Amazing Dinner Makes Me Wanna Holler!!!

Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry (Rice was still cooking)



Look what arrived from UPS......My beloved Kindle is now charging, and I am searching Amazon for my first downloads.....



Here is the crustless Quiche I made today. I loved the silicon pan I used. It was super easy to clean, and it cooked really well in it. The Quiche I was not a fan of. It didn't taste horrible, but it was bland. I don't know what ingredient it was missing, but I will need to seriously rethink this recipe. I ended up having it with a side of sauce to compensate for lack of pop in the flavor.

Random Pictures

Ben was eating corn right off the cob (not cooked) while waiting for me in the bakery. This is his new favorite thing to eat. He says it is "natures perfect candy."

Above is my student Jerry. He is always cracking me up!

We passed this CSI van the other day. How cool is that? :) I love murder mysteries, and the like.

An Early Visit From...

via the UPS man. I see the UPS man frequently, we have a good relationship. I take packages that I get from Amazon for granted, because they are common place at my home. Well....not today. When I get home, I should be the brand new owner of a shiny new KINDLE! Woooooo Hoooooo!!!

I have a Crab Crustless Quiche cooking in the oven right now. I was going to cook it for dinner, but decided that I wanted it for breakfast/lunch. For the past week, my lunches at work have stunk! I love having a good lunch to look forward to, and I just couldn't handle another lame one.

Risk...

I am coming to a new place in my career as a teacher. I've felt comfortable with people coming in my room for some time. My principal is always in our rooms, which I love because he really has some valuable input, and is always finding something positive.

Today, I asked for something different. I asked him to come in my room to watch a reading strategy lesson that I was going to try, fully telling him I was stepping way out of my comfort zone, and this lesson might be a complete flop. I asked him to come in with the express purpose of criticizing the lesson....looking for holes/flaws. It was a stretch out of my comfort zone, but I am happy I did. He found several things he liked, but also ponted out a few things that would have made my lesson much stronger and improved student learning.

I was also a ball of productivity today. Although there still are many things left to do in the next several days (report cards/parent-teacher conferences), I am making a dent on what needs to be done.

HH and I went to Olive Garden this evening, and now I am relaxing.

Charlie bit my finger

My students at school were talking about this video on You Tube, so I had to look it up. Not bad! :)

This Really Says It ALL.....

Not the cheap nasty store ones. The delious gourmet cupcakes you can find at a speciality shop. YUM! YUM! YUM! (I've become a food snob, yes!)

Sleep....

I got a FULL nights sleep last night. HH and I go to bed at a reasonable hour, but I've mentioned having problems sleeping through the night. Last night's rest was DIVINE. I feel like I can take on the WORLD! :)

Speaking of taking on the world...I am getting two more "tough kids" from the other teacher's room before the week is out. Yep, TWO. I've already got one, but her class size is going to be reduced again, because of lack of management issues.

I'm off to wake up HH, and to beg with him to let me get my Amazon Kindle EARLY, as in REALLY REALLY REALLY SOON! :)

Good Day Back

It was great to be back with the kids today. They were happy to see me, and very concerned about HH's mom. My presentation went well this evening, and I am turning in early tonight. I'll post more in the morn!

All In a Day's Drive

This car was parked RIGHT BESIDE US as we came out of Moe's Southwest Grill on the way home.

I am presenting tomorrow at a workshop for our district. There should be between 35-50 people there.

I just placed an order with LL Bean for flannel blue jeans and khakis. It is so exciting thinking I can buy clothes for long term that can last more than one season. With fat clothes they either wore out because they were made so cheaply (and cost three times as much), or I outgrew them.

"Pennies" Americans Against Food Taxes TV Ad

Oh come on! This is not the difference in this woman being able to provide her child ESSENTIALS, but things that we know can lead to childhood/adulthood obesity. I personally support the tax.

I think that the tax won't stop people who ultimately want the product, just look at cigarette and alcohol taxes. I remember having a high school friend swear that he would quit smoking as soon as cigarettes reached $2.50 a pack, and now he pays almost $6.00 for them, and still smokes the same amoun that he smoked back in the day.

A Good One by John Wayne.....

The Latest from NC

Ben is in mid rock out to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody......



Now for some real rocking out...


If only it hadn't been raining, I would have gotten a picture with this car outside of Fatz Cafe. Back to the future flashbacks......

The other woman in HH's life....eggplant. Nah, HH hates eggplant, but posed with it to make for a fun photo.

