Long weekend

Thanksgiving has come and gone.

We have so many reasons to be thankful not only on Thanksgiving day but every day. This Thanksgiving we spent the day celebrating at my parents house in Fairfax with the Bradfield side of the family. It was great to get everyone together. I know that Grandpa enjoyed having all his grandkids and great grandkids together in the same house too.

We also received a call on Thanksgiving afternoon that our Grandma Kemerling was being taken to the hospital. She has been having difficulty breathing and some internal bleeding. The prognosis is not good, as she is having more heart failure (which she has been having for the last few years) than pneumonia. She will not keep her IV in, and the doctors have stopped giving her any medicines/fluids/food, however she has been pretty agitated, so they have given her something that is helping her sleep . Her heart is weak and her body is worn out. She was partially awake when my sister and I stopped by on Thursday evening. Even though she really couldn't talk, I know that she knows we were there and that we love her. Please keep her and our family in your prayers. We just pray that she feels no pain and when it is her time to go, she will go in peace.

My stepson, Wyatt, has been with us all week. We have enjoyed every minute. Tomorrow he departs to head back to Idaho. Last night we celebrated Christmas with him and must say that all of his gifts were a hit! I will try and post some pictures of our week in the next day or two.

Tonight is our last night together with him and we are eating ice cream, watching some football and snow falling outside. A very relaxing night and a very early morning to the airport tomorrow.

Just a quick update from me. Hoping you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

Mexican Chicken

Last night I made a Paula Deen recipe: Mexican Chicken. Mike and Wyatt really liked it, so I thought I would share it with you all:

3-4 chicken breasts, diced and cooked (PD recipe calls for an entire roasting chicken diced)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 can rotel
Flour tortillas

Take a 9X13 pan and lightly grease. Mix together the soups, rotel and chicken. Layer on bottom of the pan flour tortillas. Add the chicken mixture next, then layer more tortillas, then another layer of the chicken mixture and end up with tortillas on the top. Cover with cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. So simple and easy! Can make it as hot or mild as you like depending on the rotel that you use.

Enjoy!

Christmas has arrived at our house

Wyatt has arrived and so has Christmas. That's right, we are all decorated and ready to go. I know Mike thought I was crazy for trying to get it all done so fast...but I did it. And it doesn't look to bad, take a look!

Mike is no longer out numbered by the females in the house. It's a tie. Let me tell ya, just in the past few hours...sure is a lot of testosterone running around. Goodness!

Our week will most certainly be busy. I am off tomorrow to spend the day with Wyatt while Mike works and then the boys will be home by themselves for the next two days. Oh my, I hate to think of what the house will look like then. :)

Hope you all are having a wonderful week and preparing for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Dana

Wink

Saturday evening we enjoyed having a birthday celebration at our house for Dad. Of course, the two stars of the evening were Dad and Isaac. Isaac now likes to wink both of his eyes at you...we spent dinner winking at one another across the table. Pretty cute. He also makes a "errr" noise..(really that doesn't even describe it)...when he has his tractor in his hand....we all wondered if his throat would ever get sore. Quite entertaining evening. I love family nights like that! Looking forward to many more. Thanksgiving will be quite entertaining I am sure, with Isaac, my cousin's son, Aidan, who is three and Wyatt all there. A house full of boys. :)

Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today as I am sure you can tell by my title, is my Dad's birthday! I am so excited that this year I am in Missouri to help him celebrate. He and my mom are driving down tomorrow afternoon to spend the evening with us. Kara, Tim and Isaac are also coming over and I am making dinner for everyone. I can't wait! It's been a while since I have seen my Dad and even longer since he has been to our house, so it should be some good bonding time.

Happy Birthday Dad/Pops! I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Thank you for being such a great father and friend. May all your birthday wishes come true!

