have to add so much sugar.  We will see how that goes for me.   It will be my first cooking experience I will put in my blog.

I will say that, it fascinates me what I can learn to do on the Internet.  What I think is sad is that well those things that used to be handed down through generations is now.... there for all... from people we don't know.  So I find myself wondering what my legacy is to my children?  My grandma taught me to make bacon bread and kilbasa from scratch, my mom showed me how to decorate and entertain with style and on a budget.  I guess time will tell.

FRIDAY DANCE

It's Friday...some say the best day of the week.  Why is that?  Is it just because some don't have to work for the next two days...and I use work loosely because us weekdayers go to work during the week but then stay home and work around the house all weekend therefore never really have a day of NO work.  Is working around the house more enjoyable than working at my office....um I'm not so sure I think that is true..I hate to clean more than I hate to file.

Is it scary that I put a measuring spoon in my purse this morning?  I'm starting to get really serious about what and how much goes into my gullet....especially the stuff I know is making it and my butt bigger.  I measured the sugar that I put in my coffee in the morning here at work 5 teaspoons YIPES!!!  I cut it back to three this morning, which is still 6 of those little paper packets.  So my teaspoon has become my friend.  I will carry her with me wherever I go.

Tonight will be movie in the back yard night.   I am bringing home my work projector and we will project movies on the back of the house while we have a bon fire and a few adult beverages (the kids will have juice).  FUN...I love this time of year when the weather is cooler at night and you can enjoy an evening outside.   We even have smores and left over fireworks from the 4th of July!!  YEAH.

Again today....

I walked.....

I ate the frozen breaded chicken in the freezer..added an iced coffee to boot..

I don't think it's bad chicken any more, I cut up the chicken strips put them in a pita with
some lettuce, onion and bbq sauce!!  It was far more delightful than i had anticipated frozen breaded chicken to be......

1 day down...REALLY?

Really, day one, I've been trying to do this for oh I dunno 1200 days!!!!  No time like the present to start though huh?

I would like to proclaim yesterday a success, I stayed on track, kept my hands out of the M&M's and I worked out for 30 minutes....that is a very successful day. 
Dinner tonight may prove to be a challenge because I didn't plan, I didn't really plan yesterday either but I had pulled out ground turkey so I made turkey taco's....is that planning?  I had a taco salad with salsa as the dressing.  Tonight I haven't pulled anything out...so it could be an issue if I resort to some sort of frozen, breaded meat. 

Yes I know that shouldn't be in my freezer to begin with.  But look how pretty it looks in the picture....







I have found a free app on line and it has an app for my iPhone so I am able to track everything I eat, when I eat it and exercise when I do it.  Here is the link to my page:  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ .  It is a nifty site, when I end each day the program calculates how much I would weigh in 5 weeks if every day were the same as that one...  So on a great day I can see how the weight will come off.  Again nifty little site.

I do think I like blogging..let's see how creative I'll get.  I'm trying to add additional pages by topic, so if i'm writing about the kids one day...then dieting the next they aren't all jumbled together...I haven't figure it out yet...as you can see from the main page ... KIDS just has picts of my kids.  I'll get there.

The scale and bullying...

For pete sake got on the scale this morning...about cried.  I know why I'm gaining weight so why am I so screwed up that I can't stop doing the things that are bad for me.  Okay I CAN stop right...it's called will power or resolve or plain old self control.   Geez seems like I have none of those things.   Okay so today has been really good so far, I think the key is to eat consistently throughout the day, not all at once.  So we are going to try that approach.  I'll let you know how that turns out...

I missed book club last night because I didn't feel good ... the next one is at my house which is my motivation to get my butt in gear and get some stuff done around the house.  Like the carpet on the stairs for sure!!!  So I am excited about that.... I like to entertain, but haven't done it in forever because i really don't like my house right now.... my kitchen is a pit and needs to be redone, maybe I'll post some pictures and you can see what i mean.

The copier and i have already had a run in today.  Technology can really complicate your life some times ... and over the dumbest stuff, copies seems like an easy thing right yah...ok whatever.  I've spent my whole morning screwing with the copy machines..ugh...so much for time savers.

Bullying...Mean Children....I would like to touch on the subject.  I know that all kids, even mine say things in the heat of the moment and are definitely influenced by the kids around them (mob mentality)...even if they don't like the ones around them.  Some boy called my son a "faggot" ... I mean really!!!  It was because he couldn't do a push up, now my answer to that is that RJ has got to change his behavior if he doesn't like being called names because he can't do something....but then i think about it, now granted he needs to be healthier and he needs to exercise but why should he do it because someone else is an asshole?  But then I think about it some more..and believe that we are usually motivated by fitting in and by conforming right?    Sigh...so do i push him to exercise and learn to do a push up and be more FIT so that he doesn't have to endure this type of scrutiny and meanness ??  and then I think some more, and I think he gets picked on because he is sensitive and he is not going to react, he even said he wanted to punch the kid in the face...but he just walked away and then internalized the way he felt.  So by helping him to learn to do a push up and be more fit is only going to make one problem go away and another one pop up, some kids are mean and will find any reason they can to tease someone and hurt their feelings.  What does a parent do?  How do we help our kids figure out how to deal with these things?  I mean it really doesn't go away does it?  Adults do it, I chose not to hang with those types of adults and they are usually not as brazen as children are and only say things about you behind your back.....sigh....where are the answers? 

So seriously...

It's been weeks since I blogged...as an administrative assistant that is disappointing since i feel like this is something I want to do.  So, attempt 600...something always seems to get in the way..usually the TV or a glass of wine.  Onward....

Today it is stormy outside and in.....work is awesome although there are "things" happening around here and as always it's a business there are always "things" happening.  Which is why I like what I do so much.  So many administrative assistants feel they have to move on to something bigger and better, WHY?  I love what i do because I get paid to do and get involved in the things that really interest me.  If I want to be part of a project or a team..I just ask, there is always a need for someone to help the group make decisions, contribute ideas and perspective.  I also work for the best group of guys a girl could ask for.....they are considerate and do what they are told without argument or wining...  So as a control type person this works out well for me all the way around.   I get to understand all aspects of business, I also get to participate in the vision and execution of that vision which is really awesome to be a part of.

Tonight is book club too....I didn't read the book in its entirety, I'm not sure I'll add much to the conversation this evening.  I'm wondering if I shouldn't attend.....but I would like to hear what everyone else thought of the book, was it just me and my short attention span that didn't like the book or found it difficult to get throughout?  Maybe if I hear others talk about how great it was and how the ending was awesome...I could pick up the book again....we shall see I suppose.

All in all I don't seem to be doing well with consistency....(even my typing in this blog is inconsistent) something I am working on as i am writing this.  I am going to be consistent in my blog and what I write about in my blog.  I think an administrative assistant blog is necessary it's not JUST a stepping stone to better things.  It can be a career, a long and fulfilling career and I intend to prove it.