Tag Archives: friends

Wrapping up the week…

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Friday and since I am on a roll, I figured I would once again participate in 7 Quick Takes with lots of other people!  You can check in over @ Betty Beguiles for all kinds of fun, weekly reports from all over the world!

  1. I’ve started reading the Hunger Games.  The fact that I can come up with 6 other things while getting sucked into this book is amazing in itself.  yes.  I just called myself amazing.
  2. After getting the new and revised football schedule for our son I was able to hammer down some plans to visit with friends and my sister in our old town in a couple of weeks.  While I’m there, I’ll get to see the daughter of a good friend play the lead in “To Kill a Mockingbird”.  And get to visit with my sis and some friends.  Bonus!  This particular weekend actually has friends out-of-town and other activities so the group is much smaller, but sometimes God plans it that way and I’m trying real hard to stop second guessing Him.  His plans are generally far more awesome than mine anyway.
  3. Speaking of football, Hubby was able to get our son a new smaller helmet and boy did that make ALL the difference for our boy.  He came home a different kid.  Being the first year of “tackle football” after many years of “flag” it’s been a little eye-opening and my whole reasoning of steering AWAY from tackle all these years has been affirmed.  My boy is bruised, sweaty, tired, learning to deal with hydration and migraines if not hydrated. and he LOVES it.  OY!  What’s a mama to do???  I bought him a bigger water bottle/jug and am ready to cheer him on next weekend at his first game–double header.  GO SHARKS!  (I’ll just keep my whining and fear under my cap…..)
  4. Good exercising this week.  Even snuck in a walk with Hubby tonight.  In between refereeing bickering girls we even got to chat some.   Now that’s good stuff.  After celebrating our first Valentine’s day together in YEARS, it’s been a good week.  To say the least.
  5. Made a DEE-LISH ham and bean soup this week in the crock pot.  Love.  The.  Crock-Pot!!  The kicker is that I actually remembered to soak the beans overnight. it was a hit with all but one child (who has pretty consistently always been the picky eater of the family.  ah, his loss)  oh.  and the recipe?  Totally winged it.  Did I say I was amazing?  😉  well, if I can replicate it….than believe it!  To be continued….
  6. I have a few new followers this week.  WOO hoo!  Almost to 20!  I would love to really sit down and write/blog more regularly, but HOLY COW, it takes time.  effort.  patience.  I am lacking in all areas.  Kudos to you writers  out there!  However, I do have a couple “mental health days” I am taking off of work and I wonder if I will get any writing/blogging done or just put the smack down on chores and errands.  Right now I think God has me right where He wants me and if He wants me to blog more, that window will open, for now it’s good practice!
  7. Our friends are coming to visit this weekend!  So exciting!!  My husband’s fraternity brother and his wife and their two boys.  We’ve known each other since college, but MB and I became close these past few years while Hubby was away.  And I am so grateful for God’s timing in this friendship.  What a gem.  There is something intimately comforting when you can share your heart and the Lord with a dear friend.  And she most definitely is one!  The forecast is for rainy weather but I think we will figure something out.  Looking forward to catching up and relaxing!

Happy Friday to all!  God Bless!

 

Week 6! It’s here, it’s here!!

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“Six weeks is a critical time to acclimate to any new exercise regimen so that you can set long-term fitness goals,” says exercise physiologist Dr. Robert Lampman, Ph.D.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/134939-6-week-work-out-plans/#ixzz1lmtIUjcf

My girlfriends and I have been keeping it fo’ realz ya’ll with our workouts and food choices (at work, anyway) and we have been looking forward to this:  WEEK 6.  Something about, HOLY COW!  Are you serious??? We’ve been doing this regularly for 6 WHOLE.  WEEKS?!?!  Methinks I see a  little muscle in my arm.  Oh, snap.  Lookout, Mama’s got guns.  Sorta.  C’mon, use your imagination here, K?

