The New Kid in Town...

Dave and I were out for a walk the other night when we noticed a cat walking down the middle of the street with no regard for oncoming vehicles. For all he cared, he was in the road first and the very large truck coming straight for him could move. He was challenging the driver to a game of chicken and he wasn't backing down. We were laughing about his apparent disregard for life when a couple of our neighbors walked outside and they told us that he was new to town. They told us that Jasper belongs to their neighbors (the people across the street from us) and they got him shortly after Christmas.

They also told us that he is the most social cat they have ever met and proceeded to tell us that he will sit on their daughter's window sill and meow and try to get their attention when he hears the girls playing or being loud in their room. He's stepping out. Trying to make friends in his new 'hood.

You can imagine my surprise when I walked downstairs yesterday and saw Rookie in a complete "stare off" at the front door! I could NOT believe he wasn't barking! He just sat there trying to smell at the cracks of the doors and they were both trying to figure out how to get on the other side of the door.

Rookie, meet Jasper!

Lifesaver!

You guys know I'm old school. I'm virtually the 8th wonder of the world when it comes to technology. It's pretty much baffling considering I'm under 30, a working professional, I blog, I tweet, I use technology everyday.... I finally joined 2001 and got a laptop for Christmas! It has changed my life! And just like my friends told me...it has changed our marriage. Ha! Next on my list is updating my cell phone. We don't even have a land line at home. We just use our cell phones which isn't entirely uncommon, but you would think we would have super sonic cell phones. Not this girl. My phone isn't that different from the one in the picture below. I'm channeling Zack Morris with my LG Shine.

I can hardly function without my cell phone. I have it on me at all times and I often think about how on earth we survived before constant communication. How did anyone even go to the grocery store without it? I would have come home without 5 items crucial to Dave's survival unless he had the ability to call me 3 times with last minute substitutions. And he teases me that my car won't even go into "drive" without me being on the phone. I hate to admit it, but it's partially true. Our schedules are generally full in the evenings, so that is when I catch up with friends and family. And Heaven forbid I spend a few minutes in SILENCE with my own thoughts!! *shudder*

I like to think I'm a really good and really safe driver even with the phone to my ear yackety-yacking, but am I as great as I think I am?? I'm sure you've all heard about (or maybe you saw) Oprah's show last week on texting and driving (if not, click the link). I didn't see it, but I have read the re-cap on her website and I have seen her video asking people to pledge to put down their phones while driving. It really is crazy to think of how many accidents happen and how many lives are lost to texting while driving. A friend of my sister lost his sister to a texting and driving accident. It has crippled his family and it's heartbreaking to think it could have been avoided.

How important is my text anyways? I'm pretty sure me asking Bradley when The Bachelor starts really can wait! Besides, we all know I know what time it starts! Don't kid yourself.

I have joined the no texting while driving bandwagon and it might not always be easy, but I know it will always be worth it. Unfortunately, I have the dark ages phone where I have to literally type out each letter. Like hit the 4 three times to type an "i". But those of you with the Blackberry, you are in luck! Have you heard about their FREE app that is so fabulous?? You can turn it on before you get in the car and it will announce your incoming texts and read it out loud to you! It is the DriveSafe.ly app and you can read all about it by clicking that link. I tried to Google to see if there was an iPhone app and I didn't see anything. So if you are an iPhone user and you know of something like this, let us all know in the comments.

Have you made the pledge?

Fabulous Find Friday!

It's always amazing how styles and trends come back around. I am PRAYING that Doc Marten sandals stay a thing of my 7th-9th grade past and that I never experiment with Brighton belts again, but who knows what my amazingly bright future may hold. I have to say, nothing says 10th grade like Brighton.

I digress....I'm growing my hair out again. Not for any reason other than a change. I do this often. I grow it out....I get tired of the time it takes to fix it and then I cut it. I really like my hair short. I have pretty much always worn my hair short, but occasionally I let it grow for a "new me". My hair is just above my shoulders and I have been experimenting with the headband trend. What do you guys think of headbands??? My sister gave me a really, really cute headband for Christmas from J-Crew that is black with a skinny, sweet bow. And I got this darling headband for $3.80 at Forever 21. Look at all of the other cute hair accessories they have for super cheap...You can't go wrong!

