LOST!!!!!

I just am so excited! Lost season priemer starts in 1 hour the 2 hour season priemier. I have been waiting for a long time for this!!!!!!

We had BAD storms last night!

I think a lot of places had bad storms last night! Here is some of the damage that was done VERY close to our house!

This is the county school bus garage right across the street from our house. They are trying to buy some land to build a new one, as you can tell it is in really bad shape!

This is where we keep our garbage cans. This is the back part of that building's roof. Al lot of it was in the street, the fence seemed to catch most of it!

This is another picture from where we keep our garbage cans, you can see the whole wood beam that came off!

This is our driveway. you can see the metal from the garage roof right on it. Dh might have moved it over a little when he left this morning. Our car was in the garage. After the tree fell on our car there we do not park there anymore, good thing!

This is a building right next to the bus garage. If you look above the power line, you can see the big hole in the roof. You can also see some of the roof from the bus garage on the side there.

Wordless Wednesday-Finally Giving Up!

(The twins refuse to take a nap for me, even though they need one! Here, they finally gave up fighting.)
For more Wordless Wednesday Pictures go to 5 Min For Mom

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival

Note: I am extending this contest until Sunday!

Hello and Welcome to Food, Fun and Family! For this giveaway, I am giving away Christmas With Southern Living 1991. It is pictured above. Here are the rules. ~

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1.All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. If you are a non-blogger remember to leave a valid email with your comment! (Only one comment per person will be accepted!)

2. Contest closes on Friday Feb 1st in the morning. Winner will be chosen by random generator and announced sometime on Friday.Contest is open only open to US residents.

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To see tons more giveaways in the bloggy giveaways carnival go here.
Good Luck!
I also have another giveaway on my other blog, go check it out!

Monday Weigh-In Morning

Well it's Monday Weigh-In Morning and I am smiling on the other side of the computer! I weighed in today at 306! That is another 7.6 pounds off! That's 17.8 pounds for me! I am so excited! In just a few weeks, I will probably meet my first goal of being UNDER 300 pounds and I am so excited! I just want to say thanks to everyone who comes and cheers me on at this blog and my other blog! To see all of my progress go here.

Menu Plan Monday

Here's my plan:

1. Five Can Soup- 3 points, Angel Biscuits-1.5 points each
2. Cheese Pizza to Die For!-4 points
3. Stove Top Meatloaf Muffins-2 points, green beans, mashed potatoes
4. Chicken Divan- 4 points
5. Baked Spaghetti- 6 points
6. Lemon Pepper Fish, Light Garlic Biscuits
7. Deep Dish Pizza Casserole-6 points

Dessert this week: Angel Food Cake

New Breakfast Recipe I am trying- Buttermilk Pancakes

Go here to see more plans.

Reading

Just wanted to post that I have been reading, just have not had time to post my reviews, but I will get to it soon. So, stay tuned!

Hot Dogs and Lunch

Yesterday I did cook dinner, but we did not eat it, (dh got a pizza)so I was planning to eat it for lunch. It was really good cola chicken! Well, I went searching for lunch for the kids today, I have had my older son home every day this week because of the weather and he is about to eat up all the twins snacks! I found a package of hot dogs and cooked them. The kids loved them. I knew that I had the cola chicken, but man the hot dogs smelled so good! I really wanted one. Well, I went to see how much one hot dog would be. 6 points for 1 hot dog with a bun. Ack! I really wanted one! I knew though that 1 would lead to me wanting another. 2 is what I usually eat. So, I decided not to do it, but I really want it. I decided to eat the 4 point chicken and make myself some 0 point Progresso soup so that I could get some veggies. Veggies are more important than hot dogs right? I have tried the turkey dogs but I really do not like them. So, how do you all do it with kids? Trying to stick to your diet but having to cook for them too? I am still dreaming about that hot dog. Can you gain weight just dreaming about a food? LOL!

I am LOVED! and I ROCK the Crib!

Who loves me and who thinks I rock the crib you ask? Well, Natalie has given me the loveable award and the you rock the crib award. Thanks Natalie! The second award was created by Nap Warden. Now I have to pass them on to some of my fellow bloggers. So, here goes.

1. Beth is first on my list today because I love reading about her kids and all the books she reads! So she rocks the crib in my book!
   
