Baking

Over the weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents. After church on Sunday, Emry helped Grammy make lunch. They had such a good time and Emry was so proud. What great memories they're making!

Going to Wasilla on Thanksgiving is great!

Thanks for the guest post by Ron Faulkner

Thanksgiving Dinner in my family is a day when we set aside any differences or plans and only spend the day with each other. I love this day and look forward to it each and every year! This is also the only day we can watch awesome parades on my DirecTV HD DVR after dinner. If I am not at home I still know I am going to have a wonderful time. I realize that there aren't many days when everybody is off work at the same time other than holidays, so I set aside my online school and work to make sure to spend it with my loved ones.

I bring my fiancé with me wherever I go, and family dinners are definitely not an exception. My family thinks of my fiancé as family, so it works out great. We go to my mother's first as she lives in Anchorage. We usually only eat, talk, and watch a show or two then head out as she goes to sleep early. However, when I go to my father's house in Wasilla, about 50 miles away, we do much more. My father and stepmother love games and other fun things, so we eat dinner and play games the entire time. We always stay the night out in Wasilla and then come back the next day. I love it!

"I have been paid for this guest post."

Great Grammy

She is that! I love my grammy. She is an awesome Christian women. This is a picture of my son Israel and my grammy. We had such a nice time getting together for Thanksgiving. We are blessed.

The Funnest Time of Year? Maybe So!

Guest post written by Ned Dutch

This Friday, I was planning on going to a Miracle Ear Testing Center to see if I should invest in a new pair of hearing aids, but my wife swiftly reminded me that this Friday is the famous Black Friday and that I need to devote the day to her and my families holiday shopping.

Come Friday, I think the two of us are going to try and get the mall extremely early. I'm planning on taking us there before the day breaks. I figured we could beat the traffic and also get the opportunity to wait in line for some of the annual gift card giveaways. Since were wanted to go anyway, we might as we get up a little early and try our luck. Several years ago, we won some big money and it took care of many gifts for all of our family members. In all, I think we are going to have a great time like we do every year. It will be a chance to save big on gifts for all of our loved ones.

I've been paid for this guest post.

Twin Sister

My twin sister and her husband were over to visit recently. We had our children just 12 days a part. This is her and her husband Scott with my son Israel and their son Kaden. We have such a good time together.

Anti Wrinkle Serum

It's amazing that even though I am quite young yet I can already see some fine wrinkles appearing on my face. My twin sister and I have kinda joked around about who has the deeper lines already. I guess my mom began using anti wrinkle serum and other creams when she was in her thirties. I may have to look into it sooner.

Best Muscle Building Supplement

At times I will watch some of the shows that show body building. It is amazing to me that a body can be transformed in such a way. They are not only great body specimens, but also very strong. Even the women are into doing this. They must really research the best muscle building supplement in order to get into such great shape.

Creatine Powder

The older we become the more we begin to think about our health and taking care of ourselves. I have friends that strive to stay in shape and have researched creatine powder and other muscle building methods. A person needs to find what right for them personally and read about results, side effects and quality. It's great to look good, but stay healthy at the same time.

Thanksgiving...

With Thanksgiving upon us we have so much to be thankful for... The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful family, our health, a new job and home, and so much more. We are looking forward to celebrating the holiday with loved ones. What more could we ask for.

Zappos.com

WOW, is it really almost Thanksgiving? Hard to believe! I suppose it's not uncommon to be thinking about Christmas and all that follows. My wife and I haven't done much shopping yet and may not have the time. We have recently moved into our first home and have been very busy with unpacking and home improvements. I have found that online shopping can save us a lot of time and money. The Zappos website is amazing! They have so much to offer.
With having a new job I have found that I need some new apparel. This site has some great choices in leather Born Shoes. They're such a comfortable shoe and what a vast selection to chose from. It was a difficult decision.
I also love their return policy. A person can return a purchase for up to a year absolutely free! They will provide a pre-paid UPS domestic or USPS domestic label for the return. You can't beat that. Zappos will definitely assist us with our shopping needs!

