Chirstmas Presents From Tricia (Mother In Law)

Every year we celebrate Christmas at my husbands Mom's house the Sunday before Christmas. I always look forward to the creative gifts that she gives us. She is so talented, and it comes naturally for her. Here are some pictures of some of our faves! The pictures below are ornaments that she made by hand using beads, pins, and ribbons. It must have taken her a long time. She made them in all different shapes and colors. I absolutely love them. The Santas are hand painted.

Honey Westmoreland

My second year in college I got my puppy, a blonde lab. I named her Honey, and she became part of my family. She was so sweet, and I assure you had human characteristics. She could eat from a fork, dance on two legs, talk, give hugs and kisses, tear down walls, jump five feet in the air and dive into the water, and so much more. She was my best friend through school. I laugh sometimes when I say that, but she greeted me everyday, loved on me, and kept me company. She was very loyal to me, but she had the worst habit of running off. I eventually gave in because I knew that she would come back. She loved to hunt, but was waiting on me when Axton and I got home everyday. Well, last year we went to South Carolina, and had to leave her home for the week because she was pregnant. I had no idea where she was, so we left food with my neighbors. She had the puppies under our neighbors house, and was walking home to eat and drink when she got picked up by the pound. By the time we got home all of her puppies were dead, and Honey was no where to be found. I called all of the pounds and finally found her. When I saw her I started crying, because she looked starved to death and mistreated. At this time she was 6 1/2 years old. I took her to the pound to have her shots updated and $250 plus later I got to take her home. While there she tested positive for heart worms. The Vet at the time told me she was already so old and in terrible condition and she wouldn't make it through treatment. It took me 3 months to get weight back on her, but she got better. I gave her vitamins and fattened her up. I tried to get her spaded, but the Vet didn't recommend the surgery. I continued treating her heart worms with Hartguard, and she continued to get better. A year letter she was great. I thought she wasn't going to be able to have anymore puppies. I was wrong! I came home from work one day with her waiting on me at the door, not the driveway. She was crying, and wanted me to let her lay on me. Her stomach was bloated and she was bleeding. I instantly thought she was having the puppies and didn't think much more was wrong. I honestly thought she was hurting because labor is painful. Brandon immediately put her outside to have them under the porch. I had a bad feeling, so I followed her. She laid down at the steps whimpering, so I brought her back in. I helped her the best I could, and let her sleep. The next morning she wasn't too much better. I worried about her all day at work. I rushed home that day, and found a premature puppy in the floor. I hadn't seen it that morning because she covered it up. Brandon, Axton, and I rushed her to the After Hours ER in Horn Lake. The Vet. had no good news. My heart stopped, and my stomach churned. Our options were: give her an emergency C-section followed by a complete hysterectomy and heart worm treatments followed by days of IV's costing us any where from $1,500-$3,000 plus with the odds of survival being less than fifty percent or have her put to sleep, so she wouldn't suffer anymore. I wanted to do the surgery and would have with no doubt if money was not an option. We could not afford that, and I knew that she wouldn't make it. She laid in my lap the whole time we were there. She hadn't eaten in two days, and I could not get her to even drink water. She was dying, and I had to let her go. Axton and I walked out, because I couldn't face what was happening. Brandon was strong for me and stayed in with her in the room. He said it was very quick, and she closed her eyes and went to sleep. To me, it felt like I didn't give her a fighting chance, and I killed her. That is when I had to remember that my baby was sitting beside me and I had to do what was best for our family. Honey was in pain and suffering, so we let her rest. She will forever be missed. I know it is silly to some, but to me she was family. To Axton, she was a friend. He still asks about her, and we tell her that she has gone to Doggy Heaven. Axton says, "No, she is at the doctor mommy." I miss her so much, and pray that animals are in Heaven. We buried her at my parents house the following Saturday morning. My parents and sister laugh because Honey the Human was still going every where with us. :) A week ago our sweet neighbors brought an album that they made for us of honey. Their dog and Honey were best friends. Thank you for being kind! The Veterinarian also sent a letter to me sending me their condolences, and a poem signed by all of the office staff. I will use the Horn Lake Animal Hospital again. Thank you! I hope that people who read this get some relief in knowing that it is normal to grieve over a lost pet. They are family, and will be missed. Axton and I look at her pictures and laugh at the stories he tells about her. She was a good dog, and now I am ruined of having another pet. It is so hard to say goodbye. Here are some pictures of Honey Girl!

