Shoeaholic

Hello, my name is Joy "The Sarge" and I'm a shopaholic.  To be more precise I'm a shoeaholic and I've passed my sickness to my daughter. 
There is something about shoes that just makes my heart skip a beat.  I LOVE them....the smell of them, the cuteness of them, the way they make me feel....yes I know I have a problem!
If I'm having a bad day, there's nothing better than a new pair of cute shoes (that I have absolutely nothing to wear with) to make me feel better.
When I was packing up my things before I got married Jesse and I counted how many pairs of shoes I owned....and it was well over 100.  Acknowledging my addiction, Jesse made the deal that for every new pair of shoes I bought I had to get rid of an old pair.
See compromise does work in a marriage...a little give and take.  I think he knew he would never win the shoe battle so it was best to join forces with the shoe queen.
My daughter has developed a love for shoes as well.  She will go to her closet and try on her shoes all day long!  I am very sad to say that she has at least 20 pair already, but they are so stinking CUTE! 
All you ladies out there know that each outfit requires a different shoe.  You have your black, brown, bone, & navy dress shoe (and red if you are feeling a little feisty).  Black and brown boots (can't mix colors), then you add in your sandal colors, flats and strappy shoes.  Not to mention the tennis shoes, rain boots, snow shoes, etc......they add up quickly!
On the other hand a mans closet requires: a pair of brown and black dress shoes, tennis shoes, and loafers.....no wonder they are so moody!  If they only knew how happy needless shoes would make them feel.  Maybe I should get Jesse a bright red pair of tennis shoes to send him to his happy spot.....or maybe not!
These are just a few of the recent pairs I have purchased for Sissy Lou and myself....enjoy...we are : )

There is no hope for us!!!!!  We are just trying to stimulate the economy by any means necessary!  Just think of the shoe factory, or the shoe designers we have kept in business....whew...now I feel a little better!  For a minute there I was feeling a little guilty about my addiction.....close one!

I'm Mobile!!!

My husband, since he loves me so dearly and thinks fondly upon this blog....decided to get me something for Christmas that would help my cause!  Knowing how I love to write, love to spend time with family and love to shop on-line......came up with the best present ever for me.....A LAPTOP...YEA!!!!

Now I can write whenever and wherever I want to....carpool line, on long trips, sitting in bed, sitting on the couch...the possibilities are endless!  I LOVE THIS THING!!!!!!
I am writing to you all sitting all snuggled up in the bed with two snoring dogs at my feet....I would have a husband beside me, but as you all know it's duck season....so that means I'm a hunting widow!
So while he's out braving the elements and roughing it in a hunting cabin, I'm snuggled warm in bed typing away.
I guess you can expect a lot more useless blogs from me at weird hours.....my brain seems to churn the most at night and I might just have to get the stories out so I can sleep!
Here's to Jesse...the man with the plan!  BEST PRESENT EVER (unless he got me a van...then that would top this one...just sayin')!
Good Night my dear friends and sweet dreams!

Bath Tub and Baby Oil......

Somehow every time we are around the Grandparents my kids take every rule they've ever learned and throw it out the window!  It's total CHAOS!!!  The Grandparents are no help because they seem to loose their vocabulary and the only word that they can utter is YES!  To say NO would be sacrilege!

The Red's received a present from the "Grandparents" that required an object being submerged in water.  From there you can guess how they decided to submerge said object......bath tub!  So into the huge whirlpool tub they went.  Grandma went in and filled the tub up with just a little bit of water so they could take their bath and "submerge" their gift.  After the gift is under water it is suppose to turn into a toy....go figure.  Anyways,  Grandma leaves them to play and after hearing some crazy sounds decided to send Grandman in to check on those crazy Red's!

When he entered the bathroom he was immediately drenched in a wall of water that covered him from head to toe.  Upon further inspection he saw that the Red's had filled the garden  whirlpool tub to the brim with water and dumped out an ENTIRE bottle of BABY OIL!  OH MY WORD!!!!! 

He then observed them using the ledge of the tub as a diving board and doing canon balls into the tub of water mixed with baby oil.  Which would cause the waves of water that were six feet high to flood the entire bathroom. 

But instead of scolding the Red's and pulling them from the tub....the "Grandman" (who cannot say no) just lowers the water level and let them continue their craziness!  At the end of the night we ended up using eight towels and pulling in the mop for reinforcement. 

I mean come on, it was bad enough that we had to clean up all the water...but BABY OIL.....WHY OH WHY BABY OIL......and where did the baby oil come from?????

I really wish the Grandparents would learn the word NO......it sure would help with the reprogramming when we all part ways!

Seriously.....I think my kids have lost their minds....no worries....I will help them find them....and quickly!

Christmas Traditions....

