Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Lil of This...Lil of That

It's been a while since I have posted any amusing stories from my place of work, so I figured I would jot down some things that have happened to me recently at work.

{And trust me, you can't make this stuff up. I chat with Hubby over MSN while we are working and he hears these stories all.day.long}

~ One of my claimants** called me a heffer and asked to speak to my supervisor

~ One of my claimants name was "Dorothy Fharter".....even worse...my insured who hit her was named Eura Hogg.

~The statement above gets worse even more. Eura Hogg has a sibling who also has insurance with us. Their name????? Eura Hogg, Jr. {or, Eura Hogg II}

~ One of my claimants** the other day asked me if I could fax him his check for repairs. Not lying...not one bit. He asked me to fax his check to him.

~ The above statement, once again, gets worse. I said to him, "No Sir, I can't fax the check to you..and I can't send it to you via your iPhone because there isn't an App for That". {I'm not sure he understood the wit}

~ One of my insured's had their claim denied because the person driving their vehicle at the time of the accident was excluded from the policy {read- NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE THE CAR}. My insured stated "Well if dazz whatchu gunna dooze, then I wonts my moneys back. I wants a refund." (yes because that's how insurance works. when something gets denied, you get a refund)

~ I worked a claim today where one of my insured's name was: "Christmas Eve Morgan". I kid you not. And would you guess her birthday?? 12-24-84. I wonder how long it took her parents to come up with her name.

~ Worked a claim where my insured** had their window busted out in their car and something stolen from inside their vehicle. In auto insurance, the damage to your vehicle would be covered and anything permanently installed in the vehicle {radios, tv's etc} would be covered. Anything stolen from the vehicle which is not installed would be covered by your homeowners insurance- if you filed with them. Anyway, I was discussing with my insured the damage, and if she knew who might have done this, and she stated to me "Well, izz someone who huuungry, cuz allz they stole was a box of pop-tarts...das it, dawg. Izz all over a box of cherry pop tarts." {I went ahead and decided to pry a little further and asked if it was a box of 6 pop tarts or 12....it was a big box, fyi} HA!

**The demographics that my company sells to are..hmmm...different. We sell minimum limits insurance...meaning it's the cheapest insurance you can carry and still meet the state requirements...So I will leave that tidbit of information with ya, so you can better understand why/how I seem to handle claims with the people listed above

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

It's Official....

...approximately 9 minutes ago...at 9:33 PM...I turned 27.

I have decided I will turn 27 AGAIN, 364 days from today.

And will turn 27 for the 3rd time in December of 2011.

I don't know why but today, tonight...this turning of 27 has been a little tough. Do I think I'm OLD?? No. Do I think it's really hitting me that I am truly a grown up adult, and my childhood years have come to somewhat of a close? Yes, I do. I will always be young at heart, and again I don't think I'm old...but today, entering my late 20's is just harder to swallow.

I am blessed to be alive, be healthy, have a wonderful family, a loving husband...2 precious doggies, and the list goes on...

So while it was hard to swallow (maybe because my swallower has been functioning now for 27 years and needs a pick-me-up)...I'm raising a glass to another year, Y'ALL !!!!

Monday, December 21, 2009

A Bird Named Chet

A man walks in to a pet store and says to the Clerk: "My girlfriend really loves animals, do you know a good Christmas present?"

The clerk says: "Sure, how about this bird? His name is Chet. Chet sings Christmas songs"

The man looks at Chet and says: "How do I make Chet sing?"

The clerk says light a match and put it under his right or left foot"

The man tries it. When he put it under the left foot Chet sang Jingle Bells, under the right he sang White Christmas. So the man buys it and goes home.

On Christmas day the man's girlfriend gets her present, Chet the bird. The man shows her how Chet can sing.

Then she asked:"What happens if you put the match in between Chet's legs?"

The man says: "I don't know, let's see"

So they put a match between his legs. Then Chet started singing:

"Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire....."

{so glad I was able to google and find this joke again, lol. It's one of my silly favorites}

Friday, December 18, 2009

Go Spencer...It's Your Birthday...

28 years ago today...at 9:44...a baby was born.......


A baby who was loved from the second his parents knew he was to be born...


A baby who would once look like this after eating cake...


And would look like this after school...


A baby who would treasure his mother...


And a boy who would be a tough little brother...


A little one who would one day trade these wheels...

for something a little bigger and better...


And a teen who would relax on the couch one day like this...

And a few years later like this...


A man who would one day have a wife who would look at him like this...


And would grow to be as handsome as they come...


28 years ago today a babe was born who I would get to spend the rest of my life with...


28 years ago my sweet husband was born and for that I am grateful. For that, we celebrate today my sweet, sweet husband. May your 28th year bring more joy and happiness than you can fathom. May you know today and everyday, just how very much your are loved.

Happy Birthday, My Husband.

I love you.
-Amy

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I'd rather be sick for days...

I'd rather be sick for days than let one of THESE horrid things dissolve in my mouth again!!





In fact, I'm pretty sure I understand their marketing technique....

"make people buy these with a thought in their ignorant head that they will surely feel better after sucking on one, and their cold will magically disappear in 3-4 days (or 42%...42% really??? Forty Two Percent quicker???? I'd love to see the statistical analysis on that...I'm just sayin'). {Insert- FAIL,}. When really, when they put one of these Zinc infested Glycerine something or others into their beak and suck on it for a while they will soon realize they would rather yack than continue to let the stupid thing melt- thus leading the poor ignorant fool to realize that their poor little cold could be something far worse. It could be the flu...it could be strep...it COULD BE throwing up because of the darn "miracle cure" lozenge.- which all lead to the fact that maybe, just maybe your cold isn't so bad after all...and therefore you let it run it's course."

