I

I have a confession. Sometimes I care a little too much what people think. I wish it wasn't so. Sometimes I am afraid to show my true, entire self. Afraid of being looked at as different, as weird. I am definitely not one to make waves, or have any desire to be in the spotlight. I just want to love and be loved. Simple as that.

Really not into talking about myself, but I am trying to learn to be proud of who I am, and what I like. I am going to share some things about me that you may or may not know. I do not know how long my list will be. Kind of just going with it. No shame! 

1. I am madly, deeply in love with my husband

2. I played the trumpet for 8 years

3. I was in the Navy

4. I was in Girl Scouts until I was 14

5. I love taking entirely way too many pictures

6. I was a drum major my senior year, and even went to drum major camp

7. I played soccer for 9 years

8. My favorite job was at a movie theater

9. I like to read, but have gotten really lazy =(

10. Star Trek: The Next Generation is still one of my favorite shows

11. I think Mario and Link are awesome!

12. I am IN LOVE with love songs!

13. I drive my husband crazy because I am always playing love songs

14. I am listening to my playlist of love songs while I am writing this

15. I used to run home after school so I could watch Quantum Leap

16. I had a crush on MacGyver. And the Beach Boys, Commander Riker and Wesley Crusher.

17. I played hookie and stayed in line for 2 days to get tickets to Star Wars Episode 1. My teacher was in line behind me

18. I am completely (and probably obsessively) in love with Doctor Who

19. And Supernatural

20. I still play video games. I don't really plan on stopping.

21. I like making tiny clay sculptures

22. I love to color with my 4 year old

23. I love to draw

24. Last three artists on my playlist: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Social D and Jason Mraz

25. I should really be in bed right now

26. I just realized there are a whole lot of "I's" in this post, and it is making me feel a little self-absorbed

27. I only have a few really great friends, but let me tell ya, they are truly amazing!

28. I am turning my girls into little Geeks, and I could not be prouder!

29. I used to have my tongue pierced 

30. I quite reading The Lord of The Rings for a month when Gandalf died.

31. I like miniature things. Someday I want to build a massive, working dollhouse

32. I want to be a volunteer firefighter
33. I think I am funnier than I probably am. At least I can make myself laugh.

Alright, that is enough. I may not be the most exciting person, but I am me, and that is okay! 

Found this while, well, geek-ing out and thought it would be fitting for this post. Just absolutely adore this! Way to go ladies. I aspire to have your confidence

Fried Green Tomatoes

And the last one was meant to be a special treat for me since I was missing out on some good meals. I have never had fried green tomatoes, so I was determined to make them. I looked everywhere for some green tomatoes (not to be mistaken with tomatillos). I finally found some at Safeway (the 3rd time I checked). They were gorgeous. The next time, I found some at our local farmer’s market. So, they are out there, you just have to be persistent. Well, I found this recipe. I do not have anything to compare them to, but I think they are fabulous! And so did the rest of the fam, so they are a keeper!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.

2. Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.

3. Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

4. Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt.

Here they are finished. Not the best for you, but a nice treat! Enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers and Homemade Buns

These are so good! Even my carnivore husband and daughter ate these whenever I made them! They are easy to adjust for picky eaters.

Black Bean Burgers w/ Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients:

For the Spicy Chipotle Mayo:        <<<<<<  SOOOOO Yummy! We put it on everything we can!

3 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise (Hellman's)
1 tbsp canned chipotle in adobo sauce

For the Black Bean Burgers:

16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped scallions
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jumbo egg
1 tbsp cumin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup quick oats (use gf oats for gluten free)
4 buns (I am including the recipe I used)
1 small avocado, sliced thin

Directions:

Combine mayonnaise and chipotle, set aside.

Dry the beans well after washing, extra moisture keep the burgers from sticking. In a medium bowl, mash beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, cilantro, onion, and garlic, then add oats, then eggs and spices. Then stir into mashed beans.

Divide mixture into four patties (using slightly oiled hands helps) and place them onto a flat surface covered with wax paper. (If it's too wet, chill the mixture 30 minutes in the refrigerator or add another tablespoon of oats)

Freeze at least 2 hours before cooking or keep frozen until ready to cook.