I ♥ CHRISTMAS!!!!!  Not because of the presents and food (even though those things make it fun), but because of the rich tradition that comes with it.
It seems like the one time of year that everyone seems to STOP, SLOW DOWN and gather together!
Since I was a little girl my family would always gather together on Christmas Eve to read the Christmas story from the Bible.  I mean come on....it is the reason for the season people!  We are celebrating the birth of the Man who came to SAVE US!!!!  How much more exciting can it get!
My dad would break out the enormous family Bible that we were never allowed to touch and turn to the book of Luke.  We would sit and listen to him as he read the entire Christmas story and then we would all take turns going around saying what we were most thankful for then pray.  When we were done it was time for Christmas carols.  Mom would fill up her crystal glasses all with different levels of water and pass them out.  Everyone would grab a spoon and tap the glasses as we sang.  Each glass would make a different sound because of the different levels of water making them our instruments.  Corney I know, but we loved it!
Then we always got to open one present on Christmas Eve...just a little one.  It was almost too much for my little heart to bare to wait on Santa.  I would be so excited I couldn't get to sleep......I knew that he was on his way!
I would go upstairs and snuggle up to my brother Stephen in his room and we would watch Santa on radar on the news. 
The next morning, after waking everyone around 5 am we would have our HUGE Christmas breakfast.  We were not allowed to open presents until after breakfast was done!  This always made me crazy, but now I understand.  It's the hope of parents to hold onto Christmas morning and all it's glory as long as you can....not to rush it!

In our household we make up all Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve and decorate them.  Then we carry on my child hood tradition and read the Christmas story to the kids.  No presents are opened until Christmas morning...per Jesse. Then we set out the cookies and milk and even the magic reindeer food. 
There is nothing like hearing the pitter patter of your kids feet running down the hall to see what Santa has brought.  I cry every year....I'm crying now just thinking about it!  The pure joy that beams from their faces is too much to take in!

I wish I could freeze frame that exact moment!

There's just something about Christmas that warms the soul.....not presents, not food.....but the love of Jesus our Savior!  I contribute the peacefulness to Him!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Facebook

Alright, here's the deal...I have created a facebook page for this blog to make it easier to keep up with.  Every time I write a blog I will post it to my facebook page!  That way you stay in the constant "know" of the happenings around here...cause I know you all want to know ; ) 

Anyways, if you have a facebook account and would like to be updated with the new post of this page then click on this link:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Sarge-of-4/118453054884863
and hit the "LIKE" button on the top of the page. 
If you do this you will be my "friend" and I will love you forever.....
I'm going to be trying some new stuff in the new year...and maybe a few give aways so I don't want you all to miss out!  So don't make me beg...okay I'll beg...PLEASE be my friend!
 I love you all and Thank you so much for keeping up with this never ending blog of mine ; )

You're feedback is always welcomed and I am always looking for ways to improve!  Don't be shy!

Dance Trance

A few weeks ago I wrote about Jesse's upcoming Christmas party with his company.  Well I am happy to report that when the day arrived my "lobsterness" was gone and there was no peeling left behind..WHEW! 

The evening was somewhat uneventful except for the fact that I was reminded of what a suave dancer my husband is.

Jesse and I have been together nearly 12 years now and in those 12 years we have only danced a  handful of times....and by dance I mean sway back and forth in a slow song.  Let me explain my past.  I was born and raised a "southern" pastor's daughter in the Nazarene church.  For those of you who have no clue what the "Nazarene" church is then let me clue you in on one simple little fact....WE DON'T DANCE!  Not that it's a sin.....we just don't dance.....we like to call it "foot fellowship".

My dad left the pastorate when I was around 12 years old so I was allowed the freedom to explore my wiggling foot. I'm not busting on the Nazarene church.  They have come a long was with this sort of stuff...they even allow movies theaters now ; ).......but my parents grew up in the stone age where it was not permitted.

Anyways, still with my new found permission, dancing was one of those things I just wasn't good at so I didn't do!  Simple put.....I have no rhythm!  Funny I know since I am musically inclined....but my body doesn't seem to know what to do with itself outside of singing.

I wasn't granted the Britney Spears marriage of song and dance....nope just song for me!

Which brings me to Jesse.....who has moves that makes him look like he's gliding across ice.  Granted, he wasn't given the song and dance marriage either...just dance for him.  His song sounds more like a sea gull squawking, but his dance is smooth and entrancing like a swan....that break dances...HA!

He can POP, LOCK and DROP it with the best of them!

So there I sat at our table at the Christmas party, when I glance over and see my husband surrounded by a crowd of his employees just chatting away....and then out of no where he breaks out this dance sequence that had every one's jaws on the floor...not bad for an old man!  Then he turns, smooths down his tie, buttons his suit jacket and walks away leaving the room stunned by his greatness!  MY MAN HAS MOVES!

Then I joined him on the dance floor for a slow song so I could do my "sway to the left, sway to the right" moves....CLASSIC!

Wish I had pictures to post....maybe one day I will be allowed to capture the essence of "Jesse the Body"!

