The "Mac" Attack!!!!!

Okay...as promised...here are just a few quick pics. Brian travelled allllll day long and finally arrived home last night around 11:15. We couldn't wait, so we woke the boys up (hence the crazy hair and absent looks on their faces!) Everyone is so excited and all is going well! (He even slept fairly well in his new crate, YAY!) He's super cute, and of course, we already have a zillion and one nick names for him. BUT...the world doesn't come to a stop even with this new little cutie...we (OU) have a HUGE game tonight. Soooo, we are heading down to the game in just a bit to take it all in. ESPN GAMEDAY is there don't ya know???? No need to worry about little Mac...my Mom is taking on the honors tonight. God Bless her! Thanks Mom...if you are reading??!! Anyway, hopefully we can post more tomorrow?? But for now, just check out the cuteness!

I AM.....

I AM....chopping
I AM....dicing
I AM....rinsing
I AM....smelling like onions
I AM....preparing to host Bunco at my house tomorrow night. Sooooo, here's what's on the menu:

Beautiful tossed assorted green salad. Complete with cucumbers, eggs, walnuts, tomatoes.
Italian Sausage Soup
Apple Bread Pudding

On top of all this....I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off (my Grandmother used to say that allll the time...can you just imagine, seriously, I can't) buying gifts for Bunco, getting food items I signed up to bring for Jake's Thanksgiving Feast (tomorrow too!), buying food items for our Thanksgiving pantry for the needy, buying items for Connor's class for THEIR Thanksgiving Feast (next Tuesday), cleaning my house, planning a Christmas party at our house for the 5th, trying to come up with Gatsby attire for a Christmas party the following weekend, helping out with Brian's staff Christmas party the following-following weekend...and then I believe there might be ONE weekend before Christmas to take a breath????? Oh yes, and still building a house :) I'm really not complaining about a single thing...it's busy, and yes, crazy, but happy that I am healthy to do it!!!!!!!! So, my friends....again, if I'm not buzzing around the blogworld...it's because I'm buzzing around gettin' stuff done :) You understand, right?!! I know that you all do---more than anyone :) That's why I love ya all!
And last but not least......
I AM.....GETTING OUR LITTLE MAC IN TWO DAYS!!!!!!! (Say a little prayer that Brian actually lives through travelling with a puppy who doesn't understand why in the world he can't get out of his little crate and stay under the seat????) Oh yes, this is going to be a great blog post I'm quite sure of that!!! Stay tuned! We are sooooo super excited!

Oh yea,
Here's the recipe for that Italian Sausage Soup....I'm not a huge sausage person...but it's still super yummy!

Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage ( I just buy one package and I used turkey this time...)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 onions (I choose to cut my onion lengthwise. Long strips...Make sense?....easier to pick out for those who don't like onions. I also used one red and one white)

2 cans diced tomatoes (undrained) (I used the bell pepper, garlic and oregano kind)

1 1/2 Cups dry red cooking wine

3 cans beef stock

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

2 small zucchini (sp?) squash ( I used 4 total...2 yellow and 2 green. I like a lot of veggies and I like to leave them a little chunky)

2 cups bowtie pasta (uncooked)

1 cup diced green pepper ( again, I used 1 red and 1 green)

Directions

Cook and brown sausage and drain any grease. Add garlic and onion and saute' for 2-3 minutes.

Mix together sausage, tomatoes, wine, stock and herbs. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes on medium low heat.

Add pepper, zucchini and pasta. Simmer covered for 25 minutes or until noodles are done.

Garnish with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread!

Enjoy!
Wish you could all come to my Bunco!

OUR BIG SURPRISE!!!

UPDATE WITH PICTURE!!!!!!!!!
THANKS YA'LL!!! I did it! I really really did it!!! Okay, he's the cutie that is on the left (as you are looking at your computer screen!) Okay, everyone, let's all say it together " ahhhhhh :)" I look at this picture a zillion times a day! Can't wait {SQUEAL!}

Okay....this has to be fast. I NEED to be doing sooo many other things.
So, our big news....we are getting a PUPPY!!! Last night, one of Santa's elfs called Connor and told him that he had an early present. Naturally, the wheels started a turnin'. "WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS, DADDY???" "It's gonna take you a long time to fly to The North Pole!" "Can I come too?" These were just a few of the questions you can imagine we got!!! He is soooo excited he can hardly think of anything else to talk about! Anyway, our newest addition is a West Highland Terrier. If you know Brian, you KNOW he wanted to get one from Scotland. I wanted that too but it just wasn't going to happen this time. Sooo, he did some (ALOT) of research and found a breeder in Seattle whose line is from Scotland. Soooo, Brian is flying to Seattle (or The North Pole if you are Connor!) next Friday to get our little guy!!! I only have pictures sent through email. So if I can figure out how to load them from my email, you'll get to see a picture. If there's not a picture, then you know I wasn't able to do it! (And we all know what our odds are on me figuring that out :o Rest assured, that when he finally gets here....you will get tired of seeing pictures of him! So, here I go, I'm gonna give it a go and then I must make decisions on the new house and get this house we currently live tidied up to sell!!!!!!!!

Wrapples

Okay, seriously ya'll...I DO NOT know why I do this to myself??? I bought some of those caramel apple wraps...you know, they come in a yellow package and you just slap it right on the old apple. (I've only been able to find them at Wal-Mart) Anyway, I don't even bother with the apple...I just rolled it right up like a tortilla and ate it. And then I had another one. How gross is that!? Just a little daily dose of Staci for everyone. And now, we are off to the last parent/teacher conferences for the day :) Happy Friday everyone :) Oh yea...I have BIG news (NO, I am NOT pregnant!) I will be sharing hopefully very soon :) Well...it's big to us anyway :)

Hmmmm

Where to start?
I live in Oklahoma. I am Catholic. I am wearing a shirt that says "SARAH!" on it. I am not a political person AT ALL. I just want what is best for this country....and if Obama is that person....then Mr. Barack HUSSEIN Obama...I am ready for you to show me why everyone is in love with you! Don't want to step on any toes...I think we all want the same things (mostly), we just go about them different ways?? Make sense? I'm scared and I'm sad but I do know that The One who is really in control has much more power than any President or Congress. Sooo, I'm at a loss of words. I guess I'll just keep praying, as always...REALLLLY hard for the next 4 (at least) years :) I am so proud to be an American...a sad one tonight, but life will go on :) Sigh....I'm just going to go and watch Eli Stone :)