2. Renee is second on my list, and these are in no particular order. I love her blogs, yes she has more than one. I learn so much and she is an avoid reader too! So, she is loved and rock's the crib too. She asked for prayers on her blog when Nathan had his incident and that really meant alot to me! Here is her book blog you should check out if you like books or have kids who read.
   
3. Mari is third on my list, again these are in no particular order. Mari also sent out a prayer request on her blog when Nathan had his incident. She checked up on me and him and even informed her readers and she put this cute little picture of Nathan on her blog. She really did not have to take so much time out for Nathan and me but she did because she has a lovable blog and she definitely rocks the crib! So, I want to give them to her. She also has a really neat recipe blog that you should check out!
   
4. And last, remember these are in NO particular order, is Jenn. Jenn has a loveable blog too and she is a fellow twin mom. I worried Jenn sick because she did not hear back from me when Nathan was sent to another hospital and I truly could feel the love and worry she had for me. So, Jenn you have a loveable blog and you rock the crib!
   

Lastly, I can't give this out to everybody, but I want to thank all of you for all you did, prayers etc. when Nathan had his incident. It meant the world to me to know people who did not even know me were praying for us! I know it made a difference too! You would never know the whole incident happened if you look at Nathan today. Here is a recent picture of him. He is still the same monkey child as he always has been, into everything! But I think and know that I am a different person! I learned so much from others and a lesson on forgiving yourself! I also learned that life is so precious! You never know when your child might not be here the next day. I have spent so much more time with all of my children since this happened! I want to make ever hour I spend with them count! Some people say things happen for a reason. I think now looking back there may have been many reasons, but believe me I do not want to go through that again and I am doing EVERYTHING I can to prevent it from happening again. So, I just want to once again thank everyone!

You Make My Day Award!

Renee passed this award on to me. So I am going to pass it on to a few blogs that make my day from reading them each morning! The blogs I pick need to pass it on!

1. I love to read Kate's blog. She always has something interesting on there and I love her play list of songs. I used to just keep my computer page up and listen to her songs while I worked!
2. Tammy's recipes is a place I love to visit she is always cooking up something neat and her husband makes wonderful cheesecakes that she post on there! She just had a baby so you should go visit her.
3. Natalie's blog is another place I like to visit each day.

There are probably many more that I could add to this list! I visit a lot of really neat blogs!

Cola Chicken

I made this for dinner last night, when dh brought home a pizza. The pizza was good. I heated the chicken back up for lunch today and it was really good!
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Cola Chicken recipe
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4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 cup catsup
1 (12 ounce) can diet cola
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Put chicken in nonstick skillet. Pour catsup and diet cola over the top. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes.
Uncover, turn up the heat and continue to cook until the sauce becomes thick and adheres to the chicken.
4 servings - 4 WW points per serving

Yoplait Yogurt Free Coupon!

I know lots of my readers have kids so I thought I would post this free coupon offer for Yoplait Kids yogurt. Those are the ones with Dora on them. My kids like them and they are thicker so they can eat them on there own! Go get your free coupon today.

Super Bowl Sunday Edition of Favorite Ingredients Friday

In preparation for next Sunday's Super Bowl XLII, New England Patriots vs. New York Giants, it's time Favorite Ingredients Friday Super Bowl Sunday Edition II recipe exchange! Overwhelmed with Joy is asking for recipes you would make for Super Bowl Sunday like appetizer, side dish, salad, or any other type of recipe that you'd find yourself serving at or bringing to a Super Bowl Sunday party! I do not really enjoy football, I come from Basketball country after all! But here is an appetizer that I found on The WWChic that I just loved! As, most of you know I am counting WW points and trying to lose 100 pounds! I know big goal! I have decided that I am sharing healthy recipes on this blog this year. That does not mean I do not love the unhealthy ones, but they got me where I am today! I could always use cheerleaders so come visit me at my new weight loss blog, Honey I Shrank, Myself! I share recipes that I make that are healthy there too. Hope you enjoy this one!
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Pizza Dip
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16 oz fat free cream cheese, softened
1 c low fat spaghetti sauce
2 c WW mozzarella shredded cheese (I can't find this here so I used FF Cheese)
garlic powder to your liking
Italian seasoning to your liking
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Spray a 8x11 casserole dish with PAM. Mix cream cheese & seasonings together in a bowl. Spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish. Layer the spaghetti sauce on top of the cream cheese. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 350.
1/6 of the casserole is 4 points.
Believe me this is yummy! I ate it with the WW Bagels! (Make sure you add your points for the bagel)

For more great recipes go to Overwhelmed With Joy!

