Have we found a shared hobby at last?

 Friends, it would appear that after nearly 25 years of marriage, Dan and I have found (or re-found, as the case may be) the shared hobby of motorcycle riding together. So, I'm letting you all know in advance that there will most likely be many, MANY 'Riding with Hercules' and 'The View From Here' posts here and on FB in the future, for which I will make zero apologies. This victory is hard earned and a long time in coming. Thank you for your understanding. If these posts don't thrill you, that's okay, I don't mind. But it is filling me with a ridiculous amount of joy, which I intend to completely over-share with reckless abandon. 

#RidingWithHercules
#TheViewFromHere

So...A Funny Thing Happened Last Night

After I posted this photo...

First Family Photo after moving to NM in 2007. Derek 2, Dan, David almost 10, Patrick 8.5, Kristy

 ...on FB earlier this week to celebrate our 11 year anniversary of living in the great state of New Mexico, I had several requests for a humorous photo remake. And so, here in all of it's radiant and ridiculous glory is that much requested photo.

Derek 13, Dan, David nearly 21, Patrick 19.5, Kristy

You're welcome.

This super silly photo brings me so much happiness that there are no words.

None at all.

Just a bubble of laughter ever time I look at it, and a deep abiding joy that my family is just as it is. Silly, loud, occasionally obnoxious (okay, perhaps more often than occasionally) loyal, hard-working, and some of the very best people I know. *See Gentleman Savage* Every single of them would give you the shirt off of their back, tow and /or repair your car, feed your belly, snuggle your baby, laugh with you, tell you when you've messed up but that it's okay and they know how to help you fix it, cry with you and in general love you like you've never been loved before.

And THAT is a legacy I'm comfortable with being part of every single day.

#100HappyDays

 I was challenged by a friend today to take the #100HappyDays challenge. Post of pic of something that makes you happy each day for 100 days. And I think it's exactly the distraction I need while Dan is away. Being mindful of little things that make life more pleasant, more enjoyable, more blessed is never a bad thing. Perhaps I'll do it not only on FB, but post it over here for my viewing and enjoyment once the challenge is over.
If you are interested and would like to play along, it can be found over here.
    Always more blessed that I deserve, ~K~ 

Kristy's Favorite Crock Pot Recipes

For those of you who have asked for some of my fave CP recipes, I finally decided to corral them all in one place for ya :) None of these are MY original recipes, and I will give credit where I can. First up the super easy peasy ones I learned from Carrie Overmyer

BBQ Pork Roast

Place in slow cooker, one pork loin roast, top with thinly sliced onions. Cover with a mixture of 1 cup dark soda and 1 cup BBQ sauce mixed together. Cook on high 4-6 or low for 8-10. Shred with 2 forks. ENJOY

We eat this on hamburger buns, over noodles or mashed potatoes, on top of pizza, as a burrito...pretty much anyway we can get it to our mouths :)

Salsa Chicken

Place boneless/skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot (4-6 depending on size) and top with a jar of your fave salsa. Cook low 8-10 or high 4-6. Shred with 2 forks. DONE

We like this a lot. Again, very versatile. Over rice or potatoes, in burritos or tacos, on pizza, in quesadillas, in ramen noodle soup, with black beans and rice...the possibilities are nearly endless.

Taco Soup

This didn't start out as a CP recipe, but since I keep cooked hamburger in the freezer all the time, it was a cinch to 'convert'. It's pretty much an open and dump it in recipe, no fancy footwork required.

Into your crock pot, place

2 lbs cooked hamburger (if you don't have it already cooked, just brown it and drain before dumping in)

2 large cans *ranch style* beans

3 small cans crushed tomatoes

2 small cans corn

2 cups chopped green chile (MILD)

2 cups water

1 pkg Ranch dressing mix

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Do NOT drain any liquids from cans...dump it all in there. Let it go all day on low and then ENJOY! This makes a TON of soup. As in will feed the entire Man Crew for 2 full meals and possibly some left over after that. It freezes well (if there's any left) and gets better every time you reheat it. Serve with or without any toppings you like. We like grated colby jack cheese, sour cream on occasion, sliced black olives, etc. Eat with Frito scoops for added flavor AND fun. If you want to convert it back to a 'regular' dish, just put all the ingredients in a large stock pot and let simmer for 1.5 hours. I make this when people move. It's hearty, filling, EVERYONE likes it and requires no 'babysitting' while we are working.

