Blast from the past

I'm sitting here one day last week, perusing the net, mainly facebook, and I read that my online friend's kids don't know NKOTB.

Seriously?!  Who doesn't know New Kids On The Block.  The more and more I think about it, I realize that my OWN children probably don't know who NKOTB are either.  I know for sure that my 3 year old doesn't, and I'd lay money that my 8 year old has no clue. 

Then I started thinking about the things that I loved way back when, then I can't find now.  There were a few things that I couldn't find pictures of, but I'm still looking for.  I don't want to name them, because maybe we, well I, can do a weekly blast from the past post. We'll see how that goes. 

Anyway .. here are a few, four to be exact, blasts from my pasts.  Are these on your list of things you loved way back when??

I think we're alone now

         

banana clips

Guess? Jeans

Jelly Shoes

#1.  I absolutely LOVED Tiffany.  'Nuff said!  

#2.  Banana clips were important!  We all used them!

#3.  Jelly Shoes.  I LOVED these shoes, but hated them at the same time.  They always gave me blisters, and made my feet really dirty.                

#4.  I know you can still get Guess jeans .. but not like you could when I was a kid.  It was all about the upside down triangle patch on your butt.  Right?!  You remember ... 

Do you have anything, that you'd thought you'd forgotten about ... any blast from the past???

Until Next Time ... 

~A

Wish List ...

As I'm sitting here .. admittedly feeling a bit sorry for myself .. I'm thinking of all the things I'd like to get for myself.  I honestly can't remember the last time I did anything for myself that wasn't for a reason.  I think it's time.

Here's a few of the things I want to spoil myself with.

iPhone ...

Mani/Pedi

Massage ... ahhhh

Mac

#1.  I think I might be the last person on the planet that doesn't have an iPhone.  I want one badly, even if everyone else always has one.  Who says you have to be original all the time??

#2. Mani/Pedi .. I'm in desperate need.  I haven't had a pedi in YEARS and I need one so badly.  Just for the sheer relaxation of the process. Throw in a manicure to round it all out.

#3.  I had one .. once.  Many moons ago it seems.  It was the most relaxing hour of my life.  I need that again.  Soon!!

#4.  I want a Mac.  Badly.  I'm over the PC.  Period.

What about you?  Is there anything you covet??  Wanna share?

Until Next Time ..
~A

~Live, Laugh, Love~

I think these are words to live by .. if it's not your motto, it should be.

Until Next Time ...

~A

Tuesday's Favorites

Here are a few of my favorite things ....

Mmmm ... healthy too!

It might be a favorite, but I miss it

ALL things Twilight

Oh how I love watching the sunrise

So my layout is off .. but you get the idea.  Let me break it down for you. 

#1.  Pomegranates.  I love love love pomegranates.  I can remember as a kid, my grandma has a pomegranate tree in her back yard.  We would pick the pomegranates up off the ground and devour the seeds.  They were oh so yummy.  It was always hard to hide our devoured treasures though.  Grandma, somehow, always knew what we'd been up to.  ;)

#2.  Sleep.  I love sleep.  I love TO sleep.  I just wish I could.  Lately it seems that sleep is hard for me to find, and even harder for me to keep.  I don't know if it's stress, the snoring husband, or the 3 year old feet that dig into my back.  Whatever it is, I need to fix the problem, because I miss my sleep desperately.

#3. Sunrise.  There's just something about watching the sunrise.  It puts your life into perspective.  The 'dawning of a new day' 'starting over' 'a new beginning' .. it's all retrospective.  There's nothing greater that watching the beautiful miracle of a new beginning.  Except maybe hearing my children laugh.  

#4.  Twilight.  I love ALL things Twilight.  All things.  I'm not overly obsessed like some people are, but that being said, I'll be one of the first to see the newest movie, or re-read the series.  I have all the books, like most Twilight fans do, and I've read them a few times.  I'm actually thinking about reading them again.  

So those are a few of my favorite things for today.  What are yours?  

Until Next Time ... 

~A

Promises ..

I am oh SO irritated with a certain person that keeps making promises to my daughter, and NOT following through with them.

Just wait.

You're digging the SAME hole with her that you've dug with everyone else in your miserable little life.  When she wants nothing more to do with you, don't wonder why.  You'll already know.

You'd think that by now you'd have learned your lesson.  Your oldest son, wants nothing to do with you.  Why? Because of the childhood that you provided for him.

Your daughter, big surprise, can barely stand you.  Why?  Because of the childhood you provided for her.

Your youngest son, tolerates you for his children.  Why?  Because of the childhood you provided for him.

See the pattern?

You can tell everyone in the world how much you've changed, but the truth is plain and simple.  You haven't.  You never will.  You're the same miserable little woman you've always been, and I REFUSE to let you poison my children they way you poisoned your own.

Your game ... is OVER.

It's the End of the Word as we know it ... and I feel fine!!

