Long Weekend!

I LOVE Long weekends. 

Sure, it seems like everyone plans everything for these long weekends, but they're usually amazing. 

Saturday 

To kick off the weekend, I made some sausage and gravy. 

What you'll need: 
1 roll of sausage  - I always use TN Pride 
AP Flour 
Milk 
Salt & Pepper 

Recipe:
Cook the entire roll - do not drain! 
Sprinkle the hot, freshly cooked sausage with 3 1/2 tablespoons of flour 
Make sure the sausage is fully coated with the flour, it won't turn white, but you'll see that most of the flour is gone - leaving a small white liquid. 
Pour 2 cups of milk in the meat/flour mixture. 
Now you pretty much keep mixing it, bringing it to a baby boil and you'll feel it thicken as you stir. I do not constantly stir, instead I let it sit for 1 minute, then stir, let it sit for 30 sec then stir. 

This is a super quick recipe and can feed about 4-6 hungry guys. If you're like me, you love this over biscuits. So before you start to make your sausage pop a few biscuits in the oven and when they're done, split the biscuits in half and pour some sausage & gravy over the biscuit - wa la, good eats in a hurry. 

Sunday 

Sunday started off a little wild. I worked in the nursery and shared a lot of laughs with these cuties. 

The kids are super hilarious and love to play together. Plus they get snack time - which always rocks. Goldfish & gummies for everyone! 

Then that afternoon we had some pool time with the cutie. She's already kicking a lot, so I pray she's a fish like we are. She seriously loves the outdoors, so here's to hoping she loves swimming too! 

 One thing I love about summer or all the time, is Ice Cream! 

Baby M loves ice cream and I wanted to make some good popsicles for her to have this summer so I made my own! 

What you'll need: 

Mold - I bought mine from Ikea, but I also use one from Walmart - Munchkin brand. 

Bananas 

Organic Chocolate Milk 

Water 

you'll fill each mold with milk, water and some sliced bananas. 

Freeze overnight

She loves them! I even tasted them and absolutely plan to snag a few! 

I'm going to make some this weekend with strawberry milk & strawberries, we'll see if they're just as tasty. . . 

These are Baby M approved! 

Memorial Day 

We recently moved and again are absolutely blessed with some amazing neighbors. I mean the parents are super rad and the kids are so polite and generous. 

Lucky for us, they throw sick parties too. 

The parties include amazing food, great music and these water slides. 

My family will be in town to celebrate Baby M's 1st birthday party. I'm so excited to see them and I love that they're going to be here to celebrate her birthday. I want to make sure the weekend is as free as it can be. I want to get as much done before they arrive, because I only see them about 5 times a year so I want to cherish all the time I have with them! 

One thing I can mark off my list . . . Her pinata. 

She will always have a pinata at her party, until she's about 6 then I'm sure she'll think she's too cool for one. I always plan on making her pinata too and her cake. I'm not the Pinterest mom by no means, I don't have time to paint cookies or to sew treat bags and stuff, but I will make time to make her cake and pinatas! Sure, my MIL and C wanted to kill me while they helped yesterday, but we got it done! 

Making a Pinata:
Patience - lots of it. 
Balloons
Newspaper
Tape
Wire Hanger 
Flour Mix (see below) 
Glue - get good glue and get 2 bottles 
Tissue Paper - whatever color you want
Cardboard - preferably a cereal box type, thin and flimsy. 

Flour mix - water, flour and glue. 
1/3 water, 1/3 flour, 1/3 glue. 

Here is a great tutorial for a simple pinata - the skies the limit on creating a pinata. I made a few for a church fall festival one year, it was a simple game at the festival - I made three and it was super easy! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh3N0DrFyCI

After long weekends, it's always nice to get stuck in traffic . . .

Alright friends, have a rocking good weekend! 

Love

Love 

What's 5 things, people, places you love? 

