Cable or No Cable?

My friend Lisa has been living without cable for two years now. She uses the internet and downloads what shows she would like to watch using uTorrent. I have always been curious about doing this. My Timewarner bill always makes me sick seeing how much it costs. We have like two hundred and eighty channels and we watch maybe ten of them. So finally Reiggin threw out the idea of downgrading to just basic cable and keeping the internet.  We would be using this program called Boxee to watch some of the channels that are not offered with basic cable. We would still have Netflix too which is great.  I was sold on the idea. I won't lie I am a little nervous about going to just basic cable and relying on the internet for my shows. I think it will be something that we both will have to get use too. The money we will save will make it all worth it though.

Ok so I am on day 2 of just basic cable. I have to say that it has not been that much of a change. I say this and think that most my shows are on holiday break. So ask me in January how I am doing.  I have had more time to read my book and play with Virginia. I am still able to follow my morning routine of watching The Early Show and then The Rachael Ray Show. Life is good!

It's Christmas Time!

It is really starting to feel like the holidays. We have our porch fully decorated and a tree all lit up with a few ornaments that we have collected. The delight of my nights is watching ABC Family's 25 Days til Christmas. I love this time of year. It is much more enjoyable now that I don't work in a restaurant. I even love listening to the Christmas music that plays on Pandora.  My Mom's post on Facebook about her and my Dad decorating the tree and their making plans for the annual trip to McAdenville made me think of the Christmas traditions that we had growing up and the traditions that I will be creating with my family now.

For the Fords, it was always tradition for my Dad and Susan to put the lights on the tree. My Mom and I would start putting the ornaments and balls on the tree. Susan would always put a old school picture ornament of her on the top as our angel. Then to finish off, the orange squirrel would find its rightful place on the tree. Don't ask where the orange squirrel came from, but the tree never feels complete until it is on. On Chrismas Eve, we would all pile into the car and drive though McAdenville to see all the Christmas lights. Man, I am going to miss that trip though McAdenville this year.

Now, I think ahead to what kind of traditions I will make with my family. Virginia is getting older and she is starting to enjoy watching the Christmas movies and cartoons with me on TV. She was thrilled watching "Yes, Virginia" the other day. Reiggin helped me decorate the tree as Virginia enjoyed the lights. We have hidden the presents for Virginia in the closet. Which reminded me that every year my parents hid our presents under their bed. I would always go and try to peek in the presents when they were gone by pulling up part of the wrapping paper. I believe they knew. If not, sorry Mom! It is amazing I stayed on Santa's good list. Virginia is no fan of Santa just yet. Reiggin dressed up as Santa for work and Virginia was scared to death. So that trip to see Santa will be postponed.

I just love this time of year and I do try to remember the true meaning behind Christmas that it is more then just the gift giving and dinners with family. But that the most important thing is that Jesus was born. So I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Also, share with me what traditions you grew up with and what traditions you have started with your family.

Book Club

I had a little wild hair telling me that starting a book club with Lisa Harland would be a great idea. Luckily I didn't pull that wild hair and decided to go for it. The first book we decided to read was The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright.  I was a little worried at first about the book club. Most of you know I am not a big reader. I can't even remember the last book that I have finished. But I was determined to make this book club work. If only to proof some jokers wrong that teased and made jokes about me going to the library.

So I rushed off to the Statesville library, Virginia in tow.  First I had to get  a library card. To be honest libraries always make me a little nervous. They are always so big and finding my way around them sometimes is a challenge.  The ladies at the library were very helpful and I was on my way. I got my book pretty quickly. Then I decided since I was getting a book that I should get Virginia one too.

We made our way downstairs to the children's area.  I some what remember what the Gastonia libraries children's area looked like. But I was truely amazed at the set up that the Statesville Library had. They took up the whole downstairs. There was an area for kids to use computers. Then the best of all they had each section organized by age.  It was very easy for me to find the baby section and find a good first book for Virginia. Her first book was a great Peek A Boo book. Virginia has fallen in love with this kind of book. So when we returned my first book I found a great series called Peek A Boo!

