Geneology - fancy word for family history

I love researching my family history - not just the date of birth/death  - but the places they lived, where they married, etc. So far I have been able to obtain a photocopy of several GGGrandparent's marriage licenses, old family photos from the 1800's, and much more. You learn fun stuff about your relatives.....

That they came to America in the 1600's
Why did 3 brothers die in the 1680's - was there a war or an epidemic?
What happened to all the brother's and cousins who all lived in NY during the Revolutionary War?
And where, of course, does the famous Richard Monckton Milnes enter our family line?
Why did the woman in one family hid from the pig farmers? (yes, this is truly recorded in a family book)
How did my GGGgrandmother continue to have kids into her late 50's?! Yes, its recorded in the 1851 census reports (and others). Was there perhaps a marriage to a 2nd and younger wife?
And....who was the secret actress that divorced my GGrandpa in the 1800's? And did their son really die?

There are more death certificates to be discovered, more war records to be read, more history to study....and this only covers one tiny line of the family. So many more to be recorded!!

Mother's Day

The eve of Mother's Day ~ this year is different for me. It's different because I am a mother. It's different because I don't have my babies to hold. But my husband still gave me a mother's day card :) I love it. Though my babies are no longer here, I can still celebrate tomorrow. It's a way of showing the world that the unborn did and still do exist and to celebrate their lives, no matter how short they may have been.

Gluten Free Cooking

So here's a post about what I eat as a gluten free(GF) addict. I don't often cook with gluten free items, so I may have a boring meal plan :) I tend to eat items that are naturally gluten free..... here's some ideas

Dinners
Chicken breasts with potatoes and veggies
I typically will put this all in the crockpot in the AM with nothing but prebought gluten free chicken broth. Or, if I'm out of the broth, I will use orange juice, or just water. I will also a variety of spices/herbs to season it

Stew - meat, carrots, potatoes
I put this in the crockpot as well, with prebought GF beef broth. Also will ad GF ketchup and spices/herbs.

Chicken/beef stirfry
I cut up uncooked chicken or beef and cook it on stove with veggies and rice. Again, these are all naturally GF foods.

And yes, those are the typical dinners we eat. Not much variety. Most of our dinners consist of variations of meat, potatoes, and veggies.

Lunches
I usually have a sandwich or tortilla

GF rice tortillas - add GF peperroni, GF lunch meat, cheese and spices/herbs
GF Bagels - add the same topppings as listed
GF pizza crust - same toppings as above. Usually add GF beans as well

All my pizza crusts, bread, bagels etc are  prebough GF items. I have had no sucess with making my own. The taste and texture is just to aweful when its homemade and I usally end up having to throw it out.

Breakfasts
GF oatmeal
GF cereal

So there is my exciting meal planning. I have very little variety, but when I lived at home, I didn't have space to store gluten free food makings. Now that I have my own place I might try to get more variety. But we shall see : ) I would love to make my dinners more exciting, since my husband eats it with me even though he doesn't have the allergies. No way am I making 2 different dinners a night! :) Up to this point, I haven't found a reciepe for good GF lasanga or spagetti. I personally think the noodles taste really bad and the consistency is usally runny.

Vacation 101

How do you go on vacation, have everything not go as planned, and still have a good time? The answer: appreciate the upheavel cuz it makes for a good blog post :)

 

Here's what can happen in 20 min when you are on vacation.....

• Room service called 5 times
• Stirring my meds in a glass, only to have the spoon break
• The shower flooded the bathroom
• Coffee spilled
• Milk spilled

 

And there's more......

• Start for dinner at 5:00 pm, but don't get served until 8:30
• Endure the freezing cold hotel room, only to finally find the heater nob after 24 hours
• Couldn't figure how to turn of the bathroom light, so it stayed on all night     
• Asked by the cashier why we'd want to vacation in her crummy town
•  Hotel alarm clock going off thoughout the night even though we didn't set it and turned the power off. I finally smothered it with pillows
• Asking for direction to the nearby cemetary, only to be given directions by a gas station employee who knew about it cuz "he once got arrested there"

 

But here's a good picture of the falls and our hotel :)

 

The Spring of 2007 ~ how it all started

Last night was the start of softball season. As I walked across the field to watch my man play, I got nostalgic thinking about how softball brought us together 4 years ago. So here's our story!

Matt had decided to join my church's men's softball team. I was on the coed team. After 1 game I had to drop out due to a foot injury. But I secretly was rather glad about it, cuz this meant I could watch Matt's games! I was getting interested in this guy who was confindent, could carry his own in a conversation, was into finances, and had a great sense of humor (and was 6 ft w/ black hair - my ultimate dream man). Only problem was, he didn't know I existed. So some careful planning was put into place (but I'll just stick with the softball facts this time around :D ).

I started attending every game he had. Sometimes he'd talk to me afterwards, but mostly not. Then came my big break, the Border Bash game!! An all day event where they played ball nonstop. I got up at 6:00 AM to get to this - even curled my hair for if! That was one long day - sitting in the rain and cold watching game after game. During one game he hit a home run and as he ran past the fence where I was standing he said "that was for you". That was my first real sign after months that he might be interested.

But alas the games ended and we walked to our cars. As I was pulling out he waived me down and said he'd go to the post game party if I would. Of course! Off to the party we went, caravan style. But alas, the party ended and again nothing else concrete said. Within minutes of leaving my cell rang....yep, him again. He asked if I'd like to drive past his work. 

And so as we stood in the pouring rain on the road looking at his work, with rain drenching my gorgeouse curls and mascara running down my face, he simply said "You came to every game for months, and today you watched every game in the rain. You must be sombody special. Would you be my girlfriend?"

and of course I said yes :) FINALLY!

The life of a gluten free addict

I'm walking down the grocery aisle and my eyes zoom in on a brand new product. A gluten free Mint Chocolate Chip power bar. Can it be?!! It's been years since I've tasted such goodness. And now it's in the gluten free form so I can enjoy it again! I spend the high price and eagerly ripe the package open. My teeth sink in. The goodness crumbles in my mouth (as opposed to melt). The chalk-like substince sprinkles from the edge of the bar around my driver's seat. So much for a freshly vacuumed car. I try another bite. It is confirmed. This bar is has nothing in common with a real mint chocolate chip bar then the name on the wrapper. And so again I must live with just a long ago memory of Mint Chocolate Chip.

And yes, I intend to return the half eaten power bar due to consumer dissatisfaction.

God's promise

The Angel of Prayer

In memory of baby Michael

 

God's promise to me.

A day with no more dying, no more loss, and no more tears.

Happiness is delayed for a time, but it shall come.

For one day I will see my babies and hold them close to me.