QTip

AKA - Happy #2


So, if you know me at all, you know I tend to stress out. Whatever...

One thing that I have noticed that causes this -at least in the work arena- is that I take everything on personally. I have to learn that sometimes, business is business and sometimes things are just out of my control!


We had a cheesey speaker come and talk with us a while back with work to tell us how to communicate with each other, with clients, with people in general, yada yada... So, the other day when I was stressed to the max about work mess, I suddenly had a vision of this woman standing in front of us holding a framed QTip.

"She's nutso," I thought.

She said you gotta -
Quit
Taking
It
Personally

She's right. So, here's my QTip... even though it's not in a frame.


It works...

Happy Birthday, my Husband!

Actually, Matt's birthday was October 1st! But I'm slacking on the blog updates...

I tried to stretch his bday out as much as possible. We started the morning by opening his present... a Wii!! I don't think he was expecting it, but I don't know for sure. He loved it. He immediately wanted to go buy some more games, but I suggested maybe he should just rent and try them out before buying anything. Thank goodness, because as soon as he left, the mail man came by with the Tiger Woods Golf game from Brooke and Mama! So needless to say, he has played that non-stop. He's even created a Wii version of himself on that game.. it's pretty funny. Complete with "soul patch" and everything. I'll try to get a picture of that to put on here too!

He requested a red, white and blue yellow and carrot cake... yeah... so that's what he got! It was a little complicated for me to figure out how to accomplish that at first, but this was the end result. And even though it may look funky, it was delicious! So that's how we celebrated mid-day birthday.

Later that evening, we went and hung out with some of his Louisville Bats work buddies and then we went to his favorite restaurant, Outback, for dinner.


And then came home for more Wii!

It was a good day...

Happy #1

Back in college, a friend of mine had a book called "1001 Things to be Happy About". It was nothing but a listing of hundreds of things or situations that made the author happy. So it inspried me back in the day to start a notebook listing the things and everyday occurances that made me happy. I'm not real sure where that notebook is.... I'm sure it's in some crate or box around here somewhere...

My roommate in college, Ashley (Forbes) Knox, was also so good about randomly getting someone a "happy" just to make their day or just to let someone know she was thinking about them.

So, I've decided to make like list of "Happies"... and I can't think of a better #1 than my handsome husband.

Windows Falling Open

One of my favorite things about Fall is being able to open the windows! There's something about sitting here on my couch with the windows open, the cool breeze coming in and football on the tv. It takes me home - to that comfy, life is good, I think I'll just take a nap feeling.

So yesterday was a big day for Matt and me. It was big for Matt because, well, it's Saturday in the Fall. They're all pretty big to him. I don't really get it, but he can watch any football game, no matter who it is... ALL day... ANY day... It was big for me because Auburn AND Alabama were on tv on the same day! That's not so easily come by up here in Louisville, you know.

So we decided to make a day of it. We went to the grocery store to get our goods for the day. However, I got a little sidetracked at the "Fall station" There were pumpkins and any type of funky looking squash you could think of! So, of course, I was like, these would be awesome in a little setup. So I rummaged through all the different squashes, trying to find the coolest, oddest looking ones... I had to concentrate on this... it took me a minute! So Matt left me and went on to continue with the grocery shopping.

Anywho... I enjoyed making my little decorative addition to the house... The fruit votive candle cutter thingy I got in my stocking at Christmas finally came in handy as well! Here's what I did:

So sometimes, Matt and I decide that we're in the mood to get cookin'! And yesterday was one of those days. We (well mostly Matt) created a feast! He made some of his grandmother's famous meatballs and tomato sauce from scratch for the world's most delicious meatball subs!

But the best had to be his stuffed mushrooms... holy.... moly.... Several months ago, Matt found a recipe for stuffed shrimp that is out of this world! It's become one of our favorite "special menus". And then the other day, a light bulb went off and we thought, "Let's take the shrimp stuffing, but put shrimp pieces in it and then use all of that to make stuffed mushrooms!" As Matt would say.... "Phenomenal."

