Paula Want a Cracker?

Oh Paula Deen. She has caused such an outrage as of late. That's all I see and hear about on Facebook and tv. It's getting old. The media should find something else to go on about.

It's not that I don't care, I do in a sense, but it's a two sided sword. If you support her, then you're racist. If you don't then you're unforgiving. As always, I do have an opinion on this topic. And, surprisingly, others as well.

My issue with Paula isn't the use of the N word. Now, let me clarify, I'm by no means saying that what she said is correct in anyway. At all. It's a dirty word and should not be said and I personally do not like it.
My problem with the whole issue is all the media attention that it has received, positive and negative.
All of the department stores and tv channels that supported her have vanished and have dropped her like a hot potato. Seriously? You sign a down home SOUTHERN woman to your label/brand and expect her to behave? You've got to be kidding me. This woman deep fried butter, and made a cheeseburger with glazed donut buns...and then cried over getting diabetes. Again, SERIOUSLY?! Lord. And we wonder why obesity is an epidemic. But, then again, that's a tad off topic...

At first, I thought the whole thing to be ignorant in general. Paula is ignorant for using the word in front of people who would obviously be offended, she's ignorant for using the word in general, but more so, she is ignorant for thinking it wouldn't get out and cause an issue. Even if it supposedly happened 27 years ago. When you're on tv, your past can always pop up to haunt you.

But, at least she apologized. Right? I mean, that was the nice thing to do. Many other old, Southern, aristocratic white women would have said "Oh, honey, no. Bless your heart. WE call our slaves "negroes"!" All while fanning her perfect ivory skin and drinking sweet tea on a huge wrap around porch under a Magnolia Tree. Oh, forever more, people.

I was lucky enough to see a clip of her Today show interview yesterday. How fabulous. How fake. When you are in the middle of a racial slur media frenzy, you do NOT randomly drop "I is what I is, and I ain't gonna change" in the middle of your APOLOGY and defensive interview.

Yes, Paula, "you is what you is." and you IS ignorant.




In other news, more states have agreed to allow same sex marriages! Yay gays! Maybe I'll get my feathers all ruffled sometime soon about that and post another long blog about it. We shall see!!

As always, with Love & Laughter.
And God Bless.

LaShannon Spencer

Oh, Hi. What's your name again?!

Shew. It's been awhile. A long while. And I apologize. :(

I've been busy. Busy working, and...well, and sleeping. Apparently being pregnant really wears a woman out.

I've had a few photo shoots, and two weddings as well.

I think I'm able to stay awake a few more hours longer now.

This pregnancy is so different from my pregnancy with Bitty. It's ridiculous. Which is also why I think I'm having a girl this time around. Let's hope. Fingers and toes crossed!! We find out Saturday!

I have a couple blog post ideas that I've been rattling around in my head, and now that summer is out and I don't have all the crazy night time routines with Bitty, maybe I can get some blogging done.

But, this is really my "holy crap! I have blog I need to post to!" post. Basically stating that I am in fact, back...until I forget again. ;)

With Love and Laughter,
And God Bless.

LaShannon

Leggo My Eggo!! Crap. Now I'm Preggo!

Well. My husband has officially knocked me up. And I blame him, just because he keeps saying that my egg was taunting his sperm, resulting in a "tussle" (his words, not mine.) that ended up in conception. Eh, I guess that is plausible.

As my more loyal followers (and Family & Friends) know, I have a 7 year old son. Well, ya know what? WE have a 7 year old son. My husband has been a constant male role model in Brendons life for YEARS now...might as well be we. Anyways. So, we have a 7 year old son. Who is a nut. And an occasional brat. But, can seriously be one of the most lovable kids ever. And at times, he is hilarious.
Joshua has, unfortunately, never experienced the whole pregnancy and birth thing. Oh, he is in for a treat! He got lucky with Brendon and came in at like 2 yrs old. So, he is crazy excited. And I'm just sitting here like "wow....all that work, lost all that weight...now, you're going to make me fat again."....I find that funny, but then again I have a very inappropriate sense of humor (especially for the next 9 months), he does not. Something else he does not do; read my blog....go ahead and tell him Casey! :P

So, this pregnancy thing. Second go around is definitely different for me. I was all excited when I found out, I had no morning sickness at all with Brendon. Actually, it was a relatively simple, and easy going pregnancy. A long labor/birth, but that was it. Don't get me wrong. I'm still super excited. It makes it so much more exciting because of sharing it with Brendon and Joshua. I just find it hard to look at all the awesomeness of it when I have a constant migraine and am sick to my stomach all the time. The bright side of things? I don't know what that is because I can't look at it or I will hurl! Stupid migraines.

