Great Reminder!

t’s easy to think the grass is always greener in your neighbor’s yard. And perhaps it is. At least the part you can see.
But remember…

When you’re weary of fixing another meal and doing dishes yet again, somebody wishes they had food to put on the table.

When you’ve folded and put away a(nother) mountain of laundry, somebody wishes their children had proper coats and hats to wear to school.

When you’re groaning over the highest heating bill yet this year, somebody wishes they weren’t so cold.

When you’re losing sleep and gagging over a child’s stomach bug episode, somebody is praying for a miracle over her child’s hospital bed.

When the exhaustion and nausea of the first trimester are about to do you in, somebody is weeping (yet again) over a negative pregnancy test.

When your headache intensifies over your teen’s college financial paperwork, somebody is visiting the site of her teen’s fatal wreck.

When you wake up to another cloudy, rainy day, somebody is praying for moisture to end a season of drought.

When you pick up your husband’s dirty socks and take out the trash because he forgot, somebody is wishing that for just a moment she didn’t have to do it all alone, all the time.

The next time your situation threatens to steal your joy, try to remember… somebody wants what you have.

Give thanks in all circumstances…
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Chicken Caesar Pasta

Yummy! I have been trying to make dinner every night instead of us just snacking around (bad I know) Well we tried these recipes and oh are they good.

Chicken Caesar Pasta

1 lb dry penne pasta

1 tablespoon butter

6 skinless boneless chicken breast (cut it into cubes)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1(8 ounce) bottle of caesar dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 head romaine lettuce -rinsed dried and shredded

1 large tomato, chopped

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, pepper and salt. Cook 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove skillet from heat. In a bowl, mix together salad dressing, vinegar and cheese. Toss together pasta, chicken, lettuce and dressing mixture. Place in large serving bowl and sprinkle with tomato. Garnish with croutons and Parmesan curls if desired.

TIP- When i make this again I will not use Kens Salad dressing or the red wine vinegar. It made the dressing mixture very strong. Otherwise it was so YUMMY!

New Year Survey

1.What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Got married and moved to Hawaii

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I dont even remember what mine were last year? I wrote them down this year to keep track :)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope

4. Did anyone close to you die? No Thank God

5. What places did you visit? Started the year off in Florida then moved to Hawaii in July. I visited Minnesota somewhere in there too.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Hmm...good question

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 22.... Nick and I got married

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finishing up my Vet school

9. What was your biggest failure? I try to forget those :) or just learn and move on.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not this year! Thankfully I have been taking better care of myself

11. What was the best thing you bought? My Audi but sadly its back in Tampa. Step-dads driving my baby now! Haha

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Mine...I got off all my meds which was huge!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? None this year...Try not to surround myself with that kind of stuff

14. Where did most of your money go? Trying to make our house feel homey. The army not sending any of my stuff didnt help. We had to start fresh and buy everything new

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Oh gosh..there are so many

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter and healthy
c) richer or poorer? poorer lol I had a really really good job before i moved

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Laughed

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? stressed

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009? My parents came to visit in Hawaii! We had so much fun

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? Yes I did

22. What was your favorite TV program? Oh gosh I have so many that i cant list them all (how awful is that)

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2009? We went to dinner and shopping

24. What was the best book you read? I reread my Sisters Keeper which was great again!

25. What did you want and get? A husband

26. What did you want and not get? a baby

27. What was your favorite film of this year? My Sisters Keeper and The Time Travelers Wife

28. Did you make some new friends this year? Yea a few.

29.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Same as the other years

31. What kept you sane? God for sure!

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Carrie Underwood

33. What political issue stirred you the most? Ummm No Comment

34. Who did you miss? My Tampa fam and friends

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

That God is in control and me worrying does absolutely nothing--

Goals for this Year

Lately my mind has just been racing with things I want to do and accomplish. I have been making lists in my head but I want to write them all down on here so I can remember them and hopefully complete them. Its perfect timing, it being the new year and everything that these thoughts come to me. I love to start out the new year right and get a perfect fresh start. Many of these things are little and some are things i should have been doing anyways. But we all grow at different speeds and its never to late to improve right?

-I am going to blog at least 2 times a week.

-I am going to wake up when Nick does for PT (5:45) in order to make him breakfast and take the dogs on a long walk. I am also going to make him lunch everyday to take to work. His eating habits are not to great ;) so if he wants to eat crap i figure that I can at least get 3 healthy meals in him a day. Maybe they will be so filling that he wont need to eat crap :)

-We want to go to the gym 3 times weekly

-We are working so hard to become debt free and I must admit that we are getting quite close.

-I want to reach Certified Consultant in my Scentsy business ( I am SO close)

-Sponsor a Compassion Child again. ( I had a child while I was in high school and then on into college but times got tough and I had to give this up :( )

-Be a monthly donor to ASPCA again. I also did this while in high school and college but when times got tough this had to go too. I miss giving every month knowing that I am helping animals out there.

-Nick and I also need to get better at saving money! This is a huge goal for this year and I am so excited to get started!

-I want to volunteer. I have my application printed out for Make a Wish Foundation that I need to fill out and mail. Don't you get such a great feeling when you volunteer?

-After dinner every night I would like to take the dogs on a long walk.