Betty Crocker also has some great game day ideas.

My son's school project-Native American Rattle

I hate school projects with my son! I have a hard enough time getting my 2nd grader to do homework, much less doing a big project. This time, he went online and picked a project by himself and with his dad's help completed it. He has been out of school for two days because of bad weather and he has researched information about his project and he will finish his paper tonight that must accompany the project. This time he had to make something to do with Native Americans. He ended up making this Native American Rattle. The rattle was an instrument of independence and was used during ceremonies and dances. The rattle refers to 3 kingdoms. The animal kingdom is represented be the feathers used for decoration. The mineral kingdom is represented by the rocks used to make the noise of the rattle. The plant kingdom is represented by the wooden handle on the rattle. The rattle has become a symbol for music, dance, and medicine as well as spirituality. When used for meditation, it is said to clear ones mind. Native Americans used rattles to find their spiritual energy. The beating of the rattle helps break up stagnant energy that is blocking the natural flow within your body. It can also help us focus on our souls.
This was an interesting project, but I am glad it is pretty much done.

Slow Cooker Thursday-Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

Here is a recipe on my to do list right now! It looks yummy! I put the wrong recipe up last week. It was not a slow cooking recipe. I am sorry.

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

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4 chicken breasts (halves)

pkg. Stove Top Stuffing

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 can FF cream of mushroom soup
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Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on bottom of crockpot. Pour broth over the chicken. Mix together the stuffing and soup. Place on top of the chicken.Cook on low for 7 hours.

Serves 4

8 WW Points
Nutrition Information:403 Cal., 5.1 g. fat, 1.3 g. fiber

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Slow Cooking Thursday is sponsored by Diary of a SAHM go look there for more recipes.

Wordless Wednesday

(I just saw him sitting there and snapped this picture. BTW, he was singing. And, yes he has one of his boots on and one of his sisters, lol!)
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For more Wordless Wednesday Pictures go to 5 Min For Mom

My Weekly Weigh In!

Just a little update on my weight loss. Well, I am down to 313.6! That means that I lost 2.2 more lbs. this week. That is a total of 10.2 for me! I am so excited. ( To see all of my progress, go here. You can also see my before pictures there that have a new look. Thanks Tammy!) I had a really rough week too. I ate out twice. Last night my dh ordered pizza and it had pepperoni on it. I ate one huge piece. (They were all huge!)They were cute in huge pieces. I did not even count my pounds yesterday. I hope everyone eats that pizza today so I am not tempted to eat it today. I know it was BAD because I had grease running down my hands from it! It is from a new Pizza place in town that dh really wanted to get a pizza from.(They had a special) I also went on a church trip and it was hard because I really did not know what to pick because I did not know where we were going beforehand and could not do research on the points for that restaurant, but I ended up doing pretty well. I was kind of surprised that people at church yesterday asked me if I was losing weight. I told them I had lost about 10 pounds and they told me that they could tell. That made me feel so good! I have not really felt like I had lost anything except in my stomach, it has felt a little different this week. I am so glad I made this decision and I really hope I can keep it up. My small goal right now is to get below 300 pounds. I have a closet full of clothes that would probably start fitting me again!

Menu Plan Monday

Here's my menu for the week:

1. Cola Chicken- 4 points
2. Mom's Cheese Pizza-4 points
3. Stovetop Meatloaf Muffins-2 points
4. Baked Spaghetti- 6 points
5. Deep Dish Pizza Casserole- 6 points
6. 6 Points Chicken- 6 points
7. Chicken Divan- 4 points

Desserts: 1 pt banana bread, No Guilt Chocolate Cream Pie

Go here to see more plans

All At Once :(

I know I have so many things to be grateful for and I am. I know in this life that we are suppose to have trials, but when they hit you all at once it is just so hard to take! We had a tree fall on our car, our other car brake down, this ordeal with Nathan, and now my other car(the only one that works) has a bad leak in it. It will probably cost us about $100 to get the leak fixed. The car that doesn't work is going to cost us about $200 at least to fix. We got the money from the insurance to fix the car hit by a tree but until we get our other car running, we will not get the other car done because we will be without a car for two weeks when they fix the damage from the tree! Arggg..... I just want a break! I want things to start going right for once. I know that all of these things have me so stressed out! I just want a break!

FIF-Cheese Pizza to Die For!

