Blessedserenity's Weblog

October 31, 2008

Digital Scrapbooking

Filed under: Crafts — Tags: , — Serenity @ 7:04 pm

Digital Scrapbooking. WHO LOVES IT! besides me anyway. Last night Tony was feeling particular loving and bought me some new software. PrintMaster is awesome for scrapbooking and card making. As well as calenders and whatnot fun stuff! Anyway and I found like a GOLDMINE of a forum for freebies, PLUS they are having a halloween blog train. OF FREEBIES! LOTS AND LOTS OF FREEBIES! It took me about 2 hours to download them all. :) BUT im not stingy, i gotta share! Go get some freebies!!!

The Forum, You must join. Its free!

The halloween blog train freebies!

MORE freebies. Lots of them!

So check out this site, There are tons of freebies, a great forum, not to mention GIVE AWAYS!

Like this one

Isnt this set awesome! Its perfect for so many things. Summer sets, kids, pets, anything. The pages are nice and colorful, some beautiful embelishments I would love to have it in my collection! Its awesome.

Sky Watch

Filed under: Pictures — Tags: — Serenity @ 2:56 am

Sky Watch Friday, Visit the site on my blog roll! Check out some beautiful skies!

And some more, please click to view, they are LOVELY shots!

October 30, 2008

Early Halloween photos

Filed under: People, Pictures, boys — Tags: , , — Serenity @ 5:05 pm

Well tonight is the night. We start carving our pumpkins! Im going to go and google some fun images to put on our pumpkins! I can digitally enlarge the prints with photoshop to abou 1.5 times the size as they should be, or at a bit bigger then an 8X10, print it out over 2 pages and viola we are ready to carve.

In reality i wanted to carve the pumpkins a few days ago, but we live in an apartment building and there isnt anywhere to put the pumpkins. Inside and they will Rot rather quickly, the hall is kinda cool but im not sure if the teenagers will leave it alone. Likewise outside the complex. Im afraid the teenagers will smash them. And i know Brennan would be crushed. I think im going to just put them in the Hall after we carve them. They shouldent be bothered and they should survive 2 nights. I got 3 pumpkins, but i might only carve two. Stew the other one to make strained pumpkin for REAL pies this thanksgiving. MMMMM

Last night was a small carnival for the kids at a compex out here. It was put on by a church. They had a bounce house and some games. Plenty of Candy. While it lasted about 3 hours, i took the kids home after the first hour. We missed some shows and the fireworks but it started at bedtime and i was pushing it keeping them up for that extra hour. Oh well. Tomarrow the church is having a trick or treat thing, and Brennans school is having a carnival. I forgot to buy tickets ahead of time, but i can get them at the door. I figure its best to be inside and warm when our tempratures have been about 16 degrees the last couple of days.

Before i go, A halloween preview.

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Ok you have to admit THIS is a cool costume lol. I dont know the kid i just thought his costume was cute.

October 29, 2008

Wordless

Filed under: Pictures, boys — Tags: , — Serenity @ 9:24 pm

Oh the joys

Filed under: Brennan, Tony and I — Tags: , , — Serenity @ 9:02 pm

so you are to be treated today. Last night somehow, all the the passwords were erased from my PC. Which for most things, like myspace, this blog, facebook, and a few other places i visit which require a password, isnt a big deal. They are all very similer. What it ment, was the super different, top secret password to my diary is gone. While that password is a veriation of all my normal passwords. It however is case sensative, something other sites dont do. So if i miss one capitol, then i miss the password. Do you even know how many veriations there are of my typical 6 letter password? For one, half of them have an additional 4 letter word on them. Some have a bunch of numbers, and some are combos. And this one, is the mega of them all.  So ill write here, I cant live without my daily blogging. Lol.

So Yesterday i wrote how tired i was, By the end otf the evening i was feeling so sick i thought i had the flu. I was freezing, no matter what or how many blankets i used, i was still freezing.  Top it all off i was feverish, stuffed up and generally felt like crud.

When we went to bed it was pretty early. Conner fought for about an hour before nursing himself to sleep. And guess what. He slept untill 11 pm today! Oh yeah, now that was nice. A 12 hour streach to just sleep! Thankfully Tony gets up with Brennan in the morning before school because i woke up feeling much better today. Not top knotch but pretty good.