Chicken and Dumplings

 *NOTE*  I am not the measuring kind of cook....especially if it is a recipe that I just know, or have don't have a recipe for...so I apologize beforehand for the lack of directions in the recipe! 



CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

1 Whole Chicken (any size)

1 stick of butter

1 can of cream of chicken

Salt & Pepper galore

Dumplings:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup ice water

To begin: break out your large stock pot and place the chicken in it (I like to rinse my chicken off first and make sure to pull the innards out of the chicken).  Cover the chicken with water in the pot.  Now sprinkle a generous amount of salt in the water (you can't over salt here...this is for making the chicken broth so be generous...if you want to play it cautious then you can always add salt to taste later).  Now add your pepper...again be generous but not as generous as the salt.  Don't you wish I measured things!  Now throw in your stick of butter....don't hesitate...just do it!

Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.  Once boiling turn the heat down to medium low and place the lid on.  Boil on low for a good hour to hour 1/2.

When you are getting close to the chicken being done turn your attention to the dumplings. 

Just an FYI here:  I usually make two batches of the dumplings to make things thick.  That's the way we Richardson's like to eat around here!  So if you're like us and want thicker Chicken & Dumplings then you will want to make 2 batches as well....or double the recipe.

Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a bowl.  Beginning at the center of the mound drizzle a small amount of the ice water over the flour.  Using your fingers and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about 3/4 cup of ice water.  Knead the dough and form it into a ball.

Dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work place and roll out the dough...it will be very firm. (Make sure to flour your rolling pin as well). Work on it from the center out until you have it around 1/8 inch thick.  Then let the dough relax a bit.

Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces....I use my pizza cutter for this and just cut stripes and then cut them into the desired length.
(If you don't want to do this, you can always buy the frozen dumplings in the frozen bread section of the super market)

Now back to the chicken:  Pull the chicken from the pot and place in a pan to cool......you will let it cool for a while because you need to de-bone it.

Turn your heat back to medium heat and get a nice rolling boil.  Drop in dumplings one at a time stirring occasionally to make sure those bad boys aren't sticking.

When you have all the dumplings in reduce heat to medium and let cook for about 20-30 minutes, again stirring occasionally.

 Head over to your chicken.  Hopefully it's had time to cool....if not be careful and don't burn yourself.  De-bone and de-skin your chicken and pull apart the meat into bite size pieces.  After the dumplings have cooked dump in your can of Cream of Chicken and also dump in your chicken pieces.  Stir until the Cream of Chicken is well incorporated.

Now make some cornbread and enjoy!

Santa Claus

"Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus"......only if you're a kid.....because if there were a Santa for all, then he wouldn't torture parents with the exhausting line to see him...with your kids dressed up......for pictures...with Ole' Saint Nick!
Guess you can tell what I did today!  WOWZER!
My heart is still skipping ninety to nothing from the anxiety of this afternoon.

I realized that today..the 21st of December, that I have yet to get my kids picture made with the Jolly fellow in red.  So I thought I had better get to it since I was in fact running out of time. 
I haven't been feeling 100% here lately.  This cold that I've had has whipped my tail and made me extremely tired....and CRANKY!  So what better than to dress the kids up in their Christmas attire and head to the crazy Santa Village to get a photo that my kids would probably scream in fear of.
When we arrived I realized that I might have made a bad choice....seeing how long the line was and how whinny my kids were.  But we were there...dressed and we WOULD get that picture!
I pressed on....the line crawled forward slowly....then MY HUSBAND ABANDONED ME!  He left....went to look around....said he'd be back in a few....WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?
There I stood helpless with three little monsters that I was trying to keep tidy.  Andrew and Eli started with the never ending question of  "how much longer", with Sissy Lou chiming in with her wants to wonder! 
Nonetheless, we made it.....not the greatest picture...but we got it!  These are our pictures that Jesse snapped off...so that's why we are all looking the other way!

Payton was more disturbed that she couldn't get all the candy canes than frightened of Santa...hence the reason why I am holding her.  She had just thrown a fit when I pulled her out of the bag of candy! 
Boy....the things we do for our kids!

All I Want For Christmas....

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth, All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, so I can wish you a Merry Christmas!

The other night Andrew came to Jesse and said that he thought that his tooth was ready to come out.  Jesse wiggled on the bottom one and decided that it was ready!  So the procedure began, rag in hand, Andrew in front of Jesse and Jesse's hand in Andrew's mouth.
The tugging and pulling began with lots of giggles to go around. Sissy Lou was trying her best to bulldoze her way into the middle of the situation and Eli sat back with his hands covering his face. 
All of a sudden Jesse gives one good yank, and with that Andrew gets a look of shock on his face, pulls back and grabs his mouth.  Jesse, thinking he got the tooth out, starts saying, "Did I get it, did I get it?".
Andrew still looking a bit surprised steps forward and opens his mouth.....and we see a tooth on his tongue.....only it wasn't the one Jesse was pulling on....it was his top front tooth!!!
When Jesse pulled on the bottom tooth his hand slid up and knocked out his front tooth, HA!

