I guess I'll just put it all out there

WARNING! You really might not like what I have to say, but I like living authentically. Honestly don't read past this if you're in a judgey mood.

1. I love Jesus. I think Jesus is an amazing role model and someone for our children to look up to. I'd like to be more like Jesus, but man its hard! He was so loving and helpful and awesome. I think what Christians forget is that Jesus didn't judge, he didn't care what you did or what you looked like, he just loved you. If we all remembered that, we would be so much better off.

2. I do not take the Bible literally. I know, shame on me, but I don't. I don't think we should base our marriage ideas on a book that said it was cool to have more than one wife or insist that women who were raped should marry their rapist. I don't think widows should have to marry their brother in law if they hadn't had a son with their 1st husband. I mean.....I sort of look at the Bible as a cool story book. I've been told to have faith, or I have no faith. My brain won't allow me to believe that there was ever such a thing as a demon angel hybrid (Nephilim) or a talking snake or a three headed beast guarding Hell. It sounds like mythology to me. Stop saying, well the Bible tells us X. Yeah the Bible says some other crazy stuff, you can't pick and choose.

3. I think pretending like drinking has anything to do with the Bible is weird. JESUS DRANK WINE. I love saying that. It's true! Lets not get drunk and crazy but hey, its ok to have a drink...

4. I do believe that women should have a choice when it comes to their bodies. I think a lot of people confuse this. Just because I believe in choice doesn't mean I'm walking around the streets telling women to get abortions. I think it should be rare and carefully thought about, but it should be an option. Making it illegal doesn't make anything better. People will always seek it out and hurt themselves in the process, that seems way worse to me. Sometimes you just aren't ready to be a parent. I think children should have a fighting chance is this world and be born to parents who can support them emotionally and financially.

5. On that note, I think preaching abstinence is pushing young men and women (especially in the South I've noticed) to get married younger and younger and have babies younger and younger. Divorce is inevitable. UNLESS you just stay in that marriage because your parents have jammed it down your throat that divorce is the most awful horrendous thing you can ever do ever. Hormones are real people. They make otherwise normal people act crazy sometimes.

6. Haven't you ever heard, you cant help who you love? Jesus loves us all so why are so many Christians and even non Christians so full of hate and want to defend the idea of "traditional marriage"? The fact that this is an issue hurts my brain. Why are so many people so worried about what other people do? Do what you gotta do, and stop worrying about making it impossible for people who love each to enter into a lifelong commitment. I mean lets be honest, the divorce rate is insane, isn't that kind of a terrible argument? My favorite graphic is over Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries (72 days of marriage) and Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka (10 year commitment). I mean it works because its so visual and so true. Love is love.

7. CAN WE PLEASE JUST GET OVER POLITICS? I think politics are stupid. Entertaining but stupid. Its all about money, nothing will ever change.



Well that's about it. Love it or leave it.

I DON'T CARE!

So I'm growing up. I'm learning. I've learned so much lately about trust and relationships. I've decided that I really don't give a crap what people think about me. I don't care about appearances, as in what things "look" like.

I don't care how people see my life. I care how I live my life.

So many people worry about what things look like to other people. So much so that I think people like to keep up appearances rather than just be real. BE REAL. Stop judging people. I am so over judgmental people. I am not perfect, I'm totally being a hypocrite-its easy to judge!

Its hard to do this, but I am so enjoying the freedom of doing whatever the hell I want without obligation, without over thinking, without fear of what people think. Honestly I think if more people were just respectful, kind, and stopped judging and started being real we would all be much happier people. MUCH.

Really that's it. That's my epiphany.

5 weeks until vacation.

Holy crap its almost July. Honestly, this blog just makes me feel like life is speeding by because I only update every 6 months. How terrible. I don't even feel bad anymore for not updating! Really, my life is pretty normal, I like it and its not crazy exciting, so every 6 months is about right.

René and I are about to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary next month!