I seriously CANNOT believe I lasted all of 6 minutes with the nasty piece of SOMETHING dissolving in my mouth. I WANTED to find the Zicam Nose Swabs that I used a year or so to end my cold, but apparently they determined that those swabs can lead to poor innocent souls losing their sense of smell. Who knew. But you know what???? I'm pretty sure I'd rather take the chance of possibly losing my sense of smell over ensuring the singeing of my taste buds. Poor things. I think they need some Diet Coke to come back to life.

Lesson: Don't buy that crap. Just take some Tylenol, complain to your husband how bad you feel and shove some toilet paper up your nose to catch the constant post nasal drip.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Click Me..No, REALLY...CLICK ME!!!

Seriously?? I didn't even know it was possible for such a F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S Blog Designer to exist.

Seriously...she had her work cut out for her big time between my Thesis of an Original Email sent to her after I initially won, and my additional "chapters" added each time I emailed her from then on.

Seriously...Hollie from The Drama Mama has serious talent. She is an absolute JEWEL to work with, and spends hours and hours designing and tweaking a blog design just.for. -->YOU<-- !!!! Seriously- Check out some of her other designs here!! I promise you...you will NOT be disappointed!!!!

Seriously in Major Love with the new design!!!!

Seriously random...but Hollie just got the CUTEST new dog from the SPCA...check her out!!

{photo courtesy of The Drama Mama}

Seriously...I have a problem with "ellipses", no....seriously.....


Care to know the why's of the name change and the design??? Well stop reading here if ya don't care to know because here we seriously go....{don't get too excited, it's not THAT breathtaking}

*********

You see...while I loved our wedding, and it was a life changing day, an incredible day and a day filled with love-- it isn't what the rest of my life is about (kinda sorta what "From this day Forward" referenced). I mean, I still have to finalize our wedding album for print, still need to put the scrapbook pages of our guest book together, and still have about 3 returns to make of some wedding gifts that we decided we might should exchange for something else....so clearly it's not a #1 priority anymore. About 2 weeks after we returned from our honeymoon life's curveballs started comin'. One after another, after another after another. It was storm after storm after storm. And as I referenced in this post we were amidst a series of storms and felt the treacherous rains beating down upon us as we pressed on trying to see the sun ahead. While we new many of our situations were temporary- they were still the storms we were seeking protection from at the time. When the rain stopped for a moment, and the clouds parted- we were able to take a moment and look just slightly over our shoulders to see where we had come from. It's quite a sight. Mountain after mountain...rocky road after rocky road. And you know what??? Is the road a sunshiny smooth blacktop road ahead of us??? Absolutely not. I can't tell you what storms are brewing ahead, or what curveball is coming across our plate soon- but what I can tell you is that while you are walking this journey of life- you have got to learn to dance in the rain. You have got to grab onto the people in your life who mean the most and press onward. You have got to let go of the baggage and material things that truly don't do much other than burden you- and hold tight to the ones you love and the ones that love you. It doesn't take much to happen sometimes- to see what really matters. It can be an unexpected layoff, an illness of a family member, the passing of a friend or the birth of a child. It can be a multitude of things that bring life into focus. As I look back on the very beginning of our journey as one I can tell you that we were and are truly blessed. He was watching over us the entire time and just whispering to "follow Me, follow Me". We were provided for when we didn't know how to make ends meet. We were told we were loved and cared for when we felt alone. We were lifted up and carried when we didn't feel we could take one more step.

So as we continue on this road...I can tell you that while we walk this road it may feel like gravel, or dirt, blacktop or asphalt- but when we glance back to see the view behind us- it will truly be our Brick Road of Blessings.

I encourage you to follow along on my blog. It won't always be pretty..won't always be silly or funny- or sad or mad...it may not be right up your alley - but it will be feelings of a woman, a wife, a fun loving talkative girl who is simply trying to take life all in.

So whether this is your first time reading or you've read this blog for a while- make yourself at home-- and let's get this show on the road =)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Look what I WON!!!!!!

{let me set the mood.....i am sitting in my chair working silently to myself..chatting with my husband on Messenger...it's pretty early in the day so far so people are still waiting for their coffee to kick in and the toothpaste taste in their mouth to wear off...I go to check my personal email, and I see that someone left a comment on my last post....and it reads.....}


"I stopped by to leave you a comment about something totally unrelated and I was touched by your post. I have SO been there, girl! Good for you for realizing it and making changes...it is so easy to get sucked into spending way too much time on the computer when you could be doing other things that are way more productive.

Anyhoo, I really stopped by to make sure you saw THIS- YAY!!! Email me when you can!! HUGS!!"


Well.....I KNOWWWWW you want to know what "this" means referenced above, dontcha?!?! dontcha??!? dontcha?!?

Can you just IMAGINE the squeal that pierced the ears of my co-workers at 9:00 this morning when I clicked the link and found out that I won...

A BLOG MAKEOVER COURTESY OF THE DRAMA MAMA!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!

