Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! What a fun morning at our house. When Tanner got up I told him he had to get dressed & ready for the day & then I would give him his Halloween present. This was a great way to get him moving! I've never seen him more cooperative! Well, at least not since he was really little & I could just move him & dress him and get him ready myself. : )

Happy Halloween! Be safe out there tonight!

A backwards world full of double standards!

So about a week ago we hear about a man in Califonia hanging from a Noose a dummy dressed to look like Palin & another made to look like McCain coming out of the chimney from flames. This is said to be a fun and games, just Halloween fun. (Get over it, it's funny stuff). this morning there are reports of two men in Kentucky hanging from a noose a dummy dressed to look like Obabma and are arrested It's being called a racial thing. So b/c Palin is white and Obama is black it makes one worse than the other? I think they are both UNACCEPTABLE! No one should be hung from a noose and seen as funny in any way. The symbol of a noose to me represents evil and bad things. Yes, by white men toward all blacks, but I don't think that makes it OK to hang Palin by it anymore than Obama. It all makes me sick to be honest! What is wrong with people?
Then you keep looking through the stories on the internet & you see the headline:
Pakistani Police Arrest Cleric Who Presided Over Kids' Wedding
In the article I read this & think are they for real?
Pakistan law forbids marriage below the age of 18, but some Muslim scholars say it is permissible if the bride and groom have reached puberty.
Do they really think that a 5 year old girl and a 7 year old boy have reached puberty? Then you read this:
The parents said the wedding had been arranged to end an eight-year feud between the two families, according to a report on Express News TV.
PEOPLE ARE CRAZY...How could you take your childs freedom for your selfish act of "ending an eight-year feud". How does this END a feud?

Walk this way...

I have always been a big Aerosmith fan & today, I am even more so! Joe Perry announced he's behind John McCain!

Aerosmith has generally left the politics to bands like U2 and the Dixie Chicks, but axeman Joe Perry says national security and economic woes have prompted him to split from the rest of the entertainment world and throw his support behind John McCain.

“We pretty much stay out of it, but seeing so many people come out for Obama, I just felt like ‘What the hell, I might as well raise my hand for this side,” Perry said from his Duxbury home.

OUTRAGED!

OK, so I was reading an aricle & didn't know what the word vivisection was so I googled it. I am mortified by what I have found.
http://www.lcanimal.org/cmpgn/cmpgn_016.htm
Taken straight from this link:
Vivisection is the cutting into or dissecting of a live animal. Billions of non-human animals have been burnt, crushed, sliced, electrocuted, poisoned with toxic chemicals, and psychologically tormented in the name of scientific curiosity. What have we learned from all of this suffering? That animal research is inherently unethical, inevitably wasteful, and wholly unreliable. The U.S. squanders approximately $18 billion per year on animal experiments, much of which is funded by taxpayers, even though alternatives are less expensive and can be used repeatedly. And what do we get for our dollars? "Too much suffering for too little knowledge."

I had NO idea that this kind of stuff went on! When I've seen animal testing I had no idea it was anything like this. now I understand why people are members of PETA and other groups like that! This is terrible, I am sitting here crying b.c of the inhumane treatment of animals. We have enough products out there and enough ingredients to make products that we already KNOW the reactions, why would they need to keep doing these tests?

Counting my blessings

So this morning I get an email from one of my oldest friends & find out that an old friend from Jr. high here suffered a major stroke last Feb and is now paralyzed and in a nursing home. I can not even imagine what that would be like for her mother, her husband, kids...for her. We get up each day and without thinking about it, we go to work, shop, take care of our kids, We can go for a walk, ride a bike, play basketball, carve a pumpkin or go on a hayride, give piggyback rides to our kids & play hide and go seek. For people like Allyson, she can't talk, brush her teeth, take a shower by herself or do any of the fun things that are just part of our everyday. You really don't stop to think until something happens to someone you know.
Then I find out that Mark Holt passed away, just about 3 years ago. I had heard that he was sick but I never knew that he passed away. I just found his obituary & it said Dec 19, 2005 was when he lost his battle with his cancer. : (
TOO YOUNG for tragedy and disease like this!
Stacy said they think the class of 1991 from South is cursed. there was another boy that I don't remember him, but his name is familiar that was in a motorcycle accident & is now a parapalegic, Adam Lane.
I'm not sure it's just the class of 1991 from South as I have a friends from OK that have had accidents or are now gone. We lost Mike Kelly to cancer, Shannon had her accident & is quadripelgic (sp?) and Jason Bronstad and Jared Hurley both commited suicide.