So an update on the paleo thing-not for us, I mean really not for us! It raised some health issues with my husband and he was pretty much told ummm no this might be the worst diet ever for you. (I paraphrased...doctors don't really talk like that, believe I know I work for them!) We just generally try to eat healthy at this point. I am not so overly concerned with the number on the scale for me, just the way I feel. The reality is the way I feel usually correlates with what I weigh because I usually weigh more when I eat crap and therefore feel terrible. Makes sense, right!? Add all this to my insatiable need for sugar and you've got a real daily battle on your hands. If there was an award for creative ways to make dessert without it being fattening or high in calories I would win, hands down. I am the master of making dessert that's not actually dessert.

I also don't want to be an overweight, out of shape person whenever we decided to add to our family. I've come up with "add to our family" as a not so in your face way of saying....I want baby. I say it like a caveman because its almost like a caveman instinct. One week you're all-omg kids are crazy. Then the next week you think, awww babies! Welcome to ladydom. I dislike when people say you cannot plan for babies or there is no "right time" for a baby. I disagree. You may not being able to plan when you get pregnant or what sex the baby will be, but you can plan for a time in your life when you're ready for these things. Hey, I'm not hypocrite-I was a teen mom, talk about NOT PLANNING, I learned a lesson. The older I get (boring) the more I think about finances and time and what my abilities are and are not and the current children I already have a commitment to. I believe at this point in my life I am being responsible and no matter what I feel about others, I can't control them, I can only control me. I could go on and on, I could get political...but I won't!

Work is work. That is all. I am not changing the world. I am making money to support my family.

I've been living here in Texas for almost a year and a half now. It still doesn't feel 100% like home, but it's getting there. I still refer to the east coast, Delaware and Maryland as my home and I miss it... a lot. Thank goodness for friends near and far to keep me sane, my husband included. I am even more grateful for my relationships back home because it is so nice to have someone know you without explanation. To really know you and who you are. I have very few friends here in Texas but the ones I do have were given to me for a reason and I'm grateful for that too.Relationships are hard work, marriage is the hardest. I can't understand why people do it more than once. Life is generally about being a good person and making mistakes are part of that. I make mistakes everyday, we all do. No one is perfect and I'm ok with that. I think I've gotten more outspoken and less worried about hurting peoples feelings or being politically correct or whatever. I am who I am.

As for the title....René and I are going on vacation in 5 weeks for our anniversary. Its sort of a surprise for him. I am prettttttttttty excited.

Merry 2013.

Its a new year! There is something awesome about a brand new year. It *feels* like a clean slate, but really its not. We are still responsible for 2012 and all the mistakes and even great decisions we made. Would it be nice to actually have a clean slate? Sometimes I think yes...but mostly no. Why would you want to erase anything, even the bad stuff?
I've never made a resolution before, but this year I have. René and I made a life resolution, so we count on it going bast the new year and past the year in general. We decided to stop the madness and just get healthy. Its been a long time coming. I've talked about it in the past and its always been such a struggle for me.  After much research and planning we decided to cut out all grains, sugar, and dairy from our diet. You might know this as....Paleo. Haha it sounds like a fad when I say it but really its just going back to the day when we didn't have access to all the junk food! Ah junk food, I love and hate you. I have a sugar addiction and this is not a a joke. For as long as I can remember Tastykake and Little Debbie have been my BFF's. Salt does little for me...but sugar? Oh sugar, I love you. TODAY is day one, and its 11:30am and I'm wondering how to make the next month speed up so that I can just get to a point where this is a habit. I have never been overweight, however- I am unhealthy, sluggish and gross feeling. I have headaches a lot, my skin has gotten worse over the past year, my hair is even suffering from lack of nutrition. Also-I HATE water. Drinking water is the biggest chore to me. I have to force myself to hydrate. Lastly, I do not like working out and I'll be honest with you...I probably won't work out with any regularity or at all! Haha hows that for motivation? Its all about food for me. I love food but I plan to love it differently now! Ok so now you know and you wont offer me sweets unless its Saturday...because did I mention our cheat day? Saturday! I have conditioned my step son already to know that Saturday is where its at...no more weeknight dessert. This bummed him out a little bit, but at age 4, he is already making plans for his Saturday treat.