Fall

Ahhh..fall...my favorite season of the year! There is nothing like it! The only thing I don't like is how dark it gets in the late afternoon/early evening. But there is nothing better than a cup of soup on a cool evening. The colors of fall are amazing as well. I could go on and on...but I will stop before I bore you. hehe!

I really don't have alot to write about today. I am keeping busy at home working on "special" Christmas gifts, oh yes and working my full time job too.

I wanted to share with all of you a few of my favorite new websites to browse. I am all into crafts and sewing, anything handmade. So much better than buying at a store.

http://www.etsy.com/ - Have you heard of it? It's amazing what you will find on the site! All kinds of handmade items!

http://www.amybutler.com/ - My sewing "hero". I love all of her items and her fabric is absolutely wonderful! I totally want to be her and own my own design business! :-)

http://www.urbanartsandcrafts.com/ - better yet..check out their store at the Briarcliff Village! So much fun, jewelry ideas, sewing, srapbooking...a girls dream store if you are into creating!

http://handmadebydirtylaundry.blogspot.com/ - A few weeks ago I attended a craft show in Liberty called Crafty Chicks. This site is one of the designers that was there and I met her and told her I enjoy reading her blog. I loved all of her items, very creative!

http://www.couponmom.com/ - this website Rocks! I have her book and have been reading it. Hoping to cut our grocery bills in 1/2! There is a virtual coupon organizer. And what is even better, she will tell you what days the coupons were in the paper, and what store to use it and how much you save. For those of us who live in Missouri, they only do it for Hy-Vee, not Price Chopper, however they do put Super Walmart, Target , CVS and Walgreens deals on there too. And another thing that I think is absolutely great on this site is that for all those coupons we may not use they have a plan for them too. ( they give hints as to what would be "free" and good to donate to charity)! what a great way to give! I had never thought of that before. So be sure and check this one out! I know we all could use better ways to save and still be able to give. Right?

http://www.upromise.com/ - Ok...found this one through the couponmom website. Wyatt isn't too far away from college...and this is a great way to see a little bit more money saved. We signed up immediately, it is so easy to do. Upromise helps people of all ages achieve their dreams of a college education. To do that, they've partnered with hundreds of America's leading companies to create a rewards network for Upromise members--whenever members buy something from one of our partners, they receive a portion of their eligible spending back in the form of college savings. You can register your credit/debit cards and your "shopping cards" for CVS, Price Chopper, etc.

I have been looking online for a creative idea for Christmas decorations. I would really love to make my own for our tree. Something that will last along time. I just haven't found the right thing yet. (not like I need more projects when I already have so many started~!) If you have heard of any, leave me a comment. I would love to know about them.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and of course then Christmas. Since Wyatt is coming to stay with us for a week, we are surprising him with a little pre Christmas celebration too. So I am busy trying to get all of his Christmas shopping done. Of course, I am now listening to Christmas music...got to love it! And I can't believe that star 102.1 already has it playing 24/7!

I also watched a movie P.S. I love you...have you seen it!? A total chick flick...I cried...I don't even know for sure why...but I did. Watched it at home by myself one day....girls...grab the kleenex and enjoy! :)

I think that about wraps up my update for the moment. Hoping you all have a wonderful day!

Mike's New Favorite Recipe

I made this a couple of weeks ago, and Mike loved it. Thought I would share. I got this out of one of my Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks.

CAVATINI

4 c. elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
2 onions, chopped
15-oz pkg, pepperoni, chopped
4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
28-oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 10-oz. cans pizza sauce, divided
8-oz. mushrooms, drained

Prepare macaroni according to package directions, rinse and set aside. Brown ground beef with green peppers and onions, drain. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add macaroni and ground beef mixture. Spread into one extra-large lightly greased baking pan or divide into 2 lightly greased 13"x9" baking pans; bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes about 24 servings. (Jana Warnell, Kalispell, MT)

Bella B....better known as BB

So it's been a while since I put new pics of Miss Bella on the blog....as you can tell..she is doing very well. I came downstairs one night and Mike had covered her up with her blanket....I didn't think she would like it...but oh NO...the princess loves to be bundled up in it! Now she expects it! ha! Looks pretty cozy to me!