Thanksgiving Break

This year on Thanksgiving, we spent our time in Greenville, MS. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. We went to Momma Lisa's family lunch first. There we played a little football, volleyball, and ate a whole lot of good country food! My Mammaw is one of my favorite people in the world. She has the purest spirit of anyone I know. She is a Godly woman full of wisdom. I love her with all my heart. I have tried multiple times to convince her that my home is way more suitable for her (wink, wink)! She is 70 and still skates, works, and plays volleyball. She played on a professional volleyball team when she was younger. Here is my Mammaw playing a little Volleyball!!

A lot of us enjoying the gorgeous day!

My handsome brother and me; he is 19 now. I am proud of him, and pray that he goes to college and reaches his potential.

My very precious son leaving with MeMe. He jumped in the car, and he said see ya later mommy!

After visiting a little while longer we headed to my dad's family. Here is a picture of a lot of us; The Wankers!

My Pappaw in the red in the above picture is another role model in my life. He has been through so many trials and tribulations, but has never once lost his faith with God. When he cries in pain, he cries out to Jesus. When he is happy and recovering, he praises God for the miracle. No matter the circumstance, he is always on the right side; God's side. I love him so much. My Mammaw beside him in the picture is a trooper. She has stuck by him, and she has taken care of him doing whatever necessary to make him comfortable and happy. I love that I have the best grandparents one could ask for. Thank you Lord for the many blessings in my life!

What a Visit to G'ville looks like!

June 16 and June 30 Brandon started djing at Rivals in Greenville, so we visited a pretty good bit this summer. He worked on Friday nights while Ax and I visited with Meme, Pappaw, Wayne, Ashley, Brayden, Mammaw T, and if we were lucky Mammaw and Pappaw Wanker. We usually ate dinner or just caught up. On Saturdays we visited the rest of the family, went swimming, shopping, or whatever we felt like doing. Here are a few pics of our family fun time.

This is Meme and Axton swimming in Arkansas.

This is my older sister, Crystal and her daughter, Faith.

Brandon and I I love my home town, and sometimes think of what it would be like to live there again. However, I love my new home and believe that this is a better place to raise a family.

Bachelorette Party for Candis!

Memorial Day weekend ten girls loaded up in a green mini van hahahahaha, and we headed to Panama City for Candis' bachelorette party. All of us would periodically laugh at how hilarious we thought we looked in this 1990 mini van. Needless to say, we enjoyed it and saved money on gas. Candis and I have been friends since 2004. We met through a mutual friend, who ended up being my roommate for a short period of time. We love you Grogan!! Candis and I hit it off immediately and we have continued to grow closer. I am so happy for her and Chris to finally get married. They are a sweet couple and deserve mucho happiness. We began the adventure along with our Tropical Storm friend Lee dressed up with masks on.

After eating dinner, another bridesmaid showed up, so we met her at Wal-Mart. A little boy kept staring at us, and I couldn't control my laughter. He looked at us like we had literally just lost our minds. It was great :) We hung out at the condo that night talking, playing card games, and sitting on he balcony talking about our college days. Oh how I love these girls even though I really only knew Candis and Kim, but it was like we had been friends forever. Saturday, it rained most of the day giving us no chance at one last beach tan before the Fall. We still decided to hit up the beach since it stopped raining for a short period. Our friend, Lee was showing off, and the sun was not coming out of hiding.

That was the end of our days without the rain, so we went to the room to get dressed for Candis' lingerie shower. While she was in the shower we did a mini decoration to surprise her.

Candis' one condition for us was to wear pink wigs out all night, so that is how much we love her. We got stared at all night, and many people took pictures of us like we were famous (prob not the good kind of famous lol) Check us out :)

The above picture was all of us before the wigs. We went to Pineapple Willy's to eat dinner, then to Club Levela (not sure how to spell) where the bathrooms peed on our heads and musk slapped us in the face. We wouldn't have had it any other way! I had a terrific time with all of these ladies and look forward to more memories. You are all so special!