We are heading back to Kentucky tomorrow after church and lunch. It will be a jam packed week, and then we are back on a plane to NC for next weekend. Looking forward to some sunny weather soon.

Two Meals in One Day!

Chicken with Toasted Almonds and Rice:


Organization makes me HAPPY! Yes, I color coded my planner by school events, events that HH and I go to together, and personal events. I was so proud of the finished product.


I got another sore that is developing in my nose. I called my PCP, and had her phone in the antibotic. Well....look what we saw while waiting in the pharmacy....yes, a man with NO SHOES ON. Come on now, lets have some decency!!!

Ben relaxing in a home health care while waiting for the prescription.

I got the massage chair, and loved every second of my waiting time.

The storm clouds that were stirring before I made dinner. This picture was taken on my mother-in-law's porch.

I tried Muscadine grapes, and learned that they were ok, but I am not a fan of them.

Shrimp and Black Bean Chili simmering in the pot.....

Final product steaming, served over rice!

HH hard at work on resume stuff in MIL's office.

I also took the plunge and made an appointment for October 22nd with a local plastic surgeon. HH is going to go with me, and I really want to know what my options are for my arms and legs, get a realistic look at recovery time and the like. I am pretty certain it will make me itch to have it done even sooner!

I made this Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup for lunch today.



Ben and I outside the Sherlock Holmes Pub which was built by his dad in the back of his old house. We got to tour the house HH grew up in, and that was neat to see.

Closeup and the Sherlock Holmes Pub:

This is a mix that HH and I made in the oven, and it turned out really yummy. It has brown sugar, vanilla, lite corn syrup, pumpkin candy corn, popcorn, chex mix, peanuts, and cheerios. It was from a Taste of Home magazine recipe.

I was ready the latest Cooking Light magazine, and it was talking about portion control. One of the ten things they recommended was "out of sight, out of mind," principle. They cited a survey of office workers who kept their candy in their desk, verses on their desk, and how over a period of time the containers that were away were consumed less. This principle has proved true at work for me. I've had quite a bit of chocolate that I bought at the beginning of the year, which I have placed in the filing cabinet, and I have yet to touch it.

I told you I was signing up for cooking classes. Here are the classes that I signed up for:

• October 7th: Fall Pasta Sauces
• October 14th: Autumn Cookies
• October 28th: No Knead Artisan Breads
• November 6th: Date Night with HH (White Truffle Risotto with Parmesean Cheese * Sauteed Pork Cutlets with Tomato, Black Olives, Roasted Peppers, and Mozzarella* Key Lime Tarts with Chantilly Cream
• November 10th: Grandma's Thanksgiving Table
• December 1st: Dinner in Paris
• December 14th: Gingerbread House Decorating Workshop with HH

Eyes Bigger Than My Stomach

The quantity of food that I've been eating has decreased as of late. This is not a bad thing. What is interesting is the variety of food that I want. We ate breakfast at Hardees on Sunday morning, since I knew it would be awhile before we ate again, I got three different things, but I really nibbled at them all. I want to taste several things, but one thing has not held my interest.

Picture Post

Recess Photos..... (I am missing two girls....)

I LOVE this class, seriously!!!! Woooo Hoooo!!! My school also made the front page of the Courier Journal for some huge test gains too. :)

HH and I arrived in North Carolina at 12:30 in the morning. We left for the hospital at 6:30 in the morning. She is in surgery as I write.

The fall cooking class schedule came out. When I get back to the house, I am going to pick out four different classes I would like to take. I'll keep you posted on what I select.

Menu Plan Revision....

Since HH and I will be heading out of town tomorrow, meal plans have changed.....

Tuesday Night: Dinner on the Road (Probably Moe's for me)
Wednesday Night: Since this will all depend on Ben's mom and her operation, I am assuming that it will not be at home
Thursday Night: Sausage Tortellini Soup
Friday Night: Shrimp and Black Bean Chili
Saturday Night: Mac n' Cheese Soup
Sunday Night: Traveling back from NC

HH says, "Why do I get the sense that even the kings of ancient civilizations did not eat as well as I do?" Love. this. man.

Speaking of HH.....
This morning at Starbucks, the barista asks, "Where is your husband from?" To which I reply, "North Carolina." She yells back to another worker and says, "I told you he wasn't British." They all come to the window to talk about my husband's accent. Tomorrow HH is driving me to school so I am going to have him order my drink with a middle eastern accent. Good times!

