Thanksgiving Dinner

Yes... Thanksgiving is over...but I wanna blog about my dinner anyway...

I planned on keeping it short n sweet... and cook only two dishes. However, my sis slipped up and told me that my mom wasn't gonna make our veggie "turkey" which is like... our tradition! So I called my mom and this lady talkin some she wasn't gonna make it and that she was just "gonna cut up the veggie meat and put it in a dish" -_- . Needless to say...she threw me for a loop considering this was Wednesday night. I was one the verge of not cooking anything. But finally I was like fine I'll make it. So I ended up making the "turkey"... and basically the whole dinner minus two things. So here is my "turkey"

Dinner Roast & Turkey Roll

Turkey roll cut up

Rollin out the dough for the skin...

Smilez!

Dinner roast and stuffing

......

Me attaching the "legs" & "wings"

Before its cooked

Fresh out the over...

Buttered up...

"Turkey", mac & cheese, potato salad, candy yams, cranberry sauce & greens...

So good if I should say so myself!

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

The prayers go up... and Blessings come down...

I remember my mom always saying that we need to write down all the blessing and things we are thankful for as a memorial so as we look back we can see how much God has blessed us. Because so often our list of prayer requests is a mile LONG but our praises and thanks are few and far between.

Last week while writing 25 things I'm Thankful for...it literally took me forever to come up with 25 things (out - freaking- rageous!). And the sad thing is I know I know a lot has happened in the last 12 months for me to be thankful for.

Anyway about a month ago I picked up this cute notebook from Ross and decided to start a prayer/ praise journal... I have several goals for this pray journal:

1. Fill it with pray requests and praises to answered requests. And just blessing in general
2. Eventually have my blessing/ praises be longer than my requests or at least equal
   
3. To strength and increase my pray life
4. A year from now be able to read back through & see the many answered prayers and blessings

My lil pray book!...

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

Proposal, Proposal

The other night I was on the phone with a friend of mine. Somewhere during the course of the conversation the act of proposing came up, specifically lame, non-thought out, seemingly spare of the moment proposals. The jest of the conversation was that (and this came from a man...not me...) a man should put thought and effort into his proposal. And quite honestly I agree. A proposals presentation is HIGHLY important and should be carefully thought out. It's not necessarily that it be over the top... some of the best things and memories are simple yet beautiful, but it should definitely be something special to the two of you. If the Lords sees fit I ever get engaged... The girl in me would like something I didn't expect, well thought out, special, nice photo opt, and just one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Anyway, after my conversation I remembered this proposal slide show I had receive in an email a LONG time ago. So this morning I searched my email and found it!

It's the story of Robert Gray and Keshia Williams... there a whole love story behind this proposal but I'm not gonna get into all that. Google them. However, According to one source to pull it all off he had:

10 Hotel rooms
50 friends and family there
400 Red and White roses
300 votive candles
12 24 caret gold- dipped roses
2 bottles of champagne
and 8 hrs to pull off

Disclaimer: I'm not saying each and every proposal should go down like this (or that I expect mine to happen like this)... it was just something I liked and remembered after all these years and decided to share.

Video shows after you click the link...

www.photosbyknight.com/gray

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

25 Things I'm Thankful For

1. My Mom
2. My Sister (if you don't know her.. you're missing out)
   
3. The two goons (my little brothers)
   
4. My friends ( new and old)
   
5. The fact I've been with my job over a year and still have one
6. My new SUV
   
7. My health and right mind
8. Being able to travel to all the places I've been to this year
9. Safety and protection ( the car accidents I've been in this year has just been ridiculous. The pic to the right was actually taken moments before an accident )
   
10. The hope for seeing my daddy again one day
11. The love and support from people that are in my life
12. The little things in life that make me smile, laugh, and happy
13. All the good memories of 2010 thus far ( still have a couple weeks to make some good memories for 10')
    
14. The trials, woes, FML's and problems I have faced this year to help make me a better person
15. That God's has spared my brother A's life when he has severe asthma attacks this year
16. That I lived to see my 26th birthday (almost didn't make that one)
    
17. For waking up this morning
18. While driving on a suspended license I didn't get pulled over so I didn't end up in jail or have my license suspended a WHOLE year
    
