Christmas with the Campbells

So with my last day being the day after Christmas Jared and I decided to go ahead and take off and add a few days to our trip. It turned out to be a great idea. Now instead of four days we're spending nine days with our extended family in Nashville.

Yesterday was Christmas and 'Secret Santa'. The nieces and nephews spent the night with us and the grandparents. They got to open their new pjs and made a fort next to the tree. As tradition we had cinnamon rolls but my mother in-law decided to try a new twist and made a casserole with the cinnamon rolls. Very good!

my lovely Lauryn

Dustin, Tristan, and KT

my better half

I love these two together. They are so close and take good care of each other.

Grandpa putting Christmas music on for KT

 

opening stocking stuffers

My in-laws gave this sweet and thoughtful ornament.

 

 

 

After opening presents we got dressed and ready for church and spent the afternoon shopping and relaxing. I love this family that I've married into and I can't help but feel so blessed to have great relationships with them.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Goodness. I'm finally able to have a chance to come here and talk. Work has been so crazy busy especially with the weekend before Christmas with all the last minute shoppers.

our first Christmas photo by the fireplace.

This year Jared and I are spending Christmas alone and decided to keep it simple with the gift-giving. We are still keeping up with our traditions. For my side of the family we always receive new pajamas the night before Christmas so that we can wear them on Christmas morning. We also have stocking stuffers as well. For Jared's family they always have cinnamon rolls and eggnog for breakfast before they open gifts.

After Christmas we plan on leaving a few days before New Years to go up to Nashville to spend some time with J's folks. We are so excited to see the kiddos. I've already decided on a date night with them.

Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year!

Making Progress

I'm thrilled to say that we are making progress with Misty. Today she did great with the bit. I got her to take it on the first try, and then I realized I got it all backwards and, shockingly, got it on the second try! Usually she's very stubborn and fights us with it.

I was really surprised she did so good because about a week ago Jared and I saddled her up and I hopped on her to give her a go around the backyard. Jared lead her along and I just steered her; she responded beautifully considering I'm still learning how to ride. But then I noticed that I was tilting to the side and I realized that my saddle was slipping. I immediately jumped off and sure enough the saddle slipped underneath Misty. She freaked out and bucked and kicked. Thank the Lord Jared and I were ok and out of the way. She takes off to the other side of the yard and kicked the saddle off of her. The next minute she was fine and grazing on the grass. Misty was fine; just a little spooked.

I was a little nervous she would freak out on me when I brought the bit out today but she was just fine. I like to think she was in a good mood was because I brushed and groomed her beforehand. I was told by her former owners that she loves grooming.

We also got her hooves trimmed and cleaned out. They were starting to look a little rough around the edges (no pun intended) and I wanted that done before Jared and I take off for Nashville. I think she was very happy because as soon as I got home and went to the backyard to say hi to her she neighed at me. Her ears were perked up and she trotted over to me. It made my heart leap. I love this horse and I'm so lucky she is mine.

Because It's Monday

Here's a video of a cute pygmy goat dancing. Hope this perks up your Monday.

http://blog.theanimalrescuesite.com/babygoat-dancefunny/

The End of 2014 Is Upon Us...

...and with that in mind it's time to make some changes.

For the past few weeks I've come the conclusion that I don't want to do retail anymore and decided that I want to do something with my degree. I've put in time and money into and I think it's time that I buck up and get on it.

In a perfect world I would work with an online magazine or book publishing company. It would be even better if I can work at home.

So I gave my boss my two weeks notice but I told them I can stay to help with Christmas. After that I'll be done and unemployed. I've been looking around locally and although I haven't seen anything yet I'm not going to get discouraged.

Change is good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Besides the fact that we stuff ourselves to the point of food comas, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite family holidays (besides Christmas...duh). It comes around on my favorite season where the weather is cooling down and you're wearing cozy sweaters and stoking the fireplace. Thanksgiving is about celebrating the abundance of harvest/blessings/wealth-however you want to see it- and it gives us a chance to just sit back and count our many blessings throughout the year.

This is my first Thanksgiving cooking and being alone with just my husband. I'm ok with that. I originally planned in our first year of marriage to be alone for the holidays but plans changed. We had families that were anxious to see us after six months being out of the country, which is understandable. I am just doing the traditional recipes: turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and, of course, pumpkin pie. Since it's just the two of us I'm not making a whole lot.