The Reaction

I forgot to mention the reaction of my friend Ms. Kay! (Thanks ChiTown Girl for the reminder!) She went on and on about how great I looked. She said she was happy I didn't ask her to meet me somewhere, because she would not have recognized me. She asked me a zillion questions about my surgery, and I forget the reactions people have when they know I can eat a ton of fat, and lose weight. She told me I looked so healthy. That made me feel really good.

My student teacher started her solo week today. She loved all the personalized swag I got her as a present for all her hard work. (This is my fourth one, and seriously, she is THE best.) I also love this class. This is probably number two of my favorite classes in all nine years. I got a blue million things done since I am going to be out Wednesday through Friday. Honestly, her solo could not have been at a better time.

I went shopping at Fashion Bug this afternoon, and got aggravated. The new way that they sort out clothes is frustrating. All the clothes (size 6-30) are grouped together. Don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with what size you are, but this makes it extremely frustrating when you are trying to find YOUR size in the mix of things. There were two things I dug through the whole rack for, only to find out that they were two of the "plus-sized" only items. Um, I thought your store said you had everything in all sizes....thankyouverymuch. I did end up with a dress, a yellow corduroy jacket, and three tops. I didn't enjoy the process of digging for the said items.

I bit the bullet today. I put $65.00 down for National Boards registration. (That is all we have to pay as the university will pay the rest.) I am going to try to do this thing. I don't know when we will be moving, but this is important for me to try. After dinner, Ben and I are going to Staples, the organizational wonderland, for me to buy things to get ready for the process. I LOVE being organized, and cute office supplies.

The Secret Lives of Pastors....

Sure, there is prayer, getting dressed in the right clothes, but the most important part of preparing to go preach on a Sunday for a pastor is....

Yep..that is my HH eating Reddi Whip right from the jar before we head out to church. Gotta love it. :)

I got up at 5:30 this morning to make a dish for our appetizer lunch thing at work. I really enjoyed yesterday. It was great going to church and seeing some old college friends. Seeing Ms. Kay was just like yesterday, and that was awesome. We had so much to talk about! On the way back home, we stopped by my parents house to see some of the work they had been doing on the house. My dad was really proud to show it off.

One Step Closer...

I went to apply for my new US Passport yesterday (with my new last name!). My old one was close to expiring, and I couldn't' find it from the merge of households. I should have it in four to six weeks, then I can start researching the details of surgery and making steps to get the two procedures I want done completed next summer.

Ben and I are going to my college town to go to a friend's church. From there, we are going to my friend Ms. Kay's house. I became really close with her during college while student teaching...and stayed in touch with her for a few years, but then lost touch. I blogged earlier about how I got back in touch with her, and HH and I are going to visit her. I am very pumped about that. I have not told her that I have lost a bunch of weight. I am going to be so pumped to see her reaction when she sees how much smaller I am.

Do They?

Blondes have more fun? We are going to find out!!!!


I bought this rockin red jacket from Target. I LOVE this jacket!!!!

Our Four Cheese Linguine with Proscuitto: (That was a WHOLE lot of cheese!!!)

Finised product complete with REAL Italian breadsticks (store bought):

Two Random.....

I posted my first Operation Beautiful message. It says, "You are a beatiful creation of THE king." Unfortunately, the picture turned out super blurry, and adding the flash only made it worse. I really liked the feeling of making some girls day with a message that could impact their self esteem. I am so much harder on myself than others, and it was fun leaving this message. I will certainly be doing it again!

HH is not expecting.....his is his Gatorade and candy bars we were sneaking into the National Quartet Convention. I finally decided to put the items under my jacket so it wouldn't be quite as obvious.

Long Live the Weekend!

Today was a good day. I love my class. They are made of awesome. I am going to really enjoy this school year. :)

After work I met my former boss and co-worker for dinner. It was awesome to see them again. We have been getting together every three-four months. They helped me through a whole lot during my rapid weight loss phase of my life. I needed the advice they gave more than I realized at the time.

Ben met me at Quills coffee shop, where I had a lovely cup of joe, and we played Scrabble.

Ben and I will be going to North Carolina on Tuesday after school. Ben's mom will have her pacemaker replaced on Wednesday, and we will stay until Sunday. She was reluctant to accept our help at first, but after some convincing, Ben got her to see our side of things. I will be taking Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week. I have got to talk with my student teacher, because next week was supposed to be her solo week, but that won't be able to happen, since she has to have five consecutive days in a row (with me there). I hope she is not upset, this is really important that I be there to be a support.

