This year so far has been a whirlwind of excitement, tears, and new beginnings.  My son started school as a first grader at Chandler Elementary.  He has made tons of new friends and really enjoys going to school every day. His first midterm came out and he made all A’s and S+.   I could not be more proud of him. He says his favorite classes are lunch and recess.  I believe that was probably everyone’s favorite while in school.

            For me this year has been a trying journey so far.  I have continued my education at Indiana Institute of Technology for my Associates of Science, and I have about 9 months left to go until I graduate.   I also started my new job with Tri-State Trophies back in April.   Once I was finally starting to get the hang of things and feel comfortable within my new position.  I was told I would be having Gallbladder surgery immediately.  Everything went well with the surgery and I was able to return to work within 2-3 weeks.  I once again got settled into my position, and started my training back up.  Then, I was told I would be having another knee surgery on August 30, 2018.  I had a pervious surgery in 2017 but never seemed to get relief from the pain.  So, once again I was put out of work from my new job.  Thankfully, my employers are wonderful understanding people.  They again allowed me to be off work for this surgery.  Everything went very well with the surgery this time and I am now currently back to work after being off for a month.  I’m settling back into my job and continuing to go to school, and still in mommy mode 24/7.  My son and I just moved into our new place, and we are really enjoying it so far.  This is the first time that we have lived alone without anyone else.  My son is very excited because I gave him the master bedroom with the bathroom in it.  I figured why would I need a big room?  It’s not like I have toys and things to play with.  I have high hopes that everything will continue to go smoothly these last few months of this year.  My son has basketball starting soon, and I will end this semester of school at the beginning of December.  I’m excited to host my first holiday get together at our new house, and cannot wait to create all of these new memories.  Just call me super mom because I can and will do it all.  I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

 

Cassie

Since we didn’t go out of town this Christmas break I had to find a project. I decided to try my hand at re-upholstering my grandma’s rocking chair from the 20’s or 30’s. My mom got it in the 70’s and reupholstered it then and I got it probably 20 years ago and it ended up sitting in the corner of my bedroom used just to toss clothes on. The last couple of years it has held blankets and pillows for visiting family. I finally decided to make it a usable chair but first it needed to be updated and way more padding. It was pretty worn out after many years of rocking babies. The gentle creak of each back and forth movement was somehow soothing. Upon  removing the old covering of the seat and back I found the only padding in it was a couple rugs, some old clothes from my sister and I, and pillowcases. Not very comfortable. You could pretty much feel the springs and all the wood underneath.  I replaced all that with 2” foam padding. It wasn’t an easy task. It took an extra set of hands to help stretch the fabric tight and staple and nail it down.  But it looks fantastic and I’m proud to have it sitting out again.  Hopefully will last for many years to come.

In an ever changing world, it can be hard to find your place. I know it was for me, until I found Tri-State Trophies! When I was given the opportunity to work at Tri-State Trophies, I was thrilled! I was told that it was a brand new position with the company, sales support. It’s fantastic! I’m generally the first person people talk to when they call or come into the store. I love the fact that we can customize almost anything to meet our customer’s needs and wants, which is what we all strive for here! I’ve learned so much with the help of my co-workers; they are the key to my success. They’ve helped educate me on trophy and plaque selection and sales, along with dash plaques and car show products. It was all very overwhelming at first, but everyone has been so patient and understanding. I really couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with! We are definitely one big happy family here at Tri-State Trophies!

Answering to Mommy has been the norm for me for the last 2 decades….Welcome to 2016, year of the Grandmother. That’s right, I soon will take on the role of Grandma. How exactly does becoming a Grammy make me feel? Let’s explore.

Soon, I will mean the world to more than just my daughter. How amazing is that?!? Ten little fingers, ten little toes, looking at her Gram in awe. She loves me already!

Soon, I will be able to spoil my little princess and send her home to her mommy, Hershey bar in one hand, lollipop in the other. Operation Mamaw’s rotten baby commence!

Soon, I will be wiping the tears from 2 generations’ faces as Nana, the mediator. They will both depend on Granny to instill peace, security, and love. Which I will.

Soon, life as I know it will become just a little more complete. Fear, anxiety, pride and an overabundance of love are just a few of the emotions. That will be evident come spring. Soon, this Mimi will be just that….a Mimi.

 

Amy

I have always loved being in the kitchen, whether it be for cooking or for baking. I loved helping both of my parents in the kitchen, yes, both of my parents were always in the kitchen, whipping something up. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was food, and that was all that mattered. Some meals weren’t the best, but some were amazing. My father was the cook for the camping trips for the Boy Scouts, so we got to be the guinea pigs for that, it didn’t always turn out great. I have always had a passion for cooking and baking, I love both of them.

About 5 years ago, I bought a crock-pot.  I was a little skeptical of it, since it was new to me. I started out with the simplest meals and always made the meal during a time that someone was home. I was afraid that it would it burn the meal or cause some horrific accident.  In the 5 years that I have had the crock-pot, I have gotten a second one, and love them both!  I had no idea the amount of meals and snacks and drinks that you can make in one. Being on Pinterest, has really opened up the possibilities of knowing what and how to cook in your crock-pot. I have made a whole chicken, lasagna, spiced apple cider & even made dessert in there. It is truly amazing that something so small can amount to such amazing meals.

My mother-in-law showed me how she was taught to make lasagna from her mother-in-law. It is a very long drawn out process, but it is so worth it.  I have been making it like that for 5 years now, and then I found out that you can make lasagna in the crock-pot.  So I tried it, and it was the best lasagna that I have ever made or tasted. It comes together a lot quicker since you do not have to boil the noodles and then stick them in ice water. Below is my recipe for making lasagna in the crock-pot.

1 lb Italian sausage

1 lb ground chuck/beef

1 jar spaghetti sauce

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 package Pepperonis

Ricotta Cheese

2 bags-Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese (grated or shredded)

2 eggs

1 package Lasagna Noodles

Cook the sausage and beef in a skillet over medium heat, until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Add in the Italian seasoning. I like to add in crushed red pepper and minced onion at this point as well.

Next, add the sauce to skillet, let simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, turn your crock-pot on HIGH. Put the lid on.

Mix the Ricotta Cheese, 2 eggs, Parmesan and some Italian seasoning. Set aside.

Put about a tablespoon of just sauce in the bottom of the crock-pot. Layer the noodles in the crock-pot, making sure that the bottom of it is covered. You will have to break them into pieces. Spread the cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Then spread the meat sauce. Then add shredded cheese then pepperonis. Repeat layers until you run out of everything.

Cook on high for 1-2 hours , or on low for 2-3 hours. Serves 12-14

Enjoy!