Update about not updating

(I've needed a whole lot of this lately)

I am going to be MIA for the next few weeks. I am drowning in school work and with finals only a week and a half away I need to be focused on getting through those.

Have I mentioned I haven't even looked at the syllabus for them yet?

These classes are going to be the death of me. I have had the heaviest work load without much room to take time and work on my final bit by bit.

Its almost over. Then I've got to figure out how to pay for the next two until myCAA actually does their job and pays my tuition like they promised.

2 months till we head back!

Milspouse Friday Fill In

1. Are you a night owl or an early bird? I kind of have to be both at this point serving dual roles as a mom and a student. Shane is up anywhere from 6:30 to 7:30 and I am up to usually midnight working on school work.

2. What makes you jealous? Moms who bounce back like they didn't just have a baby. It's been a long road for me...

3. Have you started Christmas/holiday shopping yet? When will you finish? (There’s only 63 days left!)

Yes and am actually almost done. I have everyone's gift picked out if I haven't already ordered it! I plan to not be in a retail store after December 1st.

4. What would you have a personal chef make you tonight? Ohhh... some sort of fabulous salad with steak and gorgonzola cheese. Okay mouth is officially watering.

5. Where was your first kiss? Is it bad that I don't really remember? I remember the first silly kiss when I was like 10, but I really can't remember my first actual kiss.... I DO however remember Matt and I's first kiss. All of our first (well ALMOST all... you'll see why its an almost) happened on a front porch of some sort. The first time we kissed was on our friend Paul's front porch and the first time he said "I love you" was on his parents front porch.

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!

63 days.

63 days till Christmas.

Can that even be real????

With all the changes/moves we have in my family, I really like to make sure we send out a fabulous Christmas card to our family and friends all over the country. The military has allowed us to make some great friends and also take them away from us so we're spread across the US, Europe, and Asia.

Shutterfly is a great (and affordable) place to create your Christmas cards. I'm excited to create and share our Christmas card this year with our family pictures we had done while Matt was home on R&R. Check out their holiday photo card designs! Also, I don't know about you, but I DESPISE writing out my address over and over so here's some adorable ideas for Christmas address labels. Besides Christmas cards and labels, Shutterfly also has some fabulous places for gifts as well. Just visit the main site and see for yourself! I've ordered my husband a few photobooks through them!

And for all my penny pinchers: Shutterfly is offering 20% off all holiday cards!

So keep an eye out for our cards in the mail in the next few weeks!

It's truly the little things in life

Food blog?

Okay so here is my new personal challenge:

One new meal and one new baked good every week.

In lieu of that, I was thinking of maybe a blog about that challenge a) so I don't annoy those who follow and don't want to look at my cooking and b)to have an online recipe list for myself for when I want to make that particular dish again.

Any suggestions? Yay or Nay?

Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas!

These were FABULOUS and a nice play on the normal chicken fajitas! Really quick and easy too! My only suggestion was to add more than the recommended amount of vegetables.

1tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced onions
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp cilantro leaves
1/2 course ground pepper
1/4 lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 medium green or red pepper cut into thin strips (I used one red and one green)
1 medium onion thinly sliced (again, I used 2)
Flour tortillas


Directions:
Mix juices, oil, all of the spices and salt in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade. Place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Add remaining marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor.

Cook and stir chicken in large heated skillet on medium high for 3 minutes or until lightly browned (doesn't have to been cooked through). Remove chicken from skillet. Add peppers and onion and reserved marinade and cook and stir for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Return chicken to skillet and cook another 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Place tortillas between two damp paper towels and heat in microwave for 45 seconds.

I served the fajitas with some shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and some extra hot sauce!

MilSpouse Fill in Friday

1. What are some things on your bucket list? I haven't thought to much about this. I'm so used to living day to day and "hurrying up and wait" but I know I want to buy a house, travel to Greece, visit the Eiffel Tower...
2. How long have you been a MilSpouse and where have you been stationed so far? I have been a milspouse for 5 years and we have been stationed at Fort Myer, VA and Fort Campbell, KY.
3. What is a list of songs that sums up your life so far? Come Home- One Republic, Just Another Day in Paradise-Phil Vassar, Better Life-Keith Urban
   
4. What is your favorite kind of pizza? ANY kind of veggie pizza. I hate meat on my pizza. Just no olives please!
   
5. What are three good things in your life right now? First and foremost, my husband. I am blessed that he is in good spirits and healthy during his deployment. Second, my amazing little boy. He is beyond a blessing and I am so incredibly amazed at how much I could love someone. Third, my fellow milspouses. I don't know how I'd be getting through this deployment without them. It is so nice to have a group of women I can trust to talk to and know they understand exactly what I am going through.
   