When I first told Joshua, he at first was skeptical. And asked me how correct the tests usually are. He works 3rd shift so since it was noon, and he had been asleep for a few hours already....the fact that his wife is now pregnant was not that high up on his "omg meter". Understandably so. I would have liked a little more excitement than him saying "oh...ok...don't tell anyone until we know 100% for sure..." and rolling back over. I called my family dr, told her what the deal was, and knew 100% for sure by 4pm that day. That was February 28th.

I then told my husband that he had to tell his family. I already had to tell my whole family. He could tell his own. Which he balked at. Didn't want to do it, wanted me to. I made him do it. And he was halfway embarrassed the whole time. Something about his family knowing what we had been up to....
This is my husband guys. I love him dearly. He's literally one of the best things that ever happened to me...but, he is silly. And can be exasperating at times. But, I love all the quirky things about him. :)

Reactions? Well, after my mother in law pretty much called me a liar to my face and in my own home. (ahem Cathy.) I had to get both pee sticks to show her. When I stomped off to do just that, she started yelling "OMG! SHE'S GETTING PROOF! SHE'S GETTING PROOF!" I presented her with this!

And she was still smiling, and screaming and all happy. And I didn't know what to do, so I stood there and smiled and watched. It is safe to say that she is very excited! Everybody is excited as far as I can tell really. It is definitely going to be an adventure!

My parents? Not sure that either of them really care. I think the people that I attend church with are more excited than my parents. But, I didn't expect much out them in that department anyways.
Oh! Want to see Joshua's reaction once he woke up enough to understand fully that he is going to be a dad?! It's cute.

He's adorable. And is driving me up the freaking wall. I'm serious. He walks down the steps in front of me, practically giving me a piggy back ride we're so close. He would walk beside me if we would both fit. He also yells for me if we're not in the same room every so often, just to make sure I haven't done something stupid. My dr, (who is a brilliant woman, and I love her already.) informed us that "I am not eating for 2. I am eating for 1." She's had 5-6 kids herself, so I can't say "wtf do you know, woman?!" because she does KNOW. But still. That's a horrible thing to say in front of a man. Horrible. So now, he's constantly trying to get me to eat healthier, and keeps reminding me that I am eating for only 1. Ok man, I quit smoking. Cold turkey...oooo....turkey sounds great right now....anyways, I quit smoking. What more do you want?! Let me eat my 10th cupcake in freaking peace!!

So, that's a daily battle with him. And I only have 8 more months to go! Yay!
But, we did get to see the baby, which is a lima bean right now (again, Joshua's observational skills at work there.). And hear the heart beat. Which is way cooler than seeing the blurry ultrasound picture that looks like white noise/snow on an old tv to me.
Josh had went on and on about how he wanted to hear the heartbeat because he was so worried about all this stuff. (literally....everything.) So when he heard it, well, I don't know what his face looked like because of the ultrasound process....let me tell you about that real quick.

I was unaware that the first ultrasound is done vaginally. Boy, was I surprised when I walked in and the woman pulls out this rather phallic looking device hooked to a little tv and goes "go behind the curtain here that is 2 ft wide and get naked from the waist down..."...I was like "b*tch say whaaaaaa?!!" And Josh was all wide eyed and open mouthed. NEITHER of us were expecting that. At all. And it showed.

Back to the ultrasound itself.

So, I was in no position to twist around and look behind me at my husband who for some reason committed himself to sitting in the corner behind me. But, I asked him in the car on the way home what he thought when he heard the heartbeat (I don't think he understand that ultrasound picture either.) He said his reaction was "well....there it is..." My favorite thing was the big poo eating grin that he was sporting all day. Especially when he got to show the ultrasound pic off, or when he was randomly looking at it. It makes me smile. Like I said, he's so freaking cute.

So, "here it is"....whatever this may be. I'm not ever 100% sure that this is a baby....

Also, Brendon and the "baby"...He says it looks like Joshua.

I'm going to try to post the funny things that occur throughout this pregnancy. Well, the ones that I can get by with posting. Josh would die if some were posted. He's just so funny! I can't help it. I want everybody to know how funny he is! He does not. Oh well I guess. I will try to post some though. :)

Well. It has taken me a few days to get this posted. The 16th I get another ultrasound, so if I am given new pictures, I will share them as well. I'll keep everybody updated!

With Love & Laughter.
God Bless all of you!
<3

LaShannon Spencer
(Also, I have officially changed my last name on pretty much everything that is required...I have some stuff to change it on, but nothing super important. 6 months after the wedding...I'm still working on name changes. Men are so freaking lucky!!) 