Heat a lightly sprayed skillet to medium heat and cook frozen burgers about 7 minutes on each side.

If grilling, preheat grill over medium heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil; grill 7-8 minutes on each side or you can bake in the oven at 375° on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

These are our first attempt. Really wonderful recipe!

Homemade Buns

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

*For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.

Topping

3 tablespoons melted butter
Seeds (optional; we used sesame seeds)

Directions

1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough.

2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk.

3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy.

4) Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter.

5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.

6) Cool the buns on a rack.

Yield: 8 large buns.

ENJOY!!

Here again....

Well, once again I cannot seem to get going with the blog. I do have some yummy recipes to share…..so maybe you can forgive me just a little? I am going to split them up into different posts so it will not be too much on one post.

We have had a very busy month, and it gets nothing but busier from here! As some of you know, we are moving (yes, again). We will be living closer to my mom. There is also a really fantastic (and new!) program up at the local community college that Allen is really excited to start. I love the area and cannot wait to show the girls all the neat outdoors stuff we can do. I am sure we will make our way back to the ocean in the future, but for now, we are getting excited for our new adventure inland!

And what an adventure it will be! So many new places to discover! We have also decided to home-school both the girls, so we have some work ahead of us. I know this will be so great for all of us.

This past month we have had some wonderful visitors! My sister-in-law and her kids (grown) came for about a week. They had a great visit, and we showed them some wonderful places. Then my Aunt and cousin came, and we were able to hang out with them for a couple of days. So awesome! Now this next month we will be coming and going all over, have another guest scheduled to visit, need to pack and move, and then we go on our vacation! We will make the rounds down to Southern California, and then back to our new place. Wow! Well, I guess I can never say I am bored.

So for the month of July I decided to follow a pescatarian diet. This is a vegetarian diet, except adding in seafood. I chose to do this to help kick start a lifestyle change for a healthier diet. I did not track my weight, but I tell you that I have lost enough weight for other people to notice, and I am down a size in pants. Not too bad! Most importantly, I FEEL so much better! For the most part, I have more energy and improved mood. I have also been sleeping better. Now, I did not monitor my protein intake enough a couple of times, and I found the days this happened, I was very tired and a little crabby. Overall, I think it was great, and not as hard as I thought it would be.

Okay, I began my diet at dinner on June 30th, so I get my first meat meal for dinner on July 31st. And my wonderful husband brought home smoked garlic pork sausages that they made in school. Oh yummm! I am very happy, and know I am going to be able to make the changes I need. Now just to get back to the exercising more regularly. I think I will try a wheat free diet for 30 days after the move. We will see…..

There were some yummy recipes that helped me through this month. I will share them with you. Here is the first one:

If you have ever been to Eugene, you may have eaten or heard of a place called the Yumm Café. I have never been, but have recently heard many people rave about an item on the menu called a Yumm Bowl. Even hardcore meat eaters say how much they look forward to having these on the menu. They are essentially a rice and bean bowl with added goodies. However, there is a sauce. It is called, you guessed it, Yumm Sauce. To be honest, I made it and it did not taste so great. But everyone said to let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Did that, still didn't seem like anything special. Thankfully I do not easily give up on new things. We went ahead with the meal, assembled our bowls the ‘traditional’ way, stirred it all up and dug in. Oh my, these are WONDERFUL!! Every one of us could not stop shoveling the yumminess into our mouths! The sauce just adds that little something that brings it all together. Seriously, give it a chance. My husband actually requests these A LOT! Alright, enough. Here is the sauce recipe:

YUMM Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil (preferably cold pressed)
1/2 cup almonds (for a creamier sauce, use almond flour)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (find at Whole Foods, Fred Meyer and natural stores; usually in the bulk section)
1/2 cup chickpeas or 1/2 cup garbanzo beans, cooked
1/4 cup soybeans, cooked (not green edamame beans)
1/2 cup filtered water (important for flavor)
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 -2 garlic clove (small to medium size)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor blend almonds, beans and oil.

