Christmas Funk

I'm in a funk.

I can't get in the mood to decorate our house for Christmas. I put the wreath on the front door, but that's as far as I've gotten.

I have a million and one excuses as to why I'm not feeling it this year-

Jaycie will just climb up the tree during the 5 hours every weekday that we aren't here and I'll have to come home from work every day and re-decorate it/pick it up off the floor.

We don't get to have anyone (my brothers) down for Christmas because we can't take off of work for them to come. So what's the point?

I always want to go spend money on more decorations once I've gotten the tree set up. There is no extra money right now.

Speaking of no extra money- I always feel pressure once the tree is up, to cram tons of Christmas gifts under it. Christmas gifts that probably won't be bought this year because guess what? There's no extra money.

So, in my head I'm thinking we should just skip the whole Christmas thing. Bah Humbug, right?

For the record, Chris doesn't really care if we put the tree up or not.

Maybe I'm just not in the mood yet. It's not even December in case you haven't noticed. Next weekend or the weekend after maybe this funk will be over with and we'll decorate.

But for now? I'm thinking we'll enjoy other people's decorations and skip our own.

Silent Sunday

Someone had too much turkey milk.

Chicken Salad

You know you're already getting tired (Inot!) of those leftover turkey sandwiches. So, here's a quick recipe for chicken salad that you can throw on bread, a bed of lettuce, or you can eat it with crackers.

Chicken Salad

What you need-

A handful of grapes, or sometimes we use half of an apple

1/4 cup of sweet relish

1 cup mayo

1 13 ounce can of chicken breast

Now before you go getting all weird on me, yes we prefer the canned chicken breast.We've boiled chicken breasts before and it just ends up too dry. Also, this recipe is for a 13 ounce can of chicken (that's a huge can) normally the ones you find in the stores are 8 ounces, so your measurements may change.

Moving on.

Drain the chicken breast and shred it up with a fork. Cut up your fruit (apples or grapes) into small pieces. Throw it all into a bowl and mix it together.

We threw our chicken salad onto bread for sandwiches to take for lunch. It's cheap, fast, and tasty.

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Just a few of the things I am thankful for this year-

Chris

Our health

Our jobS!

Our family

Being able to spend the day together with family.

Now go eat some turkey ya'll.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

My grandma recently celebrated her birthday. She was verrrry excited about it, here's the proof. Anyway, I decided to try something besides the typical birthday cake. I made a cookie cake instead. It was so easy. Here's the recipe...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

What you need:

1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon (not pictured, because it was a last minute thing)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 & 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

And you need a greased! 14 inch pie pan to bake it in.

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a large bowl beat the butter, sugars, vanilla and cinnamon until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well after each egg.

Next, gradually add the flour, salt, and baking soda into the sugar/butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the cookie dough into the pizza pan, but don't spread all the way to the edges! Leave a border, like this-

Except you want your border to be even thicker than mine because mine still cooked up over the edges. You might just want to set aside half a cup of the batter instead of worrying about your cookie cake baking over the edges. Mine baked over the edges of my pie pan-

But that didn't keep anyone from eating it! Bake for 20-25 minutes, start watching it after 20 minutes so it doesn't get crispy around the edges.

You can eat it just like this, or have fun with it and decorate it! I made it all pretty for my grandma. Here's what I used-

Oh, and mini chocolate chips were involved in the decorating process as well, because you can never have too much chocolate.

It's crunchy on the top and bottom and nice and chewy in the middle. The perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Enjoy!

 

An Anniversary We'd Rather Forget

I've been trying to write this post in my head for the last week. I can't do it, but I need to. So, it's all over the place, but here it is.

The major things that stick in my head a whole year (to the day) later are hearing these words-

tesitcular cancer

surgery

 sperm banking

chemotherapy

And then I also remember passing out on the bathroom floor the night we came home from the hospital, while Chris was taking a shower. He found me on the floor. Here he was, trying to rouse me while he was barely even standing himself. I was mentally and physically exhausted.

We've been thinking about this weekend (from last year) all weekend. It doesn't feel like it's already been a year since the diagnosis. A year since the surgery, and finding out that we'd never be able to have kids without IVF. It's been a year since his contribution.

How fitting that we will be thinking about this time in our lives (maybe for the rest of our lives), when our world was turned upside down, when we are supposed to be thinking about things we are thankful for.

I've gone back and read about his first day of chemotherapy. And his last.

You guys out there were reading along as I told you about the success (my favorite post ever!) of every procedure he's been through. It had all payed off! Through the hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and sleepless nights (for me). Oh, and don't get me started on the financial debt. It was all worth it.

He's cancer free. Dr. K. asked us at Chris' last appointment how it would feel for us to get to grow old together now.  I almost cried.

I started this blog for you guys to keep up with his journey. Even though he's through the hardest parts of that journey, I will continue to blog.

We are so thankful for those of you who helped us out during the last year. I can't even put in to words how grateful we are for everything you did. You know who you are. And to the readers who came back to read my posts, whether they were rants about the chemo, celebrations about the outcome, and everything in between, thank you!

This has been a trying year for both of us.

Chris and I have been through a ton together. The cancer was just another bump in the road.

So this week, and every day for the rest of our lives, we will be thankful for the anniversary we'd rather forget because if it had never happened, we'd probably (no we would) be two totally different people right now.

This Week I-

Saw Chris for a total of maybe 20 minutes. Yep, all week.

