A Whirlwind Weekend!

Finally….my 12 hour shift is over and I am sitting down to take care of my bills, catch up on e-mails while I wait for a load of laundry…..but wait…I try to get online and for some reason our Internet isn’t working….everything looks as if it’s working but it’s not….and well let me tell you about that country living I love so much…as I sit here trying to fix my Internet I hear a fountain of water shooting across my kitchen as my washer isn’t draining because we have freezing temperatures and the pipe is frozen so soapy water was backed up and spewing in my kitchen!! LOVELY!! If it weren’t for bad luck I wouldn’t have any luck but these days I would almost trade for no luck at all. So now as I sit updating from the weekend I’m typing out our blog in Word in hopes the internet will work in the morning!

What a weekend! Due to the snow in Hobbs Thursday night, Alan didn’t have to drive in to work on Friday. It was nice to have him home and helping out since we were headed to Monahans that evening. I wouldn’t have gotten everything together and ready to go had it not been for him. Friday night we headed to Monahans and got in about 10ish and much to our surprise Monahans was covered in snow still and we left with none at our house…all we ever got were a little flurries!! Isabella was so excited. Although she experienced her first snow at 5 months on her 1st Thanksgiving Day…this was the first time that she got to experience playing it!! She had so much fun making snow angels and throwing snowballs!! It was all fun and games until her gloves kept coming off and her hands got a bit of a chill and the wet started seeping through her sweatshirt a little from making snow angels. After the snow play and getting everything unloaded, I started to work on the cake for Allyson’s birthday party and Isabella rushed in to where my mom stores her toys and threw her arms around the basket exclaiming, TOYS! I’ve MISSED YOU!! Guess it’s been too long since she’s visited her toys at Grammie and Papa’s house!! However, she got plenty of play out of them because the kiddo wouldn’t go to sleep until well after midnight.

Saturday we were up bright and early to set up for the Monahans Chili Market with our signs. Although the sales weren’t abundant we did manage to sell a few and make a little money after paying for our booth. Hopefully we also managed to pick up a few custom orders. BIG thanks go out to Alan, Ricky and my mom for running the booth and taking care of Isabella while I worked on the cake. Before coming home from the Chili Market Isabella wanted to stop and visit Grandad...she had a blast with Grandad and got in enough tickles to last until the next visit! After a few disasters, I finally finished up the cake at party time and got it delivered to Habenero’s. Unfortunately my kiddo was napping so we didn’t make it to the kid party and fussy baby awoke just in time for us to make it to the adult party. ~Happy 10th Birthday Allyson!! We hope you had an AMAZING day on Sunday and thank you for inviting us to your party!! We had a good time! ~ We then headed to Midland to see A Christmas Carol at Midland Community Theater and back to Monahans afterwards. Sunday we were suppose to attend A Tuna Christmas at MCT but my mom wasn’t going, Grandad wasn’t going, so we decided not to go. Instead we headed to Odessa and Midland…the guys did some Christmas shopping while my mom, Isabella and I went and did the Tour of Homes in Odessa. The price of admission was well worth it. I learned that I need not hide my big balls on my Christmas Tree...it is ok to let them hang out on the ends of branches and I thought my tree was over the top...but you haven't seen over the top!! 2 feet monkey heads on a tree is OVER THE TOP!! But one question….what in the heck is the deal with wealthy people and these ugly monkey’s…. MONKEY'S EVERYWHERE. Kind of disturbing that they line their halls with framed pictures of these monkey’s instead of pictures of their own children and grandchildren!! After making it back to Monahans, loading our stuff, the dogs and getting away from my mom trying to send everything including the kitchen sink home with us we arrived at our house close to 1 this morning. My dad left Wilson today and headed back to Monahans so I have been on “Double Toddler Duty” ALONE!! I do not understand how my grandmother can be so hateful. She doesn’t want to go to an Assisted Living and we are all working together to keep her from having to go but dang…I wish she would just be appreciative of what we are doing instead of pointing out the things we aren’t doing or that aren’t up to her standards or aren’t exactly how she wants them done. Oh Well, I know she loves us but it makes caring for her extremely hard sometimes! Today I have spent my day sorting through and filing bills--things of hers from the past few months and making sure I’m caught up on all of her bills. I did take some time out to make a batch of almond bark pretzels and will probably make another batch of peppermint almond bark pretzels tonight for Alan’s Secret Santa.
Hope everyone has a safe and warm week!! I’m going to try and accomplish designing, printing, addressing and sending Christmas cards…finish up wrapping the presents I have at my house, get a handle on our laundry, pick up the house and make some Christmas candy and baked goods. We shall see how much I get done…with this weather all I want to do is cuddle up with my lil’ bug under a blanket and watch Christmas movies and cartoons. I told Alan earlier this year, back in the summer, that we were in for a VERY COLD WINTER. Well….old man winter hasn’t let me down yet…BUT not quite sure I’m liking it this cold….it just makes for a miserable time when you have to get out in it! Stay WARM everyone!!

Weight Watchers Wednesday: IS BACK.....for this week at least!

