tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31982205606330127762024-03-13T01:09:52.171-07:00Off the County RoadThis is the place where I share my heart, funny things that happen everyday, my passion for photography and healthy recipes that past the family taste test. Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-87076345513573726992015-07-06T10:06:00.001-07:002015-07-06T10:10:00.480-07:00Precious and Stubborn ~ Hello there!<br />
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So last week I came across a great little layout by my friend Tracie. She has a wonderful <a href="http://www.tracieclaiborne.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> that totally inspired me to sit down and create this fun little layout about my daughter's love for babies. <br />
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The pretty pink paper is by Karen Lewis and the camera is by <a href="http://the-lilypad.com/store/One-Little-Bird/" target="_blank">One Little Bird.</a> <br />
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The same day I came across Tracie's fabulous layout, I had a precious memory pop up on my TimeHop app. It's as if the stars aligned and there was nothing I could do but sit down and start putting this page together. As I was searching for the pictures in the black hole I call external hard drives, I started thinking about the first week of our summer and decided to create another page to enforce the whole 'baby' theme. <br />
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I'm happy with how these pages turned out; simple with the focus on the photos and the story. <br />
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Now you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at this sweet girl in these pictures but she is just about the most strong-willed child you will ever meet. I have certainly learned to pick my battles over the years. Just this morning (after a small battle of the wills) I hugged her and told her how much I love her regardless of her stubbornness. Her response..."I get it from both sides." Yes, sweet girl, unfortunately you do. <br />
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Just for the record I am not getting paid to use or share any of the products or links. :)<br />
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-57993506819538044102015-06-14T13:54:00.001-07:002015-06-14T13:54:18.630-07:00An Instagram Photo Book ~ The Perfect GiftI love giving great gifts. I usually rack my brain trying to come up with the perfect gift for family and friends. For the most part I give <em>good</em> gifts; I desire to give <em>great</em> gifts. For years I have made photo books and calendars for my mom and mother-in-law for Christmas. The one year I didn't make the calendar I heard about it all year. My mom was completely lost for 12 months. It made me realize that she really loves that gift. She will get a calendar every year from now on! <br />
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When my kiddos were invited to a birthday party for a friend in my son's 7th grade class, I had just listened to the awesome <a href="http://www.thescrapgals.com/2015/05/episode-70-selfie-show.html" target="_blank">ScrapGals podcast</a> all about selfies. A few days later while browsing Michael's with my daughter, it hit me! An Instagram selfie album would be the perfect give for a 13 year old girl! I found this little 4x4 Becky Higgins two ring binder at Hobby Lobby (because Michael's didn't have it.)<br />
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The album was a huge hit! I'm not sure who was more excited, her receiving the gift or me giving it. The album I'm showing in this blog post is actually the second Instagram album I have made. When I saw how much everyone loved the first one, I decided to make one for my dear friend's daughter 'just because.' After all, sometimes the best gifts are the 'just because' ones. I can't wait to see her face when I hand it to her. :)<br />
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The book contains about 40 4x4 photos, no words, no embelishments, just photos. I used most of her photos from the past year, but not all. The cool thing is there is plenty of room to add more photos if she wants. <br />
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Let's talk about how I printed the pictures. I print most of my pictures at home using my Canon Pixma MG6320 and thought that would be easiest for this project. After taking screen shots of all the Instagram photos and a few failed attempts at printing directly from my camera roll (you will get 4x4's enlarged onto 4x6 photo paper.) I tried using the Becky Higgins Project Life app; this would work if you want to print a 4x4 pic with 2, 2x2's on 4x6 photo paper, but that's not what I needed for this project. So...after taking the screen shot, I used the Diptic app and put the photos in the 4x4 template with a little white border. Next, I exported the photo to my camera roll and emailed it to myself. The last step was opening 4 photos at a time into Photoshop onto an 8.5x11 canvas, resizing and printing. <br />
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This little book turned out just as fabulous as the first one! Hey, there I am on the right ~ We love getting all the girls together for pedicures!<br />
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For the last page I took a screen shot of her Instagram cover page. Neat little capture of how many followers she has and how many she is following. I love her motto ~ <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It's really okay if you don't like me, not everyone has good taste.</span><br />
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In this day and age printed photos are rare. Our photos are being kept behind screens instead of in our hands where they should be. So make someone's day (or year) and share some printed photos ~ they will love it, I promise!<br />
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-73984185275591536682015-06-01T17:09:00.000-07:002015-06-01T17:09:24.706-07:00It's only been a year and a half ~How is it possible that it's been a year and a half since I last posted to my blog. I remember the last time I sat down to write...nothing. I had nothing. I'm not sure why. I'm not sure what was blocking me from writing or sharing but something just didn't feel right. I've spent the past hour reading over my old blog posts. I only have one word ~ thankful ~ I am so thankful I took the time to write the stories and post the pictures. You can bet that most, if not all, of those stories would have been long forgotten had they not been documented on this blog. I will admit one of the hurdles I've faced is that my kids are growing up. I'm aware that they might not appreciate me sharing all the funny (or not so funny) things they do on a daily basis. I'm aware that there must be a shift in my writing; a shift from my writing about the things they do to writing about my perspective as a mom. I will still try to get permission to share some things, especially the funny stuff because in the end that's what I really want to remember. I want to look back and be able to laugh at the funny things we say and do around here.<br />
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I also want to use my little corner of the web to share more of my memory keeping. Scrapbooking has been a huge part of my life for the past 18 years I just haven't found a way to really share my pages. I was a paper scrapper for 11 years before I switched to digital. Learning how to use Photoshop has been a very slow process and that's been fine. When I learn something new, especially computer related stuff, I have to really soak it in. When I sit down at my computer and learn something new I feel a serious rush of adrenaline ~ it's pretty awesome! It's exciting for me to know that no matter how old I get I will always be excited to learn something new.<br />
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I created this page using a Jenn Lindsey template that was in one of The Daily Digi monthly kits. I also used the Happy Day kit by Blagovesta. You can find her over at <a href="http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Blagovesta-Gosheva/" target="_blank">Scrapbook Graphics.</a> I love her designs!<br />
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Oh and not that you would look that closely but we've been in the middle of a little remodel around here for the past forever which would explain why the counter and wall is covered with brown paper and masking tape. I can't wait to share the before and after pics of that little project!<br />
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Have a fabulous day!<br />
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-49756341458376672252013-12-05T09:42:00.000-08:002013-12-05T09:42:58.435-08:00Defeated ~I will warn you...this is a sad story. Not a sad story like someone died or is sick or lost a job or anything like that. Really, in the grand scheme of things this is minor, but this is my reality right now and I'm about ready to give in to defeat.<br />
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This is not like me. I'm usually pretty tenacious. I'm usually up for a challenge, but I started getting sick of<i> this </i>challenge about a week ago...<br />
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It all started when I put the bottom layer of the Christmas tree up and realized we had several lights out. This is usually not a big deal. My mom is a Christmas tree light pro so I grew up learning how to repair, replace, re-whatever the Christmas lights. So K and I went to checking bulbs. After about an hour, we realized we were in for a giant job. We made a trip to town for a few new strands of lights to replace burned out bulbs. (Did you know it's cheaper to buy a strand of lights to use for replacement bulbs than it is to buy the little packets? Did you also know that not all lights are the same and may not fit your strand, but wait I'm getting ahead of myself.) We also made a little side trip to our favorite sushi restaurant. So thankful my girl loves sushi. :)<br />
