Hilarious story #23489734958345987

A couple of weeks ago, I got the truck stuck. Really, really stuck. In a ditch. Across the street from our house. And I couldn't get it out. And Thomas was in class and couldn't answer the phone.Oh, don't mind the big dent in the side of the truck in the photo, its been there for years. Anyway, long story short, the truck was stuck in the ditch and since I couldn't get Thomas on the phone, I had to call in to work and admit my predicament. Humiliating. Then I ran into my house because I didn't want the neighbors to see me and laugh. Or even more humiliating, ask to HELP! I waited until Thomas got out of class and assured him that it would be easy for he and our friend Ben to push the truck out of the ditch. When they arrived, they gave it one look and thanked me for thinking they were so strong, but they'd never be able to push it out. Therefore we had to call our friend Will to come in his large vehicle to come pull the truck out with one of those big fire hoses. And I am the laughing stock of our household. Which means only Thomas laughs at me every time he passes that ditch.

O Christmas Tree

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in awhile. Things have been crazy. We did go get our Christmas tree the day after the loss to South Carolina. Thomas needed some rejuvenation so we headed to the Merry Christmas Tree Farm and cut down our very own. My family used to pile (all 6 of us!) into the cab of the truck and go cut one down at the local tree farm every year, but Thomas had never been. They had too many allergies in their house. :) Thomas was pretty excited about getting to be a "real man" and cut the tree down himself. We had to find a small one because we have very little room in our house, but this one was perfect.

The best part of our time at the Merry Christmas Tree Farm was that we knew one of the people working there. He insisted on showing us around the 40+ acres, and much to Thomas' chagrin, we actually walked the entire property. Okay so not the ENTIRE property, but we were sweating by the end of the walk and Thomas kept reminding me how many calories he burned in the game the day before. All in all, it was a wonderful trip and a great way to get our minds off of the loss.

Seeing as our tree from Food Lion last year fell over THREE times, we were determined this tree be firmly screwed into its tree stand. After about 30 minutes of bickering about whether it was ready to be decorated or not, we were satisfied. Decorations? Check. Lights? Check? Star atop the tree? Check. Four days later, our tree was no longer upright. However, the poor little thing didn't fall down, it just slumped forward, and seemed to be saying: "help! Give me a push back in the right direction." But being the NON perfectionists that we are, the tree is slumped forward to this day. I've had good intentions of propping it up with a book or brick or some solid object, but just haven't done it. Last night, we decided that the tree has been slumped for so long, we're just going to leave it the way it is. Perhaps I'll post a picture of the pathetic thing later this week.


This was my favorite part of the Merry Christmas Tree Farm:

2 posts in one week!

I know, this is a huge deal that I am posting twice in one week, but I HAD to share this recipe. Some of the other player's girlfriend's and I made this last night for about 20 guys and they loved it. It's hard to figure out what can be made in bulk without compromising flavor, and this turned out perfect.

Red Beans and Rice

1 package Turkey Kielbasa, chopped (we used 10 packages:))
1 onion
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp cumin, or to taste
1 tbsp butter
2 c. bismati rice, cooked according to package directions

1. Heat butter in skillet. Add onions and saute until lightly browned.
2. Add kielbasa and saute until hot.
3. Add kidney beans, cooked rice and cumin and mix until heated through.

That's it. So. Stinkin'. Easy. We served it with cornbread and the boys went wild over it.

Par for the Course

Here we are documenting our hilarious lives. In case you aren't already aware, Thomas was injured in Saturday's game against NC State. He hasn't experienced a "serious" injury since we've been married, so I was having a slight panic attack in the stands when someone notified me #65 was down. I had no clue what to do or where to go after I saw him go off the field on crutches, so I did what the other man in my life (my father) said to do, aka "stay put and stop worrying." Yeah, right. 5 minutes of me sitting with my head between my legs later, I received a text from an unknown number saying "hey its Thomas, what's up?" WHAT'S UP?! THAT'S ALL YOU'VE GOT?! Funny husband, really funny. Long story short, Thomas sprained the middle part of his left foot. Happy Birthday Thomas...

I'd already asked Coach Swinney if Thomas could ride home with me for an extra special birthday present, and I was planning to take him for his first visit to Ruth's Chris. However, we just couldn't see ourselves traipsing into an upscale restaurant with Thomas on crutches, in sweats, and with a special ice machine in tow. Sadly, I called and cancelled the reservations. We ate at Outback instead. Thomas was happy because he said he didn't know what he was missing at Ruth's Chris....what a shame.

I told Thomas I would do whatever I needed to do this week to help him get on the field for the UVA game, which will be his final home game . In sickness and in health..... right?? I began regretting this statement about .5 seconds after I found myself getting ready for church Sunday morning in the West End Zone locker room as I waited for Thomas to get treatment on his foot. Since then he has gone to treatment 4x a day (beginning at 5:45am), and needed me to drive him places at precisely the most inconvenient times. I've reminded myself many times this week that this is just the "normal" that the Lord saw fit for our lives. It is not that different or unique from anyone else's, and we're just called to be prepared for anything and roll with the punches.

9x13 Appetizers

I'm not sure if I've said this before, but fajita night in our 3ftX6ft kitchen is CHAOS. Add to that the fact that these boys can put away TWO 9x13 appetizers every single week. Add to that the fact that 5 boys ate an entire appetizer before anyone else arrived and dug into the second before I could stop them. Thankfully my friend Brooke intervened and hid the second appetizer so when the rest of the guys arrived they could actually have some.



The aftermath:





This week I threw the appetizer into aluminum pans because the dishes are just too much to handle. The guys BEG me to make it every week and I can't let them down. It really is so easy for a large crowd, and not too bad for the arteries either. Here is the beloved recipe:





8oz. cream cheese, softened (I use fat free and they can't tell the difference)


2 cans turkey chili


2 c. shredded cheddar cheese





-spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex. Pour the chili on top. Spread the cheddar on as the final layer.


-bake at 350 for 20 minutes.


-be sure to cool the appetizer for about 5 minutes. Just ask Thomas' taste buds....



And last but not least, here is a picture of what the guys do post-fajitas.

Everyone sits around as four people play Mario Cart. I'm sure this is a load of fun for the four people playing Mario Cart, but for the rest of us its B-O-R-I-N-G. But for some reason, they all sit around and watch each other play anyway and yell and scream and make all the dogs in our neighborhood bark. So, I guess I'm the only one who thinks its boring.