What's funny is that I'm excited for leftovers. I loved making turkey Panini sandwiches with cranberry sauce, mustard, cheese, and stuffing. MMMmmm!

Afterward, Jared and I have to head out to my work to help with Black Friday. Jared didn't want to be left alone and wanted to spend time with me so he offered to help for the night. The rest of the week is going to be spent on working/doing projects before winter really hits us.

Here are a list of things I'm thankful for:

1) the ability to worship and praise my Lord and Savior

2) my wonderful, supportive husband who is willing to put up with Black Friday so he can spend time with me

3) the house over my head. At 24 I have bought a house; I never thought I would be capable of such a feat.

4) my job and I am able to pay bills and have a comfortable living

5) my family-both from my side, my step father's side, and my husband's side. I love how everyone is so different and yet we still love one another just the same

6) my friends. The people I've met have shaped me into the person I am, sometimes I don't even realize it. I love you all!

7) my past hardships. This one may seem strange but I am thankful for all the struggles and complications I've endured this past year and it, too, has helped change me. I am stronger because of them.

8) coffee. Sometimes a cup of coffee (or 5) is the only thing that helps me get through days I don't want to deal with.

9) the kiddos in my life. My step sister's daughter, my god daughter, my nieces and nephews...I love them so much. They sometimes make me feel old when they grow up but sometimes it's good to be reminded of my age.

10) the random acts of kindness that come my way. Lord knows I don't deserve them but I am sure grateful.

ThanksChristgivingMas

With the holidays around the corner I've been working a lot. Not that I'm complaining-I love the extra cash in my pocket. But there are some sacrifices that have to be made. For example, I have to work on said holidays.

I have realized that I have taken the holidays for granted and have not realized that firefighters, police, nurses, etc. and people who work in retail or at gas stations don't get the holidays off like the rest of the world. Now that I'm working in retail it makes me so cross that I have to give up my time that I have felt, before, that I should have off.

So with this in mind, if you feel the need to shop on Black Friday or Christmas shopping for/with the family...please be kind to us. Keep in mind, also, that we are overworked, underpaid, and (in my store's case) understaffed. We, as retailers, are trying to do the best that we can and we are more than happy to help you if you show some patience and kindness in return.

Settling In

I'm back! I currently don't have internet at the house so for the time being I'll be borrowing the free wifi wherever I can. So please bear with me.


Jared and I are finally settling in at our new house. We couldn't have done it without my lovely in-laws, Sherbear and Pops. The guys were able to fix up Misty's stall too, which ended up being perfect timing because the weather is now dropping to the 30s.

There's still a few things we need and/or replace in the house but we are just about finished. All that's left is the office space and living room. We cannot be happier than we are now. Misty is starting to warm up to us and we are loving her more every day. I'm pretty excited for the spring only because I want to get started with the garden but for now I'm happily content with just snuggling with hubby by the fireplace *insert fangirl scream* and enjoying the house.

By The Way (Mom, You Have Another Grandchild)

When we were making the offer on the house, Jared asked on the sly if they could keep the owners' horse too...and they said yes! The horse actually belonged to the oldest son but he just doesn't have the time anymore for her so that was why they agreed to leave her with us. What luck! A house and a horse!

She's a beauty too! A 14 year old Quarter horse named Misty.

The fencing definitely needs to be fixed and we are going to enclose part of the shed so that she has shelter for the winter. We've even thought of finding a stud for her and maybe get lucky with a colt in the future.

But seriously guys this is insane...I'm getting a house...and a horse! Feeling utterly blessed!

Halloween Week

For the past week and a half my computer has been acting up so I haven't been able to prepare posts. But I'm back!

It is finally Halloween week and I'm stoked! Halloween is my favorite holiday next to Thanksgiving. The weather is still warm (unfortunately) but I'm starting to see trees turning orange and light green.

All of this week I have a Halloween movie set up to watch to lead up to Halloween night. Here's my itinerary.

