Just Checking In **UPDATED to Include Pictures**

***See bottom of post for update***

Thanksgiving, the holiday not the state of mind, is over for another year. I cooked for 2 days straight and I think it might actually have helped my diet (well, the diet I have intended to start every Monday for several years now). When I prepare lots of food, it kind of takes the fun out of eating it for some reason. Suppose I should be thankful for that.

I baked a whole turkey again this year. Apparently I forgot how disgusting it was last year. This is the second year that I brined the bird. If you don't know what brining is, think of floating your turkey in a solution of spices and salt water for 24 hours before baking it....that's brining. It's the kosher way of fixing the bird, but really, we aren't Jewish. I place the bird in a huge clear plastic container in my fridge the day before I cook it.....it looks like some sort of freaky science experiment. I mean really, if you want me to throw up, show me a turkey bird floating in its own ummmm "juices" in my fridge (juices is the nicest way I can think of to explain all the gross stuff that comes out of that fowls orifices). Nasty is one word that comes to mind.

Anywho.........you guys may not know that I love salt. I always got into trouble for eating salt straight out of my hand when I was little (and when I was in high school). Why am I telling you this? Well, because it will let you know that the turkey I fixed was one of the saltiest pieces of meat I have ever put into my mouth. If I say something is salty....it IS salty. I threatened my dad and hubs with their lives if they said anything other than "This is the best turkey I have had in my entire life". They complied and other than a few comments, the sodium content of my bird was not discussed any further. These people should know better than to depend on me for a complete Thanksgiving meal.......I am only 36 years old for crying out loud.......a person should be at least 45 before expected to prepare a completely edible Thanksgiving meal!!!


In case you were wondering, I didn't go shopping today. I saw several ads for some really good deals, but the last time I went shopping at 4 am on Black Friday, I lost my Christian attitude by 5:30 am and I have decided that it is better for me to pay the difference than to hurt my witness (people get ugly when it's early and they want to be first in line for the "deal of the year").

So, I just wanted to check in and say that I am still alive and still Thankful even though Thanksgiving is over. My dad is here until tomorrow. Tonight we will be going to my sister's to eat some pizza and play some games. Maybe we can take some pictures to prove that we are actually related ;-).

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Have fun putting up your Christmas decorations.....don't want to rub it in, but mine have been up for a month now................

Me trying to look interested while the Geek Squad looks at my sister's new laptop.....I think they are irritated at my lack of interest...or maybe it is my lack of knowledge....not sure. Is it just me or are they looking at me with evil eyes?

My attention span is really quite short for a person my age.

Proof that Bethanne, Alliekat, and Eddies Place are truly blood relatives (although I do not look like either of them, I am thinking that the adoption stories my sister told me when I was little might actually be true)......

These photos were taken by my brother in law who used to be a photographer for a living as evidenced by the very staged pose. Seriously, its like being at Olan Mills.

The picture on the wall behind me makes my hair look even bigger than it really is (who knew that was possible)....I kind of like it though...remember my motto: "The bigger the hair, the smaller the butt".

The Results Are In and I am Back

The hubs and I are back from a very successful trip to Pigeon Forge, but I am happy to report that our Christmas shopping is done (with the exception of a few things). God be praised. We had a great time, great fun, great food and we are extremely tired. I will be wrapping up many of our purchases today (because we have no room for them in our house except under the tree).

I would show you some of the wonderful deals we got, but most of the people we bought for read this blog.

I have to say that the outlet mall we go to was not extremely busy and many of the stores in it are closing. Unfortunately many of the employees at the stores will be losing their jobs by the end of the year. We really need to keep the people who are losing their jobs in our prayers this holiday season....there are so many that are facing dire circumstances right now and we tend to forget how blessed we really are (or maybe it's just me).

I really appreciate all your comments from this weekend. Even though out of hundreds of hits, there were only 28 comments -- come on people, what's a girl have to do to get you to comment? A giveaway? Yeah, we'll see, maybe I can do that soon too. While I don't know who left each anonymous comment, I have prayed over each one of them and am asking God to help each of you with your struggle in that area. I hope to use this information in future posts and I have another idea swimming around in my otherwise empty head, but will have to see what the Lord is up to before moving ahead with that.

So, my dad is coming to stay with us for Thanksgiving which means that I will be spending today and tomorrow throwing junk in closets and under beds cleaning and straightening. Wednesday and Thursday will be spent in the kitchen (which still has no microwave -- I am like the women in days of old, ya'll). So, my blogging time will be severely hindered by my household chores (dern - where's the maid when I need her? Oh wait, I AM the maid -- dern again).

