many, many reasons to give thanks

This year, I have numerous things to be thankful for – my wonderful and loving husband, my sweet kitty Lilly, my awesome family and friends, my cozy little home, my paid for car and Phil’s not-so-paid-for new truck, my job, and our health.  Our blessings are many!!!

We had a lovely first-Thanksgiving-as-a-married-couple yesterday.  We had it at Rose & Bob’s cabin.  I brought some Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, and had several people ask for the recipe.  I got it from AllRecipes.com; here it is:

Ingredients

• 5 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the potatoes, garlic, and bouillon until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.
2. Transfer the potato mixture to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Everything else was sooooo good.  Daddy deep-fried a turkey.  It had been injected with some sort of garlic-cajun stuff.  I believe that was the BEST turkey I had EVER eaten.  We also had dressing, fruit salad, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, rolls, and lots more.  I was STUFFED.  Then we had some bloody marys and played a couple of games of dominoes.  :)  Here are a few pics.

Allison, Aunt Rose, and me

Aunt Rose, Uncle Bob, Daddy, and Uncle Harold

me and Phil

Joe, Uncle Jimbo, Phil and Joe’s mom watching the game

Phil and Uncle Jimbo

Daddy and me  :)

11 years ago today…

I lost my mom to cancer.  She was the sweetest person in the world, and I miss her every single day.  She was the best mother and friend I could have ever asked for.  It’s hard for me this time of year, but I am so so very thankful to have had her in my life for the 17 years that I did.

I posted some lyrics a couple of weeks ago.  Here is the song to go with…. it sums up my feelings exactly.  I’ve been emotional all day, so I don’t have the strength to write out a long post about my mom…. Jewel says it best.

I love you and miss you Momma.

an accomplished Saturday and holiday preparations

I have accomplished a heck of a lot today, if I do say so myself…. I cleaned my bathroom, vacuumed, dusted, swept, mopped, cleaned my kitchen (this includes cleaning the stove top, oven, etc.), and got caught up on laundry for the week.  GO ME!  I feel a sense of relief.  I really wanted to get everything clean so that next week I won’t have to worry about it.  I only have to work Monday-Wednesday and I am SO EXCITED to have a couple of days off.  Plus Friday I plan on putting up my tree and getting out all my holiday stuff.  :)  What should be really interesting is how Lilly reacts to the xmas tree.  I’m sure she will think it is a tree of new toys just for her.  She will probably climb it.  LOL.

We are supposed to have Thanksgiving with Rose, Allison, Joe, Daddy, Jimbo, and Harold at Rose’s cabin… it may end up being moved to Rose’s house since Allison has been sick.  But regardless I am looking forward to visiting with family and enjoying some holiday food.  :)  I am making slow cooker mashed potatoes (with cream cheese and sour cream) for the occasion.  :)

Work might be a tad hectic next week also, since because of the holiday, payroll has to be sent by Monday at 11:00 (as opposed to the normal Wednesday by 1:00 deadline).  I will probably end up going in to the office tomorrow for an hour or so just so Monday morning won’t be so crazy and stressful for me.  At least on Sunday the phone won’t be ringing.  :)

Well, I’m off to finish supper with the hubby.  He is grilling hamburgers and we are having tater tots with (at hubby’s request… I can’t remember the last time I had tater tots!).  Should be yummy.

Oh, I almost forgot!  I added a “Holiday Special” to my business website.  Please check it out and remember…. Custom Scrapbooks make GREAT GIFTS!  :)

hole in my heart

September settles softly
leaves are starting to fall
I recall the last time you were here
your laughter a melody that lingers still

There's a hole in my heart
so I carry it wherever I go
like a treasure that travels with me down every road
there's this longing, lonesome and deep
kind of bitter, kind of sweet
there's a hole in my heart in the shape of you

Time steals so swiftly
as children having children of their own
And around life's merry go round goes
and there you are wanting what you cannot hold

There's a hole in my heart
and I carry it wherever I go
like a treasure that travels with me down every road
there's this longing, lonesome and deep
kind of bitter, kind of sweet
there's a hole in my heart in the shape of you

Even though my heart aches
there's a smile on my face
cause just like a window to heaven
there's a light shining through

there's a hole in my heart
so I'll carry it wherever I go
like a treasure that travels with me down every road
there's this longing, lonesome and deep
kind of bitter, kind of sweet

There’s a hole in my heart

There’s a hole in my heart in the shape of you

~ Jewel

a few scrapbook layouts

This has been such a lazy weekend for us!  The only major thing I’ve accomplished since yesterday as far as housework goes is I did get caught up on all the laundry.   BUT, I did get a few scrapbook layouts done.  :)

 

I plan on having a pretty lazy Sunday too…. that’s what the weekend is for, right?  :) 

more birthday surprises and Jewel concert

Wow… I had a couple more b-day surprises this week.  Thursday Meagan got me ANOTHER present.  She is so sweet… I told her to quit it – she is spoiling me!  LOL.  She got me a really cute mug with my initial on it.  And when I got home I had a lovely card from my cousin Jacqui waiting for me in the mail.  :)  I love surprises.  :)

We got back a few hours ago  from Birmingham.  BEST. CONCERT. EVER.  Our seats were great.  We were 10th row on the floor.  She had Meiko open for her.  I had never heard of her but had looked up a couple of her songs on You Tube before we went.  She was great live!  Very funny and entertaining.  She has a really unique voice.  I plan on getting her cd.  And Jewel was just awesome.  She sang quite a few of my favs, as well as several brand new songs.   I usually know all her “stories” that she tells before some of the songs, but I was happy that last night she seemed to tell some new/different ones… so that was neat.  Of course, she came back out and did an encore of Chime Bells.  This is the only full video I got… they said no photography or recording, but I had to get at least one video.  :)

I’m sorry to say though, that our hotel room last night left MUCH to be desired.  LOL!  We won’t be staying at that place anymore.  It was old and yucky and stuff was broken and it smelled weird and to top it off we paid $127 for one freaking night!  It was the only room I could find available though… and I booked it months ago!  Ugh.

Anyway, we had a good trip.  Stopped at Cracker Barrel on the way home and ate breakfast.  YUM!  They had their Christmas stuff out already and I got several really adorable ornaments.  :)  Then we stopped at Piggly Wiggly when we got back to Iuka so I could grab a few things for supper and next week.  Lilly was sure glad to see us when we got home.  She watched us from the window when we pulled up and then greeted us at the door.  :)  Now I need to unpack, do some laundry, and clean a bit.  Maybe tomorrow I can scrapbook!  :)

birthday goodies

I have had birthday surprises just about all week long!  My friend and co-worker Meagan surprised me Monday with these adorable (and YUMMY) brownies that she baked and decorated just for ME.  :)

Then today, she brought me my actual present (my b-day was yesterday, but the gift didn’t come in until today).

She got me this ADORABLE car tag with my initials in my FAV color and with a butterfly.  I love butterflies.  :)

LOVE IT!  Oh, and she got Lilly a present too so she wouldn’t feel left out.  :)

 

SOOOOO…… apparently Phil was planning to wait until this weekend when we go to Birmingham to actually celebrate and take me out for my b-day.  But just as a PSA, this is what happens when your husband forgets to get you a birthday card and you bitch about it:

Actually - it was kind of cute, and at least he did write something on the inside:

I absolutely can’t wait until Friday night though.  BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT TO MYSELF E-V-E-R.  :)