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I'll give you a chance to answer this one yourself, how's your move to Florida going?

The move hasn't been a smooth as we had hoped. The house in Tennessee still has not sold. We are renting an apartment in Lakeland and trying to go on with everyday life. The worry over the house is never far from mind, though. We are hopeful that Kaylea will get into a Magnet or Charter school for next year. If this happens then the house selling is not as urgent an issue. However, if she doesn't get into these "unzoned" schools, then we will have to reevaluate our whole rental situation. Currently, we are not zoned for the best middle school and I would not buy a home in this district knowing that Kaylea would attend its middle school.

So many things still unsettled, it makes my head spin at times. We just have to remember this is God's plan and it will work out the way He sees is best.

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100th Post

Oh how exciting. I just realized that my Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe was the 100th post on My Crazy Little Mixed Up World. Funny, I had sorta planned out in my head what I wanted to do for my 100th post. Somehow, a recipe wasn't what I imagined. Oh well, maybe the 200th will have a little more pizzazz.

P.S. To those of you that have been around since the beginning, thanks for hanging with me. To those that are new comers, I hope you find something of interest and make me a regular stop on your tour of the blog-o-sphere.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a yummy dip to serve at your next get together. I took it to a Superbowl party and it was a hit. You get all the flavor of Buffalo Wings with out the mess. What could be better?



Buffalo Chicken Dip

White meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken (Mojo flavor if you can find it)
2 - 8oz. pkg Cream Cheese, softened
1 c. Ranch Dressing
Texas Pete Wing Sauce, to taste
1 1/2 c. + 1/2 c. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
Shred the white meat from the rotisserie chicken. Stir in the cream cheese, ranch dressing, wing sauce, and 1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese. Spoon into a 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

I'm sorry, but let the President speak......

If you haven't already noticed, I really try to stay away from controversial topics on my blog. I kinda made a rule in the beginning that I wasn't going to write about religion or politics. I just didn't want to open those doors and possibly offend any of my readers. I have done a pretty good job at sticking to my original rule; however, this whole hullabaloo about President Obama's speech has really left me scratching my head. I just don't get why people are SO upset. Why are they so opposed to their children hearing a positive, motivating, and uplifting message. Do these parents and politicians NOT want their children to stay in school? Do they NOT want their children to study hard? Do they NOT want their children to have respect for teachers and principals? Or, could it be that they possess such hatred for the President of our country that they can't support anything he says even if it is positive, motivating and uplifting? I tend to believe it is the latter of these.

Now before you start to think that our household consists of a bunch of bleeding heart liberals, let me explain that our house is one divided - one Republican, one Democrat. And it's pretty interesting how we BOTH support issues on BOTH sides of the political fence. I can say, however, regardless of our political affiliation we agree that staying in school, studying hard, and having respect for teachers and principals is a message we want Kaylea to hear over and over again. Bub and I communicate these things to her and welcome any reiteration from family members, friends, clergymen, law enforcement, and especially the Commander in Chief of the U.S. You see, it doesn't matter if I support Obama or if Bub supports Obama. The President's message is not about politics. It is about Kaylea and all the other children in this country and she deserves to hear what the President has to say to her.

I wish Kaylea's school would show the speech tomorrow; however, I can not make that decision for them. I do find it quite disturbing that the outcry from other parents with opposing views HAS made the decision for the schools. None the less, I will make sure Kaylea listens to our President's words. Tomorrow afternoon, Kaylea and I are going to sit down at the computer and we are going to listen together. And because Kaylea is aware of the HUGE controversy that has surrounded this speech, I believe a wonderful follow-up activity will be to have her write an essay on what she learned from President Obama and how she feels about adults in our country trying to keep her from hearing his message.

If you are interested in looking at the effects of the speech as seen through the eyes of a 5th grader, stay tuned to Curiously Kaylea. I will post Kaylea's essay once it is complete.

P.S.
I genuinely hope I have not offended anyone. If I can be married to a wonderful man with opposing political views surely I can have friends and readers with opposing views, as well. We will just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that.

The Anatomy of a Relocation in a Crappy Economy

Actually, this is a story of two relocations, both of which haven't turned out the way they were envisioned.

Our story: We were living our normal little lives and minding our own business in our quiet little town in East TN. Then in December, all hell broke loose. Bub had applied for and was chosen for a job in Tampa, FL. We were very excited about the possibilities this job held for our family. So many changes were about to happen, so many things we couldn't even imagine. The first thing on our relocation "To Do List" was to sell our house. We listed it in January with hopes that it would sell fairly quickly. We priced it below appraisal and thought it was such a great deal that anyone in their right mind would snatch it up ~ WRONG! Next, in February, Bub left Kaylea and me and the mountains of East Tennessee behind and moved to Florida to begin our new adventure. When he first moved down, his aunt and uncle were gracious enough to offer him a room at their house. We thought it would only be temporary, and gladly accepted. In the meantime, Kaylea and I were staying put in TN until the end of the school year. Bub and I agreed this would be the best thing for Kaylea. This way she wouldn't have to be uprooted in the middle of a school year. We had a plan and we were sticking to it.

Side story: My sister and brother-in-law, Mr. Bob, were living their normal little lives and minding their own business in their quiet little neighborhood in East TN. Then in February, all hell broke loose. Due to poor economic conditions, Mr. Bob, was laid off from his job. Naturally, he immediately started sending out resumes for anything and everything all over the SE. Well, it just so happens that he was offered a job with an insurance agency in Lakeland, FL (where Bub was living with his aunt and uncle). So, in February Mr. Bob left Sis and the mountains of East Tennessee behind and moved to Florida to begin their new adventure. Sis made a few trips down and began looking at real estate and rentals. Then their real estate agent told them about a great rental deal in a very upscale neighborhood in Lakeland. It was a nice 2800 s/f, 3 bed / 2 bath house and the landlord (the real estate agent's nephew) would let them do a month-to-month lease for a RIDICULOUSLY LOW amount (lower than most 2BR apartments in the area). Because they were planning on buying a house soon, the month-to-month lease was the perfect solution. So, they signed on the dotted line. Next, Sis packed their house in Tennessee and moved them (and their stuff) to Florida in May.

Our story (continued): No offers on the house in TN and the school year was coming to an end. What to do? Well, we decided that Kaylea and I should go ahead and move our little selves to Lakeland to be with Bub. Sis and Mr. Bob offered up their upstairs to our family, since it was just be sitting empty. We took them up on the offer, because we really couldn't afford to pay rent and a mortgage AND we were just sure that our house would be selling very soon. So, in June, Kaylea and I loaded up our clothes and headed south.

Side story (continued): July 10th, Sis and I were out looking at houses with our real estate agent and Sis gets a call from Mr. Bob. HE HAD JUST BEEN LAID OFF!

Our story (continued): OH CRAP!

Side story (continued): OH CRAP!

All of our story (continued): OH CRAP! Good news, though, Hubby still has his job ~ YEA! Sis, Mr. Bob and I are looking for work. Our landlord isn't having the best financial luck himself and has listed the house for sale or rent and it had a showing the other day. Needless to say we are a little worried. Remember he is renting to Sis and Mr. Bob for a RIDICULOUSLY LOW AMOUNT. If he could rent the place for more money, why wouldn't he? We really don't know how much longer we have before we will have to move. Because of the month-to-month lease EITHER party can terminate the lease by giving 30 days written notice.

So here we ALL sit - just waiting - just wondering - just hoping!




to be continued.............

Home is where the heart is????????

As of my last post we were just sitting and waiting and hoping that the right person would come along and fall in love with our house and make us a phenomenal offer. Well, unfortunately we are still sitting and waiting and hoping that the right person will come along and fall in love with our house and at least make us a fair offer. The only thing that has changed is geography. You see, last month Kaylea and Angel and I packed our clothes and headed south to be with Barry.

As of right now, we (Barry, Kaylea, Angel and I) are living with Auntie M and Mr. Bob in Lakeland, FL. And for those of you that are scratching your heads, yes, Auntie M and Mr. Bob were living in Knoxville and they moved to Florida, also. It was quite coincidental, but Mr. Bob was laid-off in February and he was hired in March by a company in Lakeland (which is also our - Missy and my - hometown). So, Auntie M and Mr. Bob offered us their upstairs which was sitting empty. As you can imagine, things are pretty crazy around here at times. But we all are trying to make the best out of a not-so-ideal situation.

There have been several times that I have looked around and asked myself "what are you doing?" It feels like I am on a very long extended vacation. I am living in my sister's house, sleeping in my sister's guest room, eating off of my sister's dishes in her kitchen, washing my clothes in my sister's washer, etc.... you get the picture. All the while I am trying to keep things as normal as possible for Kaylea. The only problem is that this task is next to impossible because things aren't normal.

Kaylea has said that she feels like she is on vacation, also. I guess the finality of the move won't hit her until she starts school. For now all she knows is that she misses her BFF terribly bad and phone calls and emails just aren't the same as sleep overs and play dates. Every chance I get I try to distract her. So far this summer we have worked on Summer Bridge Activities; bought her some books to read; visited with my friend Mary and her children; taken a trip to Daytona to visit our friends from Seymour - Ms. Pam, Gram and Billy; and spent some time at Anna Maria Island at our cousin Debi's beach condo. Currently, she is attending VBS and we are planning on sending her to a summer camp for a couple of weeks.

I almost had myself fooled into thinking that Kaylea was really doing o.k. and this move was going to be a piece of cake. That was until a couple of weeks ago. Kaylea was upset because she didn't want to do a writing assignment for her tutor (that is a whole other post). I wasn't really giving her much sympathy and kept telling her she needed to just do it! Then out of nowhere she broke down into tears and told me, "I want to go home. Please mommy, just let me go home. Call Grammy and she can come and get me and take me home." Well, I tried to be strong and not let her see me crying inside. I explained to her, "This is our home now. Our family is together and your home is where your family is."

I don't think I convinced her; heck, I don't think I convinced myself either. So my question to all of you out there is this, "What makes your house a home? Is it your family being there? Is it ownership? Is it your beloved belongings?"

Any advise and/or words of wisdom are appreciated.

SOOOO - Here we sit

This went up 2 months ago............

........and nothing! Come on people, it really is a nice house at a really good price in a very quiet subdivision with an ok view of the mountains. SOOOOO, what's the problem????

P.S.

1. To the first couple that came and took a looksee, we DO have a view of the mountains. If I could plow down the house across the street so that the view wasn't obstructed, I would. But come on, these are mountains we are talking about here. They are kinda BIG and it's not like you can't see them at all. Anyway, I don't think bulldozing Ms. Eva's house would be very neighborly.
2. To the second couple that came and took a looksee, why were you looking at houses in a subdivision if you didn't want neighbors behind you? Just asking......
3. To the third couple that came and took a looksee, I am really glad you liked the house. Hopefully, we are somewhere at the top of your massive list of home tours.

Another Kindergaten Cutie

Two little boys (caucasian - I must add - so you can really see the humor in the story) were playing and talking in their Kindergarten class. The following conversation was overheard,

Boy #1 - When I grow up I want to be Chinese.

Boy #2 - Why?

Boy #1 - So I can own a Chinese restaurant and eat the food anytime I want.

Boy #2 - You can't be Chinese when you grow up; you don't know how to speak Spanish!


Hee Hee

It's about time......

Yes, finally the weather man got it right. He predicted snow today and as I look out the window, I see the white stuff falling from the sky. Kaylea is so excited that she just had to go out and make a snowball. She looked pretty silly standing on the back patio in her nightgown and Crocs, scraping the snow off of the table top. I will give her credit for being a semi-quick learner, though. The next time she went outside (to walk Angel, of course) she did put on her coat.

The snow is pretty and it is sticking to the trees and grass. As long as the roads don't get slick and Bub can make it home from work safely, all will be good in our house. We are just hoping that this isn't two snows in one - first and last of the year.

Here are some snapshots from East Tennessee. Enjoy!

Finally, Mother Nature got the hint.

Now, that's a BIG East Tennessee snow! Shoot, we might not go to school for the rest of the week.

I love to see snow laying on the branches.

Even Angel was ready for the white stuff.

Another cutie from Kindergarten

During grade card testing the other day, I was quizzing the children on the numbers 0 - 20. I would show them a flash card with a number on it and they were suppose to tell me what number was on the card.

I was testing one little boy and he got a little confused when I was showing him all of the number cards. As I revealed the card with the number "12" on it, he studied it intently and then said, "Oh, I know that one. It is second-teen!"

Bless his little heart!

CH - CH - CHANGES!

I am not going to do the traditional New Year's Resolution blog post. All my resolutions are the same as last year (which I failed to stick to). You know the ones: eat better, exercise, kick my Coke habit (Diet Coke that is ;), stop procrastinating, etc......

