The Tops of 2013

I’ll have you know this post is all EmmyMom’s fault!  Wow, seems like I blame my posts on all kinds of people every now and again… EmmyMom, Kenzie, etc.  Anyway yesterday I read one of Emmy’s posts where she did her Top 10 posts from 2013.  I thought it sounded like so much fun I decided to figure out what my top 10 posts of 2013 were as well.  So see, it’s her fault, right?

Life’s a Beach Top 10 Posts from 2013:
1. Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Noodle Bake posted April 2, 2013

2. Bacon Wrapped Chicken posted on February 19, 2013

3. Stuffed Jalapeno {with cream cheese, bacon & cheddar} Stuffed Chicken Breast posted April 3rd, 2013

4. Jalapeno Popper Dip posted on February 23, 2013

5. Now Bake This: Low Fat Banana Bread posted on January 28, 2013.

6. Newest addition posted on March 15, 2013

7. Things I’ve learned…. School Edition posted on October 8, 2013

8. Girls Cookie Day, Part 2 Posted on February 28, 2013

9. Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes {Lowfat/Low Calorie} posted on September 30, 2013

10. One last 4th Post posted on July 9, 2013

In a way it surprised me how many of these posts were recipe related posts, but at the same time I guess the posts that weren’t recipe related surprised me more.  It’s soooo much fun to sit back and relive some of these posts.  I can’t wait to see what the top posts will be come 2014.

My top referring sites:
1. pinterest.com
2. http://www.google.com
3. http://crazymranch.blogspot.com/
4. http://donna-justme.blogspot.com/
5. http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/
6. www.bloglovin.com
7. http://farmgirlchaos.blogspot.com/

Top Word Searches:
1. 50 Reasons why I love you
2. Camera
3. 4th of July toes
4. Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies
5. happy Friday the 13th
6. Puppy Eyes

Some of those surprise me… um… okay whatever :).

I had a total of 408 posts this year.

The least viewed post of the year was with a whoppin’ 2 views:
French Onion Soup posted on April 12, 2013

I guess Martha Stuart let me down there… lol :).  This was out of Martha Stuart’s Cooking school Cookbook.

So there you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly from 2013 :).  Happy Wednesday!

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Review Extravaganza – October thru December

Whew you gals are great.  I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone’s 2013 in review.  Can you believe we’re already at the end of the year?!?!  Wow, this fun link up is going about as fast as the year has.  Get your posts ready and link up below!

ReviewExtravaganza 2013FFF

All you need to do is write your post, link up and you’re on your way to winning wonderful prizes.  Plus this is a GREAT way to recap your year for all your new readers!  Two birds with one stone!  For a complete set of prizes/sponsors please click here. This week we’re linking up our second review of the year.  You have all month to go through the list of likes in the rafflecopter.
prizecollage

If you have any problems or questions, please let me know!

October
I started off the Month of October with the Sunshine Award given to me by the wonderful Jill from Jill’s World.

I shared with you Fashion Blogger Don’ts and a Now.  I soooo forgot that I did one of those currently posts.  Cool right?

I shared with you that I drive down the road and think and one day’s thoughts happened to be about that last first kiss.

We played with Snookums a lot more!

I introduced the kitty officially.

We went through things I learned while in school….

Hubby and I spent a week bouncing around on a tractor trying to get hay made for the cows for winter.

and this just so happens to be the month we found out I was pregnant.  We weren’t sure at first, but hubby thought he knew right away, especially after the fit I threw at the tractor.

We decorated for Halloween.

The family headed to Kansas City to go see Wicked.

The next day hubby and I got to go to a KC Chiefs game.

My husband got me through a rough time.

I ended the month participating in Emmy Mom’s 10 Things to Smile About October.

November
Hubby’s Birthday starts off November for us.

 
I proved that it was okay to start thinking about Christmas in November because we went to help raise money for the Newton County Children’s Christmas.

Moo honored hubby for Veteran’s Day at her school.

Princess Rio was caught up on our roof... more than once….

Mom and dad got a new puppy.

Zebra Girl taught us about Bob.

Hubby tried to go hunting… tried being the keyword.  He’s lucky he didn’t get sprayed by skunks!

I attempted to draw the US in the correct places… I got close…  I just want you to know it’s all Kenzie’s Fault!

