I LOVE 4 YEAR OLDS!

Noah: "After we play a lot here a long time, mommy and daddy and me and Jonah get to go see Jesus right Miss Lane??"
Me: "If we accept him in our hearts, then YES!"
Jack (Noah's 4 year old neighbor): "I've already been to Chuck E. Cheese's!"

Haha...LOVE IT!

Recipe Wednesday - Chicken Soup

Today I decided to do a favorite recipe of mine each Wednesday.

I found myself driving home and the only thing that I could think about [correction: the only I could think about in order to not think about Josh starting boot camp today] was making my Grandma Marie's Famous Homemade Chicken Soup. Then, I got a craving for corn salsa and chips [recipe to come in a later edition]. It hit me pretty hard...it's easy....and it's cheap! THEN...after the thought of soup and salty chips and corn salsa, naturally I would need sometime sweet. Thus, the magnificent thought about fudge [again, in a later edition].

So. I made all three.

Ya, that's right....all three of those things in a matter of 3 hours.

My apartment smells....A-MAZING!

I have very fond memories of going to my Grandma Marie's house and smelling the aroma of her chicken soup throughout the whole house. The signature piece of grandma's soup wasn't the homemade broth or the perfectly tender chicken, but the alphabet noodles!!! For some reason, it has never tasted the same with different noodles. It wasn't too long ago that I made this for my college friends and searched high and low for alphabet noodles. After a hour of searching, I finally found it at the local grocery store and of course stalked up on them. It's just a must!

So today, I share a recipe with you that hasn't been given out to many people.
But in honor of my Grandma Marie, ENJOY!

Marie's Alphabet Chicken Soup
serves: 8-10
prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 2-2.5 hours

6 celery sticks
6 carrot sticks
1/2 onion
handful of celery leaves
1 T poultry seasoning
Water (after chicken is in pot, add water to where you can see 1 inch of pan)
Alphabet noodles
Small, young chicken

Bring chicken and water to a boil for 5 min. Skim fat off the top after boiling. Add chopped onion, chopped celery and leaves, chopped carrots, and poultry seasoning. Boil for another 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cock lid for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Cook noodles, serve, and enjoy!!

It's A Long One...Are You Up For It?

There are too many things to write about since the last time and just not enough space in my brain to sort it all out and blog it....so, bare with me.

First off, my love surprised me just a few days before my swinging through Springfield (on my way home from a wedding over Labor day weekend in OK) to tell me that he's jumping in the car and coming back to Louisville with me! FOR A WHOLE 10 DAYS!!

**Backing up for a moment to the road trip to my friend's wedding...I found out my best friend Katherine Powell and her husband are PREGGERS!!!!!!! WAHOO! They are due April 7, 2009!!**

My boss was so sweet to let him come with me to work and play with the kids. Let me tell you what, that boy shocked me all to pieces! He was so great with Noah and Jonah. Since I've gotten back from MO, the four year old, Noah, has asked everyday where Mr. Josh is. Pretty sure he loves him more than he loves me. hehe But that's okay. They listened so well to him and really respected him. To say the least, Josh is going to be a GREAT father. At one point, we were both sitting on the couch waiting for parent's to get home and had both boys crawling all over us. We were all just laughing so hard! Once it started to settle down, Josh looked at me and said, "Foreshadowing? I just can't wait. This is going to be so much fun!"

Then, we both drove back to MO for 4 days where we:

1. Spent some time with my parents who just moved into their new home in Fordland, MO!


2. Had the official "Future In-Law Dinner". Which I must say went amazingly well...the dads seemed to hit it off! Dad has said a few times since then he can't wait to go motorcycle riding with David! haha

3. Celebrated Josh's 21st birthday and "Anchors Aweigh-Bon Voyage" in OK at the Grand Lakes with most of his extended family. It was so great to meet everyone I had been told about and for them to finally believe Josh that he wasn't making me up! hah

4. And of course, dreadfully said goodbye to Joshua for the last time before he leaves for the Navy. Which is September 23...this Tuesday...ya, that's right....today is Sunday evening...so I have one more full day to speak with him. I'm pretty much banking on not hearing much from him since he has to earn his phone calls (that even if he earns them, they can take it away just to tick him off) and he's not much of a writer. I will definitely be sending him letters, but I know he'll be so busy it'll be hard for him to find time to write anyway.

I come home to:

1. ALL OF LOUISVILLE OUT OF POWER FROM A WIND STORM.

2. No place for food, gas, or any sort of light in the darkness.

3. A very hot apartment and extremely hot place of work.

4. PRAISE GOD! Our power came back on Tuesday! However, the people I nanny for didn't get theirs back until Friday.

5. Some of Louisville is STILL without power and it's officially been 7 days. UG. I took these pictures on my way home from church today just right down the road from me. :-(

This week includes:

1. Nannying

2. Mary Kay parties...WAHOO!

3. Talking to Josh early early Tuesday morning for the last time before boot camp. The 9 week countdown will then begin. Booo....

4. Working at the salon.

5. Getting as much sleep as possible....I've been lacking lately. ;-)

So there you have it....the last three weeks of my life in blog form....and an extremely long one at that. If you read the whole thing, YOU'RE AWESOME! ;-)