So Andrew is legit to sing "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"!!!!  He looks so stinking cute too...just hate that he growing up so fast.

Jesse did end up getting that bottom tooth out as well!  When the Red's heard that the tooth fairy was coming they both started wiggling on their other teeth.

Eli was convinced that he had a tooth loose.....NOT even close...but I indulged him, cause that's the kind of mom I am : )

No Rest For The Weary

Alright, so here's the deal.  My lovely children decided to give me a Christmas present early and gave me their cold.  So my beloved immune system has been fighting the ear clogging, throat gagging, sneezy, sniffly cold for the past few days.  Needless to say I don't feel so hot!  I'm tired and I'm sluggish and I just want a moments rest!
Sissy Lou seeing my vulnerability decided to take action against me.  Knowing that I wouldn't be on my toes she has taken advantage of me!
This is what I just walked into the kitchen to find:

 This would be Sissy Lou on the second shelf of my pantry....helping herself to the snacks!

And of course throwing stuff on the floor!  You can see her foot in this picture behind my aprons.  Don't judge my chaotic pantry...it's in chaos because of three kids.  I gave up on organizing it a long time ago!

I thought this was a fitting picture of Sissy Lou for today, because she is climbing on everything!  Even as I type right now I am having to stop to pull her off the table!  No rest for the weary........right!  No rest for anyone!

BTW:  She put this on herself
Nap time cannot come quick enough today!

Elf On The Shelf

Last year we were introduced to this book "Elf on the Shelf" and made it a Christmas tradition from that point forward. 
We love our elf which the Red's named "Portie" last year.  Santa sends him around Christmas time every year to watch the happenings of the house and report back to him.  Portie shows up in a different spot everyday and sometimes gets into mischief.  Every night he flies back to the North Pole to tell Santa how the Red's were and what they have asked for.
The Red's love it and on some days it helps to get their attitudes in check! 
The rules are you can't touch him and he can't talk to you......but he listens and watches and then tells Santa.

I have seen them at Books a Million and Barnes and Noble.  If you don't have this book and you have kids, it's a must have!  The Red's have talked about Portie all year long and couldn't wait for him to return again!

The Suit vs The Pig

Alright...here it is....the pig story that I eluded too last week.  I received permission from Jesse to post this so I hope you all enjoy!
Back years ago when Andrew was just a baby and we still lived in Alabama on the lake we had a brief encounter with an alleged wild boar.  Where we lived was kind of like a sub division, but not really.  Anyways, as I was driving up to our house one day and our neighbor stopped me and said: "I just saw a wild boar running around in your yard".  Of course you could imagine my surprise to that statement.  Wild boars are not known to be nice sweet swine...nope they are the kind that will poke you with their tusk and ravage you to pieces.  Since we had a small baby and a small dog I wasn't too happy with this!
It was right about time for Jesse to be home and he pulled up soon there after.  When I told him that there was a wild boar running around the neighborhood he immediately grabbed his bow and we jumped in his car...with Andrew.  So here we are driving around our "subdivision" with a baby in the back seat, Jesse in his suit and dress shoes and me holding his bow and arrow. 
We didn't have to drive too far until we saw the "alleged" boar running down the street.  When the boar met Jesse's eyes it took off down a wooded ravine toward a section of the lake.  Jesse jumped out of the car, took his bow and headed after the pork chop. 
There he went through the woods still in his suit, tie and dress shoes.  He finally had a good shot a took it.  The arrow hit the boar and it took off! 
Just about that time Jesse hears the sound of a window opening.  Then a little old lady leans her head out her window on the other side of the woods and says:
"You shoot that pig"
Jesse: "Yes mam, it was a wild boar"

Old lady: "that's no wild boar, that's somebodies pet" (this said with the thickest southern accent you can imagine)

Stunned and not sure what to do Jesse turns and runs out of the woods...still in his suit and dress shoes and bow in hand!

He gets in the car unable to control his laughter and takes off himself.  He kept saying "I don't know what to do.....the arrow is still in the pig".
So we made the decision to drive around the neighborhood and look for the pig. Just a few turns later we see the "wild boar" running in the middle of the street in the subdivision with a yellow arrow sticking out it's side.
Apparently, Jesse didn't get that great of a shot, or it stuck in it's shoulder because that pig was booking it and not hurt at all. 
Jesse was ready to jump out of the car again, when I so gently pointed out that it's broad day light in a heavily populated area.....and he was in his suit....plus the fact that we had no idea if it was a pet or a wild boar!
We thought it best to leave and just let the pig be alone with Jesse's arrow......a gift of sorts.
To put every ones mind at ease...it wasn't a pet pig, it was a wild boar complete with the tusks!
We never saw that porker again though...guess Jesse showed him!

Update to furnance...

