Goodbye 2009. You will hardly be missed.
2009 was an OK year for me but no real highlights. I quit smoking in April and I am glad I did but it's been a really sucky time since. I still have random cravings throughout the day, I've gained 40lbs at least, and I turned 45. argh.
I have BIG HUGE GREAT plans for 2010. I want to get my eating totally under control. I want to commit to some kind of exercise at least 30 minutes every single day. Honestly, I know I have plenty of free time in a day to do this. I want to start taking better care of myself. I love being a wife, a mom, a gramma but it's time to take care of ME now. I'm always last on my list.
2010 will be my "selfish year". I won't be blogging about my exercise or my eating etc here. I am making my own personal blog diary which will not be public but where I can really just keep track of how I'm doing etc. Maybe that's selfish but.......yep. This is my selfish year.
See you all next year!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
A White Christmas
A nice day inside as the snow came down. Jarrett & Daniel came over with their families and we opened gifts. The kids and grandkids enjoyed everything I think.
We may be delayed a day in our trip to Dallas because of the continuing snow here and also in Oklahoma. No problem there. No one has to be back to work or school until January 4th so we are on no time table.
We are letting the kids stay up late tonight and they are on the couch(with their new snuggies) watching Return of the Jedi with Michael. This was our first year without any believers in Santa Claus. It's actually made things a bit less hectic. I still will be stuffing the kids' stockings later with candy and small gifts. How can I give that up? It's such a fun little thing to do.
I wish for all of my friends and family to have a Merry Christmas and many happy blessings in the new year.! :-)
We may be delayed a day in our trip to Dallas because of the continuing snow here and also in Oklahoma. No problem there. No one has to be back to work or school until January 4th so we are on no time table.
We are letting the kids stay up late tonight and they are on the couch(with their new snuggies) watching Return of the Jedi with Michael. This was our first year without any believers in Santa Claus. It's actually made things a bit less hectic. I still will be stuffing the kids' stockings later with candy and small gifts. How can I give that up? It's such a fun little thing to do.
I wish for all of my friends and family to have a Merry Christmas and many happy blessings in the new year.! :-)
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Usual Silliness
The kids are out of school and go back on the 4th. It always throws me off a bit when my schedule changes. Yeah life is rough as a stay-at-home-mom.
Today after Michael came home from work we were all standing in the kitchen. Rylie was showing us a picture she had drawn recently. We looked at it and then Michael and I continued talking. I looked up to see Rylie sticking her picture on the wall. Knowing I didn't have tape or sticky-tak in the kitchen I asked her what she was doing. She said she was putting it up on the wall with the sticky stuff from the island countertop. That's when I remember that Davis spilled a few drops of MAPLE SYRUP that I missed wiping up. OOPS
Around dinnertime Michael said the funniest thing to me. This proves how much he loves me. He asked me to defrost some hamburger meat in the microwave because he was going to make some cheeseburgers. So, I did. And he said "HOW CAN ANYBODY SCREW UP DEFROSTING MEAT!!??". I busted up laughing and said "Wait! I have to write that down. It's a great blog topic!". He laughed with me then.....or AT me, but it's all the same. The man is a Saint!
In my defense I don't really think because the hamburger meat was a bit cooked on the edges that it was "screwed up". He ought to have been happy that I actually COOKED something even a little bit!
Ok so my life isn't crazy interesting but we do love to entertain ourselves here.
Today after Michael came home from work we were all standing in the kitchen. Rylie was showing us a picture she had drawn recently. We looked at it and then Michael and I continued talking. I looked up to see Rylie sticking her picture on the wall. Knowing I didn't have tape or sticky-tak in the kitchen I asked her what she was doing. She said she was putting it up on the wall with the sticky stuff from the island countertop. That's when I remember that Davis spilled a few drops of MAPLE SYRUP that I missed wiping up. OOPS
Around dinnertime Michael said the funniest thing to me. This proves how much he loves me. He asked me to defrost some hamburger meat in the microwave because he was going to make some cheeseburgers. So, I did. And he said "HOW CAN ANYBODY SCREW UP DEFROSTING MEAT!!??". I busted up laughing and said "Wait! I have to write that down. It's a great blog topic!". He laughed with me then.....or AT me, but it's all the same. The man is a Saint!
In my defense I don't really think because the hamburger meat was a bit cooked on the edges that it was "screwed up". He ought to have been happy that I actually COOKED something even a little bit!