2. Add all other ingredients and puree until creamy smooth.

3. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for one hour (24 hours for best results)

4. Don't cover to tight, remember the yeast (I put the sauce in a jar and cover it with a coffee filter and rubber band)

The wonderful thing about these bowls is that you can do whatever you want to them. Meats, veggies, cheeses, anything you want! We do it the original way from the restaurant. Here is the clip I watched to see how they make them in house:

I cannot guarantee how soon I will be back, so I just had to share these wonderful recipes! I will make two more posts with the others. I really hope you give one (or all) of them a try! And let me know how they turn out!!

Still here.....

If anyone was wondering, I am still here! It has been a BUSY few months, so please excuse my absence. In these last months I have been tied up with something called March Against Monsanto (MAM). MAM was a march/rally founded by a mother of 2 who wanted to speak out against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's). It became a global event with over 2 million people participating all over the world, and is now an annual event.

What is a GMO? Go to The Institute for Responsible Technology's website here to learn more.

This is an issue my family and I are very adamant about. So I stepped up and helped organize a march for our city. Extremely time consuming, stressful, but totally worth it. So many amazing people stepped up and stood against those who are doing wrong. All walks, coming together for a unified purpose. I am truly blessed to have been a part of something so much greater than myself, an to meet such amazing people. I won't take on the amount I did this time, but I will definitely continue with this fight for our food!

So in our home, the food has changed drastically. We are about 90% GMO free. Getting out of the mind set that food is supposed to be cheap is the hardest, but we are transitioning great! Sometimes an item is just too expensive, or we have no alternatives, so I always remind myself that progress is important, not perfection!

With that, I have decided to start again on my diet. It got pushed to the side with the rally and life, but I have taken some time to recoup, and am ready to start again! To jump start it, I have decided to attempt a vegetarian diet for the month of July. Hopefully I can share some yummy recipes I discover. I am coming to the end of Day 2, and feeling great! I even made bacon for the girls and did not have a bite!

Hopefully this will be a more regular thing! I hope this finds you all well and happy!

Late, but done!

Well, I guess I technically failed this photo challenge. I actually made it further than I thought I would, and did enjoy myself. I am going to post the ones I missed, just because I would like to finish it. 

25. In your drawer: Give us a sneak peak into what’s in your drawer {kitchen, bedroom, work, bathroom… anywhere}.

Oh, I love this one because I can show off my cool new drawers that my wonderful husband got me to put all of my daughters home school work in, which most of that came from a great friend of mine! I am very blessed.

26. Something you did: Did you run? Drink something? Wrote something? Talked to someone? Get creative and show it in a photo.

We went bowling. Actually, it was the first time we have all gone together. It was fun, and the girls really enjoyed it.

27. Pair: These two things belong together, but what are they? Find a pair and take a snap.

Doctor Who and the Dalek. They are a pair, like Yin and Yang. And eggs are great.

28. In the mirror: Take a photo of something reflecting in the mirror. It doesn't have to be you… get creative.

I am totally going to cheat on this one. I LOVE this picture! It was taken when Maddie was around 8. We lived in Maryland, and this is when I took her to the Renaissance Faire. I actually entered this into their photo contest. Didn't win, but I just love this precious picture!

29. Goodnight: Whatever you do tonight, take a photo of part of it.

This is what I am doing tonight. I am working on flyers, messages, and other stuff for an upcoming rally I am helping to organize in my city. I will have a post on it later.

30. Relax: What do you do to relax? Share it in a photo.

This is what my 4 year old did when we went on a picnic lunch. This bench overlooks the ocean. She just stretched out and kept sighing. She said she was relaxing! Haha!

31. Stuff: Our lives are all filled with some sort of ‘stuff’. What’s your stuff?

This is our 'stuff' right now. We are growing flowers. There are pots and sprouts and watering cans and potting soil all over the back patio and windowsills. It is great! The girls got these mini pots and decorated them. It is so cool how much they are loving this!

March 24th

Up: Take a photo of what you see when you look up, or another interpretation!

Looking up at the tree outside our back door. LOVE Spring and cherry blossoms!

March 23rd

What you do for fun: Do you dance? Read? Play? Tell us in a photo.

