A Shout Out to My Home Girls!

I have some uber talented friends!  I love that some of them have blogs so I can keep up on every little thing they do! I'm kind of snoopy :) It's so much fun to see that side of people you are close to.  Here are a few of the blogs that my lovely lady friends own. Follow them.  Despite what your were taught, it is good to be a follower!

Crissy...

Miss Southern Belle.  Crissy is a Texas gal living in NASCAR country.  Her husband Mike made her do it.  She has an awesome blog about her family, friends, decorating, cooking, and her wonderful  photography. Her hubs and mine are great friends and Crissy and I have become great friends as well. She is beautiful inside and out, smart and funny! We are planning a trip to North Carolina in September to see them, I can not wait! Check out her site,  I think she's pretty fabulous!  http://smothersfaminnc.blogspot.com

Kelly Nicole...

This is my sister from another mister.  We are Missouri gals with a love for all things country.  We believe we are related.  Digging into some old family documents I discovered one of my relatives shared her last name and lived in the same area her family once lived.  We are cousins. There is no other explanation!  Kelly understands me and all my quirks. She is my sister in Christ and constantly helping me be a better me.  AND she's a fabuloso mother and 1st grade teacher!  Check her out! http://allinafirstgradeday.blogspot.com/

My (real) cousin Katie...

My beautiful cousin Katie and I didn't spend too much time growing up together, she lived in Iowa, I lived in Missouri. When I moved to Iowa, she moved away. I didn't take it personal.  She was always the cousin I looked up to, she is beautiful (I heart her hair), fun, adventurous, smart, funny, the list goes on and on.  She lives in Texas now with her wonderful husband and beautiful son Harper.  Through the powers of Facebook and some wonderful visits we've gotten to know each other a little better and have decided that we would be inseparable if we lived closer to each other!  She is a fabulous baker and all together awesome person! Check out her two blogs. ovenlovinbakery.blogspot.com 

http://everytomdickandharry.blogspot.com/

Cheryl...

Cheryl is a friend of Kelly Nicole and I have the privalge to know her. She now lives in St. Louis (Nelly songs are running through my head right now) and has started her own children's clothing line. She is amazingly talented!  Check out her stuff. http://lionsandlilypads.blogspot.com/

Hope you all enjoy these ladies as much as I do!

My Struggle Within

We are all human. We all have wants, and needs, and desires.  I struggle with being happy with what I have.  There is always someone with a bigger house, more money, better clothes or a nicer car.  Instead of asking "Why can't I have that?" I need to consider what I have instead.  So I did a little soul searching and jotted down a few things.  Just a few...my list of wants is long.  Not something I am proud of, and something that I am constantly working on!  Here goes it...
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I WANT a child who is disciplined, listens when I ask her to do something and polite.

I HAVE a child who is free spirited, has already mastered the art of selective hearing, polite when she wants something, independent, and beautiful!

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I WANT a body that is lean, chiseled, and stretch mark/scar free

I HAVE a body that soft, strong, healthy, and shows the signs of a beautiful and interesting life.
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I WANT a home that makes people talk. Beautiful decor, nice furniture, and smells of lavender and sunshine.

I HAVE a home that is perfect for my family, with room to grow and memories to make, decorated with things made by my own two hands, furniture that will last through children and pets, and smells of life, with a little black raspberry vanilla scent thrown in to cover up the sometimes not so good smell of life.
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I WANT money in my pocket to spend. To not worry about the price tag or always shop in the clearance section.

I HAVE an understanding of money and pride in knowing that the things I am able to spend my money on are needed and a satisfaction in being thrifty and creative.
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I WANT a husband who is romantic and spontaneous and sings to me.

I HAVE a husband who is practical, steady, provides for me, and loves me.  I have the radio to sing to me and as long as I don't watch too many romantic comedies, he is perfect.
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I WANT adult conversation and interaction. To feel needed and respected. To be good at a career.

I HAVE an amazing opportunity to stay home with my child. To feel her need for me and take in her love. I have a career that directly benefits my family in a most positive way.  I am fluent in toddler and an expert play dough artist.
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I WANT to not want all these things and to be happy with who I am and what I have.