So in my quest for fun headbands of course I hit up ETSY! I am so pleasantly surprised with what I found! I love, love, love these headbands and necklace. I think they are so classy and girly, and they would be the perfect compliment to a classic black dress or to glam up jeans and a turtleneck.

I would probably pair any of the above with my new favorite shoes that I got on SUPER sale last week at Steve Madden...

Today over at Kelly's Korner everyone is sharing their favorite shopping spots...online or in store. I really shop in a lot of different stores, but a few of my favorites would be Macy's and Nordstrom shoes and staple items, White House Black Market for jeans (they fit me well and I ALWAYS buy them on sale for cheap!!), Anthropologie for lotion, bubble bath, candles...anything I want to smell good. I just think everything in the entire store is darling, but I refuse to pay full price, so I have to wait until it hits the sale rack. :)

I have a very simple and classic style. I wear a lot of solid colors and I love shoes, handbags, necklaces, etc to add a little spice to my life. And if any of you know my mother...you know animal print is always allowed...actually, encouraged!

"I want to get these shoes. They're on sale! I think I would wear them all the time." ~ Me

"Of course you would! Leopard is a neutral." ~My mother

For Better or for Worse...

Quote of the week:

Dave: "So how many more weeks of this bachelor bull do I have to deal with?"

Me: "Well, they are down to 9 girls, so next week should go to 7 I think...then maybe 5, 4, 3, 2..."

Dave, in really sarcastic, dramatic fashion: "Then you've gotta have the women bash each other and 'tell all'. Then you've gotta have one come back and break up with the one they chose in front of the one they've now decided they want instead. Then everybody breaks up because no one really liked each other to begin with. And then in 3 weeks another one will start with the one he didn't choose. So basically I'm looking at this thing ending NEVER."

Leave in Conditioner....

So, I think that I may have forgotten to wash the conditioner out of my hair last night....

My hair is a process...it is thick, has natural curl...it's basically like a horse's mane. I wash my hair at night, dry it, and then straighten it in the morning before work. So last night was business as usual. I washed my hair, rinsed. Conditioned my hair and Dave came in the bathroom when he got home and we started talking. I certainly thought I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair....

So I wrap my hair in my hair towel, get dressed, and then dry my hair. It felt thicker than usual, more tangled than usual, and took me longer to dry than usual, but I used a new conditioner so I thought that might be it. Fast forward to this morning...I was chi-ing my hair and it just felt a little "off" and then it hit me...did I not rinse the conditioner out of my hair??

Too little too late. There was no time to jump in the shower and start the whole process over. I guess maybe my hair will be silky smooth after my "leave in conditioner" is washed out...

I'm an idiot.

Sharing is Caring!

Dinner #1 was a success last night! We got home around 5:20, changed clothes, threw the chicken enchilada casserole in the oven and headed out for a walk. We ran in around 6:15, ate, and were out of the house by 6:45. It was pretty rushed, but It was a gorgeous day (70 degrees!!) so I loved getting a short walk in instead of rushing in the kitchen. Tonight is day 2, but Dave has class and I'm trying to talk my brother into going with me to get a treadmill I bought off Craigslist....I'm NOT going alone even though I'm sure everything is super legit. Besides, I need his truck and his muscles.

A couple of people asked for the recipes yesterday and I am glad to share!! They are honestly 3 of my FAVORITE recipes and the secret is that none of them are mine!! Ha! I got these recipes from friends and friends of friends and these are 3 of my "go-to" dishes. 2 out of the 3 of them are super simple...like so easy I kind of hate to tell you because when you have a kid and need a meal I will be bringing one of the 3 of these to you...

Lasagna- We had a variation of this recipe at Lynch's bachelorette party and it is now my favorite lasagna recipe. I almost can't even eat Stouffer's because I love the homemade one so much more! It is not hard at all, but it is a little more time consuming. My advice, if you like it, is just make 2 while you're already going to the trouble! Freeze one and call it a day!