My Journey Through the Bible

In July I set a goal to read the Bible within one year. However, I started over in August because I was not comprehending much of what I read due to the busy summer schedule. So far it is taking me about three weeks to a month to read a chapter. I finished the book of Genesis about the third week in August, then started the book of Exodus. I finished the book of Exodus two weeks ago, and just today started the book of Leviticus. I had to go back and read parts of Exodus a few times to clear things up. I also talked to Brandon's dad to help me better understand the meaning behind the verses.

As a reference for me to go back and freshen my memory I am going to summarize each chapter that I read. Please add detail or your opinion as you feel necessary. I love any helpful advice :)


So far what I gather,
Genesis- God created the heaven and the earth in six days, and on the seventh day he rested. He made this the holy day of sabbath. He created Adam using dust from the ground to tend to the harvest, then created Eve by using one of the ribs from Adam. He gave the two rights to all the land except for the fruit from the tree of knowledge of right from wrong. The serpent persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit who in turn persuaded Adam to eat the fruit. As a consequence to there action, the serpent was made to crawl on its belly and be recognized as the evil creature. Adam and Eve was forced to leave the Garden of Eden, and made to work for their food and shelter. They created sin and had to pay for their sins through the fruit of their labor. Because Eve ate the fruit woman's punishment was pain in bearing a child, and for man, he must not eat until he has grown it or hunted it.

So, Adam and Eve left the Garden and Eden and multiplied their numbers. They had Cain and Abel. Cain was a keeper of the crops and Abel was keeper of the flock. Both sons brought offerings to the Lord, however God did not respect the offering from Cain, but respected Abel's offering. Cain grew jealous and slew his brother. Cain's punishment was having a ground that would not harvest, and had to leave his parent's land to Land of Nod where he married and had Enoch. God blessed Adam and Eve with another son named Seth.

All of their numbers multiplied, population grew and with that grew a life of sin. God did not like the way mankind was living, so God chose Noah to build an Ark and take two of every living thing and place them on the Ark. Noah did as he was instructed, he loaded two of everything and all of his family and waited until God said it was time to come out of the Ark. He sent a bird out through a window to see if it was time. On the fortieth day the Ark opened and all of the animals and family members exited the Ark to find the new Earth and which Noah's family repopulated the Earth.

Abraham and Sarah bore Issac who Abraham was instructed to sacrifice to God, and followed his command. Because he obeyed God, Issac was saved and all his generations to come would be blessed. Issac prospers and marries Rebekah who is barren. Issac prays for help and God blesses them with twins. Out of their multiplication of children Joseph was born. Joseph was the favorite of the brothers who were jealous and decided to sell him into slavery. Even in prison God was with Joseph. He helped some prisoners understand their dreams, and the King heard about Joseph and took him to live with him. The King was blessed through Joseph because of God's covenant with Abraham. Joseph instructed the king of Rome to save grain for the next 7 years, because the next 7 years there would be a famine so bad that all the world would come to trade for grain. During the 7 years of famine his brothers came for food to take back to the family. Joseph recognized them right away, but they didn't know who he was. Joseph gave them more grain than they asked for and their money back on one condition, the next time they came they had to bring back their dad. When Abraham came back to find his son, he thanked God. The family was back together and the King allowed Joseph and his wives to leave to start growing their family and land. Abraham lived to see his great grand children and revealed to them their future right before he died.

I think I understand, but def understand that I have a lot more to learn. I am excited about my journey through the Bible. I will re cap Exodus this week.

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza!

Tonight, I wanted pizza. I didn't buy pizza crust at the grocery store, because it was so expensive. I knew that I had to make the dough from scratch. Instead of the normal dough I wanted to try sweet potato crust with a variation of toppings.

Sweet Potato Crust
2 1/2 cups of flour (unbleached flour will work well)
2 tsp baking powder
dash of kosher salt
2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
dash of honey
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Pre heat oven to 425 and cook crust 10 minutes.

Toppings

On one pizza I added garlic and olive oil for the "sauce", caramalized onions, parmasean, and mozzerella.

After applying toppings cook an additional 10-12 minutes.

This was by far my favorite!!