I really am nerdily excited for this year for health among other things.

I want to work on communicating with my friends and family on a more regular basis too here and at home. I am going home in March, hopefully for the whole week so I can really spend some time with people. I hope I get some visits this year too!
I went home for Christmas and while I did see a lot of people, I missed seeing a few important people and I'm still bummed about it. Long distance is still hard. I've gotten used to it on one level but I realize you have to put a lot more effort into relationships and sometimes its difficult.

2012 was a giant transition. I moved to Texas and like I said before-I am still getting used to it. I love my life here and I miss "home" too. I wonder if I will always feel this way? When I went home for Christmas, nothing had changed really. People hadn't changed more importantly which made me happy. Life goes on without me, but I still fit in with my friends and family. I'm still anxious about being away, but its getting better!
Here's to a happy, healthy, exciting, fun, fulfilling 2013!

100 questions

I borrowed these questions (not answers) from irocksowhat.com and the general interwebs because shes awesome and has all the good questions.

1. Are you young at heart, or an old soul? Both. I like being a wife and a mom, I like being traditional, I like antiques (does that make me an old soul?). I'm young at heart because I am young. Ha.
2. What makes someone a best friend? Like minded, understanding, never judging, not afraid to give it to you straight
3. What Christmas (or Hanukkah) present do you remember the most? A giant stuffed puppy I got when I was 3-it was bigger than me at the time. Although, I don't think I actually remember that-I just saw it on a home movie. I still have that puppy.
4. Tell me about a movie/song/tv show/play/book that has changed your life.  Changed my life? Wow, that's intense. Out of all of them I'd say music is pretty influential-but I wouldn't say it changed my life and I couldn't pick just one song.
5. Name one physical feature that you like about yourself, and one you dislike. I have grown to like my hair. I don't like my forehead.
6. Would you like to reconnect with any friends you’ve lost contact with? No, I don't typically lose contact with anyone. If I have, I've already reached out.
7. What’s more important in a relationship: physical attraction or emotional connection? Emotional connection.
8. Name a movie that you knew would be terrible just from reading the title. Air Bud
9. What holiday do you most look forward to? Christmas-mainly for the kids now
10.  How is the relationship between you and your parents? My mom and I used to fight a lot more before I moved-its gotten a lot better and we laugh a lot more, its fun, we've started moving into friend territory. I talk to my dad almost every night-he's one of my best friends.
11. . You’ve got the TV on, but you’re not really watching. What channel is the TV on? No cable, this doesn't happen. If something is on, its on purpose.
12. . Name a song that never fails to make you happy. Do your feet hurt?-Mxpx and I wanna dance with somebody-Whitney Houston. That was two, but this is my blog.
13.  You know at least one person named Michael. Tell me about him. My brother! One of the best men I know. Hes a great dad, a sweetheart, and one of the funniest people ever.
14.  Have you ever read the “missed connections” on Craigslist? Have you ever posted one, or wanted to? My husband and I read them one time, it was pretty hilarious. Never posted one, never wanted to.
15.  If you could pick anywhere to live the rest of your life, where would it be? The Eastern shore of Maryland.
16.  Can money buy happiness? Yup. Why do people say it can't?
17.   Do you drink? Smoke? Do drugs? Why, or why not? I drink. I don't smoke anymore. I don't do drugs. Why? Drugs are illegal, smoking will kill you and it smells. Wine is tasty and I like beer.
18.  Is there anyone close to you that you know you can’t trust? You don’t have to give names. I'm sure there is, can't trust everyone.
19.  Where was your favorite place to go when you were a little kid? I've blocked out my childhood without purposely trying, I really don't know. My grandmothers was fun until she told me to stop pouting-then all I wanted to do was pout. I love the beach. That's all I've got.
20.  Have you ever spent a night in the hospital? Yup, when I had my daughter and also when i got MRSA from a tattoo.