Ingredients for one lasagna (standard 9x13) or two 8" pans (what I did this time):

• Lasagna noodles- I actually boil my noodles instead of using the ready bake ones. I'm sure ready bake is fine, I just prefer to cook them to my liking.
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. cream cheese softened
• 8 oz. Sour Cream
• Spaghetti sauce- I use Prego and I use the 26 oz jar. You don't want to run out of sauce!! YUM!
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• Spinach (if desired- I don't use it in mine)

Boil noodles and pat dry. Brown meat and drain (I season my meat with garlic salt, basil and oregano while cooking). In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sour cream. You're ready to layer! Layer noodles, cream cheese mixture, ground beef, generous amounts of cheese (I said generous! Keep going!), sauce, and start over! I do 3 layers, so it takes 9 noodles to do a 9x13 pan. A 9x13 pan will easily feed 7-8 people. And the good news is...this is the more time consuming recipe! So that should tell you how easy the other 2 are!! (PS...the picture of my lasagna below is a little sad because I thought I had cheddar cheese and I didn't! So before I bake this one I will add some Cheddar cheese to the top.) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. (If you freeze it will take about 1.5 hours to cook.)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole- My dear friend Courtney made this for dinner one night and it was SO good! It has since become a regular in our house. Just don't ask Dave how regular! ha! So easy and so yummy! (I might not even put all the ingredients Courtney does, so she is probably going to gasp at this recipe....sorry friend!)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole:

• 2 cups shredded chicken (I buy a rotisserie chicken from my grocery store)
• 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 cans green chile enchilada sauce
• Corn tortillas (package of 10 works for a small baking dish)

Cut your tortillas into quarters, open your cans of enchilada sauce and you've got yourself a meal. Layer corn tortillas, chicken, enchilada sauce, then cheese. I make 3 layers. Bake uncovered on 350 for about 35-45 minutes (until bubbly). If you refrigerate it overnight after putting it together it will take a full hour to reheat.

And Finally, my one true love, taco soup. I have no pictures because....well, because I just don't. But this is E-A-S-Y to make and we love it.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. beef
• 1 pkg. Taco seasoning
• 1 pkg. Ranch dressing seasoning (dry packet)
• 1 can corn- drained
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 can rotel
• 1 can pinto beans
• Optional: 1 can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (if you want it thicker or you want more tomatoes...I don't add anymore tomatoes, but we don't really like them)

Brown meat, drain, add in your taco seasoning and cook according to package directions. In a stock pot add meat, can of drained corn, can of creamed corn, can of beans, rotel, ranch seasoning mix and 1-2 cups of water (to your desired "soupyness"). Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Done and done! We serve it over tortilla chips with a little shredded cheese on top. If I'm really feeling generous I'll slice an avocado or make corn bread muffins.

Phew! I'm hungry now! :) And for my friends in real life, you know you'll be having one of these items next time you come over for dinner so please try to forget how easy it is!

I Brought My A Game...

Dear January 18th-22nd,

I own you! You think you talk a pretty big game with your crazy schedule, busy nights, can't miss TV and taunting me with a need to work out. I can see how it could be overwhelming...you know, only 24 hours in a day and all. But I think I'm one step ahead of you. I will not cower to the calendar.

Don't you worry that I spent 3 hours yesterday making my meals for the week. You didn't know who you were dealing with did you? You think you're so tough Financial Peace University, Bible Study, The Bachelor, The Biggest Loser, working out...but I'm one step ahead of you. I've got chicken enchilada casserole, lasagna, and soup sitting pretty in my refrigerator just waiting to be warmed up each night. And don't even think that I didn't make a second lasagna to freeze so I can master the first week of February too. I'll see your challenge and I'll raise you my sanity! I've got you right where I want you.

See you Saturday,
Tiffany

I really did cook all of that yesterday when we got home from church. I felt really good about it because I didn't have to count those 3 hours spent watching the Cowboys as a total loss since I came out of it with meals for the week. This is the first time I've ever done this and I'm actually pretty pumped about it. This Spring is going to be really crazy with Dave's classes starting again, us starting Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, Bible Studies, etc. It seems that every night we have something. But I don't want us to get into the habit of eating out every night or me feeling the need to try to throw something together last minute and not enjoying any of my time at home. So, we'll see how it all works out!