The second pizza I added sliced zucchini, portebello mushrooms, and bell pepper with a basil pesto sauce. Add mozzerella and parmasean and cook for an addtional 12-16 minutes.
For the pesto sauce definitely go with 2cups of fresh basil, crushed walnuts, fresh garlic, and olive oil. Use as much or as little as you like.

I hope that you try these awesome pizza recipes! Let me knoe if you do :)

Bye Bye Bink Bink!

Axton Delane Westmoreland, born April 8, 2009. As soon as he was born the nurses stuck a binky in his mouth. He took to it instantly, and it was his best friend until July, 10, 2011. We decided that it was time to get rid of bink bink. We had a talk with Axton, and explained that he was a big boy now. When he woke up from his nap on Monday I cut the tip of it. I felt so bad that a shed a couple tears. Axton sang a song to his binky, he kissed, and said, "we can buy a new one k mommy". WHHHAAAAA! I said, "no baby, we can't buy anymore, but you will be okay". I am so proud of my baby boy. He dried it up and told me," I a big boy mommy and I give it to baby k". Cried some more and more!!! I stayed strong and didn't give in, and now it has almost been a whole month without a binky :) You go boy! Mommy Loves you!

This was the last picture I took of Axton with his binky. Love you baby!

Happy 3 years to my husband and I!

This slideshow is a glimpse of what three years has brought us! I am so thankful to be married to such a hard working man! I look forward to the rest of our years together, and I am ready for the adventures that are in store for us. I love you Brandon Delane Westmoreland!

Digital slideshow customized with Smilebox

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, this blog is late I know, but here we go!

I turned 28 on June 25, and I like to reflect back on life around this time of the year!! I am creeping way to close to 30, and I have to admit that it kinda freaks me out. I cannot believe that I am this old. It doesn't seem like this much time has gone by. With turning 28 came a lot of memories of past times. I also thought about all of my old friends and a whole lot of unforgettable memories. I miss some of them so much that I tear up when I think about them. I might be an emotional person lol! Some people have touched my soul to the deepest end and forever changed my life. These people have helped conform me into the person I am today. I will forever be thankful for God putting these people in my life.

At the age of 28, I am married to a great man, Brandon, and I have one son, Axton, who is two. My husband and I own a home in Hernando, MS, two vehicles that run, 3 acres of land, a lawn mower, a shed,  a house full of awesome furniture, and a dog. Yes, I named all of these things because Brandon and I had absolutely nothing but used furniture before we got married. My family has been truly blessed by God, and we could not ask for more!

Everything seemed to just fall into place after graduation in 07'. In addition to all these material things a few things happened spiritually, also.  We joined Riverbend Church in August of 2009, and in December of 2009 Brandon and I both got baptized!!. This was a huge step in growing our faith together as a married couple. We went and still go to church every Sunday that we are in town. We seem to be out of town an awful lot, but when school starts back we will get back in a routine that forces us to stay home more. I know being out of town should not be an excuse, so maybe we will start visiting random churches on Sundays.

Still thinking of how I got where I am today, I have to say that God puts people in your life at certain times for a reason. Even if you don't know the reason at the moment, you soon will find out. One person that stands out that proves this point is Amanda. (Hopefully she won't find this weird that I blogged this)She has been a trooper in sticking by me in becoming friends. When I met her I had just had my son Axton, and I was an emotional wreck! Seriously! I had postpartum after my c-section, but was too hard headed to get treatment. I was against treatment, because I was determined to breast feed Axton. I wanted what was best for him even if it meant me being crazy. A part of my determination stemmed from not being able to deliver Axton naturally. Instead I went into premature labor and had to have an emergency c-section. I wanted to do at least one thing right! 5 months later it was time to find a day care for Axton. The day before I got Amanda's number I visited HQ Day Care, and while it seemed nice I felt like I was settling due to defeat. A friend from work, Becky, gave me Amanda's number, because she was starting an in home day care. I had to have someone to keep Axton so with nothing to lose, and all to hopefully gain I called her. She was so sweet, and invited us right over. Of course, I cried instantly for no apparent reason other than the thought of leaving my son with someone I did not know. Her whole family welcomed us in, and she answered all of my questions... all of them :) After meeting her I knew that we would become friends, and she would be great to my son. She forgave me for things that I said during the first few months without hesitation, and I am so thankful for that. No matter what I did or said she was there to reassure me that everything is and would be fine. (She was showing me what being a Christian meant, and how walking close to God made you stronger, and she didn't even know it.) Sometimes, I told my hubby that she probably truly thought I was crazy. I found myself spilling everything to her at different times, random times, and she always listened. This is not like me at all, because I don't talk about my past to many people. I didn't know her that well, but told her things that only a few knew. At times I would leave thinking oh my goodness why did I just say all that, she is going to think I only talk about myself and feel sorry for myself etc. I didn't want pity, I just wanted to get things off of my chest I guess. Most of the time things just poured out of my mouth. I knew she didn't judge me, but actually cared and that I was doing what I do, worrying! She has helped me calm down and relax a little haha.  In meeting her and joining Riverbend I have met a lot of new friends. Most of all, she has brought me closer to Christ, and she has proven to me that there are so many good people in this world. After 2 years we are still friends, and she stills watches Axton for me. I am not the best person to communicate my emotions (another downfall), so I normally write about things. Hopefully this comes across as a thank you, and not strange something.