Overall I was very happy and our book club was off to a great start. I rushed home and jumped right into my book. It took me about a week to finish the whole book. It wasn't to long or to short of a book. It made me cry, laugh, and say what? I would recommend this book to anyone. It has a little romance, mystery, and full of emotions. I also enjoyed being able to call Lisa up and discuss with her what was going on in the book. I started reading the book a few days before Lisa. Which was a good thing because I remembered that Lisa is a super fast reader.

Now we are on to our second book which is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I just picked it up from the library yesterday. I read a little last night and so far so good. But I am a little worried at how big this book is. I am sure that it will be ok and that Lisa will keep me motivated though this book.

If you guys have any suggestions on books that we should read, please leave me a comment and tell me the name of the book.

Broiled Herb Butter Chicken

I have been trying to improve my cooking skills lately. So every week I am trying to cook one new dish. Reiggin was closing tonight at Walgreens and I decided to test run a new recipe. I get almost all my recipes off of allrecipes.com. I love this site it is so easy to find what you want. So tonight I tried out the Broiled Herb Butter Chicken. I did make some changes. First instead of using parsley I used oregano. Second instead of using thyme I used garlic salt. Third I added a dash of paprika. Last but not least I used a dash of salt and pepper. I cooked the chicken in 5 minute stages. Each time the 5 minutes were up I turned the chicken over. Man this dish was delicious. I even didn't need to use ranch as a dipping sauce. For all of you that know me that says a lot. The dish was quick to make too. I think I may have spent 20 or 3o minutes total. I also made instant mash potatoes as the side item. I would highly recommend everyone trying this dish.

Of course I will add a picture of the dish as soon as I find my camera cable to transfer the image. Again, I need to improve my organization of my house. What is a blog entry without a photo. So here are a few Christmas photos. I decided to go all out on decorating our porch. Virginia was just a little excited about the Christmas lights. For a nice end a photo of our Christmas tree.

I Am Not My Mother...

I am not my mother. This statement is becoming more and more clear. Now that I am married and have a young child, I am realizing that I am not my mother. I am amazed at how well my mom took care of the household and my sisters and I. I definitely fall short of keeping up with my household. I believe I just lack the motivation. I also find myself occupied with the laptop more then I should be. My mom worked full time and still managed to cook us breakfast and dinner. There was also never a day that our house was so messy that it would be embarrassing for someone to come over. Our house was spotless as far as I can remember. My house now does not come close to being clean every day. I am trying to develop a cleaning routine. I know that if I just do a little cleaning everyday that this will help me keep on top of the mess. My biggest problem is the dishes. Yes, we have no dishwasher. Don't ask me what I was thinking when I agreed to live in a house without a dishwasher. I hate washing dishes, especially the glasses. Here come my excuses. I know that they are lame, but they are mine. First, most days Virginia will not let me clean for hours without wanting to be picked up. Second, the last thing I want to do is clean when Virginia is napping. Third, I am just overwhelmed at how fast my house gets messy. Ok so I know my excuses are bad, but I am determined to become better at being the Great HouseMom. Hopefully one day I can say that I am my mother. To wrap things up here is a super cute video of Virginia taking some of her first steps. You heard right we have a walking baby now.

Yes I know

Yes I know I have not blogged in a long long time. I really have no excuses other then I am lazy. So just for Lisa Harland, I decided I would update my blog. The nice shout out she gave me on her blog has pushed me to write.

There has been a lot going on in my life. Virginia turned one years old September 22nd and we had a great party at my sister Lisa's house. It is hard to believe it has already been a year. Looking back on all of our photos it is crazy how much she has grown up. She is learning new things everyday. She is saying mama now. We are working on dada. She is getting closer to walking, but for right now she is happy with cruising. The most exciting news is that we went to RockHill with my parents and Susan and got her first pair of shoes. She was not a fan at all of the nice woman trying to measure her feet. She screamed the whole time until we got out of the store. We did end up walking out with some super cute white stride right shoes that have flowers on the sides. Maybe with new shoes she will take off running.

As far as Reiggin and I go we are attending a new church, Harbor Presbyterian Church in Mooresville. It has been nice getting back into the routine of going to church. Virginia is getting better about going to the nursery. She still cries as we are leaving, but the nice ladies say she is fine after about five minutes. Everyone has been super nice at the church. I really love the preacher and how friendly he is. I am hoping to find a good small group to start to attend.