Do any of you cook once a week for your entire week? How does that work out for you?

Fabulous Find Friday!

Photo Credit: AP

I don't know if you guys have been consumed with all of the Haiti coverage, but I have. I just haven't been able to get enough. I want to know if they are getting the help they need, if they are having success finding survivors, if medical, physical and supply needs are being met. I've felt so helpless here sitting in my home, watching the news on a full stomach and completely healthy, safe and secure. It's hard to imagine so much suffering. I just ask God for His hand of mercy on the victims, their families, and the volunteers who are on the front lines of this tragedy. And I pray that like the loaves and fishes, donations of money and supplies would be multiplied to meet the needs.

I know that God is good all the time and I will praise Him in the storm. My mom had such peace when she was sick, and she always said, "Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms His Child." Please pray for those in the midst of the storm in Haiti...Also, if you haven't heard, Pioneer Woman is doing an AMAZING giveaway! She is giving 2 $500 gift certificated in the winner's name to the charity of choice benefiting Haiti. She is also giving $.10 for EVERY comment/entry received! So go enter right now!!

I feel kind of silly following that up with fabulous finds, so I'm going to give you a few FABULOUS charities you can support if you feel so led. These are just a few I have heard of or personally been in contact with. Please share your charities or your stories in the comments so we might have a better idea of other ways to help or serve!

Compassion International- Providing relief and essential needs for those in great need. (Specifically, Compassion is a child advocacy program)

Haiti Earthquate

Doctors Without Borders- Medical organization helping to increase survival of those affected by violence, neglect or catastrophe
Light Haiti- Providing Long lasting, solar lights to help with the rescue, recovery, rebuilding efforts
Red Cross- Meeting essential needs of food, water, medical help

Thank you in advance for your help whether it is a monetary gift or the gift of your prayers. YOU are making a difference!

You've Got Questions...I've Got Answers!

That picture has nothing to do with this post, but I don't like posts without pictures so I thought I would add it. Besides, it makes me laugh. I can guarantee you this is the one and only picture I have (and will probably ever have) of my husband in a pose like this.

He usually has his eyes open...

I've had a few questions asked through e-mail and I thought I would answer them publicly. I lead a fairly boring life and my answers certainly won't light your hair on fire, but it'll let you know a little more about me....in case you ever cared! Here goes...

How old are you? I've heard you talk about college but I can't figure out when you were in college. And how long have you been married?

I obviously got this question before my "Happy 3 year anniversary" post the other day. I am 28, I was in college from 1999-2003 (whoop!) and I met David in August right after I graduated. We started dating in October of 2003 and got married in January of 2007.

You seem really close to your family. You always have tons of stories involving your parents and your siblings. Do you get to see them a lot? How close are you in age with your siblings?

I am really close to my family! Both in proximity and relationship. I have a lot of stories because we do see each other a lot and we talk all the time. I talk to my mom every day on the phone even if I don't see her. My sister and I are BFF and we talk and g-chat all the time. My brother isn't so much the phone talker, but we are definitely close. My parents live about 10 minutes away from Dave and I, so we see them pretty frequently. My sister is 3 years and 9 months younger than me and my brother is 6 years and 3 months younger than me. I honestly have so much fun with them and they keep me laughing constantly.

Will you label your blog posts?? Not that you have to do anything just for me, but I always want to find certain recipes or something from one of your Fabulous Find Friday's and it's hard to find it.

And...

I remember seeing a couple of posts about your house when Kelly's Korner was doing the "Show us Where You Live" home tours. Our styles are similar and I would love to see your pictures again, but I have a hard time finding them. Do you think you'll ever label your posts?

I put these questions together because they are similar. The answer is yes. I will label my posts at some point. Now that it's out here in the open maybe it will force me to do it sooner rather than later. :) Honestly, when I started blogging I just didn't know to do it. Now, I just haven't taken the time to go back and label all of my old posts. Maybe one weekend when I have down time I will do it just for you guys! For right now, here, here, here, here, and here are a few posts about my house. It's all a work in progress. We've been in our home a little over a year and most of our furniture is a modge podge of things we had in college, first apartments, have scavenged from our parent's and grandparent's houses, etc. (*Ok, that took me forever to find those links....you guys are right, I'll label them soon!)

