2008

As 2008 fades away and 2009 lights up- it is time to remember all the GOOD things God has done for us!

• Health- aside from common colds and flus- Paul and I have overall been healthy!
• Education- Paul has been able to start college back up and I have completed my CIC (certified insurance counselor).
• Celebrated 10 years of marriage. In a world where commitment means nothing to people I am thankful to have a godly husband who shares my views on marriage and commitment.
• Stable jobs. In this economy where people keep loosing their jobs I am very thankful that Paul and I have good stable jobs.
• One more pregnancy free year! (I know that this sounds morbid- but we pray daily that if I do get pregnant that I carry full term- when someone has as many miscarriages as we have had - we pray for no pregnancy rather than loosing another one!)
• Ability to travel- we went to Argentina, Kansas, Atlanta, Cruise to Mexico, California and Indiana.
• My mother was able to be out here almost every month. This has been a HUGE blessing to me!

My prayer for 2009 is that I grow more in Christ! That my relationship with HIM continue to grow.

Review of 2008

While I was pondering about what God has done for us in 2008- I started making an outline of what actually happened this year!

January- Our dear Friend from Argentina came to visit- Veronica Escalante. She took her "summer" vacation and came to visit us for 2 weeks. She arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday night January 15th and on Thursday we took her on a 4 day cruise to Cabo San Lucas Mexico- We had a wonderful time! God was good to us enabling us to upgrade our cabin making the trip very comfortable! The last week of her visit we had the pleasure of having my brother Philip, Rosalyn and Rachel visit. This was great for Veronica. She got to practice her English with Rachel and in the process she made a new friend. To this day Veronica still asks how Rachel is doing! We all went together to Disneyland on our way back to Los Angeles to drop Veronica off. It was hard to let her go.

February was a fairly quiet month for us- My mother was able to come out and visit/work at my office. It is a real blessing to have her with us!

March also a quiet month- This is the month that we decided to enrol Paul at Liberty University to finish his Bachelors.

April flew by quickly- This month is a busy one for me- I have a lot of policies that renew that month so I had lots of proposals to get together! We also got the acceptance letter from Liberty University! Tim and Cristina and kids were able to come and visit this month with us. It was a joy to have them with us even if the time was short.

May was a month to celebrate- not only is it my birthday month but we also took a trip to Argentina to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family.

June was the actual month of our celebration- we celebrated 10 years of marriage on June 15th. Paul started School this month. He took 2 summer classes and fared really well- one A and one B.

July I had the opportunity to take one of my CIC classes in Indianapolis- making it available to visit with my grandparents Hoyt for a while. It was good to see them. I am blessed to have grandparents that are still alive and still praising and worshiping God! I went to church with them. Grandma still plays the organ and Grandpa plays the trombone. It was a blessing to see them in action!

August was a hot month with no rain relief. For most of the time we stayed indoors to avoid burning. This is the month that I discovered blogging and I have gotten addicted to it!

September was our family cruise- It was overall a good cruise even though Paul was not able to go. It was good to get Myra Reeser (a friend) out and on vacation. She is always doing for others and never doing for herself. This trip was a real treat to her. Also this month I finished my CIC (certified insurance counselor) classes and officially became a CIC. This is a big accomplishment and I am thankful that I am done. Most people take 2-3 years to finish the classes. I managed to finish in 1 Year!!!! Hooray!

October mom and Lizzie were able to come and visit me. We had a blast on "3 chicks on a cruise". We took a 3 day cruise to Ensenada Mexico and relaxed! It was lots of fun!

November was the month to remind myself of everything I have to be thankful for- which included a trip to Atlanta to visit my family. We had a treat this year for Thanksgiving- My Aunt Judy was able to be with us which was good for all of us. We miss her so much and she is SO much fun to be with. We played games and ate and had a great time making memories with all!

December has been a good month. We had record setting snow- 8-10 inches around Las Vegas. It is a little nerve racking for me since most people in Las Vegas have NO idea how to drive in Snow- On the main day that it snowed we literally slid home! It was a bit unsettling. We also had the opportunity to Celebrate Christmas with dear friends.

It has been a GOOD year- I am looking forward see what transpires in 2009!

Gearing up!

Today after church we did some grocery shopping and Paul got his hair cut.

We then went home and made a scrumptious dinner of steak and salad. I did some laundry and Paul started getting ready for a full week of work (not really full since January 1st is a holiday).

Paul polished a few of his shoes- He takes pride in his shoes... and takes very good care of them. We are now playing a game of scrabble on facebook... It can be addicting!