Ok so my life isn't crazy interesting but we do love to entertain ourselves here.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
25 Things About Chris
I stole this from my Facebook page. It says a lot about me. I'm desperate for topics to blog about..
1. I was born and raised in Texas but you couldn't pay me enough money to move back there.
2. I have horrible social anxiety and can't stand meeting new people and feel uncomfortable and awkward unless I'm talking to family or a really close friend.
3. My maternal grandmother died over 20 years ago but she will always be the woman I most admire. She never had a bad word to say about anyone and loved her family unconditionally.
4. There is a 22 year difference between my oldest son and my youngest son.
5. I would love to find at least one hobby that I am good at instead of a bunch that I'm barely mediocre doing.
6. My dad looks like Sean Connery. If we could only get him to talk with an accent he'd be perfect.
7. Having kids when you are young(early 20's) has a few perks. Abundant energy being one.
8. Having kids when you are mature?(early 40's) also has a few perks. Patience and experience.
9. Being overweight has always depressed me.....I'm ALWAYS overweight! haha
10. I wish I had read with my older kids every night like I do with my younger kids.
11. I absolutely love it that my big kids think my mom is the coolest grandmother in the world. She is, but she was also the coolest mom.
12. My husband and my kids are the most important things in the world to me. Family is SO important.
13. My first name is Erica....middle name Christine. When I was little, and not so little, my own grandmother called me Chrissy Baby. Can't believe I typed that. If anyone calls me that now it had better be my grandmother speaking to me from Heaven otherwise someone will get hurt.
14. I have THE most adorable grandkids.
15. It's embarrassing when the girl at Starbucks knows your name and also knows when you've fallen off the Atkins Diet.
ME- "I'll have a Quad Grande White Mocha stirred well, please".
BARISTA- "Hi Chris. Not doing your Atkins?"
or
ME-"I'll have a Grande Pike's Place Roast with room"
BARISTA- "Hi Chris. Back on Atkins eh?"
16. I have a serious phobia of dentists. I can get light-headed, queasy AND have a panic attack just making an appointment for myself. I can make an appointment for my kids AND take them to the dentist with NO trouble at all. It's only when it concerns MY mouth that it's a problem.
17. I got anxious and queasy just typing that last one! I got anxious and queasy AGAIN while proofreading it before finally posting.
18. I learned to ride a motorcycle when I was about 5. I have a bike now and hope to be riding it while the kids are in school when the weather warms up.
19. I HATE to cook. I'd rather be poked in the eye with a stick. I don't mind baking cookies or cakes but can't stand cooking meals. lol My poor family.
20. I'm only at 20?? OMGosh...what more can I write?
21. I love my iPhone and can't go anywhere without it. It reminds me to do just about everything.
22. I'm pretty handy. I can replace a thermostat on a clothes dryer all by myself. I can take an alternator off of a car, can replace spark plugs and spark plug wires, change oil(if I wanted to! ha) etc etc Oh, in my younger years I helped my dad rebuild my 68 VW bug after it caught fire(fuel pump leak).
23. I love it that my youngest son has my maiden name for his first name. Although, he still doesn't quite understand why his grandparents are Davis' too. Ha!
24. Ok let me say something nice about each of my kids. Jarrett and Rylie are identical.....both very tender-hearted souls. Daniel and Davis are also identical.....both quirky, funny, momma's boys. Heather is Heather. She's independent and her own person. I think she got that from being the youngest and only girl growing up. She could boss those older brothers around like nothing else!
25. Man! I'm hungry. What shall I eat?
"I'll have a Quad Grande White Mocha, stirred well please".
Yeah, no Atkins for me today!
1. I was born and raised in Texas but you couldn't pay me enough money to move back there.
2. I have horrible social anxiety and can't stand meeting new people and feel uncomfortable and awkward unless I'm talking to family or a really close friend.
3. My maternal grandmother died over 20 years ago but she will always be the woman I most admire. She never had a bad word to say about anyone and loved her family unconditionally.
4. There is a 22 year difference between my oldest son and my youngest son.
5. I would love to find at least one hobby that I am good at instead of a bunch that I'm barely mediocre doing.
6. My dad looks like Sean Connery. If we could only get him to talk with an accent he'd be perfect.
7. Having kids when you are young(early 20's) has a few perks. Abundant energy being one.
8. Having kids when you are mature?(early 40's) also has a few perks. Patience and experience.
9. Being overweight has always depressed me.....I'm ALWAYS overweight! haha
10. I wish I had read with my older kids every night like I do with my younger kids.
11. I absolutely love it that my big kids think my mom is the coolest grandmother in the world. She is, but she was also the coolest mom.