And we'll end with this doozy...

Now that you have been married for 3 years, do you think you'll have kids anytime soon? I can't wait to see your pictures and hear your funny stories of motherhood.

Who are you, and did my mother pay you to ask me that??? I'll start by saying that David and I for sure want kids. We are not trying for children right now, but we certainly hope that we are blessed with a family one day! Right now, I am sharing the joy of one of my best friends (Bradley) who is having her first child (I can now say it since she FINALLY blogged about it yesterday!!) and another one of my best friends (L-Merc) who is pregnant with her third precious little one! As for right now I am the cool aunt and one heck of a dog mom!

PHEW! That was fun! If you have any other questions, ask! Happy Thursday. :)

You Might Say I Have "Semi" Crazy Dreams....

During the whole squirrel debacle I mentioned that Dave hardly stirred because he thought it was just another one of my crazy dreams. I didn't elaborate because it was another story for another time...I feel the time has come to completely humiliate myself by giving you a glimpse into my life. It wouldn't be the first time...

I talk in my sleep. This is nothing new. I've been told stories from every roommate I've ever had. My sister, Bradley, The Loj, Meredith, Courtney, Katie, Robyn, Angie...and now Dave. I don't wake up, I don't hear myself, and I certainly don't remember it in the morning. In fact, I usually don't even remember dreams in the morning. I've also been known (on just a few occasions, not very often) to sleepwalk. I actually think this happened when I was younger more than it does now. So now the stage is set....

Several weeks ago, something happened to me that has never happened in.my.life. and it was the scariest thing in the world. It was about 3:00am and I was in a dead sleep. I had the most vivid dream I've ever had. I honestly can't even explain it. Dave and I were walking down the street, and we were approaching an intersection, but we were on the sidewalk, and out of nowhere a semi-truck was coming towards us and (I don't really know how to describe it which is why I haven't written about this until now...) it swerved to avoid a small car that it was going to hit and it went into a spin spinning towards us and we were about to get hit! In the dream I was scared to death and I pushed Dave out of the way just trying to get out of the way of the oncoming 18-wheeler....

In real life, (I sleep on my back) I literally FLEW out of bed, over the top of Dave while simultaneously "pushing him out of harms way" and I landed on the floor! Y'all, I cleared an entire HUMAN and queen size bed and landed on the floor. Not without hurting many body parts along the way. Mine and Dave's. He jumped over the top of me and turned on the bathroom light and was in a sheer panic thinking someone must be in the house, in our room, something had freaking me out to bring on such alarm....

Then, I started to explain myself (still half asleep) and I was telling him that the semi was coming right towards us and we had to get out of the way....and then I woke up fully. And I realized there was no semi, no danger, only a bloody knee, bruises ALL down my leg, and possibly a torn shoulder on Dave's part.

All of my co-workers heard the story first hand and saw my bruised leg and got to laugh at me to my face. Dave's shoulder had no permanent damage just a little soreness for a few days, and Rookie suffered no harm during my bizarre dream.

I have no idea why he would have ever questioned that there was actually a squirrel 12 inches away from me in the bathroom....

Let's Get Together, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

Did anyone else channel Hailey Mills from the Parent Trap when you read the blog title? Because when I decided to do this there was really no other blog title I could think of. I just kept coming back to, "Let's get together, yeah, yeah, yeah...We could have a swingin' ti-ime!"

I have e-mailed with a couple of bloggers in the Austin area and we have decided it would be fun to meet! We all read about each other's lives and I feel like we're all friends here but really, we don't know each other at all! So what do you think?

I was thinking possibly happy hour on a weeknight. We could go to a wine bar, go to a restaurant and do drinks and appetizers? Thoughts? Do we want to give ourselves a month to get this thing put together? Like Tuesday, February 26th?

It will be really fun to meet local bloggers, but we don't have to limit it to bloggers. Feel free to invite your other girlfriends so we can all get to know each other and make new friends! Let me know your thoughts...you in?

