Cooking... How do women do it?!!?

I feel a strange urge to blog about my recent adventure in learning to cook... Strange because I haven't blogged in FOREVER! My poor family has to put up with my cooking, and after this long I'm surprised we are all still alive!!! So after nearly 10 years of my family putting up with spaghetti, tacos, chicken and rice and chicken rolls, and eating out the rest of the time, my family finally told me I needed to do something else! Our budget told me that too... Nikki's friends seem so good at cooking and managing a budget she asked one of them to help me.

Rachel has been so awesome! (Tebbs' family blog link on the side...) Taking my dumb questions, giving me recipes, tips, and even letting me watch her cook so I could learn something!!! The first thing she told me about was a website: dealstomeals.com... it takes the local adds and creates a menu (including recipes) for that weeks deals. I can also create a shopping list of the weeks deals that I can print out and take to the store. I was soooo intimidated! I had heard of price matching before, but didn't have the guts to try... I can't believe now how easy it really is, and I can't believe I am admitting this, but it is actually a rush when I'm at the register trying to put groceries in the cart and keep track of which item is coming up next and the sale price!!! I go to Walmart because they price match, and many of the items that aren't on sale that week, tend to be cheaper.

Cooking can be a pretty thankless job, and discouraging... I have found it very difficult to please everyone's tastes, and when I do I want to keep making that dish over and over, but I have to resist or they'll get sick of it... It is such a challenge to find new recipes, especially ones that I think everyone will eat. I have even tried some that I was afraid no one but me would eat... It actually feels good when I put a meal on the table that everyone seems to like, and eat well. On the other hand it gets discouraging when I have several meals that don't really turn out and nobody eats them...

Planning a weeks worth of meals, and shopping once a week has saved me so much time!!! It has also saved me a lot of money, and a lot of stress! Now I just need to get used to being in the kitchen... My poor family... :)

New call

So Nikki and I received a new calling. While I was growing up I got the impression that if the Lord had a calling for you, you should accept it. Like it or not there is probably a reason you are being called. So, we were asked to be the cubmasters for our ward's pack. I wasn't exactly excited about the calling. In fact I remember when the previous cubmaster was announced a short time ago I remember thinking, " Oooh, I'm glad that's not me..." Which is pretty much how I felt about teaching Gospel Doctrine, (which is not so bad now that I've been doing it for a year and a half). I've come to the conclusion that I need to change my thinking unless I want to continue getting called to positions that I feel that way about.

We had about 5 days to plan our first Pack Meeting. Nik was totally stressed and I was wondering if we made the right choice by accepting the calling. I was informed right up front (by Nikki) that because I was used to being in front of people I would be the one conducting the meetings. I will also admit, and Nik agrees, that I'm a dork and always have been, so I should be the one to lead the goofy cheers, games and skits.

The first pack meeting was last night. I was pretty nervous, but everything seemed to go pretty good. Thanks to all the time and effort that Nikki put into preparing an activity and planning out all that we would do, It went smooth and was it was pretty simple for me to carry out the plan. Even though she was totally stressed Nikki did an awesome job planning the meeting! She never stops amazing me! Even when she doesn't feel good, she seems to dig down and find a way to get whatever it is done. She is an amazing woman, and she doesn't give herself enough credit. Hopefully, with more time to prepare next month it won't be as stressful on either of us. All things considered, I feel like the first meeting was a success. Those in attendance might disagree, and all I can say is I hope we get better.

Invigorated!

A couple weeks ago(yes I'm a little slow) I had the boys awake and I was doing my best to fight the daily battle of getting them to get ready for school. I couldn't believe my ears when Skyler came in the kitchen. He walked in the kitchen and said, "Dad, I'm not feeling invigorated this morning." Of course my response was, "What?" He repeated his statement, which gave me time to think of a better response. So then I asked, "Well, what do you mean by that?" Skyler said, "I'm not full of energy this morning." The smile on his face was amazing. He thought he was so smart, and I couldn't argue.

I later found out that it was one of his vocabulary words. They work on 5 or 6 words each week, and their teacher challenges them to use it in a sentence when talking to their parents. He also surprised us a day or two later when he told us he was sweltering while sitting in our hot van. I just can't even believe the words they are teaching my little first grader! It was such a shocking experience I just had to share.

Move over Martha Stewart

I made a chocolate lasagna cake for my wife on Friday. I was so excited when I got done frosting all of the layers! I couldn't believe that I had actually done it. The cake didn't raise evenly, so it the middle was a little taller than the sides, but I was still proud of myself. I had to take the kids to their primary program practice so I left the cake on the stove. When I came home 15 minutes later I couldn't believe my eyes...