Cheese Pizza with WW Points
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1 (13.8-oz) tube of refrigerated Pillsbury classic pizza crust*

1 small 6-oz can tomato paste

(Use the flavor of your choice.) (I used no salt added and for one pizza I used a flavored paste basil, oregano, garlic, I thought that one was too spicy for my taste)

1 packet Italian Spaghetti Sauce Mix (Any brand is fine - McCormick, French's, etc.)

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (Or you can use a five-cheese blend like the one from Kraft which includes low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella, provolone, Romano, Asiaso, and Parmesan cheese) (I used a pizza blend that was low-moisture part skim mozzarella and cheddar)
* Alternately, you can use 1 box Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix, 1 package of refrigerated pizza dough, or any other ready-made pizza crust.

These are all roughly the same points value, but please note that the Nutritional Info below is based on the refrigerated 13.8-oz tube Pillsbury pizza crust.

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Preheat oven to 400º. Spray or grease cookie sheet or pizza pan. Unroll dough on greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Press to desired size, shape and thickness. Set aside.Place tomato paste, 6-oz of water (use the paste can to measure), and sauce mix in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes with a whisk. Top dough with pizza sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Bake 10-15 minutes.

Yields: 8 slices

Nutritional Info:
(1/8 of pizza) 202.5 calories, 4.8 g. fat, 0.6 g. fiber (4 points per slice)
(1/6 of pizza) 270 calories, 6.4 g. fat, 0.8 g. fiber (6 points per slice)
(1/4 of pizza) 405 calories, 9.6 g. fat, 1.25 g. fiber (8.5 points per slice)

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For more great pie recipes go to Overwhelmed With Joy!

Update

Well things have pretty much gotten back to normal. The only problem is that Nathan has woken up every night since he has been home screaming! I think he is having nightmares about the whole ordeal! Poor guy. When he wakes up he just wants to be close to you and then he goes right back to sleep. I feel a lot better about not blaming myself and others have asked me questions about my lock box. I got it at Walmart for $20. I wear the key around my neck, but I really doubt they could get to the lock box even if they got the key. Just some extra precaution. I feel like sharing my story has helped me deal with it more. At least I can help other parents not have to go through what I did. I am a little more paranoid about everything he puts in his mouth now. One time it was just a goldfish. I felt so stupid. lol!

Cheesy Lasagna Soup

Cheesy Lasagna Soup (9 Ww Points)
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1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, sliced
2 large green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups water
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in olive oil, garlic and spices, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 cups uncooked mafalda (mini-lasagna noodle) pasta (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups Italian-style croutons
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
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Cook beef, onion, bell peppers and garlic in Dutch oven over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown and onion is tender; drain. Stir in water, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in pasta, brown sugar, Italian seasoning and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Set oven control to broil. Pour hot soup into 6 ovenproof soup bowls or casseroles. Top each with 1/4 cup croutons. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil soup with tops 3 to 4 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Makes 6 Servings. Per Serving: Calories 460 (Calories from Fat 200); Fat 12g (Saturated 8g); Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 830mg; Potassium 940mg; Carbohydrate 42g (Dietary Fiber 5g); Protein 28g -- % Daily Value: Vitamin A 40%; Vitamin C 65%; Vitamin D 4%; Calcium 26%; Iron 22%; Folic Acid 22% -- Diet Exchanges: 2 Starch; 2 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 2 Vegetable -- Weight Watcher Points - 9 Points -- Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/
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Slow Cooking Thursday is sponsored by Diary of a SAHM go look there for more recipes.

Wordless Wednesday- Teeth Problems

I think it's time to go to the dentist! LOL

For more Wordless Wednesday Pictures go to 5 Min For Mom

Also if you have small children, please read this post!

Works For Me Wednesday-Lock Boxes

This past weekend, I had an experience that no parent should ever have to go through! My 3 year old son ate some of my medicine. You can see the full story here. So, now I am on a mission to spread the word to parents to keep their medicines in a lock box. We bought the one in the picture on the way home from the hospital, it cost $20. I really though it was going to cost more than that. We now keep all of our medicines in that lock box and it is also on a high shelf and we put a door safety handle on that door, the handle was also very reasonably priced. You can also see that pictured above. If you have young children in your house you should really think about a lock box for your medicines. The bottles they come in say child resistant, but believe me when I tell you a child, even a 3 year old can open them! I really do not want any parent to have to go through what I did, so I am passing this word onto other parents. Also, my children go to their grandparents quite often and they have a ton more medicines than we do and I always see them laying around. So, grandparent this idea is also for you!

