Taco Soup

In an effort to stay warm this weekend, Mark made some hearty Taco Soup. It's thick and warm and perfect for a cold or rainy football Saturday.

Here's what you need:

1 lb of hamburger
1 yellow onion
1 can of corn (drained)
2 cans of diced, stewed tomatoes (with some kind of flavor- Meixcan, Italian, basil oregano)
3 cans of beans- we used black, pinto and northern.
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning
1 packet of Taco seasoning- we like Taco Bell.

Directions:

Sautee onions, add and brown meat. Drain. Add half taco seasoning packet to meat/onion mixture.
In a stockpot, add your beans, corn, tomatoes, ranch packet and remaining taco seasoning on low heat.
When meat and onions are ready, add to stockpot and add 1 cup of water and cover.  Allow to cook for at least 45 minutes, 2 hrs is best. It's even better the next day.

Serve hot with Fritos and Mexican style cheese. Add a little Texas Pete for a bolder taste.

up to Lexington.....

Mark and I made the journey to Lexington, Ky. to see the 'Kings of Leon' on Saturday night. In all honesty, I have never seen a better performance. Have you ever been to a concert and the band performing sounded exactly the same as they did on their record? It doesn't happen alot, but it did for us on Saturday! The Kings were amazing. If you haven't heard of them, I strongly suggest you crawl out from underneath that rock you've been living under and check them out. Their old stuff is even better than their new stuff, believe it or not.

The band 'White Lies' opened, and Mark and I were pretty impressed by them as well.

The tickets were a last minute happening, given to us by some friends who couldn't use them. Thanks, Mitchell and Brittany for thinking of us. We love you!

Here are a few pictures I captured while there. Enjoy!

Living and Learning

Life is what you make of it. I get that. Sometimes, it is difficult to make sense of what you've got, or what other people get.

I have a friend whose 40something uncle is dying. He is dying of cancer. Today they brought in hospice. That's end of life care, people. Like, his life is ending. He has a daughter who is 8 years old, I think, and a wife of 14 years. A year ago they were a regular family. People, just like you and me. And now, they are losing one another.

I could say it's so unfair. I could say they just don't deserve it, but who does? The best thing I can come up with is that I just don't understand it, and chances are, I never will. Are we any closer to finding a cure for cancer? October is Cancer Awareness Month, I believe. The thing I am not aware of is, how close are we?

I have been praying hard for this man and his family for some time, now. I realize that God has a plan, but it would be easier, in light of all the sadness surrounding this horrible disease, to understand what that plan is. I also realize that God doesn't always let us in on his plan... and that is one of the hardest parts about living- the not knowing what part comes next. As I have gotten older I have gradually realized that living for now and not worrying about tomorrow really is the best way to live a fullfilled life. What I am taking from this is to live, while I can. That doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye.

My heart goes out to my friend and his family. Every minute.

the abc's of October

This October, Mark and I are watching horror movies. One for each letter, and then a few extras that are favorites.

Here's what we've seen so far:

Alien
Black Dahlia
Cujo
Dracula (Bram Stokers)
Evil Dead
Friday the 13th
Gacy
Hellraiser
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Jeepers Creepers
KAW
Land of the Dead
Misery
Nosferatu
The Orphanage
Psycho
Queen of the Damned
Rosemary's Baby
The Stand
Tommyknockers
The Undead
Vertigo


I will update this post later on in the month... Enjoy!

It's Fall!!!

Fall happens to be my favorite time of year. The air is cool, the trees look gorgeous, and you can wear jeans and a hoodie, and be exactly the right temperature!

Mark and I celebrated last weekend by heading to Southwest Point for a little soccer and then we went walking by the lake.

The picture above looks a little like a postcard. So pretty.... Ahhh, Fall. How I've missed you!