Just what's on my mind at the moment!

So... as all of you might {or might not} know, I have this little cooking blog over here and I spend a little time cooking, baking, taking pictures, and blogging about my passion of cooking.  Well, I started my blog with the hopes that I'd be able to upload it and make it into books at the end of every year so that my kids would have all of my recipes that they grew up on, complete with a picture and a story that goes with it!  {That's what they always mention about me... she makes the "Best  Cookies Ever"!  It always makes me smile when they talk about my cooking.  They make me smile!} Anyhow, I'm now up to 140 followers on my blog and it's become a HUGE part of my life!  I don't go anywhere that I'm not picking up another cookbook or thinking about what I can add to my blog for people to want to read it {more}.  Well my hard work has started to finally pay off after a year!  I have had so many awesome people donate products for drawings, I've had lots of great comments that make me smile, and now I've had two great things happen within the last month.  First, I received an email from the sweetest lady at Woman's World magazine! She wanted to interview me about what my favorite gadget in the kitchen is and why.  You know... all those normal interview questions... But HELLO! My name is going to be in Woman's World Magazine along with a link to my blog!{out on newsstands Dec 2, 2010}  So maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal to anyone else... but I. AM. SO. EXCITED! I just feel like it's a great way to get my name out there a little bit more!  Then second, I was contacted by a brand new expansion of UCREATECRAFTS.com... Her new blog {not launched yet} U-Create FOODS is going to have it's launch on the week of October 18-24. She has a HUGE following on her original website and has decided to expand.  I am thrilled to announce that they are going to highlight one of my posts {I guess we'll all find out at the same time which one  :)} on their opening week!  I am ONE of FIFTY people being highlited!  Well, I am once again THRILLED because this is just another GREAT pat on the back for me... I feel like I've been rewarded for the work that I've done on my blog for the last 13 months.  Anyway, I don't mean to be a bragger or gloat in any way, but I just am so excited that my hard work is finally paying off!  It just makes me SMILE and sometimes a girl just likes to smile!!!

Finally...

Mike and I finally had a day to spend together and it was so nice.  We even got to saddle up the horses and go for a ride.  Bradey came out with the camera to capture the moment.  Apparently the chickens were more interesting to the horses than the kid with the camera!  What a great day!

The happenings this week!

I know... I know...!  I very seldom ever get on this blog anymore because I am so busy with all the others things that add up to life, including my cooking blog.  But I really want to work on posting on here too... I love reading everyone's blogs and keeping up with the goings on of all of my friends that I never get to see otherwise... So, I'll do my best!
This past week has been SOOOO crazy around our place... We started to have some septic system "issues", I got the privilege of putting a full set of tires on the car after both Mike and I had a flat (not old tires) that not only just "flattened" but ruined 2 of the tires, amounting in a hefty pricetag.  I finally finished paiting and decorating my kitchen...okay, I'll never be totally done with that...  I was so excited for a day off of daycare, when in reality the parents just 'forgot' to tell me that they needed me eventho they weren't working!  Well, that's the bad!  The GOOD has once again taken over and made the bad disappear!  Mom and I went to AABBAmania in concert Thursday night and it was so good!  We left around 2:30 from Mom's and drove up to Pocatello.  We went to Chili's and ate, then went to our favorite place, BED, BATH, & BEYOND!  There, we got us a free massage!  Hee hee!  Pictures to come.  Can't you just wait?  Then we went to the Performing Arts Center where the concert was held!  The house was packed!  They were great performers and they had such a postive air about them!  I would love to go see them again!  And besides, sitting to the side of my Mom is a treat, in and of itself!  We got home in time for me to fly home thru the canyon and get Mike's stuff all ready for him to go to work.  I was sad because he won't be home until Tuesday, which means that digging up the septic tank to find the lid is now my chore!  Ick!  So, this is what's been happening in my life!  It's crazy, but apparently that's how I like it because it doesn't seem to change!

Makenzie made it to the 100 POINT CLUB!!!!

I am so proud to announce that Makenzie made it to the 100 point club for reading at school last week and she was able to do the "Walk of Fame" on Friday. It's so cute that the school makes such a fuss of all those kids that make such great accomplishments in their schooling. Makenzie loves to read and I like that she reads herself to sleep at night. She also loves to read when we're in the car. We'll be driving down the road and she'll start giggling in the back seat because something funny happened in her book. When Mike and I are out of town, the best thing we can take home to her is a good book. She loves the "American Girl" books. And she laughed like crazy at the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid".... We love her and we are so proud of her for making it to the 100 POINT CLUB!!!!

The latest news around our place!

This past week has been a rough one for our family... Our Grandma Jennie passed away on April 14, 2010. Today I was just going through some old pictures and found some of Grandma and the kids. Grandma was quite the lady... one with a very strong personality but deep down, a large heart! We had a beautiful service for her and I think she would have been extremely proud of how it turned out, and perhaps surprised at how many people thought the world of her! She will be greatly missed!

On a lighter note- I know I haven't been on here FOREVER!!! My cooking blog has kind of taken over my life and I am loving it! If you haven't visited it yet... go there and check it out. Become a follower and let me know what you think! I love comments!

:-)
Tea