Plastic bags consumed this year:

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Looking back on 2009 and forward to 2010

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In the past year I’ve gone through a lot of struggling, changes, heartbreak, finding love and so many other things I can’t even begin to mention. I started out in January being very heartbroken and depressed. Even though I was not happy in the situation that I was in, I never thought it would end the way it did. With medication, therapy and Jesus Christ on my side I made it through that valley and up the other side.

One of those nights when I thought I’d never date again, and when I never wanted to have any relationship with any male human again that was more than friendship a friend gave me a prayer. I prayed this prayer and within seconds, not minutes or days or even weeks, I received a message from the man I am now going to marry. Does that seem far fetched? maybe, but its true.

We dated a few weeks before we allowed the kids to meet the other and then each other. That first weekend that we were all together was on a camping trip. When kids are together for 3 days, and never say a cross word at one another you know that they can make it a lifetime. Maybe not a lifetime without fussing, but with enjoying each other as siblings. The more we were together the closer we got. Right away we knew that our relationship was different than any other we had experienced.

So now after a year, we have a house with 5 kids some of the time, 3 most of the time, and 4 days a month we get it all to ourselves. These days we are running here and there. Playing with our new addition a 6 week old poodle named Candy. Spending time with family and friends. My home is topsy turvy this week!

With the addition of 2 more children in our home, we hope to find balance and structure this year. I hope that you will follow our journey through 2010 where we will be getting married (DIY WEDDING!) and becoming a real family. Thanks for joining us thus far and have a wonderful year!

New Years Resolutions or Goals?

I’ve been thinking about some of the things I’d like to do in 2010, and of course there is a laundry list of things. This year I really did quite a few things on my life long list and the best one is to meet the love of my life. Now for 2010 we will be sealing that deal with a kiss! I can’t wait, I’m so excited.  So the goal of having that dream wedding is here. March 20th I’ll get to realize that one dream that we all have as little girls. The white dress, flowers, food, family, friends and fun will all be there.

In order to get this wedding underway, I’ll need to see a few of my other goals through. One big one is to have the house painted. Not the outside, but almost every room inside needs to be painted. The rooms will be totally redecorated accordingly using a lot of my family’s antique furniture. On that note, who knows anything about painting furniture and colors?! ROFL! I need to learn to upholster some dining room chairs, and lay tile also.

I hope to have Christmas decorations put away before 2010 this year, so that we can start on some of the projects inside the house. I’m looking at doing a little gardening this year, and my goal is to be able to eat my own tomatoes this year. I miss that from when my dad  was alive.

There are a few other ones, but lets try to get through the wedding first!

Now on to my household notebook, and starting to get a wedding notebook/planner started again. Maybe I should look up some printables for that one…hmmm I wonder…

Menu Plan Monday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoys the few days left in 2009. We are planning a little something for Friday night with family so I will need to include that into my menu this week. I’m working on writing a list of goals for the new year, not exactly resolutions but things that I can accomplish within the year. Come back to see what I come up with, of course the biggest one is pulling off a DIY wedding in March! On to the menu planning…

Monday: Hamburger Steaks with Mac N Cheese

Tuesday: Lasagna, garlic bread and salad

Wednesday: vegetable beef soup

Thursday: Chicken and Dumplings

Friday: venison wraps, pigs in a blanket, red velvet cake balls, bbq sausages, and anything else that comes to mind

Wedding Prayers

I have been thinking more and more on our Wedding, and right now I’m asking for Prayer. Prayer that I’m making the right decisions. Prayer that my budget will be what I hope it will be. Prayers that Scott’s job will work out in January, although I will truly miss him with all of my being. I know that the stress of Christmas is on us now, and money is tighter than ever. There is a silver lining, and money will come. It will be mid-January, but money will come. That will provide for bills basically and repayment of some money borrowed for this grey period we are going through. In Mid February we will get our Tax return, and at the moment that will be what pays for our wedding and pay off some bills.

Right now I ask for prayer. Prayer for our finances. Prayer for the stress of no job, the loss of his grandparents and the general stress that goes on in families today. This Christmas has been bitter sweet so far. I’m happier than I have been in years. I can’t remember a Christmas where I was actually happy. My kids are being busy bees, and although now my tree is bare by Christmas day it will be over full. This year is about family. I am so blessed with such a wonderful family.

The job that Scott will be taking, if it does not fall through, will be very stressful. He will be the quality control man that signs for each vehicles safety (and armor) to be going to war. He will literally be signing to say that our soldiers will be safe from attack. He is the only person that will have that say so. He has had this job before and did great. If there is one missing rivet, he must see it and send it back, or it could be someone’s life at risk. Please keep him in your prayers over this job and that his eyes will see what they need to see.

I wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas. Please sit down with your family over the next few days and retell the real Christmas Story. Please, if you have not already, ask that little baby Jesus to be your personal Christ and Savior. He has the power to do anything in your life.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Menu Plan Monday (Cool Whip Cookies)

This week is going to be so busy! We have a cookie party, a Girl Scout party, 3 class parties, shopping with my mom and a partridge and a pear tree. So needless to say, Scott will be helping with dinner a lot of the nights.