Since I wont have a chance to blog much this week, I thought I would post some of the recipes that I will be making for Thursday........(in addition to these we will be having rolls, deviled eggs, creamed corn, green beans, dressing, turkey, spiral ham.......can ya tell I haven't had breakfast yet??)


My Sister’s Sweet Potato Casserole (served cold --- it is soooooo good!!!)

Layer 1
Crushed Ritz crackers combined with one stick butter. Press into 8x11 or 9x13 casserole dish and bake at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
Layer 2
Combine 8 oz cream cheese (softened), 1 cup sugar, and 8 oz. Cool whip. Spread on top of cooled cracker mixture.
Layer 3
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (cooked)
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 egg

Mix all together and spread on top of cream cheese/cool whip mixture and refrigerate.
Top with crushed pecans before serving.


Turtle Pumpkin Pie

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. PLANTERS Pecan Pieces, divided
1 cup cold milk
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

POUR 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.
BEAT milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP. Spread into crust.
REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, caramel topping and pecans just before serving.


Italian Marinated Vegetable Salad

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cut in half
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
1 cup sliced stuffed green olives
1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
ADD beans and cauliflower to boiling water in saucepan; cook until crisp-tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water; drain again. Place in bowl.
ADD remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Cover.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until chilled



O'Charley's Pie

2 cans of Eagle Brand condensed milk
1 pie crust
Cool Whip
Chocolate Chips and nuts

Remove all labels from milk cans. Do not open the cans. Boil the cans in water for 4-5 hours. I usually lean towards 4. While boiling, continue to check water depth. Add water as it evaporates to ensure the cans are covered. Let cans cool for 20-30 minutes. Open cans and pour caramel into pie crusts. Place in fridge to cool. Do not put cool whip on top until caramel has cooled. It will melt it. Top with any toppings. I use chocolate chips only, but many people add the nuts, too.


Corn Flake Cookies (for the kids)

7-8 cups cornflakes
1 cup light karo syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix sugar, syrup and butter in heavy sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil for one exact minute. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until blended. Add cornflakes gradually. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool.


One last thing: Yesterday, Lake was in the bathroom and Kaden told him that he was going to performa stunt show for Lake (using his little motorcycles). Lake said okay and Kaden said, "Before I start, remember, no smoking, no food or drinks and no Flush photography"...............

If You Are Reading This, I Need a Favor

First, I would like to announce that it is snowing in East TN. Some of you are thinking that you would like to see actual proof of snow......knowing that you would not believe me, I went ahead and took some photo proof:

























Now, I know what you Northerners (and Colorado people) are thinking....and no, it isnt a lot of snow, but it is enough to get my kid out of school ALL DAY! Can I get a "Praise the Lord"? Here in the south, we just dont have the equipment to handle ice and snow (Praise the Lord) so an inch of the white stuff can shut down half the state for a day or two (unless the temps stay below freezing and then it could be weeks). Someone better call Al Gore, because I think his global warming theory might be a hoax ;-) (but dont get me started on that!).



Moving right along...........



Well..........This is it. Our annual weekend shopping trip that began the first year we were married and has become a family tradition. We are doing it a little later than usual (we normally go in late October). We leave the kids with the grandparents and spend the weekend in Knoxville/Pigeon Forge doing ALL of our Christmas shopping. ALL of it. We eat where we want to (usually here and here and here). We shop where we want to. We touch and feel everything in every store. We even buy a few "little" things for ourselves. Yep, fun times.


Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year ;-).........



So, you might be wondering what I mean by needing a favor from you.........


The favor is a simple one. I know how many hits this site gets per day and I know that most of you do not comment....EVER. Out of approximately 400 hits, only an average of 12 - 20 of you ever comment......and it is usually the same 12 - 20 people who leave their thoughts.


Here is what I am asking: I would love, love, triple, dipple love it if everyone who reads this post would leave a comment. And not just any comment either. I have a special request.



Please comment anonymously -- no one leave your name/blogspot - click the anon. before publishing your comment -- should make it easy for those of you who are "comment shy", because I will not know who you are.


AND most importantly, leave a comment telling me what your greatest spiritual struggle/stronghold is. For instance, do you struggle with sin (you don't have to be specific or you can - it is anonymous), with having a daily Bible study, anger, knowing where you fit-in in God's kingdom, knowing God's plan for your life, being judgemental, trusting God........etc, etc., etc. Those are just a few examples.


