The Last few Months....

These last few months have just flown by. In that time, we have lost a beloved pet, packed up over 10,000 pounds worth of our belongings, drove 400+ miles to our new duty station, unpacked nearly 10,000 pounds of said belongings, celebrated our 14th Anniversary, celebrated our son's 13th birthday, and begun to settle into our new home located in a beautiful area that reminds us of Germany. I have not had much time to dedicate to my blog. I have many things on which to blog! Several pictures to post! A few new recipes to tempt your tastebuds! So, check back often because...I'm back in the saddle again.

As always, thank you for joining me

as I blog along!

I Heart My Mastiff!!

 

He was caught in the act again. Sooo....I created his own meme! lol I love my "Momma's Puppy".



HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

So, it has cooled off a little here in Southern Oklahoma. We have had temperatures ranging from the cool high 60's to the warmer high 90's. That's Oklahoma for ya. Don't like the weather....wait a few minutes! This time of year brings some of our favorite family things to do 'round here. Although it starts a little bit before Fall, we still love to watch our favorite football team throughout the season...OU SOONERS, baby! Of course, we like OSU...but, only if they're playing teams we don't like AND they're not outranking us! lol We have the Oklahoma State Fair happening in September. We went on the 15th and had a blast! In October, we have the Pumpkin Patch in Cyril at the Jahn's Farm and the Corn Maze in Weatherford. I can hardly wait to go this year. We have not been since we moved back from Germany. Now that my son is older, he'll get to enjoy the Haunted Maze and Laser Tag with his friends instead of Dear Old Mom and Dad. :) Although my son will not be trick-or-treating this year, we will still take part in some of the festivities. Maybe this year, he is old enough to walk WITH DAD (:oP) through the Trail Of Fear. Then, we'll make our way into November where our family will gather around a monumental smorgasbord of good-ole-down-home-cooking! Yup, I'm talkin' 'bout Thanksgivin'!! I make my same specialties every year. Every now and then I'll venture out and try something new, but I have been cooking these dishes for so long that my family expects these favorites to be on the TG menu. The Big Hungry Bear, aka The Husband, starts asking if I'm making the Potato Casserole days in advance. He knows I make it every year, but he just has to ask to make sure that "I" haven't forgotten about it. I am getting up in age ya know! ;)



Jahn's Pumpkin Patch

I hope each of you have a wonderful time outdoors as you get this much needed break from the heat. In Oklahoma, it doesn't last that long so we'll take it when we get it!! It's the perfect time to for you to: ride your horse(s) more often, knock some of those "honey-dos" off the list, rotate your wardrobe, plant some mums, paint some pumpkins, go on a photography road trip, pick some apples and plan more family outtings. The third season of the year makes it more pleasurable to do more of these things.

In addition to the changing landscape and getting to sport our favorite hoodies, there is another seasonal transformation that takes place...IN THE KITCHEN! With cooler weather comes our cravings for comfort foods. You know the ones.....all savory and hearty, cheesy and rich. Throw in a few Autumn-spiced sweets and you'll have a well- rounded Fall feast.

 

I have been cooking like a champ for the last few weeks. I've doled out some delicious Mini Apple Pies, Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Lobster Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce to name a few. I'll start posting some of these delicious recipes along with a few others soon. If  a particular recipe looks good, like the post . If you have a question, ask. Critique or advice, drop a line in the comment section. I would love to hear from you!

 

And now....here are a few pictures from the past for you to enjoy.

.

 

A FEW COSTUMES

A Truck Driver (complete with Preperation H)

As Daddy



A Black Eyed "P"

George Washington

 

iPhone

Soldiers Dressed Up For A Fall FRG Party

 

A Little Fall Fun

Decorating Your Yard

Smores And Roasted Marshmallows Around The Firepit



Yes, in the military life...sometimes you gotta combine Thanksgiving AND Christmas!



Getting Stuffed!

With Your Beloved Animals

Taking A Few Family Pics






Enjoying A Nice Ride In The Cool Weather



 

      Again, thank you for joining me as I blog along

and I wish you all a....

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

 



Does This Car Make My Butt Look Big?

Does this car make my butt look big?