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We got home (keep in mind we live about 15 miles from the Christmas tree light store) only to realize they were not the right bulbs. So, we took a time out and went and ate steak at a friend's house. First sushi, then steak, I must be doing<i> something</i> right.<br />
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Fast forward to the next day when we go to the local craft store (the same day everyone else in creation also decided to go to the craft store) to buy the right lights. We got <i>back</i> home, continued checking and replacing bulbs only to discover that nothing we were doing was helping to solve the problem. So, I took another time out, posted a few somewhat negative status updates and wallowed in self pity.<br />
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The next day when the mighty hunters got back from the deer lease I tried my best to explain the problems we were having. Of course my Mr. Fixit goes to work only to realize there is no fixing this problem. Every once in a while even<i> he </i>knows when he's been defeated.<br />
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We decided to take the old lights off the tree (the lights that, I'm convinced, were put on by evil elves) and buy new lights for the tree. We really do like our tree. <i>:) </i><br />
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So the next day I took my eldest to town to see Catching Fire (awesome movie btw) and shop for Christmas tree lights. This was the day my pre-teen son decided to start his frugal lifestyle. <strike>We</strike> I was trying to decide which lights I liked best while he was crunching the numbers on his phone's calculator. He chose which lights we needed based on price which were NOT the lights I thought we needed. Needless to say, he was convinced his Dad was going to flip when he saw how much I spent on new lights. You have to understand, at this point I was not concerned about cost point, I just wanted a tree with lights that worked!<br />
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We got home and I went to work taking the %@*^$ lights off the tree. There may or may not have been tears involved. My son may or may not have thought his mom was loosing her mind.<br />
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I finally got the old lights off and the new lights on and even though I really didn't like the new lights I was slightly proud and extremely relieved to have gotten it done. In walked my husband who, after one look at the tree, tells me he doesn't like it and we should just go look for a new tree. To this I said "Good!" because I don't like the lights either! And so what that I just spent two days of my life I will never get back...<br />
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Let's skip a few details and talk about today (right this minute to be exact) I just finished putting the cutest little dome LED lights on the tree we've had for 5 years. I love the lights! They are bright and sparkly and perfect, except...are you ready for this? I looked down and noticed a strand on the very bottom is not working. Defeated.<br />
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Hopefully my wonderful husband can come in and save the day, the tree and Christmas because I'm ready to pull a Krank and just go on a cruise this year!<br />
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-91762715501035423622013-11-25T09:47:00.000-08:002013-11-25T09:47:07.152-08:00The Lazy Days of Winter ~First of all, I know it's not officially winter yet, but there are a few kids, two dogs and 14 pigs around here that would argue with you. We've spent the past two days in the coziness of our home with a fire crackling in the wood burning stove and it's been wonderful. I was thinking about how nice it's been and how lazy we've been and started to wonder where the saying "lazy days of summer" came from. I don't know about you but our summers are packed with fun and very rarely do we sit around being "lazy" but give us a few days of snow on the ground and ice on the roads and we do lazy really well.<br />
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This was Jack's first snow and from what I could tell, he loved it. Don't let the sad puppy dog eyes fool you, he looks like this all the time. :)</div>
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I'm pretty sure if they could talk they would be complaining about the cold. The one on the right is named Thor (we also have a Hulk and an Ironman.) I found Thor in his pin buried under hay; all you could see was a little of his back...smart pig. I woke him up, that 's when he went to discuss the frigid temps with his neighbor, Chester. </div>
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The rest of the day included a snowball fight, being pulled behind the four-wheeler on a disk, frozen fingers, hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows. Here's a little secret...I can't resist a roasted marshmallow and for the next week I'll be detoxing from all the sugar. </div>
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After supper we played several hands of spoons (the Farmer won them all) and a mean game of Farmopoly. K won and ended the game with over $3000!</div>
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-25972900754278782012013-11-22T12:56:00.001-08:002013-11-22T12:56:15.429-08:00New Friends and Tailless Pigs ~<div style="text-align: center;">
Holy mother of icicles it's cold outside. I knew it was going to be cold today but are you ever really ready for that wind chill factor to slap you in the face? I'm not! We left about five minutes early this morning just in case the roads were bad, they weren't but it was still nice getting to school and knowing my kids wouldn't be racing to beat the tardy bell. </div>
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This morning it was my job to feed our show pigs...14 pigs to be exact. Why was it my job you ask? Because my farmer is on a "pig trip." I was very quick to remind him before he left that our pig hotel is full. Our pig quota has been met. We need zero more pigs. Did I mention it's sub-zero outside. Oh I did? Ok. So I pull up to the pig barn and sit in my car for a few minutes wondering if I was going to survive. I took a deep breath and went for it. I honestly think if it weren't for the gloves my fingers would have fallen off. </div>
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Speaking of "falling off," the nice man who carried my groceries out this morning asked me how my morning was going and after I apologized for buying groceries today in turn creating a reason for him to have to be in this frigid weather, I told him my sob story of having to feed 14 pigs. He asked me if I put Vaseline on their tails. Excuse me what? Yes, he says, if a pigs tail gets too cold it will fall off. I'm sorry, but this is where I draw the line. If my kids enter the show ring with tailless pigs, you will know why. :)</div>
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I have to share a picture that as of yesterday is one of my favorites...</div>
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I was standing at the kitchen sink watching K and our new friend M jumping on the trampoline and had a strong urge to grab my camera, not my iPhone camera but the big one that rarely, if ever, gets used anymore. I knew I had to capture this moment. I've been trying to put my finger on why I thought this moment was so important and as of right now I still can't explain it in words that can make you understand why at this very moment my heart was so happy. </div>
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M is new at our school. She's in R's class. I love it when we get new kids at school. I try to force myself out of my shell, meet the new people and make them feel welcome; so when I saw M and her family the night of "Meet the Teacher" I just walked right up and introduced myself. Of course K was right there announcing to the world that it looks like her brother might have a new girlfriend. Yes, embarrassing, but what are little sisters for right? Fast forward a couple of months and I would adopt this girl if I could. She's super sweet to K which goes a long way in my book. She's helped feed and walk our pigs the last two days and helped me make gluten free cornbread...then, get this, she said it was good! I told her mom she is welcome at our house anytime! As far as the whole R has a new girlfriend thing goes...they act more like brother and sister which is just fine. :) </div>
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Back to this picture and that moment...I think it's the smiles. :)</div>
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-43353574627323710732013-11-20T12:07:00.001-08:002013-11-21T06:44:26.991-08:00Wellness Wednesday ~ Chia Seed PuddingI want to share a super easy, extra yummy treat with you today that just happens to also be good for you. Chia Seed Pudding is one of those things that when I made it, I honestly wondered why I had lived all these years on this earth and never had it before. :) From as far back as I can remember one of the simple pleasures in my life has been tapioca pudding. Funny thing is the only time I would eat it was when we went to eat at Furr's Cafeteria. I'm pretty positive I've never made tapioca pudding at home. So when I heard you could make a tapioca-like pudding out of chia seeds and a few more simple ingredients, I though, "Why not."<br />