Y'all...I seriously squealed with delight and immediately emailed Hollie this long (I mean R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S.L.Y LONG) email about my life, my history, my blog, my blogs history and how I knew so and so from so and so's so and so blog. (no worries, she did reply to my email so I didn't scare her away!!!)

ANYWAY- I thought it was so perfect since I am coming back to blogging, and do hope that my posts will continue to peak the interest of my current readers and potentially draw more in!!!!

So...yall stay tuned...we are officially UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU HOLLIE!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

I think I'm ready....

I think I'm just about ready to head back into the blog-o-sphere. As I mentioned a few posts back- it was time to step back, take a look at my life, myself, my marriage, my career, where I've been and where I want to go. I had totally lost grip. I let things that didn't truly matter grip me. I suppose I was worshiping false idols? Wow...what a realization. I was typing the sentence above that reads "let things that don't truly matter grip me" and it just clicked that I think I was worshiping false idols. Interesting. So that's what it feels like. That's what it can do to you. That's what can happen to your life when you let other "things" of the world become your focus.

The internet was consuming my life. Hours upon hours when I got home I would peruse the internet. Not looking up anything specific..just looking. Reading. Concentrating. Concentrating on the lit up screen of my Mac Book instead of concentrating on my marriage. Instead of concentrating on my family, or my friends or my life. I was to busy nosing into the lives of others.

I've taken some time away from the computer, and it's funny how much I don't miss 95% of it. The 5% I do miss is blogging here. I miss getting to post about this or that...complain or praise. Happy or sad, Good or bad...I miss using this as a sort of outlet.

I can still choose which parts of my life that I want to be public...I can still choose what I want people to know. I can type about a situation or keep it private. It's my choice.

But I do love to help others. I love to impact others. I love to see others smile.

I can't help but wonder if my blog is helping someone. What if the things I say or the emotions I convey are exactly what someone else is feeling, or exactly what someone needs to hear. Because I have been on the receiving end of those words and emotions many times, I know how it feels. I know how uplifting it can be. The revelation it can reveal.

So...I'm back. Back to blogging here that is. I will not return to the hours I spent on the computer before, because frankly life has WAY too much to offer. WAY more than "cyberspace". I will read words of other blogs of the people that I have grown to love and appreciate- and I will share my thoughts with others here in hopes that it touches them. That it reaches people that I would never reach if it weren't for this blog.

My writing isn't really eloquent. It isn't fancy. Shoot- it may not even be grammatically correct (did I even spell "grammatically" right???HA!) but my writing is real. It's just...well...it's just ME.



**************

My sweet husband begins his new job tomorrow. Finally after being unemployed for 8 months and 10 days due to his past companies layoff- he will now be back in the corporate world again. Oh how much I hope he loves his job. I hope it's more than he can even imagine. I hope he loves the people he works with as much as I know they will love him. What an amazing talent they are gaining. Such knowledge, reasoning, intelligence...I could go on.

I am just so happy and proud for him. I hope he has an amazing first day back at work, and good grief- I will be thinking about him all day long :)


**************

Alright...well I have a little cleaning left to do on this Sunday...and tonight's menu includes some BBQ Beef Brisket that needs to cook for about 3 hours...so I'm off to get a jump start on it all :)

I hope all of my sweet readers, who may still be out there, are doing well...and I hope we will be back to chatting soon :)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

I just call you, mine.

A year ago today, while very emotional, very happy, very anxious, very excited and very much in love- I was not nervous. In fact, I couldn't wait to see Rob standing at the end of the aisle. I couldn't wait for him to see me in my dress. The dress I had ordered almost a year prior to the day that was upon us. I couldn't wait to get down that aisle and slide my arm through his as my grandfather married us before our beloved family and friends.

I couldn't wait to be married to him. To live the rest of our lives together and to walk the journey that He takes us down with Rob by my side.

A year later I am even more anxious to walk this journey with him. As I look back on the hills and valleys of our first year, it looks more like the Grand Canyon. And honestly, it has felt that way at many, many times. Our first year has brought many trials to us. Many times I thought to myself "this isn't fair...we should have been able to prepare more for these things that we knew could possibly happen to us- but we didn't think they would happen to us so soon after being married." It's again that naive way of thinking that we should be able to put on our armor before life begins throwing it's curve balls. But life doesn't work that way. I have always known that- but seemed to think at some point I would be better prepared for what it threw. I have learned very quickly that the minute you think you have a grip...here comes another 90 mph curveball headed straight to ya. Whether it's something smaller like an appliance breaking and needing replacing or something bigger such as an 8-months of being unemployed due to a layoff in February.....those things in life happen and you just don't have the luxury of controlling them. You can choose to walk through those storms and know that there is sunshine after the rain (and sometimes that sun is brief), or you can allow them to beat you down, make you feel as though you are drowning, and often times make you question if you want to continue down this path or look for the closest fork in your road. I can tell you that no matter the length or severity of the storm, I want to walk it with my Husband. I want to battle those with him. We have trudged through this past year while being AMAZED at the way we have been blessed and provided for in so many ways, and we know He was watching us all the way. He was taking care of us and asking us to follow Him.

I look forward to our future. I look forward to what it brings. I look forward to the long path that I see ahead of us. And all the while, as I look over my shoulder just to see the milestones we passed, and the view behind us- I don't focus there. It is a great reminder of the things we battled through and each of those things allowed us another piece of armor. We will never be fully protected- but I do believe we can take the lessons learned from every single joy and sorrow and know that God doesn't take us to a place that he can't pull us through with His grace.

