Life update

 It has literally been years since I have made a post to this blog. I considered shutting it down, but then I remembered that I have a couple of people in my life who still use a few of the recipes that I have posted and ask for the link every once in a while, so I figured I would just make an update instead.

With that said, here's a little post to catch up on what has happened in the last FIVE years since I last posted!

Our little baby boy isn't quite a baby anymore. Oliver just turned 7 last month! He is currently in first grade and has roughly nine weeks left in the year. I cannot believe that time has gone by so fast! He is so smart and hilarious, always making us laugh. He is curious about everything and loves to tell us facts about lots of different things in life. He loves Fortnite and plays all the time with my nephew, Zander. I play with them a lot of the time too. He loves to travel with us to work, especially if our friend George (one of the best ring announcers) is going to be there and most especially if there is a belt because he knows that George will call him into the cage to present it! He has met a lot of cool people including Butterbean and his son. Also, the former wife of the one and ONLY Muhammad Ali, Khalilah Camacho Ali (aka Mama Ali). She was so sweet and loving to Oliver and gave him her autographed photo of her and Muhammad. 

Fortnite 7th Birthday!

Oliver with George and a Championship belt!

Oliver with Butterbean and his son. Butterbean was awarded a Presidential Recognition award from President Biden by Mama Ali at this event. 

Oliver and Mama Ali

Speaking of work... we have come a long way with the company since we started in 2020. We have traveled to so many different places all over the country, adding at least 15 states to my bucketlist and meeting some really cool people along the way. We are very fortunate to have such an amazing opportunity! We are also always on the lookout for new promotions, people to add to the team (producers and camera operators!). Combat Sports Now is headed in an exciting direction and I couldn't be prouder to be part of it!

I have also started doing a lot more with my own personal business, I have started doing a lot more graphic design stuff and posting to my Etsy shop - I haven't done much photography lately but I am starting to work on rebranding it. We are hoping to add some video into the mix, perhaps commercial work and event video. Check back for updates! 

Last September, on what would have been my Mamaw Sis and Papaw Lawrence's 69th Anniversary, Davey and I were married! Our friend Rachel was ordained and married us in a beautiful backyard ceremony. The day couldn't have been more perfect and my guys looked so handsome! I know my grandparents were watching over!

The Thomases, Established 2023

This past summer, on Memorial Day, I also recommited myself to God and was baptized with my baby boy in August. It was wonderful to share such a beautiful moment with him. I have since become the song leader at our church and just love all of our church family! It really is a wonderful church and I am so thankful! 

Lots of other things have happened since my last post and so many things that I can't really include in this one or it would be a novel! I will say that we've had lots of fun, laughs, good times, tears over losing loved ones and furbabies, moving to a new house, health scares and faced many challenges but it has definitely made us stronger as a family. I love and am so grateful for this little life!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is by far THE best chicken enchilada I have ever had!! Our family has come to love this recipe quite a bit and I have been asked for it several times. They are so creamy, so yummy and just amazing! I hope you enjoy!

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cans Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cut up and softened
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
8 (8″) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 pint whipping cream

Directions…
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add rotel and saute 1 min. Stir in corn, beans, cream cheese and chicken and cook, stirring constantly until cream cheese melts. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish.

Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese, and drizzle with whipping cream.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Take off foil and cook for another 15 mins, or until top is golden brown.


Enjoy the cheesy, creamy awesomeness!!!


*I also made a side of corn salsa to go with the meal for dipping tortilla chips in. Here's the recipe for that!

Ingredients:

* 2 cups corn
* 1/3 cup chopped purple onion
* 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Serve corn salsa with grilled meat or poultry.
Makes about 3 cups corn salsa.

Spring Forward VoxBox from Influenster

I was one of the lucky Influensters to receive the #SpringForwardVoxBox from Influenster. For those who aren't sure what it is, it is a great website with product reviews. Those who sign up as an influenenster submit product reviews for chances to participate inproduct campaigns. 