I can't believe that 2008 is almost over! God has been good to us this year. I was thinking on this today and I think it is important to remember ALL the good things God has done for us in 2008. On New Years Eve I will post my list. Won't you post yours too?

Valkyrie

Today Paul and I went to watch the movie Valkyrie. It was a good movie. What struck me as bizarre is how the audience reacted. Everyone seemed sad in the end. I guess since I knew how Hitler committed suicide I did not expect him to die in the movie. It was the first movie I have gone to where while leaving there was silence. Paul also commented on the fact that everyone seemed sad. People never cease to amaze me.

We ate dinner at RE Tapas. It is a great restaurant. The food is Spanish (from Spain). My favorite is stuffed dates. They are so yummy. Also we tried a new dish today... grilled goat cheese. It was really good...

The day was a good one. I did some laundry and some organizing. Paul helped me clean the restroom which was a big PLUS. I am in the process of planning the food for New Years Eve since I have to take food to Brandee's house. We are going there to spend the evening with them Instead of trying to drive home after the night is over we are going to stay the night so we avoid the CRAZY drunk drivers. Looking forward to The Lord's day tomorrow... Gotta go... Chau for now!

Our Christmas

We had a wonderful day! The food was great and the fellowship even better. We had a wonderful time with our friends Mario and Gabby. We are blessed so much for Godly friends.

We played games, drank mate, laughed and prayed. God is GOOD!

Happy Birthday!

I did not want to let Christmas go by without saying Happy Birthday Jesus!

Luke 2: 1-14

1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Throughout Christmas don't forget to remember the REAL reason we celebrate CHRISTMAS. In this commercialized world it is so easy to forget the basics!

Merry Christmas ALL!

The Rat Race

What a long tiring day! I met with the attorney this morning and he explained to me what would happened during the actual deposition. Two hours later we both went over to the other attorney office. We arrive and after 30 minutes of waiting the attorney comes out and tell us that something came up and that we have to reschedule. So here we go again! I have to go through the whole anticipation again!
Then I went to the office for a few hours- got caught up on my e-mails and turned around and left again to pick up Paul since I had the car for the day.
We got home and I started making food for tomorrow. I made deviled eggs, cookies, and a shrimp cocktail platter. I just finished cleaning up from the mess and now I am spent! I need my pillow and a good nights sleep. I am looking forward to Christmas and the day after to do some relaxing.
Not very often do I have 4 days off in a row and have nothing really planned.... I want to do some reading and some cleaning!
I will sign off for now so that I can get to bed for a good nights sleep... GOOD NIGHT MY FRIENDS.... sleep well...

Prayer Request

I am asking for prayers- from all of you prayer warriors.

The prayer is selfish I know but I need it so much. Tomorrow at 10:30 am I have a deposition to go to. I have been pretty calm until this evening. It is so important that I stay calm and composed. Our office is being sued for an error on a policy and unfortunately I am the only person left that has any relation to that account. Our attorney says that we have a good fight since the customer did not pay his bill and insurance is NOT free. However I am still pretty nervous. God is in control! I just need prayers that I relax.

Thank you all you prayer warriors!

Surprise

WHAT A WEEKEND. Paul and I went over to our Argentine friends for Dinner on Saturday night. They gave us the surprise of a lifetime! The handed us our Christmas gift. It is a little Bishon Frees dog. She is 8 weeks old and just a doll. I am not sure what possessed them to give us this gift... But we did not want to offend them by rejecting the gift either! We took her home... Not sure what to do- We LOVE dogs and this little one especially reminded me of Tango. She is so sweet and calm. Last night was AWFUL. She cried all night until I finally picked her up and held her for a while. This is the first time she is away from her mom and dad so I am sure it is very hard on her. This morning we prayed and talked it over and we drastically needed to talk to our friends and explain to them WHY we cannot keep the dog. (we did not name her because we do not want to get more attached) Paul and I have a special schedule that would not be conducive for a puppy. We leave for work at 5:15 every morning. We get home between 6:00 and 6:30 every night. This is not fair to a dog- Therefore we made the hardest decision of our lives- because whether we want to admit it or not... we are getting attached to her. We called our friends... explained the situation to them- Much to our surprise they agreed to what we had to say. I told them that I have a few people at work I can ask if they want her- and they agreed to that... But if we can't find someone they would take her back. Paul and I are a little sad but we know that this is the best for her-
Tomorrow we will be either giving her away to someone or returning her to our friends.
And so our life continues... without a dog!

