Georgia made the paper!

Georgia's picture was in last week's issue of the Jet Stream - the base newspaper here.
You can use the link above to read the entire article.

Kudos!

Congratulations to my friend, Liz, who found out today that a picture of one of her designs will be used to accompany an article in the March issue of Atlanta Parent magazine! Yay Liz!

I really enjoy Valentine's Day and doing fun things with Georgia to get ready for it. We have been reading different Valentine's Day books, and doing some Valentine's crafts.
A favorite book of ours:


A craft we plan to incorporate into the Valentines that Georgia takes to share with her preschool class:


CRAFT MATERIALS:
Crayon pieces
Heart-shaped metal cookie or muffin tin (our hearts are about 1 1/2 inches across)
Scrap paper
Double-sided foam mounting tape
Scissors
Colored card stock
Marker

Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours
1. Heat the oven to 250°.

2. Fill each mold with crayon pieces and bake until the crayons melt, about 10 to 15 minutes. Tip: Place a sheet pan under the crayons to catch any drips.

3. Once they're cool, remove the hearts from the molds and smooth any rough edges by rubbing them on a piece of scrap paper.
4. Use small pieces of foam tape to stick each heart to a 3-inch circle cut from card stock.
Suggested messages:
You color my world
Valentine, you make my heart melt
Have a happy Valentine's Day, for "crayon" out loud!

Crockpot Lasagna

I promised to share the recipe if it was good - and it was definately good! And, easier than traditional lasagna with fewer dishes dirtied during preparation - always a good thing!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz)
1 can tomato paste (9 oz? - the small one)
1 c water
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 package no boil lasagna noodles
1 1/2 c ricotta (or cottage cheese if you prefer)
4 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c shredded parmesan

In skillet, brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano and salt.
In crockpot, place 1/4 of the meat sauce mixture. Place one layer of noodles. Place one layer of ricotta, sprinkle layer of mozzarella and parmesan. Continue layering.

Cook on low 4-5 hours!

More Fun Blogs to Check Out...

I received these blog recommendations from my good friend (and college roommate) Tiphanie - thanks!
http://www.ohjoy.blogs.com/
http://www.decor8.blogspot.com/
http://designsponge.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

100 things about me...

I love the idea of self-discovery about making this list of 100 things about me. I am going to take a look at it every year on my birthday and amend it as necessary. I recommend you making your own list of 100... very fun!

1. I don't think I am as good a friend as I would like to be.
2. My birthday is December 4th
3. My husband is my best friend
4. Nothing in life gives me more joy than my children
5. I think Gerbera daisies are the happiest flower
6. I love music so much, I listen to music much of the time.
7. I love cherry limeades from Sonic.
8. I am not a huge fast food fan, but every now and then, I must have a Big Mac and McDonalds french fries.
9. I read alot.
10. I love to do anything crafty. I wish I had more time, and more follow-through!
11. I am teaching myself how to knit.
12. I rarely change my jewelry, I just wear a couple of simple, basic pieces.
13. I drive an SUV
14. I am messy and own entirely too much crap.
15. I wish I could play the piano
16. I love to watch a few shows on tv - Grey's Anatomy, General Hospital, All My Children, House, NCIS, The Unit... I can't stand to watch TV programs unless they have been Tivo'd.
17. Tivo is the best invention in recent years!
18. I am a dyson vacuum convert. The first time I used it on my rugs, I couldn't believe the difference!
19. I love chocolate and eat it almost every day.
20. I love ice cream and wish I could eat it every night.
21. I do not like any form of athletic activity.
22. I collect vintage Home Economics textbooks.
23. I love jars of old buttons.
24. I love black and white photographs.
25. I love stained glass windows.
26. I love Italian food.
27. I think family traditions are very important and try to start several new ones each year.
28. I love to wear sandals.
29. I like the way my toenails look painted, but don't like to paint them.
30. I still have the stuffed animal that I got when I was 14.
31. My house burned down when I was 14.
32. I love to sew.
33. I grew up in Florida.
34. I have lived in Florida, Texas, California, South Carolina, and Virginia.
35. I have been to Mardi Gras.
36. I love to visit London.
37. I love candles.
38. My favorite candle scent is dream by the Gap - unfortunately discontinued.
39. I love getting flower bulbs to bloom.
40. I wish I was a better home decorator.
41. I don't like to clean, but like to have a clean house.
42. My favorite movie is Breakfast at Tiffany's.
43. My favorite actress and style icon is Audrey Hepburn.
44. I love holidays.
45. I love plants and flowers, but am not very good at remembering to water them and take care of them.
46. I still have a baby tooth.
47. I love magazines and subscribe to way too many of them.
48. I love scented soaps, especially handmade ones.
49. I hate to use fabric softener, it makes me sneeze.
50. The San Diego Zoo is one of my favorite places.
51. Some of my favorite people are my online friends.
52. I don't like coffee much, except for Starbucks peppermint mocha frappuccinos.
53. I don't like to think about how fattening Starbucks frappuccinos are!
54. I believe it is important to eat organic food when possible, especially dairy.
55. My car is usually a disaster area.
56. I like the "shabby chic" style.
57. I like to wear dresses.
58. I like to shop at Ann Taylor.
59. I would like to make a quilt someday.
60. I start Christmas shopping earlier every year.
61. I love fabric shopping.
62. I own way too much fabric.
63. I love to eat fresh fruit, especially oranges and apples.
64. I rarely wear shorts.
65. I love to wear capri pants.
66. I wear a size 7.5 or 8 shoe.
67. I have 3 sewing machines.
68. Sometimes I am very moody.
69. I love handwritten letters.
70. I love to get greetng cards in the mail for no special occasion.
71. I love to eat raw oysters.
72. I love taking bubble baths and reading in the bathtub.
73. Most types of deoderant make me itch.
74. I am rarely on time.
75. I want a pair of Crocs maryjanes.
76. I am trying to learn to spend less money on things I do not need.
77. I love to send "good mail" and think it is one the most fun things I have heard of in awhile.
78. I feel good when I go to church, and sad when I don't.
79. I am learning how to blog and it is my goal to post at least 3 times a week.
80. I want to learn how to take better photographs.
81. I love the feel of sunshine on my face.
82. I like to play games - board games, card games, computer games - whatever!
83. I love pretty stationary.
84. I love monogrammed items.
85. I love to give gifts.
86. My eyes are brown.
87. I am generally satisfied with my appearance.
88. I wore braces.
89. I wish I had a better memory.
90. I wish I didn't say stupid things sometimes, especially to people I care about.
91. I want to be a better mother.
92. I can drive a stick shift.
93. I love hydrangeas.
94. Friendly people make me smile.
95. I have worn glasses/contacts since I was about 6 years old.
96. I don't have one favorite color. I like pink, green, and blue.
97. I often compose letters to friends in my mind and when I finally get around to writing them out, they are usually not as well written.
98. I rarely wear makeup.
99. I love the smell of finesse shampoo.
100. I love to shop at Target.