#1 

Family

I'm so in love with my family. I'm not kidding when I say that we have our tiffs or the times we scream at each other. I wouldn't trade a single moment with these clowns, I wouldn't. Every fight and every obstacle has made us so much stronger and forever closer. We understand what buttons not to push or what restaurants we all hate. I remember telling someone about an upcoming visit and sharing what we typically do. They were a little confused, because the boys separate from the girls and we really don't see them again until the trip is just about over. Sure, I love my brothers and brother in laws, but girl time rocks! I'm known as the crazy aunt, the aunt that isn't afraid to spank you or the aunt that will wake you up at 6 am to see if you want to go get donuts or the time I jumped on my niece to help wake her up. Ah, good memories. 

 I could tell you story after story of this crazy bunch. We are so loud and fearless. I love getting those random texts from my niece showing me her new dress, or getting the random pictures from my brother & SIL. How about the moments where you literally sit for hours and talk about nothing or everything. I never thought we'd be so scattered throughout the world - yes, I have a sister who lives out of the country, but we make it work. I pretty much can't sleep the night before a family trip - way to excited! We see each other about 5 times a year and it's always a blast. I can't wait to see everyone in June! 

 #2 

Life 

I'm not sure what C and I did to deserve the life we have. I know for me, my life growing up wasn't amazing, but it was fun. I never knew we were poor and I never went hungry, so I'd say my life was pretty grand growing up. Then adult life brought on some crazy choices and bad decisions. I have had the privilege of seeing a lot of the world, to experience a lot of goodness and to help others too. Sometimes I find myself thanking God for things I take for granted. The water that comes out when I turn a handle,  the car that starts when I turn the key, the job I have that allows me to be at home almost every night or refrigerator that holds more food than I could or should ever consume. 

What I love the most about life, is that everyone gets to make their life. We all choose our roads, our paths and we face the consequences - good or bad. I love when people tell me life isn't fair. It's not, but aren't we glad it's not? What if we actually got what we deserve? I'm grateful for God's grace that doesn't allow me to get what I actually deserve. I love how life offers obstacles and the test is seeing how we overcome these obstacles. 

 

 

 #3 

Oklahoma

Yup, I'm pretty obsessed with everything about Oklahoma. I love going home and seeing familiar places and people. I love the feeling of excitement when OU plays or when the Thunder advances onto the next round of the playoffs. Gosh, I love Oklahoma. One thing I don't miss is the weather. The storms are pretty neat to watch, but can also turn very dangerous, very quickly. I remember sitting on our front porch and watching a tornado form miles away. I can also remember waking up to sirens, hail hitting my windows or the sounds of wild winds. I'm pretty sure that's why I take weather alerts seriously. I have never taken them lightly and sure, I get teased, but when you've seen destruction, in person, not just on TV, you don't take it lightly.

 

Today marks an anniversary of a horrific tornado that killed 24 people in Moore. I remember watching the news and seeing the school, the homes all destroyed. I also remember seeing people travel miles and days to provide aid for those in need. Today I remember the lives lost & pray for peace. 

One Oklahoma 

One Love 

Oklahoma Strong  

 #4 

Baking & Cooking

I'll admit I don't cook or bake as much as I would like to. I'm either enjoying the weather outside, enjoying a TV show or being lazy bones jones. Nothing beats a homemade chocolate pie or eating homemade fajitas. That's why I like to cook or bake, because it's easy and it's so tasty! A recipe is amazing because it sets the tone for you to start and then you get to add a little of your own zest to the meal, making it your own. I remember my mom cooking every day and smelling the goodness! I also remember my mom doing something I rarely see these days... she rarely used salt to cook. She seasoned her dishes with lemon or some other great tasting goodness! I'm so glad my mom took the time to show me some of her techniques! I pray Baby M shares our passion for baking and cooking! 

 

#5 

Target 

What happens when you move less than a mile from an amazing Target? You forget about any other store. If Target doesn't have it, Mercedes doesn't need it. 