Sunday-Addams Family

Monday-Practical Magic

Tuesday-Vampire Hunter D

Wednesday- Skeleton Key

Thursday- Ginger

Friday (Halloween)- Hocus Pocus


Since this week we are going to be moving (the closing date is the 30) into our beautiful house Halloween this year is going to be very, very low key. I might end up grabbing a few bags of candy and just pass them out to whoever comes up to the door. But I probably won't dress up, instead I foresee myself in cozy pjs and surrounded by good junk food.

BUT come next year I plan to go all out on my house for decorations and costume ideas.

Random Thoughts of the Week

I am pretty sure we have past the half-way point in the long, long process of buying the house. I'm hopeful that by the end of next week the hubby and I will start moving essentials to the house. We've officially (hopefully) made plans with hubby's parents to meet up with him in Oregon some time soon to pick up/sell furniture and have other errands at the Campbell property taken care of.

In other news, the weather is super chilly Saturday and it made me excited. I was expecting a little coolness in the morning and assumed it would get warm later in the day. Oh no, it was in the low 60s today and I was in jeans ALL DAY. It was glorious! I'm praying that this will last longer than a weekend phase.

 I colored my hair red...well, auburn...it looks awesome.

The hubby got to attend 'mandatory fun' at work and golfed all day Friday...I worked...he's getting Monday off...I also have to work...

I'm pretty sure I want another tattoo.

Oh and I'm looking forward to a three day weekend/camping trip.

Car Shows and Cool Weather

 

After I got off work from an early shift I headed to our local car show. Hubby brought in Babs (the bronco) to show her off. 

 

We met up with some friends from the 4 wheel drive team we hang out every other Friday.

I took photos of some of my favorites that I saw.

Despite the rust, the Studebaker was my #1. This would be my dream car if I had a farm of my own.

 

The Texas 4 Wheel Drive team won an award for Best Car Club.

Saturday was spent looking at great looking cars, drinking coffee in the cool weather, and made it in time for church. Overall, a very good day.

Losing Can Sometimes Be A Blessing

For about a month my boss has hinted to keep an eye on a position opening at work for the holidays coming up. I've been very eager to work hard to show that I am capable of earning this position, despite that it is only temporary. I wanted to prove myself that I am more than capable of taking up the extra responsibilities.

I had the interview Sunday with the store manager and the merchandise flow supervisor, a.k.a. my boss (I say boss because I work with him more often than the other managers). It went well and I was confident in myself.

But for the past few days I've reflected how I've been working. I'm making easy mistakes and making my boss and myself frustrated in the process (which in my books is not a good thing). So I have been asking myself "is this what I really want right now?" and "Do I deserve this?"

I've prayed about it.

Today I found out I didn't get the temp. position. What's strange is that I find myself relieved that I didn't get it. The more I thought about it the more I realize how scared I was about screwing up royally to the point that they will just simply say, "This isn't going to work" and put me up on the chopping block. I would hate myself for allowing that to happen. At the same time, I was told that there is a great chance of an increase in pay, for me, which I am looking forward to.

There's so much I still need to learn before I'm able to consider thinking of taking up the position as merchandise flow supervisor. In fact, I'm quite happy where I'm at right now. I enjoy going to work, and I love the people I work with which I think is a blessing. Not many people can say they love what they do.

I now believe that God handled the situation for me for numerous reasons. I am so grateful for the opportunity because it has shed some light that I have a lot of growing to do and that's ok.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last night it started to sprinkle outside and then about five minutes later it looked like a full on hurricane. Small tree branches and debris were flying.

I immediately thought this would be the perfect weather to make a hot soup. Like every good wife I consulted with Pinterest and found this delicious recipe.

I didn't have tortilla chips so I ended up putting tortilla halves in the toaster over for a few minutes. It was perfect! I was really happy, too, that I was able to add some of my saved up green chiles with the soup. I ended up making a big pot, just enough for leftovers for a few days...ok, let's be honest... maybe enough for tomorrow's lunch.

It's super easy and great for a chilly and/or wet evening.

P.S.-for anyone in the family wondering (or anyone in general) if we are ok...we are. Jared's bronco is a bit wet since he had taken the top off but we are fine.

Sitting And Waiting...Still

Work has been keeping me busy and distracted from the house. So far all the repairs that needed to be done are done and the appraisal was taken care of as well. Now we're even further along in the "sitting and waiting" phase of purchasing our house.