12. My husband and my kids are the most important things in the world to me. Family is SO important.
13. My first name is Erica....middle name Christine. When I was little, and not so little, my own grandmother called me Chrissy Baby. Can't believe I typed that. If anyone calls me that now it had better be my grandmother speaking to me from Heaven otherwise someone will get hurt.
14. I have THE most adorable grandkids.
15. It's embarrassing when the girl at Starbucks knows your name and also knows when you've fallen off the Atkins Diet.
ME- "I'll have a Quad Grande White Mocha stirred well, please".
BARISTA- "Hi Chris. Not doing your Atkins?"
or
ME-"I'll have a Grande Pike's Place Roast with room"
BARISTA- "Hi Chris. Back on Atkins eh?"
16. I have a serious phobia of dentists. I can get light-headed, queasy AND have a panic attack just making an appointment for myself. I can make an appointment for my kids AND take them to the dentist with NO trouble at all. It's only when it concerns MY mouth that it's a problem.
17. I got anxious and queasy just typing that last one! I got anxious and queasy AGAIN while proofreading it before finally posting.
18. I learned to ride a motorcycle when I was about 5. I have a bike now and hope to be riding it while the kids are in school when the weather warms up.
19. I HATE to cook. I'd rather be poked in the eye with a stick. I don't mind baking cookies or cakes but can't stand cooking meals. lol My poor family.
20. I'm only at 20?? OMGosh...what more can I write?
21. I love my iPhone and can't go anywhere without it. It reminds me to do just about everything.
22. I'm pretty handy. I can replace a thermostat on a clothes dryer all by myself. I can take an alternator off of a car, can replace spark plugs and spark plug wires, change oil(if I wanted to! ha) etc etc Oh, in my younger years I helped my dad rebuild my 68 VW bug after it caught fire(fuel pump leak).
23. I love it that my youngest son has my maiden name for his first name. Although, he still doesn't quite understand why his grandparents are Davis' too. Ha!
24. Ok let me say something nice about each of my kids. Jarrett and Rylie are identical.....both very tender-hearted souls. Daniel and Davis are also identical.....both quirky, funny, momma's boys. Heather is Heather. She's independent and her own person. I think she got that from being the youngest and only girl growing up. She could boss those older brothers around like nothing else!
25. Man! I'm hungry. What shall I eat?
"I'll have a Quad Grande White Mocha, stirred well please".
Yeah, no Atkins for me today!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Mixing+Measuring+Baking=Cookies
So I decided I would do some baking today. Anyone who knows me knows I hate to cook. I actually like to use the word ABHOR because hate is not strong enough. So, I abhor cooking.
I don't like the prep work, I don't like the actual cooking part and I despise the clean-up. If I were single I would probably be eating out a lot, bringing home stuff or ordering in. Alas, I have a husband and two kids so sometimes cooking has to be done. It has to be done on the days that I can't get my dear hubby to do it. Ok so the family does get 3 meals a day somehow, so no worries there.
What I don't mind doing occasionally is baking. I suppose I should be clear here....baking as in boxed cake and cookie mixes etc. I very much like the Toll House cookies that are frozen that you just break apart and throw in the oven. It really doesn't get any easier than that! Anything more than that and it's usually a disaster.
I've tried to make homemade rolled and cut-out Christmas cookies. They burn on the edges and I'm not talented enough to decorate them to look like something Martha could do in the blink of an eye. I have a beautiful book called Cookie Craft that has pictures of some of the most amazingly decorated cookies. If I could make cookies that looked like that I'd be happy to get in the kitchen and sweat over them. But I can't. I've tried royal icing and it never hardened. I've tried the pipe and flood technique. The pipes broke, the flood flooded the countertop.
So, last year at a cookie exchange with a bunch of girlfriends I found a cookie that I really like and when I tried to make it it was a total hit! They go by several names but the most widely-used was Mexican Wedding Cookies. They are light as air, not too sweet on the inside but rolled in powdered sugar, twice!
Very easy to make as well. I guess last year I gave M some to take to work and yesterday he said that a lady at work asked if I'd be making the cookies again.
