I am the Chili Queen!!

Guess What?!!!! I won the Chili Cook Off at our church's Harvest Festival last night! Talk about a wonderful surprise and boy was I shocked!!!!

Our church does a harvest festival and this is the first one Andy and I had been to. They announced that they were going to hold a chili cook off, and I said to myself "I am definitely getting in on that".

If you have read my posts in the past, I have been in the professional Chili-Cook Off for the past couple of years, only doing Chili Verde myself and the team doing red. Losing all the way, but having a blast doing it.

So I took my favorite recipe and for the heck of it, I tried it, and WON!!!!! When they asked over the speaker who's Crock Pot is this (my mouth dropped as I saw them walking down the aisle with it) I screamed like a little school girl!!!! I even jumped up and down! YaHOOOOOOO! I won! What did I win, where's my trophy? No trophy, what I got was bragging rights for the year, so here is my winning trophy. listen very carefully, I WON THE CHILI COOK-OFF! Yea!!! Where's my crown?

It was a great time, a lot of fun and the newby took the prize, yeah!!!!!

Missions Trip to Tecate Mexico...working at Rancho De Sus Ninos!

WOW, is all I can say. Our church or should I say our Mission Team at church had made plans to go to this orphanage in Tecate this month to offer our services with the construction of the facility.

I had NO idea what to expect. A little nervous, yes. A little scared, not really, but apprehensive DEFINITELY! Just not knowing is what kills me. I am the type that just jumps in and has to experience everything then make the decision to or not to do it again, I hate the 'NOT KNOWING". What was the apprehension? I am not totally certain, the condition of the orphanage, the children, would my heart heart so much that I couldn't stand it? Would tears fall down like rain and I beat my chest with sorrow? That is probably it, but alas NONE OF THAT HAPPENED!!!

What a WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE with the orphanage, that is. The trip....well.. let's just say (as I am laughing under my breath) was something you just have to experience. Hopefully, through my writing you will understand, maybe.

The RDSN (Rancho De Sus Ninos) had the directions on their website, which we printed up and Sandi had the directions via Google for the hotel. All set...let's go, only four of us ended up going instead of the 12 that we had expected, they were dropping like flies! So we took off and away we went, thinking this trip would take us about 3.5 hours instead of 6.5 hours.

The Mexican Government had closed (yes I mean CLOSED the exit for the orphanage. How in the world do you get there??? In my infinite wisdom I didn't write any phone numbers for them at the ranch. So we drive slowly to a gate that is located on the side of the road with NO signs. To make a very long story not as long, it took us three times trough the toll booth back and forth(a total of $19.00) then finally back to the same spot as the first time and Andy jumped the fence and walked through the facility until he found someone to unlock the gate. Thank God that John and Ingred had been there a couple of years back or we would have NEVER found it!

We were back there the next morning to wire the two buildings and between the four of us, we had BOTH building wired in about 5 hours! These building have been sitting for over a year just waiting to have electricity wired. The overseer, Pedro, said he had NEVER had a crew work so fast EVER! We ROCK!!!



We stopped at 1PM to have lunch with the children, ohh they were so sweet! Sandwiches were a big deal considering they usually have rice and beans for lunch, we were lucky that day! Dead tired on Saturday evening but back on Sunday to their church, something I was looking so forward to. All I can say was WOW! The band ROCKED, I don't understand Spanish, but I LOVED their music, it was Beautiful. Kids running around, people praising, everyone singing, sounded like Angles! There were over 300 people at this service and to see God working in this church is beyond words.

The houses are clean, spotless actually, the children happy to definitely loved, the whole group working as one.

I cried a few times when I was there on Saturday and on Sunday, but not for sorrow but for the love this place had.

Well, I am home, glad to be back, glad I went and I am looking forward to going there again soon!

My new lens!

I have been putting off writing for the most part because I wanted to have pictures on my blog with my new lens....Well I got it last night! I almost knocked down my UPS driver, I think he is carrying pepper spray with him and has it on him when he gets to my house! Can't say I blame him! I have been known to have that effect on people.

Well, I took pictures of everything last night! So without further a due, here are my first photos with my new lens. But wait! What lens do I have? Oh that is my favorite part to share with you, it is a Nikon 55-200VR lens! I love it! I took it out today and went to the lake for some shots, I new better to think that I would get the perfect shots, considering I was there at 12:30 WRONG TIME to take pictures, but I just had to take them!

So enjoy and let me know what you think!

Picture One: I took this off my patio and zoomed the lens to the max at 200. Doesn't it look like a New England Picture? I love this one!


Picture Two is the eggs on the back of my chicken cookie jar, aren't the colors b-e-a-u-ti-ful! See, I had to take pictures of something last night!


Picture Three is some rocks at the lake, don't you just LUUUVVVVE the bokeh?


Picture Four is straight out of the camera, the browns really have depth and again the bokeh, I am so impressed with myself, almost looked like I did a sepia on it, but Nay Nay!


Picture Five is just some leaves before they drop, what pretty colors again, straight out of the camera.

How about a "Just Because"

Well sometimes you have to something for the heck of it. I would like you to meet Jessipe. He is our mascot at our home. I have brought him to friends homes for the evening, he had a sleep-over and they have dressed him up and put him in some strange predicaments (shall we say?). They have photos, too!

You will see him throughout my blog from time to time. We bought this rocking horse for our grand nephew and have it here. I have named him "Bucky" I came out of the bedroom yesterday and found Jessipe on him. It is his new best friend! See how simple things mean so much?