"I think we should...meet."
"We should meet! And we will meet! But right now I'm in the middle of a project that needs....tweaking." ~ You've Got Mail

Southbound 35...House Divided!

We had a fun weekend celebrating our anniversary. We decided to head South and go to the Mavs vs. Spurs game. I think I've told you guys this before, but the one spot of contention in our marriage is our athletic alliances. We don't agree on ANYTHING except the Cowboys and the Rangers. And college football is much more important than professional, so it can lead to heated debates. He's all Tech all the time and I'm...NOT. For this weekend, the only thing that mattered is that he is a Spurs fan and I'm...not! I'm a Mav's fan, a Dirk fan, a Kidd fan...and a fan of the "W" my Mavs put on the Spurs on Friday night!

Here are a few pics from the game...PS...we had fabulous seats! If I could watch the game like that every time I would be a very, very happy camper! PPS...they wouldn't let me bring in my good camera because they said it was a "professional camera". I assured them I was no professional, that I got my camera only 2 weeks ago and don't even know how to take it off auto-focus, but they weren't having it. So, I went with the trusty point and shoot in my purse.

Above: Dirk laying the law (and a foul...) down on Timmy D

Below: Timmy D shooting his foul shots after the above law being laid...

Below is the view of the Alamo from our hotel room. We woke up Saturday and decided to walk around a bit, so I took this picture from our room and then the next few from around the Alamo.

I loved this walkway above. My lighting is a bit dark...lots to learn! And below is a fountain at the Menger hotel. This is how cold it was!! Needless to say, we didn't walk around very long!

We decided to warm up the only way we know how...with chips and hot Sauce. Amen. We went to Mi Tierra and honestly, it was so stinkin' good. I walked in and I went into sensory overload with all of the colors, lights, pinatas, etc. They have a bakery and I knew my Nana and Papa would like a praline, so Dave stood in line while I went and got my camera for a few parting shots.

Dave getting Nana and Papa their goodies...

We had a great time on our short trip and made it home just in time for the Cowboys on Saturday night. They're actually looking like a football team these days! Have a great week!

"Well, I can't believe that my number 1 team already lost!"

"Who's your favorite team? The Patriots????"

"YEP!"

"Why, because you think Tom Brady's cute??"

"Well, yeah!"

~ The conversation yesterday between me and my Nana...she can be so shallow. :)

Fabulous Find Friday!

Well, last night was a sad night for Longhorn fans. Colt McCoy has been an amazing leader on and off the field for 4 years at Texas and it was heartbreaking to see him suffer an injury that took him out of the game. The biggest game of his career and the last game of his career. But what a class act he was in his interview at the end of the game. If you didn't see the article I posted yesterday take a moment to read it. You'll be glad you did! Congratulations to the Longhorns on a great season!

Now for a few of my current favorite things...It's finally starting to feel like Winter in Texas and I am now ready for the Spring. :) I'm not a huge fan of cedar and it's safe to say cedar isn't a huge fan of me. It pretty much takes me down for a few weeks this time of year and spares no mercy. When I get home in the evenings I like to get into my comfy clothes and watch all of the mind numbing new TV shows. I'm a reality TV junkie, so new seasons of the Bachelor and the Biggest Loser bring me great excitement.

I've found my new drink of choice when I'm cuddled up on the couch watching such disasters as Channy saying dirty things to Jake in Cantonese and Vienna dressing her dog up in clothes and taking her for a "mother daughter mani/pedi". For the record, I have definitely put my dog in clothes, but we have never gone for a "mother/son" day. I wouldn't want to set a precedent. We have budgets to keep.

Back to the drink of choice...I'm enjoying this instant spiced apple cider on a pretty regular basis. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and it warms me up. I don't want to say it has completely replaced hot chocolate because I'm sure I'll go back to my old faithful, but for now it is a nice change! I just buy this at my local grocery store. I'm loving having my nails painted in "Otherwise Engaged" by OPI and my toenails painted in "No Spain no Gain" also by OPI. I always love, love, love the sheer/pinky colors on other people but I have such fair skin that I never thought it would look very good on me. I'm really liking Otherwise Engaged, but let me know if you have another color that I need to try!