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All you need to create this bowl of yumminess is 4 ingredients:</div>
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1 1/2 cup Milk (I use raw milk my sister gets for me from a dairy in Dublin, Tx. This milk is heaven in a glass, but that's another post.)</div>
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4 Tbsp Chia Seeds</div>
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2 Tbsp Xylitol</div>
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1 Tbsp Vanilla</div>
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I reuse a 14 fl oz coconut oil jar every time I make this pudding. It's the perfect size for this amount. Once you have all your ingredients in your container give it a good stir and stick it in the fridge; an hour or two later stir it again. The chia seeds will clump together, so the more you stir, the better. </div>
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That's it. After the pudding sits for several hours and the seeds have had a chance to soak up the milk, you'll have a snack or dessert or breakfast you can feel good about feeding your family. </div>
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K loves this pudding. The last batch I made she said, "This is the best chia seed pudding ever!" as if we've been eating it forever when in reality we've only been eating it for about a month. I also have to say I did not create this recipe. I saw it for the first time either on Pinterest or heard about it on a podcast, and have since lost where I found it. I also should tell you the first few times I made this I used chocolate almond milk and made a chocolate pudding. It was good, but the almond milk was burning my stomach so I quit making the pudding until I got my hands on raw dairy and now we're back in the pudding business. :)</div>
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I feel good about K eating this, even for breakfast! It's full of good healthy fats, vitamins and fiber. I sent her a cup of this in her lunch the other day with a slight worry that some of the kids in her class would see it and say something...you know like "that looks gross." Once again I worried for nothing because her pudding totally flew under the radar. :) </div>
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Speaking of kids at school...apparently there's a nasty stomach bug going around and I am in constant prayer mode that my kids don't get it. Here's the prayer I've been repeating in my head for the last 24 hours...Dear Lord, please be with my children and protect them from this nasty stomach bug and forgive me for being selfish and wanting to spend a day with my friends shopping at Holiday Happening. In Jesus' name, Amen. Seriously, Holiday Happening has become a tradition and I will throw the biggest pity party if I don't get to go. Ok, enough of that.</div>
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If you decide to try this recipe, I would love to hear what you think. Also if you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below. If you know someone who might like this recipe you are welcome to share on Facebook. :) </div>
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-19685686178742794032013-11-18T09:58:00.000-08:002013-11-18T09:58:55.463-08:00A Tail of Two Kitties ~<div style="text-align: center;">
If you've been reading my blog for long, you know all about Socks. I've shared some pretty funny stories about this cat. You can read those stories <a href="http://www.offthecountyroad.blogspot.com/2011/09/campout-for-socks.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.offthecountyroad.blogspot.com/2011/04/cat-on-hot-tahoe-roof.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This past Spring Break, after spending the week away, we came home to find him missing. For several days we called his name and hoped and prayed he would turn up but he never did. It's been hard to wonder what happened and to not be able to put closure on our feelings. I miss that cat. </div>
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He was a sweet kitten. We got him when the kids were just 2 and 5. It must have been hard on him being so little with a couple of "lovable" children to play with, but he stuck with us.<br />
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Look at that sweet little face would ya! She has so much love for her animals and Socks was so patient with her.<br />
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This was the last picture I took of Socks. It was taken right before Spring Break on a beautiful winter day. We sat outside under the tree and read books. I got up to go inside for a minute and when I came back Socks had taken my seat. </div>
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Socks was a part of our family for 6 years. He loved us and we loved him. We will always remember our sweet Socks. </div>
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We waited 3 months to get another kitten. Three months doesn't seem like very long when you think about it, but when you live in the country and start seeing mice in your garage you start thinking about getting another cat. A friend of mine who is a physical therapist had a patient with a litter of pretty little calico kittens. I've always wanted a calico. I think they're so pretty. So the same day I saw the mouse, we got a kitten. We named her Patches.</div>
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She was the sweetest little thing and so very pretty. </div>
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She was absolutely NOT going to be a house cat...yeah, ok. Here she is reading a bedtime story. That night we were convinced she was reading along. Every time K would turn the page, Patches would look at the pictures and them rest her eyes on the words. </div>
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When she was about 6 months old I started worrying she might be going to have kittens. She would stay outside during the day and come in at night, so there was that possibility. I started really worrying when I learned young cats sometimes do not make good mothers. The thought of having to get up every two hours to bottle feed kittens did not sound fun nor would it fit into my schedule. So the days went by and Patches kept getting bigger. Finally I decided it was time to announce the wonderful news to the kids, especially K since her dream in life has been to have a cat that has kittens. She was ecstatic to say the least and immediately started playing mother hen to Patches. K didn't want to go to school the next day because she was afraid she would miss the kittens being born. We compromised and I promised her we would take Patches to the vet and have her checked the next day to see if the doc could tell us when the babies would be here. Another reason I wanted to take her to the vet was because she had stopped eating. Her food bowl had not been touched in about 4 days. I was getting worried.</div>
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After school we took Patches to be checked out. The vet took one look at her and told us she was very sick. After taking an x-ray to see if she was going to have kittens we were told the very bad news; there were no kittens just a lot of fluid in her abdomen. He told us more than likely, from all the signs, she had FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) an incurable and fatal disease that affects approximately 1 in 5000 cats. At this time, there is no vaccine or cure for this disease. If you're interested, you can read more about this disease <a href="http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/brochure_ftp.cfm" target="_blank">here.</a> </div>
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Our vet told us our only option was to put her down. Ok, so here I was in the vet's office with my 8 year old daughter who thought her cat was going to have kittens only to find her cat was going to die. This was not a pretty picture. I called Big R to tell him the bad news and through the tears decided we would take her home and love on her for just a little bit longer. </div>
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K was very sad, we all were. We shed more tears over this kitten we only had for 4 months than any of the pets we have lost in the past. Somewhere between the expectation of new life and the fact this kitten was only 7 months old lies the unfairness of it all. I wish you could have witnessed the love and care my daughter gave this cat in her last days with us. And when K questioned what was happening and why, I explained to her (and I truly believe this) that God placed Patches in our family because He knew she would need a little girl to take care of her because He knew Patches was very sick. </div>
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Two days later we knew it was time. I couldn't stand to see her suffer any more. K chose to spend the night with her grandparents. She is a strong little girl, but couldn't bear the thought of putting her precious kitten down. The next day she asked quickly and matter-of-factly about Patches. I told her and that was that. A few weeks later we got the sweetest condolence letter from our vet's office. I read it to Kinley and we both cried again. </div>
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We love our animals and miss them when they are gone. </div>
