Well it's been awhile. I get busy and this because a distant memory!

There's been a lot going on lately but I'll just recap a few of the most recent things.

The kids have been making "tents" on their bunk beds with their blankets during the summer.

They played in their pool quite a bit...

We hung out with family... Uncle Tommy & Preslee...

Preslee "drove" with Daddy....

Anastacia got her new do for school... Cut a good 6-8 inches off... I LOVE it!

Triton wanted a mohawk for school and here it is... (not fixed but super cute)

I wanted something cooler for being outside 3 days a week with Anastacia's soccer... Love the shorter hair - quicker to fix and cooler.

Anastacia's 1st day of 1st grade...

6 years old.

Triton's 1st day of Kindergarten...

5 years old.

Boy have the kids grown fast. We now have a 11 year old (Baylee), 6 year old (Anastacia), 5 year old (Triton), and 1 1/2 year old (Preslee). Doesn't seem real to have kids getting that old. It's been a busy summer. Anastacia spent most of the summer with Nana. Triton and Preslee were at home most of the summer. They did quite a bit of stuff with Wayne, Grandma, and the girls. They all had fun. Summer seemed to end very quickly but I think the kids were anxious for school to start and see their friends again.

Now we are closing in on the end of the year almost... Holidays and birthdays and madness around our house! We will do Thanksgiving and Christmas at the house like we did last year. My understand this will be our new tradition. This will be the first "big" deal that everyone will see our house with all the new changes we have done. We need to finish the "dog's bathroom" and then the rest of the changes and additions will come after the first of the year. Following Thanksgiving we will be celebrating Preslee's 2nd birthday. We have decided on a pink/brown giraffe theme. We have her outfit and invitations/banner/juice box covers decided on. Cake has been picked just have to finalize a date so I can make arrangements with Patti Cakes. Goodness where has this year went.

Following the start of school last Thursday (08/16/12) I was looking back at last year's 1st day of school pictures that I took at the house. I put them together to see the difference. So crazy what one year can look like in children. See for yourself...

1st day of Kindergarten on left (2011-2012) and 1st day of 1st grade on the right (2012-2013)...

She has grown so much taller and she looks more grown up with her hair cut. My oldest is getting so big...

1st day of Pre-K on the left (2011-2012) and 1st day of Kindergarten on the right (2012-2013)...

He's grown taller also... They are getting so big...

And I just noticed in both years of Triton going to school he has worn a striped, collared shirt to school for the first day :) Must be a new tradition for him :)

Caramels

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light Karo syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Cook 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
3. Stir and pour into lightly greased dish.
4. Let cool.
5. Cut, wrap in wax paper & store in air tight container.
   
   
   
   
   

Butterfinger Pie

• 6 (2 1⁄8; ounce) butterfinger candy bars , crushed
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) carton Cool Whip
• 1 graham cracker crust

Directions:

1. Mix first three ingredients together.
2. Put it in pie crust.
3. Chill
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 package taco seasoning

1 can (4.5 ounces) green chiles, drained

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup origin Bisquick

3/4 cup cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 400. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Cook ground beef and onion in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (dry). Spoon into pie plate: top with chilies.

2. Stir milk, eggs, and Bisquick mix until blended. Pour into pie plate.

3. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream and lettuce (if desired).

Better Than Sex Cake

1 pkg Devils Food Cake

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Caramel Ice Cream Topping

1 (8 oz) cool whip, thawed

4-5 Heath Bars, chopped up

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 pan. Cool about 5 minutes. Using the handle of a wood spoon, poke holes into the cake. Let the cake cool for a little while. Slowly pour condensed milk over the cake, letting it sink into the holes. Drizzle some of the caramel over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely (cover it and out it in fridge for awhile). Top the cake with the whipped cream. Sprinkle the candy bar pieces in top of cool whip. Drizzle the caramel on too. Refrigerate a little longer, then serve.

By the chocolate chips (in store) they have Heath bars in a bag like that. That's what I bought

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup Peanut Butter
• 8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed
• graham cracker pie crusts
• 3 tbsp Hershey's chocolate syrup

Directions:

Beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl.

Mix in Peanut Butter and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into graham cracker pie shell; cover, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2-3 hours. Drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving.

