Going Dutch

Well, I thought I would post a few pictures of the things I've been cooking the last few days.

Seth bought me a cast iron Dutch Oven for my birthday. I've been wanting one for a very long time and finally convinced him that I needed it to be able to cook some yummy new things for dinner. This week I was able to cook two new recipes using it! So Here are a few pictures of the things I made....

The Pioneer Woman's "Perfect Pot Roast"

This was the most delicious roast I've ever made!

I also made hot wings.....I didn't get to take a picture of the final product because well, we ate them. QUICKLY! They were delicious as well. All I know is, I may never use my crock pot again. This Dutch Oven is AMAZING! I am in love with this kitchen gadget!!

Frying the wingettes! 

Making the sauce!



14/52

Well, this week the challenge is to post something from nature. I could post my favorite picture from the past that I've taken, but today I decided to venture out of my house and take a picture of some of my favorite things around my house. So today, you are going to get to enjoy some of the "nature" around my house....

 This is one of my favorite trees. Seth & I bought it a few years ago and I love it. The next picture is why.

 Seth hates this part of it, but I love it. The peely bark is so neat. I love how weathered it makes this tree look. I think this is a River Birch. I love it. It's just pretty.

And this is a shrub that I love. I picked it out a year or so after we got married. I have since bought a second one. I love how it is bright and cheery. Most of the shrubs I have found are all monotoned and green. This one just grabbed be with it's yellow & green. It's pretty.

Since Oklahoma hasn't seen rain in so long, none of our flowers or anything are growing so this is as "nature" as it gets around here right now. I wish that my roses & hydrangea were blooming but they aren't. Heck, my grass isn't even really growing right now. I guess that means less mowing! Sadly it also means no fireworks this year for the 4th of July.....my favorite holiday and I don't even get to see my favorite part of it. Oh well, maybe we'll get some rain and they will do them later in the year for us. I know they already spent the money on them.

Anyway, until next week.....

13/52

Well, as usual I'm a few days late. It was my birtday weekend so I have a better excuse than usual. I have had the best birthday weekend ever. Actually the whole last week has bee pretty awesome. I have spent some time with some of my amazing friends, received some very thoughtful cards and gifts, and have been taken on some very sweet dinner dates (by my husband of course). It's been a great week. And the birthday celebration is spilling over into this week too! I am having lunch with one of my very closest friends today. I'm looking forward to it. So to post this weeks theme picture of something round, I am going with the swirl on the top of my "birthday" cake from Cheesecake Factory yesterday.

Seth took me to OKC for my birthday. We went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch and then went shopping to buy me a few things I wanted for my birthday. We had a good time just being together and I got a few things I had really been wanting.....a dutch oven being one of those things! So here's the picture of the top of my "Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple" cheesecake. The swirl was made out of some kind of peanut butter mixture and was delicious. This cheesecake had reeses & butterfinger on top of it and OMG it was so good. My kind of birthday cake......

29 was one of the most amazing times in my life. I was pregnant for most of it and became a first time mom. Turning 30 seems to be magical. I think it holds some pretty amazing journeys for me. If it's half as good as 29 was, I can't even begin to think of all of the wonderful things that are ahead of me. I know, I'm one of those weirdos that loves their birthday. I don't fear getting older, I don't think of it as something awful like most people my age. I think it's such a blessing to get to be alive and have something to live for. My 20's were a blast, I found the man of my dreams, got married, started my life, became a mom. My 30's are going to be even more exciting and I'm looking forward to all of the wonderful things that I'm sure are coming my direction!

Lessons...

So you all know how I work. I live through music. Today, this is how I feel. It's just the song that is playing through my heart at the moment.

Daughtry---Learn My Lesson

Weeks 10-12 of 52....I have crappy internet service here in the sticks....

Okay so I'm going to make this posting for the 2 weeks I missed because of my terrible internet connection out here in the sticks. And I'm going to go ahead and post this weeks picture too!

The week 10 challenge was feet. So here is a picture of feet.

This is a picture of Talent's little baby feet. They aren't so tiny anymore. This picture was taken about a month ago and his little feet are growing and getting so big....so is the rest of him. I can't believe how much he is growing and how fast! He's two months old already and there are some important people that he still hasn't gotten to meet yet! He's a little heart throb already and I never knew or expected to love something so very much.

Week 11 was a picture of hands....

Talent & Seth's hands. This is a very special picture to me. I love my husbands hands. He has these rugged "working man's" hands. They are big, strong, and safe. To me, they have always made me feel safe and secure. As you can see, they make Talent feel safe too. This picture is one that my friend Ashley took when Talent was only about 3 weeks old. It's one I know I will always treasure. I can't believe how much he has changed.

Now for this weeks picture....

Something BLUE!

I am posting a picture that I'm sure I've posted before. This is from the last time I saw Alex & Logan. It was in February or March of this year. Not long before Talent came along. I miss these boys with my whole entire heart and can't wait until I get to see their sweet faces and get big hugs. I miss their Momma with my whole heart and today this is the picture I came across with something blue in it that spoke to me the most. So to my BFF, Shawna, I miss you. Let's pick a date, make it happen, and see each other and our beautiful boys. Miss you, love you so much and hope that things are good. You guys are my "blue" today because not seeing you guys for so long, well, it makes me blue.