Alright....WHOO HOO....my miracle came through!!!!!  We now have heat and it was only a loose connection wire!!!!  Saved by the nice heating and air guy!  Little did he know that he would make my blog today.  So here's to my unsung hero "Daniel" who fixed my heat and made my life a little easier today.  He braved the cold snowy roads just for me...and my money!
So no need to fear....we are safe once again...and now life may resume...meaning it's laundry day : (
Wait, maybe I should shut the heat off again and tell Jesse it's still broke so he won't expect me to do anything today....hmmmm...maybe not!
Stay warm my friends!

If you are completely lost and missed this mornings post...then check it out....
http://thesargeof4.blogspot.com/2010/12/baby-its-cold-inside.html

Taco Soup

This recipe is so simple and delicious!  Really warms you up on a cold snowy day.  I was given this recipe by a friend of mine in Alabama.  It's a must try...trust me!

TACO SOUP

1 lb of ground beef

1 medium-large onion diced

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 pkg ranch dressing

1 can rotel

1 can diced tomatoes w/chilis

1 can whole corn

1 can creamed corn

1 can light red kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

Brown your ground beef and onion together until meat is cooked through. I like to put my taco seasoning in at this point and sometimes I use a 1/2 of another package just to give it a little more kick.....your call.  Open all your cans and dump....see how simple!  I like to rinse my beans before I dump them...but that's just me.  Dump in the ranch dressing package, and again I like to use a little more than what is called for.  Cook until warmed through.  Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and fritos!   Super simple, super yummy!

Baby It's Cold Inside....

As I write to you all this morning, I am wrapped up in my fluffy robe, sweat shirt, sweat pants, house shoes and dog nose (for those who are not familiar with the "dog nose" it's cold and wet).  Shivering while I type...but I have to keep my fingers moving or they will go into rigor mortis.
Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.......and that law applies to our circumstances.
Somehow it never fails that when it is the coldest day or even the hottest day the power will go out, or the air conditioner/furnace will malfunction.  Every year that we have lived here we have had major power outages on these particular days. 
Yesterday we had the great pleasure of our furnace going out.  I happened to notice that it was getting chilly in the house so I set out to check the thermostat....only to find it blank!  It's digital and there was nothing there......blank screen, just staring back at me.
It also never fails that when something goes wrong with the house Jesse is hunting so the "fixing" is left up to little ole' me.
So I got to work, checking the breakers, checking the furnace, calling friends, calling the manufacture of the thermostat......etc.......
We all decided that the thermostat was bad and needed to be replaced.  Some dear friends of ours were already at Lowe's and just picked one up for us (and I love them dearly)!

When they arrived with package in tow, Jesse arrived also and they got busy "trying" to fix everything.  With the new thermostat hooked up they moved to the furnace and realized that our problem was much bigger than just a new thermostat.  So it was time to turn to the professionals....but wouldn't you know it that we would have "winter weather" on this day.  That the roads would be getting ugly and blowing snow would make for hazardous driving conditions.  Not to mention that the on call guy would charge the weekend rate!  We chose to rough it out and snuggle up by the fire place all night.  Let me give you a picture of what it looks like outside:

It's not much warmer inside my house as I break icicles off my nose....okay I might be exaggerating just a tad! 

Now we wait for the rest of Murphy's Law to kick in....the furnace guy will be here soon to tell us the bad news right before Christmas.  That or he will pull something out of the furnace that use to resemble some sort of toy.  Nonetheless I fear that it will be bad news.  Maybe by some Christmas miracle it will be something minute and I will have frozen for nothing.

I'll update our fate later........To Be Continued......

How We Sled

Here at the Richardson house hold we never do anything the politically correct way.  We were never made to live in a subdivision but somehow we landed right in the middle of one. I am from the great state of Alabama so I have an excuse...but Jesse grew up in the windy city of Chicago...how'd he get so country? Nonetheless, we are country folk, through and through.  We love the outdoors and the freedom it lends to just walk out your front door and pee (I'm speaking of the Red's here....not me) if you wanted to.  Or the freedom to walk around in the buff if you so desired and not have to worry about someone seeing you from across the street....not my cup of tea, but it's a freedom non the less...just sayin'.  Or the freedom to shoot any creature that ventures into our back yard without being hauled off by the law dog.....(this statement just reminded me of a story that I will have to start working on right away....*spoiler*...it involves a suit, an alleged wild boar and of course a sub division....and yes it's a snot laugher!  Just need to check the statue of limitations first)
Or the freedom to create your own sledding experience by hooking up the sleds to the 4-wheeler and dragging your kids across the yard.  In this respect we decided to be rebels and do our "country" thing!

 The other day we got our first snow here in Louisville and it was just enough that we could sled.  So we all bundled up and Jesse hooked the sleds to the back of the 4-wheeler and we had a blast!  The Red's wiped out so many times that I lost count, but they screamed for more.

Between our two barking dogs, Jesse blowing his duck/goose calls constantly, the Red's running out the front door to pee, and the 4-wheeler, how could our neighbors not love us?