Underpaid & Overworked

Recent revelation about blogging: I am HORRIBLE at layouts and all that. I honestly get frustrated and just give up and give in to my blog looking all crazy. And, I still have not found out how to add a "gadget" thing that allows people to click a button to "follow" me. Despite one persons fabulous comment with great instructions, I can not find it! Ugh. Story of my life, I am always unable to find something. Never fails. On to my blog post/rant of the night...

Let me start out by saying this: I was never a model student. I got into trouble. I caused my fair share as well. But, I was FAR from the worse.

I've recently been watching a show on TV called "Blackboard Wars". It's insane what those teachers put up with! Granted, they do teach in bad cities. But by watching this show it made me reflect on my high school experiences and on things that I have observed myself.

I know a handful of great educators. All are great in their own ways. I've also had the chance to come across numerous teachers who really are not suited to be teachers. But, those are few and far between. I'm not going to focus on the "not so great" teachers in this blog, because in my experiences with teachers, I have come to notice that those that are not that great are not that memorable. And do not make up for the huge percentage that are fabulous.

Underpaid...

I am not sure who came up with the payment system for educators, but they suck. And that's putting it lightly. Who in their right mind thought "Well, these people are only teaching our future...let's pay them crap amounts of money." Whoever it was, should be beaten. By high school bullies. Daily. For their checks. I'm just saying.

To do the jobs that most teachers do daily, they surely do not get paid enough. I just don't get it. I recently read that teachers in Switzerland get paid around $100,000 a year. I know not one teacher who gets paid anything close to that. It baffles me to be honest.

How is it sane that pro sport players make more money than teachers? I may be wrong on this, but if the younger version of those pro players were unable to make good enough grades to stay on whatever sport team they were on, would they be playing today? Granted most have their family, and friends and coaches backing them and supporting them all the way. But where I come from, if you can't make the grades, you don't make the team. (for the most part anyways.) So, without the early years of team play, practices, all that good stuff, would they be where they are today? Who helped them get to point that their grades were acceptable enough to be able to do more than warm a bench? Ummm...I have never seen a coach sit down and teach their teams trigonometry. And I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm sure it does, but most teams don't have coaches like that. Is this whole paragraph making sense? Or am I just rambling? A little of both? Ok, great, we're right on track then....

Overworked.

I really just want to walk into one of our local schools (preferably the junior high or high school) and just watch. All day. And then all those kids that acted a fool, or just plain out disrespected an authority figure, take them to a jail and show them what it's like to be treated in such a manner. It's INSANE! These kids have respect for each other, authority, elders or their self.

Maybe I'm weird. Maybe I just grew up in such a dysfunctional household that school was my only outlet and my only reprieve from all of that. Maybe it's both of those, and the fact that I really enjoy learning.

Like I said before, I was in now way a model student. I was pregnant at 15, and had a job. I did turn in late assignments, but I turned the majority of them in as soon as I could. I never threatened a teacher, I never brought weapons to school, I never just blatantly disregarding a rule, a teachers warning; and neither did I just say "to hell with it" and not do my homework.

When I was in high school, I saw so much disrespect and hostility and ignorance, that it's ridiculous. It honestly makes me want to home school my children. But, the memories of the teachers that I encountered that made my high school career worth it change my mind every time.

I had so many great teachers. Many that I speak to today when I see them, and all I still look up to as great role models. And a couple of teachers I know that I never had myself.
I'm not going to call them out by name on here, but they will know who they are.

My freshman year I had an English teacher that I absolutely loved. I also beat up a fellow male student right before and right outside her class room once too. (Told ya, not a model student.) I ended up having her again a year or two later. I think it was my sophomore year that I had her again because I had just recently given birth and was trying to balance being a young mother, and school. It's hard to do! I remember falling asleep in her class more often than not. Instead of reprimanding me every single chance she got, instead of calling me out and singling me out like other teachers did and would have done, I was given numerous extensions on assignments. Time to complete them, and time to figure out what in the world we were doing in class. I don't remember if I passed that class with a high grade or low one, but I do remember her. And always will. She's also one of those teachers that listened, I remember talking to her on a few occasions, and she was always helpful. I also remember when one of my fellow classmates had family problems and she allowed that student to stay with her. That led to her adopting my classmate, and treating her like her own. I don't remember that whole backstory on that, but it doesn't matter. How many other teachers would have done that? Not many that I know of. It is little things like that that stand out to me. Things that others wouldn't do or attempt that make the difference.

Oh, yes, allow me to backtrack to elementary school. I had a teacher then that I honestly cannot tell you why she still is one of my favorite teachers. Honestly, I do not remember. She was my first and second grade teacher. And she was the teacher that helped me get back on track when I switched schools, and then switched back, and then found out that I hadn't learned enough at the other school to be able to go onto the next grade. I was held back, but was straddling two different grades until I could get the grades needed in the subjects that I was behind in. She did help me push through that and get through what needed to be done to go on to the next grade. I used to see her at Berrymans often when I worked there. I will never forget her either.

