Thank you

I can't thank all my friends, family, and Russel enough for the support that I have received this week. 

I went in Wednesday to have a rather large ovarian cyst removed.  Dr Woods (the best dr I could have ever asked for) removed the cyst as well as my right ovary to keep the cyst from returning. 

I recieved so many texts, emails and phone calls of support before I went in which made it much easier.

Russel, mom and dad all spent the day at the hospital with me. Nurse Russel has taken care of my every whim all week.  I'd have never made it with out him.  I have been blanketed with gifts, fruit baskets, cards, meals, flowers, phone calls, and texts.  It really makes recovering quite a bit easier.

thank you all

XOXOXOXO 

Five Years Ago....

Five years ago today I got the call at work that 

my mom had fallen off the top of a load of hay and broke her back.

. 

I don't really recall too many specifics about the week mom was in the hospital.  

I stayed with her almost every night at the hospital and even a few nights after she got home.  

It's scary to think (even at 28 years old) that a parent who has done

for you their whole life couldn't get out of the bed. 

But what good news can you get from a broken back???  

That you can be repaired with surgery.

And she was. 

  She'll probably kill me for putting up this picture but this was on 

Thanksgiving about 3 weeks after "the fall". That is her tortes shell that she had to wear for a while after the surgery.  At first I know every movement was hard and discouraging but with in days of being home, mom was doing on her own.  Strapping on her tortes

shell with no help from us, doing book work, cooking meals.  I remembered thinking dad would kill us both the first day that we ventured to the downstairs (with no help) to get some things that she wanted for upstairs.   

I may not remember all the specifics but I can tell you the important things that I learned:

~ true family and friends are there when you need them ~

I thank God everyday for the people that He puts in our life

~ sometimes motivation has to come from a swift kick in the bum ~

because when you are hurting and wondering whether you'll ever be the same again, the best thing is the cold hard truth that you have to work for it

~ the people you work with become your family ~

because not once did anyone say you need to get back to work - but just to do what I had to do

~ God works miracles ~  

that is just plain and simple

I call my mom every November 9th to wish her a happy anniversary.

Happy? you ask - yes HAPPY because we are all blessed for the way things turned out.  

GOD IS GOOD.  

FREE CARDS...TODAY ONLY

When I can't find the perfect card in store I go to www.cardstore.com

to pick out cards to send to people.  The card store has some great cards. 

AND TODAY ONLY YOU CAN SEND 10 FREE HOLIDAY CARDS!!!!!

So go to the link above and and use code : CCN2433

 

 It includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and you can schedule them to deliver whenever.

Happy Day for Free Cards! 

A short trip...

It has been almost 2 years since I have seen my friend Allison and her family.  

In June, Allison's mom Kitty emailed me about a Southwest flight sale.  

I snagged a round trip flight pretty cheap for 5 months into the future. 

5 months took forever!  But finally last weekend I flew to Greenville, SC for a long awaited

3 day vacation.  the 5 months drug on but the 3 days sped by.   

We drove Saturday to Charleston to spend the day and then back to the farm that milks Kitty's jersey cows to pick up a heifer on the way home(Pendleton).  

 

Allison and I near the market in Charleston

These flowers were made from palm fronds by some young boys on the pier.  I ended up getting this 

small set and then a bunch of 20 too.  I loved them so much. 

We ate lunch at A.W. Shucks and walked the length of the market place twice.  There were so many talented artisans there.  I also bought a crock that you bake a whole apple on in the oven...It looks like fun. 

A Carnival cruise ship was docked at the pier waiting to go out on a cruise. 

It was a little windy but a beautiful place to visit.

Notice it is just Allison and I in these pictures?  Kitty was the photographer for the day and only got in 

one picture with us....and that was on Kitty's camera!  I missed out.  

This was such a great trip.  We reminisced over the "good ole days" and made new memories too. 

Kitty's poor car will never quite be the same after picking a very nauseous me up from the airport...but that is another story for another day.

Wheelin in the Country

On the Sunday before Halloween we went to Wheelin in the Country in Summertown, TN.

It isn't too far of a drive for a good place to ride trails.  

I have NEVER in my life seen a place so busy.  The sheer number of people

and off road vehicles was amazing.  

We met some friends there and rode the trails.  