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-77956807949899666762013-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:002013-11-17T07:10:58.555-08:00A Crazy Busy Week and a Cute Little Ornament ~<b>For the past several weeks the kids have been working super hard getting ready for UIL contest. This whole UIL thing was new to me when 6 years ago R tried out and made the Story Telling Team. In 3rd grade he made the Music Memory team. This was our first experience with Music Memory and definitely his first time listening to and having to memorize classical pieces; all this at the ripe old age of 8. Pretty awesome. What is even more awesome is that he won that event two years in a row. This year he competed in Music Memory and Listening Skills. He didn't place in Music Memory, but I told him someday he's going to be able to impress a girl with his knowledge of classical music. This is where I got the eye roll and the "Whatever Mom," :) He placed 3rd in listening skills which makes me very happy to know he CAN hear.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>K placed 6th in Music Memory and competed in Oral Reading for the third time in four years. She won her kinder year with </b><b>"<a href="http://www.poetry4kids.com/modules.php?name=Poems&file=index&poemid=82#.UoaXWhqsiHY" target="_blank">Our Mother's At A Meeting</a>," </b><b>a wonderful poem by Kenn Nesbitt. It was a really long poem for a 5 year old and she did a great job with it. Last year she got 2nd place with "Lemonade Stand" by Dave Crawley and on Thursday she won 1st place with "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Polly-Pea-Laurie-Young/dp/1581175582" target="_blank">Princess Polly and the Pea</a>" by Laurie Young. She read the poem in a British accent with several different voices throughout. It amazes me that she can stand in front of judges and do this; not only judges but the entire elementary school. The oral readers have been practicing in front of all the different classes for the last few weeks; needless to say she's sick of this poem. All the grandparents want to hear her read it...I'm thinking there's going to have to be money involved to get her to do it again. :)</b><br />
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<b>So yesterday I attended a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting. Several weeks ago a friend of mine asked if I might be interested in being a mentor mom at their MOPS group. I was very honored to be asked and only for a second allowed this to make me feel old. I remember what it's like to have preschool age children. I remember thinking K would never start school now all of a sudden she's a 3rd grader. It's so hard to realize it when you're in the middle of messes and diapers and nap time, but time does fly by. I hope I can be there for a tired mommy, if just to listen and then pray.</b><br />
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<b>We made a super cute craft yesterday. I'm sure this is one that has been floating around Pinterest for a while but it was totally new to me.</b><br />
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<b>The mom in charge of getting all the supplies together for this precious ornament created the buttons, coal eyes and carrot noses out of Sculpey clay ahead of time. How cute is that teeny little carrot nose? You can't see it but the buttons actually have tiny little button holes. So cute! The snow is salt with a little sprinkle of glitter to add just the right amount of sparkle. The scarf is a little strip of felt. I love this and can't wait to get my tree up so I can place this little melted snowman in just the right spot. </b><br />
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<b>A little funny ~ the night before this meeting K touched my stomach and asked me if I could still have a baby if I wanted to. I told her I guess I could. She said she wanted me to have a baby (this is a recurring conversation btw) and then told me I could still have one because she was only 8 and she was still young enough to have a baby brother or sister. The next morning as I sat across the table from a mommy with a precious 7 week old baby boy. I felt that familiar tug at my heart. If you're a mom you know. That feeling of knowing what it is to hold a new life and also realizing that your turn is over and for a split second wondering if maybe, just maybe it isn't too late...</b><br />
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-24322632972307019312013-11-12T12:14:00.000-08:002013-11-12T12:14:21.143-08:00Paleo Pumpkin Bread ~I wonder how many bloggers out there take a year long break...<br />
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I've gone from making this blog private to public to private and back to public again.<br />
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I struggle with sharing my thoughts with the world as opposed to locking them up tight.<br />
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My Dad likes to tell this joke..."I'm a wigwam, I'm a tepee, I'm a wigwam, I'm a tepee. Relax man you're too tense (two tents.)" That's me. Too tense and wishy washy about my blog, but lately I have felt a real pull back to the words and the pictures and the thoughts. I've sat down several times and read old posts and have been so glad I got it all down. So many things I've written about would have been forgotten if not for this blog. So, for now, I'm back. I think. No seriously, I'm back...really I am.<br />
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Ready for an amazing Paleo Pumpkin Bread recipe? I posted a picture of this on my FB page the other day and several people asked for the recipe so I thought what better way to bring my blog out of hibernation than with this scrumptious treat.<br />
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1 Cup blanched Almond Flour (I use the Honeyville Farms brand)</div>
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1/4 tsp Sea Salt</div>
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1/2 tsp Baking Soda</div>
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1 Tbsp Cinnamon</div>
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1 tsp Pumpkin Spice</div>
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1/2 tsp Cloves</div>
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1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin</div>
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1 tsp Vanilla (I use the Danncy brand, it's so good!)</div>
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4 Tbsp Honey</div>
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3 Lg Eggs</div>
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In a food processor combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.</div>
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Add pumpkin, vanilla, honey and eggs and pulse for 2 minutes.</div>
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Spray pans with nonstick spray (I use coconut oil spray)</div>
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Scoop batter in to two mini loaf pans (mine measure 3 1/2" x 6")</div>
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Bake at 350 for 35 - 45 minutes</div>
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Cool for 1 hour</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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K and I were wanting to bake something the other day and with it being "pumpkin everything" season we decided we would try to find a gluten free recipe for pumpkin bread. Ok, <i style="font-weight: bold;">I</i> decided we would find a gluten free pumpkin bread recipe. She just wanted to make something. :) So I came across Elana's Pantry a site with too many wonderful gluten free recipes to count. We didn't follow the directions (I never do ~ maybe that's why I've had some messes in the kitchen...hmmm?) Anyway, the above recipe is how I made the bread. You can find the original recipe <a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-pumpkin-bread/" target="_blank">here</a></div>
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Let me know if you try this bread and what you think.</div>
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-19699182416033091582012-12-04T18:50:00.000-08:002012-12-04T18:50:49.335-08:00A Little Christmas Concert ~<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our school had it's annual Christmas concert tonight and R had his first. I was a "band nerd" back in the day and it was pretty neat to see him up there on stage with his baritone...brought back a few memories. I hope both my kids like band. There's something cool about a group of kids coming together and working towards a common goal. It's alot of hard work, but it's all worth it when you walk on the field at the State Marching Contest or earn top honors at Concert Contest.<br />
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At this point I don't know if band is "his thing" but I do know band is required through 8th grade, so we at least have a few more years of these concerts to enjoy. :)<br />
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-52800354475986350402012-12-03T18:45:00.000-08:002012-12-03T18:45:03.268-08:00First Grapefruit of the Season ~<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've been following my blog for a while you might have read <a href="http://offthecountyroad.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-do-we-love-you-let-us-count-ways.html" target="_blank">this post</a> about our love of grapefruits. For months the kids have been asking if it's grapefruit season yet. Well, today was an exciting day in our house. The kids were so happy to discover grapefruits on the kitchen counter. I only bought a few because I didn't know how good they were going to be. They were delicious! Now we get to wait patiently for our annual box(es) of grapefruits from the Jr class at our nieces' school. Those are the best!<br />
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I was an adult before I knew how to properly eat a grapefruit. For most of my life I used a grapefruit knife and painstakingly cut each little bite out of it's little segment...thanks to my sister I know how to eat a grapefruit the way God intended them to be eaten. First cut the ends off, next carve the rind off, then carefully cut each segment out. I'm pretty sure these instructions are as clear as mud, so if I were you and were really interested in this, I would just Google it!<br />
