Christmas in Indianapolis

Mom with Bear Bear
Nick an Betsy with a picture of there new baby furniture
Betsy checking out the cool Kaleidiscope
Jonathan with a really nice Manger Scene
Aunt Retta on the left with Mom and Bear


Our Christmas season officially ended this weekend in Indianapolis. Jonathan and I along with my brother Nick and his wife Betsy spent this weekend with our mother in Indianapolis. Do to every ones busy holiday schedule we had to have it kind of late.
We headed out early on Saturday. I've been having a pretty stressful time at work lately, so I was ready to get the heck outta dodge for a few days. I figured a change of scenery for a few days would help me destress. when we all finally arrived to moms house, we were ready to do some shopping. We found out that my brother and sister-in-law are expecting there first baby in August (I'M GONNA BE AND AUNTIE!) So we were on our way to find some baby furniture. They found what they wanted in Castleton at the USA Baby. They have some really beautiful stuff there. I meant to take pictures while they shopped, but I forgot. So when we got back, I took a picture of the brochure with the both of them. HOW FUN!!
Later on, my aunt Retta came over to visit. Mom made us all a yummy ham dinner and provided the sinful desserts. After dinner it was time to open some gifts. Mom got us some cookbooks and some Christmas deco for the house. My brother and sister-in-law got an old fashion kaleidoscope and a decorative motorcycle that had wheels that were actually table coasters. Before we knew it, it was late and time for bed.
In the morning, mom woke us with coffee and a breakfast casserole. After a day of relaxing and talking, we headed home in the afternoon.
No offense to my husband, but it's always nice to have mom taking care of ya when life becomes a challenge. Thanks for the fun weekend mom!!!

Simple Pleasures

This past year, one of the many changes I have had to face was the shift change with work. For seven years I had worked mostly second shift at the airport. It hadn't occurred to me that I was missing out on one of the most beautiful and also simplest daily pleasures in life. I was either working late or sleeping in.
Now with my new job, I totally get to splurge and not feel guilty for over indulging.
At about 7:15 AM every weekday morning I make my journey east to Dayton for work. That's right! I am talking about the sunrise! I have really gotten to love this time of day in the car. Some days I am absolutely in awe at how beautiful it is. I only hope that everyone speeding past me are seeing what I see. ( I assure you that I am a totally safe driver while I drive in my state of awe).
While I was driving home today, I noticed at how beautiful the sunset was. I began to drive a little faster, hoping to get home in time to get some pictures before it went down. I'm pretty sure Jonathan thought I was crazy when I got home and ran through the house looking for the camera. Unfortunately, by the time I got outside it was too late.
Last summer, Jonathan and I had gotten into a habit of taking an evening walk about the time the sun was setting. If we were sitting in the house, the sun would set right in front of our living room window. In our little country house, we got a million dollar view, every night. Jonathan frequently heard me saying "oo oo come out here babe! check it out! Quick"
The picture posted was a picture taken last fall from our house just after a thunderstorm. We had a fast, hard hitting storm that came through. The storm moved out just in time for a clearing sunset. The picture doesn't even come close to describing what we saw that night. It was somewhat erie with the storm that just came through but absolutely breathtaking as the clouds slowly passed over.

I hope that others get the chance to see what I see and enjoy every minute of it. It seems hard to believe something so simple and FREE can bring such joy to our lives. I can't imagine science creating something so beautiful. I think God has created these perfect sunrises and sunsets to remind us exactly who is running the show. Something to slow us down, give us a time of reflection and a time for thanks.

A Slight Change in Plans

As I mentioned in a previous blog, we were planning on getting a new stove after Christmas. Our current stove still works, but it's a bit old and doesn't really have any convenient functions. After weeks of doing our research on what the best option would be, we decided to go a completely different direction.
We saw the Walmart and Kmart adds last Sunday and they were featuring there workout equipment. We were suddenly pumped and ready to do some new research. We were leaning toward an Elliptical machine or a Treadmill, both of which were on sale. So, Friday night, we were out running our errands and strolled into Walmart and Kmart. Both places had there equipment sitting on a shelf out of reach. We weren't able to test drive any of the machines. Since the sales were going on for one more day, we decided to wait another day to think about it. So this morning, we decided to head to the Sears in Piqua. We knew they always had work out equipment on display. We were lucky to have someone helping us that knew what he was talking about and was very helpful. We also got to test drive several different machines
In the end, we ended up buying the Treadmill from Sears. A little more money, but definitely better quality. Sadly we had to sacrifice a stair stepper that I already had, to get the new treadmill in the spare bedroom. Currently, the stepper is sitting in our driveway marked "FREE". So, if anyone is interested in a perfectly good stair stepper, that's free, just let us know. We will gladly give it to you.
I guess I'll have to put up with my stove for a little longer. I think the Treadmill is a bit more needed right now.

Happy 6 Months Babe. Love Ya!!

A Chili Kinda Weekend

Well, it's a good thing that Christmas happens in December. It gives us a few months to recover financially through the winter when it's more comforting to be at home. Since we had no where to be this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to try to make my first pot of Chili. I know what some of you are thinking "30 years old and never made a pot of Chili before?". But wait, there's a good reason!! Ever since I can remember, my dad has always been the king of Chili. Whenever we were in the mood for Chili, he would make it for everyone. So why would we want to make our own?? Everyone always had the impression it was an impossible top secret recipe. When I finally asked my dad for the recipe, he chuckled as he said "what recipe?" He says, "I guess I just never wrote it down".
So what's a girl to do?.
Well, a few weeks ago at work, we had a Chili cook off at work. After many months of negotiating, our company won the fire gear contract for the country of Chile. Which is a big win for us. To celebrate, we had a chili cook off. There were 8 entries. I entered my White Chicken Chili. Mine was good, but for some reason, I couldn't get it to thicken. So needless to say, I didn't make the top 3. But, I did taste a chili that I just loved. It didn't make the top 3 either, but it was exactly what I like in my regular Chili. This lady was flattered that I asked for her recipe. So this weekend, I took on the challenge.
This recipe was pretty basic and flexible enough for me to adjust some of the spices. I couldn't believe how easy it was!! It turned out great! A perfect combination of spicy/sweet, just the way I like it. I was sure to write this one down with all the adjustments I made.
I purposely made a chili that was different from my Dads Chili. (Dad, rest assured, you are still the king of Chili). I will still come running when my dad says it's Chili Day at his house.

This weekend I also decided to make Amish Friendship Bread. Last weekend, I received a starter batter from a girl in our Sunday School class. This is a bread that takes a total of 10 days to make. From this one small bag of batter I received, I was able to make 4 more batters that I now get to pass on to my friends, plus I was able to make 2 loaves for us. This batter now comes from 4 generations and has an extra special smell that hopefully stays sealed tight for the next generation. Don't ask me how you take a totally foul, fermented batter and turn it into an awesome sweet bread (yes it's totally safe. But I wouldn't take it to a lab). So, if anyone is interested, I have 4 starter batters to pass on to the next generation. Each of these batters will turn into 4 more batters for them to pass on.

As you can tell, my thing is cooking (everyone has a thing). I'm a long ways away from being a great cook. I'm always up for the challenge, but I am still a work in progress. Thankfully, Jonathan is always up for the challenge of being my guinea pig (what a team player!). I always ask for complete honesty when it comes to my cooking. So many things that I have made that were complete flops, but I later came back to get it just right. Cooking can be very rewarding for me and also devastating. Those devastating moments only make me more determined to get it right.
I have posted pictures of this weekends tasty vittles. Recipes can be provided if needed.