I am so blessed.

Sweet Rob,
I love you more than words can say. There are so many times where we are able to know what the other is thinking or feeling without having to say a word. I am blessed to be married to someone so driven, so intelligent, so loving and so determined. I can only hope I bring half the joy to your life, that you bring to mine. Happy 1st Anniversary my precious Husband, and I look forward to 80 more =)
All my love,
Your Wife

(fyi- there is music to the slideshow if you turn on your volume)

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Just call me Susie Homemaker...

So last weekend (Labor Day Weekend) I spent a majority of Monday in the kitchen. I happily made 4 different types of cookies, and Tortilla Soup!!! Three types of cookies were for various work occasions, and the fourth type was a personal request from the Head of Household (ahem, no...not me much to your dismay...my husband). The tortilla soup is a family favorite of ours, and Rob has now taken a much deserved liking to the soup...so yes- I made that too.

I figured I would go ahead and post all of the recipes here for yall. I will tell you that aside from the Oatmeal Scotchies I made, the other Three cookie recipes were BRAND NEW to me. I had never tried them before. If you cook or bake much you can totally understand the nerves that made their way into my body, as it's always a little nervewracking to try a new recipe (especially if it's a letdown when it's complete). But I can happily say that all 4 of the cookies were a HIT!!!! I had tons and tons an tons of compliments that were very flattering.

**Let me start by saying if you DO NOT use Parchment Paper when baking cookies, you need to start IMMEDIATELY. Do not pass go, do not collect $2oo. Instead, USE PARCHMENT PAPER. You can keep the same sheet on the baking sheet throughout the entire batch, so seriously...it's worth it**

Now make sure you have ink in your printer, and open a word document, so you can copy and paste these recipes and file them in your recipe folder junk drawer like me!

Soft Oatmeal Cookies
(boring, I know...but they were a special request from a co-worker so I obliged)



  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups quick cooking oats

1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line Cookie sheet with Parchment Paper. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

***I followed this recipe exactly. In my oven I needed to cook them for 8 minutes. I let them cool for about 2 minutes only, before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. The cookies are REALLY soft, even 2-3 days later. Lots of yummy cinnamon flavor, and for boring ole Oatmeal Cookies, they were seriously so good! (feel free to throw in raisins, white chocolate covered craisins, chocolate chips, etc..if you choose.***


Soft (and I MEAN SOFT) Snickerdoodle Cookies
(I had sooooo many compliments on these. I have NEVER made snickerdoodles before, but they are definitely a favorite of mine. These cookies literally melted in your mouth when you bit into them...yum yum yum. And to quote one of my co-workers who called my extension while chewing his cookie- he said "Amy, these are the best snickers I have ever doodled". HA!)



1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.

3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

4. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.

5. Add vanilla and mix well.

6. Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge.

7. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.

8. Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture and coat. (I found it worked best if I dropped the "glob" in the cinnamon/sugar mixture, coated it and THEN formed it into a ball before dropping onto the parchment paper)

9. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 8 minutes.

10. Let sit on cookie sheet to cool for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.

(you *may* have to adjust your cooking time if they come out too dough-y. But I will tell you I thought my first batch was going to be almost raw in the middle, but they turned out perfect after completely cooling)


Nestle Oatmeal Scotchies
(found on the back of a Nestle Butterscotch Morsels bag)




1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.

4. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

5. Stir in oats and morsels.

6. Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto an baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

7. Bake 7 to 8 minutes .

8. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely.


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
(these might be bakery worthy. Seriously, they were amazing)



  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what I used (Peter Pan brand- but you could easily use chunky for added texture)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I found Reese's brand at my grocery store)
  • 1/2 cup MINI semi-sweet chocolate chips (Tollhouse makes these)
  • For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar- regular sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy.

4. Add the sugars and beat until smooth.

5. Add the egg and mix well.

6. Add the milk and the vanilla extract.

7. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.

8. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.

9. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate.

10. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar and coat.

11. Place onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion.

12. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern but do not overly flatten cookies.

13. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake.

(Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.)

14. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.



******NOTE FOR ALL COOKIES MENTIONED ABOVE, AND FOR ALL COOKIE MAKING IN GENERAL******
I NEVER EVER BAKE MY COOKIES FOR THE TIME LISTED ON THE RECIPE. I WILL ALWAYS SET MY TIME FOR 2 MINUTES LESS THAN THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE COOKING INCREMENT (EX: COOK 8-10 MINUTES, I SET TIME FOR 6) AND THEN WATCH THE FIRST BATCH FROM THERE, AND DETERMINE THE EXACT TIME I NEED. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE COOKIES CONTINUE TO BAKE A BIT ONCE THEY ARE REMOVED FROM THE OVEN!!!!! ALLLLLLL OF THESE COOKIES WILL STILL JIGGLE A BIT WHEN YOU REMOVE THEM FROM THE OVEN, BUT I PROMISE WHEN THEY COOL, THEY WILL BE PERFECTION!


