Thankful Series Continued…

Today I can’t stop thinking about how very blessed I am to have been raised by two of the most amazing people on earth. So today as with everyday I am thankful for my parents. Momma Linda or Nana as Charlot has deemed her and Pappy Paul are remarkable people who raise two pretty great kids, if I do say so myself hahaha. No seriously my parents have been an example for me my entire life. They are an amazing example of what husbands and wives, moms and dads, Nana’s and Pap’s should be.

They raised my brother and I in a house full of laughter and love. But by no means were they pushovers they taught us right from wrong and if you were wrong, boy oh boy did you know it. My parents are the type of parents that once they had kids everything else was pretty much second. They sacrificed so much to make sure that we had everything that we needed. They did an amazing job of teaching responsibility, work ethic, service. From doing chores as a family to mission trips with my dad, to making certain we had jobs (even if they had to help complete those jobs), my parents were there.

Christ was and is the center of their house, and they made certain we knew all about it. My parents wanted me to know my God and have an open relationship with him and know how to pray. They taught us that in the best of times in life and the worst of times in life you need to pray and pray often. For these things I will always be thankful.

The thing that makes up my most fond memories, are all of our showing adventures. When my brother and I were both pretty young we started showing sheep and have continued showing but as we got older we turned to pigs. Of course we still do raise and show pigs. These times with my family never had a dull moment and my parents were always there helping and supporting (financially and emotionally) through all of it. Now if any of you reading are members of show families you understand that showing doesn’t always bring out the best in all of us. My family was no different and looking back now I wouldn’t change a thing. I am so proud that my parents are going to be there helping the next generation (aka Charlot) fall in love with showing livestock.

So here’s to you Mom and Dad! Thank you for all you did, do and will do for me, I won’t ever be able to repay you for everything. But I hope you know that I love you so much and I just think you are the BEST!!!

Thankful for the most amazing little girl

Lunch date with momma...those blue eyes get me every time

Today after being gone for a couple of days I am back with another thankful post, that doesn’t mean the few days I was off that I wasn’t thankful for something trust me every day I am thankful that I can get up out of bed. Today and every day I am especially thankful for my little nugget Charlot. She has been the most unexpected and amazing surprise in my life. For those of you who know me personally you know the story of Charlot and for those of you who don’t well here you go.

One of our first moments together...

I was told at a pretty young age that having children was going to be very difficult for me, if not impossible. That was something that I shared with the hubs early on in our relationship, I wanted him to have a free pass if that was something he couldn’t look past. But he loved me and said we would worry about that another day. In the spring of 2010 I was on the pill and had changed to a different pill that my doctor thought would be better for me. I didn’t cycle for the first month and I didn’t think much of it that wasn’t anything new, second month I was a bit more concerned called the Dr. they said take a pregnancy test. I did it came back negative. I didn’t worry anymore. Third month nothing called again Dr. said well this is probably what we have talked about that your body is just shutting down, we will schedule and appointment to see you. Mind you I was show no signs of pregnancy at this point, no weight gain actually I was loosing, I felt great, so I was on the same track as my doctor.

Such a happy baby and little girl.

On September 3rd 2010 my life changed forever, I was in the field with my boss working and I became extremely lightheaded and had to sit down. My boss took me back to the office where I sat down and called my family practice doctor. He couldn’t see me that afternoon but a Nurse Practitioner could. I wasn’t feeling well at all so the hubs came to pick me up. He had been working hogs all morning so he dropped my off at the doctor’s (he kind of smelled) office and ran the vet clinic. When I got into see her she wanted to do a CT scan but thought we should draw blood (my biggest fear) for a pregnancy test. After the blood draw I sat in the room waiting for what seemed an eternity, I kept thinking I can’t really be pregnant right, well then I heard her whisper to the other nurse cancel the CT. And I knew in that moment my life was changed forever. She came in and told me what I already knew that I was pregnant and that I needed to schedule an appointment with my OBGYN.