We ended the month with Thanksgiving.

December
In December I finally came clean to all of you my secret.  I didn’t even tell my facebook friends/family until Christmas Day….

I Participated in Emmymom’s 10 Things to Smile about November (the first part of December, it’s all good.)

We reviewed January through March.

I elfed my family….

For the first time I participated in Kenzie & Scriptor’s We Want to Know Wednesday.

We reviewed April through June.

I took Finals which caused me to hit a writer’s slump.

We took our annual trip to Ft. Worth!!!  I still need to recap this!

We reviewed July through September.

I had a really bad/tough week.  A good thing that came out of my bad week was I got to hear the babies heart beat again.  I video’ed it.  Yup, I’m that gal 🙂
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc9ziFZ3COQ]

And then we had Christmas.  Sadly there is a little more to go for the month of December but hey, stick around for the fun ride!  I see a few things in my future 🙂

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Review Extravaganza – July through September

Whew you gals are great.  I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone’s first three months of 2013.  Can you believe we’re already for the third 3 months of 2013.  Wow, this fun link up is going about as fast as the year has.  Get your posts ready and link up below!

ReviewExtravaganza 2013FFF

All you need to do is write your post, link up and you’re on your way to winning wonderful prizes.  Plus this is a GREAT way to recap your year for all your new readers!  Two birds with one stone!  For a complete set of prizes/sponsors please click here. This week we’re linking up our second review of the year.  You have all month to go through the list of likes in the rafflecopter.
prizecollage

If you have any problems or questions, please let me know!
July 2013
We started off July with a Bang.  No seriously!  This year we attended 4 different 4th of July Parties.

Because we had so many Fourth of July parties, we did a Sunday Night Dinner theme of Leftovers.

To honor scuba diving I painted my toe nails like Scuba Diving Flags.

We finally had our last baby born this month.  Blondie had Spot…. er Little Man…. er whatever the heck his name is.  It’s December and we still don’t agree on his name.

Mom, Dad and I went picking Blackberries.  Then I made Blackberry Jam.

I made a video and bored y’all with chore time :).

I thought it would be fun to do a blast from the past.  I told you about moving to college for the first time.

AL made a knockoff of a Wendy’s Frosty.

We got Scuba Certified!!!

I participated in EmmyMom’s 10 Things to Smile About July.

Oh yeah… I turned the Dreaded 30…. Tbug and I spent the day at Silver Dollar City being a kid though so that works, right?

We ended the month by attending a Springfield Cardinals Game and watching ZebraGirl’s Cheer team.

August 2013
Hubby and I took a nice get away trip to St. Louis.

We actually got to go to a Dine-in Theater.  It was friggin awesome!

I was the first person on Snookums!  Let the record still show that!

I participated in Emmy’s 10 Things to Smile About August!! 🙂

My aunt came up for a visit.

I started School, this time working for my Masters.

September 2013
 I started to do the Blogtember but pretty much started as soon as I started :(.

Hubby and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary!

Every year hubby does the Describe the Woman of Your Dreams questions.

We headed to Metropolis, IL to go scuba diving at Mermet Springs.

Hubby and I got to see Kellie Pickler in concert.  OMG she should be filling stadiums!

I read a joke email about my dad and Mini Me

Hubby, Tbug and I went on the Ride for Life trail ride to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

I participated in Emmy’s 10 Things to Smile about September.

I filled out my Where am I questions I try to do every 6 months or so.

So how was your 3rd quarter of the year?  Link up below for some awesome prizes  but also so that we can all marvel at the year you’ve had!!

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Review Extravaganza – April through June 2013

Whew you gals are great.  I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone’s first three months of 2013.  Can you believe we’re already for the second 3 months of 2013.  Wow, this fun link up is going about as fast as the year has.  Get your posts ready and link up below!

ReviewExtravaganza 2013FFF

All you need to do is write your post, link up and you’re on your way to winning wonderful prizes.  Plus this is a GREAT way to recap your year for all your new readers!  Two birds with one stone!  For a complete set of prizes/sponsors please click here. This week we’re linking up our second review of the year.  You have all month to go through the list of likes in the rafflecopter.
prizecollage

If you have any problems or questions, please let me know!

Now, let’s get this Extravaganza going!

 This year we kicked April off by celebrating AL’s Birthday

Not to toot my own horn but toot toot baby… I made a Stuffed Jalapeno {with Cream Cheese, Bacon & Cheddar} Stuffed Chicken Breast.

Colonel showed up on April 7th.  Our second baby of the year!!

We went to church, Raccoon hunting and played with glow in the dark bubbles all in one night.

I shot my first bow & arrow.

I made hubby Martha Stuart’s French Onion Soup.

I gave you 26 truth’s in the forms of my ABC’s.

The dogs got in trouble for eating mail….

It only took just shy of 10 days for Colonel to finally get a name.

Mini Me made a follow up trip to OSU for a check up.  He was one of the only horses they had survive as well as he did and they wanted to check him out.

My first real life changing event happened this year.  I lost my job toward the end of April.  It was quite the shocker to me and pretty much everyone around me.  It was hard to see it then but it really was a blessing in disguise.

I rounded out the month with Emmy’s mem 10 Things to Smile About April.

AL did some pretty impressive Bow shooting….

I signed up to do the 31 days of blogging in May.

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less
Day 2, Thursday: Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. {dSLR Camera settings}
Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable
Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote and why you love it
Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends.
Day 6, Monday: what do you do‘?
Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you’re most afraid of
Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others.
Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day
Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment
Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less
Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss?
Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology.
Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy
Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life
Day 16, Thursday:  “lot in life
Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why
Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood.
Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs
Day 20, Monday: Get real.
Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives
Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something.
Day 23, Thursday: Things you’ve learned that school won’t teach you
Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits
Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you’ll never forget
Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online.
Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers
Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures
Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs
Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go
Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory

We actually had snow in May….

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo Sunday night Dinner Style.

Homemade laundry soap…..

Pokey and Earl started remodeling their house.

Sunday Night Dinner went to Silver Dollar City.

I showed you how to do the bang twist.

I participated in Emmymom’s 10 Things to Smile About May memoir.

Tbug came up with funny sayings…. like usual….

Hubby’s talented

We learned that I’m not a fashion blogger

You just never know what we’ll conjure up to do during Sunday Night Dinner.

I participated in the A-Z questionnaire that went around.

I started my first round of Something Saturday which turned into the Saturday Post

Father’s Day came.

My lazy butt ran a 5K

We learned that Marlie doesn’t share bones.

Tried to take two at the Fashion blogger thing.  Still failed.

Went camping for the first time.  That same weekend I also helped with the Gorilla hunt.  I was so hoping to participate this year, but Peanut had other plans for that.  Oh well… 🙂

Poor Little Rio got sick and Tbug and I had to take her to the vet.  They got her all fixed up though!

I also hit the 2.75 year mark on my 101 in 1001 list.

So how was your 2nd quarter of the year?  Link up below for some awesome prizes  but also so that we can all marvel at the year you’ve had!!

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Review Extravaganza – January thru March 2013

First off, let’s wish my momma a very Happy Birthday!!!

Wow, it seems like ages ago that it was January 2013!  But sure enough, we’re at the end of the year and it’s time to do our Review Extravaganza!

ReviewExtravaganza 2013FFF

All you need to do is write your post, link up and you’re on your way to winning wonderful prizes.  Plus this is a GREAT way to recap your year for all your new readers!  Two birds with one stone!  For a complete set of prizes/sponsors please click here. Once you link up your first review, the rafflecopter form will open up.  You have all month to go through the list of likes in the rafflecopter.
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If you have any problems or questions, please let me know!

Now, let the Extravaganza, begin!

January
As with every year, we start off the month and the year with Tbug’s birthday.  This year I gave Tbug an interview.  I can’t wait until 2014 to compare her answers!

The start of every year I do a previous picture collage of hubby and my life together.  We’re at 3 1/2 years together as of January 2013.

Not that I didn’t already know, but hubby gave me his heart.

We tried scuba diving for the first time at a Try it Tuesday.

I need to do another Day in the life of because my life has totally taken a different turn this year and curve balls are still flying at me!

Snoring is always a big conversation at my house.

Audrey had puppies.  Not planned and not expected but they sure were cute while they were here.  We found them all good homes.

Some more fun getting to know me….