Friends...

An old friend

So glad that I got talked into trying Facebook out! My old friend Shannon found me after we'd found & then lost each other again after our 10 year high school reunion! So, this time when we found each other it wasn't full of good stories though from the past few years & what we'd been up too. Shannon was in a terrible car wreck back in Aug of 2007 and nearly died. She is now quadriplegic. I was devastated as I sat there reading her message to me with the news. The next day I was quite sad and kept tearing up as I would think about what life must be like, to think of the fact that she never married, had not had kids and now could not walk and had to have constant care just to get through everyday. I do believe though that if anyone can make it out of this, it's Shannon! She has the will & fighting spirit to turn it around and she really does have such a positive attitude that I think that will be part of what gets her walking again. It is amazing, but she is getting some feeling back and has already done better than what they said she would ever be able to do. Shannon and I have been friends since 9th grade when I moved to Edmond and even roomed together for a short period in the dorms our freshman year. Other than my being a total biznotch, I don't remember exactly what happened with us & why Shannon moved out. I don't know for sure how long we went without talking or seeing each other but I remember we were like best friends again at the 10 year reunion when we finally found each other after so long!

Memories

As I sit here looking through Thanksgiving crafts & ideas I was just reminded of My Grandma & Chad's Grandpa that are no longer with us. One Thanksgiving when Chad & I had first been dating we were at my Mom's house. It was David, Suzette, Chad, myself, Mom, Grandma Helen & Grandpa Tony. I don't recall there being anyone else there with us. Aunt Verda had made, years ago, these turkey's that could hold a piece of candy such as a Hershey's kiss in them and Mom had them out on the table. Well, I guess Grandma was trying to EAT one & Tony caught her & got her to put it down. He was still mentally with it until the day he died but Grandma had lost hers years before she went. Oddly enough, these two died within one month & one day of each other! Chad's Grandpa first on Sept 10th & then my Grandma on Oct 11th. So sad to see both of them go! I still cry b/c I miss my Grandma so much at times. Oh man, it makes me sad to think about her being gone. : (

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Tanner really seemed to enjoy the cartoon. He was dancing when the music came on & laughed throughout. He at one time asked why they didn't go trick or treating when Sally & Linus were sitting in the pumpkin patch. HA! Maybe one day he'll understand more about the show...At least he enjoyed it! Oldie but a goodie!

Pumpkin Carving

What a fun night! Tanner was not as interested as I thought he might be on cleaning out the pumpkin. In fact, he didn't want to touch it at all & only stuck the scoop in once or twice. Guess I did a good job on teaching him to stay clean!

So excited for the week...

LOVE LOVE LOVE Halloween! This week I have Tanner & I all ready to wear our Halloween garb all week long! Whether it's just a t shirt, necklace or a pin - we are ready to go! He was a little disappointment this morning at just a t shirt after such a cool necklace yesterday though. Working on the final planning for Friday night & need to decide what I'm going to do on tables outside or inside. chad's vote is in the driveway, but then I think I don't want everything out in the driveway - garage would be better, but hate to have the car out on the street! Driveway things can blow away & then I have to haul everything out there. Who knows! It would make it easier to keep the kids outside. Saturday though I will be putting all of hte Halloween away & fall stuff come back out, with turkey's and all! On to thanksgiving! He's really going to die when I say we're doing Thanksgiving dinner at our house! : ) Can't wait to hear about that one...OH JOY!

A fun party at the Pellicia's...

We had such a great time on Saturday night at Jodi's pumpkin carving & dinner!
One little girl said it was the best party she's ever been too!

Tanner & his masterpiece

Our three cuties in their family fun shirts Jodi & I made!


A little Halloween game fun!

So lucky to have such a great friend like Jodi that enjoys the holiday's & party planning like I do. We had so much fun together! Can't wait for another! : )

Amazed at the number of Obama supporters in our country...

