So, I bought one of these…

because the one I had like this got left in Dallas last weekend…
and I use it twice a day to make Izzy’s protein shakes.

Well, this morning the new one started smoking, so I had to go to Target and buy this…
(notice I said I had to go to Target…) so, let’s hope the new one lasts more than two days.

I actually bought another one at Walmart late Sunday night because Target was closed and it died the first time I used it.

I sure hope this new Kitchen Aid Immersion blender does the job! If not I’m ordering another like the one in Dallas so I have a spare. (Matt hates it because it is loud…)

It’s Thursday, Sandra is the host of slow cooker thursday. There are lots of delicious recipes for the crock pot to be had and they sure do save time. I love to have dinner cooking while I am busy with my day. And having the house filled with the smell of dinner is also a plus.

Herb roasted chicken w/veggies…

chicken (I use frozen breasts or tenders)
quarters or baby potatoes
1 sweet onion sliced or chopped
bag of baby carrots
butter
rosemary
kosher salt

Place ingredients in crockpot, put pats of butter on top, sprinkle with rosemary and kosher salt. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 8. Yummy and smells so good.

The physical therapist put Izzy on the tricycle today. She helped push the pedals and they said she enjoyed riding. They took pictures and when (if) they email them to me I’ll post them.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 c. bbq sauce (I use honey bbq)
kosher salt & pepper
sliced sweet onions
shredded cheddar cheese
buns
extra bbq

mix well, make into patties, they will be very moist. place in pan, lay onion sliced rings and press into patties, turn when brown gently, turn again when onions have carmelized, pour bbq sauce on top of each, and then sprinkle cheese and cover. Serve on bun.

This day has been full of running & drama… oh well, I can wash the drapes in my bedroom tomorrow right?

So, first I thought I’d show you the pic that Izzy got for me at school for Mother’s Day. The teachers in her class are the sweetest most wonderful women. They dress up the kids in class for mother’s day each year. So cute. The little corsage is the one I mentioned Bailey got for me at church while we were in Dallas. It was so sweet that he held on to that corsage all morning and brought it home so I would have one too.

Bailey also had Terri (SIL) make me some white furry flip flops. He was very proud of himself.

Here’s a plant I also received for Mother’s day, I have almost killed it thanks to my purple thumb. I plan to take out the flowers that are dying and put something fakish in to add to the ivy. I think it is really pretty…

Amanda stayed home today for a couple of reasons… one was that she and my mother are watching my brother’s two daughters this week while they are away on vacation. The oldest didn’t sleep at all last night so they were both shot this morning, and also there was a bomb threat at her school and none of her friends were going today. I figured the threat was just a way to get a day out of school, but it’s always better safe than sorry. We ran by Panera and then to Hobby Lobby. She got this stuff to do some scrapbooking…

Did I mention the dog matt rescued a while back? Well, if not… Matt rescued this dog one night on his way home from a late night call out to work and it had a broken foot and it’s collar was so tight he had to use snips to cut it off. It stunk and was bone thin. Now let me start by saying I am not a dog lover. I like our lady dog pretty well, but I have too much going on to give them much attention. Anyway, he noticed that things in her ‘area’ looked wrong the other day. I took her to the vet today and she has a prolapsed uterus (ick) so she is having surgery tomorrow. Her name is Rosa and the vet confirmed her breed for me today, PIT BULL! Now, you would also know if you have read any of my meme’s or lists that I am very afraid of dogs. I’m not afraid of Rosa… she is just a growing girl. But, a pit bull? that’s the breed I had my encounter with so you’ve got to be kidding me…

I need some feedback… what do you guys think about for next week’s TTT going back to our very first blog entry, showing it, and then describing what led you to begin your blog? Let me know if this sounds fun or if you have a better suggestion! (please?)

Last but not least… I weighed UGH. I am the same. I guess I expected it since we were out of town all weekend. I’ll do better this week!

(don’t you just love the 80′s bangs and odd earrings…)

I was 18 years old in 1987. I turned 18 in august after having just graduated high school in may. I was working and going to school. I got a job at the state of Oklahoma doing computer work and was enrolled at Rose State College. I had a scholarship for academics that I didn’t want to waste, but I had been dating Matt since I was 15 so I had marriage on my mind.
I met some fun women in the work place… and enjoyed going out to lunch and running around. It was a year of new freedoms even though I still lived at home with my parents. I moved from their house into mine & matt’s first home a couple of years later. Yep, that’s right, I never lived alone.
In 1987 the song “with or without you” by U2 was big, I loved U2 that year and played it loudly driving to and from work in my Pontiac trans am. I know God took care of me that year because I was a little wreckless. Dirty Dancing and Fatal Attraction were movies out that year. I saw them both… Fatal attraction was scary and I guess DD was too in a different way.
I was drifting away from God in this year, it really seems like a blur to me now. I went to church to satisfy people, but didn’t have any kind of personal relationship with Christ. Sad.
I took my religion for granted. It was very much based on works, not on me. I am so glad I have come to know Christ as my personal savior and to know what a powerful and loving God I serve.