Gun practice took over Sunday Night Dinners for a while.

February
Friday Night Dinner Conversations… Enough said.

Princess Rio came to live with us at 12 weeks old!

Hubby and I may or may not have issues getting dressed…. I promise this is G rated!

We celebrated my grandma’s birthday with Red Lobster even though she’s been gone since 2007.

I made a King Cake to celebrate Mardi Gras

Because of Moo and AL we all learned about Gluten Free this year.

We were able to get Tbug to a Try it Tuesday as well.

Grandma gave Earl, Moo and me cooking lessons.

I might have compared Marriage to your Engagement….

Moo and Zebra Girl came over one day to cook with Tbug.

March
Gotta love that CRAZY MO Weather.

OMG, the EASIEST and FASTEST cake EVER!

Hubby, Tbug and I made a random trip to KC for a Saturday.  Sooo Much FUN!  We even went to the Farmer’s Market and Tbug enjoyed it!

I started on the Revolt System.

Little Pi came into our lives on 3.14

We 6S’ed our house pantry.

I did my twice yearly Where Am I Post.

We went to the Baugh party.

Zebra Girls birthday!!

Tbug got a welding lesson from her daddy.

We rounded out the month with Easter.  This year the holidays have fell so weird it feels like :).

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Review Extravaganza 2013

We are so excited to announce the 4th Annual Review Extravaganza!  This is getting bigger each year and we are so excited to have you all join in with us.

ReviewExtravaganza 2013FFF

What is the Review Extravaganza

-It is your way to look back over the year and each week recap three months at a time of what happened in your life, your favorite blog posts, favorite pictures- whatever you would like to share. (Here is an example of one of Nicole’s recaps from last year)

We would like to introduce you to this year’s 8 amazing hosts!


The HostsF
From Left to Right:(Click on the names to get you to their blog)

(more…)

I do!

Three Years ago today I married one of my best friends.

Please play Hank Williams Jr, Blues Man

This photo was symbolic for us for the simple fact that we went to school together.  We met before we got to the high school, but our friendship strengthened once we were sophomores.  At the time our High School was 10-12, now it’s 9-12.  And sadly our high school building has become the junior high, but either way, this building is where we built upon our friendship all those years ago.  And no, sadly we aren’t “high school sweethearts” but that’s okay.  Everyone needs to build their story somehow and this is ours!

Happy Anniversary my sweet husband.  I love you with all my heart!

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Good Bye St. Louis – I’ll Miss you!!!

Sadly when hubby and I woke up on Saturday morning, we had to pack our belongings and move them all to the car.  Sadly, our time was up on vacation.  This was one of the most relaxing vacations I’ve been on in a while and we still did quite a bit of stuff even.

One thing I wanted to do before we left town was to go to Trader Joe’s.  There was also another grocery store right there across the road and yes, I get my kicks by going to the grocery store and walking the aisles.  I guess I’m deprived of actual grocery stores back home… we have Wal-Mart…

Mac n’ Cheese Puffs, yes, please. (more…)

First time Outta the House

It’s Throwback Thursday on Friday.  Yeah, doesn’t make sense maybe but that’s just how it worked out.  Bonnie over at The Life of Bon has been doing a link up all summer of Throwback Thursday’s and I decided that I would participate today for yesterday’s theme.  So what, I’m a day behind… it happens.

So, I loved my senior year of high school.  I drug my feet about applying for colleges and I drug my feet for applying for scholarships.  I thought my parents were going to have to hog tie me and drag me to college.  Yup, it was that bad.  So I moved into my dorm at the last possible moment I could and I hated it.  I came from my parents house where I had a room to myself and a bathroom to myself.  I wound up having to share a little room with another person and I was in a dorm where I had to share bathrooms with 30 other girls.

I didn’t know really anyone when I went so I felt miserable and alone.  I was dating a guy who was younger and was back at my high school, so I felt even worse because I was away from home, no friends, and waaaaaayyyyy out of my comfort zone.

I am proud to say I didn’t cry, not once while I was there even though for a while I was miserable.  I had never eaten alone except in the privacy of my own home, so for the first little bit I ate popcorn pretty much every meal because it felt weird going to the cafeteria by myself.  After a couple weeks, a guy I went to high school with who was a few years older than me started inviting me to eat lunch with him and his friends, and eventually I’d meet up with them for dinner.  I finally quit eating popcorn all the time :).

