Tamera's big MOVE

Not to steal her thunder...but today is her move to her own apartment! Here's what our house looks like this morning...More to come. Ranger is peeking around the corner. He's really not sure what's going on. He gets to MoVe, tOO!

Welcoming a brand new blogger!

She was helping me tonight with my second blog austinhomebase.blogspot.com and after about 30 minutes announced she may just start one herself!

And she did! I'm so pleased, because I've seen another side of my girls on their blogs and it's just a ton of fun to see what else is going on inside their heads, besides what's going on in their lives.

So, without further ado...

muchadoabouthome.blogspot.com by my youngest, Tamera.

A slumber party!

Don't worry, no boys slept over. Max hung out to watch some TV with Tia. He went home eventually. He's such a good sport.

In the meantime, Annie and Nana had a party in the master bedroom which included no boys (Papa was out of town), lots of popcorn and a movie. Annie made sure that Nana ate all her popcorn BEFORE she could eat the chocolate drizzed popcorn. Where does she get such rules?

Bedtime was officially at 6:30. We really were in bed by 6:30, watching our movie. However, this little girl is chatty and she was not asleep until 9:00. And she was AWAKE at 5:30. The pix below was taken about 6:30 AM when she thought it would be a good idea to get her Nana's jewelry organized.

After she got dressed for 'school', she got into some memory games. She also probed her Nana's memories for stories about when Nana was a little 'dirl'. Ha! Then onto when Papa was a little boy. (tried not to make up too many on Papa). When she wanted stories about Max, I had to bow out. (Aren't you glad, Max??)

And yes, that is my famous, Can't believe it's spinach smoothie that she's lapping up just before Jeff picked her up for school! Ya know it's good if a 3 year old LIKES it! I had to compensate for the heart shaped 'tookie' I had given her an hour ago.

Lots of fun, Annie! Thanks to YOU for some memories. :)

just one more!

I wanted to show you just one more smoothie that I made up this morning because it was so good! I guess I'll call it my Can't Believe It's Carrot smoothie...

About 1/2 cup almond milk (any milk will do)
About 1/2 cup of cranberry juice
About 1/2 bag of matchstick sliced carrots
1 Banana
1 cup of ice

Blend and Drink!

ah ha moment

http://men.webmd.com/news/20040413/scientists-explain-aha-moments

This has been such an awesome January! I usually refrain from sharing most of my 'ah ha! moments' ...Probably the biggest fear I battle is 'you look so STUPID!' My daughters actually joke about having a 'twitter page' set up for THINGS THAT MOM SAYS.

But the last couple of weeks I've been immersed in 3 projects. They all seemed coincidental, but this morning as I was having my coffee with my wonderful Maker.... I just had to say, AH HA!

The first project actually started last fall. It's called Correspondence Real Estate Courses. I've been learning all about principles of real estate, laws and statutes concerning ownership of 'real property', tenancy, financing, appreciation, public recording...VERY interesting stuff to me!
The second project started in December, 2010. Our book club chose Pillars of the Earth to read for December and January (it is rather long). This fictional story of a master builder and his desire to build a cathedral has been captivating.
The third project started in late December also. It's just a read thru the Bible plan that our church follows together called the Voyage. Our reading has been in Joshua and is now in Judges. Joshua covers the children of Israel being encouraged to take possession of the land that God has given them.

As I face the new year, I decided to do a bit of a twist on 'resolutions'...Instead of charging right ahead into 'goals', I want to write down first of all "RESOLVED TO BELIEVE" this year, each day. I know that what I believe will give the foundation for my goals.

Amazingly, the three projects listed above have given me so many pictures of how to see God as the Master builder, owner in my life. I feel like I've been in Boot Camp and didn't even know it. It's just all been stirring around in these old brain cells...and I'm starting to get a picture yet again of the bigness of Him. He owns me. He has recorded that ownership in heaven. He has provided a cornerstone. He has a purpose and plan for his property. He is the sovereign ruler, I am a steward.