Middle school never really held a lot of teachers that stand out to me. Mainly because we switched so much that I was never able to get used to one. I do remember a science teacher that was literally just awesome. Real hands on and just an all around great teacher. She really helped solidify my love of science and that pushed me to want to read more about science and to learn more about it as well.

There are so many other teachers that I absolutely cherish. I just can't put them all down. I think I only ever really disliked one or two teachers in my life. But, I think my favorite teacher ever had to be my art teacher from high school. And I have no legit, concrete reason as to why that is. She's just awesome. One of those totally down to earth people that make their kids clothes, and have cool art stories to tell, and is just open to talk about anything. That was her. And she named her kids the most awesome names EVER! But, I do know that I did spend a lot of time talking to her about a lot of stuff. Baby daddy drama pretty much. (And trust me, THAT was some drama!) Whenever I would go back to the high school for whatever reason, I always made a special trip by her class room to visit her. And now she has left to go onto bigger and better things! Actually, she just left to go to a school closer to her home. (I mean, they could be paying her more money for all I know...I would.) She even came to my wedding! I remember the night after our wedding, Joshua and I were opening cards and stuff from guests and he opened one and since I was looking over his shoulder, I saw it before he opened it to read the inside. Before he could do that, I said "That's from Mrs........" and it was. Because she is the ONLY person I know that would give me a wedding card like that.

It's always the little things that matter most to me. The things that fall into the recesses of most peoples minds and collect dust. For me, that stuff stands out. I remember that stuff.

I know two teachers who I never had, but love to death anyways. One of which has Tourette Syndrome (which, my husband also has.) and is probably the most eloquent orator that I know. She literally opens her mouth and beauty flows out. (That may be extreme....but so is my use of parentheses...so it's whatever) Sometimes I have to just absorb what she says and try to process it later because it's just a bunch of stuff that comes out at once and she uses words that I don't understand and describes stuff in ways that you would have never thought to describe them. I'm getting a headache just thinking about it! And, she reminds me of Andy Warhol. So, yeah, she's pretty rad.
The second, is a lady just a year or two older than I am. She teaches a BUNCH of kids. And is taking more classes (I don't know why...oh yeah, because teachers like to go above and beyond expectations...) and working another job. She has an A/B scheduling, that is a ton of kids. But she does it with grace, and I have never heard her complain about it. She's just great at what she does, and she knows that it is worth it.

It's people like them that truly make school a great experience. Some people say they never had those great teachers, and I call bullshit. They just didn't want to have those great teachers. I have seen teachers bend over backwards to help students, just to have said student kick them and run off.

I just don't get it. I don't get how people can spit in the face of those trying to help them. How people can act as if what a teacher does is not important. Of all the people in our country that should be among the top paid, teachers should be right up there next to soldiers. What kind of future does America have without an education?!


I will agree that some of the problems in schools now a days branch out from home issues. A lot of parents do not feel that it is necessary to teach the concepts of respect and determination at home anymore. But, it's hard to blame a lot of behavioral problems on the parents when the "children" are 16+. They're almost adults. They know what is right, and what is wrong. They know what they are doing. But, I do agree that a lot of it does start at home. Discipline is a must, and is needed now more than ever. At home, and at school.


To all those people sitting in class rooms, thinking of ways to disrupt class: What the hell are you thinking?! That man/woman standing at the front of the room, writing out equations and explaining Shakespeare to you until they are blue in the face, just to have you say "I don't get it...." because you were not paying attention...That person does not HAVE  to be there. They do not HAVE to listen to your excuses, and rants, and disrespectful comments. They do not HAVE to help you understand this stuff. They do not HAVE to give you assignment extensions. They do not HAVE to do anything for you, at all. Except teach you. And that is where most students fail. They fail in being taught. It is impossible to teach someone something that they have chosen not to learn. But teachers do it anyways. Because they WANT to, not because they HAVE to. I have always said that to be a teacher you have to literally be called to do it by the good Lord above, because no other way would a person be able to do it. And being a teacher is such a beautiful thing. Having the ability to help mold the future generations, and to change lives. It's too bad that few people see it as such now a days. So the next time you think you're going to be cute, disrupt class, maybe get into a fight; remember, that person at the front of the class wants nothing more to help you succeed, wants to see you learn, wants to see you happy, wants to help you anyway you can. But in order for you to receive any of the gifts that could be laid out for you; you have to sit down, shut up, and try. Teachers are there to help you when you fail or feel like you're failing, they are there to pick you back up academically, shake you off, and say "so, what should you have done differently?" and then help you correct yourself. And to help you learn from your mistakes. Because you are supposed to LEARN at school. Learning something new everyday should be a goal.

