Music I know and Love...for your listening pleasure.

I am in love with music...some people say they like a little bit of everything, but I really Love a little bit of everything, from eighties rock legends to contemporary, Rap , Rock, Alternative, Folk, Country, You name it and I am willing to give it a shot.  Here are some of my recommendations if you are looking for a few new tunes for your Ipod.

I really like the new Miley Cyrus song "Party In The USA"  I even paid $1.29 on Itunes to buy the damn thing so I wouldn't keep looking it up on youtube, also so I could play it through the stereo instead of my crappy laptop speakers...  Does that make me less of an adult?  Does it make me less of person?  If so, then I'm okay with that.

I also freaking love "All I believe In"  By The Magic Numbers and Amadou and Mariam.  It was a bonus track on Itunes with The New Moon Sountrack.  I don't really even like that many of the other songs but no matter how much I googled I couldn't find an Illegal download.  So I paid $14.99 for one song...it's okay I listen to it at least 3 times a day.  It will pay itself off soon enough.

On the New Moon Soundtrack the few other songs I like, in no particular order. Satellite Heart by Anya Marina.  Solar Midnight by Lupe Fiasco (also a bonus track)  Hearing Damage By Thom Yorke.  A feew others are bearable, but to be Honest I'm disappointed.  Twilight's soundtrack is good from start to finish and really captured the mood of the movie.  I wish they hadn't axed Catherine Hardwicke.

Wintersong by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michealson is one of my all time favorites and it is always on my ipod no matter what time of year.  On that note I adore The Gift by Aselin Debison, it's technically a Christmas, but I think it is worth listening to anytime.

Fireflies by Owl City is a new one that I really like.  Along with One Time by Justin Bieber.  I like Good Day by Nappy Roots, and If you aren't down with them you should really listen I love how earthy and true their songs are.

It's almost Halloween Witches!!!

That's right.  Halloween is 3 short days away, and if you are already eating candy that's meant for trick-or-treaters...well I won't tell if you don't.  Halloween is a time for costumes, candy and carved pumpkins.  For a holiday that starts with an H it sure revolves around the letter C.  I have already shared with you our carved pumpkins but what I didn't tell you is that those were our starter pumpkins.  Those were the ones to test on to hone our skills.  I purchased a Twilight  pumpkin stencil and spent a considerable amount of time working on it to make sure it looked good.  I hope you all will like my pumpkin and if you would like to tell me about your favorite pumpkin leave a comment.

This picture shows that it is indeed on a pumpkin.

A close up...What do you think?

Aaron did this one in rememberence for those POWS and all those who have given their life in service of this country.

Jack from A Nightmare Before Christmas.  This one is on a white pumpkin

Aww wait. No way. She didn't just say what I think she did. Did she?

I'll admit it.  I am a total geek.  Completely and unrepentently nerdy.  I cannot help it.  My cat is named after a character on Battlestar Galactica... That's right go look that up real quick.  I'll wait.



You see?  A total geek right?  I've never been ashamed of that fact, I read Fanfiction.  I tell totally corny jokes.  I laugh outloud at thoughts in my head.  It doesn't bother me, in fact I rarely even explain to people anymore, often times they don't get what's so funny.

I was raised in such a large and loving family that I'm socially akward.  It's okay.  I've accepted it.  I have on multiple occasions (okay like 100 times at least)  laughed so hard I cried with any given family member.  My younger brother J and I were once coming home from getting some icecream for the family and we got to laughing about selling Pots at the Stop sign and we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe...it seemed perfectly logical to roll down the windows...to get air?  That's right we are driving into the neighborhood with the windows down fanning air into our faces trying to breathe.  We are weird like that.

My Mom and I have both laughed so hard we have peed on ourself...Sorry Mom I'll tell my story if you don't mind me telling yours.

