In love with my crock pot

So lately I have been making a lot of stuff in the crock pot and I just love it! It is so convient to just throw everything in there in the morning and then have dinner ready at night. Well, I had to work at 7 am this morning, so last night around 10pm I put an egg bake in the crock pot and it was ready for work this morning! Everyone at work really enjoyed it. I didn't like it much, but I'm pretty picky.

Crock pot egg bake
Place 1/3
1 30 oz bag of frozen hashbrowns
1 lb pre cooked ham-cubed
1 sm onion
1 lg green pepper
1 lb cheese
12 eggs
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee chopped onion, green pepper and cubed ham. Spray crock pot with cooking spray or use crock pot liner. You will layer ingredients until the top. Place 1/3 bag of frozen hasbrowns on bottom, then add 1/3 of ham veggie mixture, then 1/3 bag of cheese. Repeat steps until all ingredients are gone. Beat eggs in bowl and add 1/4 cup milk to mixture. Pour over top of layers. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with salsa if you like. Can also be mixed up and used for breakfast burritos.

How lucky we are

This weekend, Nathan and I had plans to go to my Aunt and Uncle's cabin in Southern Iowa. It was about a 3 hour drive and we really didn't want to make the full drive Saturday and then turn around and make it again on Sunday. So, we decided to go down to Newton Friday night and then drive the rest of the way Saturday. Plus my sister and brother in law were going as well, so they could just follow us down Saturday.

This took us to my Grandma's house on Friday night. She is seriously so predictable. Nathan got held up at work so we didn't get on the road until about 6:15. I had called my Grandma and told her not to make us dinner because we would be there late, and I didn't want her to stay up late. Yes, 8:00pm is late for her.  Well wouldn't you know, there was dinner there for us when we got home. She pushed and pushed food on us and Nathan just sat there and ate for her. As my Uncle and I were pushing my Grandma to go to bed, Nathan was saying that she could just stay up as late as she wanted to. As she went on and on about how she doesnt ever do anything, Nathan told her how exciting he thought her day was. She was just eating it all up.

Then comes Saturday. Nathan is outside playing with Jack and I am inside with my Grandma. I look over to see her crying and I asked her what was wrong. She told me 'I am just so lucky to have someone like him in my life". I asked her "Who Nannie? Kent?" She said "Well, yes Kent, but Nathan. I am just so lucky to have someone like Nathan in my life." I kind of set quite for a while as I was thinking to myself I AM THE LUCKY ONE! So I said "Nannie, don't you mean you are lucky that I have someone like Nathan in my life." And she simply said "No, I am lukcy to have someone like him in my life"

And with that, I say that we are BOTH very lucky to have someone like Nathan in our life!

Stay at home something

So, the United Way bake sale is tomorrow. I went to the store last night and got all of these fun fall/halloween ideas and I was going to bake them all tonight when I got off work. Well, I just got so excited that I got off at 11 today so I could come home and start baking. Nathan has also been wanting the crock-pot fiesta chicken that I make, so I threw that into the crock pot as well. Now that things are baking and our house is smelling so good, I could really get into this having days off.

Nathan came home for lunch and we were just standing in the kitchen together. It kind of felt great. I have never ever ever EVER wanted to be a stay at home ANYTHING. I always said that I would be back to work 2 days after I had the baby and my husband could take paternity leave. Well, now that I feel as if I am "nesting" without the baby, I could really get used to this staying home.

A couple of the things I made today were:

Pumpkin Muffins
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can pumpkin
mix together

Fill muffin tin 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

Leave plain or top with a cream cheese frosting

Crock-pot Fiesta Chicken
6-8 frozen chicken tenders
1 sm onion
1 lg pepper (whichever color you prefer)
1 jar salsa (Nathan prefers 1/2 jar hot salsa and 1/2 jar green really hot salsa)

Slice onion and pepper into large slices. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 6 hours. Take a fork and break chicken into pieces. Serve over rice for on tortillas.

