Damn Groundhog!!!

I am sooooooo sick of winter weather! Spring come & come quickly! I neeeeeed shorts and flip flops soon! I know I am really boring lately but don't have much to update about! We are still patiently waiting on our assignment! Awwww military life!

We do; however, get to go to Miami for a week in March, that is if we don't get our assignment by then...if we do we might be doing some house hunting. Anyway, father in law got the motors rebuilt on his boat & the hub is really anxious to get down there & try those motors out...maybe it will bring them some luck with the fish catching attempts! I also can't wait to get my twin nephew fix. They are beginning to pull themselves up and crawl around....so Aunt JoRie needs to get down there and chase those rug rats around.

We are also hoping for a visit from my sis, bro-in-law, and beautiful niece in April. We will see if that all pans out, if so Mommy Kay will join us! Always a great time when we are all together. Cohen is so entertaining and I love chasing her around although she runs much faster now! LOL! She loves her Uncle Javier to chase her....it is much cooler than Aunt JoRie!

Anyway, we are definitely cherishing any time we get to spend with family considering we don't know where we will be next year.....

Enjoy the Superbowl...commericals have been lame so far!!!

Ciao, Ciao!

Soooo it has been awhile!!

Since a few of my friends on facebook say they keep track of my life through this blog, I thought I might better get on it & post a new blog. We had the most amazing Christmas in Indiana with my sister, brother in law, niece, mom, and grandma Vick (a friend of the family). It is so awesome to be able to spend time with family during the holidays and this year we were blessed to be with both our families on at least one holiday.

Javier is back in school, and studying really hard. I am really hoping to move forward with my dissertation. My proposal is in the hands of my two committee members after being approved by my mentor. Once the entire committee approves the proposal, I will then submit the IRB application which lawfully gives me the permission to move forward with my research. I really hope to complete the IRB application this quarter & get my research done and written next quarter. My goal is to be completely done with my dissertation by the summer.

Speaking of summer....we are anxiously awaiting our new assignment (the place we move next). We should find out end of Feb or sometime in March. We are so gracious for what God has provided so far, that we completely trust he will put us in a great place where our family can prosper through the Glory of God.

As for the fertility stuff....well we are still working on that, but continue to put it completely in God's hands. Thank you for all your prayers and support through the process, it really means the world to us.

For now that get's you updated. Happy Late New Year & Happy early Valentines Day! LOL

It's Christmas Time!!!

I have just delivered my last Santa gift & wrapped the few presents that my hubby purchased. Now all I have to do is get this house clean & get us packed! We will take off at some point on Friday....and I can not wait to hug my niece, and then share an adult beverage with my sis! Oh and seeing my bro-in law is cool too! LOL! It is going to be a great Christmas! Mommy Kay & Grandma Vick will join us middle of next week. Oh how I love the holidays & how blessed we are to get to spend them together this year!

Merry Christmas Everyone, JoRie

Brickle Cookies

Hello blogger pals: Our family lost a really special person a little over a year ago. Grandaddy passed away while my mom was visiting us in Italy. So we changed everyones plane tickets and flew the long trip home to NM. Although it was such a sad occasion, we were all there together which was joyous. My grandmother remains in a nursing home for alzheimers patients, and it depends on the day if she remembers us or not but we go visit her each time we are there...just in case!

Anyway, this brings me to some of my favorite holiday things....mostly cooked from the loving hands of my grandmother, mom, or Aunt Linda. This year I decided to give my favorite cookie recipe a try, these are the cookies that Grandmother & Grandaddy always made & they were so yummy. I always thought they were difficult for some strange reason. Anyway, tried them yesterday & seriously the easiest recipe ever. I have to admit that I got a little emotional when I took the first bite. It made me think of the warmth and love that came from my grandparents as I remember them. I am so thankful to have so many wonderful memories of two amazing people, one in heaven looking down on me, and one that occasional remembers me.

Anyway, here is the recipe...it is great for Christmas parties or gifts as it makes three dozen medium cookies or six dozen small cookies...

1 Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix (or any yellow cake mix brand)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 package brickle or almond toffee

Mix and roll in Large balls (3 dozen cookies) or small/medium balls (6 dozen cookies). Bake @ 350 for 8-9 minutes. Cook until barely brown around edges.