Clam Chowder

This recipe came from my dear friend Beccy Winn and it's everything a CP recipe should be. Fast, Easy and YUMMY~ since we originate from the cold northern USA, this is a fave for cold winter days.

1 Can clam chowder (New England style)

1 Can Cream of Potato

1 Can Cream of Celery

1 Can of minced clams-drained

I can of Creamy Onion (or a small diced onion)

1 Pint 1/2 and 1/2

1 pint milk

I generally make a double batch to feed the Man Crew, but this will be enough to feed a small family, or a larger one with the addition of bread or crackers. It's good stuff!

Baked Chicken

1 Roasting Chicken (3-6 pounds depending what will fit in your CP)

1/2 stick butter melted

a splash of Worcestershire sauce

Poultry seasoning (or thyme, savory, marjoram)

Garlic cloves (or garlic powder)

Salt

Remove giblets and gravy pouch. Rinse bird inside and out. Rub salt inside cavity. Place in oiled crock. Brush with butter, Worcestershire sauce and herb mixture. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8. The meat will be falling off the bone and OH SO JUICY!

This also leads to my next recipe...

.Chicken Stock

1 chicken frame, complete with extra skin, some fat and little bits of meat.

Add a few carrots, a quartered onion, some celery and a little salt and pepper.

Cover with water (about a 1/2 gallon) and let cook all night on low (8-12 hours) Strain solids out of stock through cheese cloth and let cool. If you want to skim the fat, let cool all the way and it will form a thick layer on top that you can pick up. However, much of chicken soup's magical healing powers are in the fat, so the choice is up to you. I take some off, leave some in. Can or freeze as you like. Use to make soups, stews, use for boiling rice or pasta, etc.

Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage

This recipe came also from a dear friend, April Rogers. It is SO good that the first time I made it, one of my boys licked his bowl after his THIRD helping. Seriously...it's that good. *winks* This finds its way into the CP at least twice a month, and usually more.

1 Large Can *ranch style* beans

1 quart stock (whatever kind you have on hand is fine)

1 Cup Brown Rice

1 lb smoked sausage (Dice smoked sausage and brown in skillet if desired.)

Cut the sausage into large chunks and drop right into the crock.

Add stock and beans, stir and cook on high for 1 hour. Stir in rice and cook for 3 more hours on high. ENJOY. This will feed the Man Crew one time with no leftovers, so I generally double it and we enjoy it as leftovers for a few days at lunch. So there you have it, my top Crock Pot Recipes. Hope you all enjoy them!

PS. I wrote this a while back on my FB page, and I can't recall if I shared it here. If I haven't, well...you're welcome. If I have, well it's so good it bears repeating. :)

My Book Reading List for 2012

I thought it might be fun to copy Money Saving Mom (http://www.facebook.com/#!/MoneySavingMom) over on FB and post a list of the books I intend to read this year. It's only 24, so I'm sure I'll read more than that, but I wanted to be a bit more intentional about what I feed my mind this year. I tend to pick up whatever catches my eye on the new arrivals shelf, or whatever someone gives me, and I don't proactively look for books that apply to a certain area of my life. So I thought her idea was a good one to keep me on track with the goals that I have set for myself this year. These are in no particular order and I'll pretty much read them as I can find them at my library, on eBay or at the COAS which is the local used book store here in our town.