A shower, some workout clothes and a cup of Emergen-C later i felt good enough to do a half hourworkout on the WII Fit. For those curious, ive lost 1.5 lbs so far! WOO HOO! MY goal is 20 lbs off to start, after that 20 comes off, another 20 will be set to go, once those pesky 40 lbs are gone, i should be back into a size 3-5 ( depening on my huge hips! I was a 3 before, but 2 kids changes hige hips lol. Hopefully at most a size 7. Im tired of being 40 lbs overweight.  Its not healthy and i dont feel good about myself. But im on the way! So that is good.

My biggest downfall to trying to loose weight is eating. I like to eat. And i like to eat alot. I can out-eat alot of men i know. Sad isnt it. Case in point, last weekend one of my husbands friends ( and mine) was visiting, he has about 40 lbs on me, and yet i ate probably twice as much lol. The worst i ever was, was pregnant with Brennan. I could outeat Tony who had about 100 lbs on me.  But that was pregnant, its different right? hehe.

Brennan will be home from school in 15-20 minutes. He is doing really well in school. We have monthly home visits with his teacher where they do evaluations and whatnot. Brennans memory test put his age at 7 years old! He is 4!! And his speach was between 7 and 8. He is one of the only ones in his class who can use buttons and cut out a circle. There were several other things but i forgot them. The teacher is very impressed with the clarity of his speach and how  quickly he picks up one things. I feel so proud of my man. I made sure to always speak very clearly to him, never baby talk, i went as far as to tell other people NOT to baby talk to him. She even told m that some children still had problems with the toilet, not my son, he was 18 months when he was potty trained. :D She told me at this point, he is ready to start kindergarden. The ONLY issue he has is being able to cut his own food up in school. He tends to scoop and take a bite out of things that he should cut. My bad, i cut everything up so small, i never thought about not needing to cut it up for him. Also she told me i need to let him start helping me with different chorse, like cleaning, putting things away, and doing dishes. I tend to do it because its quicker and i just DONT think of it.  So that was MY homework.

Im so proud of Brennan, he is such a gorn up little boy. And while he did have rocky start, he has adjusted very well to being with other kids and playing well.

Conner is still a bit sickish today. He just wantes to lay around. Which im letting him. Now that ive cooled off im feeling really tired again, the preassure is back in my head and i have ab it of a fever again. Looks like i couldent quite fight off the flu. It sucks. For 5 years i almost never got sick. But then Brennan was never out of the house either. This year, he is in school. HE never gets sick, But me? this is the 4th time sense he went to school. Not fair! Oh well. More Emergen-C, lots of rest, though the 12 hours did help last night, im still tired feeling. Maybe working out wasnt such a good idea? I dont know. Oh well.

Well my 15 minutes are up, Brennans bus will be here in 5 more minutes and i need to get my shoes on and brush my hair before going down to get him. So off I go. Ill try not to write a million entries in one day. :D Ill just come back if i feel the need to write again. :)

October 28, 2008

Sleep, Yes please

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Serenity @ 4:50 pm

I have not slept in 3 nights now. Conner has been up every night screaming for the duration. At first, the first two nights, he was sick, he had a fever and was unhappy. And i lived with that. Rocking him, nursing him if he wanted, doing whatever i could to get him to sleep. Last night, no fever, no signs of sick other then a bit of a stuffy nose which got much worse as the night went on. But all he did is cry. Cry all flipping night long.  Tony refused to go sleep in the living room. So i have to deal with being so tired im ready to die. No caffine at all, And Tony went to get himself Coffee of course, And Tony in the worlds worst mood and taking it out on me. As if its my fault Conner wouldent sleep. Oh to say nothing of Conner himself. The ryoal grump fuss.

My head is killing me and i have two meetings today. One with Brennans teacher and one with the Missionaries… I am so not up forany of it. But i have to be. I gotta get the house cleaned. Find a way to get Conner to sleep, and maybe nap a bit myself before 1 when Brennan gets home from school.

Conner= Best  birth control in the world.

Chicken Fried Steaks

Filed under: House and Home — Tags: — Serenity @ 2:28 am

Chicken Fried steak.
My husband loves chicken fried steak. Its the one thing he can be counted on getting when we go out to eat. So i had to find a recipie to make it myself.
Ingredients.
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 minute steaks
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup milk

Directions.

On a sheet of waxed paper combine 1/2 cup flour, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt garlic powder pepper and cayenne. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs an mix in water untill blended. Dip steaks in flour mixture, then in egg mixture, then in flour mixture again. Set aside.

IN 10 inch skillet, eat 1 1/2 teaspoon oil. Cook steaks 2at a time, turning once untill golden brown and cooked through. About 4 mnutes per side. Put steaks on a plate an keep warm. I place them in the microwave and close the door, it holds the heat well.