Like I said before, maybe I'm just weird. But I can look back, and the majority of the things that I have EVER learned in my life, was taught to me by teachers. Most of it isn't even "school" stuff. It's life stuff. So many teachers pour their life and soul, and time, and often their own money, into being a great teacher that it's almost become kind of a requirement. I honestly do not know how they do it. But I salute them, their knowledge, their perseverance, their dedication, integrity, discipline, love for their students and their job. I salute our educators. Somebody has to.

As always, with Love & Laughter.
God Bless! :) <3

P.S. I know that I ramble and rant on a normal basis, it's what I do best actually...But, I found out that I am pregnant a few days ago, so please ignore all the hormones floating throughout my blog posts....whoops! ;)

Growing Up is Expensive

It's been over a month since I have posted. But, I'm trying to settle into this new life of mine.
And let me tell you, it's a whole lot more difficult than I thought.
Bills.
Groceries.
Bills.
Necessities.
Life.
It all adds up. And sometimes the end number isn't so pretty.

So, I've been trying to save my little family money. I've started couponing. It works out okay, and I enjoy it. It's not nearly as scary as I thought, but it is time consuming and can get annoying. But is worth it in the end. I don't want to get crazy and stock up on stuff we don't really need or won't use. Or stuff that will spoil before we even get a chance to look at it again.

I recently ran across a blog for a woman who lives on $14,000 a year. Her, her husband and I think 3-4 kids. Seriously. $14,000 a year.
Now, I'm blessed. My husband has a good job, and makes more than that. But, He wants to save money constantly and I don't help save money because I, personally, would rather be spending it.
Anyways, how I see it, it all comes down to budgeting. And shopping once a month for groceries and such, and freezing stuff. Well, that's what I got from her blog. All of which I am pretty sure I can do. I am going to downsize it though. Instead of shopping once a month, I am going to shop for two weeks instead. It's my test run. Then, I am going to try to plan meal plans for those two weeks. I still need to work out our budget 100%, but before I let myself get into all that, I want to make sure that I CAN shop on a set budget. I've got a list, and I've got a set amount that is really me adding all the prices up on my list of "OMG, we're out of this!!" stuff. But, hey, it works. And, it's stuff we need. Stuff we should stock up on. And stuff that Kroger has on sale for 10/$10. Most of which, can be frozen. Think fruits, veggies, milk (YES YOU CAN FREEZE MILK!!), and bread. There is other stuff. But, it's like Ravioli's and stuff. Which, Josh takes to work for lunch sometimes. After this shopping adventure, I'm going to try not to buy anymore Ravioli's, spaghetti o's, lunchables and such. But, if I cut out all of Brendon and Josh's favorite random stuff, they would riot and boycott me. So, baby steps. Baby steps.

Oh! Here's the link to the blog I was talking about! http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/ She is fabulous. I haven't read her entire blog as of yet, but I'm reading it piece by piece. I can't keep it all straight if I try to take in a whole bunch of info. But, she has some legit ideas. And really lays it all out for you in a easy and understandable way. I think I can benefit from this.

We shall see. I will definitely post more about how this all works out in the future.
Sorry I had to keep it short, but, it pretty much sums up the past month; trying to save money so my husband will stop thinking that we are in the poor house.

Much love to all my readers.
God Bless.
:)

I AM worth it!

This post may seem confusing as you read it. It's going to confuse me as I write it. It starts out talking about our church service this morning, then goes into the past, and then back to the present. Hold on, this is going to be a crazy ride...

My church gets crazy sometimes. Not rattlesnake holding and all that kind of crazy. I mean serious praisin' goes on up in there. For the most part, it's a fairly normal service. I'm sure our preacher is a little funnier than most, and is thoroughly engaging as well. We're blessed with his awesome orator skills, and the funny stories he tells. We're also blessed with a fabulous praise team. All are blessed with extremely beautiful voices or some other musical talent. They don't just sing. And that is what I love about them. The pull you in, speak to your heart, and start the service off right. They really get into their songs too. It's hard not to believe and have faith and an open heart when they're on the stage before the service. Every week, after the praise team sings, one of them does the announcements. This is Stacy's job. And she does a great job at it. She is also quite entertaining and very charismatic as well. Sometimes she gets really into it, and starts "preaching". Not really, but her words are often a great word from God.

I'll be honest, I was paying attention today, and crying. I heard everything she said. I wasn't zoning out or daydreaming. I was there, mentally and physically. I know she was talking about health issues of her own, and I remember a couple other people speaking. But all I remember her saying is "You are worth it. Don't let the devil tell you otherwise." In a short summary (as far as I can remember anyways), she was talking about how the devil is sneaky. How he tells you lies and confuses you and makes you dwell on things that aren't healthy and how he drags you down. But all I remember full on and crystal clear was "You ARE worth it.". That's it.