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Our Baby Israel

I know we all hear it time and time again, but I can't believe how quickly time passes. Our baby Israel will be turning "one" in just over a week from now. He is such a sweet little guy. Here he's enjoying some of the homemade baby food mommy made for him!

A short story collection I actually like

Guest post written by Calvin Donald

After years of being an avid reader, I've decided that I'd much rather read novels than short stories. Well, as long as they're not horror stories. I do like horror short stories because I think they work out perfectly because they tell enough about the story and get to the scary part in a short amount of time, rather than making you sit for a long time for the scary stuff.

Well, there is another exception that I have to my short story rule. When I was online looking for a used copy of John Grisham's short story collection Ford County, I found some info on an internet company and decided to click now and sign up for internet service through them.

I finally tracked down a copy of John Grisham's Ford County book and really liked it after I read through all of it. Normally I really donÕt like non-horror short stories, but I guess that I like these John Grisham ones because I like all of his books so much.

"I have been paid for this guest post."

My nephew Kaden

We had a great weekend with family. My nephew Kaden is turning one and his parents had a big party for him. It was fun to all be together to celebrate Kaden. He has started to walk in the past week and it was exciting to watch some of his first steps. As we sang Happy Birthday to him, he would give big smiles. What a fun time we all had!

Enjoying My Lunch Break

Authored by Alvaro Jordan

I get two 30 minute breaks at my job and one 2 hour lunch break. On my break, I go and pick up some food from one of my favorite Chinese restaurants down the street. I and my favorite co worker normally always take our breaks at the same time so that we can enjoy each other's company during our break, plus it saves gas with only one of us having to drive.

The Chinese restaurant located down the street from the job has a large buffet that I and my friend love. They always have a variety of selections to choose from and occasionally new items that they allow us to try for free. The staff there is always friendly and always recommending different items that they think we will like based on our past orders. We visit this place practically everyday.

Since my house is right down the street from the job, after we have gotten our food, we head to my house for a little relaxation and to catch up on our favorite television show. Since we have one hour and a half to play with after we get our food sometimes I watch DirecTV on my lunch break. Sometimes is becoming more often but what can I say? I have fallen in love with my satellite television. Afterwards, it's back to work!

"I have been paid for this guest post."

Now that's a BIG pie!!

When we were moving out of our apartment we were trying to plan a menu to feed a large group. I had heard about this wonderful pizza place. So we decided to try one of their VERY LARGE pizzas! It was actually very good! I kinda wondered since it was so huge.

Houston asbestos lawyer

For many life can change in a moment. Unfortunately now always for the good. I'm sure that most of us have heard from the TV or other sources about Mesothelioma. this is a awful form of cancer. They have found that it is caused from breathing in asbestos fibers. This type of cancer grows in the linings that protect our lungs, abdomen, heart and other organs. It can be very aggressive and a deathly form of cancer. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, there is hope and help available. At Heard Robins Cloud & Black, a Houston asbestos lawyer can assist you personally in this area. Call today for their professional experienced attention.

*I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.*

Apples

In the fall we enjoy going over to Wisconsin to an apple orchard. You can buy the best apples, apple butter and other items! The kids sure love the big apples. What great food! I'm sure we will return next fall.

Making turkey easy

Guest post written by Kristy Morris

After all of the stuff that I had to go through last year with all the Thanksgiving stuff, I decided that this year I was going to still do stuff for Thanksgiving, but I was going to put a lot less effort into it so that I could actually enjoy it with all of my friends. Last year I was so busy in my kitchen that I was barely able to entertain my friends who I hadn't seen in so long that I felt like a terrible host, even though I was just trying to be a really good host.

So I looked up for ways to fix turkey a lot faster this year by looking up a bunch of cooking blogs with my clear internet. I learned that way that there aren't that many ways that you can cook a turkey quickly, or many good ways anyway.

But I think that I did find this one decent way to do a quick turkey. I just hope that it tastes nearly as good a regularly cooked turkey.

"I have been paid for this guest post"

Talent!