Hubby is just dying to get into that house. He keeps saying, "How is it that it's going to take a whole month now?" He calls up our realtor almost every day to make sure there isn't anything else we need to do.

For now, all we can do is just thank the Lord that we are capable of doing what we are trying to do and start a new chapter in our lives.

Maze Runner

If you ever get the chance to, go see Maze Runner in theaters. It was amazing! If you like an intense movie that keeps you interested the whole time then this is the movie for you.

After seeing the movie I'm definitely going to check out the book series and read it. I'm excited for the second movie to come out.

Barnheart

I want to share an excerpt of a novel I read that screams what I'm feeling lately since we are in the process of buying our house. It is called Barnheart by Jenna Woginrich. I loved it and I ended up buying two other books from her. Even though I feel the author doesn't think all the way through and isn't quite prepared as she should be (but that is how I do things myself so I'm not hating by any means, her way of doing things is just the opposite of my personality) but I have to say she has guts and is not afraid to tackle a challenge. I find this encouraging.

Certain people, myself included, are afflicted by a condition that's difficult to describe. It's not recognized by physicians or psychoanalysts (yet), but it's really only a matter of time before it's a household diagnosis. It's a sharp, targeted depression, a sudden overcast feeling that hits you while you're at work or standing in the grocery-store checkout line. It's a dreamers disease, a mix of hope, determination, and grit. It' attacks those of us who wish to God we were outside with our flocks, feed bags, or harnesses instead of sitting in front of a computer screen...

The symptoms are mild at first. You start reading online homesteading forums and shopping at cheese-making supply sites on your lunch break. You go home after work and instead of turning on the television, you bake a pie and study chicken-coop building plans. Then somehow,somewhere along the way you realize that you're happiest when you're weeding the garden or collecting eggs from the henhouse...

This condition is roughly defined  as the state of knowing unequivocally that you want to be a farmer but, due to personal circumstances, cannot be one just yet. So there you are, heartsick and confused in the passing lane, wondering why you can't stop thinking about heritage-breed livestock and electric fences...You have what I have. You are suffering from Barnheart.

When your mind wanders like this and your heart feels heavy, do not lose the faith, and do not fret about your current circumstances. Everything changes. If you need to stand in the slanting light of an old barn to lift your spirits, go for it. Perhaps someday you'll do this every day. For some, this is surely the only cure. I may be such a case.
        We'll get there. In the meantime, let us just take comfort in knowing we're not alone. And maybe take turns standing up and admitting we have a problem.
    Hello. My name is Jenna. And I have Barnheart.

We Kind of Have A House

The first house didn't take and neither did our second favorite (my personal favorite) house either. But when our realtor showed us a house close to Weatherford while we were waiting to hear about the first house offer, Jay and I knew this house was going to be next. It roughly take 25-30 minutes for the both of us to get to work, it's in a nice country neighborhood with cows, horses, and chickens in people's yards (that's a good sign for me), and it has a big spacious backyard for us to start on our mini farm that we've been wanting to start. Not to mention it's a lot closer to our price range than the first two houses.

So once the second house didn't take our offer we moved on to this house and the sellers accepted our offer. Yay! BUT we only have a foot in the door. Now we're going through inspections and appraisals and so forth. The closing date is the end of October. So we're looking at a month and a half. Great...It's a matter of waiting and that's not something Jay and I like to do.

In the meantime, we're working together to see what changes we want to make once (and I say ONCE) the house is ours. The backyard is needing some attention (and in the next few weeks I'll explain further on that) and we will eventually want to replace the appliances in the kitchen. Thankfully, compared to house #2 it doesn't need much work but we want to add in a little bit of us in it. Jay's main project is to expand the garage and make a part of it his shop for his Bronco, and possible this will add more space to the back bedroom behind the garage as well. He also has a project in mind for the backyard that he's not ready to tell me yet.

So yeah...I can breath for a minute but the anxiety is still there. My prayer is that everything goes as smoothly as possible and as quickly as possible.

Projects That Actually Get Done

Do you ever have that problem when you want to start a project but you never get to it and blame it on work or just life in general? Well this chick finally got to that said project and FINISHED it.