Picture Tag Game

I have been Tagged by Tesa Goossen to play the picture tag game. What fun!

The rules of the Picture Tag game:

1. Go to the 4th folder in your computer where you store your pictures.
2. Pick the 4th picture in that folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

So here is my 4th folder 4th picture! It is a picture of an all inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen where I went for a mini vacation with my mom and my sister.

We had a blast together Relaxing. I have fun memories of this trip- Let me explain- First of all I flew from Las Vegas into Cancun Mexico. My mom and sister flew from Atlanta. I made the reservations keeping in mind that I had already been there and knew the airport so I chose my flight to be there a few hours before my mom's and sisters. This way I could greet them and go from there. Well, you know not everything goes according to plan! There was a storm in Cancun when I was supposed to land so the airplane kept circling the airport waiting for the visibility to be better for landing. Then too much time passed so the gas was running low. They made an emergency landing in Cozumel (the closest airport) to fuel up again. Well- this would be fine and dandy under normal circumstances- but I had a mom and sister that would be arriving in Cancun and looking for me! I then heard that another plane had landed in Cozumel until the stormed passed in Cancun- It was an American Airlines plane (I felt relief all of a sudden since they were on an American airlines flight and lets be honest how many American Airlines flights go to Cancun?) So we sat on the tarmac at the Cozumel airport waiting for it to open (YEAH the airport was CLOSED for the night) Finally about 1 hour later the fuel truck arrives- meanwhile I am not worried at all- since my mom and sister are on the plane right next to mine on the tarmac!
Well- Finally I get to Cancun- go get my luggage and stand and wait. and wait... and wait.... and then it hits me that maybe I should ask about the American airlines flight- I go to ask and to my Great surprise find out that our flight was the LAST one in for the day- HORROR- now what do I do? Then common sense kicks in and I ask when the American airlines flight from Atlanta arrived? Oh yeah- you probably see this coming- they have been in for hours!!!!! OH NO- Then a nice man says "are you looking for 2 other women?" Could it be real? Could he actually mean the same women I was talking about? Hope flickered through my veins! He then told me to proceed through Customs and that they would be out there waiting. I followed his directions and PRAISE the LORD they were out there waiting- of course they were WORRIED as ever- since I was supposed to be at the airport HOURS before them- My poor mom thought that maybe something had happened to me and that maybe I was in a ditch dead somewhere! We laughed, I think more out of relief than anything else! This made for a wonderful memory and the start of a wonderful mini vacation!

The moral of this story is.... If you ever want a fun filled vacation- make sure you go with Kathy- something ALWAYS happens on a trip with Kathy! Hey, they make for good memories!

Okay- now I am going to tag Lizzie, Aunt Kim, Aunt Rita and Aunt Sharon- Let's see what they come up with!

SNOW

It has been snowing for the past 4 hours in Las Vegas! Can you believe it... It is supposed to snow until 4:00 a.m.- We may actually get lucky and have snow for Christmas! That would be a different Christmas!!!!

Secret Santa

This week is secret Santa week and my Santa has been doing a very good job.

Monday I got a $5.00 gift card to Coffee Bean, Tuesday I got a $5.00 gift card to Subway and today I got a book light- My secret Santa knows me well- I love coffee and subway- and at nights I like to read but the light bothers Paul so the book light will work REALLY well.

I am anxious to see what my Santa does the next to days. I am not totally sure who has me- It is between Roger, Eydie and Tanya- Whoever it is they are doing a GREAT job.

I have Vince- his sheet of ideas was not very helpful- he put GOLF for everything- so I have been giving him Golf everything. On Monday I got him a golf ball embosser- it puts initials on the golf balls, Tuesday I got him a water globe that has a tee and a golf ball in it- the point of it is to get the ball on top of the tee in the globe- it is quite challenging! Today I got him a golf cooler- it holds 12 cans and golf balls, tees, and a towel. Tomorrow he gets a golf decision maker- It is a golf ball that spins and when it stops that is the answer to the question you may have- it has 10 different spots the ball can stop at. Then on Friday he gets a water bottle with a towel and tees and golf balls in it. Hopefully he will like the gifts I chose. So far he has liked them.

I cannot believe that it is 8 days until Christmas. Where has this year gone? Time is flying.... and not stopping for anything!

Weeweechu

It's a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu.

"Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.

Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." replied Rosita.

Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu.

"Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

The Challenge

I have been challenged to memorize Psalm 139 in the next 18 days! Won't you join me on this? I think it will be worth while!

Psalm 139 (NIV)
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me 2You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.


3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

5You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.


7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.


11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.


15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.


19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? 22I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.


23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Here is the schedule:

December 15th- Psalm 139: 1&2
December 16th- Psalm 139: 3&4
December 17th- Review
December 18th-Psalm 139: 5&6
December 19th-Psalm 139: 7&8
December 20th-Review
December 21st-Psalm 139: 9&10
December 22nd-Psalm 139: 11&12
December 23rd-Review
December 24th-Psalm 139: 13&14
December 25th-Psalm 139: 15&16
December 26th-Review
December 27th-Psalm 139: 17&18
December 28th-Psalm 139: 19&20
December 29th- Review
December 30th-Psalm 139: 21&22
December 31st-Psalm 139: 23&24
January 1st- Recite entire Psalm 139

I am not the best at memorization but I am sure going to try! I think it will be a blessing to have this chapter memorized to start the new YEAR!

Don't hesitate- It will be a blessing for you as well!!!!

Petticoat Ranch

Today I finished reading "Petticoat Ranch" by Mary Connealy. It was an awesome book. I am going to add Mary Connealy on my must read authors! I have to start reading my book for book club but as soon as that one is done I want to continue reading the remainder of the books to this series. The only thing is that the last one does not come out until February 2009. I have already pre-ordered it from Amazon so I will get it as soon as it is released!
Today I relaxed most of the day. I have to wrap some Christmas gifts-but that can wait! I got some excellent deals yesterday at Marshalls. I got Pastor Mario and Gabby some gifts for Christmas since they are spending the day with us.

Tomorrow is a big day between church and then we are meeting some friends for dinner so I really wanted to rest today and get caught up on doing NOTHING- I know that sounds lazy- but working 5 12 hour days makes me want to rest on Saturdays.

Well.... gotta go... I need to start getting ready for bed!

TA TA for now!

13 days till Christmas

PEACE

The world we live in today is anything but PEACE. Yesterday was a day where I felt like everything around me was crumbling.

One of my favorite underwriters got laid off of his job- called me in the morning to tell me and left me with a horrible unsettling feeling- Who can I get such great quotes from?... then I take a deep breath and say THANK YOU GOD I STILL HAVE A JOB.

One of my co-workers comes into my office and complains at how the economy is and how he is loosing business instead of getting more business- He was so upset that this month he did not even make his draw- When will business pick up?.... then I take a deep breath and say THANK YOU GOD THAT MY CUSTOMERS ARE DOING WELL AND THAT I AM ACTUALLY GETTING MORE BUSINESS.

One of Landini's customers is eliminating their health benefits because they can no longer afford to provide it for their employees- When will they have to close their doors?... then I take a deep breath and say THANK YOU GOD FOR AN EMPLOYER WHO CONTINUES TO PAY FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE.

One of my friends calls me to tell me that her mother and father were in an accident and died at the scene- they were not saved and she is heartbroken- we had been praying for them for a while- They have no more "chances" of SALVATION- she was so sad- all I could do was pray and cry with her. Why could they not see the need of their salvation from eternal damnation?.... then I take a deep breath and say THANK YOU GOD FOR MY SALVATION- NOT ONLY MINE BUT MY PARENTS AND PAUL'S PARENTS.

You ever have one of those days where everything and everyone around you are falling apart. That was yesterday! I took that awful feeling and transferred it over to GOD- and the HOPE that I have ONLY in HIM! and HE gave me PEACE- I know that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28

Paul and I were talking about knowing that this world will only get worse- It has to in order to fulfill scriptures- We are going to pray for inner PEACE in a world where their is not going to be PEACE. Remember to take deep breaths and Thank God for everything that is going on in our lives.

Early Christmas

I know....I know.... I should have never done Christmas so early- Let me start at the beginning!

I gave my staff their Christmas gifts yesterday- you may wonder why... and I will explain-

First and probably foremost- I could not wait anymore I was so excited to see how the girls reacted to their gift! (the guys got a gift as well but their gift was more boring!)

Second, next week is secret Santa week at the office and everyday we will be opening a gift so I wanted my gift to be the only one that is opened- that is when it is opened.

Third, the few days before Christmas are always sparse around the office- Usually people take some time off right before Christmas.

The gifts went really well overall. Elizabeth H. and Jenna S. were jumping up and down with excitement. Eydie, Melissa and Tanya were more subdued (but happy with their gifts I think!)