And finally, my winter lounge wardrobe always consists of slippers and some form of a long sleeve shirt. We have tile floors throughout our kitchen and living room and windows everywhere in the downstairs, so the floors stay really cold. I think these slippers are so cute and they look really warm! And the night shirt and nighty are on clearance right now! TGIF friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and stay warm!!

"It's Just a Game Focker!"

I just got this picture and e-mail from my mom. It made my day. But seeing the dogs dressed up and my mom using props for their photos usually does! She is out of control!

Yea Orange, Yea White...Yea Longhorns, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! The Rogers house is getting ready for kick-off! May the good guys win.

"It's just a game Focker"~ Meet the Parents

Yeah, right!

XOXO,
Mom

And I have to add this article that Robbie sent me: Click here It is honestly SO well worth your time to read it. Aggie, Longhorn, sooner, Big 12, SEC, PAC10...it doesn't matter. Seeing the Lord working in the lives of this football team is amazing!

California Dreamin' on Such a Winter's Day! (Plus a dinner recipe and an answered question!)

I tell you what, I am failing miserably on the jealousy thing today because I am totally jealous of anyone in Pasadena to watch the Longhorns kick some Alabama booty tonight! Can I get an amen?? It is FREEZING here today! (I know those of you who live in Minnesota and those of the like are rolling your eyes big time here, but I'm a Texas girl born and bred and it.is.cold!!) The wind is seriously whipping and we are getting the "arctict blast" that makes going outside not so pleasant. California sounds much more appealing!

On a completely unrelated note, thank you guys so much for your kind comments about our wedding and your well wishes for our anniversary! I also got a couple of comments and e-mails after my mom's birthday blog asking about the chalkboard wine glasses...they are from Pier 1, they are only $3 each, and they are so much fun! *PS...whenever you see bold, colored words it's normally a link. Either to a post or to a product. They have stemless wine glasses, high ball glasses, and carafes.

I digress...the other night I made one of my favorite dinners, taco salads. It's one of my favorites because it is really good, but also really easy! The first time I made them Dave complained that there was no way he could eat only a salad for dinner, but he did and he really, really liked it! I'll admit that he actually eats 2, but who's counting? I make my own shells and they are not fried. These are great for a party or for a party of 1!

Ingredients:
Foil
PAM cooking spray
Burrito size tortillas
1 lb ground beef (or fajita chicken, or beef fajita meat)
Pkg taco seasoning if you're using ground beef
lettuce
Pinto beans (Black beans, ranch style beans, refried beans can also be used.)
Any toppings you like! We use cheese, black olives and avocado.

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Loosely wad a ball of foil and place it on a baking sheet. Drape a tortilla over the top and spray the entire tortilla with PAM cooking spray. You can fit 2-4 shells on your baking sheet depending on the size. You don't want them to overlap because you want them to brown all over.

Place the tortillas in the oven and cook until lightly browned. Generally about 8 minutes. I like mine crispy, so if it is not brown enough I leave it in a bit longer.

Brown your ground beef and drain. Add in taco seasoning and let simmer. Heat up your beans, get out your toppings, and fill your taco shells with lettuce....it's that easy!

You can shape your tortillas around the foil slightly, but they will "fall" and conform more as they cook. Also, just lightly wad your foil otherwise it will take your whole roll to make one foil ball!

Here they are all sprayed and ready to bake...

Wha-la! Your crispy, non-fried taco shells. Since Dave eats 2 I usually cook his second one while we are eating. My oven only cooks 2 comfortably. If you do these for a party, you might want to start cooking your tortillas before your guests get there since you have to bake them in shifts.

We use Chuy's jalapeno ranch as our dressing, but you can use salsa, ranch, whatever you prefer. Enjoy!! HOOK'EM HORNS!!!

