A Newly Found Perception

Since I got married, I've gained weight. I've gained 15 lbs in the last 2 years. BLEHHHHHH.............................. So, off and on for a year now, I've tried to lose weight. Last spring, I was serious about it and lost 10 lbs. I lost those 10 lbs by joining http://www.sparkpeople.com/, doing cardio 5x a week and strength training 2x a week. SparkPeople is a great website that provides TONS of resources to help individuals gain control of their lives by changing their lifestyle. It allows a person to track their daily calorie intake, water intake, and fitness. It's amazing!

School ended and summer came. During the summer months, my husband and I bought a house, and I gained those 10 lbs back, easily. Now that my husband and I are settled in our new home and the new town, I'm ready to lose the weight, again.

At the end of November, I started the running program Couch-2-5K. I only completed 2 weeks of the program before I stopped due to sickness. Running while you are hacking and coughing is not fun. Trust me. I tried it. It's now mid-December, and I'm still overweight and haven't done any physical exercise in 2 weeks. During these 2 weeks, I've come to some realizations. I've come to the realization that I won't be losing any weight (on a conscious effort) before Dec 31st. I've come to the realization that I wasn't putting in enough effort before. Sure, I'm ready to lose the weight, but have I really put forth enough effort? No, I haven't. I wasn't tracking my calories. I wasn't drinking enough water. I wasn't cooking healthy. I wasn't buying enough fruits. I wasn't buying enough vegetables. Truly, for 2 weeks, the only thing I did was workout (running) consistently. To lose weight, I have to put forth more effort. I have to cook healthy. I have to eat healthy. I have to drink healthy. I have to workout for more than 2 weeks. I heard on the radio this morning that to lose weight, 20% comes from working out (cardio & strength train), and the other 80% is eating/drinking the right way.
SO............. Here's my conscious effort.
Effective January 1, 2011:
1. Joining a gym.
2. Cardio 4-6x per week.
3. Strength training 2x/week.
4. Sticking to 1200-1500 Calorie intake every day.
5. Tracking all 3 meals 5-6x/week.
6. Blogging EVERY DAY.
7. Cooking healthy (consciously) 5x per week.
8. Eating 2 fruits/day.
9. Eating 2 vegetables/day.
10. Drinking 8 cups of H20 every day.
I don't want to continue to fail at losing this weight and becoming healthy. I know I'm overweight. I know what weight I should be at. I'm not that far off from it. I know I can do it. I did it once, and I can do it again. I need to make conscious decision of making it a lifestyle change instead of a short-term change.

Now, just because I'm putting off my journey for another two weeks doesn't not give me free reign to do whatever the hell that I want. I'm still going to lightly monitor what I eat and drink. I just know it's going to be easier putting off this change until after the holidays. I didn't want to make this decision. I wish I was more assertive in the beginning and stuck to everything, but the reality is this: I didn't.
So, as of January 1, 2011, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon, with all the others, and I will begin being assertive. I will begin being diligent. I will begin being consistent. I will begin being conscious.

6 Months Later...

WOW... 6 months later, and I'm back on blogging!!!!  So many things have happened, and yet, I, once again, didn't take a whole lot of pictures to capture the moments. So, you'll have to bear with me on the lack of pictures. 

Right after my birthday (a.k.a., after my last blog), we took a trip to St. Louis for my birthday! We went to a STL Cardinals game with my cousin Lindsay, her husband Travis, their child Rae, my mom, my mom's friend/coworker Amy, my sister Kelli, Kelli's husband Cody, and their child/my nephew Matthew. It was a quick getaway and a much needed one at that.

 STL Arch June '10

This summer was a very stressful and rewarding summer. WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST HOME! I had no clue that it was going to be that stressful. It seemed like everyday I was on the phone with our loan officer and trying to supply her with the needed documents. It was so stressful that I cried everyday and gained the 10lbs that I had lost earlier that spring. So, after crying and gaining the weight back, it's rewarding because we own our home, and I love the feeling that I live in a house that WE own! 

Our First Home July '10

Summer soon faded into the fall, and school/my job began once again. This year, I'm not at the school I was assigned last year, which was Norwood. New speech therapists were hired by the same company that I work for; therefore, every speech therapist was assigned a different school than the one they were at last year. This year, I'm at Plato. I've now become accustomed to the kids and vice versa. In comparison to Plato and Norwood, overall, I prefer Plato. The reason why is the staff. Some of the staff at Norwood were a little difficult to get a long with and thought their sh*t didn't stink. However, at Plato, everyone is very laid back and very similar to the people that I grew up around, countryfied. 