For more great WFMW post see Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

Weekly Weigh in

My weigh in day for my diet is usually on Monday mornings, but since I was gone yesterday I weighed in to day. I lost 8 pounds. Hooray! I plan on sharing my results on this blog too, but you can visit my, Honey, I Shrank Myself blog to see all my progress, results, daily food logs, etc!

Menu Plan Monday-Jan 14-20

Dinners for the week:

1. WW frozen meal
2. Crockpot Sour Cream Salsa Chicken
3. Tacos
4. Lemon Pepper Fish, salad
5. Cola Chicken, brown rice, green beans
6. Mini Pot Pies
7. Mom's Cheese Pizza

Nathan is doing so much better today!!

I have so much that I want to say. Actually, I am crying after seeing all the prayers that went out for my son Nathan. I know they all helped! First I want to tell everybody about what happened. Sunday morning, I heard someone up in the house. When I got up, I saw that it was Nathan. I did not have my glasses on but I saw something in his mouth he showed me and then when I got there to see what it was it was gone. At first I thought it was a penny, but when I went in the living room, I saw my blood pressure medicine bottle by the computer desk opened. I just about flipped out. I asked Nathan where my medicine was and he pointed to his heart. My dh came in and took Nathan and the medicine bottle to the hospital that is like 5 minutes from our house. They gave him charcoal. At the house I called my mother in law to come and get my other kids and started figuring out how many pills were missing. From what I could tell only one was missing and one capsule was open and I could tell it had been chewed on. They ended up flying him by helicopter to a bigger hospital that had a pediatric intense care unit. I was told that nobody could go with him. So I was really crying, but I tried to be happy for Nathan as they put him in the ambulance to take him to the helicopter pad. He was crying really bad. I have always put my medicine in our medicine cabinet after another experience I had had that Nathan got into them but he did not eat them that time. So, I thought keeping them up would help. I was really tired the night before and put my medicine on the top area of my computer desk and I ate a snack I was feeling really bad shaky and very tired as I had been up with Neil the night before because he had a fever from shots. No excuse I know but I left them there in the container that you get from the drug store, which is suppose to be child resistant, but believe me it is NOT! So anyways, I blame myself and it has been really hard for me to forgive myself. My parents live close to the hospital where Nathan was going and they got there and were able to see him soon after he got to the hospital so at least someone was there that he knew! We got there about 1 1/2 hours later and Nathan was so glad to see us. We got the drug test results back and he had, as I already knew, had the drug in his system. They monitored him all day yesterday and he slept most of the day. The bad thing would be that he would have a lowered blood pressure, but his body actually compensated for that and he had really high heart rate that was a little scary for awhile. The medicine was an extended release so the time that something could happen was extended and that made it even scarier. Nathan woke up this morning at 6 am and he seemed fine. He wanted out of the bed wanted to play etc. I know so many prayers went out for him and I am so thankful! I am also blessed that there were not a lot of pills in the bottle and that something made me wake up and hear him and I know this could have been much worse and with different results. We stopped at a Walmart on the way home and bought a lock box and all of our medicines are in that box and I made sure I had no cleaning supplies out, I keep them all up high. I am a little emotional right now. I feel like I have been through ALOT! I was scared to death and actually I am still scared! I still feel so bad about what I did even though everyone tells me accidents happen. I am working on trying to forgive myself, I think right now that is the hardest part!!! But I am sooo blessed to have friends like all of you out there praying for my son. Thank you all so much. I wish I could have got word to you sooner, but even the small message I left, my dh was screaming we have to go, but I really knew my son needed the prayers and I thank you all lots!

Please Pray!

They took my son Nathan by Helicopter to Leaxington and I am going there now. Please prayfor him. He ate something he was not suppose to. Please tell others who know me on boards to pray! I don't have time to tell everyone.

