Happy Halloween

On tihs sopt in 1708, the rseidnets of Grave's End fuoght a btatle agiasnt the priate Captain E. Ville Dewar and his wckied cerw. The btatle wnet on for tirheten dyas and edend Octoebr 31, wehn the ctizeins sank thier sihp. Smoe say the veengful Captain apaeprs ervey Haloleewn to cuase msicheif in the twon. Msot cizitnes rfesue to bleeive in the ghsot leegnd, clalnig it "nnonesse."

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

My thoughts on halloween

has changed.  I used to be all about trick or treating and now I rather knock on the few doors on my street and call it a day.  I'm not cool with the thought of Monkey knocking on standers doors and eating their candy.  But I know Monkey will love to give out candy, maybe I can spin Halloween around and teach him it's better to give than receive!

What do you do for halloween?

Jury Duty?

I have jury duty for the first time ever! I am having a hard time with this, I do not judge anybody period!  Who am I to say if someone is innocent or not? In my eyes everyone is innocent, that person could have a real good reason to commit t a crime.  I am not the one to judge, God is.  Now these poor people's fate is in my hands. 

Let's also not overlook that I don't like to hear disturbing details, no lie horror movies gives me nightmares.  If movie doesn’t have a happy ending, I will probably cry, followed by DH reminding me that these are actors and everybody is really ok.  But it's the grueling plot and details that get me so upset, the thought of somebody thinking of these disturbing movies (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) just send chills up my spin.

Needless to say I have been praying for weeks that this will be better than expected.  Any tips or advice on how I can get through this with a clear conscience?

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkins

Favorite Picture from this weekend

We had a blast

Daddy helping Monkey to bowl

Daybook: October 21, 2011

Outside my window... it’s 50 degrees outside and the sun is coming up

I am thinking... this weekend, I will have 4 little boys all day tomorrow :)

I am thankful for... it’s Friday, spending time with my nephews tomorrow, going to be a bridesmaid,

From Monkey’s lesson... he is learning about eating healthy so I am going to take that to a new level of healthy spooky eating this weekend

In the kitchen... nothing! This could be bad lol

I am wearing... brown pants with a orange sweater and one of my favorite heels…pep toe with a cow design on them   

I am creating... I know it’s early but I am creating thanksgiving plans, menu, and events.  My inlaws will be up from NC and I want to take advantage of them being here

I am going... to have a coffee date with Brittany for lunch

I am wondering… about dinner tonight and what to do with 4 boys tomorrow

I am reading... nothing!! At the moment I am putting up some fun free Halloween decorations so all my night energy is fixed on that

I am hoping and praying... all the mommas to be out there; Tiffany is due in 35 days, another friend has another 4 more months, and Matuska Anna is a few weeks pregnant.

I am looking forward to… spending the weekend with friends and family, Halloween (it’s the first time I get to see Monkey with his preschool class), meeting Tiffany’s baby, seeing who wins Sarah's blog every away she has been blogging for one year and is giving away her favorite children's book,  and my best friend just got engage so another wedding in May 2013

I am hearing... my Pandora radio Carrie Underwood station

Around the house... finish putting up Halloween decoration and carve out the pumpkin this weekend

One of my favorite things... playing with the kids outside during this glorious weather

Picutre I want to share... are from when Monkey was 7 months old, one of my favorite of him still to this day.  Oh yea, this crazy momma painted that pumpkin to match his outfit lol

19th Wife

This book took me forever to read, yes it had a few hundred pages but it was also slow.  There were a few times where I wanted to quit but then for the rest of my life I will wonder what happen and I’m too young for that.  There were really two different stories in the book.  The main story was about Ann Eliza Young, which was what I signed up to read.  The second story was more current day of a 19^th wife who was going to trail for killing her husband. I felt that this story could have been left out. However I didn’t see the ending coming for the current day 19^th wife.

I picked up this book to read about Ann Eliza Young.  She was one of Brigham Young 50ish wives and helped end polygamy.  The book talks about her early life growing up and how she witnesses her mother struggle with polygamy.  Her mother was a “first” wife where her father took on 4 more wives.  It briefly talks about her first marriage to James Dee. They had shared two sons together. After she divorced James, it never mention if James Dee was a part of the boys life, both boys were still under 5ish (they book didn’t get into actual age of people) 

Brigham Young was the second president of the Mormon Church.  He was great friends with Ann Eliza’s parents was even there at her birth (creepy).  She was pressured to marry Brigham Young from her family; my guess is it was hard to support her and her two sons.  Now the book is fiction, so how true was it that Brigham Young put finical strains on the Webb (Ann Eliza’s maiden name) family? But when I goggle Ann Eliza, it did mention that her family suggested marrying Brigham Young who was 40plus years older than her. Brigham Young already had 50 wives when he married Ann Eliza, that’s just sick I’m sorry.

There were married for about 7 years until she was granted a divorce, then left the older child with her mother and traveled the country with her youngest boy. I don’t think I could ever leave a child behind for that long of a period, even if it was with family.  She held lettuces on how women were treated in the Mormon Church in a polygamist house comparing polygamony to slavery   and wrote a book called the Number 19^th Wife. 

My personal thought on Ann Eliza Young was she didn’t know what the meaning of marriage was.  By the time she passed away she was divorce 3 times. Maybe she was looking for prince charming.  My guess is she didn’t like to comprise or be told what to do, a little hard headed.

