Effective, influencial, strong

So, to jump right in, what am I doing with my life to influence the lives of the people around me? What am I doing for other people to show them God's love? How am I raising my son to be a strong, christian man?

I want to be a woman of influence, a woman of character, God's character, His Princess. I want to be a person who doesn't crumble under the pressure or the whims of the world. I want to stir things in people, I want to stir people to do great things. I want to do great things for His glory, not for mine. I want to start so many ministries, but haven't gotten completely plugged into a church yet. I want to work with teenage girls, to help them become women of God, I want to start a food ministry, bringing meals to people who are recently out of the hospital due to pregnancy, surgery or illness, or to people whose spouses are deployed. I want to start a ministry that focuses on military spouses, male or female. I want to do things with my photography, with my art, my poetry. I want to glorify my God with the talents he has blessed me with. And I'm going to start at home. He has blessed me with family, with a home, with the ability to cook and clean. Everything that I do, is for the glory of God. Not the praise or nod of approval from my husband. I need to change my perspective, I need to change how I think, how I go about doing things.

My worst fear is being ineffective. Ineffective wife, christian, mother, woman etc. I want to be effective in my community, with my friends and family. I want to cause change, I want the people around me to be better because I'm in their lives.

So, wish me luck, and pray for me as I learn to be an effective woman of influence.

Waiting Diatribe

Ok. So. I was shopping in Walmart. I seriously only needed like 5 things. A 20 minute trip. Well was I sadly mistaken! Almost an hour and a half later I leave, what happened, you ask? Well let me tell you! I get money orders for rent our car payment and personal loan because with our debit card we get air miles for using it. So, I'm in line waiting for a the teller to open up (there are about 10 people in front of me) and after about 10 minutes they say that their machine for printing money orders is down but to check back in a few minutes. Well I go and get the things I need, check out and come back to the line. Again, they say the machine isn't working, however if we want to get a money order to use the kiosk and that should work fine. So I go over to use it, and of course everybody behind me was now in front of me at the kiosk. So I wait, then its my turn and I push all the correct buttons and swipe my card. My card goes through, it says processing. Then it says "Could not print money orders go to customer service". So I go stand in line at customer service. It takes them 15 minutes of going back and forth to the money center before I stop one of them and say "its really not a big deal to just give me a refund is it? I'll get the money order somewhere else" She looks at me like I've just spoken in chinese, then says "that might be a possibility". So while she looks into this possibility I wait. And wait. And wait. It appears the problem is that if she gives me a refund from her drawer her drawer will be short because the transaction wasn't initiated on her till. So they have to find someone who has the keys to the kiosk so they can take the cash from the kiosk. And I'm waiting again. Finally they get someone to open the kiosk, and then it takes 10 minutes to count out the cash. Granted it was something like $1200 but seriously? Anyways, so they give me the money and I say "Do you guys have an envelope or something I can put this in so I don't have all of this loose money in my purse?" Again I must be fluent in Chinese and not have known about it because I'm getting dumbfounded looks again. They look at each other, then around the counter briefly and say "ummm, no I don't think so, but I guess I could give you a piece of paper to fold around it if you want". Yes. I want. Give me. No, I did not say that, just thought it.

So I leave Walmart and drive to the grocery store, which I wanted to be at an hour ago because its the first of the month and everybody and their cousin gets paid on the first of the month. Well, the sad excuse for a parking lot was PACKED. So I circled around and waited for someone to come out, then someone did. I followed them to their car. I turned on my blinker and waited patiently for them to finish. Then she disappears. I'm thinking she's putting her toddler in the car. So I wait a bit longer, and look around. SHE'S WALKED ACROSS THE PARKING LOT TO THE LOT SALE and yes, she saw me. And No. She did not even HINT that she wasn't not in fact leaving. Hag. Then I get into the commissary and OHMYGOSH you would have thought nobody had bought food since January! The way our store is set up, produce on one side, icecream in the last aisle with the check out lanes starting where the produce ends. The line to check out was from where the produce ended ALL THE WAY TO the icecream aisle. There are like, 15 aisles from there to where I ended up. Waiting. Again.
It seemed like I was going to be waiting all day long. I know its a gross exaggeration, but a 2.5 hour trip ended up taking 4 hours. Thats a lot of freaking waiting.

Is this my life?

There are days, when I look around and think, is this really my life? Dirty laudry, dishes, carpets, dogs, my kid, something always needing to be cleaned, made, or fixed. Some days I fantasize about my life, had I made different decisions. Where I would be, what I would be doing. Some days I wish it was just me. Nothing and nobody to worry about being fed or clean. Some days I really want to be selfish and just think, worry and do things just for me.
I'm not unhappy with my life by any means, and I love my family and being a stay at home mom. Every once and a while though, my thoughts get the better of me. My life is amazing, I have a husband and son whom I adore. I am able to stay home with my son and be with him every day. I have a family who loves me, and friends that support me.
Sometimes though, I wish there was more to it. I truly miss school, learning new things, writing papers. And while I don't have to be in school to learn new things, it is still something I miss. In the future, I do plan on returning to school and getting a degree so I can teach hgh school english or history. In the future, we will buy our dream house and have another baby. Hopefully we won't still be in Tucson.
In the mean time, I will watch my son play in the back yard with the dog, teach him words, colors numbers and how to behave like a gentleman. I will maintain a home and cook delicious food. Manage a budget, and pay the bills. I will fix the toilet when it runs, and get grease out of my husbands shirts. I will paint my toes and curl my hair. I am a woman, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a mom. This is my life and I love it. Most of the time! :)

Wake up America!