So yesterday I made 4 batches of the dough. I did not bake them yet. I wanted to split the job into two days so today I'll be baking them. It's so much nicer to do all of the measuring, mixing, dirtying bowls etc all in one day and then bake with a clean kitchen the next day. Maybe it's just me but it makes it more do-able. I tend to lose interest if any baking process takes too long. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that when making cookies as a young girl, the last batch was one big cookie because I didn't have the patience to see the baking through to the end any other way.
So, the oven is preheated and I'm off to bake. I bought some plastic Christmasy containers too so M can take some to his friend at his office. I'm hoping I'll make plenty to share because I'm only doing this once!
I don't like the prep work, I don't like the actual cooking part and I despise the clean-up. If I were single I would probably be eating out a lot, bringing home stuff or ordering in. Alas, I have a husband and two kids so sometimes cooking has to be done. It has to be done on the days that I can't get my dear hubby to do it. Ok so the family does get 3 meals a day somehow, so no worries there.
What I don't mind doing occasionally is baking. I suppose I should be clear here....baking as in boxed cake and cookie mixes etc. I very much like the Toll House cookies that are frozen that you just break apart and throw in the oven. It really doesn't get any easier than that! Anything more than that and it's usually a disaster.
I've tried to make homemade rolled and cut-out Christmas cookies. They burn on the edges and I'm not talented enough to decorate them to look like something Martha could do in the blink of an eye. I have a beautiful book called Cookie Craft that has pictures of some of the most amazingly decorated cookies. If I could make cookies that looked like that I'd be happy to get in the kitchen and sweat over them. But I can't. I've tried royal icing and it never hardened. I've tried the pipe and flood technique. The pipes broke, the flood flooded the countertop.
So, last year at a cookie exchange with a bunch of girlfriends I found a cookie that I really like and when I tried to make it it was a total hit! They go by several names but the most widely-used was Mexican Wedding Cookies. They are light as air, not too sweet on the inside but rolled in powdered sugar, twice!
Very easy to make as well. I guess last year I gave M some to take to work and yesterday he said that a lady at work asked if I'd be making the cookies again.
So yesterday I made 4 batches of the dough. I did not bake them yet. I wanted to split the job into two days so today I'll be baking them. It's so much nicer to do all of the measuring, mixing, dirtying bowls etc all in one day and then bake with a clean kitchen the next day. Maybe it's just me but it makes it more do-able. I tend to lose interest if any baking process takes too long. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that when making cookies as a young girl, the last batch was one big cookie because I didn't have the patience to see the baking through to the end any other way.
So, the oven is preheated and I'm off to bake. I bought some plastic Christmasy containers too so M can take some to his friend at his office. I'm hoping I'll make plenty to share because I'm only doing this once!
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
A Non-Snow Snow Day
This morning all at the exact same time, my home phone rang, my cell phone rang, my cell phone received a text, and I received an email. All of these to tell me that the kids' school was cancelled today. They're nothing if not thorough in their effort to contact parents!
Oh well. We were running late anyway. Davis decided to get back in the shower/tub to play and Rylie watched tv. I climbed back in to bed for a few minutes even though I had had coffee. I got a new CD and I thought that was a good time to check it out. Why is it the most vivid dreams we have are those when we are catnapping etc? weird.
Today was the second time that David Crowder was in my dreams. It was exactly the same scenario as before. I've taken the kids to school and am turning in to my neighborhood....David Crowder is turning out of my neighborhood in a Jeep that matches mine perfectly except he has his logo on the back window AND he's pulling a boat. What is up with that? Twice like a week apart.
So, no school, weird dreams and no snow. Well ok a little snow fell but nothing stuck. No reason the kiddos couldn't have gone to school. My opinion of course but mine is the one that counts since it isn't their headmaster who has to stay home with them!
They were loud and they fought. Rylie decided to clean a little. All three of us danced and sang with Miley Cyrus singing Party in the USA. I'm sorry, but that song is pretty dang upbeat and easy to clean to!
I let the kids go out and play in the freezing sleet. I replied "NO!" when one of them popped their head in the door and asked "Does purple fingers mean I have a frost bite?". I love it that my kids are tough Kansas kids who deal fine with a little cold!
Maybe tomorrow there will be real snow. If not, kids are off to school and I'm still hoping to get in to the dr. for my bp. joy
Blessings!
Oh well. We were running late anyway. Davis decided to get back in the shower/tub to play and Rylie watched tv. I climbed back in to bed for a few minutes even though I had had coffee. I got a new CD and I thought that was a good time to check it out. Why is it the most vivid dreams we have are those when we are catnapping etc? weird.