My jewelry armoire was given to my by my grandmother roughly five years ago. It's starting to fall apart and just plain old.

 

I've lost the photo that showed what the armoire originally looked like but you can kind of  see in the photo above. Chloe thought she was helping me out too.

 

Here is what it looks like now. I'm so pleased with its new look.

 

I had some leftover paint from when we painted our living room wall, so I used that and I grabbed some gold paint from Hobby Lobby.

 

I started pulling the pieces apart and sanding them down. Then I would paint a coat or two. Once the pieces were dry I would take a sand paper piece and start rubbing off some of the paint to give it a weathered rustic look.

 

I am very pleased how it worked out.

It's Begining To Look A Lot Like Autumn

Today, it is 'sprinkling' outside.

It's roughly 70 degrees and slightly windy.

I decided it was time and I caved for a pumpkin spiced iced coffee. Sooo goooodddd.

And then I bought these little darlings.

 

It's definitely starting to look (and feel) like Autumn.

First Offer

We made our first official offer to our first house yesterday!

My stomach has been doing flip flops all weekend just thinking about it. Friday afternoon we met with our lovely realtor and she guided us through the process, and paper work, of making offers and was patient with us as she explained how it all works.

Just listening to her made me fidgety. If you haven't figured it out already I'm a very impatient person. I hate waiting but as my mother in law would say, "The majority of your life is about waiting".

I just want the thumbs up on a house so I can start decorating it and make our personal touches on it. Last night Jay and I went grocery shopping at our beloved Central Market and they have put pumpkins out on display. Oh man, I was already imagining pumpkins lit and lined up on my drive way at my new home...but I dont' have a house!

Before the day was over, we got an email from our realtor say that the seller countered (which is typical in an offering war) so we countered back. We haven't heard anything yet but we are praying that soon we will come to an agreement.

I recently remembered one my favorite bloggers, Jordan Reid of Ramshackle Glam, went through her first experience of buying a house and I went through her archives (like a creeper) and read through it all.

For anyone else going through this kind of experience for the first time here's the link. For me, it's been very helpful and has made me feel better seeing how she was struggling also (not that I enjoy your struggles Jordan).

Progress

I've been so busy with this week from work, looking at houses, and preparing to make offers.

We are officially godparents. We were able to see Raevyn and attend her baby dedication.

 

I was super happy to see my niece, Taylor, since the last time we saw her was Thanksgiving, I believe.

 

 

She's getting so big it kills me.

 

Yesterday we got with our realtor and starting on the offers on our top three houses. Hopefully soon we will be making progress on the house hunting.

Baby Dedication and House Hunting

This is just an update post on what's been going on with Jay and I.

Yesterday was our first house hunting experience. We got in touch with a realtor and told her which houses we are interested in and what we are looking for overall. The three of us looked at our four favorites.

Jay and I decided that two of the houses were our absolute favorites and have been discussing the pros and cons of both houses. We agreed, though, that we are going to look at a few more places and start making offers at the end of next week.

Even though our current lease is not up until the end of November we found out that the process of buying our future home through the VA takes about 45 days. So if we get a place ASAP it'll be around mid-October when we are even allowed to set foot in the door.


This weekend we will be traveling to my hometown in New Mexico to see my folks and my adopted baby sister. She is having her baby dedication this Sunday and Jay and I are to be her godparents if, (God forbid) something were to happen to my parents. We are very excited to see everyone and the chance to eat good Mexican food.

I will be posting photos of the weekend soon.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

A Book Worm's Splurge

I just received the biggest paycheck this past payday! After making sure all the bills were paid and I put money aside for gas, my 10% to the Lord (and a little extra) and my Compassion child I have a small chunk of spending money left so this girl went crazy at her local Half-Priced Bookstore and Barnes and Noble.

I have California by Edan Lepucki (so far pretty good),

 The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston (you would know her from Midnight Witch and The Witch's Daughter),

French Women For All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano (it looks like it has some great seasonal recipes)

 and Barnheart, the incurable longing for a farm of one's own by Jenna Woginrich. I've been dying to get this one and I'm excited to start on it.

Sometimes I will read two books at once- one during the day and one before bed but California is like a demanding child and is keeping my attention on it (in a good way though).