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-32901438979787138282012-12-02T18:00:00.001-08:002012-12-03T18:45:29.811-08:00Little Red ~Day 2 of my month long photo project ~ the subject...our Elf on a Shelf; Little Red. I swore when I first found out about this idea of an elf coming in from the North Pole to spy on my children and then report back to Santa, I would not fall prey to another marketing ploy to get me to go out and spend money. Fast forward about 5 years and what did the brilliant marketing people do? That's right. They made a movie about this cute little elf. We watched the movie and then the next day (and I'm not kidding, it was the very next day) I found myself shelling out the dough for this little guy.<br />
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I will admit it's been fun. Little Red has been a very simple addition to our family traditions. He's a low key elf and pretty much just relocates himself every night without much fanfare. He doesn't get into mischief and could care less about making flour angels or spelling out names with Cheerios like I've seen some of his fellow elf friends doing online. He simply does his job. And by doing his job I mean just his presence in the house has worked wonders in getting K out of bed every morning. There have been a few times he has forgotten to find a new hiding spot, but somehow manages to move before the kids wake up. It really is amazing. ;)Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-86625657861019257612012-12-01T15:01:00.000-08:002012-12-03T18:45:50.756-08:00Days of December<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is day 1 of my "Days of December" photo project I've decided to do this year. Every day I will take an Instagram pic and post it to my blog; at the end of the month I will have a pretty cool photo journal of all the highlights of the month. This seems like something I can keep up with during the busy days of the last month of the year.<br />
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This is a photo of our church. Today I participated in our monthly prayer vigil, had choir practice and a Christmas fellowship with the choir. My name was even drawn out of the basket for a door prize. I chose this really neat little wreath made out of a wire hanger with Tootsie Rolls tied all over it. By the looks of the wreath it took the crafter nearly forever to make it. :)<br />
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Oh and I have to say how happy I am that my kiddos talked me in to getting all the Christmas decorations out the day before Thanksgiving. This is something I've never done before, but something I will for sure do again in the future. I love that our home is ready for Christmas and I can focus on what really matters...making memories with my family.<br />
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Here's to a holly jolly Christmas...it really is the best time of the year!Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-49311275761037978192012-11-06T08:01:00.000-08:002012-11-06T08:01:56.080-08:00I'm Back ~Ok, so this may sound a little nuts, but I've been sad since "shutting down" my blog. It was a little like leaving a friend behind. I seriously thought about starting a new one, but after thinking about all the time I've spent on this one and all the words I've shared, it didn't seem like the thing to do. So, I did a little Blogger research and found out that as long as I ignore those pesky little sites they will go away. I'm willing to try it and see what happens. If you follow my blog, you might find it's going to be a little different in the future. I'm not going to say how though; maybe it will be so subtle you won't even notice. :)<br />
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Now on with the show...<br />
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I was catching up on blogs in my reader this morning and while reading <a href="http://scrapbooklady.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Katie's blog</a> I came across a site I've been meaning to check out. <a href="http://logyourmemory.com/2012/11/05/something-to-jot-about-daylight-savings-time/" target="_blank">Log Your Memory</a> is a journaling site that gives you prompts on fun things to journal about. I. Love. This. There are times (believe it or not) that I really have no idea what to journal or blog about. Today's fun little topic is all about the time change that happened over the weekend...<br />
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I love this time change. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who will think I'm crazy for saying that. I mean what is fun about less daylight? There are many reasons why I love it, but number one is I think my body rebels against the whole Spring Forward thing. My internal clock never really seems to catch on to that and when we Fall Back I feel like I'm back to my old self. Number 2: as a mom it's really hard to get my kids to bed at a decent hour when it's still light outside. At the end of the summer I put black out curtains on their windows, and it has helped, but when they know it's still light outside and they could still be outside playing it's hard to wind them down. Number 3: I love love love dark cold winter nights with the fire going when we're all cozy in the house. It makes me happy.<br />
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So there you have it. A little bit of the quirky me. Oh and in keeping up with all the gratefulness that's going around these days...I'm really grateful that my farmer knows how to set the clock on my stove. It's the little things. :)Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-52365242946234733412012-10-22T10:59:00.001-07:002012-10-22T10:59:49.213-07:00Cooking Breakfast ~I was standing at the stove this morning cooking a nice hot breakfast so my family could start the day off in the right way when I found myself thinking about my grandmother. As I was thinking about her and all the many breakfasts she prepared in her life I realized something: I think about my grandmother alot while I'm cooking breakfast. Maybe it's because she cooked a hot breakfast every day without fail for her growing family of 9 for most of her adult life and then for just herself and my granddad in their later years. Never a day went by that she didn't put a large breakfast on the table. When we were visiting, I would always be woken by the sound of her in the kitchen. There was comfort in those sounds...we always sat down at the table in the dining room and ate a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, jelly and juice. I can remember it like it was yesterday. She rarely sat down to feed herself; she was too busy waiting on everyone else (mainly my granddad.) :) My grandmother was the best cook; she could make a simple country breakfast seem like a gourmet meal. Not sure how she did it. My breakfasts are made up of the same items, but somehow aren't exactly like hers. Read <a href="http://offthecountyroad.blogspot.com/2012/06/its-love-thats-in-it.html" target="_blank">this post</a> to find out what I think made her cooking so special.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandmother posing in front of what we call "The Rock House."<br /></td></tr>
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I'm guessing this picture was taken in the mid to late 30's. My mom is the youngest of 7 kids and she was born in 1947; she lived in this house until they moved to town when she was 4. I love this picture. They must have been going some place special because I'm almost positive with that many kids running around she didn't dress like that everyday.<br />
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Looking back, life seems like it was alot simpler than it is now. I often long for those "simpler" days. I know they weren't simpler; they were alot harder. I guess what I long for is the innocence people had back then. It seems there was not near as much tragedy and sadness on a grand scale as there is today.<br />
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I wish I had interviewed my grandmother and written things down. I did write down alot of her recipes although it was a little difficult because she never used measurements. :) I love to look through my recipe box and find the ones she shared with me. I'm pretty sure no matter how many times I try, my chocolate meringue pie will never taste exactly like hers.<br />
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My grandmother was also a farmer's wife. She knew what it meant to have to feed a hungry crew in the field. Her meals were totally different than the meals I prepare. She would make a sit down meal complete with plates, utensils (not plastic btw,) sweet tea, homemade banana pudding and a card table to spread all the food on. My granddad and whoever he had helping him would stop what they were doing and take a few minutes to eat. Our guys eat on the go, so I have to prepare food that can be wrapped in foil and eaten one handed. :)<br />
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This picture was taken on my grandmother's front porch the day we had to say goodbye in February 2006. I remember playing on this porch as a child. The pillar we're sitting on was alot taller back then. my cousins, my sister and I would make the best mud pies with little red berries added for decoration and after a rain we would collect tadpoles from the miniature pond at the corner of the intersection. So many good memories of time spent with family in that old house on 6th Street.<br />
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I miss my grandmother. I miss that house. I miss how she used to greet us when we pulled into the drive after the four hours it took to get there. I miss how she would wave goodbye when we left...she would keep waving until we were out of her sight.<br />