I HAVE a Heavenly Father who is constantly seeking the good in me and in my talks with Him is helping me become the best version of me I can be.

I have everything. I just need to get my head out of my butt sometimes and realize it!

Enjoy what you have today!

Fun Family Fourth!

This year on the 4th of July we were invited by some very good family friends to their lake house in the Ozarks.  We had a fabulous time floating in the water, cruising around on a boat, and watching the amazing fireworks show put on by the neighbors across the lake.  The whole family was there and it was wonderful to see some old friends who I will always hold dear to my heart. Check out some pics!

Ours friends amazing lake home. 

Jon and I before heading out to float our cares away on the lake.  This is a rare glimpse of me without makeup and no tan.  You can open your eyes now.

Our wonderful hostess Jennifer!

Indulging in some snacks.  This isn't even half of who was there, 18 in total!

The kids watching the ice cream maker do it's magic

Such excitement!

A few sweet pics of my baby girl

Long busy day relaxing at the lake

Melissa and Nathan, hands down the sweetest people you will ever meet.  I heart them both.

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July and took time to remember our heroes past and present that make it possible for us to celebrate this wonderful holiday!

Scrumdidilyumptious!

Finally! After I months of not being able to make any Pioneer Woman recipes I'm back in the saddle!  OK, maybe it wasn't months, but it felt like it!  I had to dust the cobwebs off the crock pot.  Last nights venture was a crowd pleaser.  My husband and I don't signify a crowd so we added a few more Duke's to the gang.  Jon's brother Jason and his beautiful wife Jacquelyn, also known as my sister and brother in law, and the newest little Duke, Willow, also known as my niece, came over for some grub.  On the menu..PW Pulled Pork sandwiches with Cilantro-Jalapeno Cole Slaw.  Sounds fancy, delicious, and messy.  Also known as Scrumdidilyumptious.  Disclaimer, my camera does not live up to my expectations for taking pictures of food.  It could be the operator, but probably the camera.  So the pics DO NOT give this dish justice on how good it actually looked.  Check out Pioneer Woman's pics...her camera (or operator) do a much better job!

Pork Butt (he he) 

 

 

Cooked Pork Butt 

Jalapeno Cole Slaw and fresh Cilantro. It does not get any better then fresh cilantro in my mind.

Put the cole slaw and cooked pork butt on a toasted bun. I like toasted buns and butts. OK, this just got weird.

Here is the link to PW recipe. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/pork-sandwiches-with-cilantro-jalapeno-slaw/  I had to tweak it a bit. Hers calls for Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce which I could not find!  So I used half a can of Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies) and added some chili and cayenne powder.  It was good but next time I will search high and low for the Chipotle Peppers.

I'm getting out of hand now...tonight is another PW recipe.  Taco Pizza. Can't wait to try this one!  Shh...don't tell the hubs there is no meat on it. I would hate to have to force feed him.

Just Some Tidbits

I have been wracking my brain on topics to write about on this here blog and have come up with nothing!  I have no new recipes to share, no new decorating tips or ideas that I've tried yet.  So this post is going to be about nothing really. Just a few tidbits from the past few weeks.

Birthdays! Whoop Whoop!  

We've celebrated 2 in the past week.  June 19th. My little peanuts birthday. Three years ago on Thursday June 19th at 4:45am my water broke.  My whole pregnancy I was worried that I wouldn't know I was having contractions and the baby would be born at home or on the way to the hospital.  These were valid fears at the time.  I prayed for my water to break, kudos to the Lord for coming through on that one.  I arrived at the hospital around 6am, Jon didn't see the need to rush and took the long route, after stopping at the ATM.  He was obviously trying to delay the birth as long as possible.  Some contractions, drugs, sleep, and pushes later (I am editing here) my whole world changed as my whole world was born.  Allyson Rae Duke arrived at 1:22pm.  What a blessing. What a joy.

This past week she turned 3.  Wow. Where has the time gone.  She doesn't look like a baby anymore, but a little girl.  A little girl with long curly hair and a smile that lights up the room.  A little girl who has everyone she encounters wrapped around her tiny little finger.  Happy birthday to our little Hot Rod...

