Thankful Thursday

After a very frustrating night of busyness (which is no one's fault but my own) I am truly thankful that it was not only a learning experience for me in the cooking department, but also a reminder to me that I am not Superwoman.

I have this wonderful recipe for Tomato Basil Soup that I've cooked for the office several times before and everyone has always loved it. Before it got cold outside, I was already asked if I'd make it. So, the plan was, as soon as it got cold enough for it, I would make it for all of us.

The issue that I ran into tonight was that, not only did I want to make the soup, but I wanted to make the salad, pick up the special bread that we eat with it, buy soft drinks and make dessert. Hello????? What was I thinking?

The only thing that went well was the soup and buying the bread. I will have to go to a local soup/salad place in the morning to get the salad.

The nightmare was making the dessert. One of the wonderful ladies at the office is very particular about desserts, but she LOVES chocolate. Well, we all like chocolate. So, I figured if I made a chocolate cake I couldn't go wrong. You would think that working a full-time job, coming home to tend to the girls, my turn to also cook dinner would have been enough in itself for me. Common sense would have told me that it was wayyyyyyyyyyy to much for me to try and make a HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE!

Well, after using a recipe (step-by-step) off the internet, it turned out looking and tasting like something from an Easy Bake Oven that a kid would make. Sorry! It looked and tasted like something awful. So, I had to start from scratch with another recipe from the internet. Let me also share that I've never made a homemade chocolate cake. Anyhow, I follow this recipe step-by-step as well. Unlike the other cake...the batter color looked great and it also tasted great. I felt very proud of myself. I hurried to get it in the oven. I was all set to start my soup, right? Before I even realized it, I reset the timer for the soup and forgot that I was already using the timer for my cake. Oh my goodness. I just about wanted to cry! I hate opening the oven when a cake is baking (fear that it'll crack). But, in this case....I didn't have a choice. I stuck a toothpick inside. It was perfect! I took it and was very THANKFUL that it turned out great. I made homemade chocolate cream cheese icing too! It turned out perfect too!

Sorry you had to read so much in order for me to get to the point of this week's Thankful Thursday! lol! I just have so much (too much) to say these days.

Anyhow, since everyone at the office is counting on me to bring lunch...I am thankful that I will be able to pull this off.

I am thankful that God saw my heart and helped me just in time before I crumbled.

I am thankful that I work with a group of awesome ladies who all love the Lord and we can openly talk about God and His Word.

If you read my last post, I am also thankful that my coworkers also trust me to wash my hands while I prepared their lunch.

Happy Thursday, friends!

To read more Thankful Thursday posts, please visit Iris at Grace Alone.

Public Restroom Irritations!

Please forgive me ahead of time if I offend anyone, but I just have to vent about this and, as my friend Alicia says, I'm just keeping it real. lol!

It really irks me to see women walk out of public restrooms without washing their stupid hands. IT'S NASTY!

I see this allllllllllllllll the time at my place of employment, not with women who I work with...but other women in the building. There's this one lady who works in another suite on my floor. We've really developed this great friendship and we're always complimenting each other's outfit and such. She's a beautiful woman and dresses like she has a million bucks. Compared to her, I dress like someone who just walked out of a Goodwill store. lol! Seriously! Back to the point. Anyhow, I was in the restroom with her not too long ago and she walked out of the stall, freshened her makeup and walked out. Just like that. I was thinking that maybe I was distracting her since we were talking. Nope! Apparently, we were on the same potty schedule during this time because we ended up in there together again later. As I freshened up my makeup, she walks out, looks in the mirror, and walks out. For a split second, I wanted to walk out behind her and ask her if she'd forgotten to do something. However, to keep the peace, I kept my mouth shut. So, what does her wardrobe have to do with this? I just perceive (and obviously I am wrong) that people who look like they care about themselves in what they wear, how they look, and how organized they appear to be might also care about WASHING THEIR HANDS AFTER, ya know?

Next....and maybe I am the weird one. Believe me....I have recognized at times (many) that it's all me. But, does the person on the other end of a phone line really not care about hearing the toilet flushing? I walk in our restroom all the time and will hear whole conversations with different women talking on the phone. It makes me uncomfortable enough that I don't want to flush the toilet in my own stall out of embarrassment for them. I seriously don't get this.