Ladies, let me tell you... if you haven't ever gone to KraftFoods.com, you need to... right now. I love the recipes on there.. so simple and rarely have I ever had something bad! I've even subscribed to receive the Kraft Foods Magazine with recipes with all sorts of goodies. You should too - it's FREE! As a matter of fact, here's the link - http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/registration/contextualsignuplogin.aspx?registrationactivityid=1237

This is where I got the recipe for the Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies... yummo!!

Walk with my Granddaddy...

As you may or may not know, things have been a little stressful for my family lately. My Papa (dad's dad) had a stoke a couple weeks ago.

If there was one thing that we all saw while Papa was in the ICU, it was that he is one of the most loved men you've ever met. Nana had to keep a list of all of visitors who just stopped by to check in on him or called to get the latest update! We joked, but I don't think it was too far from the truth that every member of Dalraida Baptist Church, where he is a deacon, came by or called. Papa may not be a man of many words, but when he speaks, people listen. We spent hours in the waiting room with family, retelling stories we've all heard for year, yet still bring a smile to our face. Our camping trips with Nana and Papa were the highlights of mine and Brooke's (and Nana and Papa's) summers.

We're staying positive that he will get better - he has already shown good signs of improvement! There will be a long road ahead, but we are definitely counting our blessings that he is still with us!

This is one of my favorite pictures from our wedding... Papa sitting and just taking it all in, as always, beforehand.

This past Thursday, Sept 25th was the 24th anniversary of my Granddaddy's death (Mama's daddy). I have always had this marked on my calendar... not because we have any big ceremony, but just so I can make sure I take time to remember this great man. People may think that I shouldn't really remember him, since he passed away just before I turned 4, but I do. I may not have tons of specific memories.... well, other than making tents out of the bedspread and him running underneath me as he pushed me on the swing (I always thought I was going to fall off and land in the pool, even though now I know it was yards away). Maybe it's that I was named after him (David Hope "D.H") that I have this connection, I don't know, but I do know that I had a huge love for this man, even at such a young age.

When Matt and I got married, it broke my heart to think that this man I had loved so much was not there to stand by Grandmama's side, so I wanted in some way to honor his memory and make it feel as though he was right there with us. I asked Uncle Eddy (Mama's brother) to write an arrangement of "It is Well with My Soul" - one of his favorite hymns that was played at his funeral as well - for the cello and violin to play during our ceremony. It was absolutely beautiful! I also had an old hat of Granddaddy's - Auburn of course - that was about to fall apart it was so old. So, I asked Grandmama to do me a favor and cut it up, and sew Aubie into the inside of my dress for my something blue! I think Granddaddy would have gotten a kick out of that.

There's a great song that always makes me think of him and led me to write this blog when I heard it yesterday:

When I get where I'm going,
there'll be only happy tears.
I will shed the sins and struggles,
I have carried all these years.....

I'm gonna walk with my grandaddy
and he'll match me step for step
and I'll tell him how I missed him
every minute since he left.
Then I'll hug his neck.

So, that's my grandfathers... two of the greatest men to ever walk this planet.







Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Hockey Moms and Pit Bulls

Well, folks, it's official. The first time I saw Sarah Palin, I looked at my husband and I said two things:

1) I know who's going to play her on Saturday Night Live... she looks just like Tina Fay.

2) I bet her makeup is Mary Kay.

And, I was right... about both. It has been "confirmed" through the Mary Kay circles, that yes, Sarah Palin does wear Mary Kay. Gotta love that pit bull lipstick!

So, that leaves me with this to say -

If you're interested in giving Mary Kay a try, you should. I love these products and I love selling these awesome products. Let me know if you're interested in setting something up! Or you can check out my website at www.marykay.com/hopeallene!

Yes, I do love her...

I Feel Pretty

Dixie got groomed today and they put bows in her hair that matched her window seat at home! Just thought I would share....