There are going to be some great pictures posted later tomorrow evening!

Say What?

The behavior coach in our building frequently brings "friends" to visit my room when her room is overflowing, or she has to go to meetings. I get a "friend" from second grade today. She leans over to me, whispers in my ear, "Let me know if he moons your class." Yes, he was sent out of his class for mooning them.

Good Day....

Yes.... Four hours of meetings, one before school, and three after school.....what does that merit? A trip to Cato to buy some new clothes! :) I got several cute fall tops (I held off on buying any sweaters) and a pair of gray pants. I got lots of work done today while my student teacher was teaching (today and tomorrow are her two consecutive solo days). I wanted her not to feel as nervous, so I tried to occupy myself with other things.

I'm going to try to get several more things crossed off my to-do list tomorrow while my student teacher is doing her solo. I can't leave the room, but heaven knows there is plenty in that room that I can do!

On Monday I am going to bring this appetizer to work. I will probably add pepporini and proscuitto to it. We are having an appetizer lunch potluck. I will grab mine really quickly, then take the kids back to the classroom.

Hating Facebook

I know I am hesitant about people displaying pictures of when I was heavy, but there is an awful one of me on facebook. It is not even just my weight in the picture, but the fact that I am roughly fourteen in the picture. Did anyone look great as a teenager? I look so awkward and gawky. BAD BAD BAD.

Today I have FOUR hours of meetings. One hour before school, and three hours after school. Today is going to stink. I got a new student yesterday. Ben picks me up after school so we can go to the Quartet Convention. We stop to eat at Cracker Barrel since it is closeby. I was eating my dinner and the whole time I thought, I'd rather be eating at home. The food was "ok".... but it was nothing spectacular. I don't think I would have ever thought that a year ago.

I wish I could write more now, but I am not really thinking that clearly. Need a large cup of Starbucks!

Starting to Seem Real...

Where in the US will Ben and I be in the next six months to year? That remains the million dollar question. Ben sent out 41 resumes last week, and is sending out 267 tomorrow. He got three email responses from Minnesota, Alabama, and Kentucky. It is so weird wondering where we will end up at.

Whats Been Going On Around Here....

Ben was cleaning up the house yesterday for our company and decided that a safari hat was in order to help him complete the task.....


Our mini-campfire....with emergency candles....



Ben hard at work making me an authentic smore. I actually miss his old stove at the seminary....



The finished product.....oh so yummy!!!! I had one of these....ok two of these.

The zoo was pretty good this afternoon. I was thinking about my niece's upcoming birthday next month. I remember going to the hospital to see her when she was born, and I remember wearing a pair of size 26 pants that I had just been able to get into. That blows my mind, that I am so much smaller now. She doesn't know me as someone who used to be heavy.

I got to come home and take a three hour nap. It was glorious!

Here is what I've been watching (from Netflix):

Bride Wars

The Wager

Faith Like Potatoes

What I've Been Reading:

The Promise

Lose the Halo, Keep the Wings

Teaching Hope

It's Not All Flowers and Sausages

(I finished this in two days....this book is a RIOT!!! I read half of it aloud to HH, and he even loved it!)

Books I am Getting Ready to Start....

In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect

Sweetwater Run

What I Should Be Reading.....

National Board Standards

What I am Lusting Over....

Please, Please, Please Let This Be My Christmas Present!!! (With how much I read, and the discount they offer it would pay for itself in a heartbeat.)

I made the Bacon Tomato Casserole tonight. I am going to put it in individual containers for some lunch this week.

Ben's mom finds out on Friday when she is going to have her pacemaker replaced. She insists that she will be fine, and that she doesn't need anyone to take care of her. I am quite worried about her. I think it would be of benefit if she had someone there helping her out for a few days. Ben and I are trying to decide how not to be forceful, but to invite ourselves down to take care of her.

Success!!!

Our first dinner gathering was a great success! :) I can tell I am getting more comfortable with cooking because I waited until they arrived to start making the dish. I didn't want the pasta to get all sticky and nasty. This would have freaked me out a while back, but I was cool with it.

So, here are two people that subscribe to Bon Appetite magazine, and she asks me for the dinner recipe. That was very awesome. They all loved the cake, and so did our neighbors. I believe in sharing the love/food, but more important sharing the calories.