Chicken Tortilla Soup




  • 1 lb Chicken Breasts cooked and chopped/shredded
  • 2 cans beef broth
  • 2 cans chicken broth
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1 small can or corn (maybe 8 oz or so??) drained
  • 1 can rotel
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes plus juice
  • 1 small can tomato sauce
  • sprinkle of chili powder
  • sprinkle of cumin
  • chopped cilantro
  • Bag of Bite Size Tortilla chips
  • Monterrey Jack Cheese

1) Cook your chicken and cut it up

(I just throw my chicken breasts in a pot of boiling water and let them cook, and move onto step 2)

2) In large pot, place chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery into the pot with about 2 T olive oil.

3) Saute vegetable mixture for about 7-8 minutes

4) To pot with vegetables add: 2 cans beef broth, 2 cans chicken broth, can of corn, can of Rotel, can of tomato sauce, can of diced tomatoes and your chicken. Stir.

5) At this point, you may determine you want more broth. If so, feel free to add another can of stock, or even some water and a bouillon cube- whichever.

6) Bring to a boil.

7) Add in your spices. (cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper). I do about 6 or 7 shakes of cumin and chili powder, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

8) Chop up your cilantro (I probably chop up about 3-4 Tablespoons - yes Tablespoons) and throw that in the pot.

9) It's really ready to go as soon as it heats up, but it's really best to let it simmer for about 45 min to an hour.

10) When ready to serve, put a handful of tortilla chips on the bottom of the bowl. Top with Monterrey Jack Cheese- and then ladle your soup ontop!!!

(If you are feeling really fiesty, grab a fresh avocado and chop that up to toss in there right before serving!!!)

Yall this soup is AWESOME. So easy- seriously so quick...and sooooo good. If you like spicy- add more chili powder, and if you like Cilantro..make sure to up that amount, too!!!


Alright- so those are my posts for today!!!!! I had so much fun making all of these things- and it was even better to share them with others!!! I miss yall lots, but have another post coming in a few days about a pair of shoes that I purchased that you will not EVEN BELIEVE I had the audacity to spend money on!!! Seriously!!!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Few and Maybe a little far between....

Somehow I have gotten off track in what really matters in life. Who really matters, what really matters, and WHY they/it really matter. I have let this thing called "the internet" turn me into someone I don't particularly like (or know for that matter). The internet has begun to slowly creep in and consume my mind, heart, thoughts, and life....and that's just not right. It's not what God wants for my life, I can tell ya that much- and it's surely not what I want for my life either.

I have spent many-a-nights just sitting on the couch reading blogs, facebook, this page and that...linkety link to linkety lienk....instead of being productive, instead of being driven, instead of being motivated...instead of being me.

I don't want to be a family that doesn't talk, I don't want to be a family where each person goes to his/her space and just hangs out doing whatever. And if we allow that to be who we are now...then it will surely be who my family is, as that is all they will know.

With all of that said....my blog posts may become few and far between. I will still post, and hopefully my posts will actually have some substance now (HA!) since I won't be posting quite as much. It's a decision that I have chosen, and am not giving 1 second thought to. It's simply what I WANT to do, and can't wait to get back to finding the real me.

Now please don't misunderstand...I think the internet is a GREAT tool, I think that blogs are wonderful and I will keeping reading and commenting as the time allows. I think that the internet, networking sites, blogs, etc...are all great resources. But they are just that...informative resources.

I want to look back on my days, weeks, months, years, life...and see what I accomplished. What did I achieve? What did I overcome...what did I learn. I don't want to have regrets. I don't want to have to live in the "if only I had _______" anymore. I have beaten myself up for my mistakes in the past for long enough, and it's time to move from this day forward and be confident in my life and who I am.

I will be putting my focus, time and effort in to the things my heart wants and needs. The things that I strive to achieve, and surround myself with the people who love me the most.

So please excuse me for a bit =) I plan on taking some time away...but continuing to post every so often. I plan on enjoying all of this life which God has given me.

Finding my happiness within myself, within my husband's eyes, within my family and all throughout my friends.

I want to experience all that this world has to offer....to walk hand in hand with my husband and to take it all in.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

If you don't mind...

...will you please say a prayer for me on Thursday morning- and Friday midday?? I have something going on- on both of these days, and I could just really use the prayers of support and encouragement. I can't disclose what's going on right now...but just know that any thoughts and/or prayers would me the world to me and my husband. I hope I am able to update more in the next week or so.

Thank you guys so very much

XoXo,
Ames

Monday, August 24, 2009

Yep...Only Our Insured...

...and many of you are aware...I am currently working as a Property Damage Adjuster for an Auto Insurance Company. What is that???, you ask....well let me share a little bit. Say you get in an accident, and gather the other persons insurance. You feel the other person is at fault. Therefore, you call said person's insurance company and file a claim. From there, the claim is sent to me, and it is my responsibility to get "our" insured's accident description, any pertinent police reports or witness statements, I have to get estimates and photos of your damage, as well as determine whether or not "our" insured was really at fault in yalls accident. Therefore it requires a lot of decisions being made in good faith, as well as being able to stand behind my decision should I accept or deny coverage for our insured's accident.

(lest us not forget that you should not piss off a claim adjuster, b/c if it comes down to it...the adjusters mood on any given day could determine if they render liability or denial- if the claim could really go either way....ahem)

ANYWAY....I thought I would enlighten your Monday evening (or Tuesday morning...whichever) by sharing some of the claims that came through my office in the past 3 days.

(for the sake of this post, I want to share that the person calling to report the claim, is called a "claimant". The person that my company provides car insurance for, is called "our insured" (duh))

Ok...brace yourseslf....

