Wishing all my blogger friends a wonderful New Year! Sorry I haven't been around lately - life gets in the way and this has been a nice break. I'll try to do an update this week. We'll be flying out to ND next weekend, Mike has another interview - wish us luck!

Merry Christmas

Just a little note to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I won't be posting that often for the next week or so - too many things going on around here (namely another trip to North Dakota, this time *hopefully* for all three of us). Well, the trip won't take place until the beginning of January but you know what I mean.

Have a great Holiday everyone!!

BTW - did you notice the new Shoutbox over on the right? Feel free to leave a message! BUT I still expect you to leave comments too :)

No Go

Mike heard back from the company. They have decided not to offer him the job.

Still no news yet :(

My Christmas Tour

Well I think I'm finally in the Christmas spirit. When Mike got back from ND and unpacked the two huge suitcases full of presents I think that pushed me over the edge. Before that I was so focused on other stuff mainly Mike's upcoming trip and job interview or yeah and the power outages while he was gone (we had a total of 3 - one for 3 1/2 hours, another for 1 1/2 hours and the last one for 9 hours). Like I said before, we will hear on Tuesday whether or not he got the job so I'm still a little distracted. Anyways on with the tour. I've seen a couple of bloggers opening up their homes and showing their decorations. Now I'd like to do the same. So come on in and take a look around.

Here is our front door - come on in (I made the wreath)!

As you come in the door you'll see the Christmas tree. We got a smaller one this year and have it up on a table, we're hoping this will detour Logan from ripping down all the decorations.

To the left of the tree you'll see the bookcase that Mike decorated. Didn't he do a great job?

Here is a close up of my snowman nativity scene:

This is our traditional Nativity scene that we received from my Grandpa & Grandma.

We received this cute little fibre optic "winter carnival" from Mike's Aunt last year. The ferris wheel and merry-go-round both spin.

Logan loves it!

Here is our dining room table. One of my Aunt's sewed the placemats for us - so cute!

Well, that's the tour of our home. I hope you had a great time - stop by again soon!

(I also made this swag)

Friday Funny

Mike gets in late this afternoon. Logan & I are both very excited to see him. But I think Pooh Bear missed him the most. He's been pacing around the house ever since Mike left and driving me nuts!

I have now told Mike under no circumstances is he ever to leave me again! The power went out two times today. The first time it only lasted about 2 minutes but the second time it was more like 1 1/2 hours. And it was dark out. So I played solitaire on my trusty laptop. Right now the power is back on but I'm not sure how long it will last. The winds are blowing like crazy (over 50 mph). Roads are closed because so many trees are down, schools are running late (or closed) for tomorrow, and some major bridges in the area are closed. I just hope Mike's plane isn't delayed tomorrow.

Here's the Friday Funny for this week. It's a little old but still so cute! Enjoy :)

Tuesday....TUESDAY!!!

Mike just called..............he'll find out on Tuesday.

AAAAAaaaarrrrggghhhh!!! More waiting :(

And So It Goes.......

3:30 am - Mike & Tanya wake up
4:15 am - wake up Logan
4:30 am - leave the house
5:15 am - arrive at airport, drop Mike off
6:00 am - Tanya & Logan arrive at home
6:50 am - Mike's plane is supposed to leave
8:45 am - Mike calls. The plane has not left. No idea when it will.
10:30 am - power goes out at our house
12:05 pm - Mike's plane finally takes off
3:00 pm - power comes back on
5:00 pm - Mike lands in Minneapolis (3 pm our time)
9something - Mike departs Minneapolis
10:45 pm - Mike lands in ND

Don't you just love when everything falls into place??

What Will Happen This Time?

Mike flies out early (like, the butt-crack of before dawn) tomorrow morning and I can't help but be nervous. Not for the reasons you might think though. You see, every time Mike has left on a trip something goes wrong around here - every.single.time. I'm worried about what will happen this time. Here's what I've endured the other couple of times:

-the first time he left (to go to San Francisco) we had an ice storm. Yes, an ice storm! It happened on an early Wednesday morning and I had just gotten out of the shower when the power went out. I finished getting ready for work and walked out my front door and promptly slipped on the ice and smacked my back on the cement steps (maybe that helps explain my chronic lower back pains). I walked over to the truck and could not open the door. There was over 1/4" of ice covering everything! I decided there was no way I was going to work. I spent the day reading and napping. My lovely neighbors invited me to go into town with them for an early dinner. That night I went to bed early (around 9) and because the power was still out we had no heat. So I lit almost every candle in the house and put them in our bedroom. Of course as soon as I climbed into bed the power came back on. I had lit over 70 candles - yeah, I'm a candle-freak!!

