Happy Anniversary

As an almost empty nester I have been through many many lifetime changes.

I know it's hard to believe because I look so young (mhmm, I said that) - but believe me - this broad has a  lot of life under her belt.

Today is my 33rd wedding anniversary and I have to say that one sweet thing about getting older.  is that Wedding anniversaries actually get better.

I don't know, maybe it's a pride thing (wow we made it!),

Or maybe it's just that we experience so many things together that we feel like our bond is solid.

Maybe it's this little family we have created and it's our safe place,

Or maybe it's just that trusting in true love really is everlasting.

Because let's face it - if you have been in love for real you know that
  Love can be blissful
  Love can be hurtful
  Love can be messy
  Love can be beautiful
  Love can be ugly
  Love  can make us sane
  Love can make us crazy
  Love can be a scary place
  and Love can feel like a safe place.

If ever we needed to feel like we are in a safe place it's now.  But with that we just have to accept all the other things that come with it because most if not all of those "cans" in that list will inevitably be "wills" at one time or another - but here's the key - never give up!

Well, I feel kind of preachy today so I'm just going to post some pictures for you that represents my 33 years with the man that I promised I would go through life with ...

pre - marriage...

bliss...

a good day before the palsey

       today, still a good day, after the palsey                        

                   two beauties that God gave to us...

                         
                                  another special gift to our little family

















And after 33 years we can have a little more fun in gift giving for anniversary rather than following the anniversary calendar of silver, gold, white - whatever -  check it out!

the most decadent chocolate covered strawberries from our thoughtful daughters...  notice how they had to tell me to share - some things we just have to keep working on...ha

new running sneakers (or tennis shoes for you non-native north country-ers) as a gift of encouragement from my hubby!  How sweet!


Getting ready to hit the treadmill....

and of course since I am working on being healthier and that includes learning more about the worst job ever - food preparation, Ronnie knew these would give me some motivation...







One last word of advice:  a great way to keep a marriage healthy and happy is to know when some things just won't ever change...

Random Saturday Musing

Well it's Saturday and this has been quite a week.  

It started out great 





and then this happened 

that is my blowdryer (that I have had for at least 6 years) and as silly as it sounds, it has grown on me.  Because as all fine-haired girls know, you cannot live without a blowdryer,



SOOO........

TaDa!!!


(ok ok, this lasted about a week and I went out and bought a new one)  But I will miss my old staple of a hairdryer.  sigh






I know this seems trivial and ridiculous - but I have a love hate relationship with my hair.  I hate that I have thin fine hair but I'm glad I have hair.  But I also hate messing with my hair - blow and go - that's my hair motto - possibly a braid or barrette here or there.  But then even talking about hair and hair products seems so ridiculous to me.  There are so many more major things to be talking about.  I have so much product that I don't even use!

C'mon, how many of you have cupboards with this kind of stuff in them - in my defense some of them were gifts.  :)

Now to change the subject - today, I'm very tired, so this is where my mind went -  why am i tired?  Well...

For one thing Ronnie is sick.  Sore throat, fever, blah blah blah

   Honey!!!  I'm pretty sure my temperature is 201!  

Me:  turn it the other way around.  It's 102
Him:  Ohhhh.  Ahhhhh.  I can't take this....feel me am I hot? 
Me:  You'll be fine, go to sleep...
Him:  I can't sleep....feel my head
Me: No, you're all sweaty - I can see that you're hot...eww

three days now - yep three days -  poor guy really is sick, but seriously...

I tried to get him to drink Dragons Breath (ginger root, lemon and cajun pepper blended together) to get rid of the yuk - but he wasn't having any of that...

Him: I'm not drinking any of your witch doctor concoctions
Him the next day:  This Alka Seltzer doesn't even work

Haha.  

Then I realized last night that Cassie had a track meet and wasn't going to be home until around midnight - 

Well guess who now has to go pick her up because the hubs is too sick - me!  yay!  not.  

So I am tired - but life is good - I'm thankful I have time right this minute to  go take a nap. 

I was just distracted by the most ridiculous Depends commercial.  Everyone was walking around in their underwear - everyone - no pants.  Mercy -  I don't believe there should be commercials for Depends - being an almost empty nester I shudder at the thought.  Now I might have to hang out a little longer to see a nice hair commercial. 

Ok, now I'm being random.  Good night (I mean afternoon)  

Food Thoughts

We are well into the new year, and I am well on my way to a healthier lifestyle.  I've been reading this book called "Trim Healthy Mama" and am trying to learn to eat healthier.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I loathe (and I do mean loathe) food preparation of any kind.

