Simply Sunday.........

Its so crazy this Washington weather we are having. I am looking out the window to gray skies and even though it is pouring out there is just something about the green grass and trees with the gray sky backdrop that is so beautiful.  

My days have been jam packed and so busy. 

I don't know what I am going to do to slow myself down.  

I need to make my life a bit more simple.....

Hi my name is Stacey & I am a over do-er addict.  I can't say no. Well I can't say no to most things. I complain about it, but do it anyway.  

  
   I try so hard to do anything and everything... I sometimes over book myself. 

         Blogging stresses me out. ( sometimes)
I get a day or two day's  behind and I don't even how to start it off...

I missed yesterday and I don't know why?? .
So I have to just ask, why do I blog? 

( because it makes me happy & for the first time in a long time I feel like I am doing what I love.....) 

Why do I comment? 

( Because I want you to know I love what you write)
Why do people comment on my life's stories?

( there is nothing that makes me feel better!) 

Then I think to myself is this good enough for people to 

want to take the time to really read? 

Am I funny enough? What can I write about that will make then happy!?!
I love who I've met, I love who I get to follow, I love being able to "talk" to my girlfriends daily and weekly, I love who I am becoming because of them.
But I'm stressed about all the many things I have to do.

I haven't Scrapbooked in....
Yep, don't even remember. 

Makes me sad.
Goal for Summer vacation with the help of my 

scrapbooking friends...and a weekend crop is to

 Setting two hour  two days a week away just for it!

(to finish 2008/2009 books by the end of summer) 

Also I want to do more cooking, vegan and veggie cooking, 

along with some great BBQ'in and camping food

(would be wonderful to find some new ones feel free to let me know if you have one) 

I truly don't cook enough and find myself letting Hub's do most of the cooking but time has come to call me up to the plate.. 

Hub's is always working so hard and doing so much for me. 

(So I need to give back a lot to him.)

Have a fun Sunday night!! Enjoy your week. 

Try to keep it Simple. 

Friday... trip on a tank! ( well this is a few tanks but still alot of fun!)

We have made trips down to Colorado many times. It is great that we have family there to visit. It is even better when that family can take us to places that we have never been too. This trip they took us to Taos. It was so much fun. The history was amazing and if you can do a road trip this summer this is one that you will want to check out!

The Historic Taos Inn is in New Mexico,  the inn itself is located in the heart of Taos' historic district. Acclaimed by National Geographic Traveler as "One of America's Great Inns" and listed on the National and New Mexico Registers of Historic Places. If you stay here you can get a walking tour of all the beautiful places that make this town so special. The history in this town is remarkable and full of stories and people that make this town are as unique as they are. Some might ask why it is so special? The answer is this simple, When you step into the Inn, you step into Taos history.

The Historic Taos Inn has welcomed the famous like Greta Garbo, Robert Redford and Jessica Lange have been spotted sipping margaritas in the lobby. Choose one of the 44 rooms that they have to offer. Make sure that you ask for a room that isn't in the main building if you don't want to be awake until 10:00ish on weekdays and 2:00am on weekends. 

They have a live band every night and it is an old building so the walls are a bit thin! It is great for people that stay here to sample the atmosphere of old Taos yet expect modern amenities. Staying on top of  the personal services in  warm, relaxed surroundings, Yes they even offer wifi.

It is made up of several adobe houses, which date from the 1800's,  Like a warm hug the inn is surrounded by a small plaza, and now the inn's spectacular lobby. is so wonderful and welcoming.  A community well was located in the center of the plaza. In its place today, a fountain is surrounded by vertical vigas which rise two-and-a-half stories to a stained glass cupola. You truly have to see it to be able to understand its beauty.

While in Toas we did some fun shopping at kimosabetaos a fun antique store that has so many great old treasures, I bought an old plaque of a saint. Then I took my nephew to twirlhouse toy store. Where I got some unique toys and puzzles, plus they have a large play ground that all the kids can play at while their parents or auntie is having a coffee!

