Summer 2010...

Wow...is it sad that I had to go through the password reset process to log into our blog? It's horrible! It's been a very busy and fun summer for us and I haven't made the time to update our happenings on here, so sorry! So this is what we've been up to...in pictures.

May:

We traveled to Tulsa to celebrate Shawn's baby brother graduate high school.

Went to Lubbock to see my family: And my best friend from Elementary & Junior High. We hadn't seen each other in about 16 years! Thanks, Facebook! June:

We spent time with Stacey.

We spent an entire day at Aquapalooza.
We spent time with friends from Dallas.

July:

My Mom and Uncle came to visit.

My cousin Jenn finally came down and we floated the river.

We made new friends:August:

We celebrated 4 years of blissfulness and adopted our newest family addition, Nessa. She is perfect but man oh man is she a handful! There is a reason we don't have children yet...God is still teaching me patience!

She's in mid bark here. She is pitiful during bathtime.And Mr. Nova is so protective of his little sister. She annoys him mostly
but no one else better mess with his sissy!

We are truly blessed as a couple and a family. We thank God daily for the blessings he has given us and how gracious he is to us and our family and friends. We hope you have had a blessed summer too!

Wow...

I didn't realize that it has been 4 months since our last post. Oops! We have had quite a bit go on since then and I probably won't post about all of it, so you are warned. Ha! The biggest topic in our lives has been our lifestyle change. Starting after our birthday's this year Shawn and I have both been going to the gym and eating healthy. In the past three months Shawn has lost 30 pounds and I have lost right around 20! I have also decided to run a 1/2 Marathon in November. Who would have ever guessed? Not me, that's for sure! For now I will show some before/after pics of us. The before pics were taken about 3 months ago. Hopefully, I will be able to share even better pics in about 2 months when I'm hoping to be at my goal weight. My goal is to be the size I was when we married almost 4 years ago. Main area of focus shall be my mid section!

Front Before: Front After:

Back Before: Back After:
Side Before:
Side After:Shawn Before:
Shawn After:

If you want more information on our eating lifestyle or workout visit: Body for Life:

Authorized Food: (6 meals a day, portioned w/protein, carb and veggie)
http://bodyforlife.com/library/food-list

Workout:

http://bodyforlife.com/library/exercise

It's been a while hasn't it?

Note: There really isn't much interesting to read of this post. If you have 10 minutes then continue to read. If you don't, my feelings will not be hurt if you stop reading now.

I was reminded by my Mom last week that I had this here blog that she checks all the time that I never update. Sorry, Mom. It's not like I haven't had the time. I've had lots of it! I haven't worked since June and there is only so much job searching I'm able to do until I find myself applying for the same job twice. However, things are looking up! Hopefully, we will know in a few days if I will be among the gainfully employed once again. If you are reading this, please keep us in your prayers.

We have had quite a bit go on in the last few months. We went to Lubbock in August and had an awesome weekend. We were able to celebrate our anniversary with our family and friends. Shawn's Dad came in for a weekend and a few weeks later his Mom made the trip down. We had such a great time with them! We went to Tulsa for Thanksgiving and had an amazing time. We really hate that we don't get to see our OK family as often as we would like. This past weekend my brother visited Austin for the first time and as much as I loved spending time with my Bubba I know the boys had a great time just being "guys."

I was thinking the other day about how much our lives have changed in just one year. I vaguely remember a time in which we could go to the store and buy whatever it was that we wanted for dinner. I remember a time that we ate out more than we ate in. I remember a time that it seemed our bar tab was more than our grocery bill. We didn't spend much "us" time together. We were always going and doing and seeing. But never enjoying each other. That all changed a year ago when we moved to Austin.

At first glance I may want to say that it was a big mistake moving here. What is that you say, I must cook dinner and not order take out? Me, make a meal plan? You mean we have to play board games instead of going out to the bar? What do you mean I need to take my lunch to work? On the contrary I am simply grateful for the change that we made. You see, we were living an artificial and materialistic life. I truly believe that God answered my prayers for a strong marriage and blessed us with the move. Because of it I have grown closer to God and my husband. It's amazing how much I missed both of them while I was busy doing other frivolous things with my life.