I just can not understand how people think that Barack Hussein Obama is the best choice to run our country. I am a bit surprised that so many agree with his thinking. * It's OK for a 15 year old girl to go have an abortion without her parents knowing b/c she is so wise at the age of 15 to decide what is going to be best for her? *It's humane to pull a baby partially from it's mother's body, shove a pair of scissors in it's head to killing the baby. *It's OK to allow illegal immigrants to stay in our country, in fact he wants to give them rights even though they are not here legally. For all we know, they could be criminals in their homeland & came here to escape being caught down there. *He surrounds himself with people that are ugly and full of hate for religious groups or people who's lifestyle is different from their own (Jewish and Gay are the two I am speaking of). He seems to be a sneaky, up to no good liar if you ask me. After 20 years of attending the same church how could you not have any idea what the minister stands for? Seriously? How could anyone believe that? But yet they do...

I have NEVER been more passionate about an election before, nor have I ever paid attention like I have this year. I think he has truly pulled the wool over the eyes of many Americans. How is it that he can be prejudice and it's OK? It is unacceptable no matter which way the racial slurs are being thrown in my opinion.

Obama writes, "there were no cigar chomping crackers like Beau Connor (ph) out there."This is a confirmed quote out of Barack Hussein Obama's book. Why would we want a president that calls white people "crackers" anymore than we would want a white president that calls black people n$#&%@s? It's wrong either way it goes!

"The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, there's a reaction that's been bred into our experiences that don't go away, and that sometimes come out in the wrong way, and that's just the nature of race in our society." What does he mean by "typical white person"? We are not all the same, just as all Asian people or all African American's are not all the same.

Imagine if Mitt Romney’s church proclaimed on its website that it is “unashamedly white.”
The media would pounce, and Romney’s presidential candidacy would be over. Yet that is exactly what Barack Obama’s church says on its web site — except in reverse.
“We are a congregation which is unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian,” says the Trinity United Church of Christ’s website in Chicago. “We are an African people and remain true to our native land, the mother continent, the cradle of civilization.”

It's great to see that this man can do or say whatever he wants & for some reason people still follow and adore him. Will be a shame to see what may happen to our country if he wins. Especially with having such good friends as Rev. Sharp, Bill Ayres and Rashid Khalidi.

I pray that this man is not voted into office next Tuesday. McCain may not the best one for the job either, I'm not saying he's perfect by any means but he is definately the lesser of two evils! At least he loves this great country, is proud to be an American and has fought to defend it. That to me shows he has our best interest at heart.

Dinner last night was so good!

Another Allrecipes fab find!

Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 pound uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vodka
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage (I used half pound of mild Italian sausage)

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until brown. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.
Add tomatoes and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Add vodka and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Stir in fresh parsley and serve!



Says it was 4 servings, but seems to have been way more than that. Chad said I could cut in half next time. I think so too, but then I wouldn't get to have the yummy left overs today for lunch! I have so many that I can even share here at work with my friend Carissa!

a pretty good mood

I'm in a pretty good mood today I would have to say. I am ready for the day to be over though as I'd love to go home & have MY time! : ) Trying to decide what I want to do for a Christmas card this year or if I want to try making at all...Think I will. Always kind of fun to have a project & when Halloween is over, I'll have some down time. Although, I may be volunteering to have Thanksgiving at our house...Chad is going to crap himself with this news! But I really want to do it & since Mom's kitchen SHOULD be torn up by then, her house will be out. I don't want to go to Suzette's for Thanksgiving b/c we eat there on Christmas & just nice to have the holiday somewhere else. Helen thought they would be with Joyce to keep on with the tradition they have always done with the Fahler family on Thanksgiving even though Betty is gone & Chuck is now in California. Sounds like Tom will have Brandon & Michaela so it would only be the three of us, Mom & Jack and Rachelle & Suzette anyways. If I can do it at 21 years old in an apartment - I'm sure I can handle it in our house at 35!

40 things you'd like to say at work: (super funny)

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of it.
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.
8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. Ahhh...I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
11. I like you. You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't CARE.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks ?!!!
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your crybaby whiny opinion would be...?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses!!!
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
38. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted a salary.
39. Who lit the fuse on your tampon?
40. Oh I get it... like humor... but different!

a new favorite candle!