Since I have been slacking in the Weight Watcher Wednesday recipe department, I will try to make it up to you by providing you with two delicious recipes. Let's have dessert first, shall we or maybe just double dip.

Yes I know Thanksgiving has come and gone but who is to say that is the only time you can have pumpkin pie? Here's the recipe for the low point pumpkin pie I fixed this Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pie

1 9-inch Pie Crust (Pillsbury)

1 can (15oz) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) (Libby's)

1 can (12oz) fat-free evaporated milk

1 tablespoon I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Stick, softened

1/2 Egg Beaters

3/4 cup Splenda

2-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and place pie crust in plate.

2. Blend all ingredients together in a blender on high speed for 1 minute, or place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat 2 minutes with a hand beater. Pour mixture into pie plate.

3. Bake 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

4. If you prefer chilled, Let cool then cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving. We let ours cool and served at room temperature.

**If desired and you want to fancy this up, top with dollops of fat free whipped cream/cool whip and a cinnamon stick.

Serves: 8

Weight Watcher Points: 4

**To make it even lower points you can take out the pie crust and make it crust less...in doing so add 1/2 cup Heart Smart Bisquick Mix in with everything else!! Supposedly this Impossible Pie will make it's own crust.

Serves: 8

Weight Watcher Points: 2

This next recipe is for my husband...I haven't made these but he has wanted me to, sooo...maybe i will get after it while he is gone next weekend and have a surprise waiting for him Sunday night....shhhh, don't tell. I got this recipe from the Weightwatchers.com website.

Black Bean Brownies

2 spray(s) cooking spray, flour-variety recommended
1/2 cup(s) canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup(s) black coffee, strong
1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 large egg(s)
1 1/4 cup(s) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp table salt
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour

*When I make them I will more than likely use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter sticks, Egg Beaters and Splenda which will drop the points as well!! Allowing more brownie for your points!!

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9- X 13-inch pan with cooking spray; line with aluminum foil and coat foil with cooking spray.
In a blender or mini food processor, process beans with coffee until smooth; set aside.
In a double boiler over very low heat, melt butter and chocolate.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add melted chocolate to eggs; incorporate well. Add black bean mixture, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add flour; combine thoroughly on low speed.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted in center of brownies comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, remove brownies from pan by pulling up on foil and placing brownies on cooling rack to cool more. Cut into 24 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.
Serves: 24

WW Points: 3

Notes
Customize this basic recipe with instant espresso, a teaspoon of cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Great served with whipped cream or powdered sugar, or topped with walnuts (could affect POINTS values).

O Christmas Tree!

I is for Isabella...

The Sock Monkey Ornament Isabella picked out for this year!!Isabella's Tree up on her armoire because I know little hands won't leave it alone...Our Family Tree w/ the lights off...The tree topper from outer space...N is for Nicholas...Lights On...

As you can see our tree is up, there are a few presents wrapped and I have some decorations out. Oh how I LOVE this season. All the finishing touches aren't ready for Christmas...stockings aren't hung because we are waiting for Isabella's to be monogrammed, I have a few more decorations to put out and several presents to get wrapped. May the spirit of Christmas last all year long! Amongst the glitz & glamour, Christmas lights, Santa & presents we must not forget the TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS!

Cookies & Milk for Santa...
The True Meaning for the Season...

Although we should be teaching our children about God's word on a daily basis, we should especially take this holiday season to reflect ourselves on what the true meaning of the season is and Teach our Children.

~Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven.
~Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise.
~Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.
~Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.
~Teach the children that Santa Claus symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.
~Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him.
~Teach the children that God so loved the world that he gave his begotten son. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.
~Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper.
~Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men.
~Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.
~Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put Santa in the center, for he is but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship him, our LORD, our GOD.

May everyone have a very BLESSED and Happy Holiday Season!

Remember you can't have Christmas without CHRIST!

Playing Catch Up!!

The past week and half has been CRAZY! I'm not real sure I have seen my house for 24 awake hours in that time frame. Things are getting much easier with my grandmother as she gains her strength back and as she is forced to do things on her own like dress herself and having to do a little more walking and exercising. I still fix 3 meals a day for her, all be it on some days half of what was on her plate ends up in the dog bowl but at least I've tried. Her I don't likes have turned into me figuring out how I can make her eat them. Spiteful, yes I know but it makes my life more entertaining. I do believe she has eaten celery in Poppy seed Chicken Casserole AND asked for leftovers one day, green beans, Mexican Food--Open Faced Tacos (aka Nachos) w/Bell Peppers cooked in the meat, Lightly Fried Zucchini, and very Seasoned Chicken & Pasta. She finally got her new 32 inch TV that she only sits 8 feet away from and didn't want until my mom mentioned MAYBE having to buy a new TV because of the arrangement of her room. That then turned into she had to have a new TV, she couldn't see the old one, it couldn't be smaller than 32 inches and she wanted it weeks before she got out of the hospital. It's a new adventure with her everyday. Some days she is just as nice, sweet and polite as they come; however, those days are very rare. It has definitely been a LONG almost two weeks and I know there is still a LONG road ahead of us. I could not have been able to cope had it not been for the help from my dad during the week and my mom coming up on the weekends! Thank you for all y'all do for us and for grandmother!