1. You Can't Make Me, But I Can Be Persuaded
2. A Deeper Kind of Calm: Steadfast Faith in the Midst of Adversity
3. Rekindling the Romance: Loving the Love of Your Life
4. The 3 R's
5. Between a Rock and a Grace Place
6. One of Us Must Be Crazy...and I'm Pretty Sure It's You
7. Grace for the Good Girl
8. The Simplicity of Homeschooling: Discover the Freedom of Learning Through Living
9. Satisfy My Soul: For I Am Desperate for Your Power
10. Eats, Shoots and Leaves: A No Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
11. The Husband Project: 21 Days of Loving Your Man--on Purpose
    and with a Plan
12. The Marriage Project: 21 Days to More Love and Laughter
13. Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity and What We Made Up
14. Whispers of His Power
15. The Shelter of God's Promises
16. What Women Fear
17. Don't Make Me Come Up There!
18. Crazy Love
19. Jesus Freaks: Martyrs
20. Large Family Logistics
21. The Grace and Truth Paradox
22. Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment
23. 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
24. America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money

Phew! I can't wait to dig in to some of these. I'll be looking up my first set when I head over to the library on Thursday. I'll keep you posted on my progress and which ones are worth reading!
~K~

A Week in my Life According to Facebook : )

Just for laughs, I thought I'd give this a try. I'm going to post all of my 'status updates' from Facebook from last week on here and see if it gives an accurate summation of my week. Hold on to your seat belts, here we go...

**Sunday~ I am preparing Dan and 'Shua for another week in Hurley. Laundry to do, snack to prepare, Oh and french bread to make to go with the lasagna for dinner. I better get going if i want to get it all done.
~I am spending some last minute quality time with Dan before he heads to Hurley for the week...goodnight all!
**Monday~ I am thankful for Monday mornings...a chance to regroup, re-organize and begin the week fresh! Time to get my house clean, organize my random thoughts for the week, and really start planning my trip to IL...it's only 6 weeks away! HURRRRRAAAAAAAYYYYYY
~I am wondering where the day went...still much to do, I better get off this computer and get my rear in gear. I'll check back in later when the house is back to being a home. See you soon and wish me Godspeed!
~OK, the house chores are DONE, hurray! The kids are watching a movie, Jodi is running errands and T is emptying the cabinets. I'm gonna blog for a bit and then maybe take some silly quizzes later. Have a great evening everyone!
Tuesday~ Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day...ahhhh, time to get started on the things that need to get done today. Good thing I've got helpers so we have time to play later! : )
~I am relaxing before the dinner rush and then I've got to head in to work....for now, just putting my feet up and enjoying a small time of rest....ahhhh!
~ I am glad for my employee discount at Kohl's, guess I better go earn it now. Talk to you all after work!
**Wednesday~ Danielle, are you doing the "by the hour" posts again? I'll start...for this hour: start laundry, pick up the LR, make sure all the boys are dressed and straighten their rooms and we all need to work in the back room for about 15 minutes. I better get going!
~This hour (from 11 to noon) will be: pick up back room and vac, put ABeka materials on shelves (yeah, I get so excited at the beginning of the school year) and flip the laundry, then it will be lunchtime....leftovers at Chez MeYeR. Homemeade Lasagna, salad, french bread, and pudding...not bad for leftovers...hee hee!
~This hour I'll be wrapping up lunch with the little ones, and settling them in with some books or an audio tape to listen to for a bit, folding the laundry, chasing T and probably help with the groceries when Jodi gets back. I'm not planning anything else this hour, if I get a break, HURRAY, if not, that's fine, too.
~After lunch hour: I"m going to fold the laundry, supervise quiet reading time and relax...I have a headache and I need to rest, rehydrate and elevate my feet for a bit. See you in an hour.
~OK, last hour was officially in a tail spin...next hour: redirect and reboot. Gotta get a few more things done! Fold the laundry, tie up T so I can rest for 5 whole minutes, and then S&S the bathroom and MAYBE shelve a few more ABeka books, yeah! Oh and I gave the boys a building challenge to keep them busy as well : )
~3-4 hour: Filling more shelves with school items, S&S bathroom, dishes and hydrating...I can tell I haven't had enough to drink yet today.
~4-5 hour: This is usually dinner prep hour, but since we are having grilled cheese and soup out of a can (*gasp*) I'm going to let David and James handle dinner while I wrap up the shelf project and then put my feet up for a few before I head out to work. I'm hoping to go in a bit early to put some things on hold for this weekend's sales~ that way I"m sure to get the sizes/styles I want and I don't get trampled~ :P
~The rest of the evening is taken up with going to work. 'Shua will be home shortly and then I am taking him to the airport at O'dark thirty to fly to IL. Even I'll be drinking coffee tomorrow!
**Thursday~ Anyone ever notice that waking up at 4:15 after going to bed at 12:45 is...ummm....character building?? Thank you 'Shua for the opportunity to grow!
~I am gearing up for the hourly posts for one more day...From 10-11 AM I will flip the laundry, fix the keyboard tray and S&S the bathroom...that's it! Taking it easy today...LOL
~Moving on...next hour (11 to noon) LR tidy, sheets back on beds and lunch time. Sadly, no more leftovers today, and it just occurred to me that we will have to be more creative today since I need to bake bread. Well, add that to this hour's list...oops!
~OK, now that the noon to 1pm hour is half over...T is eating lunch, big boys ate apples and peanut butter, I've WON the battle against the scanner, now I'm hungry...time to eat for me!
~This hour?? Not even sure yet....I think I"ll just relax and deal with anything that comes up...yep, that sounds good!
~OK, day has officially been derailed in a good way! Dan just came home from work about 5 hours early...I'm gone for the day...BYE
~I am pleased to report that after a really LONG day that involved great highs and frustrating lows, a whole lot of the excruciating work of getting over myself YET AGAIN and a psychotic meltdown just for kicks, today is over and I can look forward to God's grace being new every morning...what a relief! Thank you Lord that it always come to PASS, not stay!
**Friday~ I wonder...when you wake up each day, do you think..."Good morning, Lord!" or "Good Lord, it's morning!!" LOL, I'm leaning towards the former this morning and that's a good thing! Much to do before game night tonight and a birthday party tomorrow. Off to the store for me, back in a few hours!
~I am back from my shopping adventures...time to get busy with slicing and dicing...mixing up some dough for pizza night...OH and a good deal of cleaning, too! Dani, are you up to the cleaning by the hour thing today?? I need motivation! :)
~It's officially game night! Dani, sorry I bailed~ it got crazy but now it's going well again! Hurray for food, friends and fellowship! : )
**Saturday~ How much better can a day get? Game night leading into an impromptu teenager sleepover, a FUN birthday party for Derek, AND Dan got the cycle running again and we had time for a quick motorcycle ride...WHHHHHEEEEE! ~Later, the boys are heading to the races while I head into work. Hurray for a great day!
**Sunday~ I get the dork of the day award for flooding the kitchen, dining room and half the hallway...I needed more laundry to do, really! I was getting bored anyways...LOL
~Goodnight everyone, it's been a great week!


