Oh YUM!

I made THE MOST DELICIOUS muffins today!

Pumpkin Muffins!

I saw a recipe on Pinterest and massacred it to make it my own! LOL I'm sure the original recipe was very tasty, but I have to change things, it's who I am! So, here goes:

15oz can of 100% pure pumpkin
French Vanilla cake mix
1/4 cup brown sugar

So, mix the ingredients together in a big bowl, divide into cupcake papers and bake on 350° for 20-25 minutes.

I chose to make some smaller muffins in my silicone pan too, so those didn't take as long to bake.

These are SUPER FANTASTIC!! I wanted to sit there and eat every single one!! My kids love them just as much as I do!!! I think next time I'll have to make a double batch. Jason is at work tonight, I hope there will be some left when he gets home tomorrow...

I just can't tell you enough how delicious these are! You have to try them! If and when you do, let me know, and if you change the recipe again, let me know what you changed. The original recipe said you could top them with a sprinkle of confectioners sugar, but I chose not to do that. I'm interested to know how others create their own edible masterpieces. 

Happy Eating!

Character & Integrity

Several years ago I heard motivational speaker Zig Ziglar at a conference in New Orleans. He is an amazing speaker and completely lived up to everything I had ever heard about him! One of my favorite quotes of his is this; "With integrity you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. With fear and guilt removed you are free to be and do your best."

We constantly impress the importance of integrity upon our children. Where is your heart? Where do your intentions lie? Integrity is clearly important. Honesty is number one on my list. I cannot stand to be lied to, and my children know that they will be in a lot less trouble if they just tell the truth. I also know that we are human, and as such, lies are told. I do believe in forgiveness and second chances. We ALL make mistakes. Forgiveness is another very important part of life. (I wrote a blog on forgiveness a few months ago, if you're interested.)

Our character really encompasses who we are overall. It's comprised of our moral, mental, ethical and religious qualities, and forms our unique person. Some of the the things we try to instill in our children are the difference between right and wrong, openness, acceptance, treat others with equality (and as you would want to be treated), forgiveness, kindness, be thankful for what you have, to apologize when necessary, respect others... the things children SHOULD be taught! They actually helped me come up with that list. :o) We hope and pray that their character is whole and healthy. So far, so good!

So, what type of "character" are you?

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. -James D. Miles 

I had mentioned in a previous blog that my youngest son was packing an extra snack for a classmate who could not afford to bring one each day. He is still doing that every day, and he is very proud to be helping her. He does this out of the kindness of his heart, and he expects nothing in return. I am so proud of him!

This is how I pray our children will be for the rest of their lives; giving, loving, open souls who care about other people simply because they are people. I don't care what color you are, and neither do my children. We don't care because it's not important. You are a human. I don't care how much money you have, and I don't care about your house, or your car, or the label in your clothes. You are a human. If you are a morally decent human, I'll be proud to call you my friend. If not, I'll pray for you. And I don't mean that with a cute Southern drawl, "Bless yer' heart, I'll pray fer' youuu". I mean, literally, I WILL pray for your soul.


You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him. -Leo Aikman

I have found this to be very, very true! Have you ever listened to a person who picks apart others? The things they choose to talk about are really the things they are most insecure or unhappy about in themselves. People who constantly degrade other people are usually pretty miserable inside, and want others to be just as unhappy. Those who gossip are avoiding their own reality by involving themselves in the lives of someone else. Avoidance becomes a cycle and soon it's all too easy to get lost in a downward spiral...

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. - Author Unknown

All is not lost! By changing habits, removing the drama from your life and keeping your distance from toxic people (emotional vampires) it's completely possible to break the cycle. I know, because I recently did it! In order to maintain MY character and integrity I have distanced myself from the drama that comes with some younger, less mature women. I know I have maintained my integrity, and I have nothing to fear. I have no guilt.

Times like this become good lessons for our children, too. Lessons in forgiveness seem easy to come by these days. :o( Some people just don't seem to know when to quit. Hopefully something, no matter how small, will spark in them and it will all start to make sense.

Until next time... Peace, Love, and Happiness to all.

She's Crafty!

