Show us your life - Favorite Christmas Tradition

This week over at Kelly's Korner blog she has Show us your life favorite Christmas Tradition. Our family tradition is heading to the Ozark Mountains!!! I so dream of one day having a mom who cares about me and everyone coming together out of love. But until that day, my family, Paul, me and the kids head to the mountains. We go to Branson and while we are there we attend the Dixie Stampede, The Branson Show Boat, and the best part heading Silver Dollar City!! These pictures are from last year and Fallon refused to have anything to do with Santa, so she is not in the pictures but she had a blast other than that!!

While at Silver Dollar City we eat lunch with Santa, one, the food is extremely good and then there are many characters there that interact with the kids!!

Of course we get to sit on Santa's lap and give the complete list, at last minute of course!!

Then once we make it out to the park we head to some of the shows and then the big Parade they have at the closing of the park!!

Silver Dollar City lights up the park with millions of lights and they also have a massive light tree that consist of 4 million lights!!

Here is what the Houston family does for Christmas and will do again this year!! We are hoping in the next couple of years to start the tradition of snow skiing, but waiting for Fallon to get a little bit older!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

Houston's would like to say a Big Happy Thanksgiving!! Hope everyone had as good as a day as we did!!!

What am I Thankful for?? Well, the three most important people in my life is who I am thankful for!! Paul, Kale, and Fallon you are my world and I am so thankful you are in my life!!!

Girls Night Out!!!

Last night I had a way over do girls night out!! There were seven of us and we headed to a neighboring town and we went to eat at Stoby's then we headed to the movies! Most went to watch New Moon (I haven't finished the book yet) and so a couple of us went to watch The Blind Side. Oh my goodness that is the best movie I have ever seen. This is definitely a highly recommended movie!!

If you haven't seen the previews or know the story behind, watch this youtube video. It is a great movie and an even better true story behind it!!!

Nashville Tennessee

Last week two co-workers and myself had an opportunity to attend a conference in Nashville Tennessee!! I have never been to Nashville, I have drove on the outskirts of it. The conference I attended was the NCTM Regional Conference, NCTM is National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. I learned so much and took away so much!! But one night I became a tourist of the town. Of course I did not get the full experience of the town and would love to go back one day but what I did get to do was awesome!! I have posted a few pictures but the main thing I included was the restaurants that we ate at!!

This Starbucks was in the hotel and of course I was there every morning!!!!

The first night I was there we didn't have much time and we went to the San Antonio Taco Co. I loved it!!

Then we stumbled across Demo's, wow oh wow, we ate there every night after that. I highly recommend this if you ever make it to Nashville!!!

This is the CMT building, I know it is cheesy but I thought it was cool that I walked by it!!

One of our bosses told us we had to go to Tootsies, well we didn't go in but we did walk by it, so Mr. Burke we did do as you said, ha!!

Everyday in our hotel when I would walk out of the elevator and saw this glass figure, but had no intention of seeing what it actually was. But one night I was alone going up to the room and didn't want to ride the elevator with the person standing next to me so to make myself look busy, I looked at this statue. OMGoodness boy was I shocked to find out what this statue is and the story behind it.!!! (you can click on it to enlarge if you need to to be able to read it)

Wonderful Sunday!!!!

What a wonderful day on the Houston House Hold!!! There has been so much happening, I just wish I had more time to blog about it. But what has happened in the last week I just want to shout from the roof top. Last Sunday in Church our Preacher had the most amazing service and in that service I recommitted my life to the Lord. I have always attended Church and it mainly was because I was forced to go, it never was really for the right reasons. And today Paul, Kale, Fallon and myself have officially joined our Church. It was amazing and just this week since I have rededicated my life, it has been amazing.

I am not one who has a lot to say about things, I don't have a long version of anything and that is all I want to share at the moment. Sorry for being so short but I wanted to share with everybody the great things that are happening in the Houston House these days!!!! Now off to prepare for a very exciting week that I will blog about at a later date!!!!

The Revelation Song!!

Show us your life - Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

1 Hour Homemade Rolls

2 pkg yeast (quick rise)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk heated to luke warm

1/4 warm water

1/2 cup sugar

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup oil

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 stick of butter

1 tsp salt

Sift flour, soda, and salt in large bowl. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Combine buttermilk, sugar, and yeast. Add flour mixture and add oil. Mix well. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Roll and cut in desired shape, place in buttered pan. Melt 1/4 stick of butter in each pan. Turn each roll in the butter. Let rise 30-45 minutes. Bake 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes

Mix the potatoes with:

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup melted butter

1/3 cup pet milk

Mix all together put in baking dish

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup pecans

1/3 soft butter (NOT melted)

Mix together and crumble on top of sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, may have to cook longer.

Garlic Cheese Grits

3 1/2 cups water

1 cup quick cooking grits

1 stick oleo

1 roll garlic cheese

1/2 tsp salt

dash of Worcestershire

3 egg white

Mix all together and bake at 350 degrees till done.

Sweet Potato Pie

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1tsp salt

3 eggs (2 whole, 1 yolk)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2-2 cups cooked sweet potatoes

Combine all ingredients and mix with mixer until well blended. Pour in an uncooked pie shell. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 30 minutes.

Show us your life - Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition

I have a love/hate for Thanksgiving. It is not really a secret that I am not close with my family that lives in the same town as me. So that is the hate part, it reminds me of how much I would love for all of my family to get along and love one another. I love Thanksgiving because it is a time I get to sit down with my wonderful husband and kids with no worries and have a great meal at Cracker Barrel. It really works, Paul doesn't like the whole dressing and pumpkin pie meal so he orders a steak and I LOVE the dressing and pumpkin pie meal so we meet all the needs by eating there. We don't have to cook OR clean and we still get a really good meal that everyone will eat!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

As Requested; The CHS Teachers Thriller Dance!!

I posted the other day about 12 of us teachers surprising the students at their own talent show and I have had emails wanting to see it, I finally have it. Enjoy!!

(I am in the red #60 football jersey in the front)

I realize it is a little blurry, I am not a video wiz at all and this was sent to me like this, but you can get the idea!!!

November 1st, 2003

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

MY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!