I have really fallen in love with cooking and baking. I like that I am learning to make better and healthier versions of things. We made some divine granola. Well, I actually had to make two batches. It is supposed to be for breakfast cereal, but the first batch never lasted long enough. So we made more, and Becca got to add her own goodies. She was so excited and loved it more than any sugary cereal I have ever bought. That  made me so happy, and the kids had fun!

And this! The girls dancing on the beach, while me and the hubby watch and relax. This is a good time to me!

March 22nd

About you: Share something we don’t know about you. Share a photo and a few sentences.

I thought maybe I would share a picture of me as a kid, since I have never done that here. This is my brother and me dressed up for Halloween (obviously). I was probably about 6. And in case you can not tell, I am Princess Leia. I was just a little "geekling". Awwwww........

March 21st

Working: This could be you working {or at school} or could be something working {functioning as it should}.

Here is the work that goes on in our home. Even some of the studying looks like this! I love watching my hubby prep and cook a meal for us. I help where I can, but he does most of the chopping. The knives he has are so sharp, you could cut yourself looking at them. I don't touch them. So this is my husband hard at work. 

March 20th

Clean: What does clean mean to you? The way a person looks? The state of your home? An empty bowl?

Well, the only thing that comes to mind is a clean plate or bowl. And here is one I happened to snap a few days ago! This soup was yummy!

March 19th

A sign: We pass by them everyday: street signs, shop signs, signs in our homes – what’s the most interesting one you come across today?

This is the sign we had above the door leading to our pool at our house in Nevada. It makes me chuckle every time I see it. No pool here, so it is above our bathroom door for now. I am sure it will be by a pool again. 

And just because one picture is boring, I will post the signs on my kids' doors. I let them decorate their door however they want. I love their doors!

Here is My 13 year old's door. The white paper on the left is a "hand fan" Rebecca made from tissue paper. 

And this is my 4 year old's door. This is just totally her. The drawing is her doctor sign for when she is accepting patients.

March 18th

Shoes: Take a photo of yours or somebody’s else.

I was feeling crafty. I took my shabby, comfy, needing-to-be-replaced pair of shoes and added an embellishment. Now they are the coolest shoes ever. I just need to buy my red Converse and blue ones to complete my collection.......

FANTASTIC!!!

March 17th

Green: It’s St Patrick’s Day – find something green.

Shamrock breakfast, goofy straw glasses and green milk, awesome decorations, and Reuben egg rolls. Yes, Reuben (corned beef, Swiss and sauerkraut) wrapped and fried in an egg roll wrapper. Dip in thousand Island dressing. So awesomely good, and a cool twist on a classic. Hope you all had a day filled with luck and love!

March 16th

9 o’clock: What are you doing at 9am or 9pm today. Share it with us.

Well, of course I decided to do both a.m. and p.m. Are you surprised? Today my husband let me sleep in, though I asked him to make sure I was up by 9. Dedication. Haha   But it took me a couple of minutes to reach for my camera and snap this. So this is where I was at 9(:02) a.m. today. This is the view of my clock from my husbands side of the bed. When he gets up, I love laying on his pillows.

And tonight, like every night since she was about 6 months old, I read to Rebecca. I admit that some nights I am tired and wish I could skip this. But when I start reading to her, I am so glad I did. It always turns out to be one of my favorite parts of the day. Tonight, we read from her Mickey Mouse book, which has a few short stories. And you also get a little glimpse into what my husband calls 'Becca Land'. This room is all girl, and all Becca. We love laying in there with her, seeing the way she sees things.

March 15th

Explore: Take a walk and explore where you are today.

We haven't been out anywhere special in a few days. The rain is back for a bit, plus Allen has been working on and studying for his finals. *sigh*  Well, it may be sunny tomorrow, so here's hoping! So I am going to post a picture of the last time Becca and I went exploring. Maybe a week ago?  Anyways, we explored the park for signs of Spring arriving.

March 14th/Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Tasty: This is the perfect excuse to eat something particularly delicious today, right?

I was so going to make some hot chocolate for the girls this evening, but did not read the recipe ahead and found I did not have the chocolate chips it calls for. So, I will get some tomorrow, and the girls and I will snuggle up with some tomorrow night on our second adventure with the Doctor. 