One night, a girl on the floor (Thing 1) stopped by our room and admired the rug I had brought from home.  From then on she and I hung out together as well.  And from that, she convinced me to start doing dorm “get to know you’s” and I wound up meeting the second close friend (Thing 2) I had.  Side note, that’s what they were referred to at my house by my family, but I have no idea why… lol.

Thing 2, Me, Thing 1

I had a tendency to stick out wherever I went because most people were from Kansas City area or St. Louis area and most had never been around horses, cows, sheep, livestock in general and agriculture.  Oh and did I mention I was an Agriculture major?  I met one girl who knew all about that, to this day Janet and I are still friends.

My parents wanted me to get into a sorority, the Agriculture department had a Professional Sorority that they wanted me to join.  I wanted no part of it however I finally got convinced 2nd semester of college.  Janet, Doti and I happened to be the only 3 who rushed the sorority so we joined together.  This is how I met Doti!!

This is Thing 2, not Doti or Janet.  I couldn’t find photos of them while looking..

One thing about going to college is no one, I mean no one, anyway at my college cared even if you came home sometimes.  So when I’d come back to my parents, every now and again we’d butt heads about when I was supposed to be home.  Strange thing is as long as they didn’t push me, I was usually home by 10:30 or 11 at the latest anyway.  Weird, I know.

As I said, I started making friends which made life sooooo much easier in college.  However, I still couldn’t really stand my roommate.  She’d drive me up the wall, mainly by singing all the time, everywhere.  And really loud I might add.  But one thing she was good for… dressing me up for Halloween.  My friends went into my roommates closet (with her permission) and dressed me up, as get this… a Hooker.  Oh yeah… nice, right?

Somehow, and I have no idea how, we became friends with a group of guys that lived a floor above mine.  Boy did we ever get in trouble with those guys.  Our dorm was every other floor boys, every other floor girls.  Guys weren’t allowed on girls floor and girls weren’t allowed on guys floor after 10pm Sunday through Thursday.  They could be there after hours on weekends as long as if they left the room they were escorted.

So this group of guys, one night we got trapped in their room after 10pm.  Sadly, the boys RA knew about it and sat in a chair in the middle of the hall waiting for us to come out so that he could write us up.    We knew it and the boys kept running in and out of rooms trying to see if he had left.  Finally around midnight the boys picked a blanket up, held it between them and the RA, ran all the way to the RA, back to the door for the stairs and back into their room.  The RA shook his head, said that was the best one he’d seen yet to date and said, I’m going to bed boys, make sure the girls get out.  The next day we were “warned” about being up there after hours.

The end of my Freshman year ended with me studying abroad in Costa Rica.  Yup, I’m roping a calf there.  What can I say, we were at Agriculture colleges in Costa Rica.  It’s all good!  I even got to feed an Iguana a banana.  How many of you can say that?!?!

I will admit that I drove home every weekend for the most part.  I guess it was a way for me to get away from my roommate that drove me out of my mind.  Sad but true.  So there is my first time living on my own…

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And then I fell off…

Today is the last day of the Blog Every day in May… A Vivid Memory.

So it was the last weekend of April, Easter weekend.  The Youth season for qualifying for the AQHYA World Show runs May 1-April 30 of the next year.  So, this was the last show to qualify for the Youth World Nationally.  I was already qualified to represent the state, but I wanted to nationally qualify, that was my goal that year.  I was 1/2 point away from getting there and this was one last chance.  I was the last horse to show out of 10 horses which gave me the chance to win 1 1/2 points so all I had to do was place 3rd.  Generally no one wants to be first and no one wants to be last, but last has never scared me.  I went in and had one of the best 2 1/2 minutes of my life.  I walked out of the arena as the announcer said a score of 74.  I did it.  I nationally qualified with a point to spare.  I went to climb off China (The horse in the picture above. This was actually in Ada OK at the 4th of July blowout the same year) and my foot got caught in the stirrup and I fell off.  My dad was so excited for me that we were smiling and he was congratulating me until I fell off and then he asked if I’d ever ridden a horse before to which we all cracked up laughing. 

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