The inn has welcomed the famous like Greta Garbo, Robert Redford and Jessica Lange have been spotted sipping margaritas in the lobby. It is great for people that stay here to sample the atmosphere of old Taos yet expect modern amenities. Staying on top of  the personal services in warm, relaxed surroundings, Yes they even offer wifi.  We ate at many great restaurants but I will only tell you a few. There is the Doc Martins right in the hotel that serves the best french toast I have had in my life. Then there is the adobe bar that is the heart of the hotel and where all the live music is centered around.  We also went to the elmeze. Where it was vibrant and fun and full of art. We then went to the Ogelvies. & it was the most amazing mexican food I have ever had the pleasure to eat.

Make sure that you check out the hotels website at The historic Inn at Toas.   It was great to see how other people live in different parts of our beautiful country.  I look forward to going back and touring all of New Mexico.

Thankful Thursday!

I am so thankful that I have both sets of Grandparents are a major part of my life. I understand how lucky I am to have all of them alive & sharp. They are so important to "Hub's"& I.  The one thing that makes me so happy is the fact that all of them love "Hub's" like he is really their grandson. All of them have welcomed "Hub's" into our family.  It is great that he now has Grandparents because his all past away when he was a young boy.

Like Chris most of my friends didn't get to see their Grandparents like I have gotten to. 
I have different relationships with each of them. The picture on the left is of my Mom's mother and step Dad. Her dad past away when I was 5. It made our family a little displaced & not the bond that one would think you would have with your family. The big shoes to fill of my mom's dead.  In all the meanings of the word Grandpa is what Ed is to all of us kids.

I didn't have the typical Grandma/Grand daughter relationship. When my Grandma married Ed we felt the shift in our family and over time the void was filled for our family.  We became a close family, even gaining a step uncle. Being a blended family has been such a blessing. We may have our ups an downs as a family but through it all we love one another. About 10 years ago my grandma & I became very close. Over the years we have had the chance to really get to know each other & shared our lives, it has been an amazing experience.

I am blessed to be able to have that bond now, It is something that we both needed, working towards a relationship as two adults has been very rewarding and not hard at all. I think that its very sad that I don't have the memories that my cousins do with my Grandma, but I don't think we would have the bond that we do know if we would have had the same relationship, that they have with her. IIt makes me feel so happy knowing that I got this chance to love my grandma.

We had barely any family when we got married, but there they were Grandma Mom & Grandpa Ed. There are no words that can explain what that felt like and how very much it meant to me, and also to "Hubs". We have built many great memories and continue to make ever more. We moved pretty close to them now and we get to see them at least once a week. Having them in our life makes it so much richer.

The couple on the right is my dad's parents. They are and always have been a big part of my life.  I can't ever remember not having them in my day to day life. When I was in 3rd grade they moved down the street from where I grew up. I feel that because of them I am who I am because they were such a big part of raising me. 

Seeking their approval has always been so important to me. In fact I talk to "hubs"first then my parents, and then to my grandparents. In many ways they were a second pair of parents.  If I was upset the first place I wanted to go to was their house. There is just something about being in my Dad's side of the family that makes me feel so loved.  My Grandma is the glue that holds the family of our together. If one of us isn't getting along she steps in and gives the other person a what's for.

If and when we have kids I want to live close to my parents so that they can be a big part of his/her life. My Grandma took care of me with anything I needed,   Every July they would take the four of us older grandkids to Kalaloch to camp. We always stayed in B-11.   I am the only grandchild that she has ever spanked, being that we are so very much a like made me get into trouble.  growing up I would  always push it to the edge. I guess I had a talent.  I wish all the years I wasted being that self centered busy teenager I could take back and truly take the time to spend with them and realize how special the times I have had with them are.

Yes, this Thursday I am thankful that I am able to still have both sets of Grandparents. That as an almost 33 year old I have a relationship with all of them.  These moments and memories will last a life time and I will get to keep them in my heart and mind forever. 

Wordless Wednesday..

              This is my Dad and it shows the love he feels and what a big heart he has always had.

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday. Beer can chicken.