We made those changes when we moved but it wasn't until I was laid off that we had to make even more drastic changes. I knew ahead of time that I was losing my job and immediately started making changes. I dove head first into our finances and asked myself "What can we shave off of our spending?" Shawn kept telling me that I should not bear the burden but I felt since it was my income being erased it was up to me to determine what we could "cut back." Even though we had been living frugally it was up to me to stretch every penny. I hit the Internet and searched on how to save money. What I found is that as "cheap" as I thought we were living there was still more fat we could trim off our budget. I will save what I found on another post if you are interested in reading.

The point of all of this rattling on and on is this: I have a wonderful life. I am blessed to have God by my side each and every day. He helps me to be a better wife and person. I am blessed to have an amazing Husband that loves, cherishes, protects and provides for me. I am blessed to have a family that throughout my life has been my constant anchor. I am blessed to have friends that accept me regardless of my faults.

We live in a world where propaganda tells us that we need a big house, shiny car and other trivial things we cannot afford in order to be happy. Tonight, I pray that if you haven't realized it that you will. You don't need those "things" to be blessed and happy.

God Bless.

I love this cutie...

I know it's been a while and we have lots to post but I wanted to dedicate this post to my baby boy, Nova. Since I have been out of work he gets to spend ALL day with me! He never leaves my side.

These are my boys. Sweet as can be.

This is how my sweet boy loves to sleep.

He loves giving his momma kisses.

He loves his Daddy almost as much as I do.

I love my boys!

Happy Anniversary to the one I love...

Wow, 3 years have flown by! In the last three years I have fallen more in love with my husband that I ever thought possible. He amazes me each and every day. From the first moment I met him I knew that there was "something" about him that I just couldn't explain. No one around me understood it and some still don't. I remember my Mom saying "I don't see it" when I showed her who "he" was. It wasn't until we kissed for the first time that I knew what "something" was. It was knowing that I was where I was supposed to be. God had brought me the one that HE made for me. For that, I am eternally grateful.

I've written some of my favorite things about my baby.

• I love that he makes me laugh uncontrollably. Often at myself.


• I love that he finishes my thoughts when I don't seem to know how.


• I love how much he loves me and our babies.


• I love how he wakes me up sweetly so I won't get cranky.


• I love how he feeds the babies before he leaves for work so they won't be cranky and put me in a bad mood in the mornings.


• I love how he helps me cook because he truly wants to learn.


• I love that he works hard every day to provide for us.


• I love that on my worst day he finds a way to tell me "you're beautiful to me" and mean it.


• I love that he makes me feel like a princess each and every day, just as he vowed he would 3 years ago.


• I love that he loves me. He loves me when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm mad or just plain cranky. He simply loves me.

I pray that God will continue to be our strength and that he may bless us with many more happy years together.

My new kitchen staple...

So if you enjoy cooking and loving having flavor in your food and don't have a lot to spend then this is for you...Shelb introduced me to Chicken Base for her recipe, Chicken Florentine. Since then I have found I use this new kitchen staple quite often. I use it when a recipe calls for Chicken Stock or Broth. I simply use 1 tsp for every cup of water. This tub has 91 servings and cost around $5. That is so much cheaper than buying chicken stock and I think they flavor is much richer than that of stock.

Here are just a few ways I have found uses for this stuff:

Rice: When boiling water for rice I add a teaspoon for every cup of water and then add the rice. Yummy!

Chicken and Dumplins: I made homemade stock with chicken, onions and celery but added a couple of teaspoons to the stock. Delicious!

Chicken Gravy: I use a cup of water, 1 tsp of base and about 2 Tbsp of flour. Make like you would regular gravy. Fabulous!

The Chicken Base doesn't have to be refrigerated either and doesn't spoil like store bought chicken broth. So much money I have wasted in the past with stock I didn't use!

