Thursday, June 30, 2011

Dad's Famous Clam Chowder

My husband sure loves us! The way he shows his love is to cook... and cook... and cook! One of his most favorite meals to cook is clam chowder.
Bryan e-mailed his dad and requested his special clam chowder recipie to use for his cooking merit badge. Here's the recipie:

1 c celery, diced
1 c onion, diced
1 c carrot, diced
2 c potatoes, diced
1 can diced clams
3/4 stick butter
1/2 c flour
4 c half and half or milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
tobasco to taste

Chop your veggies and place in large pot, drain clam juice into pot with veggies, reserving the clams for later. Cover veggies with just enough water to almost cover the veggies. Simmer untill firm, but cooked.

While veggies are simmering, melt butter in large pot. Add flour and stir untill mixed. Cook untill bubbly. Then, slowly add cream or milk while stiring quickly. Cook and stir until just boiling. Add cream mixture and clams to veggies. Stir. Add salt, pepper, and tobasco to taste. ENJOY!!

We usually make a x3 or x4 sized batch for our family, and we always add an extra can of clams or two.

I'm thinking that the kids won't miss their dad half as much if they are eating his clam chowder on a regular basis ;)

As always,
Just Rosy

Monday, June 27, 2011

Wiggly-jiggly Love




Have I told you that I love Bethany? She obviously loves us, because she is baking us sugar cookies... and made us jell-o. That just says "wiggly-jiggly love" to me :)

As Always,
Just Rosy

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Silly Stapler Song



This is for you Matt! Hopefully all the office supplies I sent, including the stapler, should be there soon :)

As Always,

Just Rosy

Friday, June 24, 2011

Where's Waldo... I mean, David?





A few days ago, while driving out to Scout Camp to drop off a pair of shoes, I was talking to Beth and David. "So, how are you guys doing so far, with your dad gone?" Bethany said that she was doing "ok!" and David said "I miss him, but I'm having ALOT of fun!".


Part of the fun is getting to "sleep" in the living room if their chores are done for the day. This is what I woke up to this morning.


There actually are TWO children (and maybe a cat!) hidden in there... somewhere.


As Always,


Just Rosy

Thursday, June 23, 2011

And Now... For My Next Trick!!



This morning I was suprised with 2 emails and a phone call! Any day that starts like that has GOT to be good :) And, it was!


Like all professionals, Matt needs additional training to keep current in his field. This year, his training is going to be in Germany! "Most of the guys are flying their wives out for a mini-vacation. Do you think you can come?!" I would love to... erm, well, there's these major repairs that need done on the van... and a wedding next month to travel for, our kids eat 3 times a day (hmmmm, maybe I can cut that down to 2?), we'd need a sitter... The chances of me getting a chance to use my passport looked slim to NONE.


As a Dave Ramsey "nerd", there was absolutely NO WAY I was going to put anything on my credit card that wasn't life of death, and I mean somebody has better be bleeding out their eyeballs. One of the magic things about being a Dave Ramsey "nerd" is that I have a budget. Not only am I budgeted for this month, I'm budgeted for 18 months out. Also, we are making avelanche payments towards our massive student loans. To put it in perspective, 35% of our take-home pay goes towards debt payments (not including the house). (7 years, baby! And, I will be getting a 35% raise!)


Here's where the magic comes in... Since Matt's not here eating, driving, or taking me on dates, I was able to trim our gas, grocery, and date budget for the next year. Because I don't have a year to save for this, I will be putting the monthly trimmed amount toward the extra payment I'm not making next month. Voila! Geesh, whoda thunk a ticket to Germany was hidden in there?! (I certainly didn't!)


I would like to thank Vertex42.com for the AMAZING budget spredsheets. They have a spredsheet for everything you could possibly think of and stuff you probably wish you would have thought of.


Biggest thanks go to my dear friend who volunteered to stay over with my kids. Now, THAT says love!


Seeing Matt (and hopefully friends!!!) in Germany will be amazing!


Things are definately,


Just Rosy

Monday, June 20, 2011

A Very Merry Un-Anniversary!!

I remember the days when Matt was at basic training. It was the dawn of time, dinosaurs were roaming the earth and nobody had a cell phone. I would wait with anticipation for the mail carrier to bring me a post card and on Sunday, I might get a 10 minute call from a pay-phone.

Since we've gotten the internet, I've lost interest in watching the mail box. (I watch my in-box!) Today I got the sweetest anniversary card in the mail. It's not even our anniversary... or our anniversary month. It was both random, and awesome :)

I am so thankful to be married to my best friend. Every minute of every day, there is something to be grateful for. But, this has to be my happiest happy thought.

Sending all my love,
Just Rosy

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Father's Day



Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers, both near and far!


This morning, I got the kids up and ready for church. We ate breakfast, and wrote Matt a few e-mails. We're counting his new computer (to replace the one that died a horrible death) as his "father's day present". That and the fact that we don't have a mailing address for him yet. Hey, every day that you get a package is "Father's Day", right?