I am also making:
2 dozen blueberry muffins (out of a package)
6 cherry turnovers
6 apple turnovers
12 Individual cherry and blueberry pies (in muffin tin)

Pumpkin rice krispy treats

When mixing rice krispy, use food coloring to die orange. Spray hands with non stick spray. Roll rice krispies into balls, can be any size. Add a tootsie roll for the stem and you have little pumpkins! :)

Car Rides

Tomorrow night Nathan and I embark on another trip together. Oh joy! Haha! We truly love each other, but we travel completely different each other. First, I drive fast. Nathan drives slow. I drive, Nathan gets annoyed, Nathan drives, I get annoyed. I listen to country music, Nathan listens to rap. We try to go half and half, but the other person sighs heavy the entire time. We try and talk, Nathan gets annoyed that I talk and don't listen. Nathan packs the necessities, I pack everything except the kitchen sink.  Nathan likes to stop to use the restroom,  I like to keep on truckin. 

So, tomorrow we will make the usual trip to Newton. Stay for one night and then head down to my Aunt and Uncle's cabin for their annual fall festival. This will be a total of about four hours in the car together. I can't wait!!!!! 

Oh, eternity is going to be a FUN ride!  In all seriousness, I once asked my Grandpa how he put up with my Grandma for all the years that he did, because quite frankly you could have never met two more opposite people. He told me that it's not the differences that matter, its how you work compromise and work through those differences. Nathan is truly one of the first people in my life I have been willing to compromise for. And that is why I know that eternity WILL be a fun ride! I couldn't imagine being on this ride with anybody else! 

Time

Nathan and I met at The CBE Group, where he is a trainer and I am a collector. Yes, he was my trainer! What? I've been a teacher's pet my whole life! Ha! Jokes aside, I am very blessed that I met Nathan. I took quite the pay cut and quite the leadership cut to take this job. I had actually hired someone to work for me at Sprint that left CBE to come work for me. When I made the decision to quit Sprint without a job or even a plan of what I was going to do, I was very lucky that CBE called me and hired me the next day. Landing me in Nathan's training class! 

We used to get to spend our 15 minute breaks together and my 30 minute lunch, but with a schedule change for Nathan with becoming the trainer of a new division of the company and getting Jack, we don't get to spend that time together at all. I have really noticed it taking an emotional toll on me as I need kind of that time together. A lot happens during the day that I just want to tell Nathan about. I really just enjoy spending time with him and talking to him all day. 

So tonight, I didn't get off work until 6:30 and Nathan is at workout until 7:30. I haven't really seen him since about 10pm last time! UGH!

PS. I am changing the blog name to "Keeping up with the Jones'" As this is becoming more of a blog about Nathan and my new life together! :)

Life with a dog

Lets start with the facts.

1. We got a dog

2. Nathan has never had a dog before

3. I have had many dogs

4. I am not a morning person

5. I love sleep

6. I have no patience

Adding all of the above together, you get this next story.

Nathan and I have been searching for a dog for quite a while. When we saw Jack at the Animal Rescue League in Newton we instantly knew that he was the perfect dog for us. I knew all of the hard work that went into taking care of a dog and training a dog. Nathan never had a dog, but always wanted one. I think he was ready to have a partner, a friend, and someone to play with him on the weeks, as I sleep in.

Nathan and I both work at The CBE Group. I work 7-3:30 and Nathan works 8-5. I get to work at 6:59am and Nathan gets to work at about 6:30am. Which fits our personalities to a T. I love to sleep, I am not a morning person and the last thing I want to do is get out of bed in the morning, let alone get out of bed, take the dog for a walk, and then get ready to go to work. Most days I brush my teeth in the work bathroom during my first break. Let's be serious. I wake up at 6:38. So, I don't take care of the dog in the morning. 

Moving on to the lunch hour. I get a 30 minute lunch and Nathan gets an hour lunch. So, for obvious reason, Nathan comes home at lunch to take care of the dog. 

I get off work at 3:30, so I come home and take care of the dog. Nathan gets home after work and workout at about 6:30pm, then he takes the dog on a walk. Nathan then takes the dog outside before bed as well.

As you can tell, Nathan takes care of the dog more then I do.  Weekends it is actually funny because Nathan gets up at like 5:30am still and takes Jack on this long walk, thinking that he will then stay up and play with him all morning! DUH! What does any smart person/dog do? Comes back to bed with Mamma! :)  

It really makes me think about when we have a child. Will Nathan be the one to take care of our children? Well, for obvious reason, I think it will be yes! Just kidding! Tomorrow morning, I am going to get up early and I am going to take Jack for a walk, so my beloved fiance can stay in bed a little longer!