June 22, 1983. The world got a little bit better.  The sun was shining, angels were singing, and the birds were chirping.  I was born.  Yes little did my parents know 28 years ago just how special I would be.  Just kidding! My birthday was yesterday.  For the first time EVER I actually forgot it was my birthday until my mom called. It will never happen again.  My wonderful husband took me out to dinner at Olive Garden. My favorite, and our first date location :)  Bread sticks are good.  I even got free wine and a little entertainment from the minors sitting in the booth behind us.  Here's a little advice to all you minors out there.  If you are going to try to order an alcoholic beverage, tell your friend who orders before you NOT to order chocolate milk to drink.  Also don't claim to be 25 and leave your ID in the car.  25 year olds don't do that.  But the poor child (who was most likely about 16) did provide me with excellent people watching for the night.  Happy birthday to me!

Me circa 1984

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing!

Ally loves The Wiggles.  You know the Australian group of all 30 plus year old men who sing and dance.  Yeah, it's a little weird, but she is so cute dancing around the living room I can't help but condone her watching them.  So for her birthday I got her a new DVD (I'm an enabler) and we have watched it about 6 times a day since Sunday.  She shakes and shimmies her little behind to all the groovy dance tunes.  All this was in preparation for her first dance class, which was last night!  Seriously, hands down the cutest thing I have ever witnessed. A class of 3 and 4 year olds trying to be taught first position (heels together, toes out.)  I was beaming from ear to ear watching her try to gallop, skip, stand still, stretch and freeze.  Mega fail for me though, apparently when the class description says for the kids to wear comfortable clothes, that does not mean sweats and a t-shirt, but rather a full dance leotard, tights and ballet shoes.  We will be going shopping before next weeks class.  Ally didn't mind though, she was all smiles...

The super cute bow was made by a friend. Check out her site! http://www.trosieb.com

OK so as it turned out this post was not about nothing at all (does that statement make sense?) Guess birthdays and dancing make for pretty good blogging topics.  Hope y'all enjoy!

Going to get my groove back

Ok, so I have totally been in a slump with my writing lately. I blame the moving delays and heat for my brain farts.  I promise to indulge in new and exciting posts in the following days including decorating and cooking!  Now that I actually have a kitchen that isn't full to the ceiling of boxes I can get started on some new recipes!  So stay with me, I will get my groove back soon!

Peace out my homies

My Hero

Well, here it is. Another one of those days set aside to honor someone who we should honor every day. Father's Day.  Pop, Old Man, Father, Dad, or for me, Daddy.  Yes.  I am going to get sappy, again. 

My dad is my hero.  It sounds cliche, but he truly is.  He's big, and tall, and cuddly.  Just like a dad should be.  He's tough when he needs to be tough and soft when he needs to be soft.  He was a Fireman and is now a Special Investigator (sounds so cool doesn't it!)  He's a lot of peoples hero.

Just hearing my dad's voice makes me smile because he still talks with a "Missouri accent."  When he sings he thinks he sounds like Toby Keith, and I think so too.  He shared his love of old movies and John Wayne with his kids while we were growing up, and now we share the same love.  I remember sitting in my daddy's truck when I was a little girl and singing my favorite old Nitty Gritty Dirt Band song, and he would have the biggest smile on his face.  He taught me how to drive on a back road in Missouri and still tells the story of how I maneuvered around a combine.  I feel proud that he remembers that moment. It's one that I will never forget, along with many others.

Growing up my dad was the cook in the house.  For breakfast he would always make my brother and I fried bologna, corn beef hash with cheese, or grilled cheese sandwiches.  I always loved his breakfasts.  He's an amazing cook, and master of the grill.

He is my baby's Papa. She fits so snuggly in his big burly arms.  Ally loves sitting on Papa's lap and reading books. I know he would go to the end of the earth for her if she asked him to. 

He's my daddy.  He will always be the number one man in my life. 

End Note: I would love to post a picture of how truly handsome my dad is, but my photos are on another computer. :(