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I know I will see her sweet face again; until that day I will keep cooking those hot breakfasts with all the love I can and maybe someday they'll taste like hers.<br />
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-85360174610720759432012-10-21T09:20:00.003-07:002012-10-21T09:23:24.378-07:00Harvest Time ~<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One day last week the kids got out of school at noon; just in time to take their daddy lunch in the field. This is a very exciting time of year for the kids. They <i>love</i> going to the field; I mean who wouldn't love being around all that large and loud equipment with dirt and debris flying around everywhere? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have been blessed to have a couple of guys who have worked for us for the past several years. They work hard, love on our animals and watch out for our kids ~ they're awesome. Here is one of them bringing a load of cotton in the boll buggy to dump into the module builder. R's favorite thing to do is help build modules. It really bugs him when his daddy is not running the module builder and he's not able to help. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's K helping to pick up cotton and throw it back in the module builder. She certainly doesn't mind a little dirt; in fact, the dirtier the better. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pulling of the module and making sure the tarp lines up...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My farmer tying down the tarp. Let's talk about cotton modules for a second. When I was growing up, I used to see these giant rectangles of cotton in the fields and wonder how the heck they didn't just fall apart. I had no idea how they were made so I didn't know how rock solid they were. I remember my dad telling me if a car were to crash into one of these monsters it would total the car. I've never tested this theory, but I'm pretty sure he's right. Hey, I think I just had an idea for a segment on Myth Busters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's R running to stop the tractor after pulling off the module. The tractor is set to a slow roll (and unmanned) while the module builder pulls off the module. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Out here in the country, we call this "strippin'."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The cotton stripper dumps all that fluffy white stuff into the boll buggy. It takes about 7 of these big ol' baskets to make a module.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So there you go; a quick little lesson in cotton harvesting in case you aren't blessed to live in cotton country. I'm on my way out the door right now to pick up lunch for all those hungry men in the field. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Harvest ~</span>Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-90068080056492967212012-10-18T09:27:00.000-07:002012-10-18T09:27:14.893-07:00A Few Fun (and easy) Fall Crafts ~I'm not sure any of you have noticed, but I did something I haven't done since I started my blog; I deleted a post. I've noticed over the last month or so my blog has taken on somewhat of a negative voice. This is unacceptable. Sure, I've always said I don't want everyone to think my life is perfect. If you know me, you know that is just not the case. However, I also do not want my corner of the world wide web to morph into a place where I just go to gripe. We all lead super busy lives and if you happen to take a few minutes out of your day to read my words, the last thing I want to be responsible for is leaving a sour taste in your mouth. You can just watch the news for that. Lol! Anyway, let's move on to something a little more fun...<br />
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A few weekends ago the boys went one way (to a pig sale) and us girls went in the opposite direction (a craft show.) It took a little convincing but once we got there K had a blast. Of course she wanted everything she saw and I got a few ideas for Christmas. The hit of the show was the lady selling her instant coffee mixes and fudge. We had so much fun tasting all the wonderful flavors. If there is one thing I've taught my kids it's to love the comfort of a hot beverage. :) I'm pretty sure K tasted the equivalent of a Starbuck's Venti and I ended up making a dent in my Christmas list. Yes, some of you may be getting flavored coffees for Christmas. :)<br />
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On our way home we decided we would get our fall decorations out...K thought we needed to purchase more (because more is always better right.) I decided what we have is perfect. Once we had the walls and tables adorned with pumpkins and the fall garland in it's place, we raided my scrapbook supplies and got crafty. K wanted to make some spiders and I decided we would make a candy corn garland.<br />
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Her spiders turned out super cute and are currently placed all over the house. The candy corn garland is hanging on the windows that separate the sun room and dining room. I decided to make them two sided since you would be able to see them from both rooms. I pin stitched around the edges with a Sharpie pen and then added the year to the first candy corn. K suggested this and I thought it was great idea; every year we hang the garland we can add the year to the next piece. The wood pieces were handcrafted by me, my dad, mom and sister the year before I was married. We had so much fun crafting that fall. Every year when I get these decorations out, I'm reminded of those special times. That's why I know my kids will remember the time spent together coloring, gluing, cutting and making messes.<br />
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So, if you haven't done so already, get your fall decorations out! If you don't have any, go buy a pumpkin or get out your scissors and make a candy corn garland. It really is alot of fun!<br />
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Happy Fall Y'all ~<br />
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-67608323260452575312012-10-03T08:59:00.003-07:002012-10-03T09:00:08.025-07:0030 Bags in 30 Days ~A few weeks ago my sister asked if I wanted to join a group on Facebook; the goal of the group: decluttering. I said sure! I love to get rid of stuff! I get rid of clutter constantly around here. Clutter makes me crazy and drains me of my creative flow. So when I joined the group I didn't really think I had that much to get rid of because like I said, I'm always in the process of getting rid of stuff.<br />
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A crazy thing happened a few days before the challenge began (on Oct 1st) I started noticing drawers that wouldn't close. I started thinking that maybe I could benefit more from this challenge that I thought. And then I started thinking that if I went through a major purge around here our home would be ready for the holidays. Score!!<br />
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I've already made a trip to Goodwill and have two more bags ready to go...then yesterday I hit a road block.<br />
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I decided I would go through "the drawer." You know the one. The one that gets something added to it every time you walk by it. Before the day was over our king size bed was covered with piles of papers, pictures, receipts, little toys, birthday cards, thank you cards, report cards, broken pieces of who knows what...you name it, it was in the drawer. Not only was the bed covered, but the dresser was piled up as well. I told my sister that out of the entire house and all that needs to be decluttered this drawer was going to be the hardest thing to tackle.<br />
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I thought you would benefit from a visual (a grainy picture taken with my substandard phone camera because I didn't want to have to download from my real one.) Please take note of the pacifier on the bottom left of the photo. Yes, that was in the drawer along with a Christmas ornament, a ball of yarn and several pieces of canvas artwork. I really have no idea how all that got in there. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who has been using that drawer as a catch all.<br />
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Let's move away from the problem and look towards the solution...I took a scrapbooking class at <a href="https://www.bigpictureclasses.com/" target="_blank">Big Picture Classes</a> several years ago. The one thing I took away from the class is how to organize your kids' school papers. R and K both have plastic file boxes with files for each grade, so as I sort papers (from the last 3 years thank you very much) I'm filing them away. That's the easy part. I'm stuck with what to do with all the other little odd bits; that's why I'm blogging right now. :)<br />
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Here's the file boxes. Nothing fancy, but they do the trick (when used correctly.)<br />
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Now back to all the other stuff. I have no idea. I wish I could wiggle my nose and it all be gone. The inner hoarder (I think there's one in all of us) wants to get a plastic tote and with one swipe of the hand it all be neatly stored away in our storage building, but I know someday I will have to deal with it so that's not an option for me. I'm just going to have to suck it up and muddle through. I will be checking in with my FB group from time to time to get cyber support and inspiration.<br />
