And Plié....

I don't know if it was having my hair in a high knot or the tights on my legs, but I was feeling much like a ballerina at work today. 

Now I may not be trading in my boots or heels for Pointe shoes. But I do say that I could make a pretty good dancer.  [Oh wait, don't think that will be happening as I have two left feet]

~Kellie Anne

"Thankful Challenge" - Oscar the Pup

11//14/13 - Oscar the Pup

I can not believe my sweet little Oscar is 1! 

 

We just got done celebrating Oscar's 1st Birthday and I can't believe my baby no longer a puppy (though we will continue to call him a puppy cause he is just so tiny!).  He had such a blast opening up presents and got spoiled by the people that love him.  Oscar did score some great presents though: a couple new squeaky toys, a new dog bed, fancy treats from the local pet store and best of all, an edible Birthday card.  He thought that was the coolest thing ever and wouldn't give it up.  I even got him a little bandanna that he wore that said 'Birthday Boy' on it. Now he didn't get the big party that I was wanting to give him, but he still had a great night.  {{I was originally going to have Aaron's parents over along with mine and have a cookout, but we had extended family visiting and it didn't work out to all meet up.  Aaron thought the big party was going a bit overboard for a dog, but what does he know anyways!}}

Love you Oscar! :)

I am so thankful to have him in my life and couldn't ask for a better puppy (except for when he makes messes or barks for no reason).  Hope I'm not the only person out there that loves their pet like he's a baby!
~Kellie Anne

"Thankful Challenge" - Veteran's Day



 

 

 

11/11/13 - Veteran's Day

 

Today is Veteran's Day and I believe there is nothing better to be thankful for than our freedom.  And we wouldn't have any of that if it wasn't for the veteran's that served our country for all these years.  Some fought for our country on foreign soil, above enemy lines, and trespassed a crossed seas; all to protect our country and the ones they loved back home.  They may not all have returned from battle (physically and/or mentally), but the sacrifices that they made will always be something we remembered forever! 

Thanks again to all who served to protect us and this great nation!
~ Kellie Anne

"Thankful Challenge" - Nephews & Nieces

11/8/13 - Nephews & Nieces

For the 8th of November, I have decided to give my thanks for all 8 of my nephews and nieces.  They all have their own personalities and can make you laugh and learn in their own way.  I love to spend time with them individually but it is a real treat when they are all together. 

I became Aunt Kellie when I was 12 and I thought it was so cool at that age to be an aunt (though I didn't get all the awesomeness that it entails until now).  You get to spoil them like crazy with gifts & candy but don't have to deal with the aftermaths of their sugar high.  This little person in your life looks up to you to play with them and teach them new things.  I can't wait till the day when the get older and come to me for advice or to confide in me when they don't want to tell their parents.  I'll tell them it will all be okay, give them some words of wisdom, give them a piece of their candy and send them on their way.

But for now I'll take my 8 nieces and nephews just as they all are: crazy funny, full of energy and completely loveable!!

~Kellie Anne

 

"Thankful Challenge" - The Basics

11/5/13 - Roof over my Head

I may not rent the house that Aaron and I live in, but I still call it mine.  I've decorated to my liking and can't wait for Christmas to come so I really go crazy.  My parent's are gracious enough to let us live here and I can't thank them enough.  The best part about this place is that it's my childhood home (I lived in this house from birth till I was 9).  I have so many memories here and I love that Aaron and I (along with Oscar) are making memories here too!

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11/6/13 - Food on my Plate

I love to cook and so does Aaron! We enjoy trying new things and even when they aren't the tastiest, we still find a way to stomach it done.  Our fridge, freezer and pantry are always full; except with milk, always running out of milk.  We try and eat as healthy as we can, but Aaron has a hankering for ice cream and I can't get enough of Dove® chocolates.
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11/7/13 - Clothes on my Back

I have a love for shopping & clothes.  I can't stop buying clothes, even when I don't have enough room (or hangers) in my closet.  Dresses are one of my biggest additions when it comes to shopping and I even have a separate closet just to hold them all.  With my job, I get to wear lots of fancy outfits and making sure that I don't duplicate within weeks of each other.  But don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good pair a sweatpants and hoodies. 


Yes, I know these are the basic things that everyone should be thankful for, but I couldn't let them go unnoticed.  There are a lot of people in the world that are less fortunate than me, who would dream to have just one of these three great things.  Though I may complain that my house isn't that nice or how I don't have enough clothes in my closet, I know that I truly am thankful for all of it.

~Kellie Anne

Adult Cereal for the Kid in Me

I ♥ Peanut Butter!

 

Like it's kind of my guilty pleasure, but it is healthy (kinda) so I don't get to worked up about it. My love for peanut butter started when I was little and my mom would occasionally get me Captain Crunch® Peanut Butter cereal. It was my reward if I had done good on a test or did an amazing performance at a concert.  I use to get so excited and want to savor each box till there were only crumbs left.

 

Well now that I'm 24, I get strange looks when I have to purchase "childish" cereals, like Frosted Flakes® or Fruit Loops® (two of Aaron's favorites).  So the one day a few weeks ago, I notice that Cheerios® had made a version of their cereal in a peanut butter flavor.  I thought I'd give it a shot since I had a coupon at the time (slowly turning into my mom; but hey if it saves me money, I'm all in). Eureka! I found my new favorite cereal! It taste just like peanut butter and the best part is that it's made from whole grains, so it really is nutritious! It's like the grown-up version of Captain Crunch's® Peanut Butter but with about have the sugary sweetness. Oh and it's only 110 calories per serving... boo-ya!!

