what I got for Christmas...

Ok..It's CHRISTmas...not GIFTmas...This time of year so often gets skewed from being about the birth of Jesus into being about getting the best deal at a sale at 3am for a gift for someone you don't really like, but feel compelled to buy a present for anyway. I hope that anyone reading this knows and has received the greatest gift intended for each and everyone of us..salvation given to us by God through the birth and death of his only son, Jesus. If I never received another gift in this life other than the gift of salvation, I would be content and more than sustained.

That said...I wanted to share some of the earthly gifts I recieved this year for Christmas..

1) my sweet best friend Briana gave me a beautiful silver chain necklace from James Avery with a script letter "M" charm...love it!

2) my handsome husband gave me a Dooney and Bourke ostrich purse (that my wonderful friend Janice sought out for us, and also purchased the matching card holder and coin purse for my birthday present!)

3) that same husband got me the snake boots from Bass Pro that I've been eyeing for quite a while...perfect for the terrain that we have at our hunting lease here in Alabama.

4) again, that husband got me a 14qt Magnalite stockpot that I can't wait to whip up some gumbo in!

5) My wonderful parents gave us an awesome All-Clad slow cooker with the cast iron insert that can go on the stove or oven, and it has the timer setting on it...Oh yeah...

6) My friend Stephanie gave me this beautiful scarf that is like a bunch of strings knotted together, it is so different and pretty, I can't wait to wear it!

7) My inlaws gave me a number of gifts, but one of my favorites is this carved-looking cross that has the story of Jesus from birth to crucifixion..it's really beautiful and I will have to find a special place for it in our home.

8) My aunt and uncle gave me a beautiful watch and matching bracelet, perfect for special nights out.

I also got to spend priceless time with my parents and sisters and their families, and my husband and children were able to go see his parents for a few days. My aunt came through a serious surgery awesomely and is beating cancer. My family has so many blessings that God has given us over the last few months, we are incredibly grateful. I hope that each of you has had a blessed holiday season and are ready to greet a New Year with a positive outlook on what God has to bring you in 2012.

cravings...

Since I went on my shopping hiatus in October, the only items of clothing I have purchased for myself are 1) a cocktail dress for the husband's work Christmas party, 2) shoes and tights to go with said dress, and 3) some matching Christmas pj's for myself and my mom. Can I just say..that is a HUGE accomplishment for me.


That said...I'm having a terrible hankering for some retail therapy and need prayers to get through it. Amen.

Merry Christmas!!

Ok, I'm admitting it..I have no intentions of mailing out Christmas cards this year.

No, I'm not a Scrooge, I'm just lazy. I haven't been able to find our address book since we moved this summer, and I haven't made the effort to obtain a new one and request addresses from everyone. I know, it's terrible. I also haven't made the cute picture Christmas cards that I normally do each year, because, deep down inside, I knew I wasn't going to have the addresses I needed.

So, it's nothing personal against anyone, I just haven't made it a priority. We still love everyone and wish them all a Merry Christmas, I'm just not sending you any joy through the mail. If it helps, the picture at the top of my blog is the same one I would have used for our cards.

Merry Christmas!! Peace on Earth!! Good Will to Men!! (look at the picture above as you read those last 3 statements....there, just as good as a card, right?)

On the road for the holidays....

Recent conversations with other military friends prompted this post. It's intended to provide insight on a travelling family during the holidays...tt's also going to be my checklist for travelling this year...