This is a pic of what all the dad's at church got today from the bishop. Adam and Bryan brought one home for Dad. How thoughtful!! I'm thinking that this would not make it past the post office if I were to mail it... Oh well, I guess I'll just have to drink it. The sacrifices we make and what not. It really is for the greater good. I'd hate to start a panic at the post office; especially after a little old lady took a live hand grenade to our local Wal-Mart earlier this week.


Raising my glass,

Just Rosy

Thursday, June 16, 2011

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Cans...

I've gotta say it. I love my husband. I am one lucky lady. We speak different, but very compatible love languages. I like to be huggy-touchy, often rubbing the hands, feet, backs and faces of my family. At church, we are one great big cuddle puddle on the pew. My husband likes to COOK.

A meal with Matthew is never a simple event. It usually involves multiple courses and every pot and pan in the kitchen. Recipies? Who needs them! Let's do a dash of this. Oh, that smells good! Why don't we try it THIS way... You never know what to expect, except that it's going to be GOOD! Cooking dinner is a very special way to say "I love you", because my energy has usually petered out about the time it is to cook dinner.

One of Matt's special "I'm so happy to spend time with you!!!" meals is clam chowder. Today, I found 15 cans of clams in my pantry. I'm so happy to spend time with you too, sweetheart!!

'Till We Meet,
Just Rosy

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Day 4

I don't know about you, but I am not above bribing, I mean, REWARDING my children. The deal around here is that if chores and homework get done, we'll go to the pool on base in the afternoon. My sweet daughter (with her schedule) has decided to clean the house from top to bottom (love that girl!!!).

This afternoon, we went to the pool.... untill it started hailing. Not bad, both random and awesome :)

~Just Rosy

P.S. I'll be posting much better quality pictures soon. I'm seeing a FedEx shipment in my very near future!!

The Rules...

At our house, we have three simple rules. All other rules are subjugate to these.

1. Don't DIE.

2. Don't EAT the children.

3. We don't negotiate with terrorists.

Obviously, our unspoken rule is to keep your sense of humor about you ;)

Do you have any specific rules that keep peace and tranquility at your house? Any rules I should add? Please share :)

~ Just Rosy

Monday, June 13, 2011

Random Acts :)

I don't know if I've told you, but I LOVE my daughter! Today, she decided to plan out her entire day down to the minute. I have to say, I was very impressed! (I wonder where she gets that from... ;) I asked her if she wanted to go with me to go visit with a sister from our church and to help her unpack boxes from her move. After consulting with her schedule, Bethany decided that if she combined her scheduled break and her lunch period, she would be able to go with me. (hehe!)

Another sweet sister had come over and got most of the work done this morning, so we didn't have much to do to finish the job. We had a nice visit, and Bethany enjoyed playing with her little dog. She even got to take it for a walk.

To make up for missing her "lunch period" I let her pick out where we'd go for lunch.

I really love my daughter. She's a daily reminder that God loves me :)

As always,

Just Rosy

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sunday Musing









"Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. This is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding that can change your life, because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way." (Sheri Dew)




Oh, how I love Sheri Dew! She is an amazing lady. We are ALL amazing because of our divine nature. The biggest part of what makes me "me", is my faith that I have a Father in Heaven who loves ME. My husband may be deployed, but I am definately not alone :)




~Just Rosy

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Just how long is a year, anyway...



Today, my daughter and I sat and made a paper chain to see exactly how long it will be untill Dad comes home. While it didn't take a year to complete, it certainly felt like it!!

And this, my friends, is how long a year is :)

As always,
Just Rosy :)

Friday, June 10, 2011

365 Days of Random Awesomeness!!

Well, my 4 children and I just got back from sending off our soldier to Afghanistan. There were no tears, just lots of hugs!! As we've prepared ourselves for this year, friends and family have offered their love and support. This will be our first year-long deployment (we've had multiple 6 month seperations). When the question of "how long will he be gone" was asked and answered, the response was usually "Oh honey, I'm so SORRY!!".

Well...

I'm not sorry. Because this is going to be the most AWESOME year EVER!!

I love my husband. Oh, with all my heart and soul do I love my husband. He is my best friend and eternal sweetheart. But, just because we're apart doesn't mean that it's the end of the world and sitting at home moping about it won't do any good. That also sounds miserable, boring, and won't bring joy into anyone's life.

This year, we will be doing a count down calendar of RANDOM AWESOMENESS. Each day, we will complete a weekly mission of random awesomeness suggested by YOU!

The requirements are as follows:

1. Each idea must be both physically possible and financially feesable.
2. Things like "board games, water gun fights, bake cookies" are AWESOME, but so are things like "do arts and crafts at the nursing home". Random acts of kindness are most definately AWESOME :)
3. Keep it legal, and keep it clean!! Going to jail is neither random nor awesome! That, and my lawyer is out of the country for the next year ;) We're talking about things that an Army wife and her children can do together.

I can't wait to see your ideas!!! I promise to take pictures and post a blog about each experience.

As always,
Just Rosy