After our guests left, we watched a movie from Netflix.

We have church, then are meeting the fam at the zoo to celebrate my brother and sister's 25th birthday. Afterwards, they are going on to the Spaghetti Factory, but Ben and I will be going home. I want a Sunday afternoon nap, and to have a nice meal at the house. :)

Who is HH?

Many people on the internet refer to their husband as "DH." I believe this stands for "darling husband." I decided to put my own spin on it, and refer to my husband as HH, for "Hot Husband." :)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered....

MY NEXT SKYDIVING JUMP THAT IS!!!!!!!

I am jumping for the second time on October 10th. I will still be jumping tandem, but this time I will be going at dusk! Wooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooo!!!!! When I called to make the reservation, I specifically asked if Larry was going to be working, and if I could reserve my jump with him. The guy said well sure, but may I ask why Larry? We have people who have more jumps than him. (Larry had 2550 when I jumped with him last May.) I said, "Because Larry is the only person I have jumped out of a plane with, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Things On My Mind

This post is pretty much going to be all over the board....but I always seem to have a problem having one topic posts anyhow. Lets dive on in...

Open House at school wasn't too bad. The best part was I had three former students come back to visit me. One of them was the particularly challenging kid that got transferred into my class in February. It was so awesome to see the level of respect he had for me, and the amount of pride he had in himself about his accomplishments. I love this kid, and would totally take him home! Some days I wish I had the patience to teach the little students, because you get to watch them grow up over several years while they are still in the building. My kids always move on to middle school, so I don't get to see that.

I only had one parent ask me about the "shirt tucking in rule." This was the first thing she asked, I don't mind that she asked, but I was hoping that her child's ability to read, write, and think on a fifth grade level was more important. I gave her my feelings on it, very politely, but firmly. Then, I changed the subject to the focus of his academic needs.

I am saving the best for last, Mr. Kiss. Mr. and Mrs. Kiss are super involved parents for their only daughter Samantha, who is a superstar student. I am taking to Mrs. Kiss when I overhear random words from Mr. Kiss who is talking to my student teacher. Words such as "every Kiss concert, Jack Daniels, buying cigarettes since I was ten......" and the like. Turns ot Mr. Kiss is a real riot. We pretty much talked about everything under the sun except for his daughter and her performance. It takes all kinds people, that is all I can say.

Last Friday, someone was breaking a window out around six pm at our building. Our district has fixed this problem by putting a huge piece of cardboard on it, and covering it with duct tape. Yeah, this is going to do wonders to keep out vandals. It has been one week. No offense, but considering the location of our school and the crime rate, you think that even though we are a huge district that fixing a window at our building would be a much higher priority than in other areas. I'm waiting to see just how long it takes to get repaired.

I found out yesterday that my toughest student is moving. I miss kids often when they move, but it is kids like this one that I really worry about. What if they get a really crappy teacher who only wants a paycheck, and doesn't really care about them? What if they try to get him placed in an alternative school instead of actually working with him and helping him change? He is so tough on the outside, but more fragile than an eggshell on the inside.

HH picked me up from school and we went to the Tequila Factory for some great Mexican food. I branched out from the normal "chicken taco salad" that I always have, and had enchiladas. They were very good. Afterwards I had a small orange sherbet. We went to the family from Canada's house, and hung out with the youngest boy while they went to a function with their high school son.

I got an Ann Taylor mailer/catalog yesterday. I had to take a few minutes and get on my soapbox, and (un)fortunately, my HH was there for the ride. These girls were beyond normal model skinny, and were awful looking. They looked like my fifth grade girls, except only they were a foot taller, and fifteen years older. HH even said he thought they had been photshopped. Is it asking too much to have some girls who are normal sized, that don't look like they need feeding tubes and to be checked in at a treatment facility?

This evening we are entertaining our friends Jeri and Cassie. I am cooking! :) This is the first in-home entertaining we have done other than for my parents. Today makes an important day in my amateur culinary career. I am making my first cake that is not from a box. I know, since I am thirty, I figured it was about time I try. Here is the recipe:

Scotch Chocolate Cake:

2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup crisco
4 Tbsp. Cocoa
1 Cup Water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp Soda
2 eggs
Vanilla

Mix flour and sugar, set aside; in saucepan melt margarine, shortening, cocoa, water, and bring to a rapid boil; Pour over flour and sugar: add soda and buttermilk. Stir mixture then add eggs and vanilla; beat. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes in a 9 x 3 greased pan.