Monday: Scott’s Mac and Cheese along side Roast Beast with carrots and potatos

Tuesday: Grilled Chicken with Loaded Potato Soup

Wednesday: Vegetable Beef Soup

Thursday: Mexican Taco Bake

Friday: Grilled Chicken Salad

13 Funny things

I need to lighten things up around here so I thought I’d share some really fun things that I’ve seen, heard or done lately. In no particular order here’s 13 funny things for this week:

1. My dog Dottie has a new trick. Picture my middle son laying on the couch, shirtless with arms above head. Enter Stage Right: My daughter with a slice of ham and Dottie following, tongue wagging. Kayla tears the ham into small pieces and puts it on Austins bare armpit. With a little cajolling, Dottie gobbles up the ham  and Austin is wiggling and squealing with delight. Kayla and myself, howling with laughter as Dottie begs for more! Video will be on YouTube just as soon as they can figure out how to do that.
2. The new puppy’s favorite cuddly spot has been found. An old soft sided lunchbox/cooler. I must take pics of this to confirm, but its adorable!
3. One of my favorite pick-me-ups would be the website People of Walmart. Yes I’d love to breastfeed my next baby, but isn’t this a little too much?
4. I”m thinking of writing an alternate post for my About page like Amy does here on her blog Amy’s Musings. Maybe It will include the part about me talking to and Angel the other day.
5. Oh yeah, I talked to a very cool man the other day that I can’t seem to go an hour without thinking about. He’s very “mystical” and could possibly be a hippie/Indian/angel. Um, angel for sure! Amazing guy to say the least.
6. I tied my fiance up and tickled him until he wet his pants. Well at least that’s what I really wanted to do, but he’s not ticklish at all. Bummer.
7. ElfYourself. Nuff Said. So you Like Hip Hop? Ok, that one was a little silly, how about the  singing one instead. Maybe you’d rather see this from that Disco/John Travolta Movie what was that again? Ok if you are up for it, this one is pretty traditional, 40′s on 4 style.
8. How we celebrate all of this cold weather down here in the South. Go hang out at the Beach, of course!
   

   #8 The Southern Snowman

9. We kinda decorated the inside of the Polka Spot Farm…do you dare check it out? ROFL! I warned you!
10. The funniest, I’m gonna start the Couch to 5k Monday, yea! I need some cool running clothes and an over the shoulder bolder holder that will actually keep the boulders in the right place, anyone know where to look? Come Join us!
11. I have all of these handmade ideas in my head, fabric bought for them and all and I haven’t even started! Who does that? I’m so crafty, I’ve gotten myself out of everything I planned this year! yay me!
12. I’ve officially started my baking for the season. Wait, I keep having to change my recipes because I don’t have butter. What household goes through all kinds of butter without telling the residential chef? And who told the Pastor’s wife that 2 7 year old girls could help me make 6 dozen cookies this weekend? And how do I say no to said 7 year old girls because the Pastor’s wife said it would be ok? Hmm…
13. I think my next trick is to paint Santa Scott’s nails in his sleep. I could do anything to him in his sleep and he’d never know it these days. It’s totally hilarious. This morning he told me that I’d made my first mistake, but not in so many words. He was pretending to be mad at me all day, and I pretended to be mad at him. It’s great to be able to yell at someone that you love and they laugh it off, cause they do the same thing to you. I’m burning so many calories laughing til I cry then crying til I laugh these days.

Happy Thursday 13!

Handmade gift ideas for Women

If you are like me, you love handmade gifts, I just rarely take the time to do many of them. This year I will do a few for those that I know will appreciate them. I’ve been scouring the internet for ideas this year, and here are some of my latest and best finds so far for the women in your life.  Handmade gifts are always appreciated by women more than anyone else, so try your hand at some of these handmade gifts in my list.

• You will need Citric Acid and some essential oils to make these Bath Fizzies, but you can also use it in your homemade dishwasher detergent!
• I know that my sister would love these dyed beads, you use regular Rit Dye and regular wooden beads.
• This cowl may be going on my needles really soon, since I have all of my yarn sitting here. Now who to give this one to?
• Use a great silk scarf and make one of these cute and ever so easy bags for a special woman in your life, teenagers would love this idea too!
• No more burning your fingers or belly/boobs/chest while taking something hot out of the oven with this awesome monomitten.
• Do you have slippers on your shopping list? Personalize them so that your giftee doesn’t loose her slippers to her daughter and the end of the day.
• This manicure kit would be so nice to have in the car or purse or everywhere.
• Jade beads are not required, but Martha’s idea here makes me want to go to Michael’s to pick up beads and ribbon to create this wonderful necklace.
• A little Epson salt, a little water, a few drops of essential oil like eucalyptus and you have wonderful snow balls for the tub thanks to Martha!
• If you have some coffee filters, this garland is to die for! If not, I’m sure you have cupcake liners.
• For anyone who likes to shop, this no sew tote bag would be a wonderful idea filled with some of these other gifts or not. (I saw this last year and have wanted to make them ever since)

WFMW bloggers subscribe to get more handmade gift ideas over the next few days!

Hi Aunt Joanne!

This post is just for you, sorry about the email. I sent it but apparently I spelled something wrong. My email address is christi (at) polka spot farm (dot) com without the spaces and use the symbols of course. You can also get me through the contact page at the top of this page.

Here is a link to the pie that you wanted, but feel free to look around at the other recipes. Click Here —> Turtle Cheesecake Pie and Caramel Sauce

You can find more recipes by clicking “recipes” over on the right column under Categories. If you want, you can get my musing delivered to you you in your email so that you don’t miss another recipe! Just Click here —>Subscribe by Email

Thanks for trying my recipe, let me know how it turns out for you. On Thanksgiving I made 4 pies, but only had the ingredients for the 3 of the cream cheese fillings, but it turned out wonderfully. You can also use regular graham cracker crusts.

*NOTE* For everyone who’s wondering, Aunt Joanne is my favorite step-Aunt. Even though we only met about 7 years ago, we are as close or closer than any of my biological aunts. I love her and her family so much! She’s very crafty and should share some of her sewing projects with us. If I beg her, maybe she will also help with my wedding!

I love you Aunt Joanne!

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