21.  Do you enjoy being with only one or two friends, or with a large group of people? Just one or two. I have ADD.
22. . Do you like the type of music your parents listen to? Do your parents like the type of music you listen to? My mom and dad both have good taste in music. I probably wouldn't love Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, or Janet Jackson if it weren't for my mom. My dad grew up in all the best times. We had Johnny Cash and James Brown 8 tracks. So no my parents don't like everything I listen to and vice versa- but we have lots in common.
23.  Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever bullied anyone else? I honestly don't recall being a bully. I was definitely bullied. Especially grades 4-6.
24.  If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Guacamole
25. . If your partner wanted to wait until marriage before having sex, would you stay in that relationship? I'm married. Moot point.
26. . Do you believe in a God? Yes.
27. Of all the social networks in the world, why use twitter? I don't anymore.
28. What’s your favorite hashtag to track? I don't track hashtags. I let the hashtags come to me.
29.  Would you call yourself/your family “middle class?” Comparative to others who claim the middle class status? No.  I'd say we are lower middle class-but I don't feel lower, I have everything I need.
30.  Name a TV series you didn’t enjoy until after it ended. That makes no sense. I wouldn't continue watching something I didn't enjoy. How about something I enjoyed UNTIL it ended? LOST- I invested so much time and they let me down. They let me down.
31.  Have you ever bought a product from an infomercial? Yup. Just one.
32.  If you could give up your car and never have to drive again, would you? No.
33.  If you go back to one point in time to give advice to yourself, when would you go and what would you say? Only live off of cash.
34.  What’s your “quirkiest” habit? Oh gosh, off the top? Shaking my legs and feet all the time, even in bed.
35.  What is “normal?” Are you normal? Haha. No. I have no clue what normal is. 
36.  Someone close to you is dying. You have the choice to let this person live for 10 more years, but if you do, you cause the death of 10 strangers. You don’t have to see them die. Do you take the offer? I'm going to go with yes on this one. Mainly because this won't happen and who would say no? I mean, that really is a moral dilemma though. The guilt would be rough.
37.  What is one thing you could never forgive? I'm pretty forgiving. Probably messing with my kids.
38.  Would you rather be in a relationship after the honeymoon period ends, or be single? Relationship, of course.
39.  Is it possible for guys and girls to be just friends? To each their own, but you're probably playing with fire. I have guy friends, but they are gay. So? There's your answer?
40.  Where do you and your friends go to hang out? Each others houses, dinner, music or kid related things.
41.  Write the first sentence of your obituary. Ugh morbid.
42.  What is the best TV theme song ever? Fresh Prince of Bel Air
43.  When you were young, what would you dream you would be when you grew up? Actress
44.  When you’re alone in your own home, do you walk around naked? sure, why not
45.  What gets you out of bed in the morning? My alarm, panic, my husband
46.  Do you want to have more friends than you have right now? Nope
47.  What part of the past year sticks out in your mind? Getting married, moving to Texas.
48.  You win a scratch-off lottery game that gives you $2000 a week (after taxes) for the rest of your life. Do you keep your job? NO!
49.  Could you be in a long-distance relationship? If you’re in one, what makes yours work? I've done it. Communication and eventually be together in location among other things. Its tough, but its worth it.
50.  What’s the best route to your heart? Kind, sweet, thoughtful words.
51.  Have you ever met someone through the internet, then met them in real life? Yes actually. 
52.  What is your favorite sport? Baseball. Just not this year....
53.  What has been troubling you lately? Time management.
54.  Did you enjoy your high school prom? If you haven’t gotten there yet, do you look forward to it? If you didn’t go, why not? I went to both proms. One I was pregnant and the other one sucked. Prom is probably way overrated but I guess its a right of passage.
55.  What do you use more often: your intuition or logical reasoning? Intuition much to my husband and my dismay.