Whatever your struggle or stronghold, please leave it in a comment. As long as you leave it anonymously, I promise, I will not know who left each comment.



I am interested in the major struggles and hindrances that Christians face and plan to use your comments for some future research.



Thanks! Better get to the store and buy your turkeys and pumpkins - they are flying off the shelves as we speak! I hope to post some of the recipes that I will be making next week for our family Thanksgiving dinner which will be held at my house on Thursday (this time last year, we thought it would be held at our new house this year, but dont worry, I am not the least bit bitter about it ;-). Have a great weekend............

Delayed Randomness

So, today started off pretty well. It was 17 degrees this morning so our school system decided to let the kids go to school 2 hours late (another reason why I love our school system). I know you Northerners are laughing right now, but we are Southerners and are not used to cold temperatures. Most of us don't even own heavy coats, much less the parkas our friends to the North love so much. My child doesn't ride the bus, but some of those kids have to catch the bus at or before 7 am in 17 degree weather...........well, I think the 2 hour delay thing is a wonderful idea. It allowed me to sleep an hour longer, I made breakfast, and the boys got to play before Lake had to go to school. I personally wish school never started before 10 am, but then again I live in a dream world most of the time.

Here are a couple of pics I took this morning before school. I am thankful that they still dont mind me dressing them alike. (And yes I know they will hate me for it one day, but I cant help it). Next year, when Kaden goes to school, I will have to stop (well except on Sundays ;-).

I told you in my last post that I would be back with some random thoughts so here I am and here they are:

Many of you probably have no idea about such indelicate things, but let me tell you that hardwood flooring is extremely heavy. How do I know???? Well, the same way I know how to tie steel re bar to pour concrete, the same way I know how to use a shop-vac (expertly I might add), and the same way I know how to moisture seal a home's foundation, and the same way I know how to do all the many chores that should be left to (male) building contractors........my husband allows me the privilege of creating pride of ownership in our new home (his words not mine......aka. we are too cheap to hire someone to carry our flooring). The hubs has graciously allowed me to share in the joy of hauling 216 large bundles and placing them in every room of our new house (approximately 170 lbs each - which I would like to add is more than I weigh! A lot more!).



In case you were wondering, Twizzlers??? Yeah they actually DO make your mouth happy.



Can someone tell me what in the world are table water crackers??? The name puts strange pictures in my mind and quite frankly grosses me out for some reason (kind of like goat cheese - gives me chills to think about it). What is table water anyway and why are they making crackers out of it? Someone tell me so that I don't embarrass myself (any more than usual) while standing around the cheese ball at Christmas parties over the next few weeks............



Someone sent me a quiz on Facebook the other day. It was called the American accent quiz. I took it and the results are in. I have a Northern accent. Seriously, that is what it said. The girl whose husband thinks "you-uns" is a word has a Northern accent? And all this time ya'll thought I a was a hillbilly......


My kids have children's choir on Sunday nights while we are in the worship service. When we got in the car after church on Sunday night, Kaden announced that a kid in his choir class punched him in the stomach that night. Our conversation went like this:



Kaden: A kid in my choir punched me in the stomach tonight.

Me: Who was it?

Kaden: I don't know his name - he's new.

Me: Oh. Did he get in trouble?

Kaden: No, he had little hands so it didn't really hurt.



I guess the kids with big hands are the only ones who get in trouble......hahahaha .......have I mentioned that Kaden is hilarious???



We took the kids to see Madagascar 2 Saturday night. Most of you know that we are not a fan of the movies, but Madagascar is our favorite movie, so we had to take the kids to see the sequel. As we paid for the movie and popcorn I remembered one of the reasons why we don't go to the movies very often:



Movie tickets: $30

Popcorn: $8

Large Sprite: $4.50

The look on my husbands face when he saw how much a night at the movies costs: Priceless




I have to wonder.....if we bailout the auto makers, how long will it be before we are having to bailout the rest of the businesses in the country? When does the bailing out stop and the paying back begin? I know that if the auto industry fails, America will be in big trouble, but where do we draw the line? And what kind of message are we sending to our kids? Dependence on the government is not what we need to teach our kids.....I believe it will instill in them a sense of entitlement. It seems that there are no consequences for anything anymore. Don't get me wrong, I don't have the answers, but I just wonder where all this financial woe will take us (both individually and as a country). I am guessing it is leading us kicking and screaming into dangerous territory......thankfully, as Christians we are not dependent upon the government.