 We stayed up too late the night before so I was tired.  Russel did all the driving.  He was my chauffeur for the day.  Dave took his 4 wheeler and hauled our RZR there. 

Our day was pretty uneventful - just good riding - until we got a LITTLE stuck in a mud hole.  

Russel was trying to go around the edge and we just slipped on down in.  

Notice Russel is still in the RZR braving the muddy water that was up to almost the seat level on his side.  

I got out promptly - to protect my camera  - yeah right.  I didn't want to be muddy and wet the rest of the day. 

Missy came to the rescue with her newly installed winch.  Lonnie worked the winch and got it hooked up. I took pictures. Aaron supervised.  We are a well oiled machine.   

Halloween Trunk or Treat

I didn't get but a couple pictures of trunk or treat this year at the church.  

It started earlier than we expected so we had to jump into our

costumes after decorating out car. 

Here is our monster car.

The kids had to reach into its mouth to get their candy. 

 And here Russel and I are in our costumes.  

We love dressingup because the kids at church think it is hilarious...until Russel 

chases the screaming kids into the church that is....

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Every year in the fall I like to make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.  

These don't have to be a fall only food but that is when I like them 

best.  I can eat 1 or 5 cupcakes with a big glass of hot apple cider and 

be so content.  It is the BEST fall sweet ever.

And it is simple enough that anyone can make them.    

Take one large can of pumpkin pie mix and combine it with one box of spice cake mix.  

I usually use my mixer to make sure I get all the clumps out.  

Pour into individual cupcake liners.  

This recipe makes about 20 cupcakes rather than the 

24 that your box of cake mix would make normally.    

Bake according to the cake package directions. 

 

Your finished product is a soft, moist, sweet pumpkin spice cupcake.

If you don't like icing these cupcakes can stand alone with no icing.  

They can also be topped with sifted confectionery sugar.  

But I like them best with cream cheese icing.  

I don't have a picture of a finished iced cupcake because I was running 

late getting these ready for the church auction and fall fest and I forgot. 

But there are pictures above of the icing and decorating bags and tips.  This was 

my first try at applying the icing without using a knife.  With some helpful tips from my friend

Cacy and an online tutorial I got the hang of using the basic tips to make cute cupcakes.  

They were delish - You should really try this super easy recipe.    

Sweet Potatoes

Every year around the end of December, Russel sticks a sweet potato 

in a glass of water in our kitchen window.  As sprouts start to come off the potato 

we pull them off and put them in another glass to start growing roots.  

Then come April 15th we plant the sprouted potato vines into three stacked

up tires that are filled with dirt and manure.   

 Then just before the first frost, we dig (push over) our potatoes.  

We usually get quite a haul as we did this year.  But this year we also

grew one BIG DADDY potato.  The one I am holding is ONE potato

and it weighed 4 lbs all by itself.  Can't wait to slice this bad boy up and make

some tasty sweet potato fries (for 10 people with a potato this big)

 

Also this year is one more new addition.  Elizabeth and I had a first encounter with this 

little lizard when we were planting the potatoes in the spring.  I figured he 

would be gone by harvest time but said knowing my luck he would run across

my hand and scare me to death...lo and behold that WAS his plan.  But 

Russel convinced me that he wouldn't bite me so I picked him up to 

play with him....it was pretty chilly out side since we obviously dig potatoes in the

dark and he was pretty slow moving.  Cute little thing once I knew he wouldn't

bite me.  We put him back in our mound of dirt to bury in for the cold night.  

Then we hauled all our potatoes in for the fall.  

Happy potato eating! 

Congratulations!

To my awesome friend DR Kristie Guffey!

Yep - You head me right.  My friend Kristie has defended her thesis and is now a Dr - not an MD Dr - so don't be going to her with your boo-boos but Dr, Professor, or just plain awesome Kristie Guffey.  

She has been working hard for this for a long time and I am so very proud of her and her dedication.  

So we went to Flemings for supper last week

 Then when I told the waiter to make sure he didn't fling my lobster tail across the restaurant because we were celebrating. He asked what for - Kristie said because of our birthdays (we were a little late celebrating this year) and I said because she was now a Dr.  So because it was our birthday he brought us each a celebration treat which was four super delicious truffles and a $25.00 gift card each to come back before the end of November.  Fleming's treated us birthday girls right! 

Overkill?

Because 26 taillights just aren't enough