I'll have to post a few excerpts from it soon.

My First

It's that time of the year when everyone is back to school. Parents and kids are shopping for school supplies, new clothes, and backpacks. It has made me nostalgic to go back to college.


Instead I have opted to replace my current agenda book for a new one.

 

I've always loved the Lilly Pulitzer agenda books when I was in college and I still do. This cute print is called Jellies Be Jammin.

 

I found a Dillards that carried the brand and I was so happy to have found the agenda book I wanted but while I was there I also found a clearance rack of the their dresses for 50% off.

 

I was stoked because tax free weekend was coming up in three days so I waited and I prayed that some of the dresses wouldn't be taken already.

 

I waited and waited until I finally got off work Friday afternoon and I rushed to Dillards and practically ran toward the dresses. I found several dresses that I loved but there was only one for me.

 

I found a matching dress to go with my agenda and I knew I had to have it. I got the dress for $35 since it was half off AND tax free. That's a steal since it was a hundred dollar dress. There was just no way I was going to pay that much for a tank dress despite the brand.

 

This dress is my first Lilly Pulitzer and I will keep it as long as I can. It wasn't until my third year in college when my sorority Big Sister introduced me to Lilly Pulitzer dresses. She had scarves and dresses from the brand and I fell in love with the prints. I even ended up buying the Chi Omega printed scarf as my Christmas present.

Now I finally have a dress and I can't wait to wear it out. I have two days off this week so I'm looking forward to it.

Peppers Everywhere!

After my amazing lunch I discovered that Central Market was having their own hatch chile festival. They have a huge stock of peppers.

At the entrance Jay and I were greeted by the pepper roaster and the all too familiar New Mexico's state flag. The smell of peppers roasting was a sign that fall is coming but it might be a while since we're still in the heat of summer (or at least that's what it feels like).

As we shopped around and collecting groceries, we would find new things with the hatch green chile peppers like cheeses, breads, dips, jams, chips, wines that pair well with the peppers, etc. We even found bacon infused with the green chiles. I almost bought it.

Jay grabbed the queso with the green chiles while I got the peppers themselves; four or five peppers cost me 45 cents! woooohooo!!!

Let's just say...mama was happy.


Tonight, I'm attempting to make chicken tortilla soup and adding some peppers. Yeah, it's a little hot for soup but it's still so good.

Tastes Like Home

On my diet cheat day, which Jay and I agreed it would be Saturdays, I decided to try Blue Mesa located at the university park village for lunch. 

I'm one of those people that look at the restaurant websites to check out their menus first before trying it out; I knew what I wanted to try. 

Soon as I was seated and given a menu I also received an extra menu for their Hatch Chile Festival.

 

 

Oh, man. I was so excited. I never thought after moving away from New Mexico that I would miss the popular local ingredient. I never ate much of it but it was prominent all over the state. You can get it in your burgers and even ice cream. Yeah, you heard me right- Ice Cream!

 

I might have mentioned it before but back in my college years in New Mexico there was a place that was my go-to whenever I had a "rough morning" after "having too much fun" or if I was just simply in the mood for good mexican food.

 

It was called Andele's and I would always get the same thing: the green chile beef enchiladas with an over easy egg on the top. Mmm. It makes me home sick thinking about it.

 

 

So seeing the side menu made me happy. I ended up ordering from the regular menu and one item from the hatch chile menu.

 

 

 

I had the blue crab and shrimp enchiladas with red sauce. Beans and rice were included and the small yellow mushy stuff was a corn cake. It was delicious.

 

The enchiladas were outstanding. I wasn't entirely thrilled about the beans since it had a sweet consistency that I didn't care for but everything else made up for it.

 



Then for the grand finale, I tried the Hatch Brownie Sundae.

Oh Lord, it made happy. You can taste the smokiness of the chile and it had a nice warm kick at the end. It mixed really well with the gooey brownie and the ice cream.

Blue Mesa did an incredible job with working with the hatch chile's flavor. I was almost in tears.

You know when you eat your mother's baked ham or your grandmother's stew and it gives you that warm feeling of comfort and, perhaps, love?  That was the feeling I was getting. It gave me a comfort feeling that I never thought I would with the chile.

