Could you survive another great depression?

You Are 68% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression

Even though you may not be expecting the worst, you're the type of person who prepares for the worst. You live a relatively modest life. You don't overspend, and you aren't very materialistic. You are also quite self sufficient and independent. You have many useful skills. You can take care of yourself and those you love... which is crucial to surviving another Great Depression.

Could You Survive Another Great Depression?

Snow what fun!

We had just enough snow the other day for the kids to enjoy! (and for mom to get some pictures!)

Speaking of "good" pictures...

I had to laugh this morning when I saw this on Dalayna's blog
Why? Because it brought back memories of Valentines day 2006 when I wanted some cute pictures of my Sweet little Valentine. Right. She had other ideas! At least I can look at them and laugh!

Soup's On!

In honor of the COLD weather, I made soup for lunch. Not that there's anything else appropriate for weather this cold - it finally warmed up to 1*F a little after noon!
This is my all time favorite soup. It originated from a Taste of Home recipe, but I changed a bunch of things so I think I can call it my own creation now!
All measurements are approximate!


Sausage Potato Soup

1 lb. Smoked Sausage, diced
4 Red potatoes - scrubbed and diced
2 C. Frozen Corn
3-4C. Frozen California Veggies (broccoli, cauliflower & carrots)
2 C. Chicken Broth
2 C. Milk
8 oz. Velveeta Cheese, diced
1/2 t. Garlic Powder
1/2 t. Onion Powder
1/2 t. Cellery Salt
1/4 t. Pepper
1 t. Dried Basil

Brown Sausage, drain and set aside. In same pan, combine potatoes, corn, broth, veggies and seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer on low for 15 minuets or until potatoes are tender. Add milk, cheese and sausage. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.
6-8 servings.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

4 year old little girl!

I decided to have a little fun with Kyrie's 4 year pictures and since the "tutu picture" is all the rage right now, I decided to join in! Of course the funky shoes work great with the ensemble and since she's into Fancy Nancy right now, it totally works for her! LOL! (thanks Grammie 'Cine for the great shoes!)

Happy Birthday Jana!

Happy (29!) Birthday to my sister Jana today!!!

While shopping at the goodwill for a halloween costume, we came across these HUGE pants. We decided that we would go to the costume party as Siamese twins! Dad had several identical work shirts that snapped down the front so we just snapped two together and we were good to go! It was interesting getting down the stairs though!
Halloween 1996

Happy Birthday Honey!

Happy 32nd Birthday to Jim and Daddy! Hope you have a great day and a fun "guy" weekend!
We love you very much!!!

The Strength of a Man

The strength of a man isn't seen in the width of his shoulders
It's seen in the width of his arms that circle you.

The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice,
It's in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a man isn't how many buddies he has,
It's how good a buddy he is with his kids.

The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work,
It's in how respected he is at home.

The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits,
It's in how tender he touches.

The strength of a man isn't in the hair on his chest,
It's in his heart...that lies within his chest.

The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved,
It's in how he can be true to one woman.

The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift,
It's in the burdens he carries .

all messed up!

Is my layout all messed up to anyone else?! It's driving me nuts and I can't figure out how to fix it!

Happy 4th Birthday Kyrie-bug!

Happy birthday to Kyrie! She missed being a Halloween baby by 1 hour and 53 minuets! (I was glad!)

Birthday Cookies!

I've always been intrigued by smartly decorated sugar cookies so when Kyrie & I were shopping a few weeks ago at our local craft store and discovered a crown cookie cutter, I decided it was time to try my hand at them for Kyrie's birthday party!

They really don't take THAT long to bake!

Fun and Games

I figured since Dalayna had hangman on her blog, I could have tic-tac-toe!

Autumn 2008

Fall 2008 in pictures...

My first (and second!) baby

I couldn't leave # 2 out!

1. Were you married at the time? Yes / Same
2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant? Excitement! / Same!
3. How old were you? 22 /24
4. How did you find out you were pregnant? Home pregnancy test / HPT
5. Who did you tell first? Jim / Jim
6. Did you want to find out the sex? No / Yes!
7. Due date? November 4th / February 18th
8. Did you deliver early or late? 4 days early / 1 day early
9. Did you have morning sickness? Not the throw-up kind, just the not feeling good kind. / Same
10. What did you crave? Food! / Food!
11. Who irritated you the most? Nobody / My Doctor!
12. What was your first child's sex? Girl / Boy
13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? 26 / 26
14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Nothing that wasn't "normal" for my body./ "Dr. induced hypertension" AKA: nothing that wasn't "normal" for my body.
15. Where did you give birth? At a hospital with a Midwife / At home
16. How many hours were you in labor? 8 hours / 1 hour 15 minuets
17. Who drove you to the hospital? Jim / No one!
18. Who watched? Jim, Mom, M-I-L, Dalayna / Jim, Mom, M-I-L
19. Was it natural or c-section? Natural all the way / Natural all the way.
20. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? No / Water! (water birth)
21. How much did your child weigh? 7 lbs 14 oz / 7 lbs 14 oz!
22. What did you name him/her? Kyrie Nicole / Trey Elliot
23. How old is your baby today? 3 years, 11 months / 1 year 8 months
24. Where were you when your water broke? Cooking Chili in the Kitchen/Sleeping in bed.

Tell me if you don't agree....

This is so funny and SO TRUE!!!!

More hair!

So I've always had a thing for hair. I secretly would have loved to learn all the techniques for cutting and styling hair that they teach in cosmetology school - the rest I could do with out though!
After Trey's bath this morning, Jim was commenting on how cute his hair looked all slicked back... that's all it took! I decided to try something different with it since it really doesn't want to part and be combed over to one side or the other. It was kind of curly when he was a baby so it's got a nice texture to it but I wasn't sure what to do with it.
I got it wet, combed it up and cut it on top with the scissors, then gelled it. Isn't he cute?! After about an hour of him playing, it all leaned in toward the center, and he had a cute "natural" mohawk. We've always joked about his mohawk because he had a very definite one about a year ago!