My parents run a firework tent each year, and one year we had one in a walmart parking lot, only it wasn't open 24 hours.  It closed at 12 and opened at 6 so if you had to pee during those hours...tough luck.  Well one night me, N and J were staying there with my Step Dad BU.  We really needed to go to the bathroom and had been waiting for at least 2 hours for the walmart to open and when it opened we headed to the store just the three of us kids.  We were at the very back of this huge parking lot, a war could have happened in this lot, it was huge.  We start walking and my sister N sees a cart tipped over on it''s side, so she walks over and tries to pick it back up to take down with us.  Tries being the operative word, she was in 6th grade and about the size of a toothpick.  So here she is struggling to pick this thing up and I start laughing, and soon I'm crying because I start peeing and can't stop...I peed so much I soaked my shorts, undies, and socks and shoes...gross.  I laughed the whole way into walmart where BU had given me some money to pick out a change of clothes.  The point is family will put up with weird crap.  My family will probably put up with about 10 times more weird crap then a normal family, and because of that I don't have a filter.

If I think something is stupid I usually say as much.  If I have an opinion I will share it without being asked.  It isn't that I mean to pry and be "rude" according to social norms.  It's just that I was raised by a big southern baptist family in the south...we overshare.  We say "bless her heart" and gossip to our hearts content.  I know this means that many people are "put off" by me at some point in knowing me.  I guess this is just to say that I have come to terms with me.  No matter how many times we move, how many friendships I gain and lose over time, my family will always accept me, because they know I do it because I care.  I am fiercely loyal and I would do anything to help a friend. 


I just need people to put up with my quirks, and know that if I say something that's over a comfort line, just tell me.  I will always apologize if you let me know it was too far, and I will try to better about keeping my opinion to myself next time.  Thanks for putting up with me guys.

More good recipes...please don't drool on your key board.

This is why I love fall

When the air starts to get cold and crisp, and the days get shorter I become a champion at making comfort food.  You know, the extra fattening, super delicious junk to add on extra puonds before it gets really cold.  Trust me when I say that a few extra pounds will make you warmer in the coming winter, and even if not.  This stuff is just too good to pass up.  We always called it People Puppy Chow, and made it with crispex, but chex calls it Muddie Buddies and it tastes the same.The recipe is as follows.

Ingredients:

5 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.


In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Put it into a gallon sized bag and store on counter.
(I do all of this in a pot over the stove top, stirring extra gently to not break the cereal.)

Apple Crunch Cobbler

Apple Crunch Cobbler

4 to 6 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces


Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg

Preparation:

Mix apples, 1 cup of sugar and cinnamon; place in a greased 8-inch baking dish. Dot with the 1 tablespoon of butter.

Combine topping ingredients; stir until blended then pour (Spread as well as you can, it is really thick) over apples. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Before Adding the topping

After it was done baking

My Mom's Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe makes two 9 inch deep dish pies.  If you do not need 2 pies cut this recipe in half.

4 Cups chopped cooked chicken (I boil Boneless skinless chicken breast)

1 Cup Chopped Onion

1 Cup Chopped Celery (I don't include celery, because I don't like it)

6 Tb. Butter

6 Tb. Flour

2 Tb. Parsley Flakes

3 ts. Instant Chicken Bouillon Granules

1 ts. Poultry Season

1/2 ts. Garlic Salt

1/2 ts. Pepper

1 ts. Salt

1 and 1/2 Cup Milk

1 Cup Swanson's Chicken Broth (more if needed)

1 Cup Thinly Sliced Carrot

2 Cups Diced Peeled Potato

1 Cup Frozen Peas

1 Cup Frozen Corn

2    9 Inch Deep Dish Pie Crusts

2    Pillsbury Topper Crusts

In pot on medium high saute onion and celery in butter until tender.  Stir in Flour (do not stop stirring while slowly adding flour, you are making a roue) Stir in Parsley, Chicken Granules, Poultry Season, Garlic Salt, Pepper and Salt.  Blend in milk and chicken broth Stirring constantly until thickened. Add chicken, carrot, potatoes, peas and corn.  Pour into pie shells. Place pie crust over top (roll it out a little) Seal edges (I use a fork) Cut slits into top.