Thanks to my friend Angie, I just got addicted to a new website that lists links to news about ALL KINDS of crafts and photography and everything else I love!! It's called Pinterest, have you heard of it? I have spent HOURS looking and clicking! I found A TON of projects I want to do and I can't wait to get started!! Sometimes I run out of ideas... well, I will never run out of ideas again! LOL

I am a "Room Mom" for my youngest son's class and volunteered to be in charge of the Christmas craft. I was excited to find something to do with the kids, but now I am REALLY excited because I know I will find something super-cool to make with them!! I do things like this every year and I love it. There is something so energizing about being in the classroom surrounded by all the kids and watching them learn. When they give you the big smiles and hugs it's the best feeling in the world. Children are simply wonderful.

I finished my photo hanging project for our granddaughter's pictures. As simple as it was it never should have taken so long. Time, as usual, was the culprit. Speaking of my baby girl, have I mentioned how much I miss her??? Well, not in this blog anyway. :o( Yes, I miss her so much. We'll get to see her at Christmas. I can't wait!! Christmas seems so far away, but then again, not really. I have actually started shopping already. I picked up a few small gifts the other day! I even shocked myself, but the items were so perfect AND they were on sale! LOL That's a combination I couldn't pass up!

I need a craft room, but that's not going to happen. I don't even have a craft corner! We're having a yard sale this weekend so we can get rid of some outgrown items and make room in the shed and garage. Wait, now I can make a craft workshop in the shed! I like where this is headed!!

I'm off to organize...

One Day At A Time

You know when you get hit in the gut, and the wind gets knocked out of you... those few moments, when you are standing (or laying) there in limbo, waiting for breath to come... those moments seem like an eternity!

Have you ever had that happen? Has anything ever just knocked the wind out of you? Maybe physically, or emotionally? I've experienced both.

When I was about 10, my brothers and I were at my great-grandparent's house in Findley Lake, New York. We loved to play outside! We were playing baseball one day and I stood a little too close to my middle brother as he swung the bat around. He caught me right under the ribs, full swing, and POW! I was down on the ground! I will never forget that feeling, waiting for air... waiting... waiting... it felt like forever before I could take a breath! It was awful but I was lucky, no broken bones and I did breathe again!

I have also emotionally had the wind knocked out of me, in hearing unexpected news that took me to my knees. Unfortunately this has happened more than once. In high school I met a boy named Lee. He worked part-time at my aunt and uncle's TV repair shop. We started hanging out after school sometimes, we were both in ROTC, and we soon became good friends. Because he was close to my uncle, we started joking that we were cousins. So, he became my cousin Lee. He joined the Army and moved away after high school but we stayed in touch. He met a girl, fell in love and wanted to marry her. We were all thrilled! One day I got a call from my aunt. Lee was dead. Just like that, he was dead. Dead. I couldn't breathe. My knees buckled and I hit the living room floor. When my breath returned I was sobbing hysterically. Lee had been driving back from seeing his girlfriend. He had just proposed to her that night. He fell asleep on the way back to his base and drove head-on into a tractor-trailer. My cousin Lee was gone forever.

I wish I could say my heart has never been broken, but that would be a lie. Each time, I've felt the wind get knocked out of me to some extent. Each time I get bad news, or sad news, I catch a whiff of that old familiar feeling. This time in my life is no exception.

My middle brother, the "Slugger King" himself, is off to Afghanistan, and I am terrified. If you know me, or have read my previous blogs, you know I am very protective of my brothers. I always have been our whole lives. I am the oldest, we are all two and a half years apart. I love them tremendously, and I worry about them like they are my own children sometimes. He just returned, along with our father, from Iraq. Now the thought of him going to a worse place is almost too much to bear. I will be praying for him daily.

I got some other deeply personal news yesterday that I won't be sharing on here. I'm mentioning it because it needs immediate prayer for tremendous healing, and it pertains to the reason for this blog. If you are so inclined, any and all prayers would be greatly appreciated. This is the time when my family needs to be together, to draw strength from each other. My family will now be divided by continents... once again. My heart is aching and I feel like I can hardly breathe sometimes.

This is where faith comes in. As hard as it is sometimes, I must have faith. There is a reason for all of this, God has a plan, this is under control... I don't understand, but I'm not supposed to. Just because I don't understand doesn't mean I have blind faith. God has never let me down. He has always fulfilled His promises to the world, to all His children. My faith is NOT blind.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. -1 Peter 5:7

I know I use that one a lot, and I often go back to it, because it pertains to my life so much! I am a worrier, and as hard as I try NOT to be, I can't help it, I still worry. I'm working on it. 

Let go and let God. 

Simple. Awesome. True. So why can't I do it? I have so many things going on right now! Actually, it always seems that way to be totally honest. But all we can do it take it one day at a time, learn from our mistakes and hope tomorrow will be a better day. Oh, and don't forget to pray... that is a given! ;o)

Truth > Drama

Yes, I am a child of God. My name, Rachelle, means "Lamb of God"... blessed from birth. It's a good thing too, because I came into this world a scrawny miracle with a birth defect that could have killed me had the doctors not found it in time. Luckily, one did.

Over the years I seem to have had my fair share of challenges and trials. I won some, I lost some. It's the way of the world. But God has never forsaken me, because I am His child.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Marriane Williamson

I LOVE THIS! We are meant to do SO much! And we should! We should never let anything hold us back.

As a mother I am constantly encouraging and challenging my children to do more and to better themselves, but I can't forget to do the same for myself. I often get so wrapped up in their lives that I forget about my own. I'm not dead yet! I have to remind myself to KEEP GROWING! My kids have been my life for the past fifteen years! That's a hard habit to break. ;o) They are my favorite people in the world. Sometimes they seem like the only people in the world. Sometimes, amid all the aggravation and let-downs of the day, I wish they were the only people in the world.

Mother Teresa said, "People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

This is one of my most favorite things I have EVER read in my life. Sadly, it's also one of the truest things I have ever read. Some people will never be happy, no matter what you do. Don't do it for them. Do it for the greater good. Doing the right thing always makes me feel better, even if I am the only one who knows what I did. ("Well, you and God", as B would say.)

Even when we do the right thing, we may be ridiculed and falsely accused. In the Bible, we are told not to fear, and to consider ourselves blessed.

But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. -1 Peter 3:14

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:10

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. -James 1:12

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 
-James 5:11

Consider Jesus' suffering, the persecution He endured, the murder that ended His precious life. He endured it all for US, without complaining, without anger, without questioning. We are to live our lives for Him out of Gratitude, not out of fear. Our God is a gracious, loving, merciful God. I strive to live my life in a way that glorifies Him. Am I perfect? Absolutely not! Do I make mistakes? You better believe it! But I am learning, and growing and every day is a better day. I learn from every trial that comes my way, and lately there have been quite a few.

I am in no way comparing my life's trivial issues to what Jesus endured, because there really is no comparison! My problems are small, and I know who "has my back". Truth is greater than drama! It's not the focus here, and it's not relevant. The truth is known to those who matter, most importantly- to God.

I will continue to do what I do; raise my kids to the best of my ability, live my life, praise my Lord and carry on! Each day presents its own unique challenges, and I look forward to them.


Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 
-Philippians 4:5

Breakfast In Bed

It's been awesome! I have the best husband... truly. :o) He got up the last few mornings and got the kids off to school and then came back to bed. We'd sleep a while longer and then he'd get up and make me breakfast in bed. All while HE'S been as sick as a dog!!

So then I laid in bed with my lap tray and ate, drinking my coffee (so perfectly made) and when I was done, he'd come and take my dishes to the sink! He is awesome! I've been hooked up electronically so I could be entertained and work on my blog, Facebook or whatever. I caught up on PostSecret since I was not able to read it on Sunday like I usually do. We sat in bed and ate Chicken Noodle Soup for lunch together and watched a movie. :o) When the kids got home from school he helped them with their homework and made dinner. They all took turns coming in to sit and talk with me.

On one hand it's nice to be waited on, but on the other hand, after 4 days in the hospital not being allowed to do anything, and then coming home and not being able to do anything... it does get boring. It is a little different at home though, because I have all my "creature comforts" and I am much more at ease here. I love our house!

So that Bronco game was a bust, huh? LOL The Raiders didn't play so well either, but they played just enough to beat the Broncos 23-20. Lousy game. Oh well, there's always the next game.

I go back to work today. I only have one session though, so it will be a short day. It's nice to ease back into things. My boss (the owner) has been WONDERFUL! I absolutely adore her!! My supervisor has been great too. I haven't had a chance to spend as much time with her yet. I have to say that I have been very lucky to land some fun and fantastic jobs in my lifetime, but this one totally rocks!

Sooo, yep! Things are looking up! We got some other lucky news, too! Our credit union was doing a refinance deal, so we got BOTH of our vehicles refinanced for 1.99%!! HOLLA! LOL I was very excited!

Aaaaannnnnnddddd... We have some other news to announce, but it's not quite time for that just yet... coming soon. ;o)

Have a great day, see you again soon!

