Attempting to be a Super Mom

Ok, I promised that I would go on this trip and live in the moment, trying my best to enjoy every second. I'd never been away from my kiddos, except when I was in the hospital having another baby. (Ben and Sydney have to gone to sleepovers, and while that's hard for me too, it's different for them to be away, a few houses up the street for a night, or at my mother-in-law's house for a night, while I'm still at home with the rest of the littles than me, a half a country away from them for days.) Well, I think I achieved exactly what I set out to do. I flew by myself for the first time ever, enjoyed some time with my mom, sister and brother, celebrated my brother's achievements, and learned a lot about the military, myself, and driving out east. Ok, so, lets start at the beginning. I figure, due to the lengthiness of this, it may be best if I just post about each day individually, so here is day one. Tuesday January 10th I left the house at about 7:15am. It ...

Good morning! What a wonderful weekend.  My only complaint is that it just wasn't long enough.  Alright, lets get on with Monday. The weather::: It's supposed to get up to 49 today, although it's super cold and frosty right now.  Tomorrow is supposed to be almost 60, then we go back to 30s and 40s. On my reading pile:::    I put down Dragon Fly in Amber from the Outlander series for a couple of days while I read The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines. It's such a cute book and if you like Fixer Upper like I do, you'll love the book.  It's written just like they talk together. On my TV::: I'm not quite sure at the moment.  I think tonight Shawn and I are planning to watch another episode of Westworld. On the menu for this week::: This week, Shawn jumped in and helped me meal plan. I'm so excited he wants to be a part of it all now. Monday  -  BBQ Pork Chops with potatoes and Parmesan broccoli Tuesday  - Grilled hamburgers and veg...

Around Christmas, there were a few recipes that you probably saw posted over and over again on Facebook. Shawn found himself so unable to quit thinking about one of these recipes that a week after New Years he had to make it to ease his cravings. I don't know that it eased any cravings. When we first moved in together, 12 years ago, a nice Shawn cooked meal was beanies and weenies or kraft dinner.  Don't get me wrong, I love beanies and weenies just as much as the next lady, but wowza, that man of mine has come a very long way! Our 3rd recipe in our 52 new recipes for the new year was Prime Rib with Garlic Herb Butter. Prime Rib with Garlic Herb Butter Buzzfeed 1 cup butter, softened 7 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped 2 tablespoons salt 1 tablespoon pepper 5-7 pounds boneless ribeye roast, trimmed 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups beef stock Preheat oven to 500°F/260°C. Mix together the butter, ...

For our 2nd recipe in our 52 new recipes we tried a new delicious way to eat our veggies.  We eat broccoli with almost every home cooked meal, so we were in desperate need of a mixing up. Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Simply Recipes 1 1/2 lbs broccoli florets 3-4 tbsp olive oil (I used a garlic EVOO that I had on hand) Juice from 1/2 lemon or about 1 tbsp Kosher salt 2-3 garlic cloves, minced Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli and minced garlic with olive oil and lemon juice until lightly coated. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Arrange the broccoli florets in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been rubbed with olive oil or lined with parchment paper. Roast for 16-20 minutes or until done. You can check with a fork and the outside should be slightly browned. Put the roasted broccoli back in the bowl and toss with freshly ground black pepper and parmesan cheese. It...

I already have a really good spaghetti sauce recipe, but if it doesn't cook all day, then it just doesn't taste right.  Honestly who has time to cook sauce all day, every time they want spaghetti. Not me! This year, my husband and I were inspired by a friend to try 52 new recipes in the year 2017. We jumped right in, by giving a new spaghetti sauce a try. Guess what... It was amazing! Spaghetti Sauce Food.com 2 lbs mild Italian pork sausage 2 tbsp olive oil 1 med onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp basil 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1 tsp salt ground pepper 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter parmesan cheese, freshly grated Brown the sausage, onion, and garlic, in the olive oil with the bay leaves, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Stir well and bring ...