I think with this picture she was wondering what the heck I was doing. It's hard to believe that we have had her over a year now. Thank goodness most of the puppy stages are gone. She is still awnry at times though..Besides going to daycare a couple of days a week she LOVES going out in our backyard...and then sneaking into the empty lot behind us and searching for who knows what! She loves exploring. :)

She went to the vet yesterday and weighed in at 23. 6 lbs...a bit bigger than what we wanted...but wouldn't trade her for anything else! Daddy feeds her way to many treats!

ELECTION DAY

I have been waiting for this day for quite a while now, as I am sure the rest of you have too! Have you voted yet?

I am voting this afternoon. I have been almost awestruck this morning, could be that I am just hormonal, but I am completely amazed that we live in such a great country where we are free to vote for whoever we choose. As I left the gym this morning at 5:30, I drove by the church where I will be voting later today and car after car pulled into the parking lot, it was people getting ready to vote. When I drove past this morning at 7:00, the entire parking lot was full and the line was wrapped around the HUGE church TWICE! Simply amazing site of people standing in line early in the morning.

I am so thankful that we live in a country where we as women, especially, are able to vote and not only that, but we live in a great country. We DO! Do I sound a bit patriotic today?? Ha! I am so ready as I am sure everyone is for the political ads to stop and for us all to move forward. Enough with the calls, fliers, commercials, etc. I don't know what I will watch when running on the treadmill in the mornings now! :)

Anyways, if you haven't voted, make sure you do. Don't get frustrated by the lines. It's worth it! HAPPY TUESDAY!

November

Hard to believe that November has arrived and even harder to believe the gorgeous weather we have been having!

Not alot to report from the Tracy household. Mike is still fighting a cold that he just can't seem to get rid of. He spent a lot of the weekend trying to relax and sleep. In fact we both did last night as we were in bed before 9:00 pm! We are getting old! HA! :)

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for Stephanie Vest. As I have mentioned before, I do not know her or her family personally, but I am awe struck at the amazing life she lives and the courage and strength that she has. Just through reading her blog, I am encouraged to be a better wife, daughter, sister, friend. She is truly an inspiration to me. Her faith in God and testimony that she displays is something I strive to be like.

I have been thinking about more decorating ideas, especially for my laundry room. I want the room I spend a lot of time in to be happy and spunky! ( I got the idea from Stephanie's Hot Pink laundry room). Each time I look at the pictures of it, I smile. So in honor of an amazing woman, I choose to make my laundry in to a Happy Place. I don't think I can convince Mike to let me paint it pink, but I am going to incorporate as much PINK as possible into the wall hangings and decor....and what better than to add some "I Love Lucy" memorabilia. If you don't know....I LOVE all of the "I Love Lucy" shows. Thanks to my mom many years ago, my sister and I have begun to collect the entire series of shows and that is one thing we always enjoy watching together. Lucy and Ethel always make me laugh. I am never to thrilled to do laundry, but maybe if I make it a fun place, I will enjoy being in the room more often. :)

I have begun to do my Christmas shopping. Wyatt is coming to stay with us for the week of Thanksgiving, and our plan is to celebrate Christmas with him the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so I am trying to get all I can get done before then. We have not told Wyatt that is our plan as we want it to be a surprise. Mike plans to take him out of the house for a few hours and during that time I will set up our tree and place his presents underneath. I am pretty excited as is Mike as we don't usually get to watch him unwrap his gifts. This will be a first! :) So Christmas is coming early to our house. But if you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE CHRISTMAS time. Have already begun listening to a couple of my Christmas CDs....hehe! I am nuts...I know...I get it from my Mom....love you MOM!

That about wraps up all that has been going on with me. I am sure I have more to write, I just can't think of it at the moment. Hope you make today a great day!