Lorie

Mental Heath Day

Today I had what I like to call a mental health day. I have not really gotten many of these so they are really special! My dh stays home and I get the day to myself to do what ever I want! I went to the library, Food City and Wal-mart. I am kind of boring , I know. But I really had a great time. The thing that I remember most is the silence and how much I loved it and miss it! I remember when I was single being so lonely I wanted a family of my own so bad and I was LONELY. I remember driving in my car and being so unhappy because I was so lonely. Well, 9 years later I am spending the day by myself and loving it. I miss that quietness, getting to be by myself, and choosing what I want to do without asking anyone and just worrying about my needs and nobody else's. So, why was I so unhappy and lonely back then? Hmm? Now, I miss that and want it back. Now don't get me wrong, I still love my family and would not trade them for the world, but I just find it interesting that what I had and thought I did not want anymore that now I miss it some days.
Now I am really kind of tired! I stayed up most of the night with my youngest last night. He has pink eye and he got some shots yesterday. Keeping his fever down was hard last night and it just made him feel bad. He also has this terrible swollen red eye that just looks nasty. I wish I knew where he picked it up from because none of the other kids have it. I hope this medicine that the doctor gave me does the trick and that he sleeps better tonight!

FIF Pie Edition

Since I am doing WW points, any recipes will be using those points. Here is a yummy pie!

Warm Chunky Apple Pie
10 large apples
1 cup Splenda sugar substitute
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Peel and cut apples into chunks and place in a crockpot.
In a small mixing bowl mix splenda, water and cinnamon.
Pour over apples. Cook on Low setting for 4-5 hours stirring occasionally.
Serve warm with fat free Cool Whip for 0 added points!
Serving size- 1 cup WW Points 1 point
For more great pie recipes go to Overwhelmed With Joy!

10 Things I Have Learned After Being on a Diet For Three Days!

Well, I have been on a diet for 3 days now and I have learned a few things about eating better and food. Here are 10 of them!
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1. Dieting does not mean starving yourself, I feel like I get a lot of food with the WW points system.
2. I love salads. I can't believe I just said that! lol They make me seem fuller and use very few of my points.
3. That measuring is so essential! I could not believe it when I measured out two tablespoons of reduced fat salad dressing, it really is plenty!
4. I know when my snacky times are now and how to plan and what to eat so I don't just go raid the refrigerator.
5. For me planning my day's food is so important so I don't make BAD food choices. I guess it is kind of like going to the grocery store, if you take a list you are less likely to buy stuff you do not need.
6. Dieting is so much easier than I ever thought! Well, at least what I am doing this time it seems manageable.
7. That I have a lot of support from my family and friends and that that is so essential!8. I have looked at so many people's pictures on the web of their weight loss. So, I know it is possible, but I just can't picture what I would look like "skinny"!
9. Exercise is hard but important and I need to get my body used to it!
10. That when I am drinking so much water, I don't reach for diet pop. Yesterday I only had 1 and I probably could have done without it.

Slow Cooking Thursday

I stated a new diet on Monday. Here is what I made for dinner last night in my crock pot. My kids loved it too! This is on my weight loss blog. Enjoy!
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Busy Day Chicken and Rice
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Slow Cooking Thursday is sponsored by Diary of a SAHM go look there for more recipes.

Bread Machines

I have a bread machine and I love it. Amy Clark from mom advise.com gives a segment on how this machine can save you money. Go watch it here. I thought it was interesting.

Works For Me Wednesday

Today is backwards day on Works For Me Wednesday. Instead of sharing an idea, you ask a question that you need help with. I want to know about making money on blogs. If you do this what do you do, advertise, write advertisements, etc? How much money do you put into it. Did you have to have a special blog or does a regular blogger blog work. Just give me any other tips you have on making money from your blog. Thanks~
For more great WFMW post see Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer. Maybe you can help someone out with a question that they have.

I started my diet yeterday

Well I started my new diet yesterday! I feel so good about this! Come cheer me on at my weight loss blog. I need all of the support I can get. I think that the blog is really helping me. I can set goals there and talk about all the problems that I am having too. Come visit me on my journey to shrink myself!

Menu Plan Monday-Jan7th-13th

This week I start a diet. I find it so hard to start a diet with a family that you have to cook for too. Am I going to have to cook two meals? I don't know I have really not figured that out yet. We will see how this diet thing goes. I am committed to making it work though. I really need some cheerleaders so come on over to my new blog to see me shrink! I am sort of limited on funds so I am going to kind of try the Weight Watchers points program on my own. Come visit my new blog and cheer me on! Here is my plan for the week.