Aren't you all so glad you're not our neighbors!  Maybe you should say a prayer for ours.....

And to all our neighbors past and present....SORRY BOUT' THAT (that should cover us for everything...)!

My Favorite Shaving Cream!

Okay, I know this favorite thing might catch you all off guard...but it is absolutely fantastic!  Most of you women out there would agree with me when I make this comment "I HATE SHAVING".....I loathe it....can't stand it!  It takes forever and I always nick myself or get razor burn...(there will be the exception...the women that actually like to shave, and enjoy it, but they are freaks of nature and cannot be trusted....I'm totally kidding).
Don't get me wrong...I would never want to look like I have man legs and I quite love the after effects and how smooth my legs feel...but I hate hate hate the process! 

I happened upon this product a few years back and it helped make shaving bearable for me and I would recommend it to anyone! 

If you have sensitive skin like myself then you will notice that it doesn't do the razor burn thing.....and BONUS it makes your legs feel even smoother!
So grab some up at your local Bath and Body Works...or go here:
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2258463

Happy Shaving to you!

She's Going To Be The Death Of Me!

I don't know what has gotten into my daughter here lately but I think we have entered the terrible twos early!
A few days ago I was startled to see my 17 month old walk over the pantry and turn the knob and open the door.....
Not to mention that she gets into my cabinets almost daily and cleans them out:

The very next day I was even more startled when I turned around to see this:

This is a high top table!

That night I was even more disturbed when she climbed out of her crib...GREAT!  Life as I know it has now changed to a whole new disturbing level!  We have now moved to the toddler bed and you all know what that means...she can get up whenever she wants to (just don't let her know that)!

On Sunday after church (pre-pet store) we went out to one of our favorite spots to eat..RED ROBIN (if you haven't been, I highly recommend).  Anyways, it's always an adventure to eat out with all three kids.  This time we got the corner booth and Jesse and I had the blockade going at each end.  Jesse was at one end with Andrew beside him, then Eli, then Sissy Lou....then mommy at the end finishing out the crescent. 
Andrew and Jesse got busy right away with the kids word puzzles and that left me manning Eli and Sissy Lou.  Eli somehow takes it upon himself to entertain Sissy every time we are out in public and the show they put on sometime becomes loud...very LOUD!  Our onion ring tower came and calmed down the show for a little bit, but Sissy Lou decided that Andrew's onion ring looked much better than the one she had in her hand.  So off she went , stepping over Eli and pushing Andrew out of her way so she could steel his onion ring.
After corralling her back my way the food came and distracted her for just a bit.  In the mean time Eli decided to share his french fries with Sissy...only she didn't want it.  He persisted on until he made her little temper come out and she reached over, grabbed the french fry out of his hand and smashed it on top of his head.
Parenting 101 tells you that you should never, ever laugh at your child when they engage in bad behavior.  But sometimes the hilarity of the moment takes you over and you (the parent) let out the slightest giggle.  And somehow your child picks up on that tiniest of laughter and continues on with the unwanted behavior.
When Sissy Lou realized that smashing french fries made us laugh then she continued smashing french fry after french fry on Eli's head.  I did try to stop her....I promise...but sometimes mommies get so tickled at the situation that they become helpless!
Jesse was no help either, there we both sat with the napkins placed over our faces, laughing underneath our breath. We regained our composure and removed the french fries from Sissy Lou's reach....only to anger her more....at which point she launched the remaining french fries that she had left in her tiny little hands!
We decided it was time to go.....so Jesse scooped up the Red's and I went to grab Sissy Lou. She realized that her time on stage was coming to an end so in a last ditch effort to recapture her audience she reached down and grabbed Eli's corn dog and flung it across the restaurant....laughing. 
With our heads hung low and apologizing as we maneuvered through the crowd we exited quickly!
She really might be the death of me!  Please say a prayer for my sanity at this point! The girl gets into more than the Red's ever imagined. 

Thirty One Gifts...More of My Favorite Things

One of my dear friends from High School/College has started selling Thirty One Gifts.  I had never really heard of them until she told me about them.  While I was home last time we met up for dinner and she passed a magazine my way....all I can say is I fell in love!
They make some of the cutest bags and lunch totes!  So today I am sharing three items that I recently purchased from her that have become my favorite things!  If you click on her link you can see all the variety of colors and patterns so don't think that the pictures I'm showing are the only choices for you....
1.  The Zipper Pouch....retails $12.00
I use this for my makeup bag and it is so stinking cute, I just love it!

2.  The Jewelry Roll with Pouches....retails  $20.00
I haven't been able to find a jewelry bag that I like until now!  It is fantastic...lots of room on the inside with two zippers!  Great present for those who love jewelry and travel!

3.  The Small Lunch Tote....retails $12.50
I love this because it is thermal on the inside and just the right size for on the go snacks...like to the zoo or juice boxes, bottles, sippy cups, etc.....