Almost done...here's the kicker!
So yesterday, I walked into the restroom and this woman is in the stall and there's this beautiful nice coat lying on the FLOOR in the stall she's in. My first thought was "NO, I am not seeing this." Second thought, "The coat must not belong to her!" I came out of the stall and waited for a few seconds to see if she came out of the stall with the coat in her hands. She never did. So, I walk back to my suite thinking that this was even more disgusting than a person not washing their hands. I got all the way back to my suite and just couldn't let it go. I hurried back to the restroom to see if the lady was still in there. She was. She was just coming out with her beautiful brown coat on her arms. I tell ya, I was almost sick. Nice looking woman, dressed very nice....she proceeded to wash her hands (Thank the Lord), checked out her makeup and put the coat on. This beats all I've ever seen or wanted to see! Think for a second and let your imagination run wild about what could have been on that floor (and probably was). Okay, maybe not. You'll just end up weird like me.

Can you tell that I'm bothered? This really grosses me out!

Okay....I'm done!

Parenting...Just a Difference of Opinion

Morgan was recently sharing a conversation with us that took place between her and a friend.

Apparently, Morgan was sharing that she couldn't wait until she turned sixteen because that's when she can go to work. Morgan told her that she was very excited to be able to go to work and earn her own money. We have given Morgan an allowance since she was five, but she's had to earn it by doing her chores.

When Morgan was ten, we taught her how to write checks and keep (add and subtract) a check register. Dirk made up dummy checks on the computer and if we were out shopping and ended up loaning Morgan money to buy something, she would have to write us a check when she got home and then balance her register. We did this for a couple of years. We plan on doing the same with Jaelyn.

Dirk and I both HAD to work as young teenagers. We both went to work when we were fourteen. We truly believe today that it helped us become more independent in life. Morgan doesn't HAVE to work. We feel that her allowance should be enough for the chores she does. However, we're not going to hand her everything on a silver platter and she knows it.

Anyhow, back to their conversation. When Morgan told her friend that she wanted to work, the girl asked if she was stupid, or what? She went on to say that she was definitely not going to work because her parents give her EVERYTHING she wants and also shared the fact that her brother is thirty years old and her parents still paid for everything for him, as well. Morgan told us that she felt sorry for her friend because of this. We were so proud of her for realizing this.

She and Morgan have been friends for a couple years now so we know her. Unfortunately, she suffers from depression, lack of self esteem, and feels that her parents don't even like her most of the time. Do you see what's wrong with this picture?

Her family may have more money than they know what to do with but what does it matter if your child suffers from these issues and feelings inside? Sounds to me that there may be plenty of money but very limited time, which is more important a thousand times over!

I hope that I am not stepping on anyone's toes, but I really HATE hearing stuff like this. I would never knock a parent for not allowing their child to work during school year. The problem that I have is when a parent hands everything to their child and then expects for the same child to leave home and live a proper, independent life when they move out. Go figure!

I too feel sorry for this young girl. Not that she chooses not to work at sixteen or during the school year, but that there are so many issues that are being overlooked.

Whew! I feel better!

For those of you have asked.....we've had a great weekend getting to know our new puppy! I'll post a complete update before the week is out. I'm really doing good! Thanks for your prayers and all your wonderful encouraging comments! I REALLY appreciate them!

Meet Our Newest Addition ~ Gucci Reeves

It finally happened!!!!!! The girls got their puppy and I am walking out my fear!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!

Today was a very long, nerve-racking day for me. I shared on my blog a couple of months ago about my greatest fear of all (animals) and how it was time for me to face this fear head on. Well, we've (actually Dirk) been looking for the "perfect" dog for several months. Yep, I know....no such thing as a perfect dog, right? Anyhow, we ended up with a "Bug", which is half Boston Terrier and half Pug.

We found him online about 5 hours away from us. We had actually planned to go and pick him up tomorrow, but a dear friend of mine volunteered to pick him up for us since she was driving there to do her Christmas shopping. It worked out perfectly!!! Woo hoo!

Without further ado.....Meet Gucci Reeves!

Isnt' this just the cutest picture?

