Tuesday, November 29, 2011

First Basketball Game!

First off I just want to say how much I love my iPhone and the ability to blog on the go!

We had our first tournament tonight! We have lost the first game 20-4 and we play a private school next so I'm hopeful that maybe we won't get annihilated. I love watching big man play...he's our little rock star!

Here's to a great season with even greater improvements!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

It's official...

We have our official reversible jerseys and we are ready to play some basketball!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cousins having fun...family togetherness...happy chaos!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Fort's!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

It's a Gary Allan Kind of Day...

I've been in a funk lately, and the cause is many things in which I'm not going into here. Gary Allan is by far my favorite artist. He's been through so much in his life and his music really shows his pain. It's probably not a good thing that I need his music now.

With the holidays approaching, I should feel excitement and anticipation, however this year is filled with worry and stress. Between my husband's job and health and my boy's utha mutha, I'm just overstressed and on edge.

Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down
It can break your heart

Life ain't always beautiful
You think, you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road
At the end of the day

But the struggles make you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has its own way
Of takin' its sweet time


Drinkin' dark whiskey,
Tellin' white lies,
One leads to another,
On a Saturday night,
Don't ya cross your heart,
Unless you hope to die,
Drinkin' dark whiskey,
Tellin' white lies


But I can love you,
Like I've always done,
And when the hard times come a knocking,
Honey you won't ever see me run,
I won't leave you,
When you need a friend,
Can't make the bad days that much better,
Baby than they've ever been,
But I can love you,




Everything always works out in the end, so I don't know why I worry so much. But don't fret, I'm all right just like I always am...just a rough patch.

But I'm doin' my best
Every day and every night
Hangin' on by a thread
That's stretched just a little too tight
If I can't find some peace of mind
I'll take what I can get
I ain't doin' much good
But I'm doin' my best

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Sports

Does anyone want to know why I haven't posted lately?
Sports.

Do you know why I'm so tired?
Sports.

Do you know what makes our boy so extremely happy and confident?
You guessed it, SPORTS!!

Since the beginning of school, we have been playing sports. First, we played regular season football. Our team did ok, but the boys had a blast. We then signed up for basketball and thought, "How nice, only 3 weeks of games!". Then, James was chosen to play all star-football, which we juggled with basketball. And, then just when I thought it was all over and momma gets a break, TRAVEL BASKETBALL comes along! James isn't always the best student, but when he gets on that court/field, he's a rock star! How can I say no to his sweet little face? I can't, and smart boy knows it. :)  We should get a little 2 month break between basketball and baseball, but who knows...this boy may want to give soccer a whirl!

So, for the next 3 months, you'll find me spending my weekends driving little boy all over the country, or at least the NW part of our great state. But, that's ok, because I love to see him happy. That makes every drop of gas and cup of coffee worth it...

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

It's A BOY!!!!

No, I'm not prego, but my best friend is!! I'm so incredibly happy for Jenny and Taylor. Jenny and I have been friends since 8th Grade, but became really close in college where we were roomies. She's the kind of friend who is always there for you even if you don't talk everyday. I know I can call on her for anything and she'll be right there. She is absolutely the sweetest person you will ever meet and I can't wait to be an auntie to little Lee Eddie {only kidding about the name LOL}!!



Monday, November 14, 2011

My Little Deerslayer

While his momma kills these bad boys with cars...our little guy does it the right way!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Country Strong

Love, love, love this movie! One of my favorite parts is where they sing this song on stage. I don't know what it is about this song, but I just love it!

My heart is set on you
I don’t want no one else
And if you don’t want me
I guess I’ll be all by myself



Sunday, November 6, 2011

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I saw this recipe on another blog and it looked so easy and delicious! You will only need 2 ingredients. The batter will be really thick and hard to mix. Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling!!


Here are the directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 12 count muffin tin – either with non-stick spray or use cupcake liners.
  2. Mix pumpkin and cake mix until well mixed and then pour into muffin tin. Bake for 12 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes clean.
  3. Remove from oven and let cool. Seal in an air tight container and store for up to a week or you can freeze these and reheat them for later too.
I got bored while waiting for them to bake so I whipped up a simple glaze. Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter, add powdered sugar until you get the consistency you want, and then add a splash of vanilla. Make sure you taste test while waiting, you don't want to ruin the muffins with a sub-standard glaze :)







I also saw a recommendation to add chocolate chips to these and I think I will definitely add those next time!!

Ice Cream Cake

We had James' birthday a couple of weeks ago and I made my friend Jessica's recipe for Ice Cream Cake. This was one the best things I have ever tasted!! Several people requested the recipe, so I'm going to post how I made it.

~12 ice cream sandwiches {I used a little more, but you will need enough to make 2 layers}
~Whipped Cream {Cool Whip}
~Hot fudge topping {I used Hershey's syrup}
~Caramel topping {I already had butterscotch syrup...YUM!}
~Heath bars {To crumble on top, I used 2 King size bars}

Put a layer of ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a baking dish. Drizzle plenty of chocolate/butterscotch syrup on top of the sandwiches. Then, add a layer of Cool Whip. Repeat this process again so there are 2 layers. Crumble the Heath bar on top. I froze this the night before and took it out about 30 minutes before I was ready to serve.

This is Jessica's picture, I was too busy eating to even think about taking one.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Simple Things

Sometimes, the most simple things in life are what keep us grounded.
  • playing in the leaves without worrying about your hair or makeup
  • watching a little boy anxiously await his dad's truck rounding the corner, because he wants to give him a huge hug.
  • also watching same boy almost crash and burn in the parking lot because he wants to make it to the truck before his dad steps out
  • seeing an autobiographical poster by little man who names his dad as his favorite person
  • knowing that he may not call me mom, but loving the hugs I get in public and in front of his friends and how his smile melts my heart
  • quick dinners at McDonald's
  • quietly giggling when little boy asks to use my bubble bath
  • waking him up with clothes straight from the dryer
  • watching him take pride in finishing his homework at school and having more free time at home
  • quiet nights after the little boy has gone to bed 
  • hearing our boy say he's going to grow up to be a video game designer and move to Hollywood, but not to worry because me and his dad can move in too!
With all the hustle and bustle of sports and birthdays and housework and mounds of paperwork, I realize that things aren't always as bad as they seem. One day, I'll wish I had the same little boy who loves me and his dad wholeheartedly instead of the wild crazy teenager with blue hair {which he has already requested}!