Finding that spark…again

I truly fully believe that the Lord is the one and only matchmaker.  I have been with my DH since I was 19.  At the age of 19, I didn’t know who I was; I am still learning who I am.  But as I mature and figure who I am, I only fall more in love with my husband which completely amazes me.  How did God know that I was going to need a man like my husband before I knew? But even with God’s love our marriage still needs TLC.  As we are always changing and growing people, our marriage changes and sometimes we need to find that passion again.  Once Monkey was born our relationship was put on auto polite, we had to learn how to be parents then learn how to juggle everything a child.  Now that we have mastered that, it’s time to turn off the auto polite and find that chemistry that started this relationship almost 10 years ago. It’s not easy, our likes and taste has changed, in fact it’s probably harder to light that spark again for the second time.  The first time, well we both were in great shape lol and we didn’t have many responsibilities (stress free) plus we had money to burn lol.  I’m thinking this is normal and healthy in a relationship and I am sure we will need to find that spark again in another decade.

Chicken and Rice with Carrots Casserole

I took the same old recipe and added some veggies so it's a complele meal.  I double my normal garlic and added 2 whole cloves because we were all fighting a cold, come to find out my DH loved the extra garlic, win-win!!

1 Cup of uncooked rice

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups of boiling water

1 package of dry soup mix (your choice)

1 pound of chicken (your choice of what kinda of chicken)

2 whole carrots

10 ounces of mushrooms

½ onions

2 garlic cloves

4 tablespoon of paprika

Salt and Pepper

2 tablespoon of oil

**If you are not making this ahead, preheat oven now

1) Boil water and mix with condensed cream of chicken soup and dry soup mix and let cool.

2) Pull out food processor or grater and shred the carrots, onion, and garlic. Dice mushrooms. 

3) Mix carrots, onion, garlic, mushrooms, and rice and spread over the bottom of a large baking dish. Pour the cool coup mix over rice mixture.

4) Rinse chicken and dry pat and season it with paprika, salt, and pepper.

**If using chicken breast: Heat frying pan with oil, add a little salt in the oil, then brown chicken on both sides for about 3 minutes.

5) Arrange chicken to lay on top of rice mixture, if you are making this the night before, let the dish completely cool before covering and placing in the fridge.

6) Chicken breast: preheat oven to 350 and bake for about an hour with foil tightly covered, then broil for about 5 minutes

 Chicken legs: preheat oven to 375 and bake for about an hour and half with foil tightly covered, then broil for about 5 minutes

PS..This isn't a pretty meal but it's yummy and easy...and cheap

Confession

We are suppose to pray for the ones who we dislike and love them ever more, that’s what ever Christian knows, what every priest preach on Sunday morning.  Well I am praying for my manager, I pray that she finds happiness in her life, I pray that she gets a personal life.  This way she can understand why we don’t wanna work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week.  I pray that she learns to let go of the little immaterial details, there is just not enough time in the day.  We all wanna go home and spend time with her family. Don’t worry I still leave after my 8 hours, my family always comes first, work comes 6^th on my list after family, church, friends, me, house lol.

For some reason I don't think this is what Fr. David means when he says pray for those who anger you.  Don't worry Father, I got the message, I really do pray for her, it's just sometimes my prays become vents too.

Monkey’s Moon

Here was our conversation last night…

Monkey: Look Momma..look at my moun (moon)!
Me: That’s a pretty big moon, can you share it with Momma?
Monkey: No, that’s Monkey’s moun
Me: But there is only one moon and every has to share’s it
Monkey: No, it’s my moon, it’s outstide (outside) my indo (window)
Me: (deep breath, not ready for this fight with a 2 year old)
Me: Then where is momma’s moon?
Monkey: Over dare (there) (as it point randomly at some stars)
Me: I can’t see that moon
Monkey: that’s ok momma, see my moun
Me: Momma loves you to the moon and back, you know that right
Monkey: walks away to play before bed

Suggested by Dalai Lama:

Every morning when you wake up, say out loud "Today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”

Lost

I have lost my mind lately, I've been doing just the silliest things, this morning I was looking for Monkey's book bag when it was in my hand the whole time.  So if you find my brain, please return it, I really need it. 

October’s Menu

In honor of Columbus Day we will be having Italian for 3 days straight (YES!)

Still working on the Halloween Menu, but I know it will be something simple and fun like Mummy Franks (crescent hot dogs)

Freezer Meals (12)

2 Chicken Noodle Soup

2 Pulled Pork

2 Meatloaf

2 Beef Stew

2 Potato Leek Soup

2 Meatball Sub

From Scratch (15)

Hamburgers

Black Bean Enchiladas

2 Fish

Ham Dinner (never made in September)

Chicken Parmesan

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta

Cabbage rolls (never made in September)

Pile High Fish Sandwich

Black Bean nachos

Cheese steak (town is having a festival however we will save money by eating festival food at home)

Eggplant Parmesan (will make double batch and see if it freeze well)

2 Jambalaya (will make double batch and see if it freeze well)

Halloween Menu?

Re-Make

Ham and Leek Pie

Split Pea Soup

Side-Dish

Rice and Beans

4 Salads

4 Meatloaves

3 Veggie-bean casseroles

Penne-n-vodka

Fried raviolis

Bread Rolls

4 Biscuits

2 Corn muffins

Plus 28 frozen veggies

Dessert

Frozen brownies

Thumbprint cookies

Jell-O/Puddings

Snacks

Pumpkin Muffins

Nuts/Chips/Fruit

Saturday Breakfast

Eggs, sausage and toast

Pork Roll, Egg, Cheese sandwich

Apple Pie Pancakes

Bacon, Tomato, Cheese omelets

Pumpkin Scones

Weekend Lunch

BLT

Egg Salad

Tuna Melts

Grilled Cheese

Chicken Salad

Eat Out/Order In (3)

2 Birthday Dinners

1 Dinner with the Girls