Today was the second time that David Crowder was in my dreams. It was exactly the same scenario as before. I've taken the kids to school and am turning in to my neighborhood....David Crowder is turning out of my neighborhood in a Jeep that matches mine perfectly except he has his logo on the back window AND he's pulling a boat. What is up with that? Twice like a week apart.
So, no school, weird dreams and no snow. Well ok a little snow fell but nothing stuck. No reason the kiddos couldn't have gone to school. My opinion of course but mine is the one that counts since it isn't their headmaster who has to stay home with them!
They were loud and they fought. Rylie decided to clean a little. All three of us danced and sang with Miley Cyrus singing Party in the USA. I'm sorry, but that song is pretty dang upbeat and easy to clean to!
I let the kids go out and play in the freezing sleet. I replied "NO!" when one of them popped their head in the door and asked "Does purple fingers mean I have a frost bite?". I love it that my kids are tough Kansas kids who deal fine with a little cold!
Maybe tomorrow there will be real snow. If not, kids are off to school and I'm still hoping to get in to the dr. for my bp. joy
Blessings!
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Time Out
Not that anyone reads my blog but I'm going to take a few days off from it. My blood pressure is really high, my hands are retaining water like the Hoover Dam and they are going numb all the time. Looks like I'll be heading to the dr's office tomorrow. This along with that high cholesterol I haven't done anything about is going to get me a major lecture from my doctor.
This is just more proof that I've gained NOTHING tangible by quitting smoking. OH, except for the 50 extra pounds I've gained and the lovely self-loathing that comes with that.
This is just more proof that I've gained NOTHING tangible by quitting smoking. OH, except for the 50 extra pounds I've gained and the lovely self-loathing that comes with that.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
My Girls
Two years ago my grown daughter and I saw an ad for daschund puppies for sale. Mini doxies, golden brown with semi-long hair. They were adorable.
There were two to chose from and I immediately fell in love with one. Thank goodness my daughter told me to pick. About a month later my daughter had to return(with her puppy) to KY where she lived on the Army base while her husband was in Iraq.
My little doxie's name is Emmie. She is a sweet and gentle girl.
Fast-forward a year and a half later. My daughter was having trouble with her doxie(Missy) and housetraining. Because my daughter had 3 little boys and was expecting again, I took Missy in. What else could I do for my Emmie's twin sister?
Both of "the girls"(which is how we refer to them) look very much alike. Emmie is a tiny bit longer with a longer nose. Missy's hair is a little softer. What I love most about the girls is that their personalities are like night and day. Missy is hyper and a real people person...er dog. Emmie is calm and reserved.
While Missy will jump quickly into a lap, roll over and want her belly rubbed. Emmie will give gentle hugs by laying her head in the crook of our necks. Emmie would NEVER be so undignified as to roll over and bare her stomach. Not for anyone. She's a lady through and through. Missy is a tomboy, all rough and tumble. My husband only learned to tell them apart by their actions and not their looks.
My girls are both sweet and loveable and wouldn't it be boring if they both acted exactly the same!?
Of all the pets we've had, these two have stolen my heart.
There were two to chose from and I immediately fell in love with one. Thank goodness my daughter told me to pick. About a month later my daughter had to return(with her puppy) to KY where she lived on the Army base while her husband was in Iraq.
My little doxie's name is Emmie. She is a sweet and gentle girl.
Fast-forward a year and a half later. My daughter was having trouble with her doxie(Missy) and housetraining. Because my daughter had 3 little boys and was expecting again, I took Missy in. What else could I do for my Emmie's twin sister?
Both of "the girls"(which is how we refer to them) look very much alike. Emmie is a tiny bit longer with a longer nose. Missy's hair is a little softer. What I love most about the girls is that their personalities are like night and day. Missy is hyper and a real people person...er dog. Emmie is calm and reserved.
While Missy will jump quickly into a lap, roll over and want her belly rubbed. Emmie will give gentle hugs by laying her head in the crook of our necks. Emmie would NEVER be so undignified as to roll over and bare her stomach. Not for anyone. She's a lady through and through. Missy is a tomboy, all rough and tumble. My husband only learned to tell them apart by their actions and not their looks.
My girls are both sweet and loveable and wouldn't it be boring if they both acted exactly the same!?
Of all the pets we've had, these two have stolen my heart.
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