Holidays=Stress

Not sure why holidays always seem to equal stress but they do. I am stressed about pulling together a big Thanksgiving dinner at our house tomorrow for several family members and close friends. Making my to do lists got overwhelming last night. Sitting at work today thinking about all that needs to be prepped parts of the house that need to be cleaned. Not sure how Grandma always made it look so simple and stress free when I was a kid.....

This year has a bit more added emotional stuff along with stress. Knowing that two grandparents won't be sitting at our table is hard to think about. But happy that they were both healthy last year and able to enjoy both Thanksgiving and Christmas with us in our new house.
Last year on Thanksgiving my Grandpa was starting the signs of a heart attack I didn't notice a whole lot as I was busy, did notice he seemed tired wore out and not his usual self, however knew he was having bleeding in his urine from his kidney and that he was worried on getting test results on the biopsy that was done. The next day I became more worried when he asked me to come over there and talk to him. I was pretty darn sure he was having a heart attack and did my best to talk him in to going to the ER. I failed at my first attempt and then again on the second one but he finally gave in and we went in around 9pm. So even before his cancer and death the last few months I knew that Thanksgiving would hold some heavy memories.

I still have a hard time going over to see my Grandma it didn't bother me at first now it does. Not sure how she is doing with the holidays she said she is ok but haven't been around her long enough period of just me and her to really get an idea. Very glad she has still decided to walk across the road and eat dinner with us and is making the pumpkin pies.

Explaining to the kids why one set of their grandparents didn't want to come is always fun NOT! I told Blake this year to ask them why they weren't coming don't see its my place to make excuses for my mom any more.

I want the holidays to be fun filled with great memories for my kids, I had some great holiday memories from my childhood at my grandparents house and my great uncles but there has always been unhappy parts from most of the years. I just don't want that for my kids. And is probably why I stress so much more over making everything just right and perfect.

My menu for tomorrow is:
Turkey on the grill stuffed with apples, oranges, lemons, spices and apple and orange juice and then basted with the juice.
Mashed potatoes one bowl made regular way with butter and milk and one bowl made with only almond milk
Green beans that grandma canned from their garden this year (hope I can get as close to the taste as she always does)
Cream corn we made from our corn crop this summer
Stuffing (have to admit its coming from Stovetop out of the box. I am not a big fan of stuffing and Kenny said boxed stuff suited him just fine. If someone don't like it they should have offered to help cook)
Mother in law is bringing some sort of sweet potato dish
Stuffed mushrooms with cream cheese and sausage/and some with just sausage
Jalapeno bacon wrapped poppers/Sweet pepper bacon wrapped poppers in the oven
Lil smokies for appetizer and for the boys in case they don't want to eat the turkey
Rolls
Dessert: Grandma is baking the pumpkin pies and I am doing cupcakes

Oh and I am sure there is some food I am forgetting. Just hope to make it thru the day with no major meltdowns or to much stress and that everyone has a good time and enjoys themselves.

Weekly Chase

Once again Monday how do the weekends fly by..... I was off the entire weekend from all jobs and it felt so strange! Saturday the boys all went hunting and then yesterday they went out again but the kids stayed with my stepdad while Kenny hunted.

Im so glad my best friend is here for a visit just hate the circimstances of her visit and the hard talks and questions she has for me. I question if I am the right person to help her and her older sister thru this.

Last week my goals were:::::::

1-Get in at least 2 workouts during my lunch breaks, I fell out of that habit when work was crazy busy and I know it will help my mood and stress level. Ha well that didn't really happen however one day I ate lunch with Kenny which was nice and much needed. Other days I got errands done and didn't sit at my desk working every day which is a plus.

2-Drink only water, milk and juice at home. Have a case of Dr. Pepper and find myself having one during the evening way to often. Did good until Saturday when I was home alone had one or two and one yesterday. But did drink lots of water at home too!

3-Be better on eating healthy breakfast and lunches prepping things the night before. Was so so on this one. I worked Thursday night so I wasn't home to prep breakfast or lunch. But tried to be sure I had some options at work like cheese sticks and hard boiled eggs to snack on. Not just junk food and candy. Lunches were ok the one day I ate fast food I regretted it the entire afternoon.

4-Spend more quality time with the boys. Did pretty good with this. I only worked my second job Thursday night and before I went to work I was able to go to dinner with Kenny and Blake and watch Blake's music program at school.



Goals for this week:
1-Not stress over cooking a huge meal on Thursday I have the menu planned out in my head and it doesn't require to much prep work.

2-Continue to cut soda out at home.

3-Aim to get at least 50 points in the HBBC challenge this week. I will take a lot of work on my part but I want to hit that number badly.

4-Continue spending time with the kids and finding things they can help me with for Thanksgiving Dinner.

5-Not let things get to me so easy.. let it go in one ear and out the other. I know this week will be a hard week emotionally for both Kenny and I.

An evening out with a good friend.

Yesterday evening I was able to go out with one of my best friends Lesley. She had flown back from Hawaii to spend the last days with her mom. She came to our house for dinner I made dr pepper BBQ oven chicken mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. She brought us a few bags of these. 

Super yummy and you can only buy them in Hawaii. 

She picked these up I think at trader joes before she drove down here from St. Louis. They were super yummy! 