Frosting:

8 oz. chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Boil butter, sugar, and milk for sixty seconds, add chips....melt and stir. Pour over the warm cake.

For dinner for our guests, we are having Bow Ties with Asparagus and Prosciutto. I have made this once before, and wanted to make something that I knew would turn out well.

Here is the rest of the meal plan:

Sunday Evening: Upside-Down Deep Dish Pizza
Monday: Taco Calzones
Tuesday: Eating Out (Going to the National Quartet Convention)
Wednesday: Fend for Yourself (Late Work Meeting until 7:30)
Thursday: Seminary Wives Institute Night (Ben's Taco Bell/Burger King/Insert Fast Food Restaurant Name Here Night)
Friday: Out with the girls from my former job
Saturday (either lunch or dinner): Four-Cheese Linguine with Prosciutto
Sunday Lunch: Chicken Ricotta Suffed Shells
Sunday Dinner: Blue Cheee Sroganoff

On Tuesday night I am also going to make a Bacon Tomato Casserole. I was supposed to make it last week, but didn't get around to it. By doing that I can divide out the casserole to have it to take to work for Wednesday and Thursday for lunch.

I can tell I am really starting to like cooking because I was truly bummed that after making a menu plan for the week, I realized that we can't eat at home several nights this week. That is a pretty good feeling, knowing I am starting to like it. I knew cooking was something I was going to have to "do", but it is another thing to be able to "enjoy" doing it. I am crossing over to that side. Life is good.

A Few Things I Love About My Husband:

* He has been doing the grocery shopping for me. Since I have been cookng, these lists can get quite detailed, and he has taken care of all of it. This is a serious time saver to me.
* I don't know what the price of gas is. He has filled up the tank on our cars since we have gotten married. I hate pumping gas, and he does it.
* He is so encouraging and supportive.
* He makes me laugh so much, I am going to live longer, and possibly never need meds (aka happy pills).

Part Zombies....

We watched President Obama's speech today. I am really big on my kids paying super close attention any time I put something on the Smartboard to watch. I use short video clips from United Streaming in my class often, but they usually are 3-5 minutes. They were really into the speech for about the first seven minutes, then after that I could tell that they had checked out as a whole. They were still doing all my biggie things like facing forward, not putting their head on their desk, not playing with things, etc...but I could tell it went too long for them. I liked the message of the speech, but wished that he had done an elementary version (shorter in length by half), and a middle/high school version.

Tomorrow is Open House. Last year I only had two or three parents come. I don't like starting the day so early and ending it so late. I also have to miss Seminary Wives Institute, which I really am enjoying attending.

I now have a total of SIX dental appointments between now October 3rd and December 2nd. Go ME! (Thanks Mom for your crappy teeth that I inherited!!!) I need three more crowns done. I have been doing them on the as I can afford them plan (since they are $480 apiece, AFTER insurance). With the real possibility that HH and I could be living somewhere else by February (at the latest hopefully), I want to go ahead and get this done. It takes me a long time to trust a dentist and hygentist, so I don't want to be in a new town and have to find someone I can trust to do major dental work on me. I think I might need to start singing Christmas carols while at the office, since this looks like it might be a large part of my Christmas. The secretary offered to "double book" me on some of the days. The crown seeding takes an hour and a half, and keeping my mouth open for so long really is painful. I couldn't imagine doing a longer appointment. These are the days when I think, wow, I love being an adult!

I Like Carbs and I Cannot Lie.....

Here are the "To Die For Blueberry Muffins"...... yes, they are so HUGE. The biggest muffins I have ever seen.

Ben is taking one for the team. HH was the tester to make sure the muffins were edible for my study group at work tomorrow. Yes, it was hard being so sacrificial, but he performed his duties like a champ!

I just ordered by best friend and my niece's Christmas gifts. I am going to get these gifts taken care of. I don't like the Christmas stress close to the holidays shopping at the malls. I plan on getting everything done by the beginning of October.

HH bought me a computer lap desk. It is so handy. I like not having my legs not get so warm.

HH got our broken grill piece today. It was the wrong piece, so we are back at square one. The living room still has grill parts all over it.

Ben put some of our wedding pictures in the various frames we got from showers and as wedding gifts. We are going to pick out one picture that we want blown up to a 16 by 20, and get it framed.