If you are ever in Fort Worth or in the neighborhood, try out Blue Mesa. They have a lovely patio area too if you like to eat al fresco. But more importantly, if it's August and you are in Fort Worth, get your butt to that restaurant!

Angel

I just found out that I made Angel of the Month at work! I was given a cute tumbler as a gift and I love it. It feels so good to be recognized for all the hard work and dedication I've put in. I love the company and my co-workers which makes it so much easier for me to keep trying do better. At the beginning I never would have thought there's a lot of work that goes into the stores. I think that anyone who works in retail can agree that after working in retail it also changes the way you shop (i.e. folding things back neatly instead of just tossing it). I really hope that this is just the first step of success and I look forward to becoming a manager some day.

you can barely see it but it says Angel of the Month on the tumbler.

Training With Hubby

Lately every time I look at myself in the mirror I'll immediately noticed a baby pudge around my stomach. It bugs me to no end so I asked my husband to train me to lose 10 pounds and get rid of the belly pooch. I'm still a good size and I'm not calling myself fat by any means because I know I'm not. But the way I think of things is I might as well nip it in the butt and take care of it now before it progresses and I find myself severely overweight. The way I see it, 10 pounds is easier to get rid of than...let's say 80.

Plus Jay is working on getting his training certification so I think this will encourage him to keep trying. Oh man, he's working me hard but I told him to not hold back on me because it's me. At the gym, I'm his client but at home I am his wife. Last night we did cardio, planks, and crunches. Today he told me to do the stair master and same workouts. It's only day 3 and I'm hurting already. It's bad enough that he is keeping bacon from me. Our meals are more simple and less dairy. Lots of veggies and good proteins.

Here is what I look like after the first night.

 

Not a happy person. Wish me luck! Anyone else training to lose a bit of pudge? Or just training to stay healthy?

Well...This Is Awkward

You know that feeling when you leave your parents' house to move into your own apartment and a few months later it ends up not working out and you have to shamefully go back to living with your parents again? Well that's what I'm feeling right now.

So...I still have the other blog but I'm having a hard time working with it. I'm learning that it's hard to do a food blog when you are on a budget. It gets expensive (especially when you are trying to do something new three times a week). And I have been a lot more busy with my part time job (that is starting to work it's way up to being a full time job).

And in all honestly...I missed Military Housewife. I missed just talking about my day and sharing funny stories involving Jay.  So you will be seeing me pop in every now and then. It may not be the five days of the week like it used to but you will hear from me. I will be making a few new changes. For example, the title will be different since I can't consider calling myself a 'housewife' since I'm working now. Hopefully things will work out for the better.

I'm Moving

I'm sorry for not blogging in like...forever. I have been having what's called the 'writer's block'. Lately I have had no clue what to discuss with you and have been feeling stagnant. A while back I decided to make a change. I know that I want to be a food writer.

They say you should dress for the job you want. Well, I'm taking that to heart but with a twist. I have created a new blog that will be based on the job that I want. I'm not going to be claiming that I'm an expert because I sure as heck am not. But I came with the idea to put me at a starting point. You are more than welcome to visit at http://dailyhunger.blogspot.com.

Thank you for your support!

I'm Dreaming of Greece

Hubby and I are almost finished with the living room. All that's left are the finishing touches, and by that I mean photos. We were going through all our photos to see which ones we want to hang up on our walls. I was scrolling through the photos from our honeymoon and I was reminded how amazing and beautiful Greece was. I immediately wished it was summer again and wanted to feel the soft sand of Panormos Beach again.

There was nothing about the trip that sucked. Not one moment. It was perfect.


Have you had any trips that were perfect in your eyes?

Marital Lesson on Peeves

There are things in your marriage that learn and you will wish were different. It could be a peeve of your spouse that was cute at first but the longer you are exposed to it the more you get irritated and frustrated. There's nothing you can do about it though, no matter how much you want to change it and you will have to learn to deal with it. Grin and bear it because the last thing you want is your marriage to fall apart over something miniscule as a peeve.