It is so much fun to GIVE- As most of you know I am all about GIVING! It warms my heart to bless someone.

Memories

10 years ago we gave our families the surprise of a lifetime! Paul and I eloped! June 15, 1998!

9 years ago we became first time home owners- what an overwhelming experience!

8 years ago we made our first trip to Las Vegas.... to see if we would like it- I guess we liked it!

7 years ago I got my insurance license changing my career life forever- not sure I could ever go back to working with kids- I don't have the patience I had once! It must be a sign of getting old!

6 years ago we moved into our first house in Las Vegas- and what a great house- I still miss that ONE story house!

5 years ago we met an awesome couple from Argentina- this has been a great encouragement for us since we thirst for fellowship with fellow believers- the fact that they are Argentine is a bonus!

4 years ago we had our last miscarriage- The emotional wounds are not as deep as they once were and it gets easier and easier to accept the path God has for us. I can actually hold a baby without getting all emotional! Thank you GOD for giving me the strength yesterday to hold little 2 week old Olivia Marie- Held her for about 30 minutes without a tear shed!

3 years ago our "Tango" got very sick and we had to put him down- not a fun task- also got house broken into which was the final straw of mishaps in that neighborhood- Paul and I moved to a better neighborhood into our 3 story house!

2 years ago I got to meet Paul's extended family for the first time. We met with the Goossen's and the Wallace's- such a neat experience....He has a wonderful family that I am blessed to be part of!

1 year ago we had 4 boys living with us- (foster care) which taught us many lessons. While we had them for only 3 months we learned a lot from that experience.

Today- we have so much to be thankful for- we both have good jobs, a roof over our heads and our health- which not everyone can say- God has been VERY good to us- even in the rough times I have to remind myself to say THANK YOU GOD for being with us through it- because without HIM I know I would not have survived the journeys of my life!

Tis the Season

Christmas is my 2nd favorite time of the year! (Thanksgiving is my favorite) The office is decorated and my nativity set is out. My Christmas shopping is done and all I have left is decorating my house. I am having a hard time with this part! Maybe it is because Paul and I are usually the only ones at Christmas and I feel like just for us it is not worth it... and in reality we spend minimal time at home that I feel like by the time I get the tree up and the other decorations up that it is time to take them down.... But- for the sake of Paul and the homey feeling I am going to set everything up this weekend. We also invited Pastor Mario Alsina and his wife over for Christmas since their family is in Argentina. I am going to plan the menu out for dinner that day. I cannot make the "traditional" Christmas meals since Paul and the Alsinas really prefer an Argentine style dinner. Probably an "asado" (steaks on the grill) potato salad, fruit salad and french bread. Maybe a green leaf salad also. Not sure if I will do anything else. The fruit salad is for dessert.

Today I made a dessert for the office. Margarita Delight (no worries no alcohol)- YUMMY. I wanted to try a new recipe and I use my office as the guinea pigs.

Taco Salad

Today I decided to make the famous Taco Salad for the crew. They get all excited when I tell them that I am making Taco Salad. Since Paul does not really like it I usually make it for work.
Here is the recipe. (Really easy and fairly Cheap)

Taco Salad:

1 head of iceberg lettuce ($1.00)
3 tomatoes ($.99)
1 onion ($.20)
1 can of black olives ($.99)
1 bag of blended cheese (I use Mexican shredded cheese) ($2.00)
1 lb of ground beef ($1.39)
1 taco bell taco seasoning mix($.99)
1 bottle of Wishbone thousand island ($2.59)
1 bag of Doritos ($2.29)

4-6 servings (depending on the size of the iceberg lettuce I usually look for really heavy ones to make it a bigger salad)

Total cost of meal $12.44 (This is without any sales if you are a thrifty shopper you can make it even cheaper)

Brown meat and add seasoning (follow directions on the seasoning)
While the meat is cooling cut up lettuce, tomatoes, onions, black olives and mix them together.
Combine all ingredients except for the Doritos.
Once all ingredients are mixed well take half of the bag of Doritos and mix into the mixture. (you will want to wait until right before serving so that the chips do not get soggy)
Once chips are mixed in then add the remainder of chips to the top of the salad and serve immediately.

Hint- I usually mixed with my hands (washed of course) this is the best way to make sure everything gets coated with the salad dressing.
Also, It is important to use the actual products that I mentioned (which can all be found at any Wal-mart) I have tried the generic products and the flavor is NOT the same. Some people have put beans in the salad- I usually do not since I am not a big bean fan but it would make it a heartier meal.