Reiggin has moved to a new store in Mooresville on Brawley School road. I am glad he is back down in Mooresville and not up in Hickory. He seems to be liking the new store. He has been working extra hard lately, but that's just Walgreens during the holidays.

I am still loving our new house. It is so quiet and our land lord is perfect. I will be sad to have to leave whenever the day comes that Reiggin gets his own store.

Like Lisa I am glad to see Fall is here and the weather is slowly getting colder. I do enjoy wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt. We will see how well we stay warm in our house. But so far the weather has made for some great blanket and movie time on the couch.

As far as entertainment in the future. I am excited to say we have tickets to The Avett Brother's new years eve show in Asheville. Now we just have to find someone to keep Virginia over night. We would love to be able to go to the show and stay the night in Asheville. I would probably not know what to do with myself if I actually had a night where I didn't have to get up every three hours. But first we have to get Virginia ready.

My goal with Virginia is to get her sleeping though the night. Hopefully soon she will start to like the taste of milk. Virginia did have her first year check up and passed with flying colors. She is 20lbs and 29in. tall. It was pretty sad she ended up having to get 4 shots and blood work done that day. That was not a fun visit. Also Virginia is moving up to a front facing car seat. Oh yeah my baby girl is growing up.

Also a side note is that my mom is on Facebook. Yes Myra Ford has taken the jump and joined Facebook. With a little help from me mom decided to join so she can see all the awesome pictures that Susan and I post. I tend to put pictures up faster on Facebook then I do on my blog. Now we just have to get Lisa to join the band wagon and get on Facebook. It is much better then Twitter. There is all kinds of stuff to do on Facebook. I tend to spend all my time playing games. Yes I am very addicted to all the games on Facebook. I just can't say no to a good computer game. Lately I have been spending all my time playing Cafe World and another computer game called Evony.

Well I think that catches everyone up. I know this blog post has been all over the place. So maybe in the future I will try to post more regularly. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the nice fall weather.

Cooking with Kathy

Today I decided to be adventurous and bake some banana bread. Virginia decided to be my little helper today in the kitchen also. That means while I baked she went and took all the bowls and tupperware out of the cabinets. Yes we very much so need to get the child proof cabinet locks.

First note about the banana bread recipe and really any recipe is to make sure you have all the ingredients that you need. Hold back the smart comments. So I had to substitute maple syrup for brown sugar. The end result was still great!

Oh also as part of Reiggin's Birthday gift I cooked dinner. Ok some of you may be thinking so is that a present or a punishment haha. I decided to make Garlic Cheese Chicken. The recipe is very similar to another chicken recipe of mine that Reiggin likes so I felt safe trying this one. Instead of bread crumbs I used fried onion sticks. I also switched up some of the spices but not to many. Everything came out great and tasted wonderful. You can never go wrong with cheese and chicken!

A Day in the LIfe of Virginia

Letting mom have a little fun with her!

Laying around after breakfast!

Helping mom take pictures of a few items to put up on ebay and craigslist.

Waiting patiently for her Lunch!

Mmmmm food!

Getting most of it in her mouth!

Get some juice after Lunch, best part of the day!

Do a little bit of lite reading!

Visit to see Grandma and Grandpa makes for a great Sunday!

Playing a sweet tune for Mommy!

Got to get in some playing time and see how many toys we can pull out at one time!

Goofing around and playing with her toes.

Enjoying some time with her new little ducky!

Taking a bath before heading out to church!

Happy Birthday Reiggin!

So today is a lovely day. The weather is nice, cool, and shady. I am enjoying this day completely. Virginia slept great last night and has been taking great naps. She even has been quite pleasant and playful. But to get to the most important part of today. Happy Birthday Reiggin!!! Yep Reiggin turned 30 today at 1:01pm. He may think he is falling apart, but I have to disagree. I told him that his life is just beginning. I mean he has a lovely wife and a beautiful little girl. Life is grande for both of us.

Reiggin got transferred to a new store in Mooresville. Today is the grand opening. Reiggin and the rest of the crew have been working like dogs this past week getting ready. Last night I got the grande tour. I must say the store was looking pretty good.

