24 hours

In less than 24 hours, I will be enjoying a little bit of this:and maybe one or two of these:and definitely a little of this:in the warm, sunny state of:Will return next week just in time for Top 2 Tuesday :) Until then...

Top 2

Top 2: Things you've learned from your parents/grandparents

1) Choose your battles wisely. These are wise words that are often spoken by my mother & one of the best pieces of marriage advice I have ever received. Whenever I get irritated by things my husband does or doesn't do I stop & think if it is really worth getting upset about & picking a fight. 9 times out of 10 it isn't worth the hassle or the argument or the energy but there is that 1 time where I just have to speak my mind.

2) Friends come & go but family is forever. When you’re younger, it’s easy to forget this one, & it's probably one of the hardest lessons to learn. But while friendships may fizzle, your family will always be there. They will always stick by you through thick & thin - even in the hardest of times. This is something I never forget & always appreciate. It is comforting to know that my family will always have my back. Unfortunately, I can't say that about all my friends. I am so thankful my grandparents & parents taught us the importance of family & I hope to instill that same trait in our children - if we are lucky enough to be that blessed.

Too close

This barren picture is the view behind our fence in our backyard. Not much out there other than trees, a creek & land. In the summer-time the trees are so full & thick with leaves that you can't see through them or even visualize the field behind the trees. Looks pretty ugly during the winter months as you can tell but in the summer it is quite pretty.

About 12 feet behind our wooden fence is a barb-wire fence. Picture if you will a relaxing Friday night, feet are up & reclined in the Lazy Boy & you are watching TV when all of a sudden you hear loud howling & barking & yipping coming from your backyard.

I jumped up, grabbed the flashlight in the garage, flipped on the patio light, opened the backdoor & there behind the barb-wire fence I counted at least 5 coyotes. WAY too close for my comfort! They were out there playing & running around, passing through, making sure they were heard & were they ever LOUD! Our dogs inside were going nuts! Living out here in the country we hear the coyotes all the time but this is the very first time they have ever been that close.

They eventually took off but I couldn't help but wonder if they would be close by when I let the dogs out for the evening to potty. Then my mind started racing with all kinds of scenarios & questions:
-can coyotes jump fences?
-would they go after my dogs?
-what if our dogs tried to go after them?
-if the coyotes attacked one of our dogs what would I do?
-where did Shane put that gun?

I ended up doing a little bit of research when I got back in the house & this is what I found out:
- Coyotes can't jump over high fences, but they do climb them by using their front paws to climb to the top and kicking hard with their back legs to push themselves up and over the fence.
- Coyotes have been known to kill small animals including cats & dogs.
- Attacks on humans are uncommon & rare however it has been known to happen if the coyote feels the pack is threatened in anyway.
- Located the gun.

Oh & I did read that it is dangerous to feed the coyotes as they will keep returning to the area looking for more food & may bring others from the pack. DID YOU READ THAT KERI??? Quit feeding Chester!!! :)

So after all that, I am done with opening the door & letting the dogs go out alone. I now go out with them at night & keep my eye on them at all times & what's lurking behind the fence!

Potpie

I am a sucker for cooking magazines.

I have subscriptions to Midwest Living, Southern Living, Taste of Home, Martha Stewart Everday Food & Cooking with Paula Dean. It is a bit out of control - I blame my mother. She is the one responsible for teaching me how to cook at a young age & often leaves food magazines lying around her house whenever I come to visit. I think I get my "cooking gene" from her. My sister definitely has her "baking gene".

Every now & then I will come across a dee-lish-looking recipe from these magazines & end up saving it so that I can make it & try it out. If it is "make-again" quality then I will put the recipe in my recipe book. If it is just "so-so" then I toss it out. My husband is a really good judge when it comes to my cooking (it really is true a way to a man's heart is through your cooking) so I will always ask him if it is "make-again" quality or not.

This evening was one of those "trial runs". I had seen this recipe for Turkey Potpie in my Taste of Home magazine & the picture of it looked yummy so I saved it & decided to try it tonight. It says to use turkey but I had some chicken breasts in my freezer that I needed to use up so you could use either or. It was really easy to make & put together & smelled so good while baking. And the best part - the recipe makes 2 potpies - one to bake now & the other to freeze for another day. Lovin' that!

Here is the finished product:

And the verdict is in. The hubby has said definitely "make-again" & I would have to agree. It was SO good & very filling. So it has been filed away in the recipe book & lucky for us there is another one in the freezer! The only thing I would suggest is to serve it in a bowl as it is slightly runny. Other than that, enjoy!

To view the recipe click here.

Ten

10 years ago tonight I was at BB's BBQ & Grill for a co-worker's 40th birthday party.

Little did I know that the person I was going to meet that evening would forever change my life. Little did I know that upon ending a relationship earlier in the week that I was about to begin a new one. Little did I know that my soulmate was there waiting to meet me. Little did I know that on that night I was going to meet the person who was going to be my husband.