Do you travel for the holidays? Or maybe you have the home that is always the place everyone else comes to be with each other for the holidays. Either way, you probably know someone that is generally on the road for the holidays. We are a military family, and had the luxury at our last assignment to be at "home" in Louisiana and close to the rest of our family for three years of holidays. We were able to do Christmas Eve at my parent's house, as we traditionally do. It's the one for sure time of the year that my sisters and I, our spouses (unless there is a deployment) and all of our children are at my Mama and Daddy's. We have shrimp stew every year, a tradition that started before I can remember with my Daddy's mama (Grammy) cooking for us each year. Then, my mother took over, and the last couple of years I've taken that task (although I still don't like mine as much as Grammy's or my Mama's. I'll try to remember to blog about the task this year, with pictures.) We open presents, and laugh, and make new memories each year. Those three years we were in Louisiana (and the three we were there for our first assignment) were great. We've also lived in England, Virginia, and now Alabama. We've spent those holidays away from any family, spent them with our military families, and made other memories. This year, being in Alabama, we are close enough to travel home fairly often and see our families. My husband and our kids will be able to spend time with my in-laws, and we'll be able to be with my family this year for Christmas Eve and my parents for Christmas morning. I'm not sure where next year will take us, so we will wait to see what that plan is.
So...getting to the point...I love being at my Mama and Daddy's anytime, but especially for Christmas. No bones about it. But sometimes, I really dread the packing and travelling part. Especially for Christmas. If you have never travelled for the holidays, and never travelled with children for the holidays, you may not understand or appreciate what it takes for a family of four (just using that number because that's what we are) and a dog to get ready to go on the road for Christmas, and to prepare to spend it at multiple homes.
First off, we have to prepare to pack. Now, for us, we may take more than normal, because when we go to Louisiana for the holidays, it is also hunting season. So, because of that, we are taking our guns or my bow and any other hunting paraphenalia, in addition to the other luggage. We may have to take 2 vehicles this year. We have to plan accordingly for packing the gifts, and arrange for Santa to deliver our children's gifts to the appropriate Christmas morning location. This year, we've also made arrangements for our dog, Buster, to stay at the vet instead of taking him with us.
We have to contact the local authorities to do a daily drive by of the house, as well as work out with our neighbors to just keep an eye on the house.  I have to make arrangements for our mail to be put on hold, and make sure any packages that may have been sent to us by UPS or FedEx get picked up off our porch.
The day of travel, we get all loaded up and set out on the trip (this year a meager 7 hour drive), and without fail, get a few miles down the road and realize something was left on, the alarm didn't get set, or someone forgot their phone charger (normally me) and have to turn around to resolve the issue.
We plan our time there beforehand, planning whe we will be able to spend time with and on what days, making sure that we try to see everyone, and apologizing to those that the time just isn't going to allow. I may not have mentioned this before, but I work from home for my mother's business, so while we are there, I will also be working for the days that our office is open. I am so blessed that I can travel and still work. 
Ultimately, we arrive at the destination, get unloaded and are able to relax and enjoy the days we are there for the holiday..until the day before we leave to come home, and then we have to reload the vehicle, this time with the acquired gifts from respective grandparents and other family members and realize we need a Uhaul to return home!
I know that my family has an appreciation of our travel, they've seen us do it plenty. But, this year, if you have someone travelling to see you, that is making the effort to be in your presence during this special time of year because it feels like home to them, take the time to thank them and appreciate the efforts they make to spend that time with you. Find out if there is anything you can do to make that trip easier for them. And, if the option is available, make the offer to do the travelling to them sometimes.

All I want is....

***First, let me start this by saying, I have made it through my first month of my no-shopping pledge!!! I haven't bought a single piece of clothing or pair of shoes in one whole month!! 11 more to go!***

On that note, I'll switch my blog topic of Wish List..HA! My and Richard's 13th anniversary is the week of Thanksgiving, my birthday is the first week of December and then of course, there's Christmas! So, if you can't provide me with world peace (which my husband all ready works on), here are a few things that I have in mind that I would like to have....

1) The only big ticket item on my list: A new washer and dryer!!! The washer and dryer we currently have work, but only if you don't mind the super loud racket the washer makes and running your clothes 2 to 3 times through the dryer to get them dry! Specifically I would like the LG - 4.5 Cu. Ft. 14-Cycle Ultra Capacity High-Efficiency Washer and LG - SteamDryer 7.3 Cu. Ft. 14-Cycle Ultra Capacity Electric Dryer, both in white. Please.

2) I would really like a watch. I haven't worn a watch in years, I tend to rely on my cell phone. But would like to have a watch, all the same. Here's an idea of what I would like: silver, rectangular face with rhinestones around the face, but not on the band. I would post a link to one, but have yet to see one that I really like.

3) The Nook Tablet. Please.

4) A new coffee maker, this is what I would like: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17320726&RN=2353&

5) A successful deer hunt, or two. Would love to get a nice sized buck that is large enough to get mounted. If I were going to be extravagant (winky-face), I'd love to go on a romantic deer hunting trip at a nice hunting lodge in Pike County, Illinois. That would be a great gift for our 15th wedding anniversary...just sayin'.

That's pretty much it, the extent of things I think I really want. That said, I honestly will be perfectly happy to wake up on any of these 3 days to a happy, healthy marriage, happy, healthy kids, and all of our basic needs met.

Gumbo

I have had a few of my friends request this recipe lately, so I thought I'd post it again and share. This picture is from the gumbo I made today, however it's turkey and sausage instead of chicken and sausage. I used the leftover turkey that we fried last night.