-the second time he left was after Logan was born (another trip to San Francisco) in January. We had another freakish storm and the power went out. Thank goodness Logan was in bed already. It was out until about 5 am so I did have to make a bottle once in the middle of the night in the dark. At least we still had warm water for the bottle so I guess that time it wasn't so bad.

-I think there was one other time, might have been when he went to NYC, that the "check engine" light came on in the truck. I didn't want to drive the truck because I was worried it would blow up or something. I called my Dad (as if he could do anything all the way in ND) crying, wondering what I should do. He had me get the owner's manual. Did you know that it is not a big deal if that light comes on? Usually it comes on for the dumbest reasons. You would think it would mean something major since the engine is a major component in a vehicle! I think ours had something to do with air getting into the drive train. I don't remember - I've tried to block most of the memories from my mind.

Please send good thoughts my way but especially Mike's way since he's interviewing on Thursday!!

Caught by Surprise!

I completely surprised Mike on Sunday night! I could not believe I pulled it off and didn't blab it to him. Our lovely neighbors, John & Jayne, babysat Logan for us and I took him out to a lovely dinner at Benihana's. We both ate way too much but it was oh, so yummy!

The look on Mike's face when Jayne walked through the door was hilarious. He just had a look that said "what is she doing here and why do you have a smile on your face?" Of course, though we hadn't even left town and he figured out where we were going. I guess the fact that we had to make reservations was a tip-off (since there are maybe two restaurants that we like (and can afford) that require reservations).

Jayne came up a little bit early so that we were able to do a little shopping before dinner. I now have one gift left to get (besides Mike and Pooh Bear) and I am completely done shopping. Yay!

Mike flies out on Wednesday and this was my way to wish him luck on the interview. I know he'll do a great job!

Friday Funny

I also put new videos on the sidebars - Enjoy!

This is what happens when your child thinks they can water your plants.

Updates

* * Less than one week to order a Santa letter! * *

It's time for another bulleted list - enjoy!

- The age that Logan is at is absolutely amazing to me. He is understanding so many things and trying to be so helpful. He's also learning manners (kind of), if he takes something away from you he will only give it back if you say "please". Otherwise if you grab it he will scream and get very upset!

- Mike will be flying out for the interview next Wednesday. It will take place on Thursday. I cannot believe how fast things might begin to move if (when) they offer him the job. And then the worrying and stress will really start to set in :)

- Our snow is almost all gone now :( But if we're moving to ND I guess I will be complaining about it constantly and how I wish it would go away.

- I've posted the new December recipes. I decided to post some ways to use up leftovers. We tried all of them and I thought they were all yummy!

- I've also updated my blog lists. You can check out the new additions on the left sidebar.

- Logan loves to try to wear our shoes, it is hilarious to watch him tromp around the house in them.

- He hates getting his hands dirty. The other night he got a piece of rice on his finger and freaked out. And what did we do? Well, laugh of course!

- I have about 3 gifts left to buy and I'm done Christmas shopping - yay!! Part of the reason that I finished so early though is so that Mike can take the gifts back with him. That way we don't have to pay for shipping :)

- My Dad turned 50 on the 5th - Happy Birthday Daddio!!

Couldn't Wait Until Christmas

How adorable is this??

Logan received an unplanned early Christmas present from us the other day. When we went and got his pictures taken (from the second place) we stumbled upon this cute little chair. It matches our couch set perfectly!

A couple of days later I received a coupon from the store for 15% off any one item and the chair was already on sale (10% off) so how could I resist? Logan loves to sit in it and stand on it. If we tell him to sit in the "Logan chair", he knows exactly what we are talking about. I think it's almost the perfect Christmas gift!

6 Weird Things

The rules:
According to the rules...Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you". People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weir things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog!

I knew I had done this before! Back in February I got tagged by Austin to do 5 Crazy things about me. And now she tagged me again! Along with Becca - I'll be using some of the same ones from last time since I still do them. Enjoy my weirdness!!

1. I have to be covered up when I sleep. Even if it's really hot at night I still need to have some sort of covers on me - especially on my feet.