Impossibly Easy Hamburger Pie

Hamburger Pie


24 oz. package mashed potatoes - I bought the tub of pre-made Betty Crocker kind
1 1/4 lb hamburger meat
1/2 cup chopped onion 
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of black pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen green beans, thawed
1 - 10 3/4 oz can of tomato soup
1/2 cup shredded cheese

In large skillet cook meat & onion until meat is done & onion tender. Drain & add salt & pepper. Stir in thawed beans & soup; pour into greased 2 qt (8x8 pan)

Spoon mashed potatoes on mixture. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 mins. Makes 6 servings

Banana Pudding

4 bananas, sliced

3 cups milk

1 box Nilla Wafers

2 small boxes instant FRENCH vanilla pudding

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12oz) container Cool Whip

1. Line the bottom of 9x13 pan with Nilla wafters.

2. Slice your banans and layer on top of cookies.

3. Combine the milk and pudding mix and blen using a handheld mixer. I've found that using two small boxes & the 3 cupos of milk makes an awesome consistency for the pudding. It just sets PERFECTLY.

4. In a seperate bowl, mix together cream cheese & condensed milk until smooth. Gradually fold in whipped cream.

5. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mix & stir until well blended.

6. Pour the mix evenly over the bananas.

7. Layer the remaining Nilla Wafers on top of the mix to top if all off.

This is very sweet! But great!

Marinated Creamed Cucumber & Onion Salad

MARINATED CREAMED CUCUMBER & ONION SALAD

2 lg. cucumbers

1 lg. white onion

1/4 c. white vinegar

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Salt & fresh ground pepper

1/2 c. water

Thin slice scored cucumber and onion. Place in bowl and pour in vinegar, oil & water. Add sugar, salt, pepper, dill & parsley. Mix well. Let cool for 1/2 hour then drain off all liquid. Add sour cream. Mix well & refrigerate 1 hour

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti

Serves 8

• 8 ounces angel hair pasta
• 2 cups chopped, grilled chicken or 1 large can of chicken
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
• 8 ounces sour cream
• Sprinkling of Parmesan or Mexican-blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta as package directs and drain. Mix all other ingredients (except cheese), add to cooked pasta and put in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with your choice of cheese and return to oven to melt.

Fresh Cucumber Salad

7 cups unpeeled cucumbers - sliced thin (I peeled mine) - about 7 large cucumbers

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced green peppers

1 tbsp salt

1 cup white vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp mustard seed

Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set aside.

Put vinegar, sugar, celery seed and mustard seed in a pot and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and let cool for one hour.

Pour mixture over cucumbers.

Put in jars and store in refrigerator.

Will keep up to 2 months.

Makes 2 quart jars.

Baked Spaghetti

1 (16oz) package spaghetti

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (26oz) jar meatless spaghetti sauce

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups small curd cottage cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onions over medium high heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and seasoned salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.

3. Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and name at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes or longer until cheese is melted.

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Ingredients:

 1 (10 oz.) box yellow cake mix

Ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)

2 (3.4 oz.) packages instant banana pudding

4 cups milk

1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

20 vanilla wafers, crushed

Directions:

 Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9x13 cake.Once cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.Then, with a wooden spoon handle or some other similarly-sized object, begin poking holes in the cake.

 You want the holes to be fairly big so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down  in there. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.

 In a bowl, prepare pudding.Whisk together instant pudding with 4 cups milk.Stir until all the lumps are gone. Let pudding sit for just about 2 minutes so it has just slightly begun to thicken but not fully set, it should still be easily pourable.

Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to get it into the holes as much as possible.

 Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon gently push pudding down into the holes.

Put the pudding into the fridge to set and cool.Once your cake has completely cooled, spread on whipped topping.

If you haven't done so already, crush your vanilla wafers.I just place mine in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.Leave some of the pieces big. It's nice to have a bit of a crunch when you eat the cake.

 Spread crushed wafers onto the top of the cake. You can do this part immediately before serving the cake if you like. This will ensure the wafers are crunchy when you serve it. 

I think this cake gets more delicious over time.To me, it's even better the next day so it's a great dessert to make ahead of time.Serve with freshly sliced bananas. Keep refrigerated.

Stuffed Chicken

What you need:

1 pkg. (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 cup water

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 lb.)

1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup fat free milk1 tsp. paprika

2 Tbsp. Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

What to do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine stuffing mix and water in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness using meat mallet. Add broccoli to stuffing; mix lightly. Spread evenly over chicken breasts.  Roll up each chicken breast from the short end. No picture of this it is a two hand job. I roll with one hand, and hold the mixture with my other hand. Place the chicken, seam side down, in 13X9-inch baking dish. Mix soup and mild and pour over the top. Sprinkle with paprika and Parmesan Cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (170 degrees).

