25 Things You Maybe Never Wanted to Know

1. I don't like monatany, but am reluctant to change.

2. I always have an opinion, you just don't always get to hear it.

3. I sure do try to find something positive about everyone. Some people just make that harder than others.

4. I think I would just about rather do anything than clean the shower. Anything but eat mayonaise that is.

5. I am mildly obsessive when it comes to buying fall and spring clothes for the kids. I have to have a plan and over analyze my purchases.

6. I want to adopt a little Guatemalan baby. My sister thinks I need a chinese baby.

7. I gag easily and hate hair balls or clumps of hair. I once threw up at a camp when confronted with a hair ball in the shower.

8. Sin is my biggest problem. Or, my lack of overcoming sin is my biggest problem.

9. I can't stand chaos.

10. I like to be organized but have a hard time staying that way.

11. I mull things over for long periods of time. Ask my husband. He loves it.

12. I always thought I wanted only boys. Can't even imagine life without LanaLou.

13. I used to be a lot more out going than I am now.

14. Listening to the sounds of video games is like the sound of nails on the chalkboard to me.

15. There is a sound, and I can't describe it, but its a certain material, and when it is rubbed, I get the goose bumps and feel like I will die. I actually feel that way just typing about it.

16. I need to know who sings a song that I am listening too. This is why I love Pandora.

17. Toilet paper over the roll. If you like it under, I think your Mother must not have potty trained you correctly.

18. Right now I like the color blue. Like Robins Egg blue. I want to paint a room that color, but it would make no sense in the rest of my house.

19. I want to lose 30 lbs. Sigh.

20. I need my space.

21. I don't understand why Aaron is spelled with 2 a's or Lloyd with 2 L's.

22. I like the idea of being an Ingalls or a Walton, but in reality, probablly wouldn't last 2 days.

23. I'm more in love with my husband than I show. I should fix that.

24. Sometimes I feel like Bob, from the movie "What about Bob".

25. Maybe there really aren't 25 things I want you to know.

Friends

After being yelled at for not maintaining my blog, (not really) I suddenly realized how much I miss blogging and how much I miss reading my friends blogs.

Which brings me to my next point.

Friends.

I love having friends.

I love having true, meaningful, not pretentious, no hoop jumping, there for you, understanding, gracious, loving, funny, encouraging, Gospel loving, friends.

Not to take away from people that have made real and genuine friends on the WWW, but I sure am thankful for my real life-getting together frequently friends.

There is nothing like the sweet communion of true friendship.

Thank you friends for loving your imperfect friend!

Much Neglected Blog

I have neglected my blog again. I'm sorry plates a spinning. Guess I've just been spinning my plates and have forgotten to include you in that.

Several things I need to blog about for the sake of remembering.

Soon to come:

Trip to Colorado

Christmas

Paw-Paw

Snow day

Homeschooling

I'm gonna just blog about these things and maybe you will forgive me dear blog.

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

I get the exciting opportunity to review some fabulous Shutterfly cards and tell you all about them!

I have been using shutterfly for years and have never been disappointed. I make photo books for my kids every year and they love these special little treasures.

I have also used Christmas cards in the past and am excited to use them again this year.

They have literally hundreds of designs to choose from.

Some of my favorites are these:

Retro Snowflake - I love the simplicity and yet cute design of this card.

Initially Chic - This one is so sophisticated and chic, and I love the green!

Golly Holly Jolly - This one just screams Christmas to me! I love the greenery swag and the fact that is says "Holly Jolly"

Brighly Merrily - This one is just cute and snazzy. I love the words Merry & Bright.

I am going to have a hard time choosing just which one!

I am very excited to get some fabulous Christmas photos taken this year and put our happy family onto one of these super cute cards. Hopefully after I see the pictures, I will be able to choose the card design.

Tell me, what would you choose?

Check out some of these other cute Shutterfly projects!

Pewter Ornaments - Would be a great First Christmas gift!

Wall Calendar- I have made these several times and they make great gifts for the family!

So there you go, head on over, right now to Shutterfly and find something fabulous to make this Holiday season!

Holiday Baking Ideas

Because I'm sick and consequently bored, I thought I would start posting some holiday ideas.

You never know when you might be the reciepient of some holiday kitchen goodies from yours truly!

Homemade Twix Bars- Oh. MY.!

Homemade Oreos- Killing me softly.

Cookie Dough Balls- Someone may die eating these.

Ginger Molasses Cookies- Different is good.

Christmas Cookie Bowl- I'll never make this, but it sure it cute!

Peppermint House- This got me to wondering...I wonder if you could make a house out of Pop Tarts. Hmmmm.

Yuletide Treat Logs- I saw these last year and thought they were so cute.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna- Ok, so this has nothing to do with Christmas persay....just thought it looked good.

White Trash- Everybody makes it different, but you gotta love it!

That is all for now. There will be plenty more to come this holiday season.

What is your favorite Holiday standby?

Come on!

Trust me, you do not want to miss this event. 20 + local vendors displaying handmade and homemade stuff for you to buy for everyone on your Christmas list...not to mention a few little prizes for yourself :)

Check out the By Hand Boutique website and enter to win a gift certificate to get you started!

I'll see YOU at the market!

Potato Soup & Writing Things Down

I know everyone has a recipe they love for Potato Soup, but I have yet to find one that is my favorite. So today I invented one. Both children loved and fawned over it with reckless abandon all the while groaning and making "Bob" sounds. (The movie, "What about Bob?"). They then begged me to write it down so we can have it again.

Well, since one of the things that has been on my mind a lot, has been the death of a set of parents that we know of, leaving behind 3 kids ages 25, 19, and 13, I figured I should again be better about writing things down.

I'm not trying to be morbid, I just think of these things, like random potato soup, that I want to leave for my kids if something were to happen to me. Don't tell me you don't do the same thing. I won't believe you.

So here it is, in complete un measured form:

Potato Soup

1 carton chicken broth (the large kind)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

5 diced potatoes

6 baby carrots sliced thin

1 celery rib, sliced thin

Here's where I don't know measurements:

I threw in some minced onion, some garlic powder, some salt, some pepper.

Threw it all in the crock pot around 10:00 this morning, on high.

Around 1:00, I turned it to low.

Around 2:00, I added a handful of shredded cheddar.

Around 4:00 I turned it off so it could cool some.

Around 4:30 we ate it...oh how we ate it...we ate it with cheese, and sour cream, and bacon bits. MMM. We ate it with smiles on our faces, a glass of water by our sides, and a pumpkin muffin to top it all off.

Why, you may ask, did we eat it so early? Well so we could go to football practice and then come home and eat some more of course!

So here you go my little kiddies, Mama has documented this soup for you, so that noone can turn to you and say "No soup for you!"