My wife is so talented! These are some of her recent creations. She loves to cook and bake. She is now making specialized cookies, cupcakes and other baked goods. We did the Farmers Market through out the summer months. That was a lot of fun. You can find information on her baked goods at www.theycallmeoldfashioned.com.

Medical Uniforms

Sometimes I think it would be easier to wear a set uniform to work. You wouldn't have to wonder what you will wear. My mom wear's medical uniforms in her position. With sites like blue sky scrubs it is easier then ever to find the outfit of choice.
In her office the staff usually wears something different from the doctors scrubs. On this site they offer uniforms for men and women. They also have hats, coats and accessories to go along with an outfit.
A person can also find nursing scrubs on sale as well as other specials. With just a click of the mouse it's easy to find a variety of choices and colors. I'm sure for people like my mom, this would be a great way to shop.

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Fall

Fall is such a neat time of the year. My boys love to play out in the leaves that are falling. The bigger the pile the better! We missed this part of fall when we lived in Texas. It's great to experience the seasons.

Watching The Carolina Hurricanes in High Definition

Guest post written by Christine Duncan

This time of year is nirvana for a sports fan, with pro football in full swing, college football hurtling towards the bowl games, the pro basketball season kicking off and baseball finishing up, there's a ton of sports to watch and almost too much to keep up with. But for me, my favorite thing to make sure I never miss is my Carolina Hurricanes, and I always watch my hockey in high definition on direct tv hd channels. The high def feed is the closest thing to being right on the ice, and every hockey fan knows that hockey is the best sport to watch up close.

That's why minor league hockey is so successful, especially considering that so many other minor league sports have a hard time attracting fans to the games. Hockey is a game of action, but if you are trying to watch it in standard definition, good luck trying to keep up with the play. The absolute best way to watch every dance of the puck is with HDTV, where you can catch every single bounce and slash as the extremely talented players of the NHL make their moves.

You might think that the Carolina Hurricanes wouldn't have much of a fan base in college basketball country, but they fill the stadium every night and they even won the Stanley Cup a few years ago.

"I have been paid for this guest post."

Cuddling

Our boys Emry and Israel get along so well. Since moving to the farm they are always hanging out together. Here they were snuggled up staying warm. :) I love them so much....

How to lose belly fat fast

Have you ever heard people discussing their weight gain and the frustrations that come along with that? Women especially talking about how to lose belly fat fast. They express how after having children they sometimes find it is difficult to keep that middle region slim. I'm sure it's not a fun thing to deal with.

Herbal weight loss pills

My wife and I are still fairly young. We have not had much concern for weight gain and loss. We have heard from our parents that it can change soon enough. As they have grown older it has become more of an issue for them. They have done their research about diets, herbal weight loss pills and more. I'm not looking forward to that battle someday.

Gurkha Cigar

I grew up in a smoke free home. My mother however lived with a dad that enjoyed and continues to enjoy smoking. He has smoked gurkha cigars, rolled cigarettes and even a pipe. He will tell you that he enjoys the time he has spent smoking. Since he was quite young that is all he has known.

Cheap Auto Insurance Rates

Life has changed as we knew it. We are now living on an acreage and facing new and exciting challenges. One of the first things we did was to check into home insurance. With new monthly responsibility we are thinking about checking to find cheap auto insurance rates. There is a healthy competition out there and we are glad for that.

Emry's Party

We are working hard to get ready for Emry's 3rd Birthday party this weekend. Family and friends will join us in the fun! I have been taking some time off at work lately so that we can get the house in order. The bathroom is finally finished! Yeah!! We were so excited about that! It should be a fun day!

Depuy Hip Recall

Many of us have experienced some type of surgery in our lifetime. We learn to trust our doctors and hope for a great recovery. But there are cases where that isn't what happens at all. In August 2010 DePuy Orthopedics, owned by Johnson and Johnson had a Depuy hip recall. There were 93,000 hip replacement systems recalled because many patients were experiencing severe pain and swelling following their hip replacement surgery. O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath are attorneys that are there to assist you in an Accutane lawsuit or other types of liability claims. They understand that your hip issues may not be your fault and may be due to a defective hip implant. This experienced staff is well trained and ready to assist you.
O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Thanksgiving...