I highly recommend this stuff!

What is easier than...

Beef, Beans and Rice?

Here is what we had for dinner.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked white rice ($0.20)
2 cups water
1 pound ground beef ($1.99)
1 onion, chopped (.49)
1 (15 ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed ($0.56)
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel (I used hot) ($0.85)

Total: $4.09!

Step One:
Cook the rice according to the package directions (Usually, boil water and add rice. Cover, lower heat and cook for 20-25 minutes until all water absorbed.)

Step Two:
While the rice is cooking sauté chopped onion with a little butter or oil for about 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook meat until no longer pink.

Step Three:
Rinse Pinto Beans (Red Beans) and pour until a casserole dish. Add the can of Rotel.

Step Four:
Once done add the meat and onion mixture as well as the cooked rice to the casserole dish. Mix all ingredients together.

Step Five:
Cover and back in a 350 Degree oven for 20-25 minutes stirring once. Enjoy!

**I added some Cajun seasoning that I had on hand for a little extra flavor. Yummy!

**If you have some extra cheese you can sprinkle on top when done baking.

Happy Father's Day

Today is a bittersweet day. Shawn and I are both blessed to have amazing fathers that have loved us unconditionally but we are not able to spend the day with either of them.

To my Dad:

Thank you for being my rock. You have guided me to do the right thing and be a strong person my entire life. I have your humor and your hot headed temper. I thank God everyday that I'm your baby girl.

To Shawn's Dad:

Thank you for raising an amazing man. Thank you for teaching him to love and provide for his family. Thank you for supporting him in whatever he chooses to do. You are his inspiration. Thank you for welcoming me into your family and treating me as if I have always been a part of it.

Happy Father's Day to all you Daddy's out there!

Budget Friendly Meal

Hello friends!

In light of recent events with the uncertainty of my job we have had to set ourselves on a strict budget for groceries. I am used to making lists when going to the store and making meal plans but our situation has forced me to be a little more creative in my meal planning to stay within budget. Hamburger Helper only tastes good for a short time!

I would like to share with you my mother's recipe of Goulosh. The first time I made it for Shawn he had it in his head he wasn't going to like it. He was used to Goulosh that had corn and green beans and whatever else was thrown in. This is not that type of Goulosh. It is inexpensive to make and super easy to throw together. It has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. As you go along you might want to add your personal touch. I have added green chilies to the meat and onions as well as chopped jalapenos when I have them on hand. And, to make it easier I am even adding pictures!

Ingredients:

1 LB Hamburger Meat ($1.99)

1 Onion, diced (optional but adds a lot of flavor) ($0.49)

2 8oz cans Tomato Sauce ($1.00)

2 C Water (or fill each tomato sauce can with water)

1 Pkg Taco or Enchilada Sauce Mix (see picture below) ($0.50)

1 Pkg Macaroni Deluxe Meal (picture below) ($1.50)

Total: $5.48!

Step One:

Saute diced onion for 3-5 minutes in butter or olive oil. Add Hamburger Meat and cook until no longer pink. Drain grease (or not if there isn't much in there) and add back to pan.

Step Two:

Add the seasoning package to the meat and stir until the meat in evenly coated.

Step Three:

Add the 2 cans of Tomato Sauce and 1 C of water to mixture. Stir incorporate sauce, water, meat and seasoning. Bring to a boil.

Step Four:

Once mixture comes to a boil add the noodles of the Macaroni and Cheese. Don't add the cheese yet!

Step Five:
Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the noodles are done. You may have to add a little bit of water to help finish the noodles. Once the noodles are done add the cheese sauce from the foil pouch. Mix it in with all the other goodness and you now have a huge pot of Goulosh that will easily feed a family of 4!
Sorry, didn't take a picture of the final product because I was too busy stuffing my face!

I hope you enjoy this budget friendly meal and I will add more as we go along. Until then, take care friends and God bless!

The last 2 weeks...