Okay, I hestitated a LOT as to whether I would share this picture. lol! I look retarded. And YES, I am wearing gloves!!! It's part of the germ phobia "weirdness" I have going on. Now listen, this was a BIG thing for me to even let an animal in my house, but I'm doing it! I have to take baby steps with this, all right?
Okay, I am actually a little more relaxed in this picture. Still wearing the gloves.....but I was coming around.
The girls are totally in love with Gucci! We could not get them to calm down for the longest time tonight. They were arguing over who had held him the longest already. There was so much excitement for this poor puppy that he was shaking for the first two hours.
See! I DID it! I am touching Gucci - and without wearing the gloves!
The weekend should be very interesting with accidents happening (we've already had one), with me getting more relaxed, with the girls giving him some space, with Gucci getting familiar with his new home, etc.

I never thought I would live to tell about having a puppy in my house. I am sure that my mom never thought she would live to see it either. Dirk said at one time tonight that he can see that one day I will give a testimony about me being delivered from this. I would love nothing better! I do think that I did very well the first night with Gucci in the house. I am still far from being over my fear of this, but as I am blogging, I am sitting in the same room with our Gucci in his crate. Six months ago, I would have never been able to do this. I'm not sure why it has taken 38 years to deal with this and it's really not important, but I am actually pretty excited about all of this now. Please continue praying for me (us) that things would continue to go as God has intended.

Dirk will be getting up every hour tonight and all weekend to take him out to potty. Lucky Dad! I told Dirk that once I was totally over my fear that I'd love to be the one to take him out. lol!

I'll post again soon how things are going.

Thanks again for praying.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for the time that I was able to spend with family on Thanksgiving day. The day was very peaceful and relaxing.

I am thankful for my job. Several family members and friends have lost their jobs in the last month or so.

I am thankful for my immediate family's good health. Unfortunately, my grandfather is very ill right now and is in the hospital.

I am thankful for our home. It saddens me to think of the homeless people sleeping out in the cold.

I am thankful for our cars. We don't drive fancy cars and they are both a few years old. Other than minor repairs, though, they are very reliable to get us where we need to go.

I am thankful for a dear friend who was able to attend a special church service with me last Sunday night totally unexpectedly. We both know that it was a divine appointment for me to ask her to go when she had only called me to discuss other things. The church service was amazing and it was something that not only I needed, but she needed too!

I am thankful to not only have my laptop back, but that it was covered under warranty. Therefore, it didn't cost us anything!

For more Thankful Thursday posts, please visit Iris at Grace Alone.

A Snippet of Our Christmas Decorations!

I must officially admit, like so many of you have already, that I am addicted to blogging! As you know from my last post, my laptop is broken and now I am having to blog from a not so comfy spot in the house. I know it sounds ridiculous! They did tell me that the laptop may have to be sent out for repairs which could take six WEEKS! Yikes!!! I am supposed to know for sure tomorrow.

The day after Thanksgiving, we started pulling out our Christmas decorations. I tell ya, I was a bit overwhelmed. To be quite honest, I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed just by looking at the shape my house is in right now. I don't do well with boxes sitting everywhere and things completely out of order.

I started decorating my kitchen bar. It's looks a little festive, but I am not completely happy with it just yet. I also started my mantle, but wasn't happy enough with it to even share at this point. Dirk was able to hang all the outside lights out on Saturday. He did a great job.

Here's a couple of photos of how it's coming. Once I get EVERTHING done, I will post more pictures. I just wanted to fit in with the rest of you who have already shared some of your decorations.

This is a picture of my bar. It still seems to be missing something! So, I am looking at it each day seeing what I can add to it. I couldn't even take a good picture of it. The photographer of the family had to be called in to do it for me. lol!

This is on our front porch. I did end up taking this picture as I couldn't get Morgan to go outside and take it for me. It was a bit cold out trying to take a silly picture! lol!
So, as you can see, I have at least started decorating!

I NOW KNOW HOW OTHERS FEEL....

WHEN YOUR COMPUTUER IS BROKEN! lol!

Yep, my laptop is broken! I have to take it in tomorrow. I have no idea what is wrong with it, but I can not get it to come on at all. Thank God that it is still under warranty.

I will have very limited access to a computer this week. I am using Dirk's computer now, but it's not as cozy and comfortable in the office or on the computer upstairs as it is in the living room when I am blogging! I've gotten spoiled and I guess too lazy to use the computer in any other place.

What a stinking bummer!!!!!

I will catch up with you all when I can.