To get this divine recipe, go HERE

Instead, I will share our newest addition to our soup collection. Roasted Bell Pepper Soup.

It was soooo yummy! And this is absolutely marvelous for you! NO gluten! NO butter or cream! And if you make it with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, it can be vegan! Seriously, you can grow and make all of the ingredients (except for the little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper). 

Anyways, here is the recipe for Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Just because I can not help my self, here are some pictures of the peppers and tomatoes before/after roasting:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(YUMM!!)

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup (serves about 3)

• 5-6 large bell peppers, red, orange, or yellow (I used 2 of each)
• 4-5 medium-large tomatoes, cut in half (leave all the guts inside)
• 4 large garlic cloves, still in their skins
• 3 large shallots, peeled and cut in half
• olive oil
• 2 1/2-3 cups good chicken or vegetable stock
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Heat your oven to 425 F (or I bet it would ROCK on the grill!).  Put all the vegetables into a large roasting pan (I used 2 so nothing overlapped).  Pour several generous splashes of olive oil over them, and toss them to coat.
2. Turn all the peppers and tomatoes so that their cut sides are down.  Stick the pan in the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes, until the pepper and tomato skins are blistered and charred and the garlic and shallots are soft.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool until the vegetables are cool enough to handle gently.  Then, use your fingers to remove the skins from the peppers and tomatoes.  Cut the very ends off of the garlic cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic out.  Put all the vegetables – peppers, tomatoes, shallots, and garlic – into a soup pot.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes (uncovered).
4. Now, working in batches, puree the soup in a blender (be careful!  Use hotpads!  Don’t overfill the blender because you don’t want tidal waves of hot soup spewing forth!).  Pour it through a strainer into a large bowl or another pot.  Then, return all the soup to the pot, and reheat gently if needed.  Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve!  Accompany with a hearty bread and some good cheese.  Or grilled cheese.  Or maybe some good sausage.  Or you can garnish the soup with feta, sauteed corn kernels, and some cilantro oil, and pesto.  It will be tasty no matter which way you try it.

We made yummy pesto mozzarella grilled cheese with it. A nice vegetarian meal. I will make this with all home grown and homemade ingredients one day. Including the mozzarella and sourdough! I can not wait!

Cheesy goodness!!!

Cleaned my bowl!

March 13th

Sound: Sound is a hard one to shoot, can you do it? What’s something you heard today?

I got to hear TWO glorious sounds today. Well, the first is more like a sound I didn't hear.....a tantrum! It has been two full days with no fits, and I am a happy mama! Okay anyways, onto the challenge!

I got to hear one of the greatest sounds (well, to me anyway). Just one glimpse of this blue box, and you will know the sound I mean. If you do not, then I am sorry for sounding a bit crazy.

Oh how I have missed that sound! I introduced my girls to the Doctor today. Fantastic! My 13 year old is hooked. My 4 year old was interested about half the time, but was so adorable when she cheered at him saving the day. My husband just looked at us and laughed. It was so great re-watching this with my girls. I hope they will hear this sound and have fond memories, as I already do.

March 12th

In the distance: What is that thing that you see far away? A bird? A plane? A small child running away? Capture it as best you can.

Going to pull one from the archives here. I can still not figure out what this was. Snapped it off in the distance from the beach. It was traveling from the left to the right. Maybe it was a sea monster.

March 11th

Important: Take a photo of something important in your day today.

It was a rough day to be a 4 year old today. I am emotionally exhausted and hopeful for a better day tomorrow. However, we did manage to get a little Spring in today. I wanted to teach Rebecca about plants. We put some flowers in pots, as well as planted seeds. Not much space in our apartment for gardening, but we can get a little in. Isn't she doing a good job? She is very excited to see the seeds grow, but I am afraid she is expecting them to grow overnight. 

So this is important to me today. Teaching my daughter about how plants grow, starting on our path to growing our own food when we move. I am so glad she is excited about this. And it is important because it was a brief moment she was happy today. I hope there is more of this tomorrow.

March 10th

I want…: What do you want in your life? Shoot it. 