I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since I've posted. Actually, I can. We have a very busy month for June so far. I don't have many pictures but I will share what I have.

The first week of June was spent with Shawn's parents and brother. They came down from OK and we had a great time. We went to Schlitterbahn and had a blast! Shawn drove them around town and showed them some sites. Even though it could have been better for them if he would have let them out of the car! We did go down to South Congress will full intentions of window shopping all the cute shops there but it was SO hot and we parked so FAR away that we stopped at the first place that had an outdoor patio for Nova and cold beer! Needless to say, we didn't make to any shops. We had a few drinks and then walked back towards the car to watch the bats take off at sunset. Below is a pictures of Nova diving into the bushes. He had enough walking and was so hot. Poor puppy.
I can't forget about this one. Shawn's Mom is so creative and instead of getting Shawn an OSU shower curtain for the bathroom she made him one instead. It is so neat and Shawn loved it!

After Shawn's family left we spent Friday night together hanging out and then I was off to Dallas to see George, Reba, Blake Shelton and a newcomer Julianne Hough. I had no idea who Julianne was but was going for George and Reba. On my way to Dallas I got stuck in traffic. At 12:00 on a Saturday! There is many reasons why I do not like that area of Texas and this is one of them.

On to the concert we go...Below is a picture of the stadium from the parking lot. There were so many lots to park and Kelly paid $40 for parking! It was outrageous! After we parked we walked to eat at Joe's crab shack and then headed back to the stadium.

When we returned to the stadium and tried to enter the closest gate to us we were DENIED because our ticket only allowed us to go into a certain gate number, which was on the OTHER side of the stadium! That was very ridiculous to me and my feet were quite upset as well. When we finally made into the stadium it was packed every which way we turned. To make it worse, no one working there knew were section numbers were and it was an absolute madhouse trying to find our seats. We were told to go one way and then told another. But, we finally made it. The first act was already on when we were seated but we didn't mind since neither Kelly or I had ever heard of Julianne Hough.

So, we are checking out the stadium and listening to the music and I make a comment to Kelly that this Julianne chick looks a lot like Leann Womack. She said she thought the same thing. We went back and forth on how she looked like here depending on the angle of the picture that was on the jumbotron. I then make a comment to Kelly that she sings Leann Womack songs beautifully and sounds very similar to her. Kelly agrees. But, it wasn't Leann Womack we said to each other. We could not get over how much she looked like her, sounded like her and was covering Leann Womack songs. Well, that's because it WAS Leann Womack! We didn't know for sure until she was done with her set and the announcer came on and said "Leann Womack ladies and gentlemen."

Next, was Blake Shelton. He put on a great show! I was not so sure about these big jumbo screens at first but they are presented in HD and you can really see the artist's emotions while they are performing. This is Blake opening a Miller Lite saying "This isn't my first one of these today."

Next, was my all time favorite artist, Reba! She puts on an awesome show. It was nothing as extreme like the ones I remembered but she doesn't really tour that much anymore. She was still amazing!




And of course she had to do an encore performance of Fancy...and a wardrobe change was involved. Classic Reba!


Then there was George. Man, he looks good! He gets better looking with age for sure! He put on an awesome show and I am so glad that I was able to attend the concert this time!



We didn't stay for the encore performance. We were trying to beat the 60,000 fans that were there and avoid getting stuck in traffic. We had an awesome time. Thanks Kel, you are the best!


This is a view of the stadium at night when we left.
Last week Shelb and Mike came down for the ROT rally but I don't have any pics to post of that. We had a great time. And of course, Shelb and I had to have our sushi fix. It was awesome. We tried a new place, Musashino. I even ventured out and had Fatty Tuna! It was so buttery and melt in your mouth good!

Now it is back to our day to day life. As many of you know, my stores are closing in the next week or so and I am on the job hunt. Please keep us in your prayers and pray that God will guide me towards a job/career that is suited for Shawn and me. I will keep you posted on the progress!

Take care friends and God bless!