Now, here's where we travel into the past....It's gloomy up ahead....so hang on. I'll try to make it brief.

My whole life I've felt that I'm not worth it. No, that's a lie. For 10+  years I've felt like I'm not worth it. In reality, it's more like I've felt like I'm not good enough. That's pretty much all I've been told. I've always had my faults pointed out and talked about and never had my accomplishments bragged about. Or at least, it was seldom done in front of me. I don't like to toot my own horn, but when I'm in a great mood and feeling awesome, I like to think I've accomplished a lot. And I know that I have. But, when that's all you know. When that's the majority of what is said to and about you, you begin to believe it.

I've always loved art, and have mentioned it in the past. I drew, and sketched and painted and all that jazz. My parents told me how awesome it was and how talented I am. But after a couple months, that "new talent's" awesomeness wore off I assume. So, nobody cared. Or if I showed my newest masterpiece off, it was accepted with a shrug and nod of the head. And if I was lucky, super lucky, I'd get a "looks cool." or "that's great." After awhile, I stopped.

Same with softball.
Same with band. (Alto & Tenor sax for 4-5 years. Oh yeah, I'm a "bandie"! :))
Same with a lot of other stuff that I really enjoyed.
It got to the point that if I wasn't doing something that made someone (namely my parent's because my Nanny was gone at this point so I no longer had her support in anything.) else happy and proud of me, then I wasn't doing anything. That's all I wanted was the support, pride and feeling of making my parent's happy. And I'm not sure I ever accomplished that fully. Maybe I did and they're just those kind of people who don't show their thoughts and feelings like that as readily as most people. Or maybe I'm crazy. Maybe they thought that by not "babying" or whatever, then I'd be more independent. Ok, I'm pulling stuff out of my butt now. I have no clue as to what their reasoning was or is, and like I said, I may be crazy.

And it wasn't just when I was younger. It's been recent as well. I had told my dad about my thoughts about venturing into photography. His reply "How are YOU going to be a photographer? Do you even have a good camera?" At the time I was rocking a Canon Powershot, but I was rocking it hardcore and doing a good job using what I had at that time. But that's not the point.

Oh, and it wasn't just my parent's. I had a professor argue with me for 30 minutes about how it would be impossible for me to be a veterinarian. Because I'm too short according to her. All I could think was "I'll get a step stool! B*tch!". Or the supposed advisor who kept insisting I change my major to anything besides vet medicine because of how much in debt I would be by time I would finish school. I kept trying to tell him that My parents didn't pay my way and hadn't since I was 16. I pay my own. For the most part, I mean, Josh makes a ton more money than I do. And my papaw will usually help me out if I really need it, but I always pay him back. Sorry Joshua! You married me! We share now babe! ;)
So, obviously, I'm no longer in college and definitely not a veterinarian. I'm sure God has a plan for me with all that. I really need to start praying more often for a better job and/or to win the lottery so I can pay my school loans off. Sheesh.

To summarize it all, I've always been treated and just felt that I wasn't good enough for anything. Or I wasn't good enough at anything. It's funny though, as long as I am doing what everybody wants me to do, or what pleases them; then everything is fine. But as soon as I stop and start trying to make myself happy, then all hell breaks lose and it doesn't matter if I'm doing what makes me happy because they make me miserable. My life, in a nut shell, was hectic and crazy, it scary to a LOT of people. It was easy, and difficult, and stressful, and every single other emotion as well. It's been it all. Kind of. Don't get me wrong, I do love my parents. They are my parents after all. And if it wasn't for them, I definitely wouldn't be who I am today. Whether or not that is exactly a good thing is up for debate. Just some people are different. I've seen more in my life than a lot of people twice my age have, I have more knowledge about things that I shouldn't have and don't like knowing about than lots of people. But, that's me. Sometimes it comes in handy.

Back to the present. I've read a couple different things recently that have really made me think about myself. I've heard stuff as well. Things that just spoke to me I guess you would say. I'll include those little quotes and verses later. ***But right now, I need to get back to Stacy....

As the day went on, I kept thinking about it. I literally have not been able to get it out of my head all day. Which is great. Except at first I couldn't figure out why. And then I got to thinking back and realized why. It's amazing really. When a realization such as that hits you, it's phenomenal. Or at least it is to me. I AM worth it. I AM good enough. I am free.

My new years resolution #2 is to do what makes me happy.
(#1 is to quit smoking....blah.)
#3 is to get back on my weight loss plan and all that. Because I am happy when I am healthy. And I'm worthy of a healthy body.
#4 is to compromise more...good luck with that....