2. No part of my body can hang off the bed when I sleep - I'm scared something will grab it!

3. I'm terrified of the dark - I blame this on two of my uncle's, even though my Mom says they didn't scare me in the dark. (They totally DID)!!

4. I can watch the same episodes of reality shows over & over again. Yes, I'm a reality junky.

5. I am obsessed with pulling strings on my clothes. I have wrecked shirts, pants, socks, you name it from pulling the strings on them.

6a. Logan has 3 different types of diapers that he wears - night ones, day ones (any cheap brand), and another kind for the day (expensive ones for naptime and if we're going out for a while). The night ones of course, are more absorbent so he can get through the night without getting his bedding or himself wet. The cheap ones are for when we stick around the house or if he hasn't had a messy pants yet. (Logan tends to poop as soon as you change his diaper a lot of the time and it frustrates me to put an expensive diaper on him that lasts for only 10 minutes.) Mike used to think this was the weirdest thing but now I think he understands my craziness.

6b. I am obsessed with blogs! Seriously I read a ton of them every day and Mike gets so upset sometimes because if we're watching TV I'm constantly checking my email for new comments and all the blogs that I frequent.

6c. I LOVE doing the dishes! But I hate drying them so most of the time they will just air-dry. Mike makes fun of me all the time for this because most nights him & Logan are still eating and I am already starting on the dishes.

I'm not tagging anyone - if you want to do one let me know so I can check out if you're as weirder (or weirder) than me!!

* * Reminder - - Only about one week left to order a Santa letter! * *

A Friend

Today a blogging friend of mine lost her husband after almost 51 years of marriage. Please stop by to offer her support right now in her time of need. You can visit Beth here.

December Recipes

I'm sure by now you've used up all of your Turkey Day leftovers BUT hopefully you can use these recipes another time - Enjoy!!

Claim Jumper's Cheese Potatocakes

(courtesy of RecipeZaar.com)

These taste very similar to the ones from the restaurant! I think next time I make them though I'll just skip the Herb Ranch Salsa and use a mixture of sour cream and ranch dressing.

Herb Ranch Salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup diced seeded tomatoes

2 Tbsp. minced onions

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. minced fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. dried dill

Potato Cakes

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes - cold

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. minced fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Breading

2/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

2-3 cups shortening (for frying)

Combine all ingredients to make the herb ranch salsa in a small bowl. Cover and chill until needed.

Mix all of the ingredients together for the potatocakes.

Combine breadcrumbs with flour in a small bowl. Combine beaten egg and milk in another large bowl.

Measure about 1/3 cup of potato mixture into your hands and shape into a patty about the size of a hamburger patty. Drop potato mixture into breading mixture, then into egg & milk, and back into breading mixture. (Make sure to cover entire surface with breading.) Arrange the potatocake on a plate, repeat process with remaining potato mixture. Cover and chill the potatocakes for one hour so they will stick together when fried.

Heat up shortening in skillet over medium-low heat. (There should be about 1" of shortening in the pan.) Fry the potatocakes in the oil 2-4 minutes on each side until golden brown, then drain on rack or paper towels.

Serve with herbed ranch salsa drizzled over top.

Chicken (or Turkey) Tortilla Soup

I make this recipe a lot during the winter. Usually I use leftover chicken but when I make it with turkey last night it turned out just as good!

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed OR leftover turkey

1 can Fiesta Nacho cheese soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can milk

1 can enchilada sauce, mild

Crushed tortilla chips

Shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except tortilla chips and cheddar cheese. Bring to a boil over low heat; stirring constantly. Top the soup with crushed chips and shredded cheese.

Leftover Turkey Casserole

I made this for dinner tonight. Mike's not too big on casseroles but he enjoyed this one AND it's a great way to use up most of your leftovers. Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

3 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. onion powder (I used garlic)

2 Tbsp. butter

1 cup finely crushed herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix (I used breadcrumbs)

1-2 cups cooked, diced turkey meat

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 *. Lightly grease a 9x13" (I used a 7x11") baking dish.

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour. Slowly stir in evaporated milk and water, then season with salt, pepper, and onion (garlic) powder. Stir sauce over low heat for about 8 minutes.

In a separate saucepan over low heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Blend in the dry stuffing mix.

Place the turkey in the baking dish. Pour the sauce over turkey, then sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Spread mashed potatoes over cheese. Top mashed potatoes with the stuffing mixture.

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven.