Just Living...

We have been so busy just doing everyday things that I have not had a chance to journal anything. Nothing major has been going on anyway but at least I like to have pics of the girls.
So I'll break it down...
My Charlie got real sick, couldn't walk, eat or drink. I thought I was losing him. It turns out he has arthritis, lower back inflammation and an infection. He's almost 13, so I guess I can expect things to start happening. We did a lot of snuggling on my days off and when I got home from work.




I had to crush his antibiotics and pain meds in canned cat food and ALL the cats got so spoiled. She would wake me every morning around 6 for canned cat food. Needless to say I broke her of that habit right away.
The weathers been cooler and not only have we been enjoying it, but the cats have too.








We FINALLY made Lena's chocolate mousse recipe. Now I don't like chocolate, not a chocolate person at all... But this mousse... Too good for words! And I enjoyed showing the girls how to form stiff peaks with egg whites.




I bought a different car that is much more economical on gas. It's small, but it's cute and gets me 35 miles a gallon. I'll say yes to that any day!




CC has decided to study pharmacy at UT. This is an Aggie household, so you can imagine we've been giving her LOTS of grief!



For 12-12-12 we bought 12 cupcakes for...$12! Gigi's cupcakes are good. They're definitely not Cupprimo but they are ok. I am happy to say we probably ate four, maybe five cupcakes. The rest were thrown away. That is self control in our house!




I FINALLY made my Papa Bear a homemade pecan pie. It was soooo good and he loved it.



Sister Lassen had not been feeling well, so we brought her some flowers to cheer her up and brighten the gloomy days. She's 84 and so wise and I love her beyond belief. Thankfully she's feeling much better now. I was really getting worried.



We been enjoying Starbucks holiday coffees. Sometimes it just what you need to get you up and going.



Luigi is acts out when you don't wake up earlier than him.



My friend Lisa had a dinner party and my girls were so happy I finally fixed myself up a little. (Sad isn't it?)



And CC gave me a pair of moms earrings to wear.



I also finally made the peppermint chocolate cake I've been wanting to make. I don't like chocolate but this just seemed so seasonal and it was actually really good.



I'm learning how to use my new Canon camera. I wanted a camera that will take good, clear photos but also one I don't have to purchase separate lenses for.




Abdelkrim came to visit. Of course he wanted to spend time with us after moms passing but I also think he wanted to beat me at Monopoly.
He succeeded. It took him 27 years but he finally beat me.



I'm giving him "the eyes" here.


He taught us a really fun French card game that I love. But honestly I'll probably have no one to play with.

And then last night I took back my role as Monopoly Queen and destroyed them all!!!! Well, Abdelkrim, CC and Lena.









Tomorrow we go visits my sisters and next week I'll get some rest!

I'm not sure if I'll post again this year, but I will be so happy to see this go. It's been probably the hardest year of my life. We have been through every extreme of emotion possible. But we're still standing. I hope 2013 is much, much better!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Madison Park,San Antonio,United States

Oh today....

was all about homework...

I slacked... wasted precious time....

and today I paid for it.

AND

to top it off I was out of my Keurig vue pods!

Luckily I found two packages of Starbucks Via Mocha..

it saved the morning!

I sat at the computer and tried to come up with a thesis...

this should have been done weeks ago! 

After a couple of hours and some darn good cites

we decided to take a quick detour to Wal-Mart to get some

groceries for dinner tonight.

You literally see everything at Wal-Mart! 

So I came home, sat my butt down, drank my Diet Dr.Pepper with vanilla

and I did it!!

It took hours but I did it!

And then the girls made chocolate mousse!

Next semester I'm getting a daily planner.

I'm not getting myself in this mess again!

I procrastinate...

.....therefore.....I'm....


Like real bad....



I have my final essays due Tuesday. I haven't even started. Don't even know what it's over.

I guess I shouldn't have started courses so soon after mom died. I thought it would keep my mind busy. I was still sidetracked and then college football started. And now I'm screwed.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sweet Cece's!

I must say, this week has been somewhat stressful, but nothing unbearable. A highlight is how it was nicely topped off with a treat, frozen yogurt! Because we had to pick up a few things at H-E-B, it was convenient how Sweet Cece's was next door to it!

 

Inside was a cute tree filled with lights and flashy ornaments, we didn't get a picture of it.. But we snapped one of the conversation chair that sat in the middle of room. How cute is that?!

                                                   Now, onward to the yogurt! I loved the
                                            cute little area where the flavors where at, especially
                                                                 the "roof" on top!


                                    


                                                 This is all [actually most] of the toppings!
                                             Seeing it gave me great Joy, it reminded me of Willy Wonka.

                                                                       Our cups......
                                                    

                                                                I thought this was too cute!
                                                           This was on the wall, wasn't close enough
                                                                 so I had to use the zoom.
                                                                             

                                         Overall, I'm happy with the experience I  had coming here.
                                                 The yogurt was great and it was adorable inside.
                                                    It's definitely worth another go! Loved it!

Cats, Turkey and Black Thursday

It seems like I'm getting about a post a week.

I guess that's better than nothing!

CC and I cleaned the front yard last week.

Manziel enjoyed playing outside with us....

you know, the cat that showed up at our house a few weeks ago and never left.

Little did he know just one short week later he would be crated up

and on his way to get neutered!

This boy is so wild that surgery didn't even stop him.

He was ready to play and run and be terrible just a short while after we got home.

And now he and Luigi are best friends....

after Luigi didn't know who he was and chased him up a tree! 

We have been enjoying making Caramel Apple Cider....

one of our favorite things to do when the weather turns colder! 

I love this time of year because they sell whole turkeys.

I love making turkey.

Emil's mom came from Dallas for a few days last week and I made a turkey for us.

I seasoned it up with rosemary, basil, tarragon and Herbs de Provence. 

Then I stuffed it with apples, onions and halved garlic cloves....

It was so moist and juicy and delicious!

It was perfect! 

CC made rolls from one of Mom's recipes. 

Emil's Mom, Karina, and her granddaughters. 

And I have been having lots of Cafe Lattes.... 

Thursday, Thanksgiving, Emil decided he wanted a pecan pie....so.....

the smart girl that I am, thought.... "I know Wal-Mart is open today....

Maybe I should just run by there....."

HUGE mistake!

Apparently Black Thursday was going on..

It was a riot.

I have never seen anything like it my life. 

I had to have a worker escort me through the bakery just to get a pecan pie...

there was a line there of people waiting to buy a TV.

Insanity.

That's the only word for it. 

Definitely something I will never forget....

or make the mistake of running to Wal-Mart on Thanksgiving ever again! 

Friday CC had her first part in the service meeting.

She did so good. She is usually so shy, and I was worried,

but she was great! 

We all went to watch her as a family.

It was a night I will forever remember, having all of us there together,

watching CC do her part.

I wish Mom was there to see it too. Then it would have been perfect! 

I had a MAJOR scare.

My Charlie, my perfect, sweet, prince, baby boy Charlie, got sick.

Real sick.

He was laying in bed all Saturday, then by Saturday evening he wasn't able to even stand.

Each time he tried, his legs were shaking and he'd fall.

Somehow he made it to Lena's room Saturday night and he didn't move or potty afterwards.

All day Sunday I was so nervous at work and going back and forth on taking him to the emergency vet or waiting to see if our regular vet could see him Monday.

Our vet had an opening today, so I called in and switched my day off.

Yes, I swapped my only day off for the rest of the year to stay home with my sick cat.

We have what I feel is the best vet ever, Dr. McGhee.

We were lucky to get him. Days that he is there are usally so booked up.

Charlie has arthritis, lower back inflammation and an infection.

He was given two shots and sent home with two bottles of pills.