Silver Dollar City 11-20-10

Soon after this picture was taken, I took a close look at all my recent pictures. I became disgusted with the way I looked. I knew I had to do something about it. So, I decided to starting the running program C25K (Couch 2 5K). I've only completed 2 weeks; haven't done the 3rd week yet because I've been sick. This coming week, I'm picking up where I left off and continuing on! 

Hopefully, I will continue to blog. I love blogging because it's a great way to "release" any frustration that I may have. 

Shine On!

Top 2 Tuesday: Guilty Pleasures

This weeks Top 2 Tuesday: Guilty Pleasures
There are a few things in life that I would consider a guilty please. Some would include Disney movies, HGTV, antiques, comedy shows, TLC, chocolate, cakes, pies, etc. However, those things really don't "define" to the mark on what I would consider my top two guilty pleasures. 
1. Bravo Tv

• Real Housewives (all cities)
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
• Watch What Happens Live
• Flipping Out
• Millionaire Matchmaker
• Working Out

I just can't get enough of that channel! My all-time favorite show on Bravo is Real Housewives of New Jersey. I'm hooked BAD! I'm so hooked that my husband (who is a manly guy) knows the people and their names on that show because I watch it all the time! Oopps! Didn't know I was that bad! A CLOSE second is Kathy Griffin. Now, I know that woman is dirty, but I can't get enough of her! SHE CRACKS ME UP! I can turn that show on (or a comedy show that she's doing) at midnight, just to help me fall asleep, and low and behold, I'm sitting in bed laughing my head off because she's just so funny! 

2. COFFEE

I LOVE coffee. I love the smell, the taste, the warmth of coffee! If I could, I would drink coffee all day long. However, I think my body would react with body-jerking/shaking reactions! Lol... 

I hope everyone has a Timeless Tuesday! GOD BLESS!

6-14-10

Today is Monday, June 14, 2010. This day is a multitude of things: 1. Monday; 2. Flag Day; 3. My Birthday; and 4. My Grandparents' Anniversary.


1. Monday
Ughh... Mondays... What is it about Mondays that drive us, the people, CrAzY!?!?!?!?!??!?! I would REALLY like to know the answer to that question. The main thing that helps me get through my Mondays is a GREAT cup of coffee! 

2. Flag Day
I wonder if people realize that today is a holiday. Probably not because it's not a National Holiday where state and federal employees get to take off work for. I, however, do think this this should be an important holiday that people recognize because it's a holiday that focuses on one of the symbolic icons of the United States of America: the American Flag. I do take pride in the fact that I am an American. I LOVE USA! I just wish ALL US citizens took as much pride in being an American as I, and others, do. It's just my opinion, but if you don't like it here, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! 

3. My Birthday

Today is my birthday. I am 25 years old. In other words a 1/4 of a century old. Wow... I'm not one of those people who hate and dread my birthday. Instead, I love it! For me, it's another reason to celebrate life and all of the blessings God has given you that year and pray and hope for more blessings to come in the next year.  

This birthday was definitely different-bad for me, which I will explain later on in this post. 

For my birthday dinner, my husband took me out to a local and amazing Mexican restaurant. I love salsa and can't ever get enough of it! After dinner, we drove on down to Dairy Queen for my favorite ice cream treat: Chocolate Extreme Blizzard! YUM! 

HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY TO ME!

4. My Grandparents' Anniversary

Ever since I was born, or rather can remember, I've always shared my birthday celebration with the celebration of my grandparents' anniversary because I was born on their anniversary; however, this year on this day was different. My grandfather passed away on 1-26-10. So, instead of a day of celebration, it was nothing but a day of sadness and remembrance for me. Oh, how I missed being able to celebrate this day alongside my grandparents, especially my Grandpa. And, oh, how I miss my Grandpa! 

My grandma called me this morning to wish me a "Happy Birthday". We ended up talking about their anniversary and my Grandpa. For myself and my Grandma, I had to stay strong while I was on the phone with her, and I was. However, when I hung up the phone, I let it all out. I couldn't keep it in any longer. At that moment, I was so glad that I was home and by myself because I just couldn't deal with it while around others. 