Instead of looking forward to 2009 and thinking about all of the things that I HAVE TO CHANGE in my life, I am going to look forward to 2009 and think about all the things that WILL BE CHANGING in my life.

This year is going to be monumental for Bub, Kaylea and me. You see, we are moving. I don't mean down the street or to a neighboring city. We are moving to Florida. Bub applied for a different position with his company which requires the move. Our family is facing the move with mixed emotions, but I have faith that we all will benefit from this relocation in the end.

Bub is very nervous about leaving East Tennessee. This is the only home he has ever known, except for the 4 years that we lived in the Nashville area. He is a country boy and loves the mountains. I keep telling him he will adjust to Florida and learn to love it also, just in a different way. I don't know that he is totally convinced, but I think he is ready to face this new adventure.
His new job will be totally different than anything he has ever done. He will be traveling A LOT! They are telling him he will be on the road about 3 weeks a month. I think he is looking forward to the challenge of learning the new job and not being tied to his desk like he is used to. But, being away from his family is weighing heavy on his mind and heart.

Kaylea, naturally, doesn't want to leave her friends, her school, her house, her church, her art classes, her Karate studio, etc... Basically, her whole world is being turned upside down. She says she doesn't want to move, but then talks constantly about being able to wear shorts and flip-flops all year long. She loves warm weather, the beach and Disney so these things are always a topic of her conversations, also. She is excited about having a community swimming pool and level streets with sidewalks where she can ride her bike. Mostly, she is anxious to make friends and have kids living within walking distance of her house. All of these are things she does not have in our current neighborhood.

She hasn't thought about how much her dad will be gone and how much she is going to miss him. I am hopeful that she will adjust to that change - THE BIGGEST CHANGE- without too much trouble.

Then there is me. I am totally torn by the move. As you all know, I grew up in Florida. We moved there when I was three and I didn't leave until I was twenty-five. Most of my childhood memories took place in Florida. All of my school memories (Elementary, Junior High, High School, College) took place in Florida. That was home to me for most of my life. But when I moved to Tennessee in 1993 I didn't look back. I moved here to further my relationship with Bub and this was his home; therefore, this became my home, too. So for the past 15+ years I have called Tennessee my home. I have wonderful friends and family members that live here and I will miss them terribly. BUT, I also have wonderful friends that live in Florida that I can't wait to reconnect with. I am sad, but also, very excited.

As for Bub traveling, I am not looking forward to him being gone. It will be a huge adjustment for me. I am going to miss the heck out of him, but I am prayerful that our marriage will only grown stronger as a result and that I will be successful at parenting Kaylea in his absence.

For now, we are preparing for the move in many different ways. First, we have been working our tails off getting the house ready for listing. There has been a lot of cleaning, spackling, painting, packing, updating and general sprucing up. I promised several people that I would post some "Before and After" shots, so here they are:

Living Room, before. I loved my cranberry walls

Living Room, after. Nice and neutral and, hopefully, universally appealing

Kaylea's Room, before. BRIGHT tangerine walls and luau theme.

Kaylea's Room, after. Nice and neutral and, hopefully, universally appealing.

New counter tops and tile in the kitchen!

Close-up of counter tops and tile.

We have, also, prepared our family for the separation that will be involved, by equipping everyone with a webcam. Hopefully, this will make the miles apart seem a little less.

Lastly. I am trying to psych myself up to be a pillar of strength for Kaylea. You see, Bub will be reporting to his new job at the end of this month. Kaylea and I, however, will not be leaving Tennessee until the end of the school year. So, we are about to get a crash course in being a long distance family. Lucky for us, there are REALLY cheap airfares from Knoxville to St. Pete. Hopefully, we will be able to scoot down for a weekend or two, and then there will be the school holidays that we will be able to take advantage of.

I am asking that all of my blogging buddies keep my family in your prayers. Pray that our family will grow stronger and adjust to our new "home" with ease.

Oh, and by the way, if you know anyone looking for a good deal on a home with beautiful mountain views, just drop me a note. ;D

Who are these cutie-patooties?

circa 1972

Gee, we almost look like we might even like each other.

Merry Christmas, ThiThi!

This year will be our 40th Christmas together.

May we be blessed with another 40 (or more) together.

Some Yummy Yumminess From Me To You

Here are two SUPER simple sinful recipes that will be the hit of your goodie basket. Oh, you might want to make a double recipe because the first batch will never last long enough to make it into the baskets.




Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreo cookies
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 package white almond bark


Directions:
1. Crush up cookies in the food processor
2. Mix with the softened cream cheese
3. Form into balls (however big you want them) and put on a waxpaper lined cookie sheet
4. Place cookie sheets in freezer and leave until the candies are firm
5. Melt the almond bark
6. Dip the cookie balls in the melted almond bark then return them to the cookie sheet to set
7. Drizzle with brown almond bark, shaved chocolate or some reserved cookie crumbs for decoration.
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.






Red Velvet Truffles

1 package red velvet cake mix, prepared as instructed on the box
1 tub cream cheese frosting
1 package almond bark (white or brown)
Toasted coconut, opptional


Directions:
1. Make the cake according to the directions on the package and let cool.
2. Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl
3. Stir in the cream cheese frosting
4. Form into balls (however big you want them) and put on a waxpaper lined cookie sheet
5. Place cookie sheets in freezer and leave until the candies are firm
6. Melt the almond bark
7. Dip the cake balls in the melted almond bark then return them to the cookie sheet to set
8. Sprinkle with toasted coconut or contrasting color of almond bark for decoration.
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The 10th Annual Photo Christmas Card

Well, drum roll, please. Here it is.............................

ENJOY!

May the Christmas season fill

your home with joy, your heart

with love and your life with

laughter!

From Our Home To Yours

Merry Christmas!

Yes, I am definately in the holiday spirit. I hope you enjoy the new music and hopefully it will fill you with the spirit of the holidays, as well.

I have to say that I am kinda freaking out because I think I am almost ready for Christmas. All of the decorating is done; most of the presents have been bought AND wrapped; no Christmas baking this year so that is off the "To Do" list, as well. See what I mean; I think I am almost ready.

Whew!!!!! This is always such a crazy time of year and hopefully I can sit back and enjoy it a little more this year.

I have a few pictures of the homestead with its halls all decked. I hope you enjoy them.

No theme tree here, unless you consider ornaments with personal meaning a theme.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care.....

Happy Turkey Day!

******CAUTION, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPE-O'S, GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT NOT MAKE SENSE! IT'S TOO EARLY FOR BLOGGING******

Yes my friends, let me be the first to wish you a Happy Turkey Day. The day has started early here at our happy little home. We start sooooo early that ThiThi just spends the night so she get the turkey in the oven. So, WAKE UP! Our coffee is brewing; the bird is in the oven; and we have already started our Pre-Black Friday perusing on the Internet. By the way Angie, if you are up and about and see two grown women in their pajamas riding around our town looking for a newspaper, that will be us. Just smile and wave ;)

P.S. This was just too funny not to pass along. When I did spell check on my post I had spelled 'perusing' correctly; however, I had mispelled 'grammatical'. Go figure?

Gettin' in the mood

Honestly, I try not to put too much emphasis on Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I am of the mindset that we celebrate each holiday as it comes. My official Christmas season kick-off will begin around 11:00 pm on Thanksgiving night when ThiThi and I head over to Five Oaks to start the Black Friday shop-a-thon. I won't even think of putting my Christmas tree up until after the turkey leftovers are sitting in the fridge and I recover from my 18 hour shopping trip.

Today, however, I am starting to get in the mood. I have been in the kitchen cooking the holiday (both Thanksgiving and Christmas) meal regulars. You know the ones - they appear on your table every year without fail. Today we are having Thanksgiving with my family in Dandridge and I am taking my infamous Corn Pudding and a few other goodies. I have the Chocolate Eclair cake in the fridggy; the Pumpkin Dump Cake on the counter cooling; and the Corn Pudding and Sweet Potato Casserole waiting to go into the oven. The smell of the food and the sound of Christmas carols on the XM are enough to make any person anxious for the holiday season to begin.

I feel like a little kid that is bubbling with excitement. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and treasure this special time with your family.

What is in a name?

Yesterday, Bub had a message to call a customer and her name was spelled Le-A. After pondering the spelling, Bub decided, as many of us would, that the girl's name was pronounced "Lee/a" (long e, short a).

When Bub called the girl and referred to her by name, he was quickly corrected on the pronunciation of her name.

She said, "My name is not 'lee/a'. It is pronounced 'le/dash/a'. The dash isn't silent!"


I just wonder what Shakespeare would think of that name?