19. That I know how to cook ( I think I'm starting to enjoy cooking a little more. I like the multitasking challenge of cooking * shrugs*)
    
20. That my dad taught me a little something about construction ( He'd be proud of the projects we did this year without him)
    
21. I'm thankful for the life I live
22. That thanksgiving is tomorrow and I'll be spending it will friends and family
23. For my bed
    
24. That its all most Christmas!! ( I can't wait, Christmas is hands down my favorite holidays)
    
25. Even though tomorrow isn't promised... I'm thankful for the possibility of the future and the people, places, plans and goals my future might hold

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

Sometimes When Dynamics Change... So Does Your Understanding

(this blog was triggered from a convo with one if my girls on the following topic )

So often you meet someone and for whatever reason you find yourself attracted to them. They have good looks, charisma, the way they make you feel, whatever the reason you find yourself attracted and crushing..HARD. I don't know what men do when they find someone they are attracted to someone, but females feel the need to enlighten their girlfriends about their latest attraction. "He asked for my number", "He called me last night", "girl, he paid for the meal"...yada, yada, yada...whoo, whoo, whoo *rolls eyes*. Yes... sadly, I have fallen pry to this fanciful way of thinking a time or two in my life. It is probably somehow part if the complex structure of bring a female...I don't know.

Anyway, you tell your girls about your interest and the little things he has done and things that he says until the novelty of it all wears off, you loose interest or you realized you just make better friends and"aren't meant to be" or whatever the reason. Months down the road when your vision has been cleared from infatuation, when reflecting on your attraction to that person you realize that yes they liked you and enjoyed your company and where somewhat intrigued by you... but just on a friend level. All the the things you perceived very well might have had some truth to them... but once you change the category you have placed yourself, from " attracted to", to " no longer interested" or "friends" you better see and interpret their actions. You realized that this is who they are as a person and how they treat the people they come in contact with in general.

Basically... just because you like someone and at times talk and hang out with them does not mean that they like you on that same level. They could just enjoy you as a friend and the elements that your friendship brings to their life

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

My Second Fav goes to....

Thanksgiving is next week and it has to be my second favorite holiday. I think its just a great time of year... the decorations, planning a menu, having good fellowship with family and friends.. and just that it is the beginning of the holiday festivities and spirit.

Having a huge Thanksgiving dinner and inviting over those who don't have family or because of circumstances won't be with their family over for dinner is one of the few traditions my family has. Sometimes we aren't quite sure who will show up because we extend invitations to whomever. At this juncture I'd rather spend my Thanksgiving hosting a dinner than be some place else.

I'm thankful for the time spent with friends and family and for the opportunity to be someones "family" for the day. And for a house big enough to house guest. So basically I can't wait till next Thursday :)

How I spent MY weekend

I don't know you spent this past weekend... but me and The Other One spent it doing back breaking work... we worked like child laborers from sun up to sun down, we were dupped, suckered, tricked into busting up my kitchen floor for my mom.

My... "God Brother" came to do our kitchen floor for my mom, and while sitting at the table sabbath he said "you guys are gonna be my assistants" my sis and I were like "We know" (living with our mom its already a given). Little did he know the truth to his statement. He figured he'd pop the floor up and my sis and I would come behind and clean up after him... *blank stare* No... no... It took all three of us to get that floor up, taking up our saturday night and ALL day sunday. Needless to say monday morning we were all DONE. And we are only at phase 1, but the hard part is over.

Cutting up the floor in small squares...

There is a person in there... you just cant see him...

Bout to die of dust inhalation

I pretty much lived on this floor -_-

too THROUGH!

... tell me something is not wrong with her lol...

poor girl spent TWO hours in that spot. But she conquered!

Finally DONE

*Finished pics to follow*

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

Keeping a Low Profile....

I have been driving for the last month on a suspended license an let me tell you it has been the most stressful month of driving of my short life! I have followed the speed limit like nobody's busy and used my indicator at ever turn, come to complete stops at stop signs, praying every time I get in the car that I don't get pulled over.... I have been a model driving citizen. But it has been so nerve wrecking... every time you see a cop its just this nervousness that they are about to pull you over, and quite truthfully they probably aren't paying any attention if you're driving properly.