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Busy Day Chicken and Rice, green beans

BBQ Chicken Pizza, regular pizza for kids

Salmon Cakes, tossed salad

Lean beef burgers on wheat bun, kids will also have fries and corn

Five Can Soup, Easy 1 point Biscuits

Cola Chicken, brown rice, green beans

Chicken Pot Pie

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Go here to see more plans

2008 Reading Wish List

So, this year I think I am going to set a goal to read 40 books, but I hope to exceed that! I am also going to count my son's books that I read aloud to him, but40 books will be my own that I have read. I have already finished two this year. I started them last year but did not finish them until the 1st. I only have 30 some on my wish list because I want to be allowed to pick out a few and some of my authors that I like to read have not announced new books yet. Here is my wish list for this year.
1. Going Home-Wanda Brunstetter finished Jan 28
2. Anne's House of Dreams- L.M. Montgomery

3. Carrot Cake Murder- Joanne Fluke

4. St. Patrick's Day Murder- Leslie Meier

5. Stalemate- Iris Johansen
6. Quicksand-Iris Johansen
7. The Forbidden- Beverly Lewis
8. On Her Own- Wanda Brunstetter - finished Feb 12
9. Dear to Me- Wanda Brunstetter
10. A Sister's Test- Wanda Brunstetter
11. Sunrise- Karen Kingsbury
12. Summer- Karen Kingsbury
13. Someday- Karen Kingsbury
14. When the Soul Mends- Cindy Woodsmall
15. Glad Tidings- Debbie Macomber
16. Morning Comes Softly- Debbie Macomber
17. The #1 Ladies Detective Agency- Alexander McCall Smith
18. The Only Best Place- Carolyne Aarsen
19. A Thousand Tomorrows- Karen Kingsbury
20. Copper Crown- Lane von Herzen
21. Savannah's Garden- Debbie Macomber
22. Just Between Us-Deborah Bedford
23. Every Storm- Lori Wick
24. One for the Money- Janet Evanovich
25. Two for the Dough- Janet Evanovich
26. Three to Get Deadly- Janet Evanovich
27. A Time To Mend- Angela Hunt
28. The Elevator- Angela Hunt
29. The Canopy- Angela Hunt
30. Any Man of Mine-Carolyne Aarsen
31. Blessings- Kim Vogel Sawyer-finished Feb 28
32. Beginnings- Kim Vogel Sawyer finished Feb 5
33. My Heart Remembers-Kim Vogel Sawyer
34. On The Banks of the Bayou- Roger Lea MacBride -finished Feb24
35. Bachelor Girl-Roger Lea MacBride-Finished Feb27

Playing in the Snow!

The kids got up today and were so excited to go outside and play in the new fallen snow! Yes this is our first measurable snow. So, we got dressed and bundled up real good and while Neil was taking a nap, we went out for about 20 minutes. The kids got to try out their new snow boots they got for Christmas. It was 19 degrees and they screamed because they wanted to stay out longer! Then we came in and had Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was so cold! Here are a few pictures!

Just Before we went out.

Katie Sue

Nathan

Nathan

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Nicholas

This is what they both looked like when we came back in.