Yep, that about sums it up. A week well spent...house is a home, hubby and kiddos are well taken care of, and God is blessing us in SPITE of us. Life is good!

OLD Friends

This post is dedicated to the people I spent time with during my teenage years. Laura Hepker, Sarah Lampel, Tracy Pursell, Meredeth Bryant, Mishelle Anderson, Vickie Peterson..and the whole gang of girlies and boys I spent INSANE amount of time with. Tom and the stud squad, All the sleep over crowd, (really?? Pixie stix and mountain Dew?? Where were our parents??) the friends I spent many happy hours playing football and Frisbee with....I just want to say thanks for making my teenager-hood pleasant, not too much drama and for always being supportive of each other. I have SO many fond memories of you all! I recently joined facebook and have really enjoyed catching back up with you all. Ron Farrell?? Really, I thought he was MIA...LOL! Anyone heard from Chris and Chris in the last 10 years?? To the Jason's the and the Chrisses who gave me one of my favorite nicknames ever... Superwife still exists...Whoda thunkit?? LOL! Anywho...I've been enjoying the little saunter down amnesia lane, and it really reminded me how SUPER BLESSED I was to enjoy so many true friends during a time in some people's lives that they are convinced that they have no friends. SO, THANK YOU, thank you my good friends!
Lil' Devil, Superwife, Shortcakes, Adorable, Lil' Bit, Sunshine, and/or Krist...some of the MANY nicknames I went by in Highschool ; )