Oh wow...way off track there...whoops...I'll continue that list later on sometime...preferably when I am not wanting to break half of them...

I thank Stacy for her word from God. It spoke to me and was something that I truly needed to hear. And something I need to work towards remembering everyday.

I also thank all those wonderful people at my church. I've learned so much from you all. And I love how different every one of you are. I love each and every one of you. <3

***Quotes  I mentioned above....
1) " I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." --Philippians 4:11-13 ---Ahhh...this is so true. I think I posted a picture of this verse when I found it. I've been through it all. One day, when I am comfortable tell it all, and I don't think my parents will kill me for baring it all, I will tell my long story. It's interesting, heartbreaking, crazy, funny, sad...etc etc. Might be a bestseller! Oprah could put it on her booklist!! Woo-hoo! Wouldn't that be something?! :)

2) "If you get lost, you can always be found..." -I heard this at work the other night. It's a lyric of a song that was playing on the radio. I have no idea who sings it or even what station it was on. It just spoke to me. I wrote it down on a brown paper bag and brought it home. If you know the artist or song, please let me know?! You won't get anything...I could say "thanks so & so for the song info!" in my next blog? It's not like you'll get famous....just tell me!

Well...I think it's past my bedtime. And Brendon is asleep and has been for a long while. I've got to get stuff done tomorrow before exercising tomorrow night (#3!!!!).

With Love & Laughter. And the sense of being worthy.

God Bless.
<3

Steak & Potatoes

I love food.
There, I said it. It's out in the open now. I have a problem. With food. I love it. Problem is that it doesn't love me. Actually, the calories and fat doesn't like me...but still.
I love cooking.
I love "inventing" my own recipes and dinners.
I love watching my husband cook.
I love good food.

I may not be a great "foodie" and know everything there is to know about food. But, I don't claim to either. However, I do know good food. And I love it.

I think how a person cooks, eats and what they like says a lot about them. As for me, I'm a steak and potatoes type of girl. All the way. I'm not one to eat fancy stuff. As fancy as I get is calamari. And I was tricked into eating that the first time.

I love a good steak, some mashed potatoes and homemade macaroni and cheese. I really try hard not to cook stuff from a box that I can and know how to make fresh and homemade. My favorite food is cheeseburgers and French fries.

I eat my steaks medium rare, and Joshua eats his rare. Any more done, there isn't any flavor. I love a good ribeye. And Josh makes a damn good steak. Yummy! I especially love coming home and seeing him cooking after I've been at work.

I always want to ask him if whatever I've cooked is better than his Nanny's or his Mom's. But I know he will either ignore my question, or lie and say yes. I know better. They've had years to perfect their skills. I'm merely starting out. I'll get there eventually. But, if Josh had told me whatever I had cooked was better, I would first feel a small bit of pride. Then realize he is lying and laugh. I don't think I've ever met a man who didn't love his mother's cooking, no matter what age he is when you ask him. Which is why my mother had daughters. So we could cook for ourselves. She's not a very talented cook. Oh well.

Luckily for myself, and my sister, we inherited our cooking skills and love for food from my dad's side of the family. My dad is a great cook. I love when I go home and see he has cooked, I know I will get a good meal then. Unless it's fried chicken. That is probably the only thing he makes that isn't that great, and the ONLY thing my mom cooks that I get excited about!!

I grew up eating good food at every family function and especially at my Nanny's. I used to help her make homemade dumplings when I was younger. I thought I was so grown up when I was finally old enough to help her. I think that's where my first real love for food came from. Every meal she cooked was made with love. My papaw makes homemade jerky and beer cheese whenever the mood strikes him. Which isn't often. So when he does make it, I horde it away and try to stretch out how long it will last for as long as possible. It's delicious. When I was about 8-9 I learned the value of spices from my papaw. I had whined and cried and begged to help make the jerky marinade and he had finally gave in. So he handed me a bowl, a spoon, and set out all the sauces and spices he used. I started dumping stuff in immediately. When I handed it to him he handed it right back and said "you taste it first!"....it was horrible. He taught me to add a couple things at once unless I had a recipe and knew exactly what went into what I was making. So I added a couple different things. Tasted. Added more of other stuff. Tasted. So on and so forth, until I had what I thought was a pretty good marinade. My papaw agreed and we added beef strips to it to soak overnight. I think it was pretty successful for my first attempt.

Food is home to me. A good home cooked meal is love. Why else would someone slave over a stove to cook if they didn't love you? They wouldn't. Or, at least I wouldn't. As much as I love to share food, and invite people over to eat dinner, I don't go through nearly as much trouble unless it's someone I truly care for.