Virginia and I surprised him with a cookie cake and dinner at Sonics. Well surprise is not the right word since I couldn't wait til we got home so I went ahead and showed him the cake. Still we lit the candles and sung happy birthday to him and relaxed on the couch watching Big Brother the rest of the night.

I believe tonight I will surprise him and try to make garlic cheese chicken. Sounds good don't you think? Ok well gotta go catch you all later!

Harbor Presbyterian Church

Reiggin and I have been researching churches lately, trying to pick out a few to visit. Today, we visited Harbor Presbyterian Church in Mooresville. This was also Virginia's second time in a nursery.

Funny story is, that we went to the 11:00 service, but they don't do 11:00 service. So we ended up getting invited by the preacher and a few of the members of the church to go to the Explorers Sunday School class. Basically, it is a class to learn more about the church and for current people to decide if they want to become members. It was a small class of ten, but everyone was very friendly. I got a good feeling about the church and the people as a whole so far. I can't wait til next Sunday when hopefully we will be able to go to the 9:30 service and get a better idea of their worship service. Virginia did pretty well in the nursery. She got a little fussy towards the end, but overall she got a good report. A major plus about the church was that it seemed to have a good number of young children. One of my main focuses is to find a good children's program that Virginia can grow up in. I will keep you posted on our church search as it continues.

Good Times

My first anniversary was a blast. We made the ride down to Gastonia to see the folks. Luckily we made it in time to see Grandma and Grandpa Brown for a bit. Virginia had her Father's Day card in hand for Grandpa Ford. He was all smiles when he saw Virginia holding the card. Virginia managed to resist eating the card for maybe a minute. After getting settled in, Mom and Dad were super nice and agreed to watch Virginia while Reiggin and I enjoyed a night out. I forgot how nice it is to have a dinner with Reiggin and not have to stuff food down my throat before Virginia gets wild. We decided to go to Olive Garden. Man the food was awesome and enjoying a meal baby free with Reiggin was even better. I did feel a little strange like I was missing something without Virginia sitting beside me. After stuffing our faces we checked in with the folks to make sure Virginia was good. I know I am so paronoid it is sad. She was fine and enjoying a nice rock on the porch with Mom. We headed on up to the movies to get tickets for The Hangover. We decided to kill time and go to Walmart. I just can't help myself in Walmart I go straight for the baby section and the toy section. Reiggin laughed at me and said on our anniversary we are looking at baby toys. The movie was great I had not laughed so hard in a theater in a long time. After the movie we made a quick stop at Krispy Kreme for some yummy doughnuts. That made for a nice end to our anniversary day. We picked up Virginia and luckily she was playing happily in between Mom's legs. So with sleepily eyed Virginia snoozing in the back seat while we rode home I thought to myself I am one lucky girl, beautiful daughter and a loving husband.

Happy Anniversary!

WARNING Super mushy and cute post coming your way!!!!!

I can't believe it has been a year since I said I Do to Reiggin. The year has flown by. I am so thankful for having such a caring and loving husband like Reiggin. He has been great this whole year dealing with the first year of marriage and also having a baby. He has stepped up and really been the leader that I have needed. I just want to say thank you to him for working so hard and allowing me to stay at home and take care of Virginia. I know I can be a pain sometimes and moody, but he has stuck it out. We have had some great times this year. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. I just know that as long as you are by my side I can tackle any challenges. I love you honey!

Virginia playing around!

Kathy in the Kitchen!

Well lately I have been trying to be a better cook. My past cooking record has not been the best. I have left melted spatulas and smoke filled kitchens in my past. I found AllRecipe.com, this great recipe site a long time ago, but never really made good use of it. Now I have started to pick one recipe every week to try. This week I made this great chicken casserole recipe. This recipe was simple and quick. I mean when I can make it and not burn down my house you know it is simple. I even got great reviews from Reiggin. Thought I would share the recipe with you guys. Also to update people on my fingernail biting challenge. Well I have had a set back, but I am starting back strong.

P.S. I used cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup. Also I would use less stuffing mix. Two cups was a little too much stuffing for me. Enjoy!