56.  Do you know what makes you happy? I think I do. But girls are frequently unhappy by things that make no sense.
57.  Tell me about the last book you read. No thanks.
58.  What is the nicest compliment you’ve ever been given? That I have a big heart.
59.  Who was your first crush? This kid in like 1st grade? I think I got in trouble for chasing him on the playground.
60. Do you believe that there is life on other planets? No.
61. Predict what your life will look like a year from now. Possibly different, but a lot the same.
62.   How did your last relationship begin? I met my husband when I was 13 in Garden Valley, TX while we were getting ready to go to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. I honestly don't recall how we actually introduced ourselves. We were kids, but we had/have this deep connection.
63.  Where is your favorite place to go out and eat? Probably Uncle Julio's but I love food, so almost anywhere.
64.  What is something you want to change about your current situation? Having more time with the kids and the husband
65.  Early bird or night owl? Night owl.
66.  Are there any childhood possessions you still hold on to? Oh yeah. I could be a hoarder if my husband didn't talk sense in to me.
67.  Give me an unpopular opinion you have. I think people should stop worrying about who people marry and what they do with their bodies. Take what you will from that.
68.  What was the last song that was stuck in your head? Tearin up my heart. Nsync.
69.  Where do you live? Be as general or specific as you want. Weatherford, Texas
70.  Do you believe in giving kids medals and trophies for participation? No, since when does everyone have to be a winner?
71.  What was the longest car ride you’ve ever taken? Driving from Maryland to Texas.
72.  Have you ever taken part in a protest? If online petitions count, then yes.
73.  Would you ever use an online dating service? No.
74. What is your ethnic heritage? French and German mostly. Throw a dash of Native American in there.
75.  Describe a person that inspires you. Anyone with patience
76.  If you earn minimum wage doing what you love, would you? nope
77.  Do you believe in luck? No.
78.  Describe the last time you were very angry at someone. I threw some folded towels-that I then had to refold them.
79.  Do you want to live until you’re 100? If I'm "with it", yes.
80.  Do people change? If so, how do you keep a relationship together when both of you start to change? Yes. Mutual love and respect if its changing for the better. 
81.  Have you ever risked a friendship by telling someone you liked them? Maybe in middle school?
82.  Would you rather be alone doing something you enjoy, or doing something you don’t like with your best friends? Alone doing something I enjoy.
83.  Do you practice what you preach? Not always.
84.  If you take precautions to stay safe, do you ultimately act more recklessly? No.
85. . What do you value more in a significant other: Attractiveness or intelligence? Intelligence, of course.
86.  Are you hard-headed? Absolutely
87.  Have you ever laughed uncontrollably when it was socially inappropriate? Church, it happens more than it should.
88.  When have you felt most alive? Riding my bike with no hands.
89. .Where would you prefer to live? A city? The suburbs? The countryside? The mountains? All of the above. A house in each please.
90. . Do you often skip breakfast? Heck no, I love breakfast.
91.  How do you know what true love is? You just know. Your whole body and your mind tells you so. Its undeniable.
92.  Would you want to know the exact date and time you were going to die? No, never.
93.  Where is “home” for you? Literally-Wilmington, Delaware and Galena, Maryland. I split most of my life between those two places.
94.  What song best describes your life right now? Oh gosh, I don't know.
95.  Do you want to be perfect? No
96.  What have you never tried, but would really like to someday? What’s holding you back? Line dancing? Really that's the first thing that comes to mind. Lack of skill and cheesiness is holding me back.
97.  How do you express your creativity? Maybe baking or blogging. Or neither, I'm not very creative or talented. There's a line from a movie I love, that maybe my talent is that I admire and appreciate others with talent.
98.  Describe your neighborhood. Rural. Half farm, half suburbia.
99.  Name something you only liked because it was popular. Crop tops.
100.    Give me the story of your life in six words. Love, Adventure, Passionate, Silly, Obnoxious, Worry

