By gosh I am about to meet my nephew!  After 2 very hard days of labor, he is finally ready to make our acquaintance!  I freakin' cannot wait!!!

Pictures to come soon!

Hi Jackie, Hi!

New toy :)

I bought a new camera yesterday!  I am pretty excited :)  I lost my battery charger for my last camera  -- so what better reason to replace it?!  I have spent all day snapping photos -- not really knowing what I am doing, I might add -- but I have had a great time!  I got a Canon Rebel XS -- my first DSLR and I already absolutely love it!  The difference between this camera and a point and shoot is AMAZING!  I am so glad I made the switch!

So that is just a few of the photos I took today -- I definitely need to read through the manual and figure out how to work the thing!

That Chicken Stuff

So yesterday afternoon at about 4:30 was the frantic "what do you want for supper" call to my husband.  He said "make that chicken stuff".  'That chicken stuff' is actually a Kraft recipe that is so super easy to make  -- and yummy too!  I make it about once every two weeks, most of the time on my husband's request. I love this recipe because it only takes 4 ingredients!

What you need:

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

2 cups  chopped cooked chicken

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 lb.  (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

 Make it!

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
PREPARE stuffing as directed on package. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add stuffing; mix lightly.
SPOON into 2-qt. casserole.
BAKE 30 min. or until heated through.

Mixing it all together (before adding the Stove Top)

The finished product!  Yes it looks kind of gross, but I promise it is good!

For sides, I usually fix green beans and crescent rolls.  Yesterday my husband randomly wanted broccoli and carrots and crescent rolls of course.  So of course I had to find a way to take away all nutritional value whatsoever from these veggies.  So we had broccoli smothered in velveeta cheese sauce and sweet glazed carrots.  For the carrots, I just sauteed some baby carrots with butter and brown sugar -- no measuring, I just eyeballed it.

My Plate - trying to stick to proper portion sizes here, people!

Challenge!

My fridge is a disaster -- an absolute mess.  So much so that I was actually forbidden to use the crisper drawer in the fridge.  My husband said "Jessica, you are not using the crisper until we get a new fridge.  Absolutely not."  See, we have an old-school fridge and all the drawers are white.  The problem with this is that I go to the grocery store with good intentions of being healthy and buy tons of fruits and veggies.  I tuck them away in the crisper and promptly forget all about them.  Then the next time I go grocery shopping, I do the same thing.  By the time I get home to put the food away the veggies from the previous shopping trip have all turned to black goo in the crisper -- it is like a science experiment in my fridge!

So I am challenging myself today -- I have to prove to my husband that I CAN be responsible enough to use every drawer in my fridge.  I went grocery shopping today and stocked up -- and yes the drawers are full of delicious fruits and veggies!  My challenge to myself is that I am going to eat every piece of fruit and vegetable that I have in my house right now (that I bought tonight), which would be:

2 grapefruits
3 peaches
1 big ol' bunch of grapes
1 cucumber
1 green pepper
1 head of lettuce
1 bag of pre-made salad

Challenge starts tomorrow morning, 8 AM :)

Hey Ya'll

It has been brought to my attention tonight that there are actually people in this country who don't like sweet tea.  What the?!?  I know...  But what is even worse is that there are actually people who don't even know what sweet tea is!  I couldn't believe it.  There is nothing more delicious than a big ol' glass of sweet iced tea -- in a Ball Mason jar of course.  There really is no other way to drink it.

It is 2 am here and I am wide awake.  Oh whats that?  I should be sleeping?  Yes, yes I know.  Sadly I can't sleep because my brilliant husband let the cat get out somehow.  He had the door open last.  I know it was his fault.  He knows it was his fault.  He is sound asleep and I have been searching high and low for the cat.  By myself.  I am not happy.  I finally got to the point where I just couldn't look anymore -- I have been all over.  I just put a can of tuna outside on the porch and here I sit just hoping that he decides to show back up so I can go to sleep.

Thankful Thursday

Yep, it is Thursday again and it has been a whole week since I updated my blog!

Today I am thankful for my town.  I love living in a small town.  I complain about it sometimes because I mean lets face it -- it is hard to keep anything a secret in a small town.  Everybody is always up in everybody else's business!  I am always reminded how much I love it in the middle of the worst situations.  Two years ago today was a TERRIBLE day.  Our town lost a great person, father, husband, son and friend -- State Trooper Shawn Blanton.  I graduated high school with Shawn and he was such a good friend to everyone.  He had an infectious laugh and a smile and eyes that would just light up a room -- it was hard to not like him.  I may have had a gigantic crush on him during senior year!  When he was killed, it was amazing to watch our town come together -- it reminded me just why I love living here. 

I am also thankful for all of our law enforcement officers and the risks they take each day -- yes I know it sounds corny.  But seriously, they go to work every day not knowing if they will ever make it back home.  I can't imagine...  Thank you G540 -- you will never be forgotten.

Thankful Thursday

I tend to do a lot of complaining about school, work, money, you name it -- so it is important every once in a while to stop and thank about all the good things I have in my life.

Today I am thankful for my husband and our life together.  I am thankful for our fur-babies who make our house a home (yes a home covered in pet hair and slobber, but a home nonetheless).  I am thankful for my parents, sisters, in-laws, and the rest of my family.  I really should tell them I love them more often.  I am thankful for my nephew Levi James -- I am sooooo looking forward to meeting him.  Any day now and he will be here! 

