many thanks...and chicken ranch roll-ups!

My phone hasn't rang once today from some unknown number. I have been able to watch TV in peace without being bombarded with political ads. The election is finally over and I am so thankful!!!! And I woke up this morning after sleeping easy knowing that President Obama was re-elected as our President for the next 4 years! So many things to be thankful for regarding that and now, today is a new day. Democrat or Republican, left side or right side, blue state or red state....none of that matters anymore. It's time to all unite together as one country and start having each others backs and help one another, regardless of political party. Nothing will ever get done or accomplished if people can't look past their differences and all start getting along. Let's all be friends and just be thankful for our freedom, our rights and for being alive!

Enough with that...here's a quick and great meal that we had for dinner and perfect because it contains all pantry/fridge staples (well at least for us!) so there's no reason to run to the store! What you should do is run to the kitchen and make these delicious chicken ranch roll-ups tonight or as soon as possible!!

What you will need:1 pkg cream cheese (8oz)
1 pkg crescent rolls (8 count) (you can also use TWO packages of regular sized crescents)
2 shredded, cooked chicken breasts
2 C shredded cheese (we have a 4-cheese blend that tasted great!)
1 packet of dry ranch seasoning
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions:
1. Set out cream cheese for it to start getting to room temperature! To cook the chicken, I took the chicken breasts right out of the freezer and boiled them for 40 minutes. that way I could prepare the rest of the mix while that was cooking (and do some cleaning!) If you don't want to boil the chicken though, use whatever method works best for you but I like to boil it because that makes it shred really easy!
2. Mix block of cream cheese with shredded cheese, dry ranch, salt, and pepper.

3. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the water and shred it on a plate and remove any excess fat.
4. Unroll the crescent rolls individually and put the mixture onto the rolls. Just spoon it out first onto all of them before rolling up so you know you won't have left over mixture!

5. Roll them up and criss cross the corners in to make sure the edges are sealed. 
6. Melt the butter and brush the roll-ups with it then top them with bread crumbs. This is optional but makes them extra delicious!
7. Finally, bake them at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Yum! Super good, easy and quick to make and even easier on the wallet! We made some sweet potato fries to eat with the roll-ups which made dinner an easy clean up! And left overs for lunch tomorrow! Enjoy the roll-ups and political ad free TV because that's our plan!

VOTE!!!!

image via PostSecret

Today we get to watch history be made. Americans everywhere are finding time today to go cast their vote for the next President of the United States. And several Americans have already taken the time to request an absentee ballot and sent in their votes! I'm thankful for living in a country where I have the right to vote for our country's leader and where I have the right to voice my opinions and concerns. I believe anyone and everyone who can vote, should and they need to. Leave work early or go on your lunch break if you have to and take your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors along with you! Use your vote and your voice because people have literally died fighting to give us this right to do so. Vote to make a difference in your own life and the lives of others around you. Vote to help the present and impact the future. I don't care what your reason is or what party you side with, all I care is that you VOTE. Every voice matters and every vote is important.

my fingers hurt

I have spent the past four days typing up a 20-page research paper on the clinical framework of pediatric palliative care and the implications it has in the field of child life. Needless to say, my fingers hurt. I'm not sure I have ever done so much typing like that before!! But, I'm am so thankful to be done with it!!! And it made me really appreciate that fact that I have the opportunity to be getting the higher education that I am getting. I know not everyone can because of financial reasons or where they live and the point they are at in their lives. So while I complain about it some days and how that paper was brutal to write, it made me feel very proud and thankful to be at this position in my life. I think it's awesome seeing the numbers of women my age that choose higher education for themselves first and foremost but then to also give their current, or future, families a better life. And no matter what, no one can take away your education and that is something you can always fall back on and have to help you get back on your feet. I'm thankful to be a big time nerd but also pretty pumped to be done with classes in the spring!!!!

A Quarter Year Celebration

Kiss The Girl

There you see her
Sitting there across the way
She don't got a lot to say
But there's something about her
And you don't know why
But you're dying to try
You wanna kiss the girl.