You can throw one of these into the freezer if you want to, Just put it in before cooking.  Thaw before cooking

Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

This is your roue you want it to be thick before adding the vegtables

Just before I put the tops on

After it was half eaten, It is always eaten before I get a picture.

Dear So and So

Dear Back,


I know I didn't take my muscle relaxer at all yesterday because I was feeling so good, and I continued to feel good all day so I didn't take it again, but I really don't think its fair for you to totally lock up on me like I'm Emily Rose before her exorcism. I am trying to make it through the day without a nap, but you have made it PAINFULLY clear that I'm not allowed to skip doses...I get it

Love Your owner



Dear Ovaries,

I know that four of my sisters are pregnant and...I get it. Yes DH and I have been married for 3 wonderful years. However we have decided to wait until things are more financially stable, and we are closer to family to start trying to have children. Please stop trying to strangle me every time I see a baby...I know they are cute, I know I love children of all ages and have wanted kids my whole life, but I am still young and can afford to wait a few years...or five. Please stop sending out enough hormones to make me think drinking the water might get me pregnant okay?

Love me who is only 22 still



Dear Mom,

I love you. You are amazing and because of you I am the envy of all the guys DH works with. Your homemade chicken pot pie recipe is so good that DH practically kissed my feet when I made it tonight, I am so glad you let me hang around in the kitchen all the time when I was young. Your patience is amazing, and I am grateful now that I'm older

Love your very happy Daughter



Dear DH,

Thank you for all of the ego boosting tonight after dinner, after such a crappy day having you raving about dinner really did make my night. I love you.

Love your tired wife

I love the fall!

No seriously, I love fall. I had mums at my wedding. Halloween and Thanksgiving are my two favorite holidays. I love the way the air smells crisp and clean (when we can't smell the dairy cows down the way) I love getting to trade tank tops and shorts, for jeans and sweaters. I love getting to wear my cowgirl boots, and fuzzy crocs.and making all my moms best recipes. This weekend I made my moms homemade vegtable soup and I ate it all before I even thought of taking a picture. Today I'm making homemade chicken pot pie, and I promise to post the recipe and pictures. But here are some pictures of Aaron and I at a corn maze, and some pumpkins we carved.

Us on a hay ride, it was below freezing and we didn't bring gloves...silly us.

The farmstead corn maze.  It was awesome

That is one big rocking chair, and that is kettle btw, delicious!

"Our" pumpkins, the mummy is one our friend Mike and Roxy did. The one on the right is mine.

Aaron's is a freehand Deathstar, which he didn't carve he shaved the skin off.

OMG What's the BFD?

Sorry about the title but it's been stuck in my head ever since the fateful Warehouse 13 episode.  I don't know if I've mentioned (about a million times) That I have 4 neices and nephews, with another 4 on the way.  In case you hadn't heard though I have 3 sisters and a sister in law that as expecting.  One is due at the end of January, one is due at the beginning of Feburary, one is due in March and I don't know when S is due because we just found out she is pregnant a few weeks ago.

The important thing here is that for everyone but N this is their second child or more.  That being the case I have decided that I am going to try to be there when my little sisters has her baby.  She found out today that she is having a boy! 

I know lots of women get overjoyed about girls, and I totally get it, they are cute and adorable and get to wear pink.  I am biased because I grew up with 5 sisters and two brothers and let me tell you this, boys might be more difficult in the toddler years however girls way out do them in the teenage years.

I am very happy for my sister, but...and it's a big but, I can't wait until Aaron and I are ready to have kids of our own.

To a good man.

My uncle passed away yesterday from a massive heart attack.  I won't sugercoat things, he was only 55 but overweight.  He had struggled with his weight for years, but he was my uncle and one of the best men I know.  He was an elder at my home church in North Carolina, and while Aaron was in Korea he was especially kind to me.  It is so hard to believe that when I go home in March that he won't be there.  This will be the first year he won't be at the family Christmas party to recite the "Night Before Christmas" from memory.  He was always ready with a hug and a bible verse when you were hurting, and he went out of his way to help family out in any way he could.  We may have a large family with our share of drama, but we are always there for each other no matter what.  Uncle Phil You will be missed by all of us.  You hold a place in my heart and I hope you are having a fantastic time in heaven praising God.