OK.  So that's a lyric from the R.E.M song.  That I'm sure is being overplayed on close to every radio station around the country today.  Becuase, according to billboards that are plastered everywhere, tomorrow is in fact, the end of the world. 

Here's my thought's on the topic.  

I'm a Christian.  I have been for most of my life.  I don't know the Bible cover to cover, but I do know some of it.  There's quite a few places in the Bible that talk about the end of times.  Do I think we're there?  I do believe it's coming, yes.  Do I think it's coming tomorrow?  Hey, honestly it COULD happen.  In the tradition of being honest, it COULD happen today.  Right now.  An hour from now.  

The Bible says "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" - Matthew 25:13

There's yet another verse "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." -Matthew 24:36

So the claims that "the Bible guarantees it ..."  that the world will end?  Yes.  That the world will end on May 21st?  No.  

So I suppose there's a tidbit of advice in my note.  Listen to the Bible.  Be prepared.  It (the End) IS coming.  It may not happen tomorrow .. but it IS coming.  Are you ready??  

Mindless thinking ...

I'm sitting here this morning .. tired beyond belief.   I have the strangest thoughts running through my brain.  I'm sure it's due to sheer exhaustion, but I thought I'd share.  If for no other reason than to laugh at myself at a later date.


My youngest daughter is sitting in the other room watching Spongebob.  Something that she does daily.  And while I've thought about this subject before, I've never thought about it to the extent that I've thought about it in the last 20 minutes.  


Mr. Krabs, the owner of "The Krusty Krab" has a daughter.  His daughter, Pearl, is a whale.  How does that work?  


Spongebob's last name is Squarepants.  He resembles a yellow kitchen sponge.  His parents, are Mr. & Mrs. Squarepants.  Yet they're not square but round.  They don't resemble a yellow kitchen sponge, but more of an oatmeal cookie.


Mr. Krabs, often refers to Spongebob as a kid.  Spongebob often acts like a kid.  Yet, he lives in his own home (even though it's a pineapple) and he has a job. 


Like I said in the beginning.  I'm sure my thoughts are due to sheer exhaustion.  I"m beyond tired.  But I've never been so intrigued by Spongebob Squarepants before.  Honestly, I hope to never be this intrigued again.

Chicken Enchiladas

I've been wanting to make Chicken Enchiladas for a while.  The last time I made them, I made them with my sister-in-law and they turned out oh so good.  I'm hoping that my venture, with my own reciepe, will turn out just as well.

I'm going to post the ingredients then post the recipe along with pictures.

I hope this works the way I want it to.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 small can (10.75 oz) cream of mushroom AND cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
cilantro (if you like it, if not leave it out)
1/4 cup milk
cooked and shredded or cubed boneless skinless chicken thighs (you could use breasts if you prefer white meat)
shredded cheddar cheese (I used the 4 cheese Mexican blend from Sargento)
Flour tortillas (I was able to fill 6)


What you want to do first is take your meat, either breasts or thighs, and boil them.  I chose thighs because I prefer dark meat.  

To my boiling water I added some salt for flavor and a little bit (one turn around the pan) of EVOO.



Once the meat was cooked (it doesn't take very long) you want to remove the chicken from the water and either shred it or cube it.  

Once your chicken is shredded you can move on with the recipe.  This would be a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While you're oven is preheating, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan.  If you have a saucepan with high sides, that would work best. 

 

You're going to add 1/2 cup of chopped green onions to the butter 

Once you've added your green onions, you're going to saute the onions until they are soft.  Once they're soft, you're going to add the can of diced green chilies, the cream of mushroom soup, the cream of chicken soup, and the sour cream.  

Make sure that everything is creamed together well.  Once everything is combined you're going to take3/4 of this mixture and put it in a separate bowl and set it aside.  You're going to need it in a bit. 

Now take your shredded chicken and add it to the remaining 1/4 of the sauce mixture that's still in your saucepan.  Once the chicken is added, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of shredded cheese.  It's just depending on how cheesy you want your enchiladas.

Now make sure that all the cheese and chicken are incorporated into your sauce mix.  Once the cheese is melted and stringy you're ready to start stuffing your tortillas.  

Now you're ready to start stuffing your tortillas.  Take your tortilla, add a scoop of the chicken mixture and then put cilantro (if you like it) on top of the chicken mixture.  Fold and place seam side down into a lightly greased baking dish.

Now you want to grab your bowl that has your remaining sauce mixture.  Add 1/4 cup of milk to the sauce and mix well.  Once mixed, pour over your enchiladas and cover with cheese and more cilantro (again, you can leave the cilantro out if you don't like it.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes .. or until the cheese is bubbly and delicious!  

Enjoy!!

Until Next Time ...

~A

New Design ..

So.

Today is going to be one of those 'double blog post' days.  I'm blogging now, really more 'thinking out loud' about wanting to change up my blog.  And later I'm going to blog a new recipe.  Once I have pictures to go with.

Anyway.  Not really sure what I want to do with my blog.  Change the layout?  Just the fonts?  Only the background?  Still not sure.  I"m not even 100% sure I can figure out how to do what I'm thinking about doing.