This recipe is a crowd pleaser. Every time I make it I use 5 lbs of ground beef and 5 heads of lettuce (for 13-15 people) and I NEVER have leftovers.

Fun Friday!

HOORAY it is Friday! I am very excited that it is Friday! It has been a challenging week. Between work and getting sick- I am spent. I am 99% better! I leave 1% because I have still not tried to eat any high acidic foods for fear of what my stomach will do. We got the office decorated for Christmas and it has really put me in the Christmas spirit. I even put the girls gifts under the tree since they are already wrapped. The men's gifts I cannot put under the tree because I am not wrapping those- It was funny to see the reaction of some of the girls when they saw they had a gift. They got all excited... I cannot wait to see their reaction when they open the gift.
I decorated the bulletin board and put the potluck sign up for this month. Roger has signed up for homemade rolls again and we are all Thankful! They were so YUMMY that I had to swipe the recipe. I want to try it tomorrow - We will see. I am using cake yeast so I hope that they come out as yummy as his did!
Last night I had book club and this month we meet at this quaint little bookstore- that is called Cheesecake mystery. It is a small bookstore with a coffee shop area and they sell cheesecake. We truly enjoyed meeting. It is nice to have a little girl time out! When I got home Paul was Rocking and Rolling with this Guitar Hero- the one he got for his birthday. It was such a sight to walk into! It was all I could do not to laugh at him- He was so serious and into it that I had to keep a straight face (until I got up to the bedroom)
Well- gotta run... enough break from work... gotta get back to my pile that never ends!

Tea and Toast

Tea and Toast is pretty much all I can keep down- I caught some flu bug (that has been going through the office) and spent most of Tuesday night by the toilet throwing up! What an awful feeling! Then to top it off I had to go to work to get a project done that had to go out on Wednesday- So, instead of getting up early and going to work with Paul (that is our usual routine) I slept in and called one of the girls from work to pick me up. Thankfully I live close to work and I have a wonderful friend that does not mind helping out. I slept in until about 7:50 a.m. (which is really sleeping in since I usually get up at 4:00) Elizabeth picked me up at 8:30. It was a hard day yesterday- aside from not feeling well I had a load of work to do. My stomach will only let me eat toast and drink warm tea... I tried some soup last night and it came up rather quickly. I guess I will be loosing weight whether I want to or not!
Today my stomach does not hurt quite as much so I feel like I may be over the hump- but I am still cautious- so for breakfast I made tea and toast. So far so good.... We will see how I feel at lunch.
Now I am praying that Paul not get sick. I have tried my best to stay away from him so that I do not pass it to him!

Happy Birthday Paul

Happy Birthday Paul!!!!
Today Paul turned 33 years old! We did a short little celebration last night since tonight he has school to get done! We had steaks on the grill, mashed sweet potatoes and salad. No cake though... he had a cake while visiting my family and he said no more- he is trying to watch his sugar intake! I got him two games for the Nintendo WII- Guitar Hero and FIFA soccer. He was so excited he had to try one out last night. He played guitar hero for about 1 hour- He was sweating from the activity- Whoever says that video games produce lazy kids should check out WII- it is fun and you actually sweat while playing those games. Paul and I sometimes play tennis together and we both get sore arms after playing.

Happy Birthday HONEY~ love ya!

Chaos

Chaos... Chaos... Chaos....
I get to work this morning- well rested and refreshed after having 6 consecutive days off work. I was actually looking forward to coming into work until the problems started!
I log in to the computer early- I figured that I would have lots of e-mails to go through... I went to Outlook and hit send/receive since I have been off work for a few days I figured I would have at least 100 e-mails to go through.... To my surprise I had none- this was suspicious to me- Then I realized that e-mail was not sending or receiving... Well to make a long story short the domain name elandini was never renewed- even though we sent over the payment for it on 11/04/08. We got it all figured out and now I am waiting patiently to have the servers reset the ip address. I was told that it could take up to 24 hours- I am praying it does not because we are all e-mail dependant- to communicate with our underwriters and companies.
Then- one of my co-workers came into my office and said that things just do not go well when I am not at the office. He hands me stuff to do and then walks off. (let me just say these are the days that I pray for wisdom and patience) Then I get a call from one of my receptionists calling in sick.
I am already tired and wishing this day were over and it is only 10:00 am in the morning!
I need to breathe and count to 10- say a little prayer and keep going!