You can get any thing you order embroidered for an additional $6.00!

I just love Thirty One Gifts!!!!!  Check out Melissa's website today!


http://www.mythirtyone.com/34880/

Reptiles.....

This year Andrew has asked Santa for a snake...yes a snake, reptile, slithery, slimy creature.  As much as I would love to say yes (and as many blogs as it would bring me) I had to respectfully decline.  When I broke the news to my beloved first born he was crushed.  Tears streamed and his wails could be heard for miles.   All he kept saying over and over is "Santa will bring me a snake, that's all I want, Santa will bring it to me".  For thirty minutes our conversation persisted only to meet the same brick wall.  He was not budging...he wanted a snake and that was that!  I tried reasoning with him, I tried telling him Santa didn't bring pets, I tried telling him the snake would die on the sled....nothing worked!
So being the excellent mother that I am I decided it was time to bring out the big guns.  I told him the one thing that would change his mind......that it would kill Sissy Lou.  Look, don't judge, you would have said anything you could to keep that slithery creature out of your house as well. 
I explained that the snake would get too big....bigger than daddy and that it might kill Sissy Lou, Belle or Gus.  With that he stopped crying and said..."oh, like the big snakes at the zoo"....I replied "yes Andrew, just like those big snakes".  He thinks about it for a second and says "oh, well then I don't want a snake I want a lizard".
Great.....we have jumped from one reptile to the other.
I decided that it would be a good idea to take him to the pet store to see these "lizards" in person and see if that is really what he wanted.  So after church yesterday we headed over to the pet store.  Upon arrival we quickly realized that there were only two types of lizards available...a gecko or a bearded dragon.  The manager told us that the bearded dragon would be the best for pet and she pulled one out of the cage for us to see up close.  She knelt down with it and the lizard was kind of cute...and small.  I was thinking....this could be doable....
Andrew began petting it and seemed happy....but then Eli realized what was happening and saw the lizard out of the cage and screamed with fear......like the cow & hummingbird fear (what can I say, the boy is scared of animals apparently).
Okay, see if you can picture this:
Jesse is kneeled down behind Andrew, Andrew is standing, The store manager is kneeled down in front of Andrew with the lizard on her hand, I am kneeling beside Andrew with Sissy Lou and Eli is standing behind the store manager.  We are in a small aisle with no escape.  Eli is screaming crying saying "put it up, put it up".  Sissy Lou is squealing with excitement and lunging forward trying to grab the lizard, and Andrew is petting the lizard so hard that his skin is peeling off. 

All of a sudden, with all the excitement surrounding it, the lizard makes a leap and lands on Jesse....screams and shrills let out and you would have thought someone just got bit by something.  The lizard then begins running up Jesse's arm and down his back.  Eli is screaming louder, Sissy Lou is so excited she can't stand it, and Andrew just wants the lizard back.  I am about on the ground snot laughing and all I can utter is "Jesse if that thing jumps on your face, then I am going to pee"....Jesse replies "you aren't the only one".  We are all crying laughing with the "what if" thoughts and the lizard is still running around on Jesse.  Finally the manager captures the lizard and calm returns!
Then I asked the question that killed the excitement...."so, how big do these things get?".  She answers "3 feet"......WHAT!  No way....that's as big at Andrew....No WAY......so now guess what talk we had to have with Andrew......it involved more crying and disappointment. 
Finally we told him, that maybe we wouldn't get a pet for Christmas, but we would revisit the idea for his birthday.  Something tells me that I am going to have a sad little man on his birthday as well.....but all I can envision is a 3 foot lizard running around my house (because some little monsters let him out of his cage) with 3 kids and 2 dogs chasing behind him. I think that is more than this momma can bare........
But who knows......if ever I get into a writers block and become blog less we could revisit the idea sooner....anything for you guys to have a good chuckle!

Just My Luck.....

All's fair....Jesse said I had to blog this because I always pick on him.  So here's another "just my luck" moment of mine.
Jesse's company host a Holiday party every year to say a big thank you for all the hard work.  I always look forward to this event because it's my one time a year that I get to dress up and look all fancy.  This year I happened upon my dress early and just fell in love

The picture just doesn't do it justice!

(*Warning*  for some the information below might be TMI....but necessary for the story.)

A few months ago I decided to get back on birth control (I know TMI), and as all the women that are reading this right now know.....Birth Control can screw with your hormones...BIG TIME!  I'm extremely sensitive to medication anyways and birth control is no different...let's just say that my body/face reacts in one way....it lights up like a Christmas tree...BREAK OUTS galore!

I am a 31 year old woman with acne...nice right!  So because this elegant event was coming in less than 2 weeks I decided to take matters into my own hands.  The only way to get my skin clear in time was to start tanning.

I do not tan, I have not tanned in a bed for over 5 years.....I am what people like to refer to as "fair" skinned!