10 years ago tonight I met Shane for the first time & what can I say - the rest is history! What a wonderful ten years it has been & I look forward to all the adventures that await us!

*Here is a pic of us the night we met. Awful cozy for just meeting for the first time - must have been the alcohol :) And wow do I look "pasty-white" next to Shane! That night was good times & so many great memories! How fast time flies when you are having fun...

Top 2

Top 2 Favorite Grammy Dresses

(in honor of the 2011 Grammy's Sunday night)

1) I thought this dress that Jewel wore was really pretty. It was elegant, flowy & showed off her cute little baby bump.

2) Love Lea Michele from Glee & love her dress that she wore:

I love watching the Grammy's but for some reason I don't remember there being so much singing?! Wasn't it only a 2 hour show? Now it goes way past my bedtime!?! I think I would enjoy it even more if there was less singing & a shorter time-frame.

Baby Shower

Today was a fabulous day. It started off by getting to sleep in. Then I awoke to a sunny, 50+ degrees morning. The snow was finally melting away & it feels like spring may be right around the corner - YAY!

But the thing that made this day extra fabulous was the event I was heading to this morning - my girlfriend Desiree's baby shower! She lives in Dallas & I hadn't seen her since May :( I unfortunately missed her when she was in town over Christmas so I was SO excited to get to see her today.

As I walked through the door I see her across the room & she looked adorable. She had the cutest baby bump, looked beautiful & radiant & at 31 weeks my girl was even rocking some high-heeled boots! She is so awesome!

When she spotted me across the room there were screams, running in high-heeled boots, hugs, more screams & more hugs. She sure knows how to make a girl feel welcome!

Her baby shower was held at the Sylvester Powell Community Center & it was the perfect place! Her cousin had decorated the room super cute with lots of bright pink & orange Gerbera daisy's & it all looked amazing! The food was dee-lish & the cake was.....well, look for yourself:

SO cute! It was vanilla with fruit layered in between & was so yummy! And y'all know how I love me some professional-made cake :)

I also had the pleasure of meeting Desiree's family (her & her Mom above), extended family, friends from high-school & people that meant a great deal to her. I LOVED her family - so warm & welcoming! They were SO excited to have everyone gathered together for such a wonderful occasion! The love that you could feel in that room was absolutely amazing!

I sat at the table with Desiree's girlfriends & cousins. The girl on the left is Cori. She went to high school with Desiree & they have remained friends ever since. She too has a blog that I follow. It was so nice to get to sit there & visit with her. She was so easy to talk to & I felt like I already knew her just from reading her blog! She is the one who introduced me to Desiree's blog. That is how I got to know Desiree & then finally meet her! The girl on the far right is Desiree's best friend from high school - Brandi. She was so sweet & I enjoyed hearing stories about her & Desiree from back in the day! And of course the girl who is "glowing" to the right of me is Desiree :)

Once everyone had eaten, we played a quick game & then it was time for the gift-opening. There was TONS of presents & it was fun watching D open everything. As she opened each gift, she shared who it was from & then made a point to say something about that person whether it be a funny story or a memory - it was a really nice way to acknowledge that person & let others know how D knew them.

After all the gifts were open, people started to leave & us girls were able to visit with D a little bit more which was nice. I actually think I was the last guest to leave!? I just didn't want to say goodbye because I knew I wouldn't be seeing D for awhile :( It was a great ending to a fabulous afternoon!

Desiree is due April 15th & I can't wait to get to meet sweet little Sofia! I am thinking a trip to Dallas may be in my future this summer!?

*all photos courtesy of Desiree's brother Clint - he did such a great job in capturing the day!

Top 2

Top 2 Things You've Learned About Blogging

1) strangers make wonderful friends - The friendships I have formed through my blogging have been wonderful. Who knew you could become friends with someone without even "knowing' them in real life!? I love how people who blog share the ups & downs of their life & everything in between. They are honest & keep things real. By blogging I have gotten to know strangers, been given wonderful advice, found support & made new friends. Some of these friends I have even gotten to meet which made our friendship even more wonderful (shout out to Desiree whom I will be seeing this weekend)!

2) keeping up via blogs - There are a few girlfriends I don't get to see all that often (shout out to Nickie, Amy, Keri, Melissa) but I know all about what is going on with their lives through their blogs. It has been a fabulous way to keep tabs on these girls, see their children grow through pics & I LOVE reading all about what they have been up to since I last saw them.

What a wonderful thing the "blog-world" is :)

Fans

Hmmm - I wonder what team they are cheering for???

My sister Jen & nephews Cael & Tanner

GO PACKERS!!!

Charades

Monthly game-nights with the neigborhood girls was put on hiatus for the holidays but we were back in full force this evening. I hadn't been able to host in a long while due to Shane's work schedule so I offerred to host the start of our 2011 game festivities.

