Paying it Forward

Happy Valentines Day!!!

This morning I got up in a bad mood I had to travel early. I got up at 4:15am to leave the house by 4:30am. I was grumpy to say the least. I stopped at the local gas station, the parking lot resembled a ghost town, pumped my gas and decided coffee was most definitely in order. I fixed my cup of coffee and got up to the register, grabbed a $5 out of my pocketbook mad that I couldn't find a $1. A person got behind me in line and I was more than annoyed I had been standing there for at the least 2 minutes and no cashier in sight. The person behind me made small talk, I obliged, jokingly they said "you gonna buy mine this morning too?" I didn't even hesitate actually, and said absolutely. He was an older man, maybe in his 50's or so, the look in his eye when I said to the cashier that I would buy his too was worth it, like I had given him hope that there are still good people in the world. As I walked away he kinda just stood there not knowing how to react, as I walked out or the door I heard him say "I will get you back next time" I turned around and said, nah, pay it forward and buy someone else's. He said, I can do that. I got into my car and left, but as I drove away, I wasn't grumpy anymore, I was in a good mood. It was totally worth $1. I can only hope that sometime today that man will pay it forward and tell them the same and that some where in this county a chain reaction of feel good will go around.

So, sometime today do something nice for someone. Pay for the person behind you at Starbucks, let that person out in front of you in rush hour traffic, make small talk with the frowning cashier that just wants to go home. Show love, show people that good still exists. I promise you will feel good and so will that person and some type of chain reaction will happen. YOU can change a persons day!!!!

Yesterdays Meatloaf, and I ain't talking about the singer.

I am starting this as I stand in my corner and smells of bacon and beef are coming from the oven, how can you go wrong? BACON AND BEEF! mmmm.
So you know I used Pioneer Womans meatloaf recipe and if you know me well enough you also know I didn't follow the directions. So here is what I did, since I am old I have to type it now or else I will forget.

First. I didn't measure anything, never do, unless I bake. Then I quickly realized there is NO parsley in the house, none. I wasn't about to drag 2 toddlers down the street for parsley so brainstorm: Mrs. Dash! Perfect, hey, it has parsley in it. Next, some basil, I mean why not right? Probably somewhere around a teaspoon, heaping of each. Onion powder, God bless whomever realized you could dehydrated an onion and ground it to powder because my husband HATES onion texture but loves the taste, go figure. I on the other hand could eat them raw. So, I added onion powder and some finely minced garlic. Last but not least, I couldn't find the tabasco and I really didn't look too hard because my new love in the kitchen is sriracha sauce, the stuff is hot like it will melt your nasal passages hot but used in the right way it is amazing! SO about a Tsp and 1/2 but I tasted to make sure it wasn't TOO hot. Jason can literally dip his salmon in the plain sauce, I cannot.

I decided to go with Cheese Grits, If you have never had meatloaf on a warm sea of cheese grits, well, you just haven't lived. Here you go all plated up for you, go ahead, have a taste (and excuse my crappy cell phone photography skills)

It was so amazing, and I am going to have a meatloaf sandwich at lunch! I am so excited that I may have it for breakfast :D and then lunch, lol.

Well the troops are up and about now. I am chasing Gavin off the stairs and Avery is screaming at him "awwwww you're in big twuble" (all is normal).

I urge you all to try Pioneer Womans Meatloaf you can find the links in yesterdays post!
Hope you all have a very blessed day!

Lets talk FOOD!

I absolutely love food, I love to fix it, share it, photograph it, invent it and most importantly EAT IT. If you are on my Facebook then you know I LOVE food.
So, if you read my last blog post that I wrote today you would know I am feeling rather refreshed (It has been a trying week or two for sure) tonight I want to make something so yummy that you will cry. When I am too lazy to make up my own I go visit Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. She is so cute and amazing and classy. So that is what I did and tonight we are having her meatloaf I haven't decided whether I am going to serve it over a bed of cheese grits or mashed taters yet, but I promise it will be yummy, I wish you could all come and have a slice, I love my food but I love to share even more :D.

So what are you having for dinner tonight?

How can I pray for you today?

I have had a rough few weeks, ok, months and in those months I have found myself praying a lot. This morning at around 3:30 my daughter came into my room and I got up and got her settled back in. When I laid back in my bed I found myself refreshed, renewed and really was ready to get up, I knew I should sleep but I prayed for a while. In my prayers I asked for some guidance as to what to blog about today when I woke up (again) I felt that instead of about me lets make it about you. (and then I thought FOOD, so you get two blog entries from me today *gasp*)

So, how can I pray for you today? feel free to leave a comment, whatever it may be, no matter how small or how big it is to you.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.Philippians 4:13

It's so funny how you can go 30 years and a bible verse always mean the same thing, then one day out of the blue that verse has a whole new meaning to you.
I often referred myself to that verse (Philippians 4:13) when I was having a struggle through the day, month, year or even in life, I found mental strength in it. On January 8th, 2009 I found myself repeating that verse over and over when the Doctor told my that my son would be born with Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus that he may never be able to walk or have a "normal" life. Then again on May 11th 2009 as I struggled to walk down 2 halls after a c-section to see my helpless baby boy in the NICU, then again when I got to go home and he didn't and for the almost month that he stayed there. All those times I was looking to that verse for mental strength to get me through these things. Yesterday something amazing happened. Gavin WALKED, he just let go and WALKED. He had started doing it around lunch time and everytime it was unexpected and I was very unprepared to catch it on video then finally just after supper he was off again WALKING, BAREFOOT! Jason caught it on video and of course the video went viral through my family and friends. One person made me stop and think, a friend of my Mother said This gives special meaning to the words, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." a light bulb went off, chills ran up my spine and all of a sudden it had all new meaning to me. Physical strength.

I just want to stand on a Mountain top and scream at the top of my lungs, PRAISE JESUS!

I am so very proud of all my Children, they are each very amazing and I have been so very blessed to be able to be their Mother.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.Philippians 4:13

WE went from this....



to this...


Glory to God!!