Well, I did not take this picture. Didn't really know where to find this just sitting around. Anyways, I can not wait to have this (or something similar, I am flexible!). I want to grow so many yummy things for my family. The goal is to make a meal all from ingredients we grow ourselves. I know this will happen soon. I am just getting impatient.

I got the picture from HERE  Isn't it beautiful?

March 9th

Faceless self-portrait: Can you take a self-portrait without your face in it? Perhaps it’s your hands, your feet or some other part of you?



This is a great one! This is me and my baby girl sitting on the beach, her feet on mine. So simply wonderful.

March 8th

Favorite: Take a photo of something that is your favorite: food, person, place, thing, book.....

Well, this one is easy! So, I am going to post a picture for each thing listed, because that is what I do. I am an over-achiever. Or I just like sharing my pictures. Yeah, that's probably it.

My favorite food......

Sushi. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Definitely in the Top 5! This is especially awesome sushi because my hubby made it at school. And I ate it with the rad-est chopsticks. Ever.


My favorite person (people).......

My loves! This is what makes it all worth it. I adore these faces!


My favorite place.......

Yup. You guessed it. Disneyland! Or as we call it in this house; 'The Mouse'. The reason this is my favorite (besides the fact that it is awesome!), is that I have SO many amazing memories there; from when I was a kid, to taking my kids. And it is a place that makes EVERY member of the family happy. How can you go wrong?


My favorite thing.......

Now, that is hard. I have so many favorite things. I will choose one (of many), and this is very dear to my heart. My girls made me this apron for Christmas. They secretly worked on it for 3 days. They both did such a wonderful job. The greatest thing in the world is to be loved, especially by your kids. Definitely one of my most prized possessions!


My favorite book(s)........

I love books, and reading. I definitely do not read as much as I would like. My "Need To Read" list is getting longer and longer. Anyways, these are my favorite books right now. For two reasons, actually. 

First, what a wonderful collection of books! I was seriously thrilled to get these 2 boxes full of books in the mail! They are going to be so helpful in homeschooling my 4 year old. I now have a place to start, and then some. I can not wait to get going! 

The second reason these are my favorite books is because they were a gift from a dear friend of mine. I can not imagine a better gift: tools to help educate my child! She used them with her kids, knows I am about ready to dive into homeschooling with my daughter, and sent these to me. No question, just handed them down to me. How awesome is that?!? How lucky I am to have a friend like her. I will have to think of a way to repay her kindness!

March 7th

Fear: What are you afraid of?

Fear. Well, that isn't very fun, is it? I am definitely not one of those girls that like scary movies. Death and gore really freak me out and scare the hell out of me. Why would I enjoy watching it? Now, if you like scary movies, good for you! In fact, my little sister and step-daughter are huge scary movie fans. I just do not care for them.

So, the scariest thing I have watched recently involve angel statues. And blinking. If i have confused you, I am sorry, and I will not bore you with an explanation. If you follow me......DON'T BLINK! 

*shudder*

Okay, so I guess if I had to choose a fear, it would be spiders. Oh, how I hate spiders. I like lizards, snakes, and mice. But keep those creepy, 8-legged things away! I am that girl, who upon finding a spider (mostly small and harmless), will yell for her husband to come kill it. Every time. And he hates it.

I mean, I have lived on a ship for 6 months out to sea. I gave birth. I have a 4 year old and a 13 year old. Both girls. You would think I could kill a little ol' spider. Ugh! It gives me the heebie-jeebies! And of course, when I HAVE to kill one (like when my hubby isn't home), it takes me awhile. And it isn't very pretty. Actually, you would probably be a little embarrassed for me. But you should see what a big shot I am when I kill that sucker. I mean, I am one tough cookie. Don't mess with mama, the spider slayer!

And just because I DID NOT want to go searching for a spider to get a picture of for this challenge, I asked my 4 year old to draw me a picture of the scariest spider she could.

Well, not very scary, is it? Her exact words: "Well, I wanted it to be a cutie spider!"

She is so 4, and so a little girl! Who else would make a spider "cute"? Haha love it! This is a baby spider in her web. The flowers are potted, sitting on a windowsill.  The spider has a pacifier in her mouth and a little curl with a bow. So adorable! Makes me rethink my fear of spiders...........

Nope. They are still creepy.