You might be thinking......What the heck is beer can chicken? Well The basic process is to take a half full can of beer with the top cut off. Place it where you are going to be doing the cooking and then place the chicken over it so that the beer can is inside the chicken. Since it's advent, people have begun adding all kinds of spices and extras to the beer to make it more flavorful. Generally, you will see garlic, cayenne, diced onions, or cumin added but you can use almost anything you want to.

So why does this work so well? First of all, you are adding a source of moisture to the chicken that keeps it from drying out. Second, you are adding beer. Now, more than the fact that beer is good, the yeast and malt found in beer reacts with the chicken, particularly the skin, making it thin and crispy while the meat remains juicy. But you don't have to use beer. You can make this with wine or Garland Rome suggested to me using crab boil, which works really well.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 can of beer
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic minced

Preparation:

Preheat smoker. Wash and trim chicken. While the smoker heats up, open the beer and drink half and only half. With a can opener, cut the top of the beer can off. Add onion, vinegar and garlic to beer. When the smoker is read place the beer in the middle of the rack. Carefully place the chicken over the beer standing up. You might need to get a little creative to make it stand up properly. Make sure the beer can is completely covered by the chicken. Smoke chicken for about 3 to 4 hours or until the skin is a dark tan and the meat is pink and juices run clear.

The Winner of my first giveaway!!!

Today's Baby giveaway is   Heather  @ gerber days blog.  I am so excited & happy first day of my idea of summer! :) Thanks Heather and keep checking in for other things and if anyone has anything to giveaway!!

Meet Me Monday & Memorial Day!!

Well its a new week! Here we go. I first wanted to start by saying today is Memorial Day...a day to remember our fallen soldiers and an opportunity to thank the ones who are currently serving our country. Our US military, and their families, make me so incredibly proud and humbled by their service.

My family is touched by the military and the honor we feel that makes such a big impact on each and everyone of us. My Grandpa Elmer who lived in Hawaii during the times of pearl Harbor, My dad Frank & husband Chris are all Merchant Marine's, the most under appreciated part of the military but lets not forget the Merchant Marine's that have died supplying our troops. In World War || 9,300 gave their lives. Merchant Marine's are all signed up to go at a moments notice with the coast guard to bring support to a war if they are needed. Yes even ferry workers are signed up for this they do know this when they sign up for the Merchant mariners document. 


My Grandpa BoBo who past away when I was 5 was in the Navy and a part of the Korean War. I have heard many wonderful stories and how much he gave to his country, family & Community.  I wish he would have been the one that could have told me these stories himself. 


My Father in Law "Dewey" Was also in the Navy and last year on Memorial day he invited us to join him at the VFW and had us help serve the service men/women. When we were done serving they had each of the service members stand up while I never had experienced the feeling of being proud and thankful to these men and women like that before, all along were so selfless that they would lay down their lives for the country. I felt very lucky, honored and proud that my father in law served during the war and I felt so amazed and overwhelmed that it brought me to tears. 

I am an incredibly grateful and myself & my family appreciates the men and women, and their families. To the children who get left behind and to the spouse that become a single parent, in absence of their loved one. To the people who sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms and what America still stands for even when it seems like most people have forgotten. Well we haven't, we are blessed to have people that still  volunteer. I am amazed at all their dedication to our great country. We are blessed to have all of those that are so brave.



So, with that...thank you. Thank you all SO much for what you do and how very much you give.

On to meet me Monday! ...........

1. Is there something you've always wanted to try but just can't muster up the courage to actually do yet? I would very much like to try to sky dive, I would like to have enough courage to also start to sing in front of people again.

2. If you had $100 handed to you in cash without your significant other knowing about it, what would you spend it on? At this moment I would buy stuff for our house, especially for the outside. If I didn't do that I would buy soap making stuff! :) Or scrapbooking items for the scrapbooking retreat I am going on in July!

3. What was your favorite piece of playground equipment as a child? The swing's!

4. Do you prefer a sweet or hearty breakfast? Sweet! :)

5. Are you a Neat Freak or a Messy Bessy? Complete neat freak 99.9% of the time!