Above all, I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to bless me with another day here on Earth with my family and friends.

XOXO

So I am really feeling crappy about myself today.  I have reached that dreaded day in a woman's life when she looks in her closet and NOTHING FITS!  Seriously -- I am wearing the same 2 dresses and 1 pair of pants to work every day.  I have TONS of clothes -- like a couple closets full: can't wear any of them -- well I can wear most of the tops, but definitely not the bottoms.  A few months ago I got to a point where I had a mini-breakdown in the mall.  I told Dave I wasn't buying anymore clothes unless I got skinny or got pregnant.  Well the pregnancy thing isn't working out too well for me and I sure as heck haven't gotten any skinnier!  So the time has come....uh, again.  The question is -- where the heck did my motivation go?!  I am pretty sure it left me standing at the alter on my wedding day.

I can't even count the number of times I have gone through this, and each time I say "This time will be different!"  And one time it was -- a lot different!  Sadly that didn't last too long and I am back here in the very same spot as I was before.  If I would have stuck with it back in January (I even blogged about it!) I could be right where I wanted to be right now.  Ugh.

But on a positive note -- I have drank a lot of water today.  Oh and I came thisclose to going to Sonic tonight for a milkshake, but I didn't.  I'm too lazy.  Unfortunately this was the rest of my day:

• Breakfast -- coffee (the usual)
• Lunch -- Nutri Grain bar and Wendy's Spicy Chipotle Boneless Wings
• Snack -- Baked Lays
• Dinner -- a WHOLE Totino's party pizza (come on those things are tiny)!

In case you are wondering, yes I did get in some health foods:

• Fruit: the strawberry filling in my nutri grain bar, duh
• Veggies:  Chipotle is a type of pepper right?  Peppers are veggies, are they not?  Oh and coffee is made out of coffee BEANS
• Whole grains -- Nutri GRAIN bar, duh
• Dairy -- there was cheese on the Totino's pizza

So there.

This man, my friends, is a hottie.  Plain and simple.



You're welcome.

Whats for dinner?

Pot roast!  Yes, I made my very first pot roast today -- I am so proud!  I was so proud of myself that I had to take a picture of my plate!



Here is the recipe I used for the pot roast:

4 pound boneless chuck pot roast
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup mix
pepper
Lawry's seasoning salt

Rub down the roast with the pepper and seasoning salt and place the roast in the slow cooker.  Combine the cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix.  Pour over the roast and cook on low for 8 hours.

Really it was the easiest thing I did all weekend (I love my crockpot).  The green beans came from our garden last year.  I used to really hate green beans but I am really starting to love them!  Probably because we have so many of them!  The secret to good green beans in my house is to cook them down until you almost burn them.  I usually add fresh water, a spoonful of butter and a slice of bacon (or sidemeat if I have it), then I walk away from the stove and I usually forget about them!  I always think "crap I forgot about the beans!"  And by that point they are almost burned -- my husband swears that is why they are so good!  He says that is why his mamaw's beans are so good, and apparently I too have now mastered the art of nearly burning food.

As for the biscuits -- nothing but the best for my husband!  Mary B's biscuits in a bag :)  I mean really, why spend all that time rolling out dough when you can just buy frozen biscuits that are delicious!?  OH and the mashed potatoes?  Yeah I spent hours on them -- peeling, slicing, boiling.  Nah just kidding!  Those are Easy Mash instant taters.  But you know what?  I freakin' hate peeling potatoes.  So Easy Mash it is -- but actually they are extremely buttery and delicious :)

Hang in there!

This morning I am drinking my usual coffee out of my most favorite mug in the entire world:



This coffee cup belonged to my Nana.  I always loved it and it was my go-to cup for hot chocolate at her house.  When I went off to college she let me take it with me and it helped me get through countless all-nighters!  It was like a cup of encouragement saying "Hang in there!  You can do it!"  So as I sit here this morning drinking my delicious Dunkin Donuts home brew, I feel like my Nana is right here cheering me on -- reminding me to hang in there!  If that guy can hang in there (hanging off a cliff, no less) then I certainly can!

Here is a pic of my sweet Nana.  She has been gone for 5 years now, but I think about her every.single.day.  <3

Thankful Friday?

Well my temps came crashing down around me this morning.  Sad.  I knew it was coming last night and I let myself have the obligatory pity party.  I was feeling a little (ok, a lot) sorry for myself and went to bed crying.  I definitely think it is fine to have a good cry every now and again, but I can't let myself drown in it!  So today, instead of Thankful Thursday, is going to be Thankful Friday.  Here is what I am thankful for right this minute:

• It is FRIDAY and I get off work in 1.5 hours to go see Brooks & Dunn!  Even though I probably just should have taken the whole day off because I am OBVI doing nothing.
• My delicious Dunkin Donuts coffee that I just finished enjoying.
• The fact that I will be stopping by Dunkin Donuts today to get some Munchkins :)  Yes I love DD!
• The sweet sweet lovins' that I got from my furbabies this morning.
• The fact that we will finally be working on our house again tomorrow!  So thankful that we have the money and are able to do this.
• Jason Aldean
• Cosmo Radio -- Hi Jackie, hi!
• And of course all the givens -- my wonderful husband, family, friends and pets :)  Love them!

Wow and that is just what I am thankful for right this minute!  That doesn't count the other 525,599 minutes in the year!!  Happy Friday everyone!

Star light, star bright.

"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?  I could really use a wish right now...."