So my point in writing this is to say that I am thankful in every aspect of my life. To be 28 and be blessed with so much is worth more than words can describe! Only God is to blame for all of my happiness, family, and friends! I could continue writing about my blessings, but I would be here all day, and I am hungry.

The beginning of the Digital World

So, this summer I have been Spring cleaning, everything! In the process of clearing things out, throwing things away, and making a garage sale pile, I came across my very first digital camera. I was in 11th grade when I made my first digital camera purchase. It was a Fujifilm, and was special to me. I took it everywhere, and was the camera person at all the high school parties etc.. Check out how big it was :)

manual lens

no different settings to use, just flash or no flash

Adios to my old camera :) 2001 Camera

Just to compare, here is my camera today.

automatic lens that opens when it's powered on

covered USB to protect from dust

many settings to choose from

This Olympus is obviously much more compact, however I am still partial to my very first Fujifilm camera. This camera is used for everyday extravaganzas.

For more important events I upgraded to a Nikon D80 (thanks to my hubby), and I learn something new every time I use it. I cannot wait to eventually start photography part-time. 

Belated Happy Father's Day to My Dad

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

As you can see, my Daddy does not like to be in front of the camera. I don't think I have one picture of him smiling on purpose. I am thankful for my Daddy, because he has gone above and beyond to make sure that I am taken care of. He has fought for me since I was born. I won't go into detail, because it is personal, but my biological mom and my Daddy got on the wrong road in the late seventies when my bio found out she was pregnant. While my Daddy was strong enough to get back on the right path, she wasn't. It was a constant battle to "babysit" her while she was pregnant with me. He made sure that she didn't do anything to harm me. When I was born my parents split up, and my Daddy thought he would be raising me alone and was okay with that at this point. However, my bio decided to try to straighten up and did for a few months, I believe. During that time I was back and forth between my parents, and it wasn't soon after that my bio began her old habits, only this time she took me and ran. When my Daddy found where I was he took me, packed everything up, and moved us to Texas. We were there until I was about two. My Nana, which is my bio's mom, had my Daddy arrested for kidnapping, so I was sent back to live with my bio. The court system is awful, and I feel so sorry for the children that go through this everyday. I wish I could help them somehow. After many attempts to gain custody of me, my Daddy finally won. He was able to gain the trust of neighbors that lived where my bio and I did. The neighbors reported to the cops that on countless occasions I was left alone at the age of two. While I do not remember most of this, thank goodness, I do remember some things and it effects me still, but in a different way now. I have accepted what happened, forgiven her, and thanked God for protecting me. I know that God had and still has a plan for me, and that this happened for a reason. I believe that one of those reasons is to reach out to people and be able to relate to others. So, this is one of the many reasons why I am thankful to have my Daddy.

I love you Daddy!

Favorite memories: fishing trips to the lake, Family Night Fridays, Sunday Lake Day, Softball years with him as my coach

My favorite now moments: watching my Daddy play with Axton, riding four wheelers, trips to the hunting camp

I look forward to many more memories!