Is it possible to care too much?

Please don't commit me after reading this post. I'm not actually crazy. Just that sort of "shes so quirky, she talks so much, what a weirdo" type of crazy. Deal?

This is a recurring theme in my blog I think. The navigation of long distance.
Living 1,400 miles or so away from most of my friends and all of my family makes my brain hurt.
It is literally impossible for me to keep in touch with everyone the way I should.
Sometimes, I let it consume me. I want to know how everyone is, if they are ok. I want life updates on my friends, I want them to know I miss them and I care about them and that I love them. Sometimes I wonder though, do they think about me as much as I think about them? That seems like a selfish question, but really sometimes I have to think it.  In the big picture...this really doesn't mean anything to me-I'm not going to change who I am based on what I think other people are doing. That's not real friendship anyway.

Family is a little different, I feel a sort of pain not being there for my nieces and nephews. I feel sad not seeing my aging grandparents. I feel guilty that I don't go see my dad every weekend and spend time with him. I feel a sense of duty to call my mom more. Seriously, its too many feelings for one person. I have to force myself to turn it off.

I mostly get myself in trouble by feeling like I'm letting someone down or making them feel as if I don't care if a week or two goes by without me calling them. No one ever told me no matter if you're near or far just how hard relationships are when you're an adult. They don't just happen. Just like a marriage, which is the most challenging and rewarding relationship-all of them need reciprocation-all of them need nurturing and time.

I want to spend time with those that presently need my love and attention, the people I live with. My husband and children deserve my presence physically and mentally, first.  My job needs my attention so I can pay the bills as boring as that is.

I guess what I want to do is realize catching up with people I care about shouldn't be a on a to do list. It should be enjoyable. My brain makes it so these people I have known most of my life will just forget about me if I don't call them one week. That's all on me-and that's a ridiculous thought!

I don't know if its a blessing or a curse to care about people so immensely. I'm just being completely honest with you. I'm not saying oh look at me, I'm incredibly awesome-I care about people. No, I can certainly be rude and callous and insensitive and awful and not realize I have hurt peoples feelings. BUT for the most part I think I just care/think too much. Full disclosure: I have a fear that if I didn't keep in contact with people, I would just fade away. Moving just amplified all that.

If you're reading this, and we are friends and you know I love you-know that you are on my heart everyday and that's more meaningful than a phone call. You are cared for, thought about, and loved and that's the best I can do most days.

Worst blogger ever & Happy Birthday Dad!

Yet one more thing in  my life to feel guilty about-starting a blog and never writing in it. I really do love blogging, a lot. I like to write and I really don't care how many people read it, its nice enough just for me to do it. HOWEVER with 1 husband, 2 kids, 1 dog, 1 house, 5,000 friends and family members, and lets not forget work...who has time? So lets recap May-September shall we? Having the worst memory known to man, I think I'll look through my calendar and rustle up a timeline.

I think May might have been pretty uneventful, my calendar is blank. It was either that, or my phone isn't working-surprise,surprise (why yes, I am getting the new iPhone).

June! Well June I do remember some important things! One of my best friends got married and had the honor of being in her wedding! I got to go home for the first time since I moved too. It was sort of a disaster. I had to give my daughter to her dad for 2 whole months...this was rough. My summer had worry laced throughout it. Going back home was bitter sweet. It was so nice to see my family and my friends but saying goodbye was hard all over again.

July was great. René and I marked our 1 year anniversary on July 30. We celebrated by driving to New Orleans! We've had a love for this city before we even set foot into. We stayed right on Bourbon Street. We ate the best food, drank the best drinks, and listened to the best music. We walked down the insanity that is Bourbon street with the biggest daiquiri you've ever seen. We had beignets and cafe au lait, we visited Jackson Square, and we took a tour of the Treme neighborhood. We saw John Boutté and Kermit Ruffins perform. We walked and walked and walked just for ice cream. I asked René at one point how one knows if they are dieing. It was that serious. We took streetcars and even the Algeirs point ferry-just because. We saw Mardi Gras beads wrapped in trees, street lights, and power lines. New Orleans felt like another country-it was magical and we loved it.
P.s. I started a new job in July. I miss my old job terribly.