Cooked dinner a total of 2 times. That's unusual for me.

Took 5 bubble baths.

Met baby Lainey.

Changed 16 diapers in 22 minutes (I was in the 2 year old room at work and there was a biter on the loose!) Yes, I timed myself.

Was jolted awake by our cat who is all of a sudden determined to knock the trash can in the kitchen over.

Didn't finish my library book that's due tomorrow. Helloooo late fee.

Ate some form of Mexican food for two days straight.

Changed diapers with the kids standing up. That takes talent.

Asked Chris for a date day over Facebook.

Didn't have time to blog about my grandma's birthday which was yesterday, so I'll do that this weekend!

Caught myself humming the "chicken dance" song at night when I was home alone.

Found our future girl name everywhere. I never used to hear/see it. What the heck?

Am exhausted.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Today is my grandma's birthday. She's 77 years young...

And I'd say she's proud of it!

Happy Birthday Grandma, we love you!

Six

Miss Kinsley is SIX months old today.

She's loving sweet potatoes.

And Sophie the Giraffe.

Aw.

In Case You Never Believed Me-

Here is more proof that Chris cleans the floors (he also does the shower) around here:

(Hey! I clean the toilet, so we're almost even.)

At least he put pants on to vacuum today. He usually just wears his boxers. Who needs to get dressed to clean the house anyway, right?

Right?

Anyway, my carpet lines aren't straight enough for him (pfft!) when I vacuum so he does it.

Whatever, I'll sit on the couch and watch, I don't mind.

Date Night

On Saturday night, we decided it was time for a date night. Dinner out and some time at one of our favorite bookstores was on the agenda.

We had dinner here-

If you have one in your neighboorhood, go now. It's really good. I had this-

(Yes, I took the onions off and gave them to Chris.) Chris ate this-

Plus this-

Yep, a cheeseburger, fries, and a hot dog. I guess the boy was hungry. The best thing about the meal? This-

Umm, yum?

Kim, these fries aren't your thing...but go try the burger anyway!

No, we didn't have any room for frozen custard, but it did look good!

And now that I've made you (and myself) hungry, let's move on. After dinner we went to the bookstore and I got to preview a CD I've been wanting for a month. I still want it. But Chris wouldn't let me buy it yesterday.

Ugh.

We did buy my grandma's birthday present though.

Then we hung out and read a little bit.

And I came across these, which after all of that yummy food, I felt like I needed right then and there!

I wasn't in the mood to cook over the weekend so there won't be any recipes this week. Maybe next weekend/week...



Silent Sunday

After yesterday, I need these jeans:

I saw these in a magazine last night. After our date night dinner yesterday, I felt like I needed a pair!

Happy Sunday.



"You Should Be An Oncologist."

That's what Dr. K. told Chris today, basically because he's kicking some cancer butt. Yes, he really said that.

Chris' CT scan and blood work both came back completely normal. ThankyouJesus! AND everything is looking sooo normal that he doesn't have to go back for a chest x-ray for 6 whole months! On top of that he gets to wait a whole year before having to have another CT scan.

It's awesome. I'm relieved. Chris is relieved. Whew.

We luuurrrrve Dr. K.

It Feels Good...

It feels good to get a paycheck for the first time in nearly 2 years.

It feels good to be a two income family again.

It feels good to work a full time job, but still be home at night in time to watch my favorite shows.

It feels good when Chris wins free stuff from work (more on this one later).

It feels good to love on those babies at work since we don't have our own.

The days are flying by now that we're both working full time again. I knew they would. I just wish tomorrow morning was over. We get the results of Chris' latest CT scan. I lurrrrve Dr. K. but when he walks in that exam room my palms start to sweat. I can't read the guy. Then he says something funny and tells us that Chris is still okay and I love him. Did I mention we know an awesome oncologist in Round Rock? Because we do.

Just say a prayer for us ok? It's just me (and Chris) worrying. Surely the scan will come back clear! I'll let everyone know as soon as we know.

We have the cutest cat ever. You probably already knew that though or don't care, but whatever. She's not happy that we are both gone during the day. She's scratching the carpet up. Not good.

I'm not sure what the point of this post was but...

It feels good to be exhausted at the end of a long work week again.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

The ugliest (mine overflowed), most moist cupcake you'll ever make!


Black Bottom Cupcakes
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

What you need:

For the cupcake filling-

8 ounces cream cheese-softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 large egg white

1 tbs. sour cream

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cupcakes-

3/4 cup AP flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup water- room temperature

6 tbs. sour cream- room temperature

1/2 stick butter- melted/cooled

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. You're going to make the filling first, so beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt together until smooth (about 30 seconds). Beat in the egg white and 1 tbs. sour cream (beat for 30 more seconds). Stir in the chocolate chips. Set the filling aside.

Now make the cupcake batter. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together by hand in a large bowl. Whisk in the water, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla until just incorporated.

Line a cupcake tin with 12 liners.

Using a greased 1/3 cup measuring cup, add the chocolate batter into each cup.

After you've filled each cupcake liner with the chocolate batter, take a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture and drop it into the center of each cupcake.

Bake the cupcakes until the tops begin to crack, 18-22 minutes, rotate the tin halfway through the baking time. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 10 minutes then cool them the rest of the way on a wire rack.

Can we not talk about how deformed my cupcake is? Thanks.

Yum!