Can you believe we are only weeks away from Thanksgiving? Time has sure flown by this fall. With a new job, moving and then moving again, we are ready to settle in. Di has planned to have her entire family here for Thanksgiving dinner. We're going to have to work hard to get things ready before then. We are refinishing our dinning floor and still need two more coats applied before moving the table and china buffet in. It will all work out.

Vikings!

I am a big Vikings fan! My brother-in-law tries to get tickets to a Vikings game each football season. He got 4 tickets and is going to take me, my dad and maybe my brother (if he can make it). I'm so excited! It's always so much fun to be right there taking in all of the action. We should have a great day!!!

Gold Coins

Do you know people who have lost a large amount of their investments over the past couple of years? This possibly delaying retirement and changing the path of their future. The economy has seemed to have strugged over the past months. Loss of jobs and loss of finances has pushed some to think that there is nothing they can trust. Well, now with the United States Gold Bureau you can purchase a gold coin, silver and other precious metals. The Bureau has established a safe and immediate way of delivering to a bank or depository of your choosing. Gold and Silver both can be purchased in an ingot form. This is a pure bullion cast made into a convenient size and shape for storage. Browse in and see for yourself how you may want to purchase.

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Bark Bark Bark

Our dog Wall.E doesn't bark much at all. He is a very quiet calm dog. My parents have a bichon and she can be yippy. When left outside for any length of time she will stand by the door and bark. She won't quit either until someone comes to let her in. I'm not sure why she does that. At times it's so nice outside and she still wants to be indoors. Silly dog...........

Mice...........

Never having lived in the country we are finding interesting little creatures. I know that they are everywhere and not just in the country, but it is pretty much my first experience with dealing with them. Mice can be a nuisance. They really aren't harmful, but most of us don't want to live with them. Thank goodness it's not difficult to rid ourselves of them.

Gold Bullion

What do you think about what is happening in our economy these days? For a couple of years now we have been struggling in an up hill battle it seems. People are concerned about their investments and the job market is shaky at best. Who can they trust? Well, now the United States Gold Bureau is offering for purchase gold bullion, silver and other precious metals and coins. They have established a secure and immediate way of delivering to a bank or depository of your choosing. The Silver and gold can be purchased in an ingot form. This is a pure bullion cast that is formed into a convenient size and shape for storage. Their website may be worth taking a look at to help restore your purchasing power.

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Israel

Our baby, Israel is not going to be a baby too much longer. We will celebrate his first birthday in a month from today. I can't believe how quickly that time has flown by. His teeth began to erupt slowly and now they are coming in rapidly. He has a mouth full. It's so cute to see him smile and show them off!

Pets

We have a dog named Wall.E. He is such a mild tempered and beautiful dog. The kids just love him. I think Wall.E is a bit confused with all of the changes going on around here lately. He handles things well however. There is so much room for him now and so much easier to let him out side when he needs to be. I think he'll like it here.

Bullion

Have you been watching and have had some concern about where our economy may be going? Are you one of the many who have lost at least a third of your investments as the stock market continues to rise and fall? It's not easy to sit by and wonder where is a safe place today to invest and increase our retirement funds? Now with the United States Gold Bureau you can purchase gold, silver and other precious metals and coins. They have established a safe and immediate form of delivery to a bank or depository of your choosing. Gold and silver can be purchased in a conveniently sized form called ingot. It is a pure bullion cast made into a shape easy for storage. Click in and check this out for yourself.

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Shopping

We have had to do a lot of shopping lately. With buying a new home and all that comes with that, we find ourselves running to stores like Menards, Home Depot and Lowes quite a bit. There are so many little things to do. It's coming a long though and we are quite excited about it. My wife Diana is so great about envisioning what it will all look like in the end. I'm sure blessed to have her.

The Farm

What a different way of living! We have recently purchased an acreage. It is so peaceful and serene our here. It is nothing like living in town. We lived in the big city of Arlington Texas for four years and then moved to a larger community in the midwest. So ending up out here in God's beautiful country is quite something. I think we'll stay!

Buy Gold Bars

There are many around us today who have been touched and some affected greatly by the down hill spiral of events in our stock market and economy. It has caused some to delay retirement and question where they might invest more wisely to increase their financial portfolios once again. With the United States Gold Bureau one can buy gold bars, silver and other precious metals. Gold and silver both can be bought in an ingot form. This is a pure bullion cast that is formed into a convenient size and shape for delivery as well as storage. For centuries gold has been trusted as a great tool towards purchasing power. It may be worth browsing this website.

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

The Crud....................

I have been under the weather the past couple of days. I have that dreaded crud. The runny nose, achy all over and just plain not feeling up to par. I decided that maybe I will need to slow down a bit and get some much needed rest. It's difficult to do when I see so much around me that I want to get done. I guess it will all get done in it's time.

Party Time!!

My three year old niece just celebrated her birthday! Emry loves to help. He did such a great job handing Kaelyn her presents. They had a lot of fun together playing with her new things.

Gold Coins

As we watch our economy waver over the past couple of years, there have been many who are concerned with their finances and investments. My parents along with others found themselves losing at least one third of their personal investments. This has affected their trust in where they might put their money in the future. With the United States Gold Bureau a person can now purchase gold coins, silver and other precious metals. There is immediate and safe delivery to the bank or depository of your choosing. Silver and gold can be bought in an ingot form. This is a pure bullion cast that is made into a convenient size and shape for storage and delivery. It may be worth your time to browse their website.

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Lowes

How cute are they?! We have been busy out shopping for supplies for our home improvement projects. Our boys love to ride in the big carts they have at Lowes. That same night my twin sister and her family were shopping in a Home Depot store. We each just happened to text a picture of our kids riding in their big carts. It was too funny!

My buds....

At my grandparents 60th my mom took this picture of me and Israel. He is such a happy boy! He's such a joy and blessing to us all. He was enjoying his time the night also!

Buy Gold Coins

We have all watched as our economy has dropped to an all time low. It has been a great concern for some as they had plans to retire soon and have since had to delay retirement. Many have lost a large portion of their investments. Now with the uncertainty they are not sure what is safe to invest in. With the United States Gold Bureau you can now buy gold coins, silver and other precious metals. They have made it easy and safe for delivery. Silver and gold can be purchased in an ingot form. This is a pure bullion cast that is made into a convenient size and shape for storage. Now may be the time to rebuild your personal financial portfolio. Click in and see for yourself.

**I was paid for this post. My honest opinion was given and not swayed in any way.**

Grandparents 60th

Recently my grandparents celebrated their 60th Anniversary! We are so proud of their dedication to one another and the awesome example they have shown to our family. We got together with our cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to celebrate. It was an awesome time seeing so many and catching up. This is a group picture of some of us.

Holiday Cards

Can you believe that Christmas is around the corner? It will be here before we know it. Recently we were visiting family and decided that maybe we should try to take a few pictures of our family. We thought that it might be nice to use one of them for our holiday cards. I think that there may be a good one in the bunch and am glad that we took them.

Samsung HDTV

Up until recently we didn't own our home. We now have an acreage and a lot more space. I'm thinking a new and bigger Samsung HDTV might be in order. We're still busy trying to get things unpacked, doing home improvements and just trying to settle in. We'll have plenty of things to go shopping for. It's a lot of fun to own our own home!

Can't wait!

I can't wait for Emry's birthday! For one, because my little buddy will be 3, but also because it will be the first time we have people over with our house in shape! That also means we have to work on getting it in shape before then! ha. It will all come together and will be a lot of fun to have people over to our place! Then it's Thanksgiving when we are having our family over again! Will be a fun month!!!

Netbook!