Every once in a while,  they will issue out what's called a VoxBox to certain qualifying users for product review. The boxes contain products and sometimes coupons for a product or products that you are sampling for review. The contents depend on what the box is for and based on the answers in your qualifying survey. 

My link will be included at the bottom of you'd like to give it a try!

In this VoxBox, I received a sample from and will review each here.

1. Smashmallow Cookie Dough by @Snackapade on Instagram.

It's snackable marshmallow made with organic cane sugar & other non-gmo, naturally gluten-free ingredients.

I have to say I was pretty disappointed. It didn't taste at all like cookie dough but like a marshmallow with a few mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on it, which is legit what it is 🤣 My son, Oliver really liked it and they gave me a coupon for a free bag so I may get them for him, but I don't think I'd buy them for myself.


2. Lemi Shine Dishwasher Cleaner by @lemishine on Instagram.

Lemi Shine Dishwasher cleaner is said to remove tough buildup to improve dishwasher performance and extend the life of the appliance. 

We've used several other Lemi Shine brand products and we love them! They are natural ingredient products that really do clean and smell great. They are definitely worth the price of the product.


3. Gold Bond Ultimate Neck & Chest Age Defense with SPF 20 by @goldbond_ultimate on Instagram.

This product says that it helps protect from visible signs of premature aging on the neck and chest.

I was excited to receive this in my spring forward voxbox (compliments of @influenster for testing)because I've been looking at getting a new moisturizer and I also have really fair skin so the sunscreen is a plus. It's a well trusted brand that I've used before so I was excited to try this. So far, I like it. It's got a pleasant scent, unlike most sunscreens and it doesn't leave my skin greasy.

Vegetable Cook Cheat Sheet

How to choose the best Watermelon

If you're like me, it's not officially summer for you until you can enjoy a nice, sweet, juicy slice of watermelon in the hot summer heat. I ran across this post on Facebook and thought it would be worth a share.

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

Tonight, my husband wanted to make his awesome homemade pizza for dinner. It really impresses me how well he can cook some things. Pizza just happens to be one of my favs when it comes to things that he makes. He knows I love a thin, crispy crust and I don't care for a huge amount of sauce so his pizza is perfect!

I decided to try a new breadstick recipe that I found on Pinterest today, but like always, I tweak the recipes I find/use to make them into my own.

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

Yield: 2-12 inch pizza crusts; about 1 lb. of dough

Dough Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour {give or take 1/2 cup...depending on the heat & humidity}

Breadstick Ingredients:


1 batch of dough {from above}
3 tablespoons softened salted butter {room temperature}
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
{salt & pepper, if desired}

Directions:

For the pizza dough--

In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer, stir yeast and sugar into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.

Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, knead for 6 minutes.

Dough should be smooth and easy to work with and shouldn't stick to the bowl. Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. Use as desired.

For the Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks-

Preheat oven to highest temperature that you oven will reach. You want to preheat with pizza stone inside the oven also, so that the stone will be nice and hot. {If you don't have a pizza stone, use an upside down cookie sheet.}

Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}

Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and sprinkle on cheese. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired.

Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Your dough should also bubble up nicely too!

Remove from oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes before slicing into strips.

Serve with marinara or butter garlic sauce.

I did a butter garlic sauce by melting a little butter and adding garlic powder to the desired taste.

Enjoy!!

Bacon Ranch Cheeseball

2 {8oz} package of cream cheese, room temp
1/2c shredded cheddar
1/4c green pepper, finely chopped
3 green onion, finely chopped
1c bacon crumbles, divided (I use a whole package of real bacon bits)
1 pkg of hidden valley ranch dip mix

Place cream cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix until both blocks are combined. Add in ranch dip mix and mix well. Mix in shredded cheddar, green onion, green pepper and 1/2 of the bacon crumbles.

Once mixed, using your hands, form into a ball. Roll the ball into the remaining 1/2 of bacon crumbles. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers.