The Battle Begins

You all know that I bite my fingernails like crazy. This drives many people nuts. My dad use to always say," did you not get enough to eat." My sister Susan thinks it is the nasty thing ever. Reiggin hates the fact I bite my nails also. I have also been wanting to grow my nails out a little longer so I can paint them. Sunday, Reiggin dared me to grow my nails out long. The bet is that I have to grow my nails out a good length. If I do this then I get to pick out a purse of my choice to buy. I have been dying to buy a new purse off of Etsy. I am hoping to be successful in this bet, but I have tried many times in the past to grow my nails. I think it is a combination of nervous habit and just me needing to be doing something with my hands at all times that makes me bite my nails. It has only been three days since the bet as started and already I feel myself wanting to bite my nails. You will laugh, but I will catch myself with my finger in my mouth and I have to slap myself and say no. I am determined to get a new purse. Wish me luck and I will keep you updated on my progress.

Short and Sweet

Just to please Susan I am making a short post. I have been busy packing up the old house on Wagner Street and moving into our new house on Clara Drive. I really didn't enjoy moving with a baby by my side. We got everything moved and to my surprise everything fit into the house nicely. Even though the new house is smaller it really feels like a better fit for us. I love how peaceful and quit the neighborhood is. I don't hear police sirens and fire trucks racing by at all hours of the night. Also there are no tractor trailer trucks going by shaking the windows. The only noise I hear now is the birds. The next step is to get some pictures on the walls.

I am including some pictures from the dinner at Susan's. I some what invited myself to a dinner party at my sister Susan's house one night. Really it was for my parents but I managed to wiggle my way into the party. Susan did a great job and cooked up some lovely fish and rice. I believe there was some other sides there to but I can't remember. The highlight of the night was watching my Dad play the Wii for the first time. Sadly he kicked our butts in every game. I am ready for a rematch anytime Dad. Like always Samantha entertained us with her many faces. While Virginia looked on with a face like what is wrong with you cuz. Both cousins behaved and enjoyed there time with the Grandparents.

Reiggin is currently on vacation which I have enjoyed. It is nice having him home and getting a break during the day from taking care of Virginia. We had Mom, Dad, Lisa, and Mike over to see the new house. I even dusted the house before the visit. That night we went to Lancaster's BBQ for dinner. That is the best place for BBQ up here. Or at least it has the best atmosphere. I want to sit in the bus next time we go. We will be packing up and heading down to Atlanta on Thursday to visit Reiggin's friend Matthew. Cross your fingers that Virginia behaves. This will be the first big road trip we have taken.

Ok my eyes are growing heavy and my bed is calling. Maybe this wasn't so short and sweet. I hope this makes you happy Susan!

Double Trouble!

Oh yeah I am super excited to say I am picking up Lisa tonight! It has been way to long since I have gotten to see her. We got big plans for this weekend. Friday we are going to get together with all the girls in Gastonia at Katie's house for some lunch. We will be having some good

Chick fil la. Then getting some baby time in. Katie just had a beautiful baby girl about a month ago. Also it has been awhile since they have seen Virginia. Lisa and I will also be going to my parent's house Friday to get some visit time with Susan and Sam. Saturday we will be getting together with Katherine and Kristina. Also it is going to be great to have Lisa to catch up on some good Chick Flicks like Twilight and HSM3. Oh how I need this girl time. So need less to say Double Trouble are back together again!

First Sippy Cup Alert!

This is a exciting day. Yesterday when I went to the grocery store I decided to buy Virginia her first sippy cup. She lately has been not loving her bottle. I believe it was just because she was teething. So today before I fed her applesauce I gave her some breast milk in her new sippy cup. It was a success. She loved the cup. She also took to it quite well. When I went to take it away and put her in her chair she was not happy. It was just to cute. My little girl is growing up.

Catch Up!

Ok so it has been awhile since my last post. So sorry but nothing much as been going on. I hope everyone had a great Easter. We went down to my parent's house in Gastonia and had a amazing lunch with all the family. There was great food and great company. Also Virginia finally got her a walker. She is also starting to get the hang of it too. Well that is all for now. Enjoy the super cute photos and video. Oh and sorry Mom just had to post your photo of you and Virginia just to cute!