So, my mom got a new computer. She looked at all kinds of netbooks and fell in love! The one she chose is very small and compact, great for traveling! She says it runs very quickly and she would get another one when and if this one ever fails. She also looked at getting other kinds of laptops and desktops before settling on her netbook. Not to mention the iPad they just got. They are set to go!

Gotta work out more!

I know I have to work out more, but working on our new house has been a good start! I am sore each morning due to all the physical activity I am having to do! There are a lot of ways to lose weight and a lot of resources, like lipofuze reviews, but nothing quite beats working out at the gym... or renovating your house! Ha. I am not only working out but am making our new house look good. Doesn't get better than that! If I had endless money, I would do continuous projects on our new house! I can see why people who have houses get crazy about the huge hardware stores! So much fun!

Glad I don't have this problem!

I am sure glad that I don't have to worry about hair loss! I hope I never do, but there are sure some good ways to treat it now a days. Many people claim that they know the best product for hair loss, but who really knows what works best. I just hope I never have to worry about it. My dad and grandpas have hair. Well, one of them has lost some but not until he was in his 70's, so hopefully that is a good sign for me!

Still learning!

I feel like I am learning each day as an Academic Advisor. I am learning so much more about other majors that I was not familiar with. There are so many terms or words that are foreign to me, like who has heard of chondroitin glucosamine msm before? I have students sharing these types of things with me and find myself learning so much since starting! I feel like I could have been a business major, education, or anything else with all the knowledge I am learning! So interesting!

Bathroom!

I can't believe it! It is almost done! In fact, it will be done today!!!! OUR BATHROOM! The one room we needed to fix up in the house, since it didn't have a tub and was really small. It looks great! I can't wait to see it after the plumber puts in the sink and the toilet today! Then I just have to put up the chair rail and baseboard! Should look great!

Always tired!

With changing jobs, getting up earlier, and staying up later to work on our new house, it seems like I am constantly trying to remove dark circles under eyes each morning. I keep being told that I look tired and I am trying to get more sleep, but it isn't happening. I have heard of many tricks but am not sure I actually want to put meat on my face in the morning..haha.. If you have any good ideas, let me know because I would prefer not looking like I just got out of bed or beat up in a fight while I am at work each day. ha

Colon Cleansing....

I continue to hear more and more about people who are getting their colon cleansed. It doesn't sound like anything I would want to go through but for those are are, I guess there are many options, like cleansonix. I don't plan on ever getting it done and have heard mixed reviews on the actual benefit to doing it. But, I guess, to each their own. Good luck with whatever you end up choosing to do or how to attempt to stay healthy as we all age.

Always bargain shopping!

So, now that I am on a tighter budget these days, I am always interested in bargain shopping! I love the look of men's polo shirts and am always looking for good deals! They go with just about anything and are casual enough to wear around the house and dressy enough for something like church. For men's wear, it is polo shirts and button down shirts that I am always hunting for. What is it that you are typically looking for when shopping for good deals?

Kevin Garnett and Charlie V.

I read an interesting article today, which suggests that KG called Charlie V (kinda rhymes, hu.lol) a cancer patient during an NBA game last night. I have always wondered what causes Charlie to be without hair or eyebrows, but couldn't believe it when I read that KG made such a personal attack during the game. He has always been known for his trash talking, but this seems a little out of line. Charlie said he has a soft spot for people with all types of cancer and can't believe KG would say something like that to him. I mean, think of all the people with breast cancer, Mesothelioma cancer, or any other cancer. How would they feel to know that someone is using it as a way to trash talk in an NBA game? Sad

Tire Swing

Emry LOVES his new tire swing. The first thing we wanted to do was have a tire swing on our property, and we are sooo glad we did! It is Emry's favorite birthday present ever and it is so fun to see his joyful response when he is playing on it!

Working on the house

Just got moved into our new house and have been working hard to make it our own! Renovating the bathroom has been our main priority and I feel like I am always going to a hardware store, whether harken, Lowes, or Baldwin hardware. Seems to be a daily trip these days :) I have loved it and am learning so much about house renovation. I can't wait for all the future projects we take on to make this house OURS!