OK, so about a week ago I was introduced to the candles that they sell at Bath & Body Works. HOLY CANOLY, those candles smell so good when htey are burning & I'm impressed with the fact that when they burn they actually melt all the way out & about an inch down at a time! Should definatly get more for your money with these than Yankee Candles! Those candles may smell good, but they leave so much wax in the holder & that's a waste! I bought the cinnamon one when it was on sale for $10 & now I'm wishing I'd of bought like 4! I only bought two...Should have lit the candle sooner so I'd of known how good it really was & could have gone back before the sale ended!

Getting ready for Halloween at the Yankovich house

I've been busy getting ready for Halloween at our house! Love this time of year & have found more fun ideas this year & finally did some that I'd seen last year. Need to get some pictures of the outside now that some changes have been made & things added as well out there!

Sure am having fun getting things put together for Halloween dinner at our house & the party at Jodi & Mike's on the 25th. I'll have to get some pictures of inside of our house, I've bought some new decorations this year & the house is really festive! Looking forward to hanging out with friends & watching the kids have a good time this weekend & then again next Friday. Tonight we have Tanner's fall festival at school & I made some cupcakes and cut out cheese in fun Halloween shapes & will put with some Ritz crackers. Should be a good time! I can't wait to go home & frost the cupcakes b/c I'm doing white frosting & then bought the black spray & some cute spiders and bats that I'll put on top & some will have the black spray with black, green & purple sprinkles. I love my cauldron this year! I think it came out even better than last. I used bigger bugs, spiders & creepy things which I think worked better for it. I'm waiting to set it out front until closer to Halloween so hopefully it won't get ruined from rain this year. I need to find the broom that sits by it!

Yummy pumpkin pie!

Found this recipe & gave it a try on Saturday afternoon. My dad's favorite was pumpkin pie & so that was what he always had on his birthday. He would have been 66 this year on Oct 5th...Happy Birthday Dad!


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups pumpkin puree HOLLY'S NOTE (I accidentally used 2 cans of pumpkin! - came out OK, but would use 1 1/2 next time though)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a large bowl, combine eggs, egg yolk, white sugar and brown sugar. Add salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Gradually stir in milk and cream. Stir in pumpkin. Pour filling into pie shell.
Bake for ten minutes in preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until filling is set.

I love and miss you...you're always in my heart and on my mind! Wish you were here to meet Tanner. You'd think he was pretty fun! He loves to make people laugh, just like you used to do. Sometimes I can see you in him when I look at him.

Ahhh fall

So yesterday I went outside in the middle of the day & could not believe how cool it was! I was also heading to Bath & Body Works which was even nicer b/c I got some cinnamon candles. This time of you is all about the smells of fall (cinnamon) for me! I LOVE Fall! Pumpkins, chili suppers with cornbread, fall & Halloween decorations, sweatshirts & comfy jeans, Carmel Creme Latte from Tastefully Simple, crisp, cool days...I love everything about this time of the year!

It's funny b/c I really was in such a good mood enjoying Fall yesterday & today people are getting on my last nerve! I'm ready to sock someone...I just try to look at pictures of Tanner & come back down to my happy place. He's so darn cute I just can't stand it! He's started peeing at the big toilet this week, standing up at that! So proud! Oh the funny things that make you proud in life! When you are 13, 18, 21...you'd never dream you'd one day we saying something crazy like that!

I made a tarantula & put it out in the yard this past weekend & man it looked so good! Until Chad came home - got mad b.c he said it would kill out lawn & made us move it to the front porch! Thank goodness for a big front porch! It still looks good, just not as good! Oh well...guess I'd rather not have a big dead spot either!

Boy would I like to leave work & head home for the day...

A new meatloaf for our house!

Found this recipe on Allrecipes.com & made it last night. It wa sreally good & my used to hate meatloaf hubby who requests mine...loved this one & said it was better than mine! WOW...that's also saying alot since he's not been a fan of my trying new recipes for awhile now.

Meatloaf with Fried Onions and Ranch Seasoning

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine meat, eggs, ketchup, stuffing mix, ranch dressing mix and fried onions.
Shape into loaf and fit into 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
Bake, covered loosely with foil, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until meat is thoroughly cooked.