1) Our Insured calls in to inform us that she has been in an accident. I ask her for her accident decription, and it goes something like this:
"Well, I was driving along the road, and a vehicle starts coming toward me head on. I swerve into the lane next to me, to avoid the collision with the car coming towards me head on. When I swerved, I hit a trash can with the front bumper of my car. When I came in contact with the trash can, it caused me to stop- and gather myself before beginning to drive again. At that point, the other car that was attempting to hit me head on had turned around and parked his car in the middle of the street, gotten out of their car and was attempting to break into my car and harm me. They were pulling so hard on the door handle that my door handle broke off. So I need to get my front bumper repaired, as well as my door handle."
(Me) "Ma'am, did you get any information as to the identity of the person who was driving the other vehicle that tried to harm you?"
"Oh yes...he is the father of my children."

only our insured.....

2) Claimant calls to report an accident. States that she works at the mall, and that the landscaping and mall sign, and light pole have been damaged and that after a witness came forward with further information, it was determined the person who caused this damage had our insurance. So I called our insured and asked for their accident description.
(our insured) " Well I was driving around the mall parking lot, and all of the sudden someone pointed and yelled at me from outside my car, and told me my car was on fire. So I jumped out."
(me)"You jumped out? You put the car in park and jumped out??"
(our insured) "No, my car was in drive, I just jumped out because my car was on fire, dawg. And then I watched my car keep moving down the road and it hit a sign and then went into the flowerbed and finally stopped when it hit a light pole"
(me) "So you bailed out of your car while it was on fire, and still in drive and still in motion?"
(our insured) "yeah, dawg"

only our insured......

Stay tuned my dear readers...there will be more where that came from!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

If you're gonna do it....do it right...

My Breakfast of Champions.....



One...



Partnered with.....



A Dutch Apple Bagel w/reduced fat plain cream cheese, from Einstein's Bagels...


Yup...that's my breakfast of champions :)

What's yours?????

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Thought I loved you then.....and babies....

Um yes. It is 100% true that the first portion of the title of this post has absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G to do with it's content. I had NO clue what to title this post, so I decided to title it the name of the first song that popped into my head. So there. Ya have it.

No one can EVER say that I'm not random.....

Yall...my whirlwind of a life is continuing. But rather than be vague and boring- I am going to go into more depth of what's going on in the Spencer Household. Actually..it may still be boring, but hopefully not to vague.

To start with- I have started a new job. It's in an area that I have NEVER explored before, but I'm learning the ropes and I'm enjoying what I do. The people that I work with are great, and it's always fun to try your hand at something totally new. I'll spare the long story of how I came upon this job- but the best advice I can give you is to never burn bridges...and to always reach out when you need help. There are people from years ago that you may not have talked to in forever- and all it takes is on out stretch of your hand and they help. I hope to return the favor to someone else someday :)

Anyway, I'm working for an insurance company and I am currently a Property Damage Adjuster. Not sure where it will lead, but right now--God's leading it, and that is just how it should be.

I would also like to ask for continued prayers for my husband. He is still seeking a full time job, and in the interim, he is working in another city- and gone Monday through Friday. He is only home on the weekends and to say this house is lonely is a major understatement. While it is what we have to do right now, it doesn't make it any easier. Please pray for a permanent job/solution and pray that he and I can begin on an upswing soon. It's been a tough, tough past 6 months or so. (And happy 10 month anniversary to my sweetie. As he said to me today, only 2 more months until we get to eat cake , hehe. Thinking about food...man after my own heart, HA!)

The dogs are good....Beudreaux (ya know...the manly lab) has taken a liking to this toy that came in a McDonalds happy meal that the kiddos I used to babysit left in my car. So the said "manly lab" carries around this tinnnnyyyy beanie baby gerbil thing and will NOT put it down. Granted SOME might say this is a better alternative to the PINK pig he used to wag around...Rob and I beg to differ. A gerbil??????? Come on dude....but whatever. He likes it. The Schnauzer??? Well she still just likes food (and never caring about her squeaker toys until the MINUTE you get on the phone or try to carry on a conversation with someone in the room. What is up with that anyway???). She fits in here great.


In other news....Some of our VERY best friends are coming in town this weekend. It could NOT be a better time. Seriously...Rob and I have been living in the land of doom for a while now- and seeing their chippery (yes, I made up that word) faces--and getting to laugh and be silly while enjoying adult beverages sounds like something we totally need!!!!! I know that plans to head to the Rangers game are solidified...but not sure what other kind of trouble we will get into while they are here- but it's guaranteed to be a good time!!!


*****************


In some other- MUCH more exciting news....there have been THREE ADORABLE BABY BOYS born into this world in the past 2 weeks. From here, to Pittsburgh, to Canada...these boys have blessed their parents world in a way they never knew imaginable. Seeing these sweet mommies and daddies smiles and love just radiate from their faces makes me that much more anxious to be a mommy :) I know the time will come....but man....I just can't wait to see the precious child that is formed from the love their mommy and daddy have for each other- and the love that God has for us.

Please feel free to "ohhhhh" and "awwwww" over these sweet bundles- cuz Lord knows I have!!!


Meet Levi Reese Boyer.....



Levi was born on July 23rd weighing in at 8 lbs and 9 oz. I went to high school with his sweet parents, Jocelyn and Philip.



Seriously...how adorable is he???? Congratulations Jocelyn and Philip!!!!