 

So if you are a peanut butter lover like me, you have got to give this cereal a try! Thank you Cheerios® for making such a fabulous cereal that doesn't make me feel guilty when I go back for a second bowl. :)

 

 

~Kellie Anne

"Thankful Challenge" - My Grandparents

11/4/13 - My Grandparents

I'm 24 years old and still have all four of my biological grandparents. Now to some people that may not be that big of a deal, but I can tell you it means a lot to me! You see, I have a lot of friends who only have maybe a grandma or both grandpas and would love to see their loved ones that aren't around anymore.  I feel blessed that I can just make the 3.5 hour drive and see both sets of grandparents (who only live minutes away from one another) and spend the day with them. 

My parents' parents have really had their worlds turned upside down in the last few years and I'm glad I'm at the age that I am, to really understand what is going on.  I can be there to help my parents on certain situations and they take my opinion into consideration sometimes.  Just within the last two years, we had to move my mom's father into a nursing home that specializes in Alzheimer's and watched as his memory slowly decreases.  He may not know who you are when you visit, but you can tell that he appreciates you being there.  My grandma (his wife) is in an apartment for independent elderly individuals.  She isn't happy to no longer be living on the farm, but it's for the best that she be in a place that's smaller and not so much to take care of.  Both of these things were hard for my mom to do and it's not something that anybody wants to do.  But I was there to help her get through it and was her listening ear when all she wanted to do was vent.

My dad's parents have always had health issues but you don't realize how bad they are when your a little kid.  My grandpa almost lost his foot due to diabetes and my grandmother's heart hasn't been in the best of shape for years.  Though with all those struggles that they face, you wouldn't be able to tell it when you sit and meet with them.  They always want to know what's going on with your life and don't pat an eye to tending their garden or teaching the lesson on church night.  They truly are strong through all the pain and I admire both of them for that.

With every visit, I have them tell me stories about their own life growing up or what my parents were like as kids.  Just the smile on their faces when they tell a story about "the good ol' days" seems to be enough to make my visit worth the drive.  I always tell them that I love them and give them an extra squeeze with my good-bye hug. 

Remember to tell the people that you love, just how much they mean to you because some day they might not be around to hear it. I know there will come a day that I won't have my grandparents in my life anymore and it's the memories that I make now with all four of them that I will take with me for the rest of my life!

"Thankful Challenge" - November 2nd & 3rd

11/2/13 - Thankful to Blog!

I got some pretty awesome news when I checked my email account on Saturday.  I had received an email from Ore-Ida^® Brand Fries.  They had seen my "Pin" floating around on Pinterest on my recipe for Onion Tot Casserole and had asked if they could use it on their own social media networks. Holy Cow; what a cool opportunity to showcase not only my creative cooking but my blog itself!! :)

Aside from all that, I think it's pretty awesome that I have the ability to freely post information about anything I want.  It can vary from fashion to finances, politics to poetry, Christianity to cooking; and I don't have to abide by any rules.  Now you won't find a lot of right-wing political rants on this particular blog, but if that is your thing you can start up your own blog and rant all you want.  And no one can tell you your not allowed to do that.  That's why I'm thankful to live in the USA, with the right to freedom of speech.

Anywho, Aaron has always thought that my blog was kind of a waste of time but when I told him this news, he actually got really excited for me and started calling me the "Potato Lady".  I think he's pretty impressed with my small accomplishment (though he wouldn't admit it). I can't wait to see what Ore-Ida^®  has to say about my recipe.  Oh and if you haven't check it out yet... you probably should! ;)

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11/3/13 - Thankful for Sleep! 

I love sleep!

 

It's makes me sooooo happy!

 

Last night was Day-light Savings time and I got an extra hour of sleep in.  Not only did I go to be early but I also let myself sleep-in.  Now that is a lot of extra sleeping.  I am not a morning person by any means and when my alarm goes off in the morning, I definitely hit the snooze button a couple of times (which usually is the reason why I am running late in the morning).  But I can't seem to remind myself to go to bed, at night, at a decent time.  I usually am up watching re-runs of shows that I've already seen a 100x or I'm creeping someone on Facebook.  Either way, it makes for a short night and every day is the same old - same old. 

 

So with Day-light Savings last night, I was able to get caught up on some sleep. And I am going to make this promise to myself right here, right now that I am going to go to bed by 9:30 every night when I have to go to work the next morning and only to allow myself to hit the snooze twice in the morning.  Let's see how long this will last ;)

 

 

 Hope everyone had a great weekend!

~Kellie Anne

"Thankful Challenge" - My Engagement

This November, I am going to post daily what I am thankful for in my life!
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11/1/13 - My Engagement

 

I LOVE MY RING!!

Well today is November 1st and in exactly one year, I will get to marry Aaron! Holy cow, I can't believe it's only a year away.  I feel like I have so much left to do (the main one at this point is to find dresses for me and my maids) but I have gotten a lot done in the less than 6 months so far into our engagement.  Our relationship is growing and I can't wait to marry not only 'my best friend' but celebrate our love for each other with all of our family and friends!

Stop back and see what all I'm thankful for this month!

~Kellie Anne