Sorry to bring sadness at the end of this post. I hope everyone had a better Monday than I did. GOD BLESS!  

Weekend Recap

We had a busy crazy weekend!!! The biggest thing that went on was that my sister got married! My sister and her now husband got married this past weekend at a church in Springfield, MO. Here's a picture of the happy couple:

Sorry, but that's the only picture I have, so far. Didn't take too many of them!

After the ceremony, we hung out, with my family, at the reception for a couple of hours. My other sister, her husband, and their child (my AWESOME nephew Matthew) went to dinner at Hinode. All of us just LOVED the whole fire show our chef put on for us, especially Matthew. After our meal, we went our separate ways and went home. 

On Sunday, Brandon and I slept in (felt really bad about missing church, but oh well), and in the afternoon, we made our way down to West Plains to hang out with his family. We had a very casual dinner at his grandparents' house and then went to Mountain Home, Arkansas to go to Lowes and Home Depot to check out refrigerators! Since we are buying a home, obviously, we have to buy things for the home. One of the necessary items we have to buy is a refrigerator. We went back and forth between the two stores at least four different times checking on this and that. IT WAS EXHAUSTING!!! Even though we did not buy one, we did pick one out! The refrigerator that we picked out is a Samsung Engergy-Star, French-door with the freezer on the bottom. It also has an outside ice & water maker, LED light on the inside, and many other cool features that I don't remember! Haha! I know everyone these days are leaning towards the stainless steel appliances, but not us, well, not me, I should say! Lol... I just don't care for the stainless steel because of all the fingerprints, smudges, dirtiness that can show on them. Black hides everything, and I LOVE black appliances! 

Here's what the inside looks like; just imagine the outside black:

I hope everyone had a great weekend and can't wait to hear about them! GOD BLESS!

Thoughts of the day...

Okay... this is the 3rd and final time I'm going to blog today. I don't know why I've blogged so much. I guess it's because I've got a lot on my mind. Well, final time. That's it. I promise!

This coming September, Brandon and I will celebrate our 4th Anniversary of being together. We started dating at the beginning of September in 2006. At the beginning of our relationship, I only wanted to spend time with Brandon and him alone. However, as time as went on, I've wished and even prayed (and still do pray) that we would meet a couple who had similar morals, values, and lifestyles as we do. My friends are basically taken off this list because they live away in different towns, and one girl in a different state. Brandon's friends are crossed off because they are all single and living the party-life. So... yeah... we are kind of in a pickle.

I can't help but to fell jealous when I see, hear, or read about how other young couples get together, have friendships, and hang out together. I know I should not be jealous, and it's a petty thing to be jealous of. BUT... I can't help but feel this way.

When we move to Marshfield, I'm making it my goal for us to find a couple that we can hangout and have a good time with.

Five Question Friday

Thanks to Lynsie, I'm sprouting my wings on new blogs and am participating in Five Question Friday (brought to you by Five Crooked Little Halos). Here it goes!!! 

1. What do you think makes a good friend, or friendship?

• LOTS OF THINGS!!!! A good friend is someone you can count on no matter what. A friend offers support, love, and kindness when others would judge. A friend is someone who is loyal and honest. A good friend knows laughter and can offer laughter as well. A good friend is someone who, during one moment, can tell you where to stick it when your out of line and during another is there to hand you a tissue to wipe away your tears. A friend offers hugs when others turn their shoulders. A good friend is someone who not only gets in trouble with you but helps you get out of trouble as well. See, there's LOTS OF THINGS that makes a good friend! 

2. What is the last thing you bought & later regretted?

• Our 2007 Chevy Trailblazer that we bought a couple of months ago. It's now for sale since we are buying a house, and it's not financially sound at this time, for us at least, to pay for a house loan and a car loan at the same time. 

3. Have you ever had a prank played on you?

• OHHHH YEAH! Basically, my entire life is one big prank. I have so many family members that love to be sarcastic and play pranks on one another (switching drinks out for nasty nasty things... food fights... etc.). Since I married my husband (a.k.a, Mr. Humor himself), I live around that type of humor... Sometimes I don't mind it and enjoy the fun; other times, not so much...

4. What is your favorite theme park?

• My ALL TIME FAVORITE THEME PARK.... DISNEY WORLD!!!! It's the best place where adults and children can ALL be kids at the same time! I went there when I was around 3 years old but haven't been back since. My husband and I talk every once in a while about going there for a vacation. 