Dear America,

When I open the paper, and am scared
When I turn on the news and am mortified
when I listen to the radio and am saddened
I realize that this is not good. I understand that we all want the same things; prosperity, financial security, access to food, safety, the ability to love and be love, to protect the very ones we love. We all want freedom, and many of us are daily fighting for that freedom. The freedom to say whatever you want, to do whatever you want and to be whatever you want. We all want the same things, the same basic priciples of life. The things that we are guaranteed in the writings of our founding fathers. The pursuit of Life. Liberty. and Happyness. These are things that we all want, regardless of the ways that we go about procurring these things.

But. When our government is lying, cheating, stealing and running our country into the ground financially, spiritually, emotionally and any other way possible it is time to stand up!! Do something!! We as American's need to take a stand for what is right, for what our founding fathers took a stand for so long ago. We must not forsake everything that our ancestors fought for, because it is easier to look the other way, because it is simply easier to go along with the current. America, wake up! Look around you! What kind of legacy are we leaving our children?

Easy 5 Layer Ice Cream Cake

So, yes I describe this cake as being easy. However it is a little time consuming, and needs to be made at least 24 hours in advance, so keep that in mind when making it.






You will need:
1 box of brownie mix (or homemade brownies, make enough for a 9x13 pan)
3/4 pkg of Oreo cookies
1/2 stick of butter
1 carton of cookies n cream ice cream
caramel sauce (store bought or home made it doesn't matter)
Maraschino cherries (about 10, but up to you how many you want)

Bake the brownie mix according to box instructions. Even if you are making a smaller cake, you want the brownie mix thin so use the 9x13 pan.

Crush the oreo cookies.

Melt the butter.

Pour the butter over 3/4 of the cookie crumble mix, stir and press into a lightly greased cooking pan of choice.

Bake @350* about 10 minutes, until you can smell the chocolate in the air (no more than 15 minutes)

Let the crust and the brownies cool completely. At least 2 hours.

Let the icecream soften until spreadable.

On top of the crust spread an even layer of icecream. Put the brownie on top of the ice cream layer. Top the brownie with another layer of icecream. Top with remaining cookie crumbles and caramel sauce.

Put in freezer for 24 hours so it is well set.

Pull out of freezer 20 minutes before serving, and garnish with cherries right before serving.

** I used an 8x8 pan with this recipe. I will be using a 9x13 pan this weekend, and plan on doubling the recipe, with the exception of the brownie (which should already be 9x13 size)

Eh, Life.

So. I have always prided myself in never having received a ticket. I've been driving for almost 9 years now, and no ticket. Until last week. It had been a long day, church and then to my husbands parent's home for an afternoon with them. On the way back (an hour car ride) I was kind of zoned out and then FLASH FLASH FLASH. Silence in the car. About a minute passed and my husband looks at me and says,"you know those flashes were for you, right?" *sighs* "yes. I thought so. " I got my ticket in the mail yesterday. 62 mph in a 50 mph zone. A whopping $226 is due. So I got a ticket, and not even by a real cop. Sucks. So because of my zoning out while driving, and that our rent deposit is due this coming month, we have $0. Time to scrimp. Hopefully it won't be so bad. We've been looking to sell our couch and buy a new one, so if that pans out we can buy a couch thats less than what we're selling ours for. (Its memorial day weekend, everybody is having a sale). So we'll see.

My lovely toddler has also learned some new words. Such as "stop mama". Great. just what I needed. Now he's putting words together and using them in defiance. Fantastic.
Anyways, so I'm looking for some easy, cheap recipes (always am, not just because Camera Tickets suck) So send 'em my way!

Adrienne

his food vs. her food

Ok. So I'm trying to lose the last 4 lbs of baby weight. 4, not an insurmountable number. Except that I can't do it! I'm maintaining it, apparently. I do Pilates (ok, so I own Pilates dvds...), I walk over a mile a day 5-6 days a week, I try and eat fairly healthy, and still nothing.
So here is the paradox. Eat healthier and spend more money on groceries, thus having to work out slightly less. Or. Eat how I do now ( well rounded meals, and usually fairly healthy) and work out more. Here is the second problem.

I.HATE.WORKING.OUT.

Seriously, I derive zero pleasure from it. I'm hot and sweaty afterwards, and because my toddler is in fact, a normal toddler I have to wait until he takes a nap to shower. This normally wouldn't be a problem, except that he naps at noon, and I work out in the mornings. Its Tucson, working out anytime past 10am is just plain stupid unless you want heat stroke. I hate being sticky for that long. And lets face it, after dinner nobody wants to work out.

Third Problem:
(Yes I'm full of them tonight aren't I?)
My husband loves the good food. (read: fried, gravied, cheesed etc...) I like lighter foods, stir fry with chicken or shrimp (the loser is "allergic"..read-doesn't have the balls to try it even though he can eat every other shell fish...), I like stuff unfried, ungravied and while I love..love...cheese I don't feel the need to have it slathered everywhere...most of the time I don't anyways. I like plain grilled chicken with grilled veggies. (Its really good if you put your chicken and veggies (peppers, onions, snap peas and potatoes) in a foil wrapper with Italian salad dressing on the grill for 25-30 minutes...healthy and zero clean up!) He doesn't really like the healthier, lighter stuff. I partly blame his parents, but seriously, his mom is a good cook I can only blame them so far!!

So, how do I make healthy, low-cost meals that appeal to my picky eaters? Any suggestions welcome. Note: probably won't pay much attention to work out advice. Just fyi ;)