August-My daughter came home! My step son started soccer and René is his coach (its as adorable as it sounds and also hilarious...3 and 4 year olds all trying to kick one ball is ridiculous)! My daughter started ballet classes again and added horseback riding to the mix. Needless to say we don't have time to breathe. We celebrated my stepson's birthday too-Star Wars style. We rented a bounce house/water slide-best idea ever. We are busy all week long and its bananas. I miss working from home and being more available to the kids. Yet, everything happens for a reason and I really need to stop worrying about everything. I think way too much. Thank God for my friend helping out with our dog...he no longer has to feel guilty about pooping on the carpet because he gets an afternoon break thanks to her! I try my hardest to make it all work but I think I need a wife of my own. Maybe she could do the laundry and clean the house while I spend more time with my husband and kids. Dreaming is fun isn't it?

I turned 26 last week. I am no longer in my mid twenties and that's sort of weird when I think about it. Believe me, I in no way want to be younger-looking back on the early 20's just looks like a brightly colored, too many highlights in my hair, poor decisions, bad clothes blob of "meh". Not that I don't currently have (*cringe*) late 20's issues, because really do we ever stop having issues? However, my hair is all one color (sorta), I have a family of my own, I don't make too many poor decisions anymore, and I think I dress a little better. Granted I do love leopard print, so there are some differing opinions there.
My birthday itself was fun-my husband made me a homemade card-always sweet and some delicious pie-seriously delicious, and he took me shopping twice in one weekend. He really is amazing and I am a lucky girl!
 My in-laws made me lunch and my awesome friend (and her husband) gave me my favorite wine, but I think her card was my favorite part, it was only one line-but it meant so much. I'm so glad she's in my life!

Now that I've officially bored you to tears and didn't even add any pictures, (what kind of blogger am I?)-I will end this painfully long blog post all about myself and wish my Dad a Happy Birthday! I love him, I miss him and I don't go a day without talking to him in some form or fashion-have a beer and a crab cake sandwich for me Dad.

Don't put potatoes in the crock pot

...And other words of advice.
Well I started using my crock pot a whole lot more when I moved to Texas. I'm a fan of lazy cooking.
I did learn one thing... potatoes don't work in the crock pot. Every time I used a recipe with potatoes, even after 8 hours of cooking, they were hard and not appetizing. It sort of ruined the meals I made. However I will share with you a few recipes that made the cut. Since I've lived in Texas, we have experimented a ton with food. We ate vegetarian for a week, we went meat heavy for a week, I did freezer cooking to the crock pot for a week, and I think there was a week in there when we just made strange meals from whatever was in the pantry...aka pay day week. We of course ate out a bunch...you gathered that from my weight gain I wrote about in my last post.

So far, I'd like to share with you the recipes that made the cut! They are not all crock pot recipes...sorry! I promise you they pleased an 8 year old, a 3 year old, and a husband...so they are tried and true! I threw in a dessert here and there too.

Sigrid's Carrot Cake
I'll start with this amazing carrot cake I got from the Pioneer Woman. I made it on Easter and it was amazing. René doesn't even like cake and raved about it. So all credit goes to The Pioneer Woman. The homemade cream cheese frosting really makes it!

Vegan Zucchini Bread

Vegan Cupcakes
Even if you aren't vegan or think its weird, whatever...just try this. In my opinion these were the best cupcakes I ever made.

Oatmeal Lemon Creme Bars

Vegetarian Meals
I only did Week 1 so far. Every recipe was delicious, apart from maybe the General's Tofu. I wasn't a huge fan.
*Salsa Fry-Up needed some tortillas to wrap up that deliciousness, add that to your grocery list if you make this. This was the kids favorite
*Rice Greens and Egg-I used Kale and it was yummy
*The Pad Thai was a family favorite. We used Hoisin sauce, not the traditional peanut sauce. You can find it at Walmart
*Lentil Herder's Pie was delicious. Mashed potatoes are good always, duh.


Slow Cooker Kielbasa with Apples, Onions, and Sauerkraut
This was really good, it was enough for 3 kids and 4 adults and super easy to put together.