I hope you play along this week, I also hope your 18th year was a little more interesting than mine.

Good morning blogville!

I was out of town this weekend, so I didn’t get to post a weekend reflection (sorry Judi). I did take the laptop to Dallas, but I was using dial up and it was so slow I couldn’t even really do much but check email and then turn it off. I guess high speed internet is another thing to add impatience. Funny, I never prayed for patience. I guess I knew that to get patience you would have to have a circumstance in which you would develop patience. I am a fast moving, get it done fast kinda gal. This situation with Izzy has built my patience in a whole new way. Not only my patience, but my faith has grown by leaps and bounds. It is so strange to find yourself in a situation that not one person can make better. Only God. I began to rely on God. I always thought I had in the past, but it was nothing compared to how I seek Him now. I know that God is the only One who can heal my little Iz. I know that God is in control of everything.

We spent the weekend in Dallas, I think I mentioned that already… but, we went to attend a healing school. We also went last month, they are held monthly on the second Saturday of the month. We arrived at about 12:30 for the teaching that began at 1 p.m. and I think we left around 7:00 pm, so it was a long afternoon… especially for Izzy. It was again great information about things that interfere with life and cause sickness and disease. Thurman (tlsm.org) focused on wives and husbands quite a bit on Saturday. It was interesting. There was a woman who hated her husband, I mean hated him… and her children were sick, she was having repeated miscarriages etc. when she heard Thurman speak on this issue and her child was healed. It is an interesting testimony you can read here…
I think Matt and I walk in a love relationship for each other, we may need some fine tuning though.

We drove home Sunday afternoon, another long drive which I have decided I hate driving long trips… Matt offered to drive, but I hate riding more than I hate driving. So, I drove and it was fine. I am not complaining. I was blessed with great comfortable transportation. An interesting note about the drive… I usually fill up with gas before leaving town and then again somewhere in Texas on the way home. This one tank of gas lasted the whole trip! It was a supernatural gas experience for sure. So, praise God for good gas mileage, especially since it is $3.15 now! and what is up with that? It is eye opening to pay $100 to fill up your car.

I hope everyone had a good mother’s day. I did I suppose. You read earlier that I had shopped for my Matt gift so it was kinda a normal day. When I got home Amanda has stayed here with my mom Friday night and then her friends stayed with her on Saturday night. She had cleaned the house and left a candle and note pads on the table for me. Very sweet. Bailey gave me some white furry flip flops and at our home congregation they passed out corsages for moms and he got one and brought it home for me. I thought that was pretty thoughtful for a 13 year old boy who had an out of town friend over for the weekend! Sweet kids. I am very blessed.

I don’t have my menu ready for MPM, but I have to get me & Iz out the door in a bit to go to Bear and so it will wait until later… I am hoping to have a minute this afternoon to visit everyone and say hello. I have to go to target (did I just say I have to go to target?) … anyway, I left Izzy’s bullet blender that I make her smoothies in that I special ordered in Dallas (ARGGG)! So, I ran out last night to find target closed so I grabbed something at walmart which broke on the first use… I have also been given notice that if I don’t start pulling my weight on the pool maintenance my hub is going on strike. So, I’m going to do some skimming and chemicals this afternoon along with the miles of laundry left here from a weekend away.

I’m looking for balance. I want to seek God with all my heart. I have a lot of jobs to get done, I have catching up to do. I just need to inhale, exhale… and then keep going. Thanks for all the sweet comments on that picture. I almost didn’t post it because, well, you know we are all our own worst critics. But, it wasn’t too bad and it was fun to see Carrie’s pic of a real preggy girl. She looked so cute. Oh, I also got to hold baby Will this weekend. Julie lives in that area so she dropped by Saturday morning. I did her highlights and held Will. He is so tiny and cute. Izzy was pretty interested in him too. It was fun to see them!

We will be traveling to 18 years old tomorrow, Coach Jenny and Karen both thought that would be a good age to visit. I think it was a special year for them. Hopefully I’ll have my menu up sometime and then TTT up tomorrow, so come back and play along, please.

Visit Laura for more menus…

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 c. flour
3/4 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

Cream butter, sugar and cocoa together, add eggs, vanilla, salt & then flour. Bake at 325 for 2o minutes or until done.

I also sometimes mix together:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 c. sugar

dollop on top of brownie mixture and take a knife to marble it throughout the brownies.

When Matt and I first started dating, he mentioned he loved his grandmother’s cream cheese brownies… so I thought that’s easy enough. I made brownies adding some cream cheese, pretty proud of myself. He took one look at them and knew they were wrong. I later talked to his grandmother about her brownies and she told me how she made them (I was only 16 for goodness sakes)… Anyway, the brownie recipe is from my mom although she says she has no recollection of giving it to me but it is good in a pinch when there isn’t any mixes on hand and I need to make something sweet fast!

I also realize I posted yesterday that I was going to start this weight challenge (ugh), but just because I am posting this recipe for you, my friends, doesn’t mean I’m making them myself… not today anyway.

You can go to Overwhelmed With Joy! to see more FIF recipes!