I sat there for quite a while, somewhere between shock, disbelief, panic, and joy. Let me get real here for a moment, this was not in my 5 year plan at that point. I was very into my career, I loved where I saw it going, I wanted the hubs and I to be married for 5 years before we had a baby, I had other things I thought I wanted first. Well apparently the Lord knew exactly what I needed. As I walked outside to get in the truck with my husband I was trying to decide how I would tell him. I got in and he said (in his true fashion mind you), “well what did they say are you going to live.” I looked him square in the eye and with no expression on my face I said “Well ready or not I am pregnant.” And in that moment we both could not stop smiling and crying it was amazing and I knew it would all be alright.

On her first birthday

Charlot has brought a type of joy to my life that I can’t even describe; I sit at night and just watch her sleep still amazed at God gave her to us. So as I said today and EVERY SINGLE DAY NOW AND FOREVER I am and will be thankful for her. I love you so much Charlot.

Thankful...for the love of the kitchen

Trisha Yearwood's Chicken Tortilla Soup...Easy, Fast and YUMMY!!!

Today I am extremely thankful for my love of cooking. I absolutely love to be in the kitchen creating and tasting and making something yummy. I love the way a meal can bring people together and can keep people alive in your hearts forever. My family is full of amazing cooks, and I know that is where I get my love from. I grew up in a family that every get together included a meal and those are such happy memories for me.


The way food can go from generation to generation just amazes me I have spent time in the kitchen with not only my grandmothers but my great grandmothers. My Granny (my dad’s paternal grandmother) made the most amazing biscuits known to man and when we would go see her each summer I got the job of putting a bit of Crisco on the top of each biscuit. Every time I eat Granny’s Biscuits that my momma has nearly perfected I think of those memories. Another amazing woman and cook was my Aunt Alice and for as long as I can remember she brought deviled eggs to all of our family dinners and sometimes she brought her Strawberry cake. I challenged myself to learn how to make both so that her memory would remain with us. I now bring deviled eggs to some family dinners and I baked a Strawberry Cake for Charlot’s first Birthday. My next challenge is to be able to make Cashew Brittle like my Grandma Kathryn, I don’t think she is sharing her whole recipe yet…and I want to make cinnamon rolls like my momma they are so good. But yeast is my enemy currently.

So thank you to all the women and men (my dad is a great Cajun cook) who helped form my love of the kitchen. And a special thank you to my momma, she was and still is so patient with me in the kitchen and is a willing teacher.

Here is the link to one of my latest favorite recipes… Trisha Yearwood’s Chicken Tortilla Soup this stuff was crazy good!

Thankful #6

So today as I was sitting in an interview for a potential new hire at my office I realized just how thankful I am that I no longer HAVE to do that. Be on the other side of the table that is. I mean you are completely vulnerable you are bearing practically everything about yourself and trying to keep a professional composure as well as letting them see the “real” you. Wowsers that is a lot.


I am so very thankful to have a job that I love, that supports my family as well as it does, and is also very friendly to my work/life balance most of the time. As I watched and listened to this young person today I couldn’t help but thank God for the job he has provided me. In today’s world and economic times it is a very tough market and I need to remind myself of that from time to time when I am complaining about my job.

On another note my little bit is not feeling so great, and again my momma swooped in and took her to the Dr. for me today. She has yet another ear infection  these just break my heart. But I know that she will heal soon with the antibiotics they gave her today. This picture was last night while she was trying to wash her own hair, I thought even though it is blurry it was pretty stinking cute!

Sometimes it is the smallest things…

Today I am thankful for the small things that can totally turn a day around. A piece of good news, having lunch with friends, seeing your baby happy and smiling these are the things that do it for me. It always seems to happen when I am having the crappiest of crappy days that there is normally something that can turn the day around. Maybe not always fully turn it around but at minimum lift my spirits. Yesterday was Charlot’s first day at the new babysitter and dropping her off was no picnic which in turn made my morning not so hot. And after a few phone calls to the new sitter I felt a bit better, but was still uneasy. Then quitting time finally hit and when I got there my sweet little one had a smile on her face and wasn’t exactly ready to go. Oh that did her momma’s heart some good. Plus this morning was like a polar opposite to yesterday.


So just remember that when it seems that all there is, is gloom more than likely a ray of sunshine is coming your way!

Thanks to a friend for reminding me of this ;)!