Chuck Roast in the crock pot-my concoction
I bought a chili coffee meat rub from the store. They have rubs in bulk at Central Market. If you don't have that, you can just use salt and pepper or you can buy a couple packets at the store. One won't do it. So I rubbed the spices all over the 3 lb chuck roast, then I browned it on all sides in a pan. Boil some beef broth, about 2 cups. I used organic, low sodium, low fat-all that jazz. Cut up some big onions, stick them in the bottom of the crock pot. Cut them into big chunks. After the meat is all browned up stick it on top of the onions. Pour some water into the pan your meat came out of, get all the flavor up and put it into the beef broth you're boiling. Let it cook for a minute then pour it into the crock pot. Then just put the lid on and let it go for 8 hours on Low. It was super easy, took me 10 minutes. Later on in the day I threw some salt and pepper and more meat rub in there, just to amp it up. For some reason I find the slow cooker makes things bland after cooking it all day. I served the meat over brown rice with gravy and a side of green beans.  Mashed potatoes would work too.

Several weeks ago I also made this: Roasted Grape, Goat Cheese, and Honey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Mine never made it back into the potato skins, I am not that fancy. It was very good though. This one definitely depends on your tastes. If you don't like goat cheese, you obviously won't like this!


So far, that's all I got. I made vegetarian chili in the crock pot once too, I don't know what I did with the recipe but it was good. Just google it and I promise you'll get a million and 1 recipes to suit you for veg chili.

I have lots planned for next week-pulled pork AND homemade bbq sauce in the crock pot, carnitas, santa fe chicken, etc. It's a Tex Mex sort of week coming up, we'll be all porked out.

Full Disclosure

The road trip from Delaware/Maryland to Texas was insanely long. 6-8 hour road trips are ok...24 hrs are not. I do not want to ever do that again.

I've gained 7 pounds. My sister calls it "love chub". I call it...wow Texas has super good, fattening, greasy, awesome food and I spent a month putting it in my belly. Today I finally put my foot down and say NO MORE junk.



Yes, I'm officially or unofficially a Texan now. I have a Texas license and Texas plates and a Texas address so I fulfilled all the legalities other than being born here. Really I get the feeling not many people are actually born in Texas. My neighbors came from Idaho and New Jersey, friends from church hail from Wisconsin via Chicago and also Alabama. Really, who was actually born in Texas?

I do love my new house, its bigger and better and the floor plan is open and nice. The kids have their own rooms. René and I actually have a bathroom IN our bedroom. Welcome to grown up land where you don't have to share your bathroom with children. We have all new furniture, for the most part, which is pretty cool. Our bedroom MATCHES. More grown up stuff for you.

My in laws are great, and no they don't read this so I'm not just saying that...they really are fantastic and my mother in law is my friend! She tried to teach me how to make enchiladas last week. I think I need to make them about 75 more times to be good at it. Its a ton of work for one dish. Some day I hope to be the crazy white lady making amazing Mexican food for my family.

René and I went on a date this past weekend and it was great! I love our alone time so much, I cherish it.
We also took our daughter to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens and the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth on Saturday. She loved the gardens and about 10 minutes of the museum. I mean, shes 8...modern art isn't her thing.






My daughter joined the children's choir at church and just came back from her second sign language class. She went as a tag along, but shes really good at it...so why not? 

My mom came for a visit last week and it was so nice to have her. It was fun showing someone where I live and all my surroundings. We took her to Hico, Texas for some awesome pie and a drive through the countryside. She had my mother in laws awesome enchiladas and just spent some good time with us!







Our neighbors are super nice, I only wish I had more time to hang out with them! Their children are our children's age and I'm pretty sure Jasper is in love with their dog..so much so that hes burrowed a hole from our yard to there's...I think we need a doggie door between our fences.

OH and my adventures in cooking for the past month or so have been fun. I made Easter dinner, I cooked vegan/vegetarian for a week and now I'm doing freeze ahead crock pot meals. I just need to find what suits us/me best! The most raved about dessert was by far the homemade carrot cake I made with homemade cream cheese icing. It was seriously delicious, just saying.

Ok thats enough update for now...I'm sorry its been so long, but obviously I've had a lot going on :)