Here’s one of our favorite recipes and it makes enough for at least a family of 5 for under $10.

Here’s the ingredients:

Elbow Macaroni – $0.98
Pizza Sauce 15 oz. – $1.25
1 pkg. pepperoni – $2.00 (about 40 slices)
2 cups shredded cheese – $2.00
1 lb. ground beef – $2.50
2 cups water

Brown the meat in a large skillet.
Stir in 2 cups water and jar of pizza sauce. Bring to a boil.
Stir in 2 cups of elbow macaroni. Cover and let it simmer on low-medium heat
for 8-10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese, the pizza blend cheese of sharp cheddar,
Parmesan, and mozzarella works nicely. Top with remaining cheese and pepperoni.
Cover it again and let it stand for about 2-5 minutes or until cheese is nicely melted.
The recipe says it makes 6 servings. And I add a little extra oregano and basil to the sauce.
Yum!

After my husband was recently questioned as to why you have to have a NEW car seat for a child, I thought it important to share this video. We recently got Anya into a new car seat where she will stay harnessed and we will still be using the LATCH system. Whether the seat cost $150 or $300, these seats are worth every penny when it comes to the safety of our child. The following video is what originally got me interested in making sure Anya was kept in a 5 pt. harnessed seat. Here is a link that will let you know about different seats that are available to fit these needs as well.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/Over40.aspx

Here is the video…

The next video was done on Good Morning America…the end of the video show the main differences in booster seats and 5 pt harnessed seats..

The first 3 photos here are Miss Anya dressed up as Tinkerbell! She loves this costume that was sent to her from her little boyfriend in Vegas.
The last photos are from the Cullman Parade last weekend. You can see a bit how we truly live in an old Southern town. The parade goes straight down Hwy 31 which runs straight through Cullman. Its really a great parade. Anya loves it and my parents came up to enjoy it with us this year.

Hello. I’m fighting insomnia these days. Something my girlfriend in Vegas understands well as she is pregnant right now too. I wonder why insomnia is so common in pregnancy. Its not like the baby is kicking me constantly at night or anything. I’m staying away from caffeine. I’m not stressed about anything really, well, not anymore, because I’m going to be the bigger person and swallow my pride on a few things. So, why is insomnia a pregnancy related thing so many of us go through? I’m getting to the point where I can’t sleep on my tummy anymore and I’ve always been a tummy sleeper pretty much, so I’m guessing I’m just unable to get comfortable right now. And of course it seems like I have to get up and go potty every 20 minutes! I don’t mean to complain, so please don’t think that. I’m happy to be pregnant and enjoying it for the most part. I’m just one of those people who value their sleep. I say this as my husband and daughter are happily snoozing away……:)

First and foremost, we want to remember where we were 7 years ago today and to never forget what happened in our country on this date.
Also, say a special prayer and thank you for all of our military and rescue personnel.
Finally, please remember Sirius, he was the only dog killed on September 11th. Sirius, a yellow lab, worked in the basement of the North Tower as a Port Authority officer sniffing the vehicles that arrived at the World Trade Center for bombs and other devices. His human, Officer David Lim, unsure of what had happened left Sirius on September 11th in his crate when the first plane hit. David Lim, told Sirius he would be back to get him. Little did Mr. Lim know what would happen that day. David Lim was one of the 14 people rescued from the rubble. Sirius was found in the rubble about 4 months later, still inside his crate. And Mr. Lim did return to retrieve his friend/partner. Sirius was draped with an American flag when he was brought out and was given a full Port Authority Memorial as well. I have written to Officer David Lim and he is continuing his work with the NYC Port Authority. His new partner is a German Shepherd named Sprig.
My class, I was a teacher on this day 7 years ago, wrote to Mr. Lim after September 11th and we corresponded with him several times. This is why I always think of Sirius. And I like to remember our four legged friends that worked and helped us, in addition to all the other losses our country suffered on and since this day, September 11th.

In other news, had a doc appointment today for the baby and everything is going well. The baby is measuring right at 25 weeks (I’m 24 weeks and 5 days along) and the baby’s heartbeat is in the 140s. I’ve gained a total of 3lbs so far. So, some of the weight I lost is slowly coming back. And my bp has been great, no signs of pre-eclampsia with this pregnancy. Anya has really come to understand that when we go to the doctor that we are going to check on her baby sister. She does really well with the doc too and enjoys being the “big girl” who helps Mommy check on baby.