Truly Unexpected!!

Yes, speaking of unexpected things... I have been discharged and am now home in my own bed!! Praise God!

I am still in a decent amount of pain, but at least I am home! I got some Vicodin and Toradol, along with some cortical steroids to take for a few days.

During the stomach biopsy they found I had a hiatal hernia and duodenal erosion, as well as some other junky stuff I won't get into.

So, they said this new thing is Costochondritis- a problem with inflammation between the bones and cartilage in my chest and it's amplified by my mixed connective tissue disorder and Fibromyalgia. The doctor doing the EDG and biopsy probably manipulated me in such a way that twisted my upper body and stressed my breast plate. They think he also put pressure on my chest (sternal rub) while inserting the camera. My doctor today said it can take up to 4-6 months to heal and I may have to get cortisone shots in my chest between the rib bones to help!

I realized tonight that I have lumps in my belly where I got the blood thinner shots. What an "interesting" weekend! I feel terrible that we missed our friend's wedding, and I will miss two days of work! I plan to go back on Wednesday. At least I am home now, in my own bed, with my family, where I belong!

And now the Denver Broncos are playing... so I have to go!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!! Much love to all!

Expect the Unexpected

Sorry I haven't been online to post lately. I went in for my biopsy and something went wrong... I have been in the hospital since then and have no idea when I am going home. No one is really telling us anything. I've had CAT scans, X-rays, tons of bloodwork, morphine, blood thinners (shots in the stomach!!), toradol, and plenty of other meds I was too out of it to remember... I've been in a great deal of pain and the right side of my chest sunk in. I've also been on oxygen since I got here. The first few days I was on an IV drip. I started to swell up! My arms, legs and face ballooned and my arms and calves were so hard! Jason was massaging them for me because they hurt so much! The took me off the IV and the swelling slowly started to go down. I've continued with all the other meds. The good news is, I am finally starting to feel a little better!

Jason has been SO awesome! He smuggled in some Peanut Butter Twix (my FAVORITE!!!) and brought me my laptop today so I could get online and check more than my Facebook on his iPhone. LOL I can't stand the little touch screens and tiny keyboards! LOL Everyone here has been so great! They let the kids and Jason stay as long as they want and one of our pastors came by last night to see me. :o) James went to church yesterday and told them what was happening and they made an announcement in church and everyone prayed for me. I was very touched!! :o)

So that's where I am! Hopefully I will be home soon, and back to work! For those of you who have called, prayed and sent messages, thank you so much! I appreciate all of you! Have a Happy Monday!

"We Will Never Forget"

September 11, 2001. The world was forever changed.

With the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaching, media and message boards everywhere have been booming with tributes, updates on the loved ones left behind, and people talking about where they were when it happened.

I remember where I was when the news broke. I had just left my Geology class at Armstrong University and walked to my advisor's office. As I was standing in the doorway, I saw the news footage of the smoldering towers and watched in horror as they fell. I went home and turned on the news. My husband called and told me he didn't know when he would be home, that all hell had broken loose and we were under attack. He couldn't talk for long, and I was terrified to let him hang up. We will never forget.

Being a military wife is a great honor and often a source of great worry. There are dangers that my husband faces to ensure the safety of others. Many people are VERY misinformed about the Coast Guard and their duties, believing they are not a part of the military, they do not deploy, they do not go overseas, they are not in any real danger... well, if you believe any of that you would be very mistaken.

The Coast Guard does deploy, the duration depends on the unit and mission. Where they deploy depends on the same. My husband flies Search and Rescue, and yes, he has deployed. I worry even when he is not deployed though. When he flies there are still inherent dangers and even a routine flight can end in devastation without warning. We have seen it happen all to often in recent years, and the Coast Guard family has been greatly mourning the loss of many brothers and sisters. We will never forget.

My husband works very hard for our family and for our country. We are extremely proud of him! He is a well-decorated Guardian. Jason has helped to save many lives throughout this military career. Never was this more crucial than during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. For his hard work and heroic efforts, Jason was awarded a medal. He also appeared on the CBS Morning Show with a few of his fellow crew members. He has received many awards and meritorious citations during his time in service and was also awarded Enlisted Person of the Quarter last year. As I said, we couldn't be more proud! We often go days at a time without seeing him, as duty calls. When he is deployed, it is much longer. His sacrifice, and our family's sacrifice, is for the benefit of others. It's an important mission. We will never forget.