1095 Days...

1095 days ago I literally woke up with a smile on my face knowing what the day had in store. I knew I was going to feel like a princess, I knew I was going to see all of my friends and family in one place, I knew I was going to have the privilege of my daddy walking me down the aisle, I knew I was going to get to eat some awesome cake, I had a feeling I was going to dance to a little J Timberlake, I knew I was going to dance to Beat It, I knew I would cry at some point, I knew I would be thankful beyond measure that my family had given me the most beautiful wedding I could ever imagine, I knew I would feel so honored to have my friends and family standing by my side when I made a lifelong commitment to Dave, and I knew I was going to marry the love of my life...all in 12 short hours.

I spent the day getting my hair and makeup done...and laughing and crying...and re-doing my hair! ha! It's funny now, but it didn't seem so funny then. :) I had waited for that day for my entire life, and January 6, 2007 had finally arrived. I remember thinking it was so funny that I was starting my primping at 10am and Dave was probably on hole #4! His golf game was going to be followed by burgers and fries...we had fruit, cheese, a darn good Diet Coke and finger sandwiches. Guys have it so easy!

My mom and sister looked so beautiful! And when I walked into the sanctuary and saw all of the candles lit for the first time I was overcome with emotion. It was gorgeous and my mom, sister and Coleen had worked so hard and had done it all for me. We did the picture thing for a while and then I went into holding waiting for Dave and the guys to take their pictures. My family gathered around me just before the ceremony and they lifted Dave and I up to the Lord and prayed over us and our marriage. It was the most beautiful way I could think of starting the evening.

I went downstairs so I could hear the beginning of the ceremony and tears filled my eyes when the call to worship began with the Loj's grandmother playing "We are Standing on Holy Ground" on the piano. I watched my best friends walk down the aisle to stand by my side and then it was my turn.

My dad and I had a few sweet moments before he walked me down the aisle. When the doors opened it was a shock to my system. I remember just seeing people and I could see Dave at the end of the aisle but I couldn't really make out his face immediately. That walk was so wonderful, yet I don't remember very much about it! I cried through the entire ceremony and Dave was so calm and collected. He was so genuine and sweet and I'll never forget the look in his eyes as he promised to love me, cherish me and honor me 'til death parts us.

After the ceremony we headed out for the reception. We had an amazing time and it's just one of those days that I will always cherish. I'm not sure there is ever a moment like that where everyone that matters to you will be in one place at one time. I'm grateful.

1095 days ago I got a new last name. I am so proud that I took the name of a man that loves the Lord, that loves me even when I'm not so loveable, that puts others first, and who is so darn good looking! He is so selfless and he is SO honest. It amazes me that he is so content. He is happy and content with who he is, what he has, and where he's going. He brings out the best in me but he loves me in spite of my many faults. He encourages me and he prays for me.

1095 days ago I walked down the aisle belonging to my daddy and I walked back up the aisle belonging to David.

Dave, thank you for making the last 3 years amazing. I prayed for you and the Lord answered my prayers. You are more than I ever hoped for. I look forward to growing old with you! I love you!

I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine ~ Song of Solomon 6:3

Princess for a Day...

Sunday was my Mom's birthday and we took the opportunity to spoil her, celebrate her and shower her with gifts. It's certainly a far cry from her everyday life! *Dripping with sarcasm*

We had a good time together and in all seriousness, I count my blessings everyday that I get to celebrate my mom. I praise God that she is healthy and happy and celebrating 51! She decided that since we have virtually been eating since Thanksgiving she didn't want to go out to eat for her birthday. We made spaghetti, got an AMAZING red velvet cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and had a fun dinner at home. Here are a few party pics...

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you...

Happy birthday dear mo-om, happy birthday to YOU! And many more...

I'm not even joking you guys...this thing is called "Stephanie's red velvet cheesecake" from the Cheesecake Factory and it's pretty much the best thing I've ever put in my mouth!

Miss Maggie loves a good party. Some might call her a "party girl"!

Eye on the prize son. He knows the goods when he sees it! If you only knew how funny this picture really is! This whole situation makes me laugh. My Papa is NOT a dog person. To think Rookie got this close to him while he's EATING...Ha! Look how far my Papa is scooching over in his chair! My mom scolded me for taking a picture instead of shooing Rookie down.

Gotta love birthdays!! Guess whose is next?? :)