Here's the recipe for my usual gumbo:

Melissa’s Chicken and Sausage Gumbo


2 cups flour

2 cups canola oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 bunch celery, chopped (including leaves)

4 green bell peppers, chopped

2 rotisserie chickens, skinned and de-boned

2 lbs link sausage, sliced (spicy or mild, depending on your taste)

2 lbs raw, peeled shrimp, tails off, thawed

1 bottle beer (any kind, I try to use a light beer like Coor's Light or Mich Ultra)

3 32oz containers chicken broth ( i like to use low-sodium)

Tony's to taste

Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Thyme to taste

3 bay leaves





TIP: do all your chopping of veggies before you get started. You won't be able to do it during the cooking part...



In large pot, brown sausage over med/high heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring around often. Take out and drain on paper towel. Reduce heat to med/lo and add oil and 1 1/2 cups flour, whisking together until smooth. Save the other 1/2 cup of flour for now. Continue stirring, constantly, until roux is a nice brown color. I like to do this over a medium-low heat so that it doesn't burn, and it helps develop a nicer flavor. This can take about 20-30 minutes, depending on the type of pot you are using. I normally use my Magnalite pot or my black cast iron (as pictured above), and it takes me right at 30 minutes to get it the perfect color. Right when it's getting to the color you want, add in the other 1/2 cup of flour. This helps keep it from becoming too thin. The longer you brown it, the more it breaks down the flour's thickening agent. Once you stir that in and it's smooth (about 3-4 minutes), add in all your chopped vegetables. Continue stirring for 5-10 minutes, making sure to scrape along the bottom of the pot. Slowly add in the broth, one carton at a time, stirring constantly to keep it smooth. I like to add one at a time and let it rest for a minute or two before adding the next one. Next, pour in your bottle of beer. This gives a nice flavor, I always add it to mine, but I know a lot of people don't, so it is optional. Add your Tony's, hot sauce, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaves at this point. I add the Tony's and hot sauce gradually, tasting it every 10-15 minutes during cook time. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Let this cook over a medium heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring often and making sure to stir all the way to the bottom of the pot. Add chicken and sausage to the pot, reduce heat to medium low and let cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring often. Next you will add your shrimp, and I always do this in the last 10-15 minutes because it doesn't take them long to cook and you don't want them to get tough. Let it cook a little longer until shrimp are pink.  We like to serve ours with some crusty French bread and a scoop of plain potato salad in the middle of the bowl.  ("Plain" means potatoes, boiled egg, a little of pickle relish, mayo and salt and pepper. The gumbo all ready has all the other stuff in it.)

This recipe makes a ton, I normally half it when I'm just making for our family of 4, but it will freeze nicely, too. Also, you can change the meat choices out, I don't always put shrimp in mine, sometimes I will use crawfish, or no seafood at all. That is part of the art of making gumbo, you can change it up to suit your tastes. Enjoy!!

Attacked by Magazines

Am I the only person that takes offense to the magazines that are placed at a child's eye level in grocery store check out lines? The pictures and story lines that jump off of them and into my child's face are seriously disturbing. I have enough of a challenge keeping topics of sex and what the world thinks is the best body image for a man or woman out of the world of my kids, without having to go preview the checkout aisle before letting them enter. I have pretty much gotten to the point of just not taking them with me when I go to the store. I will say that the first store that I have personally been in that makes an effort to protect young eyes from these rags is the Publix here by my house. They have opaque plastic covers in front of all of the questionable magazines that are placed in the check out line. They are a more expensive store than some of the other chain grocery stores, but I'm willing to pay the extra money if my kid are with me, knowing they won't be exposed to that garbage. I'm not sure what can be done to change this in other stores, but the topic headlines on some of these magazines (namely, Cosmopolitan and Glamour) are, in my opinion, pornographic, and should be treated as such.

The others that get me are the tabloids that will have "undoctored" photos of celebrities at their most unattractive moments, that have zoomed in on the cellulite that is exposed in whatever outfit they have on. Really??? Shame on the publication, shame on the stores for displaying it, and SHAME on the people that buy that trash and use it to dictate thier lives. Our society has become so consumed with "keeping up" with the star of the moment, that they don't know what reality is anymore. Women, if you are using these magazines to dictate who you are and how you should act, you are looking in the wrong place, and I can pretty much promise you that they are not encouraging you to behave like a lady should. Try reading Proverbs 31.