The medicine must have done it's magic because he walked out of his carrier when we got home.

He used the litter box and was jumping on the couch and even made his way up to snuggle

with me until I fell asleep.

I was terrified that something really dire was happening to him. 

I know he's 12 and things are going to start going downhill, but I am so in love with my little boy it broke my heart to see him in pain.

If you thought he was spoiled before...HA! You haven't seen anything yet!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On another note, no more college football until the bowl games.

What ever will I do with my Saturdays???

I guess homework...and housework... and studying....and cooking...

and all the things I seem to neglect when college football starts.

And Johnny "Football" Manziel...

too good for words....

too good!

I hope he gets the Heisman!

Colors, Coffee and an IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Two weeks ago on my days off, the girls and I went to the park.

To our surprise, the trees were trying to change a little color.

I loved seeing these Texas trees try so hard to produce

the rich colors that fall brings. 

It definitely made my heart smile.

The girls enjoyed the cooler weather too.

Even though we were in the beginning of November,

you will notice CC and I still have sandals on! 

I also managed to get a photo of Bella.

As big as she is, once she senses the camera she begins moving

and photographing her is nearly impossible.

But we got it this time.

I love this little brat so much.

She makes life hard, very hard in fact, but I love

her and I am so happy we have her! 

My red cutter rose also has been busy lately giving me some

beautiful blooms.  

With everything that has happened this year, I haven't had the

chance to photograph, or even care for, my roses the

way I would like to. 

The girls and I went out to this cute little area for Starbucks drinks

last Tuesday. I had to snap a picture of the

sky before we left.

It was so beautiful! 

My smart girls both ordered cold drink and their pretty little

hands were freezing! 

We did get a few pictures of us. 

It was bittersweet for us because this is the cute little shopping center

we would always go to with Mom once the weather got cooler.

We go get a holiday flavored Starbucks drink then walk over to

Bath and Body Works to get some good smelling sanitizers

and lotions. 

Not all of the trees were lit up and the area around the

little bridge was dark as well.

I told the girls this just means we will have to go back again! 

This week has been super busy.

Work has been non-stop.

I told my Papa Bear sometimes at the end of the day

my mouth is so tired of talking!

I love my job and I love helping people out,

but sometimes it feels like the words just all run together

and I'm not giving each member individualized treatment.

What I have learned from my job, and if anyone is reading this, I BEG you take it seriously....

GET RENTAL REIMBURSEMENT ON YOUR INS POLICY!

I cannot tell you how many claims I have submitted where the member runs over

and object in the road or hits a deer or just plain, old has a wreck...

they are traveling (as so many will be doing now) and they have no rental reimbursement

on their policy.

I have to tell them all I can do is take the report, call a taxi for them and that is it.

Rental is only a few dollars a month, and the headache it will save you in the long run is well worth it!

also...

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE....

don't travel with only $4.26 in your checking account and with no credit cards.

I don't care if it's a pre-paid card, if you are getting in a rental or have to rent a hotel...

YOU WILL NEED A CREDIT CARD AND MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT!!!

I wish I was joking.

I'm not.

I've had a family of four, including an infant and a dog, driving in the middle of states,

located in the middle of nowhere, get in an accident.

They didn't have rental on their policy and only a few dollars in their accounts.

They were hours from home and hours from their destination.

I've had the state trooper yell at me that I should be giving them more coverage.

I. DIDN'T. SELECT. THEIR. POLICY.

THEY DID!

Please review your insurance policy and if you are traveling this holiday season,

please add collision coverage and rental reimbursement.

The fact is... you never know what may happen.

And just because you have 25 cars at home (yes, I've taken that call) and think you don't need

rental reimbursement, if you're in an accident and you are no where near home

or your destination, how much help are those other 24 cars going to be?

None.

You can always remove the coverage after the holidays

but for now, make sure your insurance policy

gives you the best coverage you can get!