There, this is what I can think of right now. Im so sure there are many more things roaming around in my mind. Im sure I will add to this list. So for now I will start working on these!

Have a great week yall!

Brittany

Crazy Love

I have been reading Angie Smiths blog(sorry i don't know how to make her name a link to the blog, anyone want to help me?) now for a while. Last night I was reading it and stumbled across her book club along with her friend called Bloom(They just announced the name of the new book they will be discussing after the first of the year last night) Anyways, they did a study on the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan a while back. I have heard so many great things about this book but have yet to read it. I watched the discussion on the first chapter last night and decided I had to read it NOW.

Today after work I went to Border's and searched around for like 20 minutes for this book. I was determined so I eventually found it. This book has been HUGE so I thought that it would be easy to find....NOPE. Maybe its sold more at Christian bookstores? Well i found the last one. So now I am home and I am going to dive into this book!

I am really needing a new outlook on things lately and am praying that this may be the answer or at least help bring me closer. Anyways, If any of yall have read this let me know your thoughts on it. I am really excited!

Brittany

Holiday Survey

I have seen this on a bunch of blogs I read and though it would be fun to do also.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? - Wrapping paper, I used to get so stressed out about wrapping everything perfectly and I am finding that I get better and better by the year.

2. Real tree or artificial? - Artificial, I have never had a real tree and I honestly don't really like them. I hear they are such a mess and it seems like such a hassle every year. I DO NOT like the smell of pine needles either so I think that I made a good choice. Its also more eco-friendly

3. When do you put up the tree? - Well I have never had a tree of my own before and we were excited when we bought it so it went up in October I think. :) Growing up I think my parents and I just kind of put it up when we felt like it. It was not a planned occasion.

4. Do you like eggnog? - I have never tried it but I am going to say no

5. Favorite gift received as a child? - I have no idea...Maybe it can be chalked up to a bad memory? A few years ago my parents donated to ASPCA in my name and I loved that!

6. Do you have a nativity scene? - No we dont yet

7. Hardest person to buy for? - My husband...He never drops hints or buys anything so I am lost. I have bee asking for a list since October and have not gotten one yet

8. Easiest person to buy for? - I am not good at buying for anyone actually

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? - Mail! I love getting mail and usually do send Christmas cards with a picture of me and my dog! BUT....this year we are broke and have yet to do one. GRINCHES

10. Favorite Christmas movie? - THE GRINCH

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? - When I have time and the money

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? - Well for a while when we went home for Christmas years ago my grandma would always make klub! Yummy! But in my immediate family we always have lasagna on Christmas Eve

13. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree? - Clear

14. Favorite Christmas song?- I am really odd and don't really care for Christmas music. I love Christian music though so it does not make much sense. I do like Where are you Christmas from the Grinch though. :) No I am not Grinchy I just love that movie

15. Travel or stay home at Christmas? - EH I would love to stay home so how about family travels? Haha

16. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? - Yeah I can

17. Angel on tree top or star? - We have a star this year

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Morning? - We open ours on Christmas Eve and then Santa comes in the morning with our stockings and stuff

19. The most annoying thing about this time of year? - Everywhere is busy!

20. What I love most about Christmas? - Jesus was born! I love being with family and seeing everyone in the holiday mood :)

Change

What'cha gonna do with the 36 cents

Sticky with Coke on your floorboard

When a woman on the street is huddle in the cold

On a sidewalk vent trying to keep warm

Do you call her over hand her the change

Ask her a story ask her her name

Or do you tell yourself

You're just a fool

Just a fool

You believe you can change the world

You're just a fool

Just a fool

You believe you can change the world

What'cha gonna do when you're watching t.v.

And an ad comes on

Yeah you know the kind

Flashin' up pictures of a child in need

For a dime a day you can save a life

Do you call the number reach out a hand

Or do you change the channel call it a scam

Or do you tell yourself

You're just a fool

Just a fool

You believe you can change the world

Don't listen to them when they say

You're just a fool

Just a fool

You believe you can change the world

Oh the smallest thing can make all the difference

Love is alive

Don't listen to them when they say

You're just a fool

Just a fool

You believe you can change the world

The worlds so big it could break your heart

And you just wanna help

But not sure where to start

so you close your eyes

Send up a prayer into the dark

You're just a fool

Just a fool

You believe you can change the world

Don't listen to them when they say

Youre just a fool

Just a fool you believe

You can change the world

Oh the smallest thing can all the difference

Love is alive

Don't listen to them when they say

You're just a fool

Just a fool

You believe you can change the world

I am so obsessed with this song! I have thought to myself many times " oh your only one person you can't change anything"! But just sitting down and thinking about this, you can change the would. Think about how many times you have had a horrible day and all you want to do is cry yet there is usually that one person who smiles at you or holds the door open and suddenly your whole persepective changes. Don't you just wonder how many times you sitting down and listening to someone tell you about the problems they are going through or smiling and telling someone to have a great day has changed their life? Im sure everyone would be surprised to know. The other night I sat and wrote down some goals that I want to accomplish and half of them have to do with volunteering! I love helping people and changing the world one day at a time. This song gave me the push I needed to follow through. If you have not listened to this song i suggest you do. Its called Change my Carrie Underwood!

Brittany