The Blessing of life... dont waste it.

As i sit here and write my mother is in an ICU unit across town. At any minute the infection in her lungs can spread to her blood and kill her. At this hour I am forced to look at the life she has lead, a life truly wasted. Growing up in a privledged family didnt inspire her to create that kind of life for her children, it inspired her to rebel, to make life a party. Simple things she couldnt do without the aid of drugs. She spent my entire childhood in the back bedroom getting high. Adultry, stealing, it was like she went down the list of ten commandments and broke them one by one.

Now I'm not trying to get pity, oh we had a bad childhood, my brother and i raised each other. In fact, far from it. I look at my mother's wasted life and see how to live mine-the polar opposite. Be good to your children. Wake up and ask yourself "How can i make my husbands life better today?" Teach my daughter how to cook and my son how to treat a woman. Greet everyone warmly, and with cookies when applicable. :) In a way, my mother's life wasn't a complete waste, because it showed me how to live my own. And if, by some miracle she pulls out of this without becoming a vegetable, i plan on donning my apron, inviting her over for brunch and showing her what kind of daughter she raised by accident.

Now is the time of year that i crave spring. Canning our own vegetables, jam cooking on the stove, going out and weeding and tending to the garden. There is something so wonderful about growing your own food. When my daughter plays outside in the summer she likes to run down to the garden and eat some cherry tomatoes, or run to the trees and munch on mulberries before resuming her game. I love it. I love being self sufficient! That country goodness, a warm pie baking in the oven, homemade jam on your toast, getting up in the morning to see your hard work has paid off and you have provided for your family. nothing is better. i miss the smell of freshly cut grass, with a faint smell of onion in the air because we have wild green onions growing in our yards. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I made some great cookies today, they were the epitome of springtime.


2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 T zest
Juice of one small tangerine and 2 tablespoons of zest
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup white sugar


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the tangerine and lime zest and juice with the milk, let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the lime and tangerine zest and juice and milk mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, blend into the creamed mixture. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, stir together the remaining lime juice and sugar. Brush onto cooled cookies.



and some new pics of my kitchen... i love the country theme, and i love to cook and bake in it. i cant wait till i can have fresh spring air wafting throughout my home, refreshing everything. believe it or not, i cant wait to spring clean! lol!





and pics of the babies ♥



Hey dog what are u doing?



tickle tickle!

stupid pics

anyone know why it is only showing half my pics????

Happy Holidays to all!

Happy holidays to all! i hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. its officially over and quite frankly i couldnt be happier! it turned out great, but im glad i can stop stressing. now i just get to stress about redoing my kitchen and wishing spring would hurry the hell up!! i have seasonal affective disorder BAD BAD BAD this year. i have been getting so depressed! i hate not being able to open up my house. i crave spring cleaning. i cant clean like i want to until its nice outside to let out all the dust i stir up. o well. heres some pics to take my mind off of things.

My kids love each other

hes such a nursey baby

he hated santa

Silly girl

My goofy husband, i love him

How did i get this lucky??

my cuddlebug Zoe

Tis the season to thank all the loved ones who made 2008 such a great year. So thanks. 2008 was the best year of my life. Got married! Had a baby! its been wonderful. here's hoping 2009 is as good or better.

resolutions.

Last year the resolutions were the same.... manage money better, make time for my poor neglected husband, keep a cleaner house... etc etc. (except the losing weight one we have added this year, last year i was 5 months pregnant ringing in the new year)

Sadly, not much has changed. Every time throughout the year, as my desk is cluttered with paperwork, we spend another friday night knee deep in laundry and children and bills (and not in each others arms) i would look back at the resolutions i have made on that night and sigh, think a sad little thought of what could be, then wipe the breastmilk off that had run down my all-too-chunky stomach while i was lost in throught.