I grew up around dogs. All types of dogs: German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Coon dogs, Shih Tzus,  Poodles, Dachshunds and Terriers. I had a particular fondness for Shepherds, though. I loved them for their intelligence and saddleback coats. Beautiful creatures. I'd had a German Shepherd named Homie (yes, that was his name...do you remember "Homie the Clown don't play that!" lol). I had raised him from a six-week-old pup and cared for him until he was 10 years old. He had accompanied me to my first PCS to Germany. He moved with me to Georgia and then back to Oklahoma. In Spring 2000, he was struck by a car and made his way home where he died with his head in my lap. He was a loyal companion up to his very last breath. After losing him, I considered getting a puppy. Being a new Mom at the time, I realized that I didn't have time to care for my little one and a puppy too. So, I sat that idea to the side. When my son was a toddler, he asked for a kitten. My husband and son were very much cat people. They tried to talk me into getting a pretty little kitty for snuggling on the couch. I had considered the idea of it, but had not put forth any effort into finding one for the "boys". By happenstance, a stray appeared on our doorstep about that time. I had never "owned" a cat in my life. I didn't even know where to begin. My sister proved invaluable in educating me on the care of the newest member of our family. And that one turned into another....and another. Throughout the years, we had many cats. Some were strays that we took in and rehabilitated until we found them good homes. We had several litters at different times because I was unaware that the Momma kitty we "adopted" was heavy with babies inside. I became accustomed to having a cat in the house. I eventually fell in love with them. However, there was always a part of me that longed for a dog. A big dog. Another German Shepherd.

One day, my son and I stopped at a convenience store to buy bottled water for my son before his horseriding lesson. As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed a truck parked near the curb with a sign reading....MASTIFF PUPPIES~FOR SALE. My son begged me to go see the puppies. "Pleeeeease Mom", he said. "I just wanna look", he said. It didn't take much persuading. I am a sucker for babies! We made our way across the parking lot. We peeked into the back of the truck and saw the cutest.little.faces.ever!! There were two apricot-colored puppies with black masks staring back at us. The lady explained how the "accidents" happened with her female and her son's new male. They were not breeders and did not want to be. They used them to patrol her property and livestock. She stated that she was selling them, but if she could just find goods homes that she would just give them away. She said most people did not want a HUGE dog like the Mastiff breed. I told her that we were just looking at them....juuust loooking at them.....just.looking.at.them.....with those soft brown eyes....and those velvety black muzzles....and those big clumsy paws! I mean, who could resist a face like this???

 

 

 One of those became Sergeant (Sarge). The one who came home with us that day. From the first day, he was the best puppy I have EVER had. I have raised many dogs and know all about house training, kenneling, feeding, etc. I knew it was hard work and took dedication to train them. But Ole Sarge, he was a breeze. He never once peed or pooped in the house. He was not house broken when we got him. The lady had said so (she said he had been outside in a yard with the momma and hardly messed with). He instinctively knew to go outside away from his den. He would walk the farthest away that he could and in the back corner would do his business. Never ever by the house. Never ever in the house. He quickly picked up commands: sit, lay, rollover, stay. He then progressed to responding to "come" no matter where he was. With those mastered, we moved on to learning sign language. No, not ASL....that would be remarkable!  I'm talking visual commands made with simple hand gestures. As the days passed, this lil' pup grew.......

 

 

And Grew........................................................................







 

 

.................Annnd GREW...................................................................


 

into the big, goofy dog that we know and love today. This big baby is a treasured member of our family. I never imagined just how much of an impact this big dog would make in our lives. Shepherds? Pffft! Mastiffs have stolen my heart for good. Sarge is GREAT with children. He is a best friend to my son. Often sleeping beside his bed.

 

 

 

 

 He is GREAT with other animals. He played gently with six stray kittens that showed up at the house one summer. He follows my son as he rides his pony around the property. He stays right on the horse's heels wherever they may go.
 

 

Sergeant is the biggest lover dog there is! He will rest his head on your leg or chest whenever he needs extra lovin's. He attempts to sit in our laps. When that fails, he is content just leaning into you with all of his weight.
 

 

 

With strangers or welcomed guests in our home, he has never shown an ounce of aggression. Instead, his quiet confidence and stable temperment makes him the perfect family dog with little ones coming in and out of the home. He loves children and "shows out" whenever they play. He bows, chases thrown toys (for awhile..lol), will "look away" and "touch" for a treat. For those intimidated by his size, he rolls over and flashes his award-winning smile as if to break the ice.

 

 

 



 

You'll be surprised to learn that our Sarge is now an indoor horse....I mean dog. I have slobber trails and mammoth-sized pawprints on my floors that I clean throughout the day. But we were missing out on the best qualities of this breed by keeping him outside by himself. So, if you happen upon a black-masked sweetie in the back of a truck, don't hesitate to take him home. He'll befriend your child(ren) and take over your couch.....and he'll definitely win your heart!

From Facebook To Blogging: Making the Transition

I recently decided to attempt blogging. I figured since I was pretty much already doing it via facebook on a much...MUCH...smaller scale, why not make the transition into writing something more in depth than statuses and comments. It seemed to be the next logical step for me. I have a great many passions: 

                       My Army Husband

My Pre-Teen Son

   Cooking

Photography

 Traveling

 reading, crafts, shopping, decorating, horses, etc, etc. I figured that I could scrounge up enough subject matter from which to pluck a blog post or two. As never having done this before and not being the tech-savvy person I think I am (according to the aforementioned pre-teen), I ask for your patience until I get my bearings. Thank you and many blessings!