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Why, you might be asking yourself, would I share such an embarrassing picture of clutter on my dresser? Well, you know I'm all about keepin' it real and 99.99% of the time the top of that dresser is clean. I guess you could say that picture is the storm before the calm...or whatever. :)<br />
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Ok, I'm about to hit the publish button and get back to work...have a happy day. :)Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-20698145982401563582012-09-28T08:16:00.000-07:002012-09-28T08:16:58.524-07:00Out Of The Blue Clear Sky ~<div style="text-align: center;">
You swear you've had enough,</div>
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you're ready to give up </div>
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on that little lie they call love,</div>
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then out of the blue clear sky.</div>
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Fallin' right into your hand</div>
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like rain on the desert sand,</div>
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it's the last thing you had planned,</div>
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out of the blue clear sky.</div>
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Here she comes a walkin' talkin' true love</div>
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Sayin' I've been lookin' for you love</div>
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Surprise your new love has arrived </div>
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Out of the blue clear sky.</div>
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Ain't love a funny thing,</div>
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one day you're givin' up the dream,</div>
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and the next you're pickin' out a ring</div>
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out of the blue clear sky.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><i>by the Great George Strait</i></span></div>
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Ahh George...what can I say that hasn't already been said. He's a legend. So when I heard he was going to be in concert in January, I shrugged and thought, we've already seen him in concert three times and there will always be others. Well, Tuesday I found out, as all of you probably know, this will be his Farewell Tour...hence the name "The Cowboy Rides Away Tour." Just the name of the tour makes me want to grab a tissue. </div>
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George and I go way back; all the way back to 6th grade to be exact. I actually remember the first time George flew by my radar. It was 1984, I was 12 and at a slumber party with a bunch of girls going gaga for this young man wearing Wranglers and a cowboy hat. I know I had heard his music before because all we listened to was country, but this was the first time I recognized him as the <strike>good looking heartthrob</strike> talent that he was. :) I remember standing in the hallway at my grandmother's house when we heard George's daughter had been killed in a car accident. His daughter and I were close in age; my heart broke for his family. "Baby Blue" will go down in history as my favorite George song. I could go on and on. We found out our county stock show is the week after the concert and the concert is on a Friday night, so guess what? We're going. All four of us. This is country music history people and we're going to be a part of it!<br />
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So, why the song at the top of the post? This song is special, but I didn't remember how special until we were heading to school yesterday and it came on the radio. As the song took me back 16 years, I got to tell the kids all about it...this song was released in April 1996 just one month after R and I went out on our first date and they were still playing it on the radio that September when cupid finally <a href="http://offthecountyroad.blogspot.com/2012/09/you-had-me-at-hello.html" target="_blank">hit me with his arrow.</a> We all have songs that we feel are written just for us; this one was written for me. I'm not saying I had given up on love completely, but I was definitely taking a break from the dating scene when R came along ~ and George was right there singing all about it. :) I'll see you in January George and I will have a few tissues in my pocket just in case.<br />
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Our school library is having a fun little contest where the kids bring a picture of themselves in their favorite reading spot.<br />
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Here's K's favorite reading spot; with a friend way up high in a tree.<br />
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And here's R's. This picture is for real. He really can read while on his Ripstick. The first time he did this I was totally amazed. The kid has more coordination in his little finger that I have in my entire body. I tried riding this thing while holding on to the side of the Tahoe and couldn't do it. Somebody should video me trying to ride the Ripstick...I bet it would go viral. :)<br />
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That's it for today. I'm hoping to have some more recipes and cool blogs to share with you next week.<br />
Have an awesome Friday and fabulous weekend!</div>
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-51284267927037558012012-09-26T08:20:00.000-07:002012-09-26T08:24:58.747-07:00More Than a Few Things That Drive Me Crazy ~Most mornings I wake up in a great mood. This morning was no different; I woke up, worked out, fixed breakfast, woke the kids, and aside from K being exhausted and crying that she didn't want to go to school, all was right with the world. And then I started thinking about a conversation we had last night on our way home from football practice. The kids were talking about the tacos they had in the cafeteria that day and how they didn't have much taco meat on them and no cheese. K said she could see the container of cheese when she went through the line, but they weren't putting cheese on the tacos. Then R chimed in and said he heard the cafeteria ladies talking about how with all the new "laws" that Michelle Obama had put in place they couldn't put cheese on the tacos. What the heck!?! If you know me at all, you have to know my blood was boiling at this point of the conversation. I put in my two cents, we got home, ate supper and went to bed not really thinking much else about Taco Tuesday...until this morning when K asked for the millionth time if she could buy a PopTart at lunch. For the millionth time I said, "No." What is wrong with the world when the cafeteria ladies can't even serve a taco the way God intended a taco to be served but they can sell the kids PopTarts to "raise money" for the cafeteria? I just don't get it. If I were on a health rant right now I would talk about how the kids brains need fat to function and fat is not the problem here and how not putting cheese on a taco is not going to solve the child obesity epidemic. The problem is all the crappy whole grains and sugar laden foods our kids are being fed. Oh and have I mentioned how they've cut sodium out of our kids' diets as well? And did you know that sodium and iodine are necessary nutrients for our bodies to function properly? His lack of sodium at school may just well be the reason why R can come home after a long day of learning and eat a half a jar of pickles. <br />
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Are you ready for the next gripe? Self flushing toilets. That's right, those stupid toilets that think they know when you're finished and flush when you least expect it. This morning I went to the restroom with K before school and that psychotic toilet flushed 6 times before we got out of there. We are in a drought. There are people whose lawns are dead and we have toilets that are flushing willie nillie all over the place. It makes me crazy!<br />
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This may or may not be the last gripe. It's my blog and I'll gripe if I want to, gripe if I want to... :) Ok, so I have friends who like to give me a hard time about my obsession with health and wellness. I have friends who, whether they know it or not, hold me accountable and keep me walking the walk. I'm fine with my friends poking fun and telling me the cake I eat at parties is not gluten free. I'm not sure why gluten has become the butt of all jokes, but it has. I would apologize to gluten but I hate it, so I won't. :) This gripe is not about my close friends making fun of me. No, this gripe is about people who make fun of me behind my back in rather disgusting ways never expecting that I will find out. Oh, yeah, I found out and if you happen to be reading this you might want to beat me to the punch and delete me from your FB friends list. Just sayin'<br />
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So...I think I'm done. That's it. I'm really hoping after hitting the publish button I can get on with my day with a better attitude. My house needs a good cleaning; maybe that'll do it.<br />
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-6154063247709779072012-09-24T11:54:00.000-07:002012-09-24T11:57:10.974-07:00I Must Be a Little Crazy ~So I have to tell you about the crazy thing I did on Friday. As I was typing my blog post on Friday, K's teacher sent me and a few other moms pictures of all the girls in class dressed up for 80's day. They all looked so cute and very sassy! :) So, as we're texting back and forth about the girls, one of the moms says, "I think us mothers should show up in 80's style." Then K's teacher said something that really got the ball rolling...she said, "I dare you!!" At first it was just a little joke about how funny it would be and how the girls would die if we showed up at the school looking all 80's. I even joked about how I would do it if my parachute pants still fit (which I do still have, but they do not fit so I was safe, or so I thought.)<br />