After dinner and getting the kids ready to bed we left to go spend some time together. First stop gas station she wanted a bottle of St. James wine and I grabbed these. 

The peach one was good havent tried the strawberry one. We spent time talking and driving the back roads we used to when we were young. 

We must be old because by 10:30 we were home and exhausted! Of course the kids had me up super early this morning. 

Not sure what our plan is for today but its super cold outside!! 

Tuesday Thoughts

It's Tuesday however when I woke up I  it was Wednesday. Apparently working Sunday made my brain think it was Monday not Sunday. 

Later this week one of my best friends is coming back to Missouri I am super excited to see her and spend time with her. but sad she's coming back for the last days with her mom before her mom passes away. 

I just hope I can help her somewhat thru the difficult time. I've known her mom my whole life and is a super sweet person mad that cancer is taking her away from her daughters granddaughters and rest of her family. 

Over the weekend Kenny took the boys hunting in their new hunting trailer my stepdad built for them. I haven't seen it in person but the pictures make me want to go out and hunt. That thing is huge and nice. 

He put chairs and a bed in there so the boys could have room to move and stretch and take a nap. I love the walls and ceiling and of course the boys love it. Kenny is taking off work a couple days this week and one of those days he is taking Nathan hunting and he's super excited!

Last night I got ambitious and drug the step ladder in the kitchen to put my old tins on top of my cabinets. I had got these at an auction last month but they sat in a box in the dining room until last night. 

Don't mind the flowers in the pictures my counters are loaded with flowers from the funeral last Thursday. 

I'm glad to finally have some decorating done since we have been in the house a little over a year. 

Weekly Chase

I haven't done a Weekly Chase post in way way to long. So decided that while I was eating my poptart and drinking my soda (bad breakfast I know but needed sugar and caffiene bad after a long night at work) Lunch will be much healthier.

Goals for the week:

1-Get in at least 2 workouts during my lunch breaks, I fell out of that habit when work was crazy busy and I know it will help my mood and stress level.

2-Drink only water, milk and juice at home. Have a case of Dr. Pepper and find myself having one during the evening way to often.

3-Be better on eating healthy breakfast and lunches prepping things the night before.

4-Spend more quality time with the boys.

Not to many goals this week but a good way to get back in the habit.

Weekend.. Time for a fresh start..

This weekend has flown by as they always do. I worked friday night and was home all day and night Saturday. At work now for a 24 hour shift. This week was hard Nathan was clingy we had a funeral and visitation. The kids did good for the visitation but we opted to not have then attend the funeral. Blake's teacher sent Blake flowers with a stuffed animal and suckers to the funeral home he was so happy. I was shocked she did that she has been an amazing teacher for him this year.  

Saturday I took Blake grocery shopping with me and to find him a new winter cost was a nice morning with just him. 

Snapped a couple pictures when the kids were actually playing well together. 

This week also starts the HBBC 2013 challenge I signed up for. I'm excited and plan to try my best to earn points and get lots of exercise 

Also this week my best friend who lives in Hawaii is coming home for a bit. I'm super glad to see her but knowing she is coming home to spend the last days of her moms life sucks. We hope to get a couple workouts in together while she is here. 

Blake's First Deer

Blake went out on the youth hunting weekend a couple weeks ago. He had went out last year and saw a deer but couldn't get a good shot on it. So I hoped he would have good luck this year and get a doe however he wanted a BIG buck....

The first day they went out it was cold and yucky it was also the day of my Grandpa's memorial so they didn't have much time in the morning to hunt. After the dinner they went back out and Blake called to tell me he took a shot at a small buck and they would go look for it soon. I had to work that night so I was bummed he would have his first deer and I wouldn't be there to help him search for it and take pics... They never found that deer and he figured he may have shot to high.

Sunday they went back out and was gone ALL day Nathan was quite upset that Bubba and Daddy were hunting without him. About dark Blake calls and tells me he shot a big buck and that they were going to wait a bit before looking for it.

I got myself and Nathan ready and we met Kennys Brother and Girlfriend at my parents house (they were hunting on some farmland my stepdad has) to go look for his deer. He was super excited and so was Nathan he wanted to go help look for the deer. I was a bit nervous having both boys out there in the dark and woods searching and always made sure they were each with an adult at all times. As we were walking I was hoping we would find the deer and thinking that maybe his great grandpa was looking down on him that day for him to get such a lovely deer for his first one ever. We looked and looked and walked and walked and finally we stumbled upon his deer.

Blake was a mix of excited and scared hes not a fan of the dark and then he was scared of the deer getting up and coming at him. But finally convinced him it was dead and he was excited first thing he wanted to count the horns. He told me he counted them before he shot it and it was an 8 or 9 pointer and sure enough he was right was a 9 point. Of course next words out of his mouth were daddy can we get it mounted!

Of course he really wanted no part in gutting the deer but Nathan was all about it and in there watching and wanting to help!

Later that week the boys took the deer head to the taxidermy guy Blake was on cloud nine all week showing off his picture of his big deer and telling everyone it was bigger than the one daddy and him got two years ago. I am glad he got his first deer and a big one at that I think that excitement is just what we needed after the long month we had and the memorial the day prior.

Now all 3 boys are looking forward to going out this weekend for deer season Nathan wants to help get a deer. The way it looks I am going to have to practice shooting and start hunting so I can take one of the boys and Kenny can take the other out during deer season.