We'll see how it goes.

One thing I can be sure of.  Tonight's dinner.  Is going to be kick ass.  That's what I'm going to blog about later.  Chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice, and my daughters favorite, fried corn.

Until Next Time ..
~A

These are a few of my favorite things ...

So as I was taking a look at a friends blog, I noticed a trend.  She lists her favorite things, usually on Fridays.

Taking a cue from her.. here are a few of MY favorite things.  What are some of yours?

Until Next Time ... 

~A

With a heavy heart ...

Obviously .. I jumped the gun.

In my last post, I was overjoyed (though it may not have come across in my type) with the realization that I'd become pregnant.  I wasn't sure, when I first found out, how I actually felt about it.  But, that passed, within hours actually.  I was excited.  Beyond excited, I was thrilled.

I had that joy for a week.   One week.  Then, it was taken from me.

Over the weekend I suffered a miscarriage.

I went to the ER Saturday afternoon.  Told them what was going on, and that I suspected I was having a miscarriage.  Everyone, the male doctor included, was more than sympathetic with me.  They were very aware of my feelings and my nerves.

The doctor came in, did a pelvic exam.  Bless his heart, he was trying to get me hope.  Though I think even at that point he knew the outcome.  He told me that the opening to my cervix was closed, and to try not to worry, because that was a good thing.

Then he sent me to ultrasound.  The ultrasound tech told me up front, though I think it was a ruse, not to expect to see anything, because they generally couldn't see a baby until at least 6-8 weeks along.  I know this isn't true.  I saw Mikaila .. at 4 weeks gestation.  Which is where I would have been Saturday.

Once I'm back in my 'room' .. the doctor comes in.  He proceeds to close the siding door, along with closing the curtain.  I knew, within seconds, that my world was closing in on me.   He informed me that the ultrasound revealed ovarian cysts, that he wanted me to follow up with my OB about, and that I had lost the pregnancy.

Cue the tears.  The overflowing tears.  That poor doctor.  I'm sure he was thinking .. "Lady you were barely 4 weeks pregnant, how can this be affecting you so much" ...

I'll *try* to explain that to you ...

All my life.  From the time I was a little girl, all I ever wanted was to be a mother.  I wanted to be the one responsible for nurturing, growing, and loving a child.  I was blessed in 2002 with my first daughter.  One that I almost lost in the very beginning.  I was overjoyed.  Beyond the moon excited for the chapter in my life that was beginning.

When my first daughter was just a few months old, my husband and I decided we were ready to start trying to have another.  We tried.  And tried.  For 5 years before something finally happened.  In 2008, we were blessed again, with the birth of our second daughter.  Again, overjoyed.  I had not one, but two little girls to love and cherish.

I know this is going to sound selfish, but my heart soon started to ache for the bond between a mother and her son.  The relationship that a mother has with her daughter is one that is unbreakable.  One that is always known, even if never spoken about.  I desperately wanted to experience the bond between mother and son.  I also, desperately, wanted to give my husband that joy.  The joy of having a namesake.  The joy of a father and son relationship.

When I found out I was pregnant, April 20th, 2011 .. I rejoiced in the fact that I might get to do just that.  Obviously, I know that there was no guarantee that this child would have been a boy, had I carried it to term, but it's something that I will always wonder about.  Something I will always yearn to know.  Had that been my son?  Had that been the relationship I'd been longing for?

I'll never know that.

While I'm completely heartbroken and beyond devastated that I've lost this opportunity, I"m also very much in the know at how blessed my life is.  I have 2 beautiful and healthy daughters, who are the light of my life.  They're my reason for doing the things that I do in my every day life.  I know how lucky Dan and I are.  I promise you that.

And to those who may be reading this who think I'm a selfish bitch for saying the things I've said, I'm sorry.  I stated in one of the very first posts I made, that the thoughts and words contained in my blog, are MY opinions, MY thoughts, MY feelings.  I've said NOTHING to hurt anyone or to take away from anyone else's experience.  Believe that or not .. it's the truth.

And again .. while I'm completely devastated, I'm also OK.  I'm not hysterical (anymore), and I don't feel that I'm depressed.  Yes, I'm sad.  That's to be expected.  But I'm not laying in bed all day long, mourning my loss.  I've mourned.  I've cried.  I've stared into space and thought of nothing else.  Now, I'm OK.  Thanks to the grace and love of God.    Writing things down, helps tremendously, but my faith brings me a 'fullness' that I've not known before.  My God is an awesome God, and His will, WILL be done.  Regardless of how we may feel about it.  This, was His will.  I'm OK with that.  Not only because I have no other choice, but because I am.  I know that my God was with me the entire time.  I know that my God has bigger things in store for me, even though I don't know what those things are, I'm ready to accept them.

Thank you Jesus for Your grace.  Thank you Jesus for Your love.  Thank you Jesus for Your peace.

Until Next Time ..
~A