Sweet Nothings! Happy 12 year Anniversary of getting engaged

In the past week, many memories have come to the forefront with my niece getting engaged. I wanted to share with you a letter I wrote the hubs to show how far we have come!

As time goes by there are certain memories that strike the cords of our hearts. They are the ones that year to year never fade, never diminish, and never go away. The times that will hold dear in your heart until the light fades.

The day that you walked into my life will always hold strong. Standing “tall” on one side of the “fence” while you slouched your way into my heart! Leaping from side to side, to show that you might be able to “accept” me, then being the knight in shining Umbros that saved the day, again and again!

The day that you asked me to be with you for life, chaos like usual all around us! You knew the times would be hard, not as hard as they actual were but you knew they would be there. You stood next to me when times were not so easy or pretty but you never faltered. When you did, you came back for another round, never giving up.
The day we said “I do” was just another step together into the great unknown. An unknown that we were meant to walk together.
Losing those who meant so much, gaining the two that mean more than anything in the world, always by my side, holding my hand no matter what! No matter the pain for either of us, at the end it was more than we could imagine, so much that it has long since been forgotten.

Each day is a new journey, ours to capture, ours to enjoy, ours to concur.
Each conquest is better than the last, each journey we travel together.

Thank you for being my best friend, my partner, my co-conspirator, my love!

Dinner Time!!

Yes it is that time of night again, time for dinner and what to have?
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy making dinner, food I can do, but baking is another story! But I have to admit that thinking about what to make drives me crazy! Not sure if anyone else has an issue with this, but when I ask my hubbster what he wants the usual "I don't care" comes out. That is why we have the monthly calendar of what meals to make and what we will be eating. Needless to say that the month on the calendar is on February, March had many of the same meals as Feb did since the fist 28 days were the same, it was the last 3 that were take out!
Now onto April, last night we did take out AGAIN... I hate take out, it is not only bad for you but expensive and the hubby does not eat left overs.

So I had to dig deep today to come up with something good to make. Something that would hit the spot, and since I was feeling sentimental from reading Mommy Always Wins last post, I thought of childhood and somethings that would make me feel happy. So after talking with one of the guys that hubby works with I came up with cabbage roll casserole. Something I have never made but if my 12 year old nephew could make it so could I. Well after the usual call to mom (because no new meal can be made without a call to her) I was given the recipe for one of the easiest and most heart and tummy warming meals. Here it is some pictures of the meal, sorry no step by step pics but the final results look great and trust me it was tasty!

What you will need:
1 small head of cabbage
2lbs of ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup of rice
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
2 1/2 cans of tomato soup
3 cups of water

Pre-heat oven to 350
Chop the cabbage into pieces and spread onto the bottom of a greased roaster pan or casserole dish
Brown the ground beef with the pepper and salt set aside
Par-cook rice while you are browning the rice
Once rice is par-cooked (still a little crunchy not fully cooked)add to the beef and add onion set aside
Mix soup and water together, simmer until mixed well.
Spoon mixture onto the cabbage and then add soup mixture
Put into oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours (if you don't par-cook the rice bake for 2 hours)
Check at 1 hour if cabbage and rice are tender then all set.

Enjoy!!!!

Memories

One thing I love to do is sit down and think about memories. Whether that be memories with the kids, with the hubby or with my family. I think that our memories are the best medicine for anything that may be bugging you, haunting you or just making you feel like you belong.

Memories have been known to make you laugh out loud in a crowded room, cry out of the blue or make you wonder where you belong in life. They are so strong, they can make or break your whole day.

Memories.... I love to sit down and think about times when the girls were little. Then I look at them know and see them laugh and run and think that they are creating their own memories, ones that I know they will cherish forever. Memories that they already talk about, from going to the Y or the elephant. I look at their smiling faces and know that they cherish them already.

Memories of mine that I cherish most are those with my dad, sitting on his lap while he read books to me, rubbing his "soft" shoulders on hot summer days, sitting on the floor reading the paper while he sat in "his" chair just 5 days before he passed away. That memory haunts me most, several times (including this time) I wish instead of reading the paper I had asked him all the questions that I had not in the past. Wishing he was still here so I could relive that moment. Taking back all the times that I did not talk with him when I called to talk with Mom. I know that he loved me and there are plenty great memories that I focus on when I want to cry.

Other memories that I love to think about are those that I have with the hubby. We have been together for over a decade and everyday is a new adventure. From walks on the beach on our honeymoon to the first moment when we found out we were having a baby. We have had our ups and our downs, we have beat video games together and built a home, but the most cherished are the ones that come every day. We have seen each other cry and laugh, be so made that our faces turn red, to being so happy that we have done the happy dance (which just happened when we paid off the car).

I love memories even if they make me cry, because it was has made me who I am and who I will be in the future. They are what will make the girls laugh and cry, they are what will keep me young when I am old!