Oh thanks movers for feeding us some bull this morning...

Thanks for feeding us bull with a side of crap.  That is exactly what this is, bullcrap.  As I've mentioned before the husband came home from 13 months in Korea about 4 months ago.  Two and a half months ago we got most of the stuff back from Korea, however since Aaron wasn't there when the movers packed everything (he had to get out of Korea before the end of May or else they would have to extend his tour by 6 months) some things were missing and a few things were broken.  (Only half of my kitchen items came back)  His less than a year old, custom built gaming computer came back with stuff rattling around in the tower...uh oh.  When he first went to hook it up, no dice.  The lights would come on, the fan would turn on, but nothing else would come on.  So we took it to a local computer place, and got an estimate for the moving company so they could fix it.

That was more than a month ago.  We paid $25 to have it diagnosed and have the moving companys paperwork filled out.  We sent it in and have been waiting (the place said $366 to replace the parts, $590 in total).  Today Aaron called and asked them about the status of his claim. They told him to go to the website to see there offer...of $215....WHAT?  Are you FREAKING kidding me?  That doesn't even cover parts if Aaron installs them himself!  He was still on the phone with the woman and asked her why the lowball offer.  She explains that if they ship a vase with something inside of it and the vase and the other thing breaks they are only responsible for the vase, because it is the "outer cover".  She basically said that because the case was cracked they would cover a new case, but not the broken video card, and mother board...are you effing joking? 

Now tell me this, does that seem legal in any way shape or form?  We shipped the entire tower, broke the case, and some insides got shaken loose, but we only cover the case?  I think it's a bunch of crap, and so does Aaron.  He is refusing the offer with an explanation of why he is refusing the offer, and we are hoping they will come back with something better, but we will see.  Any comments?  Any suggestions?  Has this kind of thing ever happened to you?

MRI results came back on friday.

I've been sitting on this information all weekend and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it.  The good news first; there is no spinal chord damage, and no nerve damage.   I have two discs that show serious degeneration.  Which leaves me with a diagnosis of Degenerative disc disease, which isn't the end of the world.   I know.  I just alwasy thought that they would find something and say it's nothing serious just take this pill and you will be fine, but now I know that I'm in for physical therapy, pain management, and possible surgery if things don't get any better in the next six to eight months.

I'm only 23 years old (well almost), I didn't expect them to find permanent damage and tell me that a spinal fusion could be in my future (very unlikely).  I mean this is certainly better than it could have been, they could have found nerve damage or spinal chord damage, which would have been ten times worse, but I guess I was hoping it would turn out to be nothing that a chiropracter couldn't fix, I was hoping I just needed to get realligned or something.   I guess I should be thankful that it isn't as serious as it could have been  and continue to pray for healing. 

Babies Babies everywhere and not a single one for me...yet

As I mentioned in a roundabout way in a previous post.  I have 3 sisters who are pregnant, and a sister-in-law who is pregnant as well.  That means that there are 4 pregnant women in my family, including my younger sister.  You might be asking why I'm telling you all of this?  Aaron and I have been married for 3 years, when we got married I was only 19, and he was 20.  We knew going into this that we wanted to wait before we had kids, but that was 3 whole years ago.  I would be lying if I said I haven't thought once about having a baby.

Rationally I know I am still a month and a half away from turning 23, and that I still have plenty of time before a baby will fit in our life.  But I worry irationally that if we wait until we are financially ready, that we will never have kids. Almost everyone we know has kids, or is pregnant right now, which makes it hard for me not to want a baby.  That is all this post was about. Getting it out, so that I can think about why it doesn't make sense for us right now to start a family.  Even though we have been married for 3 years we still have planty of time.