Reading Review 2007

Well, since this blog is where I write about all of the things that I read, I thought I would reflect on my reading the past year. In 2006, I read 51 books. That is the most that I have ever read in one year since I started keeping records of the books that I have read. My reading journal goes back to 2004. Last year, I set a goal of reading 30 books, mostly because I knew I had a new baby and I thought I would be reading less. Turns out, I read 62 books last year. Now 32 of those were books that I read aloud with my son , but I still count those. Here is my recap. I did not write reviews on alot of my sons books. I also learned that the first few I did not write reviews on, so I guess last year i started writing reviews.
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1.The Brethern-Beverly Lewis
2.The Storekeeper's Daughter-Wanda Brunstetter
3.The Quilter's Daughter- Wanda Brunstetter
4. The Bishop's Daughter-Wanda Brunstetter
5. The P.M.S. Murders- Laura Levine
6. Anne of Green Gables- LM Montgomery
7. Key Lime Pie- Joanne Fluke
8. Shoes to Die For- Laura Levine
9. Anne of Avonlea-L.M. Montgomery
10. Anne of the Island- L.M. Montgomery
11. Anne of Windy Poplars- L.M. Montgomery
12. A Merry Heart- Wanda Brunstetter
13. Looking For a Miracle-Wanda Brunstetter
14. Plain and Fancy-Wanda Brunstetter
15. The Hope Chest-Wanda Brunstetter
16. Uncharted-Angela Hunt
17. This Pen for Hire-Laura Levine
18. Last Writes-Laura Levine
19. Killer Blonde-Laura Levine
20. Waiting For Summer's Return- Kim Sawyer
21. One Tuesday Morning-Karen Kingsbury
22. Where Willows Grow- Kim Sawyer
23. Bygones-Kim Sawyer
24. When the Heart Cries-Cindy Woodsmall
25. A Sister's Secret- Wanda Brunstetter
26. Beyond Tuesday Morning- Karen Kingsbury
27. A Morning Like This- Deborah Bedford
28. When You Believe- Deborah Bedford
29. The Burnt House-Faye Kellerman
30. Dinasaurs Before Dark-Mary Pope Osborne
31. The Knight at Dawn-Mary Pope Osborne
32. The Boxcar Children- Gertrude Warner
33. Suprise Island-Gertrude Warner
34. Mummies in the Morning- Mary Pope Osborne
35. Night of the Ninjas- Mary Pope Osborne
36. Afternoon in the Amazon- Mary Pope Osborne
37. Sunset of the Sabertooth- Mary Pope Osborne
38. Midnight on the Moon- Mary Pope Osborne
39. The Survivors- Dinah McCall
40. Sweet Revenge-Diane Mott Davidson
41. Candy Cane Murder-Joanne Fluke, Diane Mott Davidson, Laura Levine
42. When the Morning Comes-Cindy Woodsmall
43. A Carol For Christmas- Robin Lee Hatcher
44. Return To Me- Robin Lee Hatcher
45. Twilight- Stephenie Meyer
46. The Parting-Beverly Lewis
47. Christmas in Camelot- Mary Pope Osborne
48. Dolphins at Daybreak-Mary Pope Osborne
49. Ghosttown at Showdown- Mary Pope Osborne
50. Lions at Lunchtime- Mary Pope Osborne
51. Polar Bears Past Bedtime- Mary Pope Osborne
52. Tigers at Twilight- Mary Pope Osborne
53. Dingoes at Dinnertime- Mary Pope Osborne
54. Civil War on Sunday- Mary Pope Osborne
55. Revelutionary War on Wednesday- Mary Pope Osborne
56. Twister on Tuesday- Mary Pope Osborne
57. Earthquake in the Early Morning- Mary Pope Osborne
58. Good Morning Gorillas- Mary Pope Osborne
59. Stage Fright on a Summer Night- Mary Pope Osborne
60. Thanksgiving on Thursday-Mary Pope Osborne
61. High Tide in Hawaii- Mary Pope Osborne
62. Piartes Past Noon- Mary Pope Osborne
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Later I will put up my Reading Wish List for 2008! Stay Tunned! My kids want to go outside and play in the snow, the first real snow of the year!

Book Review-Christmas in Camelot

Nicholas and I have been reading through this series and I have not written reviews on book that we have read together in a long time. This book was Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne. This book was very different than the others in this series. Jack and Annie usually help Morgan and travel to places in the Magic Tree house. This time they get an invitation to go back to Camelot only to find that it was not from Morgan or Merlin. When they get there, they go on a mission to save Camelot. This book differed in another way too. I think most of the books have the main characters traveling to real places in the past. This time they go to the Otherworld which like Camelot is not really a true place, so to me that was a little different. Also, this book was longer. Her books are usually 10 chapters long, but this one was about 16 chapters long. Still though even with the differences, I enjoyed the book and my son did too.

Book Review: The Christmas Shoes

After watching the movie, I decided to read the book, The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere. I am really glad that I read the book because it was a little different than the book. Basically the book is about two families and how one family is losing a mother to cancer and another family who is losing a father to his work. I cried through the book. It is a very short book, you could read it in one day. I don't want to give much more away, but I will say that I enjoyed it, even though I cried through the last two chapters. Make sure you bring your tissues to read this book.

Twins Birthday Party Pictures

My twins celebrated their 3rd birthday. We had to wait until Saturday to celebrate. It is so hard to do a birthday party because it is so close to Christmas. Here are some pictures I have been meaning to put up.

We had a Spaghetti and Meatballs Dinner, this is one of the twins favorite meals.

The cake. Nathan got in it before we got to eat, hence the spot. I also put three candles in each corner so each could blow out there own candles.

Singing Happy Birthday

Blowing out candles.

Neil enjoying cake. Now don't get on me he did not eat much.

Playing with their new toy a Doddle Pro board.

Their last gift was chairs that I got at Walmart at the end of summer for $1.50. They loved them but did not want to leave their Doddle boards.