Good morning! I'm home from my trip, the kids are out of school for MLK day, and Shawn is out for the week in Boston. I'm feeling super ready to just fly through the week quickly, so lets get started! The weather::: It is pouring down rain at the moment and 38 degrees. I think it's supposed to be low 40s today and tomorrow and then in the low 60s for the rest of the week.   On my reading pile:::    Still working on the 2nd Outlander book. I haven't had too much time for reading lately but hope to finish it this week. On my TV::: I have so many shows to catch up on.  I need to watch last week's This Is Us, and the last 2 weeks of American Housewife among many other things. On the menu for this week::: Monday  -  Chicken Doritos Casserole Tuesday  - Spaghetti and garlic bread  Wednesday  - Pork chops with veggies   Thursday  - Homemade Pizza  Friday  - Going out for Shawn and I's anniversary Saturd...

Ever pop onto Facebook and see a cute little chain status that you want to do but don't want others to feel obligated to do? Well, I did.  My friends have been doing this one for quite a bit and it's so super cute I couldn't fight it any longer.  After the kids and I finished, I realized that once I post it, it will go onto my Facebook page, where I'll never see it again, so I decided to post this cute thing right here as well.  I mean seriously, how cute are my kids answers? WITHOUT prompting, ask your child these questions and write EXACTLY what they say about you. Ben age 9 *What is something I say a lot? “Swag, mom, you say swag a lot.” *What makes me happy? “Good kids” *What makes me sad? “Bad kids” *How tall am I? “5 foot” *What's my favorite thing to do? “take pictures and videos” *What is my favorite food? “Chili, most likely.” *What is my favorite drink? “Dr Pepper.” *If I could go anywhere, where would I like to go? “Disney World” *Do you think you ...

Today, I'm supposed to be packing my bags for my trip to South Carolina tomorrow.  I, however, am a monster procrastinator. Guess what I have packed so far? Absolutely nothing! I mean seriously, my bag is sitting empty, collapsed, and upside down on the desk behind my computer, I'm literally looking at it. Scowling at it rather. Did I mention I hate packing? I'm going to take this time, when I should be packing to talk to you a little about me.  I have anxiety. Anxiety in that I don't like to do things outside of my comfort zone, which is pretty much anything outside of my routine. When I say, I don't like to do these things, I mean it makes me really nervous and sick to my stomach. It stresses me out and triggers my IBS. That's what this trip is doing to me. I'm so stressed and sick just thinking about traveling without my husband and children.  They are my security blanket. I'm going to be without my kids, my world, for FOUR WHOLE DAYS! I've ne...

Good morning, or night rather since I'm getting to this so late... Oops. It's been a busy day.  Alright, lets get right to it, shall we? The weather::: Today was a bit rainy but the rest of this week is supposed to be quite cold. On my reading pile:::    Dragonfly in Amber (2nd Outlander book) by Diana Gabaldon   On my TV::: I've mostly just been watching vlogs as I get my housework done but am hoping to catch an episode of Westworld with the hubby before bed. On the menu for this week::: Monday  -  Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread Tuesday  - Beef stew and homemade bread Wednesday  - Chicken chili Thursday  - Chicken with veggies. Friday  -  Saturday  -  Sunday  -  On my to do list::: Still to do is folding laundry. What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::: I've got to make the name thingys to go over the girls beds.  Ben has one with his name and Scotland has one with her name, but S...

What a crazy year this has been! As I type this, the year is coming to a close. So much has happened, both good and bad. From celebrity deaths, to politics, to just crazy stuff in general... I wouldn't have believed all of this would happen if you had told me last year.  Lets just have a look back at all the crazy/scary/exciting/fun/sad stuff that the year 2016 has brought my family. I've been so bad at updating that I thought I'd throw as much as I can of our year into a giant post before I start fresh in 2017. The best place to start is exactly at the beginning, maybe even a little before.  I will warn you up front, this post will be quite long. Lets start New Years Eve. December 31st 2015... We'd been recovering from a crazy stomach bug that swept through the house, hitting everyone but Shawn, and maybe Ben.  We were celebrating at home, as we tend to do, but had no company due to everyone in recovery. We watched Minions, snacked on snacky foods, snuggled, si...