The Coast Guard, what do they do? Think about it. Coast Guard. They Guard our Coasts, ports, and harbors from all kinds of dangers such as drug smuggling, migrant interdiction, terrorist attacks, illegal fishing activity, and much more. In addition, they also provide life-saving search and rescue services. If you're interested, you can read more here: USCG Missions

I can't help but think of all the servicemen and women who have given their LIVES for us. I support our troops 110% but I DO NOT support this war. Too many of our men and women have died, and for what cause? We MUST NEVER forget! My father is a Vietnam Veteran, my middle brother has served overseas during wartime in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and they both just returned from work in Iraq. We have all been lucky, but unfortunately many others have not. We will never forget.

As the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks nears, I continue to pray for the families affected, for our nation, for the world. I am not naive enough to think we will ever achieve world peace, but I will still pray for it. I don't think it's impossible, however I do believe it's highly unlikely. I don't think anything is impossible through the power of prayer. Our God is amazing, and I have seen it with my own eyes, witnessed it happen in my own life. I KNOW what He can do. He has a plan for us, even though we don't understand it, we may not agree with it, and we often try to change it. God has it under control. God is in charge... and I will never forget!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
-Jeremiah 29: 11- 13

Holding Down The Fort

We are holding down the fort in all this nasty weather. Tropical Storm Lee has been keeping our lawn extremely hydrated these last few days!! Our poor dog has NOT been happy about the weather at all. He is rather spoiled and does not like to get wet so he's only been going out when it's an absolute emergency! The cats, however, have enjoyed sitting in the windows and watching as the trees sway and the rain pelts our patio. Until today we've been content to stay home, snuggled up in our comfy jammies, and watch movies. We watched Rio yesterday and it was fantastic!

Speaking of movies... the one I am REALLY waiting for is Lion King on Blu-ray! It is scheduled to be released on October 4, and I can't wait! We had it on VHS and I'm sure we wore it out. B has never even seen it, so I'm excited to show it to him. I'm sure he will love it!

My new job is picking up speed. I need to get my First Aid and CPR re-certification. I'll be in four different schools this coming week and four schools over five days the following week (visiting one school twice). Exciting stuff!! :o)

We had a wonderful day today!! Jason, the kids and I spent the day shopping, hanging out at the mall, running a few errands and then we went out to dinner at a new Sushi bar. Very relaxing, and nice to be together for once. Jason works so much and we are seldom in the same place. It's so nice that he has a few days off that I can spend some time loving on him and actually just being together! :o)

I hope you all enjoy what's left of your weekend, and if you have the day off tomorrow, that you spend it wisely. Never take your time with loved ones for granted, as we never know how many days we are gifted.

Until next time...

Change of Scenery

Things are changing around here!

You might know already, but I took on a part-time job. I get to work with children and it's PERFECT! I also get to travel a bit. I'm in different schools each week and meeting lots of sweet little faces. I love it!

The blog has obviously changed a little. I get tired of the same "look", although I really loved the last one. Not sure if I'm digging the swirls of colored wire, I might actually change it... yep, I think I will. You may never even see the swirls and all of this will have made no sense. LOL The point is, I like to change it up!

I'm finishing a few projects, too. I love crafty stuff, as I've said before, and I am finishing a photo display for our granddaughter's pictures! She just turned a year old. It seems impossible, but it's true. Time is whizzing by, and I hate it. I hate being so far away from the girls and our baby girl. She is such a cutie pie and I miss her (and them all) SO much! I needed to have another place to put up her pictures because my brag book, front hall, cell phone display and computer screen just weren't enough! :o) We have pictures everywhere in our house. I bought a really cool photo "vine" from Pier 1 and it's in our front entryway. The pictures slip into it and it's easy to change them out to display new ones. I often go through the kid's baby books and take out a picture here and there and put it on the vine. They are growing up way too fast...

The weather is HORRIBLE today, thunder crashing overhead, I am not a fan. At least it stopped raining long enough for me to walk B to the bus this morning, and I am very thankful for that. We did need the rain though, to help with some wildfires that have been burning in our area. As for me, it's a good day to stay home! It's raining so hard my dog won't even go out to pee! LOL

Eh, looking at the colored wires on the page again, maybe I'll leave them for a little while. I guess they are not so bad. Change is good. Perspective is important. Changing perspective is often necessary and several things in the last two weeks have caused me to change my perspective.

Yes, there will definitely be a change of scenery around here...