5. Have you ever seen someone else give birth?

• Only cats and dogs. Humans... NO! I don't know if I could watch that. No more details... that's it. :) 

LINK UP TIME!!!! 

Our Soon-To-Be New Home

Happy Friday Everyone! I hope everyone has had a great week so far! Yesterday, Brandon and I met the inspector at our soon-to-be new home! Above is an outside pic. Nothing bad came up in the inspection! YAY!!! No big shock there because this home is a great home in a great location! :) I can't wait until we close, and we are able to take possession of the home! Most importantly, I can't wait until I can decorate to make this house a home for Brandon and I. 

While the inspector was looking around the house, I took several pictures so we don't forget what it looks like. Here's just a few of the pics:

I hope everyone has a great Friday and a great weekend! GOD BLESS!

Got the Seller Sensation

Yesterday, our landlady called us and informed us that someone was interested in viewing her home, that we currently rent, and they set up a meeting for Monday at 3 pm. We worked all last night on packing up the other spare bedroom til 11pm. We were exhausted and ready for bed. I did want to do some cleaning last night, but I was just too exhausted.

Today, I got up and did not feel like cleaning the house at all! I'm the type of person that if people are going to come over to our house, I'm gonna clean, clean, clean! I had to get out of my funk. I drank some coffee and took a shower (2 things that always wake me up). Afterwards, I was ready to clean. It wasn't as if I had a lot of cleaning to do because I always clean the house, top-to-bottom, every single week. After 2 1/2 hours of cleaning, the house was done and smelled great!

I didn't feel comfortable staying at the house while someone else was viewing the home. Therefore, Chester, our dog, and I got in the car for a lil joy ride around the town. After being gone for 30 minutes, we drove back by the house, and nobody was around. I wondered if anyone had been there at all. I called our landlady, and she informed me that they left 10 minutes ago. 10 MINUTES AGO!?!?!?!?!! To be perfectly honest, I was a little ticked off that I EXTENSIVELY cleaned the house -more so than normal- and they were only there for 20 minutes. It's not as if I expected them to stay an hour; just a little longer than 20 minutes.

I know I'm being dramatic. What can I say... I just got a little taste of the "seller sensation," and I didn't like it one bit.

I hope everyone has a great Monday! GOD BLESS!

Small Town On A Saturday Night

On this wonderful Saturday night, my husband and I decided to stay at home and save some mu-lah. This whole house purchasing ordeal has us spending and shelling out money left and right! So... we've decided to go ahead and start the budget that we will be on after we buy the house. The budget has been a HUGE wake-up call for the both of us. We sat down one night and looked at exactly how much we make a month,  subtracted our expenses, and analyzed what was left over for the month. After deducting our bills, the remaining amount was sickening. I'm not even going to type out a number, but it was sickening to know that we were blowing that much money each month. The biggest place we were spending our money was food. In order to start saving money, we are going to live on a budget each and every month. 


Anyways, that's not really the reason why I'm blogging tonight. I'm blogging tonight about small towns and the people that live in small towns. I LOVE small towns. Grew up in a small town and loved every single minute of it. Moved to a BIG city (Springfield, MO) and was okay with it, but my heart resided else where. Now, my husband and I live in a small town (different town than I grew up in; has approx. 2000 population). What cracked me up tonight is that even though times have changed, morals have changed, etc. the boys of a small town still act the same: they want to impress girls. While sitting at Sonic this evening with my husband, the local teenagers were hanging out and cruising around Sonic. While pulling out of Sonic and onto the main drag, several teenage boys pulled their old trucks out on the main drag and revved up their engines as loud as they would go, squalling tires, etc. Like I said, times may have changed, but boys have not. 


Another item on my mind this evening is decorations. Hopefully, we will be closing and taking possession of our new home at the end of June. Therefore, decorating is on my mind. At our home right now, we are just renting. That means no painting, no demo-ing, etc. Basically, no flair, pizazz, no nothing. I can't wait to close on the house, move in, and decorate the house with our personality. My favorite style of decorating is English Country. There's just something about that style that is country and elegant at the same time. Below are some ideas that I'm just gonna have to steal!  


I hope everyone has a good weekend! GOD BLESS!  

My Mind Is Going To EXPLODE!