I heard the other day that in a tough economy almost all purchases go down except LIPSTICK. In tough economic times, the sales of lipstick actually go up. Well, duh! When you don't have any extra money, you may not be able to afford to buy new clothes, but you can certainly afford a new tube of lipstick. A girl may be on her way to the poorhouse, but she doesn't have to look washed out on her way there!

The painters are working frantically at our new house. I love the smell of paint (and gas, but that is another issue for which I need help;-). It is nice seeing some actual color on the otherwise white walls. I just hope the colors I have picked out are the right ones. It occurred to me that I could really mess this house up, which is causing me to feel a little pressured.....ummmm a lot pressured. The painters told me that they loved the colors I chose and that they are the prettiest colors they have used in a long time. They said that I had matched and blended my colors very well from room to room. But then again, we are paying them and they want to finish the job, so can I really trust them? Probably not.

I was going to post a pic of the new couch my MIL bought me for Christmas,but I cant find a pic online.......allow me to paint a mental picture for you. It is big and has big arms and big pillows and it's gold. See why I could totally mess my new house up? Yeah, I thought you would.

Enough boredom for you for today. More boredom to come so stay tuned.

Focus

So, maybe you have noticed my brief absence from the blog world (or maybe you could care less). Once again, I have been doing life and have had little time for blogging. I have so many thoughts running through my head right now I could never put them all into words. No time to blog sends one into a state of backlog. Unfortunately, the time I have to type this post is quite minimal as well, but hopefully I will be back in a day or two with some randomness (I know you can't wait). AND, hopefully I will be able to catch up on all your blogs at some point today......if anyone knows what to do about the fact that my sidebar thingie does not show updates correctly please tell me how I can fix it.............most of the time, when I do not visit/comment on your blogs, it is because I didn't know they had been updated. My computer is fairly new, so I cant imagine what the problem is......ever heard of Murphy's Law? Yeah, it usually applies to me in most every area of my life ;-).



The Lord has really been speaking to me lately about keeping the main thing the main thing. What is the main thing, you ask? Why, Jesus of course. When I say that I am busy from the time my feet hit the floor at 6:15 am until the time I lay down at night (anywhere from 11-12 pm), I am not exaggerating one bit. Among COUNTLESS other activities, we have been working lots of hours at the new house, we have had church "stuff" to do, and to top it all off, Lake has basketball evaluations tomorrow night (which begins yet another season of round ball for the family). Don't get me wrong, I know that most of you reading this are just as busy as I am. Not for a minute do I believe that I am the only hurried and harried mother who has no time to even breathe. There are lots of us out there.....not just mothers, but both men and women are much busier today than they were 20 years ago.



Maybe it's just me, but when I am as busy as I have been lately, it is difficult for me to keep my eyes on Jesus. It is a struggle for me to stay focused on what is important when I am burning the candle at both ends (even when some of the busy-ness revolves around the church). Ever heard the phrase "idle hands are the devil's workshop"? I think the same can be said of busy hands. It is easy to get distracted when your attention is drawn in so many directions. It is easy to become discouraged or dissatisfied when you rarely have a minute to just be still and know. When we are in the business of busy-ness we are quick to take our eyes off God and it is very difficult to regain our 'Godly tunnel vision'.

God does not want us to be a slave to a schedule or to be held captive by a flurry of activity. God never intended for us to simply go through the motions in life.....if He did He would never have mentioned that thing about ABUNDANT life. We are entering the busiest season of the year for most of us, I am praying that I will be able to keep my eyes on Jesus (it IS His birthday)
and slow down enough to live in each moment rather than look back with regret. The devil loves a busy, preoccupied Christian.....we are easy targets.......we need to keep that in mind this time of year more than any other. When we are in the busy-ness business, we are making life much easier for our adversary and I'm certain that NONE of us wants to do anything to make it easier for satan to attack. Let's try our best to make this holiday season extremely tough on satan by keeping our eyes firmly set on Jesus.

Lamp Unto My Feet

Most of you know that I started blogging at another site called Jesus Is Lord, A Worshipping Christian's Blog. The blog owner's name is Steve, he and his wife, Missi love the Lord and have a desire to see people come to Christ through their blog ministry. Jesus Is Lord gets thousands of hits every day and many of those readers are atheists. In case you didn't know, atheists are not always nice, especially when it comes to things of God and the church.