And this week, is a crazy week.  My normal lunch time workouts are challenged with our oldest daughter’s birthday at the end of this week and my mom in town at the beginning.  Life is getting in the way.  Move over bacon, here comes Sizzlean…I have a Plan!  That plan is:  I’ve had to resort to the dreaded 5 a.m. workouts.  Ugh.  Ugh.  Ugh.  Once I’m there it’s “fine”, but crawling out of my cozy bed?  Not so “fine”.  However, as I type, I’m all  jacked up on the adrenaline rush, so YAY 5 a.m.!!  Plus, what with all the “New Year’s Resolution” people—ahem, me, too….the crowds are huge in the afternoon.  Probably because they are all still sleeping at 5 a.m.  Either way…2 days down, 2 to go. And I’m getting my walks in also.  ShaZAM!!  (good thing since the Girl Scout cookies came yesterday…hey,  you’ve got to live right?)

Progress on other goals:

Finances:  going well.  ish.  on task, anyway.  baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.  The silver lining is it won’t always be this way and every step forward is just that…FORWARD!  Onward, ho!!

Quiet time.  If you read yesterday’s blog post you will see my laptop is currently out of commission, so my Quiet time has seriously improved this past week, although steady climb in the right direction over the past 6 weeks.  Yay, God! 

Time to wake the house and get this party started.  Blessings to you all for a “forward motion”  kind of day!

**Still no pictures due to laptop down and stubborn will joining forces..carry on with your imagination, but seriously, you wouldn’t want a picture of my 5 a.m. bedhead anyway.

A weekend away…(but not too far!!)

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For the past four years, some of my girlfriends and I have had the amazing luxury of (ridiculously cheap) access to a phenomenal beach house in St. Augustine.  It is large enough to grant each of us “space”, even if there are 8 or 10 of us (this year 4 of us) and comfortably decorated enough to not feel lost in the enormity of the house.  Generally, we go in November and do some “Christmas shopping” but this year we opted for a post-holiday season retreat (November was booked..) and THAT was a seriously good call!!  And so, enjoy a (mostly) photo essay of the weekend!

Friday evening.  Subs for dinner @ 8:30 p.m. and a chick flick.

Saturday morning.  Peaceful.  Quiet.  Sunshiney.

A walk on the beach.  And surfers, too!  With snow in the Northeast this morning, THIS is the reason “snowbirds” got it goin’ on!!

I did NOT make my bed!!

Antiquing pre-lunch waiting for our name to be called at Osteen’s.  (cash only, baby!  super yum, super reasonable and worth the wait!…..about an hour!)

A one-man band.

Cobblestone streets.

Courtyards.

Graveyards.

The Cathedral.

Cupcakes @ Luli’s!  Yes.  I ate the WHOLE thing.  and I didn’t take a picture.   SO.  FLIPPIN’.  DELICIOUS!

Boots with the fur…the whole club was looking at her….(thanks, Flo-Rida…that’s all the lyrics I know, though, so you’ll have to YouTube it yourself, I’m not sure it’s appropriate to link here….)

Dinner.  Out.  Of course!  Creekside.  Sister restaurant to Saltwater Cowboys.  Both are wonderful!

Sunday morning after Mass.  One more walk on the beach…

12.5 hours to Mommy’s weekend away…

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— 1 —

My annual “Girl’s Weekend in St. Augustine” is upon us.  Generally taken in November (to do some Christmas shopping at the outlet malls), this year we moved it to January for some post holiday relaxation time.  Always a restful and fun time and this year is dad’s solo weekend with the kiddos.  Though I like to think MY way is BEST, I know he will do great and the kids will have way more fun with him than they do with me.  And after last night’s dinner debacle, he certainly can’t do any worse than me on the food end of things…

— 2 —

Speaking of dinner last night……I was inspired by my girlfriend’s crock pot dinner of ham, rice, cheese soup, broccoli.  It sounded so good, and we’ve really been using the crock pot like crazy these past few months, so I made my own version with chicken and brown rice, added in the broccoli and cauliflower and let it go.  Well.  At lunch I came home and OH.  MY.  GOODNESS.  The smell in the house was horrible.  I took the broccoli and most of the cauliflower out and covered it and returned to work.  Sadly, the fatal mistake was made.  Do NOT.  I repeat.  Do NOT cook broccoli and cauliflower in a crock pot ALL DAY.  Apparently they are a quick cook veggie and putting them in the crock pot not only forces you to open windows and light candles, it also brings you to Plan B:  pancakes and eggs.   I guess we all have a cooking faux pas from time to time, right?  RIGHT?