Not this year. this year there are No Resolutions. i have thought about it, i have even silently made myself these little promises already this year. Well now its all off. i no longer have resolutions. that way, when i inevitably break them, i will not be disappointed. I will go through the year and when i dont lose 20 lbs, or keep a cleaner house, or make a biweekly standing date with my dear husband i will not be failing at a resolution. but when i DO get something accomplished off of my ever-long list of self improvement i can do a happy dance and not feel like i was doing it to make a resolution true, but to better myself and my life. Why make promises you cant keep?? I prefer small, silent goals that push me in the direction of a better me. so no full blown resolutions this year. just gonna go with the flow, wherever that may take me.

Ending thought- Where are Max and Rubys parents?? Freakin orphan bunnies.

taking a break

sneaking on here to take a break from the millions of things i should be doing on this, the day of christmas eve. One year ago today my husband proposed to me :) better late than never i guess, since i was 4 months pregnant :insert eye roll here:. For the whole year last year i spent every major holiday and milestone thinking "is this going to be the day he proposes to me??" so he waited till christmas eve. it was cute though! i love him.

christmas party tonight with the large italian side of my family. its the most stressful part of the holidays. they are all so rich and gorgeous with big fake boobs, and i spend the whole time faking my way through conversations that try to make me seem educated and a hell of a lot older than 21. oh and i didnt mention that i spend the whole night listening to my grandma badmouth my mom AND dad (her own son) in broken english. that= not fun. and my brother isnt goin to these functions anymore so i dont even have the solace of hiding with him in the corner making fun of everyone. whats a girl to do???

well, kids are crying. better get off here and perform some motherly duties. cant wait to play santa tonight which means chowing down all the butterscotch walnut cookies we made this morning. YUM!

Holday Stress

Who has time to bake 80000 cookies, come up with a fabulous italian marinated vegetable salad, put her mother in a nursing home, find a home for a cat, sell a car and all of a homes' belongings, take care of 2 kids and a husband and 2 dogs, and still have more thrown on her plate?

Me.

Apparently people dont think i have enough to do!!!

my christmas shopping isnt done. my house is a mess. my poor children are neglected. that bottle of jack daniels i mentioned in my previous blog has been upgraded to a nice 2006 spotlece that didnt last one night in my house.

and yet, it is all worth it. think im crazy??? read this.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode only one creature was stirring, & she was cleaning the commode.The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds, while visions of Play station 3 & Barbie, flipped through their heads.The dad was snoring in front of the TV, with a half-constructed bicycle propped on his knee. So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter, which made her sigh, "now what is the matter?"With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand, she descended the stairs, & saw the old man. He was covered with ashes & soot, which fell with a shrug, "Oh great," muttered the mom, "now I have to clean the rug.""HO HO Ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake." "Your gift was especially difficult to make,""Thanks , Santa, but all I want is time alone,""EXACTLY!" he chuckled, "so , I've made you a clone.""She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.You'll relax, take it easy, watch The Young & Restless.""Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "MY dream has come true!" "I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a night through!"From the room above, the youngest did fret."Mommy?! come quickly, I'm scared & I'm wet."The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart.""Hey," the mom smiled, "she sure knows her part."The clone changed the small one & hummed her a tune,as she bundled the child in a blanket cocoon."You're the best mommy ever. I really love you."The clone smiled & sighed, "And I love you too."The mom frowned & said, Sorry, Santa, no deal."That's my child's love she is trying to steal."Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear, only one loving mother is needed here."The mom kissed her child & tucked her in bed."Thank you Santa, for clearing my head. I sometimes forget, it won't be very long, when they'll be to old for my cradle & song."The clock on the mantle began to chime.Santa whispered to the clone, "it works every time."With the clone by his side Santa said "Goodnight. Merry Christmas, dear mom, you will be all right."


dont credit it to me, i didnt write it. whoever did is pretty damn awesome though!

and ill leave you (shelby, my one and only follower) with this.....

Chuck norris walked through town with a massive erection. There were no survivors.