Well, these are just a few that I listed in my journal...but mainly I am just loving the way God talks to me.

'ta-da!'

My 'You can't believe it's Spinach' Smoothie:

1 cup of almond milk

1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach

splash of no sugar added Cranberry Juice

1 banana

1 cup of ice

Blend about 30 seconds in my vitamix. Pour into a green cup (totally optional). Insert 2 straws. Yum.

I am what

I eat...

That's one thing I really started to figure out when I began working in Lactation. It just made sense. It's just amazing how our bodies are designed for good food. The payback is really good health. At least most of the time.

Then, to confirm that...all I have to do is look at myself before Thanksgiving and after Christmas. So with that in mind, I want to commit to eating 10 fruits and veggies servings every day, one must be Romaine lettuce. I think the next 'must' will be spinach.

I like fresh spinach cooked and stuffed into a big baked potato, or even just by itself. For some reason I am not that wild about just fresh, raw spinach. According the the Wholefoods article at http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43

it's actually better if you DO boil it for a minute. I'll let you read to see why. Also a good one to buy organically grown.

However, this morning, I tried stuffing a bunch of fresh baby spinach in my daily smoothie and I gotta say, IT LOOKED HORRIBLE, but it did not change the taste of my banana, cranberry, orange juice smoothie one iota. I am super excited about this. :)

I would post a pix, but I drank it all this morning. Maybe tomorrow.

tumblr.com

www.austinana.tumbler.com

Wow...Kristen showed me how to get this going last night and it will change my life...my 'idea' life anyway. NO more storing of pix in file folders that get lost, so more LOST ideas...they are all captured on my new blog... entitled, Lovin' This.

I need to get son in law's help to post this as a sidebar like she does, but for now, yes, for NOW, I can share my ideas to my personal idea book as much as I like!

I'm looking at home office/organizing ideas for now. Soon it will be 'yard' stuff.

Happy Birthday!

to Tamera and Gran!

2 special women celebrate their birthdays on January 2.

Tamera McKinney and her grandmother, Barbara Burns McKinney.


We love you!

Moving Day

Ya know how everything feels kind of 'bare and naked' after you pack up your Christmas finery? How it just also feels fresh and clean. Wide open. Clean slate.

LIGHTER.

Easier to see the hidden stuff (could be good, could be bad)

Like you just turned a corner.

This is how I feel today. This is my last SCHEDULED day as a nurse. When I woke up this morning and walked towards the kitchen and my own home brew, this is what I saw:

This is the one major Christmas ornament I purchased for this year to add to my Santa

collection. Actually saw him at TJ Maxx. Resisted for 25.5 hours. Went back and bought him. Rescued him. He so wanted to be mine.

He's a little peeved I don't want him on display all year long. Can you tell?

Anyway.

It's time to pack it up. Move on.

Feels good. Just a little naked, that's all!

My baby

Starbucks CARD!

Maybe many of you already have one of these... I think they came out in '09, but I'm a latecomer. I saw one in the Brenham, TX Starbucks last fall and thought, neat idea...I'll get it when I'm back in Austin. I have searched for months at all my northwest Starbucks locations. I guess I was saying it incorrectly. " Do you have any of those mini, key ringy thing Starbucks cards?" The answer, always, "No."

Then I went to the one on 2222/Mopac and thought, I'll try just one more time! Yay!!!!! The first girl said, "No." The girl next to her said, "Oh, yeah, we have some of those BABY cards somewhere around here."

Promptly got one, loaded it up with some cash PLUS all those extra leftover cashcards with totals of about $1.02 and 22 cents...etc. I now have $37. 40 on my 'baby' Starbucks card!

Happy New Year! I'm on my lonesome tonight, so headed out to get a HUGE Starbucks with my itty bitty Baby Card and take stock of the year and look forward to what's to come!