I have been blogging at JIL this morning. What we do mostly is read Christian news headlines and post the articles for discussion. This morning, the headlines are particularly frightening. Here are just a few of the ones that I have run across:

Lesbians, Condoms Go Wild In Attack On Christian Church

Thirteen Year Old Girl Sentenced to Stoning (According to Sharia) for Being Gang Raped

Bill Graham Replaced by Homosexual Bishop

Post-Election Harassment Continues Over Marriage Amendment

And those are just a few of the headlines that should concern us as believers. I hear Christian people say that they cannot listen to the news because it makes them depressed. I agree that the way the world is today makes it easy for us to become down and depressed. But God......

I read these headlines and I see the world going to hell in a handbag......it COULD be depressing to me, But God.........

I believe Christians NEED to be aware of current events and we need to know what is happening in our world. We need to know what the Bible says about gay marriage, abortion, homosexuality, stem cell research, end times events, etc. We also need to know about current events, because in Matthew the Bible tells us "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour".

The Bible does NOT say for Christians to keep their heads in the sand and wait, but to actively watch and to wait with our lamps burning. Jesus wants us to watch for Him. Part of watching means that we need to be aware of the signs of His coming..........there are signs all around us, but in order to know what they are, we have to study the Word (which is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path)......are you watching and more importantly, are you watching with your lamp burning????

A Few Birthday Thoughts

So, as many of you know, yesterday was my birthday. I was 36 (I guess I still am 36....for another year anyway ). It seems impossible that I am in my 30's, much less over half way through them!! Only 4 years until I am 40. I feel a mid-life crisis coming on, only I don't know what on earth a woman does in a mid-life crisis. I would get botox, but I'm afraid of it - it's poison for crying out loud. I could make myself a bleach blonde, but I don't look good with really blonde hair (don't ask me how I know that). I could lose 30 lbs, but that would require exercise and you all know how I feel about even the mildest of self-induced exertion. I guess I will just keep on keepin' on, but I'm afraid I don't age very gracefully.



Saturday, we went furniture shopping. I did find some living room furniture that I like, although I am not sure if I will get it or not. I always feel like I have to see EVERYTHING AVAILABLE before I make a decision.....I have shopped in NC, TN, FL, and GA. It would seem to some that I actually HAVE seen everything, but something in me says 'keep on lookin'. Yes, folks, I have a problem and my problem may just have my family sitting on the floor for years. My mother-in-law is buying us a couch for Christmas, so I guess I better decide pretty quickly, huh?



After furniture shopping on Saturday, we ended up at Chili's. I always eat way too much there and come away vowing to never eat another bite of food again. I always break that vow by the following morning. At least I am consistent in something.



Yesterday, after church, we went to lunch and then more furniture/house shopping. I had no idea we would be shopping after church as evidenced by the fact that I wore heels to church. My feet hurt so bad after a couple of hours shopping that I thought they might actually be bleeding. I didn't want to seem ungrateful to the hubs for taking me shopping, so I didn't mention anything much about the EXTREME, SHARP, CUTTING pain in my feet. I DID; however, sit down on every couch and chair we passed using the excuse that I wanted to see if they were comfortable or not. My feet were still hurting when I laid down to sleep last night....heels are of satan....straight from the pit.



Yesterday we were only home for about an hour before we had to leave for church last night. During that time, Lake and Kaden were playing 'swords' (no sissy play in this house). My favorite phrase around here is "It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye". Well, that almost happened here yesterday. Unfortunately, Kaden turned the wrong way and his eye met with Lake's sword. He has a bit of a black eye today and a little scratch under it (thankfully, it wasn't serious). This morning, before taking Lake to school, the boys were sitting closely on the couch reading and Lake moved his arm and accidentally elbowed Kaden in the other eye. Kaden immediately put his hand over his eye and said, "Why'd ya have to hit my good eye? Mommy, Lake hit me in the good eye". I was still laughing when we got to school.



Just so you know, the Christmas stuff is all up and it looks nice. I just keep the blinds closed when the lights are on so people don't know that freaks live here. I figure I only have to hide for a couple more weeks. The funny part is that I have seen several houses with their decorations up and I have actually said, "It's not even Thanksgiving yet, why do they have their Christmas stuff up?". Ever heard of overlooking the log in your own eye while seeing the speck in your brothers? Yeah, this is me, overlooking the log.