However, I do know a few things...


For instance, I am an expert on chocolate. And there are certain things that you just do and do not do when it comes to chocolate.

I know that if you eat chocolate, and then you don't eat chocolate, the potential for a "lack of chocolate headache" is imminent.

I know that dark chocolate is a healthier choice (but if you're a true chocolate lover like myself, the dark is not your favorite).

I know that if you only like white chocolate, you are also not a true chocolate lover although you are closer than those who prefer dark chocolate.


Something very important...when eating different types or brands of chocolate you have to go up the scale and not the other way around.  Let me give you some examples...

For instance if you have a random chocolate...let's say easter egg and  a reese's peanut butter cup,you must eat the easter egg chocolate first.  Since reese's (these examples are all in my humble opinion of course) is a better grade of chocolate, that has to be eaten second or the egg will lose its pizzaz.

The same goes if you have a reese's and a hershey's kiss.  The Reese's must be eaten first as hershey's is way better.

Another example is if you have a hershey's kiss and a Lindt ball.  Now if you have never had a Lindt ball, you must run out and get one - almost nothing touches a Lindt ball for chocolate.  Ghiradelli might be a close second, but I think it just slightly misses the mark.

Other things I could tell you about chocolate include:
    if you're going to put chocolate in your milk, hershey's all of a sudden becomes top shelf
    if you're going to melt chocolate for a recipe, you will eat some first (it can't be avoided)
 

Okay, so how did I get on a rant about chocolate?  Oh, I know, I'm eating healthier and learning (ugh, double ugh) to prepare food in a healthier way

so of course...

I'M OBSESSED WITH CHOCOLATE!!

but...all is not lost - I am actually in the midst of making a healthy egg-muffin breakfast with lots of spinach, onions and peppers

and..I am adding the "full of antioxidants" blood orange (see, I'm learning a thing or two) on the side

I love oranges and these are super healthy, but I'm still having a hard time getting the whole blood thing out of my mind so of course they taste like blood to me.  Well not really, I mean, well sort of, but they're sweet, and good, and red - dark dark red, and...

Chocolate!!!!!!!!

.

Out With the Old, in with the New - Sort Of

As I get older and am  blessed enough to be able to ring in another new year, I have not made any new year resolutions yet for 2015.  

I am just thinking day to day and feel lucky enough that I had the energy to decorate my house for Christmas - 


and then this happened....

Yeah, that's me taking down Christmas - I normally find myself standing in the midst of the biggest part of the mess saying to myself, "why do I go Christmas decoration crazy every year?  Ugh!"  

But I didn't do that this year.  For some reason I found myself counting my blessings over and over again.  (well, my feet did hurt a little after say...5 hours)  but...

-the house was warm and cozy through the season
-my kids came home and loved the decorations
-my husband didn't complain and I think he secretly loved them too
-I didn't pressure myself this time with "getting it done".  I just took my time and was constantly reminded about "the reason for the season"

I know, it sounds corny - but it was really something unfamiliar to me during the holiday season.  I'm usually stressed about so many things, but not this year.  

So now the house is all back to normal and cleared out. See?

We had some great friends over on New Year' Eve - you can see by the picture that the children were having a great time while the adults were in the dining room eating and reminiscing and eating some more...

my friend Dalton pretending to enjoy himself

my other friend Rylan - having a New Year's Eve blast...

This was actually the first time in around 5 years that Ronnie and I were able to stay up to watch the ball drop!  (even though all we talked about was how uncomfortable all those people must have been in those metal pens in Times Square...and gee- how did they go to the bathroom, and what a mess to clean up in the morning!  Haha - good times)  

So although I have no actual resolution, I'm simply saying "I'm done with 2014 - I'm glad I was able to be here for the whole thing good and bad.  Thank you God for 2015 - let's see what it brings". And as Peter Frampton penned in his song donning the same title back in the day - "I want You to show me the way, I want You day after day".  

That made all the difference at the end of 2014, so I'm sticking with that.  

Then.......on the 2nd day of the New Year this happened...

I could cry (I might have a little), or I could swear (but that wouldn't help anything), or I could reach into the toilet really quickly, dry my iPhone 6 off and pretend it didn't happen (which is what I did) but then....the dreaded red screen and then...dead.  Arghhhhh!  #stupednewyearmoves

  OR...

I could just make a trip to the Apple Store in Syracuse, chock it all up to my first New Year adventure, get a new phone (Thank God I purchased the Apple Care Plus! whew!), when I titled this blog "Out with the old in with the new", I had no idea it would be so literal!  ...the girls had fun anyway! 

Happy New Year everyone!