— 3 —

Exercising is going well this week.  Have gotten in a few walks. A few times at the gym followed by soreness in all the right places.  Week 3.  I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am with myself.  I usually lose steam by Week 2.

— 4 —

Writing down my food this week is my newest addition to a healthier lifestyle change.  Something about putting it on paper.  In blue and white to see just what went in my mouth.  It becomes obvious.  The exercise thing I got (mostly).  It’s the mouth that needs attention.  Darn you cookies and cake and  your deliciousness.  It’s good to see where my challenges are and WHEN my challenges are and being prepared for them, adding more protein, fruits and veggies is really helping.  Still plenty of work to be done, but having it right in front of me, WOW!  (I won’t be logging this weekend……..but I will be walking!)

— 5 —

Adding in a great new blog for some quiet time reflections HERE and re-attempting Scott Hahn’s book, “The Lamb’s Supper” are great additions to my quiet time and breaking my spiritual rut.  I feel like I’m in a better place to read his book, hopefully less distracted and ready to focus.

— 6 —

Caramel the sweet little girl kitty who adopted us was spayed this week and lo and behold…..she…is a he.  Who has already been neutered.  Much to the vet’s surprise who had to OPEN HIM UP before they figured it out.  I’m still hot about that one.  OK, he’s a furry cat, but UM…isn’t that your JOB to make sure BEFORE you open up?!?!  Anyway….little boy has his shots and seems a little less PO’d at us.  Unless his purring at my head @ 1:30 in the morning is really a passive-aggressive cat move..I don’t know.  Still figuring out this whole “Cat thing”….he sure is a cutey-pie though!

— 7 —

Have been totally and utterly sucked into Downtown Abbey.  For someone who really doesn’t watch TV..(well nothing I would qualify as quality TV anyway…).  I was wondering WHERE I’ve been to have missed this gem and now I am THRILLED that I have an entire Series ahead of me with a new one just starting.  Even my youngest will watch it with me AND so will hubby…and that says a lot when you have something for everyone!  This whole kicking the cable habit is working out quite nicely, I must admit….

 For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Dessert. It always comes with a price, somehow…..

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After Christmas and before New Year’s the planets were in perfect alignment and I was able to spend an evening with my very dear friend, A and her 6 children (and my 2 girls).  Short version:  my hubby was working.   my boys were with my sister and her family and I was on my way to get them.  A’s hubby was at the beach with his parents for a vacation (a few days ahead of her while she took care of some stuff–I think she got the better end of the deal!).  So for a few short hours our kids played hard, ate pizza, watched movies and she and I were able to catch up (mostly uninterrupted with life’s usual interjections), drink wine, eat pizza and THEN.  she made dessert. Not just any dessert.  Simply the easiest dessert to make.  However, don’t let its simplicity distract you from its deliciousness, which is what our kids refer to it as.  I call it “The Devil”.  And I won’t be making it any time soon as it completely contradicts my weight loss goal for 2012.  boo hiss.

So, you start with these, and generous side walls to contain the next ingredients:

Which are these:  a good cup of butter and cup of brown sugar, always a scrumptious couple!!  Pour it on the crackers and bake it in the oven a few minutes until bubbly:

Then add these (which I had NO idea came in such a monstrous size–obviously I don’t shop @ Costco!!!)  when the pan is  hot out of the oven and spread all over until melted and covered up.  Chill for a bit in the freezer. Break it up and voila!  So amazing.

You end up with this and good luck taking a picture before anyone gets to it.  Vultures I tell you.  Vultures.

**as a side note:  if perhaps your pizza spilled over into the oven and you forgot to clean it up before preheating the oven, this might go off and after about 10 minutes of searching for breakers and on/off switches, you may be driven to climbing a ladder and using whatever tape is available and dishrags to muffle the noise until the husbands can be located for guidance.  always good for a huge belly laugh.  good times, good times.  gotta love girlfriends.  and their kids.  and their dessert!!!  Happy New Year to you and yours!!!