*****************

Meet Kaden Hercules Peter



Kaden was born on August 4th, at a teeennny tiiinyyyy 5 lbs and 14 oz. I have become VERY good friends with his mommy- and even though they are so far away in Canada...I still feel like we get to see each other every day.



Kaden had some issues with his suck/swallow reflex when he was born, so he has been spending some time in the NICU in Canada. The doctors are hopeful he will be home by Friday- just in time to start his second week of life at home. Please say some prayers for this sweet family as this has been such an emotional time and they pray for their sweet baby, and feel so helpless that they can't "make it all better". I admire his parents strength, Faith, and determination. Can't wait for you to come home soon sweet guy! We are ALL pulling for you!!!




*****************

Meet Hudson Alexander Pettijohn



Baby Hudson was born to parents Natalie and JR. He graced the world on August 5th at 8 lbs 1 oz.



I met Natalie many years back though a mutual friend, and have been a long time follower/supporter of her blog since I caught back up with her a year or so ago!! They just moved to Pittsburgh, and I know it has to be such an adjustment being in a new place, with a new baby, and so distant from the things that used to be "normal". They are doing such an amazing job handling all of the transitions!!! It has to make it much easier being able to love on this little guy!!!




*****************

I guess that's all I have for now!!! Me a new job, three friends have brand new sons, and I still have Brad Paisley's song "Thought I loved you then" running through my head!!!!!

Hope yall are having a great week...and we'll chat soon :)

XOXO

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Whirlwind

My life at the moment is such a whirlwind!!! Things are changing...and sometimes it even seems that I am exchanging one stress for another...but I'm making the best of it. At the current moment, I am not 100% confirmed in any plans so I really can't be more specific than that...but change is good, right?!?!?

I'm sitting here right now with a headache that has just slithered its way into my head like a snake in the tall grass- and I'm just hoping that my large Diet Coke from Chick-Fil-A (with AWESOME ice) will be suffice, before having to take any further medication, HA!!!!

I'm so ready for the weekend- but at the same time, I can't even see past 5 minutes from now!!!

*****************

I have some VERY exciting births to blog about just as SOON as these sweet new mommies have a second to post pictures of their precious bundles!!!!

I'll be back soon, yall!!!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Double Edged Sword :)



So posting about giveaways on your blog for additional chances to win is totally a double edged sword....with the sharper edge on my side, lol.

You see- while it gets me an additional entry- it also means yall will hope over there and enter creating LESS of a chance I will win, due to odds :)

I digress....swords, machetes, guns, guillotines- or what have you....some stinking adorable giveaways going on over at



1) Check out THIS ONE for an adorable dog collar and leash!!

2) Also up for grabs is an ADORABLE Monogrammed Mug!!!

3) You could win a precious "Boo" Tote for yourself or another sweet girl in your life!

4) Who wouldn't love a new Blog Template????


Good Luck Y'all!!!!

(and ya better come back and post and let me know if ya win!!!)

Monday, July 27, 2009

Please Pray for the Little Babe

....I know that many, MANY of us blog readers follow MckMama and I almost thought to myself "everyone who knows of Stellan knows that he is in very very critical health right now, and is already praying..." so I almost didn't feel the need to make this post.

But you know what...even our Father knows the outcome of Stellan's life. He knows how long He is lending the Earth this precious babe. And even HE asks us to pray. Tells us to pray.

So friends...please...please take a moment to pray for this precious little boy who is so very sick right now. Please pray for his family. Pray for his mothers broken, tired and weary heart. Pray that his heart can return to Normal Sinus Rhythm and continue beating at a safe rate.

While you pray for this babe, please pray for the other sick babies in the world...the ones that we know of, and the ones we know of not.

Prayers for Stellan

Friday, July 24, 2009

Show Us Your LIFE!- Wedding Dress Friday!!!!

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is hosting Show Us Your Life by posting _______________. Well today just happens to be Wedding Gown Friday!!!!!

My dress was my dream dress, hands down. When choosing my gown, I wanted something that was a reflection of my taste, combined with what I new Rob would love. Rob is simple, and traditional. So the style of my dress was A-Line traditional, and the material was a Satin Taffeta. So it wasn't all lace or beads...it was just a little more traditional. It was a simple frame dress- just what Rob loves. But at the same time, it had some modern touches. A sash that was a gorgeous Champagne color that matched exactly with some of the beading on the gown. The bodice of my gown was very detailed. Beads and small small pearls. Scalloped bottom with the same details...gorgeous train- just the right length for an outdoor wedding. Corset back. When choosing a veil, I had 2 veils. I had a fingertip length veil, as well as a blusher. I knew I wanted to wear my veils ontop of my head during the ceremony, and wanted to put one of them under my updo for the reception. We chose the shorter style of veils, as the back of my dress where the train started had some detailing and we didn't want to cover it.

No necklace..we didn't want to take away from the sweetheart neckline and detail on the bodice.

I did cry when I tried this gown on. It came down to this gown and another. I tried them both on again, and tears brimmed my eyes when I slipped this one on again.

I am still trying to find a way to wear this baby again...ahem...not in a wedding of course....but I just LOVE her so :)

And let me say this....my Handsome Groom made me look good!!!!


























Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Urine Schample......




So we're gonna get reaalll comfy reaaalll quick. So collecting urine samples on ourselves isn't really my idea of a good time, or heck, even an "ok" time- but every now and again it has to be done.