 But what I have also learned is that it is always a great idea to discuss such things with your spouse so that they are aware of how you are feeling. Being respectful, in my opinion, is the best approach. The last thing you should do is start off with "I can't stand it when you do this. You are such a mean person" or any other negative comments. Start with a positive one because your partner will be more likely to listen and pay attention instead of immediately getting defensive. Here are some examples:

"Honey, you are really great at keeping up with the dishes but it bothers me when you don't put them away. It would mean a lot to me if you can do that for me."

"Sweetheart, you are a loving husband/wife but it hurts me when you get onto me for something silly like not dusting the countertops. It makes me feel like you are treating me like a child. Can I suggest you say..."


Making compromises is another great way of solving issues. If your spouse feels they are constantly watching the kids on the weekends, suggest that one day or an afternoon every weekend they get the time off. One thing you should always remember is that no issue will be solved until you speak up. They're not going to fix themselves and your spouses cannot read your mind no matter how badly you want them to.

How do you share your issues with your spouse?

Foodie Friday

Like I said I would I went back to the Food Park a couple of weeks ago. There were the usual Smokewagon and Good Karma Kitchen but there was another truck I haven't seen called Holy Frijoles.

 

They had tortas, quesadillas, and chile rellenos. The guys were sweet and friendly like the rest of the crowd. 

 

I saw something on their menu that caught my eye and I knew I had to have it; I ordered the squash blossom quesadillas. I keep hearing about this hype on Food Network and the Travel Channel about squash blossoms and wanted to give it a go. The quesadillas came with two different kinds of sauces-a verde sauce and I'm guess a chipotle sauce. I leaned toward the chipotle one. After taking a few bites I understand the trend of squash blossoms. It was something I've never tasted before and it was Uh-Mazing! The onions and green chile added a nice heat to it but with the chipotle sauce it got me hot. I had to hop over to Good Karma for their strawberry basil lemonade (again) to cool my mouth down. But while I was there I also saw these "Karma Asada" tacos and they sounded great. So I asked for two. I finished up half of the quesadillas and saved the other half for later and scarfed down these delicious tacos. 

 For a vegetarian truck, Good Karma definitely has some great meat. You can taste the difference of this meat. I'm usually a flour tortilla girl but the corn tortillas went nicely with it and I loved that they didn't fall apart. The meat had a bite of heat but the cilantro and the cream added a nice touch of coolness. I would definitely bring my husband to try these babies. It was six bucks for two tacos but just look at them! They're not dinky little tacos from Taco Bell; those babies were stuffed with the goods. The last few bites were messy but that just makes the appeal so much better. Finger Lickin' Good!!! I had to give the girl a thumbs up.

In other news I found another food park that is also ten minutes away from home. Maybe next week I'll go looking for it and see what they have. Have a blessed weekend!

 

Date Night

J and I decided that Saturdays would be our date night and it has given us an opportunity to explore Fort Worth. Two Saturdays ago we went to the Stockyards. There's one long street of gift shops, honky tonks (as they are called), and country bars. J and I were looking into finding a place to go when we are in the mood for line dancing. One of the more poplar places we found was Billy Bob's. It's a HUGE club with a restaurant and concert hall. Apparently they are known for their concerts and line dancing. Unfortunately we didn't get to go inside but we've checked out a couple other places.

There was Pearl's but we peeked inside one of the windows and, I'm sorry, but it was full of older people. We were looking for a place that people our age go to. We went inside Cantina Cadillac.

 

The walls are decorated with taxidermy and antlers of all kinds. Pretty durn rustic!

I love this one! It was around 9:30 when we went inside and it was getting full which was a plus for us so we stuck around for a bit. After a while people still haven't started dancing despite the music playing and it was getting late.

I have to made a side note here and say that my husband and I are not used to being out later than 9PM. When we were in England there wasn't much to do so we headed to bed around 8-8:30. Yeah, we're old people. But now that we are in Fort Worth, there's lots to do so we're trying to stay up a little longer than we're used to.

It was getting late so we headed out to look at the shops and stroll around the Stockyards. We came across the rodeo and I discovered that it's an all year long rodeo. Every Friday and Saturday they've got one going on. J and I snuck in and watched the last few minutes of the bull riding contest. I learned that J has never been to a rodeo. Scratch that. He has but he's never watched the events; he did what all teenagers would do and hung out with friends behind the bleachers.

We would definitely have to come back another time and watch the whole show. J would really love it.