Pineapple Crunch Cheeseball

Ingredients

2 {8 oz.} packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 {15.25 oz.} can crushed pineapple, drained
2 tsp. Seasoned salt
3 green onions, finely chopped {or more depending on your taste}              

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
Chopped pecans or walnut for coating

Directions

Mix cream cheese and pineapple together until blended well. Add seasoned salt, green pepper, cheese and green onions until well mixed. Form mixture into a ball and coat outside with chopped nuts. You can refrigerate for a while until the mix is a little more firm before you form into a ball if you are having trouble or the mixture is a little too runny. Once formed into ball, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until you serve with crackers.
 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

 
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
Makes 12-14

3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 - 15 oz. can of pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
Using a pastry bag with a round tip, or a big zip top plastic bag with one corner snipped, squeeze out concentric circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 11 minutes and cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Filling
1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 - 16 oz. package of powdered sugar
about a capful of vanilla extract
a pinch of cinnamon (to taste)

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece.

Enjoy right away or chill overnight.

Giovanni's Red Dressing

So yummy! I always ask for a little extra when I get an antipasto salad(equally delicious!!) at Giovanni's. I am glad I ran across the recipe. Enjoy!

2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Pinch of garlic

I throw all of the ingredients in a mixer and blend for a couple of minutes until completely smooth and then refrigerate. This recipe yields 4 cups of dressing.

Patriotic Oreo Balls

I saw these on Facebook and wanted to save/share them but I don't like using Facebook like Pinterest because it's hard to go back and find them. I prefer Pinterest for my recipe finds because I know where they are and they are easily accessible from my computer or my phone. I tried pinning these but since Pinterest only allows 500 characters, I was unable to so I decided to make a blog post and pin from here. I do not know who the recipe comes from. The post I found was by Nai'a's Knits By The Sea on Facebook. Here is what was posted by the page:

I am so excited to try making these to bring to the fireworks this 4th of July. Has anyone made these before?

Super easy Patriotic Oreo Balls
What you need:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed
Chocolate wafers in choice color for dipping, or white chocolate food colored
sprinkles and chocolate for drizzle
lollipop sticks

MIX cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Insert lollipop stick into center of each ball. Dip 24 balls melted chocolate; sprinkle if desired. Place on waxed paper-covered rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.
(Photo from party city, recipe adapted from a few recipes found online.)
#yum #cakepops #usa #baking #kids #bbq #dessert #recipe

Pepper Identification

 

How To Identify The Use of A Bell Pepper

While terming this to be "gender" is not accurate, as bell pepper plants are hermaphroditic, this does appear to be a method used to identify which type of bell pepper is best for each purpose - either cooking, eating raw or for seed collection. There is a simple method for identifying which bell pepper has the traits you desire. 

Look on the underside of the pepper, the ones with four bumps are "female" and those with three bumps are "male". The ones termed "female" peppers, or those with more bumps, contain more seeds and will be used largely for collection of seeds and replanting (hence "female"), but are also sweeter and better for eating raw. The ones with three or fewer bumps are better for cooking and contain fewer seeds. 

However, bell peppers are hermaphroditic, so any reference to gender is for a helpful memory aid only.
 
http://homesteadingsurvival.myshopify.com/

Homemade Detergent and Fabric Softener

The detergent yields about 6 gallons or more(depending on how thin you want it) and the fabric softener makes enough to fill (2) 90 load Downy bottles. All together I spent about $16.00 for EVERYTHING and I have never been able to find something else that works so well on my husband's work clothes. Did I mention my husband works in coal yards?

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated

4 cups of hot water to melt the soap

3 gallons of hot water

1 cup of borax

2 cups of washing soda

1 cup of baking soda(I use oxyclean instead)

*I also add a little fabric softener to mine for smell, you can use a several drops of essential oil too. I have been thinking about using tea tree oil since it's also really good for skin and smells great.