Wordless Wednesday

Fill in Friday

1. What is the longest road trip you've ever taken?

Massachusetts to Tennessee. It took us 3 days with a 6 month old. Stopped in DC, then Knoxville, then the 4ish hours to Clarksville. We hit a rain storm about 25 minutes from Clarksville and we couldn't see 2 feet in front of the car the rain was coming down so hard! Luckily, drivers down there have come up with a method to drive safely by putting on their hazards to avoid accidents. I wouldn't have been able to see the car in front of me otherwise. Needless to say, its not a drive I ever want to do again but I'll be doing it in a few months.

2. Do you collect anything? Tell us a bit about it.

No but I love to take lots and lots of pictures. One of these days I'll create something with all of them.

3. What is your favorite part about being an adult?

Having my own space. Although since February I feel like a teenager again living in Mommy and Daddy's house.

4. What song brings a tear to your eye?

"Just a Dream" by Carrie Underwood. Something I try not to think about but having your husband in a very volatile combat zone, its something I have needed to accept and realize is a very real possibility. But I still don't like to think about it.

5. Describe your first plane ride. (how old you were, where you were heading, etc.)

I was a baby, flying to Texas to visit my mom's twin brother and my godfather. I obviously don't remember but my parents said I was a pretty good flier.

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Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I have to give some credit to the fabulous Tearah at Always Onward for giving me the recipe (I tweaked it just a bit) for these fabulous cookies! I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make these bad boys and for some reason they always come out a bit better than when I make anything stirring my hand...maybe its all in my head. So without further ado...

Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup shortening or margarine (I used shortening because we didn’t have margarine)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3 cup oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup dried cranberries





Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt in a small bowl. Set aside

Cream together your margarine, oil, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Then gradually mix in your sifted dry ingredients. Once your wet & dry are mixed well, stir in your oats. Mix well. Add your cranberries last.
KEY: Refrigerate dough for at least an hour before baking.

Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes & let cool on wire rack. Mine were done around 9 minutes.

Wordless Wednesday

Our Army Life

October 27th marks 5 years that hubs has been enlisted in the US Army. It's been a long journey that's taken us through 2 duty stations and 2 deployments. His enlistment would have been up had we not re-enlisted in March of 2009 at the end of this month. I know he doesn't want the Army to be his life, he has so much potential and is a really smart guy (not that people that are lifers aren't smart). He doesn't want the Army to define him. If we had gotten out now, we'd be screwed. I am still working on my degree and with the economy the way it is, we'd be lucky to find jobs that provided benefits. I know it was the right choice for us. Despite having to go on another deployment, we've used this bittersweet time to pay off a lot of our debt and get on better financial standings. We'll have a fresh start and a way to put away money for when we do get out in 2013.

Yes, we are getting out. And yes, I am supportive of that decision. I know that Matt would never let us go without the necessities and I've seen him go above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. He took on a second job when we found out I was pregnant. A second job while still working the 60+ hours the Army required of him. It was tough having him gone all the time and put a strain on our relationship but I knew the reasons he was busting his ass was for Shane and I. The only way I know how to repay him for his sacrifices is to finish my degree as quickly as I can so that he can take it easy and go to school when he gets out and pursue his dreams.

While he is in though, he wants to accomplish as much as possible. He is looking to go to Ranger school and get his Ranger tab as well as go back to Airborne school (he injured himself last time) and he'll be going to Air Assault when he gets back from Afghanistan. He also wants to try for pathfinder which is right at Fort Campbell. I am 100% supportive of everything he wants to accomplish. But that does not mean I want him to stay in. I know he'll have temptations to re-enlist once he gets all gung-ho about some schools, but I'm going to have to bring him back to reality and not let him give up on his other dreams too.

I could not be prouder of what he has accomplished in the last 5 years, both in the Army and out. I am proud of our little family and that we are standing on our own two feet and doing what we need to do.




“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”