Ye ha!

Halloween Decorations!

I have to share the cutest thing I found and just had to have it. I luuuuve way that vinyl lettering looks as though it is hand painted on your walls, windows or even doors.

I had seen on someone's website how they had the vinyl lettering on their door for Christmas. So, I thought, what about Halloween? I used to REALLY decorate the house for Halloween, a holiday that I didn't like until I had the boys.

So, now a fourth of the decorations are out and I just wanted a cute subtle way to say Happy Halloween. Here it is:

Now, here is the GREAT news.....I went on the internet and looked and looked. I wanted something neat, but didn't want to spend a small fortune on something I was going to have only a month or so. I found a company called:
E.A.D. Designs
Contact: Emily Nelson
(435) 723-7152
www.eaddesigns.com

I found this site and went through their Halloween stuff. Cute as heck. But what I wanted was nowhere to be found. Emailed the company and told them what I was looking for. Immediately I received a response back and together we went back and forth regarding the design. The picture is what we came up with. Isn't the hat on the end of "n" just adorable?

She worked with me on Happy Thanksgiving, for Thanksgiving of course. For Chistmas I have the saying "Wise men still seek Him".

How much was each of these you ask? Ok they are 4" High and 24" Long. $8.00 each! Can you believe how cheap for such a wonderful product? The shipping was a little over a dollar each. WOW!!!!

Easy to apply and I am sure, easy to remove, so take my advise, go on to the website above and look at their site, GREAT, GREAT GREAT!! Let me know what you think! For that price, how can you not put a little "personalization" on your door!

Love it!!! (Does it show I am very proud of me?)

Wow, fall is already here, or is it winter!

Hi Everybody....
Well it is October 2nd! Can you believe it, I have had the best summer and as always, things should be slowin down...I have been traveling, of course, canning, yes, I said canning, and just trying to get as much out of life as I can.

With fall being here, I couldn't wait to get to the Apple Orchards....so a couple of weeks ago my sister Stephanie and I went to Julian and toured the apple orchards, had to stop at the local winery and sample their wines, then toured the little shops and had a great lunch. I had for the first time cinnamon ice cream, YUM!

Then last Sunday Andy and I went to Oak Glen to their apple orchards. Wonderful! I made a great picnic basket and off we went! Pumpkins, apples, corn and of course wonderful apple cider! What a wonderful afternoon!

Here are a few pictures of the scenery, and if you have a chance in the next few weeks I encourage you to enjoy this beauty all it will cost you is gas but a whole lot of memories!



Julian apple crate


Apples

I tried Picassa with the B/W really don't like the way it came out, I definately like Photoshop better!

Yum! Loved the wine tasting!

Thrifty Decor Chick: All I know about blogging

Thrifty Decor Chick: All I know about blogging
Hey take a look at her website, she is fabulous! Congrats on your first million!

The true meaning of life and love I WANT THAT!

I just got news from one of my girlfriend's that her mom had passed away over the weekend. Hurt my heart, cried for her, her mom and for her dad.

Susie's mom was 94 years old. Passed away with her husband holding her hand, telling her how much he loved her. What a way to end this life. Susie's mom and dad had been together for 70 years! Just think of how much life is with 70 years together, the times, how they have changed, seeing pictures of her family in her house and the great stories that she has about them. She says, "That's us with our boat that my Daddy built in 1952 at the dock in Newport Beach", etc etc. Jealous? Maybe a little,for what reason? Still don't know, maybe because of their closeness, great memories for a family that have been together for so many decades. Many levels I feel.

Susie's dad played with his band at her high school reunion, her 50TH HIGH SCHOOL REUNION! She has a room set up in her house that she calls it her Mom and Daddy's room. Looking at a wall unit in that room I noticed she has a section that has Raggedy Ann doll on it and an old Raggedy Ann book next to it. But if you look real close you will notice a black spider (plastic of course) hanging halfway down. When I first saw it I said "Susie, there's a spider hanging down on your shelf!" She then told me that the spider is not real and did I want to her to tell me how that spider was there? Absolutely!

Her daddy used to read to her the Raggedy Ann story over and over again when she was a child. He thought that this story was just a little too sweet, so he always put in Mr. Spider into the story and play like it was crawling up her arm. How CUTE is that!! Now I always have to go into the room and look at the section with Raggedy Ann and the spider. What great memories to have from a child!

So today, I will reflect on Susie, her family and the true meaning of life and of love. This world may be ugly at times even harsh and mean, but when you hear of stories like this, it changes you just a little, for the good.

My prayers are with you and your dad, my friend....

Flies Begone!

I received an email from my sister regarding an email she had received about putting up a contraption to discourage flies and bees from entering your home.

The email stated that if you take a baggie fill it halfway with water and put four pennies in it, it was prevent flies from crossing over it.

I called her immediately as told her that there was a deli up here that had this on the top of their doors. I had asked the girl at the counter why it was there. She said it stops flies from coming into the deli. "Right" I thought. Well, when this email crossed my path, I said "what the heck" and tried it.

Does it work? Let's put it this way, before I would have A LOT of flies in my house, especially when I had horses, that was really bad. Now I may have one or two in my house and that may be from another door being open and they will come in that way.

People ask "What the...." I tell them I am trying something different and their response is why don't you get a screen door? That would be way too easy.

Here is a picture of it, I would recommend it especially if you have flies bad, at that point, I would of tried anything!