1 large Rubbermaid container at least 4-5 gallons size, I have a 10 gallon one that I use. You can keep it in that or put it into left over jugs that you have saved.

Here’s what you do:

Grate the soap into a saucepan. You can use either a box grater or a food processor for this.

Add 4 cups of hot water to the pan. Simmer on low until the soap melts completely into the water. This is where I also add my fabric softener to the mix.

Add borax, washing soda and baking soda to the hot water. Simmer on low until it dissolves with the soap. If the mixture is not melting, add more water if needed.

Add 3 gallons of hot water to the large container. Add the mixture to the hot water. Mix with a large spoon until it completely dissolves.

Let cool overnight. You will notice that it turns into a thick gel. Use 1 cup of this homemade laundry detergent per load of laundry. You may need to shake it or stir a little per use but it works wonders for Ryan's coal clothes.

Fabric Softener

What You’ll Need:

6 cups HOT water

3 cups white vinegar

2 cups Conditioner (scent of your choice. I used suave daily clarifying and I think it smells like a fresh linen scent)

What You’ll Do:

Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely.

Add the vinegar, and mix well.

Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc}

Pour into a downy ball or use approx. 2 tbsp per load.

These can be used in high efficiency and top or front load washers!

Fried Pickles

I just made these babies and they are awesome. My husband said to call it FanTABulous! Haha! Here's the recipe I came up with so you can be the judge. Be sure to let me know what you think when you've made them! I am constantly tweaking my recipes to improve them so your input will help!

Fried Pickles

1 Jar Dill Pickle Spears

½ teaspoon Salt, more for taste after frying

1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

1 large Egg

½ cup Milk, I used 2%

2 cups finely crushed Ritz crackers(about 1 ½ packs)

½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

¼ teaspoon Seasoned Salt

½ teaspoon Pickle Juice, from jar

Tabasco Sauce, 4 dashes. You can use more or less depending on your taste.

Oil for Frying, I used vegetable oil

Method:

In large freezer bag, mix together the flour, salt, black pepper and seasoned salt. Place pickle spears in bag and shake until well coated.

In a small bowl mix together Milk, Eggs, Tabasco and Pickle Juice.

In another freezer bag, pour in Ritz crackers and finely crush. Add Cayenne Pepper and then pour out onto a plate.

In batches, dip the flour-coated pickles into the egg/milk mixture and then into the cracker mix. Place cracker-coated pickles on a large plate or sheet. Repeat until all pickles are evenly coated.

Skillet Frying:

In a large, heavy skillet heat ½ inch of oil on medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Cook the pickles for one minute or until golden, turning once. Depending on the size of your skillet, you will probably have several batches to do. Drain on paper towels.

Deep Frying/Fry Daddy:

Fill fryer to the line and wait until heated. This is usually about 350 degrees. Drop in pickles, depending on your fryer size the batches will differ. I used a fry daddy so I did them 3-4 pickles at a time. Fry for about 1 minute or until golden. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.

Yields 8-10 pickles.

You could use pickle chips and yield more.

C.G. Ward Photography: Regarding the facebook "Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Facebook"

C.G. Ward Photography: Regarding the facebook "Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Facebook"

"I guarantee you there is someone in your life, someone on your friends list who saw you post your fake pregnancy, and for a moment, she was reminded of her empty aching womb," - C.G. Ward Photography

I am so thankful for this woman for standing up and saying how she feels. This is the words I have wanted to say so long about how I feel about infertility and how people who "love" me disregard my feelings all of the time without even realizing it.

Corn Salsa

I made this to go along as a side to the Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. I served them with a tortilla chip, you can also use them as a garnish to the enchiladas.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
* 1/3 cup chopped purple onion
* 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Serve corn salsa with grilled meat or poultry.

Makes about 3 cups corn salsa.

Chicken Parmigiana

Got this recipe from Amanda at kevinandamanda.com. Love her recipes!

