An Evel Knievel in the making!

In Pursuit of Balance

Hello.  My name is Tina and it has been three and a half months since my last post.

Yes, I have taken a little...

 vacation/hiatus/reprieve/pause/break/recess/
whatever you want to call it when I wasn't here

...from the blogging world.  The reasons are many, but ultimately it was time to find some balance in my life and something had to go.  That something happened to be blogging and facebook.  I realized I was spending way too much time checking, rechecking, and checking one more time for good measure too many blogs, profiles, and status updates multiple times a day.  Meanwhile, a new home was waiting to be unpacked, a toddler was emerging, I was suffering from blog block, I was entering a food funk (of which I am still in but working on - more to come later), and all of life's other desires, demands, and responsibilities were calling for my attention.  And yet, I continually found myself in front of my computer.  I realized it was easier to be there than in my real life and I did NOT like that realization!  I did NOT want that.  So, I stepped away (not entirely, but pretty close) and am returning with new rules, perspective, and expectations of myself.

I still have not found a perfect balance in my life, but I doubt anyone ever does.  I think life is a constant juggling act where the juggled balls are constantly shifting in importance and new balls are added and dropped occasionally.  Right now I feel as if I have hands, feet, and head all in the mix and I am looking pretty ridiculous, but the important thing is that I am finding joy in my real-time life and am looking forward to sharing with you all again about those joys, adventures, challenges, and much MUCH more.  There are no guarantees of how often or how much I will be blogging, but for now...Its good to be back!   

Wait......When did this happen?!?!

Happy First Birthday Sweet Girl!
Chica, Chica, Charlie-Marie 

You'll always be My Chickadee!

Video Tour

It was moving day.  Charlie and I were waiting for the truck and the house was all clean 

and ready so I took advantage and did a little video tour of our empty house.

The house style is called a Florida Cottage, TALL and skinny.

We are really in love with this house and enjoying it everyday!

AND...

because I love her,

and because she is funny,

and because she is BEAUTIFUL...

A Shout-Out and a Preview

This is just to let all those in the blogosphere that read (or used to read) my blog that I am still alive and doing well.  I have not been much of a blogger the last few months and with buying the house, packing, moving, traveling for the Holidays, and finally settling into our new home I have probably been on the internet a combined total of maybe an hour or two...maybe.  We have been so busy with moving, traveling, visiting family and friends, and other fun that I may never get to blog about it all, but here is a sneak peak of the newest event in our lives. 

Our new home!!!

These were taken right after we closed and got the key on December 13th

More to come later.

"This Economy"

There are a lot of things "this economy" has been or not been for a lot of people.  Many are struggling.  For many this economy has been a trial and hardship.  All of us can feel it or see it at times.  I feel so very blessed and thankful for our situation when so many friends around us struggle.  Dan and I have been very blessed during these times with Dan's steady job that allows our needs to be met and allows me to stay home with our daughter.  That alone is a blessing and a dream I had always hoped for.  Now, we are receiving another great blessing.  We are buying a house!!!  Sadly, our great blessing and fortune is coming from another's misfortune.  But were it not for this misfortune or "this economy" as it is in our area today, we would not have the privilege to by our first home.  I didn't expect this day to come this soon, but next Monday (as long as all goes well), we will be closing on our first house.  I am one blessed girl, and I know it.  I am so thankful for all the blessings that I have.  I did not do the "thankful" days of November as many did, but I am reminded everyday when I look at my family,  as I breathe, as I realize my freedoms to believe as I choose, make my own choices, to not live in fear of my life, to be fed, clothed, and have a home.  Truly I am blessed.  I thank my Heavenly Father for all of these blessings and so many more!

We Made It Monday: Mandarin Orange and Lettuce Salad

We made this yummy salad tonight with dinner.  I substituted the golden raisins for some organic Thompson raisins a friend gave me.  I've learned a neat trick with raisins.  SOAKING.  I am not a huge fan of just snacking on raisins and as a result I just don't have them around.  BUT if you keep a little jar of raisins soaking in water they get nice and soft, plump, and juicy.  Perfect for hot cereal, oatmeal, baby snacks, adult snacks, salads, smoothies, even if you were baking with them.  It makes a HUGE difference.  As for the toasted cashews in the recipe I almost didn't do it because I thought it wouldn't make that much of a difference, but it did make a nice twist of taste and texture.  This is a really simple recipe and is very yummy.  I used Wishbone Italian dressing on ours since it is gluten free, but I'm sure you can use your favorite dressing.  I bet a rasberry vinagrette would be yummy.  When tangarines come in season I am going to try this recipe with
fresh oranges since canned mandarin oranges have so much sugar in the syrup.
ENJOY!!!

Mandarin Orange and Lettuce Salad

- About 6 Cups (or a 16oz pkg) of lettuce or salad mix

- 1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

- 1/3 Cup golden raisins (soaked overnight is BEST)

- 1/3 cup toasted cashews

- 1/2 commercial Italian dressing OR sweet-and-sour dressing OR favorite dressing of choice

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a salad bowl. Pour salad dressing over salad, and toss. Serve immediately.

Forcast Report: Brainstorms Brewing at the Brewer Blog!!!

What would Mrs. Santa Claus say? 

If Mrs. Santa Clause had a message to give to a group of women before/about/or regarding something Christmas what do you think it would be?  It can be spiritual, funny, or helpful tips.  

What do you think she would want to tell women who are mothers, not mothers, old, young, 

married, unmarried, working, not working...all women?  

What would she want women to know?

Halloween at our house...

THE PRINCESS

  It was all about the princess this year!  Charlie-Marie dressed as a beautiful princess in pink. (Thanks Mookie!).  She was honestly the star of the night at our trunk-r-treat at church on Saturday.  As you will see in videos she had a HUGE gathering of women and grandmothers all surrounding her and laughing at her first experience with candy...a delicious lollipop.  It was so fun!  I dressed up as her fairy god-mother, although that hardly matters with the glow of my princess!  We sure missed having Dan with us that night.  He would have loved it!  On the actual Halloween night we only had one knock from trick-r-treaters.  3 Ninjas.  They were cute, but that was the total of our visitors.  Not many people do the old fashioned door-to-door anymore.  Although I can't say I blame them.  Nowadays malls, grocery stores, churches, and many other safer, better lit, and reliable places are hosting trick-r-treating.

 

THE FIRST CANDY

After the Party

WAY past bedtime

NEEDED a bath

SUGAR HIGH!!!

We Made It Monday (Halloween Stuff a little late)

 

Spooky Halloween Tree - Meant to be entirely edible with the Graham cracker bottom, frosting dirt, candy corn fence and pumpkins, and black licorice tree.  However, none of the wire I had on hand to put inside the trees to be able to bend them was working so I used black pipe cleaners.  

Might be a fuzzy bite if you do try to eat it.

 

Church Relief Society Dinner-In-A-Pumpkin

Mummy Candy Dish.  I used some old round baby food cups and cut and glued gauze to the outside over a cotton ball nose and around 2 googly eyes.  It is hard to tell from the pictures, but they were really cute! 

Note the baby footprint ghost (Thanks to Charlie-Marie) and the cool bat - They were meant to be hung upside down around the room over the tables, but we ran out of time