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Somewhere between thinking it would be funny, being dared to do it and picturing myself in parachute pants, I told them I was in.<br />
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I'm not sure if you've ever seen the Disney sitcom <u>Good Luck Charlie</u>, but it's one of my favorite Disney shows. Of course Charlie is precious but it's really the mom who makes the show. I love her and have joked with my kids several times about how she's my role model. :) She's forever embarrassing her kids; so when I started considering this whole 80's thing I actually thought, "What would Amy Duncan do?"<br />
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A few hours later I found myself back in the 80's, music and all. There's nothing like a little 80's music to really put you in the right frame of mind. :) Luckily my mom let me borrow her super heavy duty hairspray for K's hair otherwise I might not have been able to pull it off. (What's funny is aside from the big hair, I really never dressed like this back in the day.)<br />
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I wish I had a video of the moment we walked into that classroom. It was hysterical. All the kids were screaming and laughing. K said she actually had tears coming out of her eyes. It was awesome! So worth taking a step outside of myself to have this moment with her; a moment I'm pretty sure she will never forget.Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-10490905014486681262012-09-21T08:26:00.000-07:002012-09-21T08:26:34.277-07:00Flashback Friday ~Yea! It's Friday. Pep Rally day. Football day. And yes, it's the day I get to relive a bit of my youth. I know I'm not the only one out there who <strike>thinks</strike> knows the 80's rocked, right? I mean what's not to love about that decade? Big hair, the best music ever, and a fashion trend that rivals the best in fashion trends. Ok, so when I found out that K's class would be representing the 80's today at the homecoming pep rally I got a little excited! And yes, I might have gone a little overboard at the accessory shop, but 80's fashion is in right now and it was everywhere. I had her try on her outfit last night. Big mistake. She refused to change back to "regular" clothes and insisted on going to football practice dressed as Madonna/Cindy Lauper/Valley girl...take your pick. You've heard that saying, "The clothes make the girl." I've never really fallen for that, but the clothes K had on last night definitely made her into someone I had never seen before. It was pretty funny.<br />
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I'm pretty sure I was having vague recollections of this whole big side pony tail thing for a reason. Sure enough, it didn't take long for me to find one of my big hair pics.<br />
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Now that is some big hair...I could've hurt someone with that mop!<br />
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So, there you are. I hope this post made you smile, if not laugh out loud. I can guarantee my next post will have you rolling in the floor. Stay tuned...<br />
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<br />Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-2713838938676082232012-09-20T07:48:00.000-07:002012-09-20T07:48:06.392-07:00Her Hero ~We're nearing the end of Spirit Week and today is Hero Day. As I said yesterday, K wanted to dress up like her daddy. It was touch and go there for a minute about 6:50 this morning. I thought I was going to have to come up with another blog post idea because she changed her mind about 5 times whether she was dressing up today. It's really funny how my kids are so different; all I have to do to wake R up in the mornings is turn on the light and sweetly say, "It's time to get up." He literally rolls out of bed no problem; K on the other hand is a little bear. No matter how gently and sweetly I try to rouse her from her slumber, she growls at me. This morning was no different...<br />
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She finally managed to get dressed and then complained for 10 minutes because she looked like a boy. "Well," I said, "you're supposed to look like a boy because Daddy is a boy." :) Once we finally got the gin cap on her head and the bandanna in her pocket she was warming up to the look.<br />
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We found an empty can of snuff in R's truck this morning, but didn't think that would go over too well. This is totally off the subject (but not really;) several weeks ago K and I were watching Toddlers and Tiaras. We never watch this show. My beauty queen is sassy enough without the help of that show thank you very much. Anyway, I agreed to watch it with her knowing I would turn the channel at the slightest hint of a sassy mouth (from the pageant girls not her.) So the theme was The 50's and one mom was dressing her daughter up like Sandy from Grease; for the finale this four year old comes out in tight leather pants, tight off the shoulder shirt with a fake cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Are you kidding me!?! Not only that, the mom reminded her to smoke before she went out on stage. K was about as shocked as I was and the judges were speechless. To this day K is still talking about that little girl pretending to smoke. So...I'm pretty sure snuff (even an empty can) would NOT have been a good idea.<br />
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Back to the Homecoming festivities. Tomorrow is Spirit Day and all we have to do is wear our normal Friday attire; green and black. Oh yea, and we have to fix K's hair like the 80's which me reminds me I need to buy extra stiff hairspray today. I'm looking forward to hanging out with friends at the Jr. Supper and then the football game. I'm excited about the Jr. class silent auction. I donated a few soldered Eagle Football charms and I will also be painting one lucky bidder a pair of Toms. So if you read this and you're in my neck of the woods, go bid high and support our Jr class!<br />
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A flashback to the 80's will be in store for tomorrow...see you then.Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198220560633012776.post-72481955619140897242012-09-19T09:35:00.001-07:002012-09-19T09:35:07.449-07:00The Pictures I Promised and Another Success in the Kitchen ~I've decided that everyday needs to be dress-up day. Yes, I have totally reversed my attitude since yesterday. Nothing gets my kids up and going in the morning faster that a good dress-up day and who knew my 5th grader would get into this whole spirit week. I'm glad. Sometimes he's a little too serious. A little too worried about what other people think. It's good to let loose and dress like an old person every once in a while. :) R dressed like Pappy today. This is a compliment and an insult all at the same time. On the one hand he thinks enough of his Pappy to want to dress like him, on the other hand he's saying Pappy's old...sorry Dad.<br />
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My dad wears a fishing hat every day of his life even though he doesn't fish, wears boots and glasses and always carries a pen in his pocket. K told R he needs to walk around with a book today because Pappy likes to read. :)<br />
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K looked precious as an old person complete with horned rimmed glasses, pearls, a shawl, a bun sprayed gray and her great great granddad's cane. I think my mom was a little nervous letting us borrow it, but I promised it would be returned safe and sound.<br />
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This picture makes me smile...<br />
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A chip off the old block. They really are alot alike.<br />
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Ok, so let's change the subject. If you've read many of my posts, you know I'm a bit of a health nut. I'm always on a quest to find a healthier version of foods my kids love. Well, several weeks ago I placed an order with a gluten free baking company called <a href="http://www.whitelionbakingco.com/" target="_blank">White Lion Baking Co.</a> I ordered their cookie sampler pack, a pumpkin muffin mix which I haven't tried yet and the biscuit mix I made this morning. I woke up this morning knowing it would be hectic what with all the putting together a Pappy costume at the last minute and all. I had every intention of popping some canned biscuits in the oven and calling it good. But you know what I did? I read the ingredients on the label of biscuits on my way to the oven, did a 180 and went to plan B. This is somewhat of a curse, but knowing what I know I cannot in good conscience feed my children crap anymore. Some days they hate me for this, but I can't help it. I went to the fridge grabbed the biscuit mix from White Lion and made homemade biscuits, bacon and eggs for breakfast. Here's where it gets good...the kids loved them. R ate three of them with honey.<br />
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I'm pretty sure I can duplicate the mix because all that's in there is almond flour and baking soda. I'll be working on my own version of this biscuit and will share it soon!<br />
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Oh, and tomorrow's Hero Day...K wants to be her daddy (I love that) and R said jokingly that he wanted to be Spiderman. :) Whatever he decides, you can bet I'll be posting pics.Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07051306947872891537noreply@blogger.com0