Changes... Overwhelming...

So in the last blog I wrote about changes... House changes! I love those type changes. What I don't like is changes in my job...


Well let me take that back. I do like changes in my job as long as I have enough time to evaluate and adjust to the situation. What I don't like is all of a sudden changes, changes when no one really knows what's going on, and then it's all thrown at you at one time.


Anyone like those type changes? Not me... But yet it was done! Blah!


So last week I was informed that I will be "helping" out in the business office at the hospital until our census (HH and hospital pick back up). Well my thinking was ok I can handle that. Then Monday I was getting ready to leave work and my boss comes in and tells me that Wednesday they will be getting with me and having a desk ready for me to work at. OK????? A desk? I have a desk? Why do I need a 2nd desk? I just said "ok" and continued on and was in a bit of confusion. Nothing was said Tuesday about it and then Wednesday I come to work and shortly after my boss comes in she asks me if I have heard from Laura (boss in BO) about coming over to train. I said 'no' and she goes back to her office and emails Laura. Laura responds with something and then the last night stuck out to me...


How does Ashlee feel about moving over here?


So I asked my boss, Cathy, about this being permanent or temporary and she tells me temporary. So I just agree to what's going on. So I emailed Laura and asked her when she wanted me to come over and what I was going to be doing and etc. She then tells me that her, Brandon (CFO), and Cathy are going to have a meeting and she will let me know the details following this meeting. So Cathy heads off to the meeting. She comes back and is real short and sweet and says 'your time will be split 50/50' and then she tells me 'you need to get with Laura on when you need to go over there' and then she tells me 'I (her) will be splitting my time with the Tulsa office' and she goes back to her desk.


So at this point all is well... Nervous and unsettled about doing something different and new but all is well... I talk to Laura about going over after I get back from lunch and she agrees. I went and ran my errands, got lunch, talked to Albert, and then headed to the BO at the hospital. I get to the window area where Angie (which I know) was working and she asked me 'how I felt about this' and I said well it's temporary so it will be ok and she said 'I heard you are going to eventually be over here full time' so then I was stunned. So I go inside and sit down with her and then Laura comes out and wants to visit with me in her office.


Laura asks me 'how do you feel about this' and I still wanted to believe this was temporary so I said about the same thing, 'well this is temporary so whatever I need to do I will do until I return to my regular job' and she looked at me all sorts of crazy! Don't you just love that?!?!


She informs me that my new 'homebase' will be here in the BO and she shows me my desk and tells me that I will be doing my home health work from that desk/office. I will just be over in the BO full time and then as I get more comfortable with things they will start adding on other job duties. So at this time I'm real STUNNED so to say! I'm clueless as to what is going on and what is being said. I just nod my head and keep on going. She also tells me that when I need to come to home health for documentation reasons I just need to let them know so they have coverage for me in the BO and I can walk over here and do what I need to do. She tells me about lunches, leaving time, starting time, dress code, etc... OVERLOAD!!! MAJOR OVERLOAD! Because remind you I was told (before lunch) this was just temporary!


I was also told that Thursday (today) I would need to be in home health because they had a couple people out and they needed me to assist over here but starting Friday I could bring my stuff over, set up "house" and report over there daily from now on. Just completely overwhelming...


So I was informed that right now I'm training to be Angie's backup. To answer the phones for patients with questions regarding their bills, take payments, do daily bank deposits, and many other things... Once that is settled I will start adding other job duties...


This was all thrown at me in a matter of hours so you can see why I go overwhelmed like I did.


We will see how this all pans out in the near future... I'll keep everyone informed...

House Changes

I don't have a lot of time to blog... But let me blog about something I'm so thrilled about.


HOUSE CHANGES!!!!!


Yes... you got that right! Tons of changes, work, and new decorations! I love it!
Some things on the house fell through so we are no longer buying a house so we have decided to "fix" our current house and bring it back to life!


I couldn't say how thrilled I am to have a nice house... There are no words honestly. Let's just put it this way... The house where we live now (before me) was lived in by 2 males, father and son, and they worked opposite hours, around 60 hours a week, in a rock quarry, and so dust/dirt/rock just built up and nothing was every really cleaned or taken care of.


They were men... so it didn't really need to be nice just livable. This past May I have lived in Mannford (in this house) for 3 years. We have done some minor things to it by painting, adding a few pictures, etc. Nothing drastic...