Everyone was present & accounted for (minus one) & I even invited a "newbie" into the group - my hair stylist Emily! She easily fit in to our neighborhood group & even showed interest in returning next month for our monthly gathering. I'm glad we we didn't scare her off with all our "girl talk" - all of us together can be a bit overhwelming at times :)

We gathered around the island in the kitchen & snacked on buffalo chicken dip, many yummy appetizers, chocolate fondue & chocolate covered strawberries as well as engaging in fun conversation. Later in the evening we got back into our traditional game-night fashion & actually played a game. The game for this evening was Saucy Charades. It was your usual game of charades with a bit of a "saucy" subject matter. We split up in teams of 3 & took turns acting out the charade while your team had to guess the word(s) you were trying to act out. The guessing was alot of fun with many laughs & watching the girls act out the "suggestive" charades was hilarious. Definitely a game for adults only :)

And of course we can't forget the usual group photo:photo courtesy of Melissa

Thanks girls for such a fun evening! Can't wait to see what "fun" the new year brings us :)

Go RED

I love the month of February. Not only is it usually the last cold month before spring or the last month before March Madness :) but it is a month that highlights what it is I see on a daily basis at work - heart disease among women.

Today is the American Heart Association's National Wear Red Day campaign. It is a day created to raise awareness for women of all ages to take part in the prevention of their #1 killer - heart disease.

While other causes receive a lot of spotlight & campaigning like Breast Cancer Awareness, heart disease is still the cause of death for women at a much faster rate than cancers. So the AHA is hoping to get women involved in the highly preventable causes of heart & cardiovascular disease by making women aware.

The "National Wear Red Day" campaign was designed to educate women about what they can do to live stronger, healthier lives as well as be champions of healthier lifestyles at home & at work. A healthy lifestyle of a good blanced diet, exercise, & regular medical screenings can cut a woman's risk of heart disease by as much as half.

So break out the red & take an inventory of your life today. Are you doing everything you can to prevent heart disease? Often times it's a silent killer with a small percentage of women even surviving their first heart attack & unfortuantely I see it on a daily basis. I work at one of the top 25 heart hospitals in the US & we are very proud of our Muriel Kauffman Women's Cardiac Center designed specifically for female cardiac patients. Sadly, I see women of all ages that are newly diagnosed with heart disease everyday. It seems they are getting diagnosed at a younger age each day.

As an advocate of your own health, you should become aware of the risk factors today. You can visit the American Heart Association's website, & local hospitals offer free 'heart score' screenings to determine where you stand health wise.

If you are/have:

-diabetic

-overweight

-high blood pressure

-high cholesterol

-high stress

-family history of heart disease

-history of stroke

then you are at risk for heart disease - become aware!

Most importantly - wear red. Talk about it with others, raise awareness - heart disease CAN be prevented!

*stepping off my soapbox*

Snowmeggedon 2011

Well the much anticipated Blizzard of 2011 has come & gone & has left us with 13" of snow on the ground. For Kansas City, that is ALOT of snow!

I left work yesterday at 12 noon to beat the traffic & crazy drivers & what usually takes me 40 min to get home took 2+ hours. There was already 5-6" of snow on the ground & the side roads were horrible! I spent alot of my time maneuvering around stuck cars & pickup trucks that couldn't get up the hills. The interstate had one lane plowed & everyone was staying in that lane. Thank goodness I have an SUV with 4 wheel drive! I may only use it 2-3 times a year but I am VERY glad to have it when I need it!

Luckily, Shane's work called early & cancelled him for the night so we got to spend an unexpected evening together. I made a pot of chili & we watched Biggest Loser - was kind of nice having him around for the night :)

Around 4am he went out & shoveled the driveway & when I awoke at 6am the cul-de-sac hadn't been plowed yet & there was no way I was getting through 13" of snow - even in 4 wheel drive! So I called in to work & got to spend the day at home with the hubby! It is 2pm & the plows STILL haven't come through! The subdivision is all plowed but they haven't touched us! We have called twice & they said they will get to us - eventually! So here we sit. So irritated.

Look's like I don't have any excuses not to clean the house!?!

Top 2

Top 2: things I've learned about friendship

1) I've learned that a best friend was always more important than a boyfriend.

2) I've learned that your heart is forever touched by a true friend, no matter how things end up between you.

And most importantly, I've learned that my girlfriends will always be my best friends, no matter where they are, or what is happening in their lives, or what they are doing - they are irreplaceable. This is the most important thing I could have ever been taught by a best friend & I am SO very blessed with all the wonderful girlfriends in my life:

My "St. Lukes" girls

My "South Carolina" girls - Michelle & Stacey

My "Knot.com" girls - Nickie & Amy

My "Neighborhood" girls

And last but not least, my bestest girlfriends in the whole wide world:

My sister Jen

HT & Jilly

Heather K, Deanna & HT

I feel SO fortunate to have such a wonderful group of women in my life & to know that each & everyone of them has my back is an awesome feeling!

Love you girls!!!