Wow... SOOOO many things have happened since I last blogged!!! Even though my posts may be few and far between, I can't stay away from blogging too long. It's my way of getting everything out, whether people read my blog or not. Okay... enough stalling... Start timeline in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... BEGIN TIMELINE: 


May 5- Last Blog
I think at this point I was rambling on about our first house that we were looking at in Marshfield. It was a foreclosure in an amazing neighborhood. It had cathedral ceilings, a beautiful fireplace, and great details everywhere!


May 9-14- The Search Continues
We let the foreclosure house go because of several questionable things (septic system, water heater, furnace, plumbing, structure, etc.) that we did not want to get involved with for our first home. So... the search for other houses continued. I found several houses on realtor.com that were great! Gave the list to our wonderful realtor, Melinda Swope, which happens to be Brandon's aunt. She called the sellers' realtors and set up appointments for the viewings on Saturday, May 15. 


May 15- Viewing Other Houses
Our day started at 9am. We left our home then and made our way towards Marshfield. We had a total of 8 houses to view that day. I knew it was going to be a long day but a good day. I just knew deep, down, inside of me that we were going to find our future home that day.


When we viewed the houses, only 2 houses stuck out in our minds: the 1st and the last.
1st Home: A split level home with 3 bedrooms & 2 baths; basement; at the end of a cul-de-sac; privacy fence; priced at $109,000. This house was great for us considering our point in our lives (no kids; starting our careers). It did need some updates, paint, new carpet, but I envisioned what we could do with it in my mind.  


Last Home: A 2 story home (including basement); 4 bedrooms 3 bathrooms; GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD; move-in ready; tile; hardwood floors; priced at $149,900. This house was also great for us because we are not the "handy/fixer-uper" people. I don't mind doing some work to a house, but I'm not ready nor willing to completely demo and re-construct layout on a house. 


From these 2 homes, we definitely had some thinking to do!!!


May 16-20- Decision Time
This was the last week of school. I had so many things going on this week: seeing kids, completing screenings, finishing up paperwork, contacting parents, you name it and it happened this week! Crazy Crazy Crazy....


During this week, we made our final decision one which house we wanted to purse. Our decision was the Last Home we viewed! :) It seemed like the better deal of the two, even though it was more expensive than the first house. This was a home that we could see ourselves living in for years, and that's what we were looking for! We wanted, and still do, to buy a home that we could live in for years, raise kids in, and thrive in the community. With our decision made, it was time to make an offer!


May 21- Last Day of School!!!
As weird as it sounds, this was a relaxing day! I gathered with my fellow Exceptional Child Education Cooperative employees, and we had a cookout! It was wonderful to celebrate the last day with my co-workers and enjoy the last day with one another! 


May 24-Now- Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork...
Apparently, it seems as if my life revolves around paperwork. Even though school ended, I was still up to my knees in paperwork. I had to put the finishing touches on paperwork for my job, AND we had to gather the necessary paperwork for the house we are trying to buy. During this time as well, we "battled" with the current home owners of the last home of a reasonable purchasing price. We finally settled on a price, and we continue playing the waiting game on the bank, inspector, appraisal, etc. until we are able to close on the house (that's IF everything works out)! 


Everyday that passes, we pray and review what has occurred thus far. I know in my heart that we are making a good decision. This waiting, however, is starting to play mind-games on us. While we wait, we are trying to push aside the nervous, anxious feelings that are boiling in the pits of our stomachs.  

12 More Days... 12 More Days... 12 More Days...

12 more days... Ahhh.... Only 12 more days in my school year, and then I can relax. I cannot even begin to describe how exhausted I am. I am so ready for a break. I love my job; don't get me wrong. However, I need a break. I need a break from the kids, parents, teachers, principals, paperwork, etc. I NEED A BREAK!!!!!

Things have been a little on the stressful side for Brandon and me lately. There's only 12 more days left of school. That means that I have to finish up screening all elementary kids in order to prevent kids from "falling through the cracks." I also have to finish and file all paperwork for the 52 kids that I serve. I still have a few meetings to hold with parents/guardians, and all of this has to be completed in 12 days. UGHHH.... I hope I can make it!

Another reason why life is a little stressful is because we are going through this house ordeal. We keep having to counter-offer the bank and then waiting to see if they will accept or counter-offer our counter-offer. UGHH... so annoying... It's almost as if I just want to stop all of it and go back to my "non-thinking" renting mind-set.