ROLL: You can use a small or medium cookie scoop to make this process super easy and takes the guessing game out of how big to make them. It also makes them a more uniform size if you are taking them to a party or giving them as a gift.

EXTRA: You don't have to use brickle, my mom uses white chocolate chips & macadamian nuts, or really any mixture of items. Depends on your taste.

I have provided pictures of the brickle (Heath English Toffee Bits). This stuff is hard to come by & is typically only out during the holidays. I found mine at Walmart in the middle aisle with all the Holiday ingredients. There were only four bags so I of course bought them all....and will probably take a look around to see if I can't find more at other grocery stores, as this treat is nice even out of the holiday season.




This is what the bits look like out of the bag...



This is the cake mix I used, and it worked beautifully!



Ta Da....soooo easy!



I hope that you try them out & enjoy! Because they are my absolute favorite, with special memories attached to every decadent bite!

The fun of Charity!!!

There are so many ways to help those in need during the Christmas season. Some of my favorites are sponsored by our church, and the salvation army. First and foremost, I also give to the salvation army person volunteering their time to ring the bell in front of various shopping areas. A dollar here and there really helps out! We also typically choose a young child off of the Angel tree at church. This year; however, we chose an elderly lady that simply asked for a pair of cloves, placemats, and some stockings. I felt so humbled by her requests that I put in a few extra things! Just today I spent a wopping $40 on a stocking that will go to a teenage girl that lives at one of the salvation army shelters here in Alabama! Lastly, I am organizing the gift giving for three single mom's that are having trouble this Christmas season. So there is plenty of giving this year, but a little less effort is going in to those gifts for family and friends (sorry LaDawn :), and into ones that will provide families with things that they not only want but might need to survive!

I urge you all to also participate in at least one charity event this Christmas. These events are all around you.....just pick the one that fits best for you & your family!

Merry Christmas!

Stretched too thin!!!

Why does it always seem when you travel on the holidays or any other time to see family, that you feel stretched by both arms. There is never enough time to see everyone, or even spend quality time with the ones you want to see. We drove twelve hours from Alabama to Miami to surprise our in-laws for Thanksgiving, as I prepare our bags for tomorrow and that twelve hour drive lingers in my mind. I begin to wonder why did I decide this would be a good idea for only a few days. Then I remember my inlaws faces when we showed up & the excited call we got from Javier's brother and our sister-in-law! Of course it is all well worth it when I snuggle my twin nephews into my neck & give them as many kisses as possible! So tomorrow we make the twelve hour treck....UGH! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays!

So my hubby and I always get into this discussion around this time of year. After Halloween and before Thanksgiving, I typically say Happy Holidays to the people I meet or run into when out and about. I think that includes Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now after Thanksgiving I give the Lord all the glory by proudly saying Merry Christmas to anyone in sight. Does it bother anyone else that we have become so politcally correct and so far off of our biblical base, that the media can not pronounce the Christ filled holiday as Christmas? We are such a busy society that Christ is getting "X"ed out of it everywhere. Especially when writing email messages from a blackberry or typing your update status on facebook. I hope that during this holiday season that people will realize that Jesus is the reason for the season & they will spell out those few extra letters to make it clear that Christ is the reason for Christmas!

I love Christmas so much! I even taught myself, with the help of youtube, to make beautiful bows just like my mom. So I got really excited and wrapped the presents that I have, which is all but three, and quickly decorated them with my mad bow making skills. After that I got the energy to get my tree up, simply because I like to enjoy it as long as possible. Some people think that I am weird, but I really do love Christmas that much!

Here is the website for the bow making,

As for the shopping. I am way OCD, and typically have most if not all of my shopping done by Thanksgiving. A few reasons for this...1. people are so grumpy when they shop in a rush & I think the Christmas spirit gets lost in it all....2. my hubby's side of the family is very difficult to buy for, so if I get an idea no matter what time of year it is, I purchase the item...3. my hubby kind of has that all too common Christmas money meltdown, so now he has it at Thanksgiving instead of Christmas. My family along with many of my friends will tell you...that it is just because I am way to organized for my own good, and this too has a little bit of truth!

One that note have a happy turkey day & good luck with your Christmas shopping the day after.