So I hopped on down to the tanning salon and purchased my package.  Knowing how fair skin I am I decided to just do 10 minutes the first session.  After I was done I noticed that I was just slightly red on my belly.

The next day all was fine, no redness...so only having 9 more days that I could tan, I made a quick (and bad) decision to head back down there and tan again.  This time I thought I would just tan 5-8 minutes.  I told the girl behind the desk that I got a little pink the day before and what bed I was in.  She suggested that I use their bronzer bed instead since I was only going for 8 minutes.  She said....it doesn't burn you...it just tans you....no UV lights. 

Cool....bronzer bed...I'm in!  So after my 8 minutes I headed back home.....only when I undressed I looked something like this:

"You don't burn"....my buttocks she's a LIAR!

I'm not joking either...it's been two days and I still look like that stupid lobster!  So much for tanning anymore...I'M BURNT....BEAT RED...and we all know what this means...I'M GOING TO PEEL!!!! 

I called Jesse into the bathroom and showed him and he fell over laughing...Thanks for all your support Jesse!

Now, I would show you a picture of my belly, but I feel like that would be crossing a line and make you and I feel very uncomfortable.  So for all our sakes if you would like a mental picture find the reddest piece of paper you can find and hold it up to your own belly....there you have the picture!

Oh well....that's my luck....beautiful elegant evening in a strapless dress while MOULTING....Should be a blast!

Pampered Chef...My Most Favorite Things!

Finding gifts that suite everyone can sometimes be a challenge.  So I have decided that I will share Five of my most favorite things from Pampered Chef.  If you have a cook that you are buying for then you can't go wrong with these items!  They are efficient and do not cost that much!  Great stocking stuffers as well!  If you would like to place an order then you can go to:

	http://www.pamperedchef.biz/tonyabeasley

This is my sister-in-laws page and she will take good care of you!
Alright, let's get started:

1. The Mix n' Chop...retails for $10.50!  Great for chopping up ground beef, & sausage!  I use it anytime I cook spaghetti, chili, tacos, sausage and gravy, etc.....

https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=15658&catId=8&parentCatId=8&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet

2.  Small Mix n' Scrapper...retails $12.50!  I have about 6 of these things and I use them every time I cook!  I love how they scrap the bottom of my pans and get every single bit of batter out of my bowls! 

https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=4074&catId=123&parentCatId=123&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

3.  Classic Batter Bowl...retails for $15.00.  I own 3 of these because they are great for everything!  If I need to mix something or store something or pour something!  They come with lids also!

https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=211&catId=123&parentCatId=123&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

4.  Large Bar Pan: Stoneware...retails for $34.00!  This has got to be one of my most favorite things!  I've used it so much that mine is completely black!  I cook anything that goes into the oven and it never burns the bottom!!!  LOVE IT!

https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=174&catId=9&parentCatId=9&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

5.  The Food Chopper...retails for $31.00!  This is great for chopping onions, green peppers, mushrooms, nuts, etc......pretty much anything that needs to be chopped!  Makes the job a lot faster!

https://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=240&catId=90&parentCatId=90&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=

These are just five, but there are a lot more of pampered chef items that I use on a daily basis!  I'll post more later, didn't want to overload you and make you think I am a pampered chef fanatic...which I am!

Happy Cooking!

An Addendum to the Christmas Tree Debacle

I thought you guys would find this funny after I just wrote about how cursed we are with Christmas trees!
Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from the store that we purchased our Christmas tree from.  Here's what it said:
"The pre-lit Christmas tree you recently purchased has the potential for a lighting failure on one or more of the attached light strings"
HA!  All I could do was laugh out loud....What are the odds that we pick the one tree that has the "potential for lighting failure"!
Hasn't that been our luck from the beginning!  I think that if the lights do go out on this one  we should keep it just to have the tree that is "US".
Here's the link to the other story of the tree to catch anyone up who has no clue what I'm talking about!
http://thesargeof4.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-tree-debacle.html

Chicken Parmesan...Sarge Style

I found this recipe while watching Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network one day and thought it looked yummy!  Only problem was that I didn't have all the ingredients on hand so I improvised!  I always have plenty of chicken, pasta and spaghetti sauce on hand!  So here you have it...Chicken Parmesan:

Chicken Parmesan

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup Italian style dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

butter

olive oil

Place the chicken breast between saran wrap or wax paper and pound until about 1/4" thick. 

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a plate.  On another plate combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Beat the 2 eggs together and leave in the bowl. 

Coat the chicken on both sides with the flour mixture then dip both sides into the egg mixture....then head over to the breadcrumbs and dredge both sides through that.

Heat 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in  a large saute pan and cook chicken breasts on medium low heat for about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through (make sure your pan is hot before placing the chicken in there).  Add more oil and butter before cooking the other pieces of chicken.

I serve this over Linguine noodles and heated marinara sauce with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Hope you all enjoy...leave a comment below and tell me whether you liked it or not!