Right now, I'm just so tired of thinking. When school is finally over, I'm going to treat myself to a massage, pedicure, and a manicure! :) I deserve it!

I hope everyone is having a great week! Good night and GOD BLESS!

Top 2 Tuesday: Splurges

This weeks Top 2 Tuesday topic: Splurges. Don't forget to link up at Taylor's blog and play along!

1. Make-up/Skin Care
I love anything that involves make-up and skin care. Ever since I was 20, my skin took a turn for the worse. I developed acne. I've basically tried almost everything out there. I think I've finally found something that works well for my skin: Clinique. I've recently started using both their 3-step skin care line and their make-up.


2. Wal-Mart
Okay, I'm just going to admit it. I have a love addiction to Wal-Mart. I don't know why, but I love Wal-Mart. Maybe it's because it has EVERYTHING, and I don't enjoy going to 2-3 places to get the necessities for the house.

I can't wait to read everyone else's! Good night and GOD BLESS!

Don't Plan Life

When I left work today, I thought it was just an ordinary day, and I would go home, make dinner, workout, and relax. HOW OH SO WRONG I WAS!!! On my way home, I received a phone call from my mother-in-law. She was calling to let me know about a house, with a foreclosure, that is for sale for only $99,000! Lucky for us, Brandon's aunt is a realtor and let us know all the ins and outs of this house! After a phone call or two, we were on our way to go look at the house. 

Pros:

1. Great location. All houses in the area are nice looking and up-to-date. It's somewhat out in the country but close enough to a town. 
2. Price. $99,000. 'Nough said. 
3. The $8k bonus for 1st time home buyers. We could use that cash to help out
4.  with the house. 
5. Investment. Right now, we are renting. If we buy this house, we don't lose anything. It goes right back to us later on. 
6. Vaulted ceilings. 
7. Hardwood floors.

Cons:

1. Cat pee. Right when we walked in, we were welcomed with the smell of cat pee. EWWWW... Carpets would definitely have to go! Hopefully after paint and new carpets, the smell would go away. 
2. It's a little outdated. Light fixtures: a little too brassy for my liking (an inch of brass is too much). 
3. No appliances. We would have to buy a new refrigerator and a new stove. 
4. No definable master bedroom. There's one bedroom downstairs (main floor) and three upstairs. There is one bedroom with a bathroom; however, all the bedrooms are the same size. Thus, my reasoning for "no definable" master bedroom. BUT... I think we have solved this one; we would convert 2 bedrooms into one and make it a master suite with master bathroom.  
5. The $8k bonus for 1st time home buyers. This bonus ends in a few days! AHHH!!!! 

After writing all the pros and cons out, I'm leaning more towards one way than the other. However, I'm not going to let my answer be known just yet. ;) I hope everyone had a great day! GOD BLESS! 

Lots Accomplished Today

Wow... what a day at work! Even though I only saw one kid (yes, only one kid), I was busy, busy, busy all day long! Today was basically a paperwork day. I hate paperwork. Because I work for a Cooperative, I've got double the amount of paperwork that one district slps have. I've always said I went into this field for the therapy part and not the paperwork. I'm such a procrastinator when it comes to paperwork. I know the secretary is irritated at me because I'm such a procrastinator. Oh well... I look at it this way: A true therapist concentrates on the therapy.

After work, I came home and got started cooking dinner. We had Easy Chicken and Biscuits! It was Yummy!!!! Here's the recipe:

1.5 lbs of chicken
2 cans of cream of mushroom soups
1 can of biscuits
1 16oz bag of frozen veggies (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)
black pepper
1/4 tsp of thyme
2 tbsps butter

Preheat oven @ 400.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Melt butter in a 10 in pan and place chicken bits in pan. Cook chicken evenly and thoroughly. While chicken is cooking, mix veggies, soups, thyme, and black pepper together in a 9x13 pan. After chicken is done, stir chicken in with the veggies and soups.

Cook for 15 minutes @ 400. Take out, stir chicken and veggies, and place biscuits over chicken and veggies. Cook for another 15 minutes @ 400. ENJOY!

I hope everyone enjoys their evening! GOD BLESS!

Top 2 Tuesday: Favorite Things of Summer

Thanks to The Undomestic Momma, Top 2 Tuesday is here folks! The topic of discussion is 2 Favorite Things of Summer. WOW... This is definitely going to be hard to decide on just 2!!!!!