So fine, I wrap my hand in tons of papertowels as I grab the nasty germ infested Sharpie that they LEAVE in the bathroom for the people have just peed hopefully in the cup and not all over their hands, to use. I try and keep my hands covered in papertowels as I write my name on the cup. And writing on a curved surface with a Sharpie with a dull tip, and a sticker the size of this line ________ trying to fit my entire name on the cup without it all running together is enough of a stress that I begin to feel the beginnings of an anxiety attack coming on as I sit in the restroom. So get the urine sample in the cup and stick it in the "Secret" door- and hope that someone with a rubber glove on doesn't reach through the other side right when they hear "my" door open. That would plain FREAK me out. I'm not going to pass my cup of urine through the wall to another hand. No way jose.

Please wait until my door is closed and then do whatever you see fit with the cup.
Thanks,
Urine Sample Management


Anyway....so I've gone into a little much detail here, but whatev. It's my thoughts and fears on the UA, and that ain't gonna change =)

So why in the WORLD is Amy talking about pee on her blog???

Well I am SO GLAD you asked!!!!!!!!!!!!

We noticed that the sweet schnauzer was having to go outside far too often to "go potty" and she would try and squat 2 or 3 times each times she went out. Well I have been told before at each of the vet appointments we have taken Sadie in for, that Schnauzers are very prone to Bladder Infections (among a list of like 100 other things- It's a good thing she's cute as all get out.) They told us what to look for in order to see the signs of a UTI, so within 12 hours of this going on I informed sweet husband that we needed to take her in. I think he is always hesitant when I begin to self diagnose myself and NOW the dog...but hey- something about my "motherly" instinct????

Anyway, I was busy yesterday so "dad" took in the pup at 11:30. Like any good pet owner, he had her go potty outside the vet before he took her in, just to make sure she didn't embarrass us and pretend she wasn't potty trained. Well of course they need a darn urine analysis from the poor pup. So the vet tech tried to take drag Sadie outside and have her go potty again- to which Sadie looked at her like--"woman, I just went, now let me sniff around....but I'm not gonna pee." So they went back inside, went ahead and said it sounded like a UTI, and gave Rob the meds for Sadie, charged us for the Urine Analysis, and sent him on his merry way with 2 empty sterile urine cups.

So he calls me on his way home and tells me bits and pieces of the vet visit, and how they couldn't get her to pee (YA THINK?!?!) and how we now have to collect a urine sample on our own. WHHHHHATTTTTTTTTT??????

Yes.

We.have.to.collect.a.urine.sample.from.a.female.dog.


Note I said FEMALE. So that means the space between her little "tee tee" and the grass blade is about thismuch. At least if it had been the male labrador there would have been a decent stream!!!!

Soooo, I get home and decide to take her out. So I leave her off the leash because there is no way I'm juggling a pee cup, a leash, and a schnauzer while parading around the yard in heels. Puuhhlllease.

So I am following her very closely b/c I have like .5 seconds to catch her in the act, right?? So I'm following her like white on rice, and she's all hunkered down with her tail tucked thinking she has done something wrong!!! Can ya BLAME the poor girl??? She wanted her space!!! HAHAH!!

So finally she stops, and she squats and I throw the cup under her and catch a raindrop amount of urine. Yes, a raindrop. I think she thought she had to go more than she really did (hence the Bladder infection) so there wasn't much in her.

So Rob and I tag teamed and spent the rest of the afternoon taking turns playing urine catcher. You can repeat the scenario above over and over - well, except for the part about Rob wearing heels..that was only me.

About 5 hours later we FINALLY got enough of a sample to take it to the vet. I get the cup, and take it in. I have to admit I felt hilarious riding in the Tahoe with a container of pee in the cup holder.

So I get there, drop off the urine and they asked me how long it had taken to get it. Conversation went as follows:

Vet Tech (VT): How fresh is this urine?
Me: (frowning I'm sure): Well we gathered it throughout the course of the afternoon
VT: Was it refrigerated?
Me: Was it REFRIGERATED?????
VT: Yes, in between trips to collect, did you refrigerate the sample?
Me (thinking)--gee ma'am..no I didn't keep it in my fridge! I keep lemonade and diet coke, left overs, yogurt, fruits and veggies in my fridge...even some brown rice, but I DONT KEEP URINE IN MY FRIDGE. MY APOLOGIES!!!!
Me: No, it wasn't in the fridge
VT: Ok well, sometimes if it's kept hot- the bacteria will break down and we won't get as good of an analysis
Me (thinking)- how about YOU come to my house and collect the darn sample. After all, yall are the medical team right???
Me: Well I tell ya what...let's go ahead and go with this one and see what we get, K??? If it comes back totally normal, I'll collect another- but for now..you can start with this.
VT: Sure, that sounds great ma'am
Me (thinking) Yes it sounds good because there is no other choice unless you're catching a ride back to the house with me woman!

So long story longer- Sadie DOES have a UTI, the vet called to confirm that today. Also let me know that she might had Bladder Stones as well, and would like us to consider an $84 X-Ray. She said there was just a high amount of blood in Sadie's urine. I politely informed her that we will keep Sadie on these meds for 1 week and the re-access her count via another sample. If the counts are still really high, absolutely we will do the X-Ray...gotta keep the babies safe.

So stay tuned, b/c when we collect this next urine sample in a week, I might just take some pictures!