I have pulled off the highway on some random exit and took some long round about way home when I saw the cop pull onto the highway with his lights flashing. I have left a store, headed toward my car when I saw TWO cops parked in front of my car, I LITERALLY turned and walked into a mattress store (what business do I really have in a mattress store?!) while I waited for them to leave. I eliminated all extra, unnecessary driving and if it wasn't on my route to or from work I probably wasn't gonna go.

I feel like driving on a suspended license is definitely a moved my dad would have pulled (I put good money on it that he has)...and after... all I am my father's daughter. Anyway, my month of driving punishment is over (Thank God) and I'm sure my main driver (my sis) is glad too. It's just another experience I can add to my life's story and KP adventures! lol

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

girl getting annoyed because she can't sing the right notes

My sis showed me this the other night in the middle of the parking and I about died! Her facial expressions kill me!

Woes...

*Blows out hot air while sighing VERY deeply* THEN * lays head on the desk* So... financially the month just started and I'm already financially depressed.

Lets start at the beginning...

So I made it through October and stuck with my budget fairly well. I ended up spending about $50.00 over budget. Not bad for the first time of actually creating a budget and sticking to it. (can't remember if I wrote on here or not... but I'm using this Google Doc Template for personal budgets and its really great). There have been several things I have learned about my spending habits this month.

• Evidently some ATMs charge you just for a balance inquire ( I was blown when I looked at my statement and realized this)
• It also appears that the ATM charges you and YOUR bank charges you when you use an ATM from another bank (clearly I haven't been paying attention to these fees...so once again...BLOWN! I could have used that $2 my bank charges elsewhere).
• I drive a gas guzzling monster....and I buy a lot of food for a little person even though some food is for the general household.
• I found I didn't want to spend money once I got paid before I had set up my November Budget.
  

Now...

I'm financially depressed because....

• I haven't even started my Christmas shopping
• I'm spending a huge chunk on hotels this month for work ( which isn't a big deal ... it's just throwing a wrench in my monthly goals and plans)
  
• The wrench being that I won't be making my monthly goal on my extra monthly payments toward my student loan.
• Thanksgiving.... *Sigh* is one of my favorite holidays and I know I'm about to end up spending to get food and stuff to get ready for it. (But I've budgeted for thanksgiving...so we'll see how that goes)

Woes... I'll tell ya...Oh well such is life. I'm just glad September and October are FINALLY over I HATE those months *bbm not interested face*. I'm so ready for the holidays! This has to be my favorite time of year with Thanksgiving coming, then Christmas, then New Years, then MY BDAY! :)

Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy

Family is...What?!

Family....

What is family?...

I guess depending on a persons experiences through life would determine what family means to them. To me... family is broken down into three areas:

• Immediate Family
• Extended Family
  
• The Fam

Immediate Family
My immediate family would consist of five people these days. As we have all gotten older I appreciate them more and value the individuality that each of my siblings brings to the table (specifically the two goons). Although as siblings we have come a long way (... if you only knew some of the tales from earlier years...) and even though we still might not always get along, we love and are there for each other. We have some pretty good times and laughs together these days, with my mom there trying to keep us all on track.

The Peacemaker, The Worrier, The Mouth, The Muscle

Extended Family
These are people related to you by blood and possibly carry the same last name. I've always wished I lived surrounded by cousins and such...but...alas... I didn't. But like my cousin said (tweeted) to me a few weeks ago, "we might not see each other often but we are there for each other. Her support of my family meant the world and three months later we drove all night just to be there for her in her time of need. I may not know all of my extended family the way I'd like to, but they are important to me.

The Fam
Just the name "The Fam" always brings a smile to my face. We may not be related by blood or name But they and their parents are family. I remember around the time my dad died my mom was talking to one of her siblings and they were just amazed at the support from our friends and she told them " we may not live close to our family but our friends and church family have in a way become our family". I believe this to true concerning certain families I grew up with ( Cuz if you know me.. I can NOT get down with calling just anybody aunt, uncle, or family). We are just six friends that grew up together and who have been rolling around together for the last 24 - 17 years ( I had to text my girl on these numbers cuz it seemed so...outrageous) and still going quite strong.

The Fam

I may live with some, I may see some on occasion, and I may not even be related to some, but this is who my family is to me.


Live. Laugh. Smile. Enjoy.