I'm so blessed to have married into a family who love food as well as I do. I'm pretty positive that every meal I have eaten that was cooked by Josh's mom or his Nanny was fabulous. And I love how they cook different things that I typically wouldn't eat. I've learned a lot from watching them all cook and eating their food. I love cooking with all of them. I'm lucky to have a husband who knows how to cook, likes to cook and doesn't complain about it. I especially love breakfast that Josh cooks. I still haven't completely gotten used to how the men in this family cook breakfast. Imagine waking up in Tennessee, and seeing 4-5 macho men cooking eggs and bacon. And doing a pretty damn good job at it too!! I love it. I'm smiling just thinking about it. So, Josh cooks breakfast at our house, and for the most part, if I'm not working late, I cook supper. It works for us. And that way, somebody isn't doing it all. Josh even does dishes sometimes! And folds clothes! He's pretty awesome!

To this rambling mess of a blog post down, I love food. I love good food. I love my husband, who is a awesome cook. And I love my husbands family, who are all awesome cooks as well. I love and cherish all the skills and little tips that many people have taught me throughout my life when it comes to cooking and food. I'm always up for suggestions, and recipe swapping. I really need to get a recipe binder/organizer. I like stuff like that to be organized and neat.

I will probably post some more about food in the near future.
And, if I remember, I may even post a few of my favorite recipes!!

With Love, Laughter, and a hungry belly,
LaShannon Spencer.

God Bless.

A Long Siesta

I am back everybody. For the time being anyways. Lots of things have taken place in the past couple months that have prevented me from making any blog posts. Which really didn't prevent me from posting, it just lead me to forget that I had a blog. Which forgetting is something that I am quite talented at! This blog post is just going to be a catch up post. To get me back in the groove and help me figure out where I want my blog to go from here on out.

I miss being able to type out my innermost thoughts without a fear of repercussion. I miss being able to get all the angst and hilarity in my life out in written (typed?) form. I miss writing. I may not be the best writer ever, but I do enjoy it. It makes me feel tons better after getting stuff off my chest. Even if it seems petty to tons of people, I dwell on random little things and it brews inside my head until I explode. People aren't meant to explode, so it's best to get out the craziness!

So, here's some catch up...

1) My old laptop died. And I mean died to the extent that I have to wipe it clean and since I have no idea how to do that and really don't want to pay $50-$100 to have someone else do it, it is just sitting there. Lifeless. And depressing. Yes, it is just a piece of technology. But, it's the first thing that I ever owned that I could tell people not to bother and I didn't have to share it. And, I've grown kind of fond of it in the past 4 years. Poor thing. Not sure what to do with it now. But my great Mother and Father in law bought me a new one for Christmas! So blessed to have them in my life. I love them and everything they do for us!

2) I got married. Yeah, I know I've mentioned that before...but it is SO fun to say!

3) WE CLOSED ON OUR HOUSE! And moved in!!! Well, partially moved in. we're working on that part! But it is slowly coming together. And hopefully I will have my photography studio up and running soon!

4) Speaking of that...I've started a photography business. Well, kind of. I've gotten some jobs, found something that draws in more clients, and made business cards. I'm progressing. It's slow work and something that I need to work on. I love it. It's something I feel confident in doing and makes me happy. So, that's where I am with that....progressing.

5) I've started working more with the "artistic side" of myself. I love art. I appreciate art. I've always drawn. Sketched. Worked with pastels. Not really a great painter or sculptor, decent when I want to be, but not as into it as I am with charcoal and pastels. Being extremely happy or horribly depressed is great inspiration for art. Unfortunately for me, I was neither. I wasn't depressed, but I wasn't happy either. Content? Maybe. Just "being" was what I would call it. But, I blame my parents for a lot of that. Moving on and forgiving those that have let you down and/or wronged you helps you more than you know. It relieves that angst and pent up anger and lets you be happy. Forgiving those people frees you. I've been told that more times in my life than I can remember, but never fully understood it. Until now. It is truly amazing and something I highly recommend for everybody. More on that in a later post...If I remember!

6) Christmas. Enough said? Yeah, I thought so.

7) Moving....oh yeah, that's a couple numbers back. I'm just still wondering where I got all this crap! And WHY I still have it!!! Lawzy.

8) New Years Eve...fun times.


That's about it. I think. I'm sure there is tons of things that I have forgotten. But, hopefully I will remember more later on and can put them in my new post. If, and I'm serious about the IF part, I remember.
Hopefully, you all shall hear from me again sooner rather than later!!
If you have ANY ideas about what I should write about or want more details on anything I have written about, please don't hesitate to let me know! I would love some ideas and advice from my "audience" and/or "fans"...still hoping for some fans....haha. ;)

With tons of Laughter and Love,
LaShannon Spencer

God Bless.