Yes, you want her
Look at her, you know you do
It's possible she wants you too
There's one way to ask her
It don't take a word, not a single word
Go on and kiss the girl
Shalalalala
My oh my
Looks like the boy's too shy
Ain't gonna kiss the girl
Shalalalala
Ain't that sad
it's such a shame
Too bad, you're gonna miss the girl
go on and kiss the girl

Nows your moment
Floating in a blue lagoon
Boy, you better do it soon
No time will be better
She don't say a word
And she wont say a word
Until you kiss the girl

Shalalalala
My oh my
Looks like the boy's too shy
Ain't gonna kiss the girl
Shalalalala
Ain't that sad
it's such a shame
Too bad, you're gonna miss the girl

Shalalalala
Don't be scared
You better be prepared
Go on and kiss the girl
Shalalalala
Don't stop now
Don't try to hide it how
You wanna kiss the girl
Go on and kiss the girl
Lalalala, Lalalala

Happy quarter of a year Anniversary, Mr. E!
Even though you were too shy to make the move and kiss me first,
you still give the best forehead kisses and bear hugs.
I'm beyond thankful to have you in my life and love sharing it with you.
All my love,
KE

Passport Problems

Today I'm thankful (actually beyond thankful AND relieved!) that Jordan and I have finally applied for our passports!!!! We officially leave for our honeymoon in 40 days from now which means that it is less than 6 weeks away, yipee!!!! ....which means that I will be a paranoid-nervous-hot mess of a wreck until the day our passports arrive in the mail! I say this because everything on-line says that the processing time for passports is 4-6 weeks. Yep, 4-6 weeks. And in case you missed it, we will be leaving in LESS THAN 6 WEEKS! The lady at the post office today swore to us that we won't have a problem receiving it by the time we leave and she was like, "actually, most people have been getting them in 2-3 weeks so I'm sure you'll have no problem!" Alright lady, don't you know I'm like Winnie The Pooh and constantly have a black rain cloud hovering above me?! I'm the epitome of Murphy's Law, so anything that can go wrong, it will! Which leads me to my next thing I'm thankful for today.... I'm thankful that my husband wants to go out to the movies this weekend on a date BUT not if it means we're going to see the new Denzel Washington movie Flight. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Denzel because really, who doesn't?! But I'm good not seeing that and adding to my huge inner-fear of flying and constant internal anxiety I have while flying. I'm all for a movie date but there's just some movies I can't do. Ones about planes crashing for example, are some movies I can't do and refuse to watch. It's looking like it might be a redbox movie date night and a little phase 10 competition afterall and for that, I am just as thankful for!

Friday Funnies - 11.2

Whoop whoop it's Friday! Before I get to the funnies for today, I posted this on facebook today and want to share it here for my daily thankful thought: "Today I'm thankful it's Friday but I'm more thankful to use my right to vote for our President. There will rarely, if ever, be a candidate that you agree with entirely on every issue. Whether it's women's rights/health, education or taxes, pick an issue that you support, advocate for, and fight like hell to make sure it happens. Pick the one that will help you and not hurt you or your family, friends, kids and future generations. Every voice matters and every vote is important." And on that note, everyone who has the opportunity and is of legal age to do so, needs to VOTE! I am so sick of seeing posts on facebook and on the internet from people that say, "I don't like either guys so I'm not voting!" Really?! Educate yourself! And you're lying if you say, "I don't care about politics." Well then, obviously you don't care about your life or how politics can affect you, your family, friends, job, and so much more. Anyway, that's my rant and all I have to say about politics because this is supposed to be my Friday Funnies post!!! So let's get laughing!

happens to me everyday, bro.
image via Google

Kittens Inspired By Kittens! 

Hey, I get it girl. I still give voices to any and all animals in books or movies!
I mean, didn't Homeward Bound make everyone

want to have all animals talk?!

Thankful For November

Ah it's November already! Holy crap, can you believe it?!! I know that I definitely can't! With November, comes Thanksgiving, the start of many gatherings with family and friends and also that wonderful thankful/loving/giving/caring and sharing feeling that everyone starts to have. And it always makes me wonder...why don't we act that way year round towards everyone including strangers? Why is it just the "holiday spirit" that makes us more generous, more thoughtful and more caring? I know during the rest of the year we all get busy and caught up in our own lives everyday but I think it's important for people to take a step back from time to time and realize how much a random act of kindness could mean to someone else, whether it's someone they know or a complete stranger. So with that, I'm going to kick off the month of November by recognizing something that I'm thankful for each and every day. Today I am thankful for my awesome parents because without them, I literally would not be here today. But because of them, I am who I am today. They helped shape me and taught me to be independent, responsible, caring, giving, and respectful. They have always encouraged me and supported me, been there for me when I was wrong and gave me direction again. I can count on them as a friend but know they're always there for me as a parent. I owe them more than they know and hope my own kids look up to me as much I do to them. I'd be lost without them and love them both so much. Alright November, you're about to make my heart feel really full!