Dishes from my friends!

So some of the people in my office rounded up some cash for a housewarming present for me which was super thoughtful! I finally spent it on a new set of dishes. I wanted something a little more funky than what I had before. Aren't they cool?!

Finally...

To you, this may be just a picture of an ordinary little house. To me, it's a dream come true; a happy ending to a chapter in the book of my life. When I look at it, I remember a time seven years ago when we moved back up north with the hope of a better life.

I think of all the hard times we came to face. Near divorce, bill collectors, notices of repossession, food stamps. All the things we had to do without. All the fear. All the worry. I think of a time about five years ago when we didn't know how we were going to dig ourselves out of the hole we had created. And the deparate call to a bankruptcy lawyer.

I think about the day after that phone call. That was the day we decided we weren't going down like that. That was day we learned that the right way is almost never the easy way. And so the digging began. One step at a time, one bill at a time, one better job at a time. All the while, hanging on to the goal of owning a home. I admit I would drive through neighborhoods and wonder if and when our time to buy a house would ever come.

And now it has...

As I look back at a chapter of my life, I think of the lessons I've learned. From this one I learned many. First, God is real and He is good. He's always there with us, guiding us and timing everything. I've learned to, "let go, let God," a little more. Second, the right way is almost never the easy way. If you really want something to happen in your life, you've gotta work for it. Third, home is a verb. It's what you do within the walls you live that matters most. Someone had the nerve to tell me once that my apartment was nice but certainly not a place to raise children. That crushed me. But when I looked at my children, I saw healthy, happy, well-rounded, smart kids. That comment was ignorant and complete bullshit. My husband and I were raising great kids and it didn't matter where we lived.

So in two weeks we are closing on our first house and closing an important chapter of our life. I am thankful, amazed, relieved, and blessed.

Techno Girl

I just want everyone to know that since the new year has rolled in, I have become very technologically advanced. We now have a Wii and a flat screen TV. We got a web cam from my dad. We finally broke down and got cell phones. What?! I know, right?! I started this blog and I got my husband to join Facebook(which he threatens to cancel on a regular basis). Anywhoodle...

I know you're impressed. I'm feeling pretty good about it although I have to admit I feel like a bit of a sell-out at the same time. I was kind of proud of keepin it ol' school. The truth of the matter is, I have kids who want to keep up with the times, I have a preteen who is spending more and more time away from home, and we needed another TV to accommodate the game playing. Okay, now I'm just trying to justify all of these things in my life. The truth is I am getting to use to all these things and the family is happy and, damn it, I like playing the Wii, okay!

Feta Cheese Spread

I made this to snack on for New Year's Eve.

FETA CHEESE SPREAD
1 block feta cheese
1 medium tomato or 2-3 roma tomatoes
1 tsp of dried basil leaves
1 tbsp or so of olive oil
garlic salt to taste

Crumble the cheese. Chop the tomato. Mix in bowl with rest of ingredients. Chill for a half hour or so. Serve with pieces of pita bread or triscuits.