C jokes around with me all the time and asks me, "What store would you love to win a shopping spree at?" He knows my answers so he always laughs when my eyes glaze over and I don't answer the question, instead I tell him what isle I could do the most damage on. I love the fact that Target has amazing clearance deals, great fountain drinks and the online shopping is also a plus. I read about people going to Target on their lunch break and I can't imagine. Running in and out of Target is not on my agenda & I can't even comprehend how one does so. 

Alright Party Peeps, be kind & enjoy today! 

#30RAK 6-10

2nd RAK Post 

This week has started a little wild, as in too much going on! 

I do however, get pretty pumped when doing these Random Acts of Kindness! 

For starters, we've blown our $30 budget, so forgive us and let's keep rolling . . . 

6 

#30RAK

If you don't know . . . I have a slight obsession with Honey Buns. I crave them more than I crave a lot of things. I love these massive sized ones, the ones that are really supposed to feed a family of four, but somehow I devour the entire bun . . . It happens, that's why I sleep on the treadmill. I pray they didn't waste the $1 on a silly rice krispie treat or lamesauce cheez-it's, that would just be awful. 

C also spent some dough fueling some cravings! He works on the go, so he's always in and out of convenient stores. He jumped at the opportunity to help a gal in need. What's pretty cool about this story, to me, is that he bought a drink for someone, but not just any drink . . . My favorite drink - Orange Crush! 

7 

#30RAK

C works a crazy schedule type of job. Sometimes he gets off on time, sometimes he gets off the next morning. He works with a great group of guys and we're blessed to call a lot of them our dear friends. So it's only natural when you make dinner, have left over desserts and make fresh brownies that you hide some for a guy working the overnight shift. 

Making dinner is part of my life, eating desserts is also something we love, so why not share the love? 

Oh, yes we had chili in May because it was 48 degrees when I made the chili, in May. 

8 

#30RAK

I'll let you in on a little secret. 

I love sweets. 

All kinds of sweets. 

So in the RAK I thought it would be great to spread my SWEET(s) love.

I got this crazy idea to bake cupcakes & drop them off at different places! 

We hand delivered the goods to these places:  

 Animal shelter - I love animals. Our precious Boomer came from an animal shelter & we're 100% animal shelter fans. (http://www.sunnymeadows.org/)

Fire Station   - we appreciate all Firefighters!

A homeless Shelter/Mission - My MIL works closely with this organization & we know they work wonders in the city of Memphis. (http://www.calvaryrescue.com/)

Cleaning Staff work - They do an amazing job and we just adore them! 

Baby M dropping off the cupcakes
at the Mission 

9 & 10 

#30RAK

I cannot describe the amount of love, support and gifts we received when we announced Baby M's arrival. Our home was flooded with visitors and everyone came bearing gifts. Literally, it felt like Christmas everyday, sometimes every hour. Baby M received more mail than we did for weeks, it was truly humbling and such a blessing to see the generosity flow through our great support team! 

So, when a friend told me her daughter was expecting, I knew it was time to part with the little baby clothes. It was time for Baby M to bless another baby. 

I could lie and tell you I didn't have a problem parting with the outfits,  but it was hard. It was hard to give someone the pooh sleeper she wore or the tiny onesies she wore her first few days home. It's a blessing to be able to give what was once given to us. I wonder how many babies will wear her pooh sleeper or how many babies will rock those onesies! 

Last, I am friends with someone I have never met. She's my friend on Facebook and we chat a bit about adoption. She's pretty rad and seems a little down these days. Sometimes it's easy to believe for a great support system, but in all actuality some people are quite the opposite. So Baby M also helped with #10's RAK. We just mailed her a card today. A little encouragement goes a long way!  

No matter what, remember you are given the greatest gift; life. It's true, you get one shot, unless you're a cat. I know people can try and get in your head, but always remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made, in his image. 

Alright Party Peeps, until next time!  

Swap Goodness!

The world is full of unique and great people, sometimes you meet those people through a lovely swap! I signed up for my first ever blog swap and am so glad I did. 

She loves her family 

Loves Sports 

Loves fitness 

& is on a mission 

She's my kinda gal!

I think what I admire the most . . .is that she works very hard. The determination she has, gets me moving! She oozes determination! Three cheers for determination!  

Nothing touches my heart more than to hear about family. She genuinely loves her family. She's the proud mommy to her son and her niece. I'm not sure why, but when I read her email about family, I cried a little. I love meeting people who invest in their family. 

I remember coming home to a box of goodies! I love presents, but I loved the fact that she included something for baby M and threw in a box of honey buns . . . I think after I saw the honey buns I gazed off and started the ugly cry.

 
She & I emailed a bit, enough for her to know I was lazy bones jones. I love to not workout and eat honey buns, my fantasy.  The bad part is that my pants get tight (er) and I can only watch so much TV.  I was really pumped to see the goodies and all the fitness items! I used my headband today and am in LOVE! 

If you are on the fence about doing a swap, jump in! 

I am so grateful to have met Analisa (http://sunset79.blogspot.com/?m=1) and make a new blogging pal! 

My Friends

Life is so funny! One minute you're wishing for the weekend and the next minute you're begging for a rewind button. 

This weekend happened and I found myself giggling like a school girl thinking about some of the greatest moments.  It all started when a friend shot me a text with an old skool picture. The picture was of C and I when we were 18 years old. That's a lot of years and pounds ago. . . 

I started to think about the last 12 years of our lives and gratitude filled my heart. We are so humbled by the friends we've made along this journey. Life is so crazy and it's not always fun, but along the road you meet these people who stand beside you through the storms of life and the good times. 

If you know me, you know I never meet a stranger. I can walk into a store and walk out with two new friends. I love to talk and I love to meet new people. I am the only person who can find an OU fan in the state of Tennessee. It's true, I know more about a person in 5 minutes than most people. I can read people well, it's a gift!  

Am I always a good friend? Not a chance. I have the best intentions, but my mouth uses the wrong words to express my thoughts. I think it's the whole thinking slow and talking fast that gets Mercedes in trouble. What I do hope my friends can say, is that I sincerely value them. I take pride in knowing all types of people. I have friends who are fitness fanatics, I have couch potato friends, I have the smarty pants friends, the ones who can make the best casseroles, the ones who can't boil an egg and  the ones who host the best parties and the list goes on . . .  

Today I'm highlighting some great people, my friends! 

If you're my friend, you'll laugh at this picture.
My sense of humor is so dumb. 

Neighbor Friends

First, C and I always know our neighbors. Some of our greatest moments happened in our front yard on a summer night, with our neighbors. I can still remember laying on the front yard, watching shooting stars or the time I stuffed a pillow in my pants because I wanted to learn how to roller blade, how about the moments when our friend's car flooded because of heavy rainfall & our neighbor comes to the rescue. The list of memories is long and we are truly blessed in that we've always had great neighbors!  

Church Pals 

I get that a lot of people don't like church or think they don't have time to go to church. I would lie if I said every Sunday morning was easy. It's actually quite the opposite. Sunday morning in the Rodgers house usually involves a mean 10 month old, burnt cinnamon rolls, C taking WAY too long & a mad Mercedes. If you get past all the crazy pieces of the morning, you make it to church & all the goodness starts to flow. We are so grateful for our church friends. I remember the late night chats, the endless McAlister's lunches or how about the crazy camps? A church is more than a building, the people are the church. All the laughs and jokes aside, my greatest privilege is serving with these friends. 

 Family Peeps  

These are the friends who have no choice, but to tolerate you. I won't lie, half the time I want to beat them, the other half of the time they want to beat me. The love/hate relationship provides for some great humor and usually always involves an embarrassing story. . .  

Life is so much sweeter with cool family members who call you when their car overheats and you pull up to see them kicking their tire or how about the time you ask them to dog sit and they almost lose your dog? Family friends make for some of the greatest friends!  

 Wild Bunch   

Last, but not least  you meet people at work, through other friends or strangers who turn into friends. What I love the most about this bunch is that they don't know you, so you get to start fresh with them. Every story you share with them is just as funny as the first time, because everything is new! Sometimes life takes you on a different road, so while you're among this bunch, you enjoy the ride. Who cares if this bunch watches YouTube videos at your house until 2 am, Riff Raff is hilarious or the time you set up a poker night and you realize you hate poker ... 

  

 So this post goes out to my friends! 

The people I look to for advice

The ones that laugh with me and at me 

The few who have seen me in the morning

Those who survived my hangry moments 

The ones who never forget anniversaries, birthdays or when I fall down 

The ones who come in without knocking

The few that feed my owl obsession

The ones that send me inappropriate ecards

A special thanks to you for always riding out the storm & for the constant laughter.

College Graduate

Today I graduate with my bachelors degree from the University of Mississippi.

 Baby M hates the hat as much as I do.

First things, first. I don't like school. In fact, I would rather sit on the couch than do most things, but then the pants get tight(er), opportunities are missed and TV isn't that great.

I started college in 2002 and between some long breaks, some reduced hours in some semesters, I'm finally finishing. The road to get here wasn't always clear, nor was it fun. I remember missing concerts, dinners, celebrations and much more. I'll never forget the time I was a genius and signed up for a Friday night class, because I thought it wouldn't be so bad. Why didn't anyone warn me of all the fun I'd miss and that taking English on Friday night was not cool? The finances to go to college weren't fun, the countless books, supplies and lab fees were always a bummer. I finished this race, my stride was slow, but I finished.

I'm sharing 10 things I learned in my years/decade of college. . .

10 THINGS 

1. Timing 

Everything has a due date, plan accordingly. I'm a whiz at writing essays, but procrastination shows in your grades. Whoopsy. 

2. Don't Read  

Teachers love to assign 8 books to read in a week, with 4 articles. Learn how to scan for the important stuff. 

3. Be on Time 

If you're late you'll probably miss a quiz or two. FML 

4. Eat before Class

I don't like to sit next to someone who is eating hot wings and drinking an orange pop. Also, if you think, I can wait... what if the teacher goes long, then the growling episodes begin. Story of my Life. 

5. Know your Adviser

My adviser is a life saver. She knew her stuff and was professional. The office staff doesn't want to help and they don't really know everything, so it's best to get the information from the person who does know everything about your major and classes. 

6. Be Nice. 

You will need some of your classmates from time to time. They will have notes for the class you missed because you were at that concert work thing. 

7. Money

It's expensive, so choose wisely. 

Talk to people who are further along in their educational journey than you are. Find out what they liked and didn't like about their majors. Talk to professional working people about their degrees. If you choose to take basket weaving classes, fine... 

8. Motivation 

Whatever journey you're on, haters want to board your train. Let them fuel your motivation, let them see you finish. If I had a nickle for every person who said, "you're still in school," I wouldn't have student loans. 

People always offer unwanted advice. Just remember those people probably don't have degrees and probably want what you have. 

9. Be You

Don't worry if you're not making an A, while working full time, married and have a newborn. Do your best.

Period. 

10. Be Grateful 

I live in a country where women are valued and given equal rights. Unfortunately, not every woman is granted those opportunities. Be grateful you have homework, sit in air conditioned classes and have instructors to teach you.

Today I almost decided to not walk. I am walking today in honor of my parents. Those two paved the road to advance my education and pushed me to finish this degree. I'll never forget these opportunities & I'm forever grateful to know my parents worked hard and diligently to ensure I had a great future.

I kinda had a moment last weekend.
I wanted to tell C how much I appreciated him through this entire process and I started the ugly cry. The Kardashian cry
I cannot describe the sacrifice C has made, the countless times I came home crying because I was stressed to the max or the times I'd call him from school with good news. Whatever happened through this journey he experienced it too. I couldn't ask for a better friend to share life with.
Thanks for being my cheerleader Cody, it means the world to me.

I'll leave you with my Mother's Day gift. . .

I love pictures.
We decorate our house with pictures in unique frames and when C handed me this, I started crying.
Last Mother's Day C gave me a wonderful picture of Blue and Boomer.
I love this gift more than any other gift, I know it came from his heart, he knows my obsession with pictures.

Okay, let's knock this whole walking bit out so I can go kick butt in a kickball game! 

Maggie

I think a lot of people probably wonder how I feel about Mother's Day. 

I lost my mom when I was 15 years old. She died suddenly after battling a series of health problems. My mom was young, 42, when she died. 

God saw you getting tired

and a cure was not to be

so he put his arms around you

and whispered,

"Come to Me"

With tearful eyes we watched you

and saw you pass away

and although we love you dearly

we could not make you stay.

A Golden heart stopped beating

hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best

I can still remember the day. 

I had the privileged of going to high school with my brother and sister. I was a sophomore, sister a junior and brother a senior. 

I'm grateful, because I started a scary chapter - high school, with two of my greatest friends. They truly helped me feel comfortable about going to the big school. 

Friday morning I left the house super early. I was tardy/late for some class and the awesome teacher gave me 7:15 am detention. Lame sauce. 

I remember the last conversation I had with her. I couldn't find my other sock and was running late, I remember telling her I wished she'd help me find my sock & I rushed out the door. 

After school, we met some friends for a quick bite to eat. I vividly remember walking in the door, my sister, in my opinion was moving slow, so I urged her to go. At that very moment, my brother and I hear an ambulance rush by. We both talk about how loud the siren was and we walk in. 

We were eating dinner because in about an hour we'd head to our high school's away football game. The game was an hour away and we were playing one of our biggest rivals. Everyone would be attending this game and the whole school was beyond excited. My brother forgot something before we left the house, so we had to rush home before leaving for the game. 

Our street wasn't on a hill, but you drove over a hill to see our house. I'll never forget sitting in the backseat of his car and seeing our house. I remember seeing the look of fear cover my brother and sister's faces. When we finally parked our car, we were greeted by police officers and EMT's. The moments passed and a police officer finally told us that our mother had passed away. The ambulance we heard, was her ambulance. 

We lived in a small town, so when we didn't go to the game, people started to wonder. The news broke out around the town and visitors flooded our house. 

When I remember my mom I think about the great times, the moments that will forever play in my mind. Sometimes I laugh thinking about the times she'd sing in the shower, the times she would make 100 tortillas, her amazing Mexican food and her smile. 

I remember the day I found out our baby was a girl. In that very moment, I knew she'd carry the sweetest name. We named Baby M - Maggie. My mom's nickname was Maggie. I cannot wait until we get to tell Maggie about her abuela. 

I'll leave you with 5 things I learned from my mommy dearest. 

1. My laugh

I have the ugliest laugh ever. It's loud, sounds like I'm dying and is often heard. My mom had the same laugh & the same sense of humor. 

2. Compassion 

She had compassion for people. She helped others a lot, in silent ways. She loved people.  

 3. Love

Her family was her pride and joy. She never put anyone before us and always found a unique way to show us love.  

 4. Strength 

She was tough and stood strong through the pain. 

 5. Smile

I hear everyday about how I smile too much. Is that even possible? My mom smiled a lot and never let her troubles worry her.  

Quick shout out to my sister, Juanita. When we lost our mom, she didn't hesitate for a moment to help. She will always be a mother figure in my eyes and I'm forever in awe of her work ethic, attitude and the struggles she's endured. I love you & I'm so proud to call you my friend, sister and mentor. 

As Mother's Day approaches, I remind you to share the day with your mom, but more importantly, share other days and moments too. Give your mom random hugs, shoot her random text messages & make time for her. As a new mom, I can honestly say the role is fun, tiring and hilarious. The role brings a lot of laughs, tears and joy to my life, but it also brings a huge responsibility. My hope and prayer is that Maggie forever remembers her beginnings, how to love and to always have a servant's heart. 

Also, if you have a moment, watch KD's MVP acceptance speech. It warms my heart to see someone so humble & honoring his beginnings. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnGXV4Xd41c

Happy Early Mother's Day to all the gals and guys who fill the role!