Whisk remaining 2 teaspoons flour into skillet and add in milk and salt. Cook, mixing continiously untill thickened and smooth. A dash of pepper can be added for exta flavor. Serve steaks with gravy.

Any kind of steaks can be used. Tenderize them by pounding them with a meat mallet to break down tough fibers.
Searve over mashed potatos flavored with chives and evaporated milk. Or As my husband likes french fries made fresh.

And that is the meal idea for today.

October 27, 2008

Fevers

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Serenity @ 8:58 am

Well while im up at 1 in the morning, lets talk Fevers.

You know most of the fevers are actually helpful to a body. Its the bodies way of fighting off an invading infection. So they are good. And oftentimes giving medication such as Tylanol inhibits the bodies ability to fight off said infection.

But there is something about seeing your 16 month old with a fever of 103.8 that makes you want to run screaming for the nearest ER. Eyes rolling back in the head, listless, crying a super thin cy that is bearly a cry.  More like a pained whine. With skin so hot to the touch that you could crack an egg on it. No im not making light of my sons fever. Im beyond tired from the super long and busy weekend ive had. Most of it semming from the fever that started late Friday night.

When he is like this, i have to remind myself, Tylanol every 4 hours, Motrin ever 6. Every 2 hours give a medication, make sure he drinks. And hardest of all, Fevers are normal, fevers are natural, Fevers are the bodies way of fighting infection.

But so help me God, if his fever is still near 104 when i get up im going to that doctor.

October 25, 2008

Drool fest

Filed under: Tony and I — Tags: , — Serenity @ 8:29 pm

Last night I went to Eskimo dancing, it was really awesome to watch. But the total drool fest was the photographer with two 5ds around his neck. With L series glass attached. Oh god, total drool. The sad thing, the assitant was probably younger then I am. But god i felt like smacking her with a chair and stealing the cameras around her neck. Beautiful beautiful cameras. I am so ready to get a 5d. Actually, i would be happy with the step down in the 40D. With some good lenses. Oh man you cant imagine how much i want one of those… Of course, the big wants, come with big pricetags. 3500 for the 5D. and a bit over1200 for the 40D…. Its worth it though. Steel and Magneasuim construction. Full framed cameras. mmmmm. Drooling even more.

Ok i must get off, stop thinking about the beautiful cameras and s tart a wish list. And hopefullyi ll be able to get the camera in another year… saving and all. And then all i need is 3 lenses. just 3…. Thats all i want….. Not including one of those L series, but man i would love one anyway. But im not a wedding photographer and that is what they are the best for…

But i have a newborn and a 3 month old shoot to edit. So i need to get on that and stop bemoaning what i DONT have… and start saving for what i want. What i do have is good, but i want more. Always want more right…

MMMM cameras.

Ok becuase i love you.

SUPER SUPER SUPER Sneak peak of Aylas Newborn session yesterday.

and one of her Cousin, Jaylyn 3 months old

Peaches

Filed under: House and Home — Tags: — Serenity @ 8:26 am

My mother in law gave me some freshly canned peaches, and my husband loves peach cobbler!

Peach Cobbler
Cobbler filling: 4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove the skins) 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon flour Cobbler crust: 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons brown sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown sugar, for topping Whipped cream
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Generously butter a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Place the sliced peaches in the dish and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and flour. Mix gently and spread evenly again. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile combine all dry ingredients for cobbler crust in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers, to make the texture like coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir to form a soft dough.
Remove fruit from oven and drop rounded spoonfuls of dough on top. Sprinkle with last tablespoon of brown sugar and return to oven. Bake until fruit is bubbly and crust topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

And Peach Crisp
Peach Crisp6 cups sliced peaches, an be fresh or canned. If canned put peaches in strainer untill well drained.2 tbsp honey1/12 mined candied ginger2 tbs cornstarch1 c unbleached flour1/4 c rolled oats1/3 light brown sugar packed4 tbsp butter or margerine, cubed and chilled3 tbsp chopped pecans- optionalfrozen fat free vanilla yogurt or ice cream
DirectionsPreheat oven to 350
In large bowl, toss peahes and honey sprinkle with ginger and corstarch.In medium bowl, combine flour oats and brown sugar. Using a fork, cut in margerine. Spoon peahes into a 2 quart baking dish, sprink oat mixture on top. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to ool 30 minutes before serving. As a bonus, top with yogurt or ice cream.*side note* Fresh peaches will loose their color, turning brown. To avoid this, coat slices with lemon juice right after cutting.

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