Two weekends ago Tech had their last home game against OU and woo hoo, we came out with a WIN!! After the game we all headed to Holiday Happenings to do some shopping. Wednesday Isabella and I met Hollie and Caitlin in Lubbock to visit with them while they did some Christmas shopping! It's always good to see them and hopefully we can get the girls together for a play date very soon!! Thanksgiving came and went. Isabella was definitely a "turkey" on Thanksgiving!!It was nice but with the tiny family we have for Thanksgiving we don't really have a big to do about it. Turkey, dressing, two sides, cranberry sauce and rolls. This year I did try my hand at a low calorie pumpkin pie that was very good....it did have a bit of a bitter taste to it so it had either a tad too much cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. My dad did complain that I didn't use enough sugar but only because he saw me using Splenda--Mind over Matter Situation!! Surprisingly after scouring the ads Thursday night I found nothing that I wanted to up and fight crowds for and since my Christmas shopping is pretty much ALMOST done, there wasn't anything I couldn't live without. Alan and my mom did up and go do a bit of shopping around 7:30 and Isabella and I met them later for a fast food lunch.

Friday afternoon we headed out to Arlington for the weekend while my mom and dad stayed with Isabella and Grandmother. We stayed the weekend with my brother and his wife. Friday night we hung out with them at No Frills....their home away from home.

Saturday--GAME DAY!!!

Jerry World from our tailgating spot!That chicken leg was bone sucking GOOD!I think those peppers might have been H-O-T HOT!!We had a day full of tailgating with DELICIOUS food (Thanks Christopher) at Jerry World and then the Tech vs Baylor Game that afternoon!! It was a BLAST...the environment made it feel like it was more than just a conference game...more like a Bowl Game. FINALLY Tech woke up and brought the winning team out at halftime. Definitely a game I was glad we didn't miss. It was also good to briefly see a few friends--Kayse, Courtney, Pokey & Stephanie. YUMMY! MEAN GATOR PUNCH @ Razoo's after the game!Look at all of the concentration put into playing Guitar Hero!! We had a good time, even though we all sucked at the drums!!We had a great time with my brother and sister-in-law and amazing friends.

This week is a CRAZY week for us. Yesterday I had to take one of our dogs to the vet because she has a hole in her side about 1/2 inch deep and 1-2 inches across and we aren't sure what happened but it required surgery and hopefully I will be able to go get her tomorrow afternoon. We are also working on some signs for the Monahans Chamber Chili Market on Saturday, I have cookies to get baked, and a Littlest Pet Shop cake to make for a very special young lady Allyson's birthday, take care of my grandmother and daughter and keep my house picked up. PLUS while we are in Monahans this weekend we have to fit in the Chili Market, a Birthday Party and 2 Midland Community Theater performances (Tuna Christmas & A Christmas Carol). Thank goodness I have nothing planned for the following weekend but unfortunately the hubby will be out of town and we will defiantly miss him to sit back and relax with!
I did manage to get our tree up and decorated this past week...(Decorated Tree Blog soon to come), Isabella's tree up and decorated and some decorating done around the house. Sadly when I started decorating Isabella's tree the lights did work but when I finished and plugged it in there was nothing. So this year her tree will be light less and maybe the day after Christmas I'll go in search of her a new tree since it's a pre-lit tree and we have tried EVERYTHING we know to try to fix the lights. I still have a bit more decorating I would like to do which might include another small tree but I haven't decided yet.

Today has been a cold, wintery day and I have LOVED it!! We had a tad bit of snow this morning but really nothing to brag about; however, about an hour ago it started coming down a little heavier and hopefully we will have something to look forward to in the morning. I can't wait till there is enough snow for Isabella to play in...it will definitely be a fun first experience with her and maybe this is the year!
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Also Tonight I have a few prayer request:

~Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we are in the midst of possibly making some large family/career changes and decisions. There are no definites out there just yet but several possibilities in the works.

~Also please keep my dad in your prayers as he is undergoing several tests this week so we can hopefully find out what is causing him so much pain. He will meet with the drs on December 10th for the results from the tests.

~Please Pray for Baby Kaiden -- Kaiden is the son of Nadar & Chrissy Abul-Ela--my brother and Nadar became very close friends while my brother lived in Pittsburgh. Kaiden was diagnosed two days before Thanksgiving with a terminal form of infant brain cancer which only occurs in about 3 out of every 1 million infants in the US. It was a cancer called AT/RT (Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor). He has two tumors, one at the back base of his brain and another in the left ventricle. Because of Kaiden's age, 14 months, the size and number of tumors, and the location, the doctors have thus far been reluctant to use all of the cancer fighting techniques, claiming that to do so would leave their baby boy in a possible vegetative state. Even with chemo, their oncologist gave him only 6 to 9 months to live. This is devastating to all so please keep this innocent precious little boy and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

To keep up and share thoughts, prayers and encouragement with his family Join Let's Help Kaiden on Facebook and/or check out his story http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kaidenabulela