He's Home!

Yesterday's homecoming went very well! We are all very excited to be together as a family again! Words just cannot express the sense of peace that we feel!
I am including some pictures from yesterday taken by my good friend, Tiffany. And, also some taken by Georgia with her fisher price camera!
Before the arrival:







Daddy!!





Georgia's viewpoint:
Tux the Clown -

Olivia before we left the house -

Jet flying in -

Jet parking -

Friends -

Marine band -

Georgia takes a picture of Daddy -

Georgia asks Daddy to take a picture of her! -

Homecoming!

Well, today is the day that Chris returns from a 7 month deployment to Japan and Korea. I am crossing my fingers that they have no mechanical issues to delay their return. They should arrive home this evening.
Georgia is determined to take her camera along and take pictures, and we have hung banners and flags around the house to get ready.
I will be preparing a new recipe for dinner - crockpot lasagna. I will share it here if it is good!
Tomorrow, we will post pictures from the homecoming.
Stay tuned...

It's all about perspective...

Georgia received her own digital camera from her grandparents for Christmas. It is a present that she really enjoys using! I highly recommend this product for any child! It is made by Fisher Price, is practically indestructible, and totally fun!




I downloaded the pictures from the camera today, so she would have an empty memory on her camera to start taking pictures fresh again. It is so fun to see the pictures she chose to take, and her unique perspective on the world. She is going to have to learn to not move the camera while taking the picture, and try not to take pictures of rapidly moving subjects (like her little sister!), but they aren't bad for pictures taken by a four year old!

Things I Have Done

I discovered this on Kacey's blog and thought it might kick-start my list of 100!

Things I have done!
It’s sort of like that game we used to play “I’ve Never…” but in reverse.The things in red are the things I’ve done!Copy it and publish your list!!

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Seen the Northern Lights
14.Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

My first post!

I am new to the blogging world. I have been a blog reader and devotee of some of the best blogs in existence for awhile now. But, this is my first effort. I know that it will be sadly lacking at first. But, I am a quick learner and appreciate a challenge - so watch out!
I am inspired by these blogs:
http://everythingispink.blogspot.com
http://wellidaclaire.blogspot.com/

and 2 new ones I discovered through the above blogs:
http://www.jmsmusings.blogspot.com/
http://www.designboxstudio.typepad.com/

I will spend some time over the next few days working on jazzing up my blog to make it look more snazzy. I will share it with a few friends, and get some feedback too.

I have been reading the "List of 100" that a few of my favorite bloggers have come up with, and will start compiling my own list of 100. I look forward to what I am sure I will learn about myself.

Today's inspired idea came from my friend Alison, who I believe got the idea from Martha Stewart. A job jar - with different colored paper for each person in the house. I look forward to working with Georgia, who is 4, to come up with her jobs to be done, and I am having a hard time not clapping my hands with glee at the prospect of making up the "honey-do's" for my husband, Chris!

Chris will be returning from a 7 month military deployment early next week, and with my 3rd pregnancy rapidly coming to a close - only 3 more weeks - you can just imagine the plethora of unfinished tasks piling up around this house!

Okay - off to work!
Thanks for reading my blog!
Missy