My pride and joy had crumbled... I obviously named my post a little premature. I had the name in mind on the way home from dropping the kids off. I was so dissappointed when I saw the cake I didn't know what to do. I put it back together the best I could and served it to my family. Nikki said it still tasted good, I guess that's all that really matters. It was fun to try it out, if I do it again hopefully it goes better! If you want to know what the cake is supposed to look like, I got the recipe and instructions from our friend, Rachel's blog.

Music

I added a playlist to my blog and I wanted to talk about it a little. Most of the songs in my playlist have a significant reason for being there. Billy Joel is one of my favorite artists, and has been for a long time. Some remind me of Nikki or experiences we've shared. There are some that I just like the music or the song, and yes, there are a couple Weird Al songs in the list. I got hooked on Weird Al at a young age. I think it started when I was about 10 and I would try my hardest to stay up on Sunday nights to listen to Dr. Demento. I usually fell asleep before it was over at midnight.

"Cotton Eyed Joe" is a song that I have never really cared for much, it used to drive me crazy. I added it to my playlist because it reminds me of a friend who died almost a year ago. I worked with him at Winder. If you called his cell phone, instead of hearing it ring, you would hear Cotton Eyed Joe. He was really funny. He was a good friend and always willing to do whatever he could to help a friend. Last year during the Holidays I received a call from my boss telling me that Bobby had taken his own life. I was crushed. I couldn't believe that such a great guy could do that. I still miss him to this day, and I will never forget him. I think about him every time I hear this song, so this is a little tribute to him.

Most of the songs have special meaning because of my sweet wife. She came along when I had given up on ever having another serious relationship, and she has been the greatest blessing in my life ever since. I really was lazy and not good for much, and she has a way of bringing out the best in me. She pushes me, at times I feel beyond my limits, and it makes me better. I wouldn't be much without her, she is truly amazing. I used to karaoke every time I got the chance! It was usually at least 3 times a week. I actually met Nikki at karaoke. The hosts worked with Nikki's mom at IRS and they invited Nikki and her parents to come and "check me out," and the rest is pretty much history. I still love to sing, but we don't go karaoke anymore, it's mostly just when I'm in the car or cleaning house.

A lot of the songs on the list have a story, but I don't want to bore you.

Thanks Nik!

Well, my blog is finally looking like I care about it! I just had to blog and say how wonderful my wife is! I have been struggling to get a background to work, I tried several but couldn't get any of them to work. When I woke up the other day and checked my email there was an email from Nikki telling me to look at my blog... She fixed my blog while I was asleep! She knew I had become quite frustrated about my blog. I am so excited to have a background, and to have such a sweet wife. Maybe this will motivate me to keep up on my blog better than I did 2 years ago...

THANKS HONEY!!!

Frustration...

I'm going to vent for a minute... I am frustrated about a lot lately, my job, my blog not looking the way I want it too, my fantasy football team, and the list goes on. My biggest frustration at the moment has to do with my wife and all she has been through the last 8 months.
I really don't know where to start, but most people who will read this know some of the background already. She had a neuro-stimulator placed that was supposed to help her headaches. They did 2 trials to see if it would work before the permanent implant. Unfortunately something went wrong in both of the trials, but one of them yielded results that made us believe that the permanent device would help. The problem is that the doctor who did the trial is not the doctor that did the permanent. To add to the problem the doctor over-seeing the permanent implant has a reputation of being good, and that rep has gone straight to his head. This kept the doctor who did the trial from being able to give any input as to what worked in the trial. She has had the permanent implant surgery done twice now, and the leads are still not in the right place and the device is still not helping her. The thing I really have a problem with is that my wife is awake for the first part of the surgery to ensure that the leads are put in the right place, and during that time she could hear the impatient comments of the arrogant doctor. It is very discouraging that someone who has gone into the medical profession to help people isn't willing to take the extra 5 minutes to make sure they are helping.
Yesterday Nikki began to have excruciating pain coming from one of the areas of surgery, for no known reason. Now getting doctors and clinics to work together again just to get an x-ray on a Sunday seems impossible. We're the last people who want anyone to have to work on a Sunday, but when Nikki is so miserable I just want to do what I can to get her better.
It really breaks my heart that she has to go through so much, and there is nothing I can do to help! I can help with dinner, housework, and the kids, but I can't fix what's wrong with her, and I can't even make her feel better. I really just wish that there was more I could to help her to feel better. I still hope that we can find a way to get this device to work. It will probably require another trial, and a trip to Denver to have one of the best perform the permanent implant, but in all honesty, anything would be worth getting Nikki the relief she deserves.