Chicken Parmigiana

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tbsp steak seasoning
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb noodles – angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, etc
2 tbsp butter
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 basil leaves, chiffonaded
1-2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped parsley, divided
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Layer chicken between wax paper and pound breasts to even thickness. Whisk together flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and steak seasoning in a medium bowl. Coat chicken in flour mixture. Add 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil to a large pot of water and bring to boil. Boil noodles according to package. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Pour in tomatoes and sugar. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and continue simmering for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has simmered, stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Lower heat and keep sauce warm. Add in basil and 1 tbsp parsley and stir well just before serving. Heat butter & olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook 4-5 mins each side until the crust is golden brown.

To serve: Spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on parsley. Add noodles to the plate and cover with sauce. Generously cover the sauce on the noodles with Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle some more Parmesan cheese on the chicken. Let stand until the mozzarella cheese on the chicken has melted from the heat of the sauce.

Serves 4.

Why We Relay!

Last year I participated in Relay For Life and I am doing it again this year. I have joined my cousin this year as Co-Captain and I am very excited about helping in the fight against cancer. I created this video with photos that I took last year with hopes that it will get some attention out there about Relay For Life. I hope that everyone will find it in their hearts to help our team out. The littlest donation helps and 100% of the donations go to The American Cancer Society for research to find a cure!!!

If you would like to donate, please goto this link: Relay For Life
Thank you so much!!! God Bless!

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

Ingredients
2 (8-count) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3 to 4 tart apples, peeled and slice into 16 wedges
1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) can Mountain Dew soda

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch dish with cooking spray. Separate dough into 16 triangles. Place apple quarter on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up each, starting at shortest side, and rolling to opposite point. Place point side down in prepared pan.

In small bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar and cinnamon; spoon evenly over crescent-wrapped apples. Pour Mountain Dew over all.

Bake at 350°F. for 35 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm with sauce. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired. Makes 16 dumplings.

It's time to say goodbye..

It's time to say goodbye to 2010. You have been another crazy year, some good, some bad. Here is a short blog about things that have been accomplished and lost in this crazy, tragic, sometimes always magic, wonderful, beautiful year.

In January, we started seeing an RE in Columbus and wasn't given the greatest news possible, but we worked through it. If there is anything that we have learned from Infertility, it's patience. We may not have become parents this year, but we know it will happen.

March brought another birthday and I said hello to turning 28, I am getting closer to that 3-0 but quite honestly, it really doesn't scare me that much anymore.

In April, Ryan and I celebrated 6 years of marriage. It seems like such a short time ago that we were saying our vows and starting our life together. We also got to celebrate our Nephew's first birthday and it was unbelievable to think that he had just turned 1, time really does go by so fast.

In May, we looked at a house and are pretty confident that it's the ONE that we are going to purchase and hope to pursue it at the beginning of 2011. Sadly, May brought tears for us as well. We said goodbye to our little furbaby, Milo. She was a joy in our life and we still miss her very much. She was with us for 5 years but left such a huge impression on our hearts.

June was another sad time, it was 4 years ago that we lost our first child. I miscarried our first baby on June 23, 2006 and it's still as real now as it was then and it's hard to believe we would have an almost 4 year old had we not lost it.

When August arrived, I took one of the biggest steps yet, I decided to go back to school! On August 16th I started attending Shawnee State University. My major is photography and I can now proudly say that I survived my first semester. I am getting ready to start my second and will be counting down a total of 8 to reach graduation with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts. Ryan also had a pretty big event this August, he turned 30 and he took it well.

Ryan has done a lot of traveling with work this year and even though I don't like it, I appreciate and am thankful that he has a job. We still don't have it all together, but together we have it all. I hope that 2011 brings a lot more progression towards our dreams.

Overall, 2010 has been a pretty good year. There was a lot of time spent with family and friends. We have had a roof over our heads, plenty to eat, good general health and tons more to be thankful for. Here's to 2011 bringing a lot more happiness and good memories.