1. River Rats
I love spending time on the river with my friends and family! I basically grew up on the river during the summer. There's nothing better than going tubin' down the river with good friends.




2. Summer Nights
There's something mystical, nostalgic, and romantic about summer nights. The best way for me to describe it is by making it into a recipe: 


A Dozen of Friends
1 Picnic Table Full of Food
1 Cooler of Full of Drinks
1 Big Bonfire
A Dash of Lighting Bugs


Mix all ingredients together at and let cool to the night time temperature. ENJOY!

I can't wait to read everyone else's Summer Favs! Have a great night and GOD BLESS!
  

Show Us Your Life: How I Met My Husband

From Kelly's Korner, the "Show Us Your Life" topic is How You Met Your Husband. Here's our story:


Brandon and I come from the same hometown, West Plains, Missouri. Even though we grew up in the same town, we never knew of one another until August 2006. During this time, I was living in Springfield, Missouri attending Missouri State University. I was starting my senior year and on my way of obtaining my Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders. In the summer of 2006, Brandon and a mutual friend of ours, Kent Turner, moved to Springfield. On a weekend in the middle of August, one of my best friends, Diana, drove from St. Louis and stayed with me for the weekend. On Saturday night, Diana received a phone call from our friend Kent, and Kent invited us to come over to his and Brandon's apartment. We decided to go on over and hang out. When we got there, Kent was the only one at their apartment because Brandon was at work. While Kent was getting ready for work, Diana and I decided to raid Brandon's room. First thing I noticed when I walked into his room was that he made his bed! I had never known of any boy that made his bed. Also, his room, bathroom, and closet were all well kept and cleaned up! Before Diana and I left their apartment, Kent took a picture of Diana and I. Apparently, while at work, Kent showed Brandon the photo. I've been told that from the moment that Brandon saw me, he had to meet me. 


A couple of weeks passed, and then one night, I received a phone call from Kent. He asked me to meet him and Brandon at Wal-Mart because Brandon wanted to meet me. After changing out of my pajamas and into a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops, I went over to Wal-Mart and met up with them. The first thought that entered my mind when I laid eyes on Brandon was that he was good-looking!  I wanted to talk with him and get to know him; however, I never really had the chance to talk with him because he was on the phone. So, I mainly talked with Kent. What I didn't know at the time was that Brandon is extremely shy at first, but I thought he was blowing me off. Naturally, I thought Brandon wasn't interested in me, but I was about to be proved wrong.


A few days passed and I got a phone call from an unknown number. I answered it, and it was Brandon. Apparently, Kent gave Brandon my number. We ended up talking for a couple of hours. After that phone call, I didn't hear from him for a few days. Then, he calls me and finally asked me out on a date. We went out on a Friday night and went to Chili's for dinner. Two things took me by surprise that night at dinner: 1. Brandon was not shy at all. He talked non-stop, which I loved; and 2. He showed that he has a big sweet tooth. After ordering our food, a waiter was bringing a dessert to a near-by table. Brandon took a glance at that and said, "Ohh, we are gonna have to try that!" I know I will never forget his face when seeing that dessert. After dinner, we went to the movies and then went back to my place. We sat in my living room and talked for hours. We probably got back to my place at about 11:30, and we talked until 4am! I was so comfortable talking with him. It was as if I had known him my entire life. Once realizing the time, I walked Brandon to his truck and gave him a hug good-bye. Since I felt such a connection with him, I wanted to see how he kissed, so I made the first move. It was a kiss that I will never forget! From that night on, my heart belonged to Brandon, and the rest, as they say, is history! 

Here's a few pics of our story as time goes on:

Us At Mammoth Springs, AR, Summer 2007

A Family Wedding in Indiana, August 2007

Our One Year Anniversary, September 1, 2007

Engagement Picture, October 2009

During the time of our engagement photos, I was in full-swing of trying to make decisions for the wedding, attend Graduate School full-time, and work full-time. It was a crazy time in my life! By constantly being on the go, time flew by, Christmas had came and went, and it was time for the wedding. On January 3, 2009, I married my best friend at Spring Creek Community Church in West Plains, Missouri. It was one of the happiest days in my life! 

Honeymoon Key West, FL

Honeymoon Nassau, Bahamas

I hope everyone is enjoying their day! GOD BLESS and have a merry week!