So last week I tell my husband (I was really upset about the other house) that since we can't have this house I wanted then we are fixing this one and I gave him a list of things I wanted done:


Kitchen - New floors
Dining Room - New floors
Laundry Room - New floors
Kitchen - Cabinet/counter torn out
Kitchen - Pantry built in place of cabinet/counter
Master Bath - Tear out counter/cabinet/sink and add pedastool sink & new tile
Spare Bath (dog's bath) - New floors


Long list, right? Well I was determined that I would have things done, like I wanted, and timely. So Saturday we went and picked up a new sectional for the living room in Tahlequah. Tommy & Dara went with us and helped us move old furniture to father in law's next door, his old furniture to the front porch, and our new furniture in...

(Here's the new sectional)

Let me tell you... I have never been one for sectionals because they are so hard to rearrange and some only go certain ways (like this one)... But this has 2 recliners and a bed in it and we got a great deal on it. I love it and so does everyone... Our 2 kids (Anastacia has been at Nana's since school got out) spent the night with Wayne Saturday night. We got to talking about all these changes and how hard the tile (dining room) was going to be to get up, etc. So Albert takes a butter knife and a long flat head screw driver to see...

Didn't seem so hard so I figured we could get a couple tile tools at Walmart and we could pull up the tile ourselves and not spend extra money. So then he went from pulling up this tile to the kitchen and it's linoleum and he ripped a huge chunk out...

The plan was to start working on these floors this weekend (9th & 10th) and then he goes and tears tile and rips the linoleum in which I freak out and his response... "This will just help me make sure I get it done." So I agreed and I figured I have a week of walking on this stuff, oh well...

So we head off to eat dinner with family for a birthday and then go to Walmart afterwards... Pick up a couple tile tools and a few other things and come back home. We sat up until 3am tearing up tile in the dining room and pulling up linoleum in the kitchen...

(The view of the dining room after all the tile was removed)

Well at this point I figured was the stopping point because Albert was suppose to be working on his mud truck this weekend and we were working on the house next weekend... So this was Saturday night/Early Sunday morning...

Sunday I get up and around and dress in some comfy clothes and decide to do a little cleaning... Albert heads next door to get his Dad to start working on the truck and then he comes back telling me to get dressed we are going to get tile... So Albert, his Dad, and I jumped in the truck and headed off to Home Depot to get tile... We picked it out and come home with it and started working on it...

Albert finished ripping up the linoleum and moved the appliances and got it out from under there and then we tore out a cabinet/counter...

(the cabinet/counter that we tore out)

(the space after it was torn out)

And then the tile laying begun... Albert laid the tile and I pulled the backs off and handed them to him. Swept when we needed to sweep. Moved items when they needed to be moved. A lot of stuff was thrown into the living room... Here's my view...

(OMG what a mess, right)

Anyways we worked all day long and finally got the dining room, kitchen, and laundry room tile laid and it looks AMAZING... Here are a few before and after shots. Please don't look at my counters, etc because at this point I hadn't had time to put everything back in the right spots... I was just so excited about the tile and the floors...

(before linoleum in kitchen)

(after - tile in the kitchen and laundry room)

(before dining room - ugly green tile)

(after dining room)

(before with counter)

(after with new flooring and this is where my pantry is going to be build - where microwave stand is now)

So to me this area looks 150% better with just new flooring. I absolutely love the new floors... I have been working on decorating the kitchen/dining room (mainly dining room because kitchen doesn't have much wall space) with a wine theme (type thing)...

I bought this sign that said "Bistro" and added it above the dining room window...

(before & after)

Then I bought this HUGE wrought iron piece for the wall (bare wall in dining room by the table) and hung it up...

(before & after - the picture doesn't do justice as to the size that this piece is - HUGE)

So now I have a few other things in the work... I'm picking up a wine bottle holder this evening. I wanted one that hung on the wall but a friend of mine is selling me a counter top one... Well my counters don't have enough space so I'm trying out a new idea... I'm going to use that metal picture wire (or whatever it is) and suspend it from the ceiling in the corner and then I'm in the process of getting another item to make the wine glass holder out of... I will leave that in suspense until I post the pictures...

I'm excited for the change in this... This weekend we are working on the bathrooms and possibly the pantry. I wanted pantry first but we will see what comes. Albert bought more tile yesterday for the bathrooms and our bathroom (I believe) is first and it's tearing out a cabinet, painting under that, and then adding the new sink and new tile... I have the white shelving that I want in there already so it's just a matter of timing...

Until next time... I hope you enjoy the updates...