Learning to Save and Grow

Good Evening, everyone! It's 11:40 pm here, and Chris and I are watching Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters on Netflix. I thought it was going to be kind of stupid, but it's pretty good, especially with a cup of Folgers Country Roast with Extra Sweet and Creamy Creamer. 

Today, I am thankful that I can go to the grocery store and not worry if I am going to overdraw my account just with buying the household staples. I went to Walmart today and I bought what we needed and wanted for the house. I spent $95 without any coupons. I bought 26 items, and I was expecting to spend more than I did. One year ago, I would have cringed at spending $95 on groceries, even though they were necessities. We were barely making it at this time last year, and today we're doing remarkably better. We're not where we want to be, but we've come a long way. This wouldn't be possible if we had not discussed our financial goal for the year. We discussed how and when we will spend our money. Our grocery situation has also benefited from the deer in the freezer, and the crops from summer that we canned or froze. 

Before Chris was in my life I didn't know how to can food, freeze fresh food, or shoot a gun. I am grateful for my husband's upbringing because he was able to share his with me, and we have benefited from his upbringing. I don't like to shoot animals (and I have yet have to because Chris has done it for me,) but I know that if I needed to, I would be able to. I could take care of business. (haha excuse my lame joke.) Some of my favorite things to do now are canning, freezing, and working in the garden. I talk to the vegetables, too. Sure, call me silly, but our crops have done wonderfully every year, and I am not saying they're connected; however, I'm not going to take a chance and not talk to them, just to play it safe. The best part of gardening is when you eat what you grow, and you know where it came from, what it grew in, who touched it, etc...My husband has a YouTube page where he will go into great details about how we do what we do and why. It is Keep It Simple 365. I think if you like what I've been talking about so far, then you will really love what he has to say. I know I do, but I could be biased. ;-)

I'm so thankful for what I have learned in the 5 years with Chris, and I am thankful he's taught me how to save money. I already knew how to stretch a dollar, but now I can save it, too. I guess, what I am really thankful for is my partner in life, my husband, my better half, Christopher. He has taught me all new ways of life that I didn't even know existed. He has changed my life in so many ways for the better, and I only hope that I have effected his life as much as he has mine. 

I guess this is a pretty short blog, but now it's after midnight and I have to work in the morning. I will leave y'all with this, "May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!" Psalm 20:4

XoXo,
Tia

365 days of learning, growing, and being thankful

Good morning! Today is January 2, 2015! Holy crap, 2015!? Where has the time gone? Well, 2014 was a year to remember. I got married, celebrated 1 year at my job, and my car lived to see another year, but it was touch and go for a while. However, I lost my grandfather on November 21, and the man who was like another dad to me on December 22. That was too much loss too close together, but we made it through another year. I am grateful to have had the time I did with those two men who meant so much to me, and I know when it's my turn to go, I'll see them again.

You don't fully realize how valuable life is until someone you love is taken away or you have to watch someone you love suffer with the C word. When I look at my nieces and nephews I'm reminded of their innocence, and then I look out into the world they're growing up in and it scares me. What world are we leaving them with? What examples are we giving them to live by? I know that in our/their family/families there are wonderful role models, ones that will teach unfaltering acceptance, ones that will teach them diversity, ones that will teach to trust in the Lord with all they have, ones that will teach them how to live off the land, to work for what you want, to hunt, to fish. When you look at the families there is wonderful role models, but they can't be surrounded by family 24/7 and they do need to experience the bad of the world, just so they can embrace the good with that much more gusto. If we teach them the good, then they can grow up and teach others. This cycle of ungrateful, privileged, entitled, I want what I want and I want it right now people can end. Maybe not anytime soon, but eventually. When people become grateful with what they have, and they don't covet what others have, when we don't "keep up with the Jonse's", then and only then can we move forward. You're always going to be stuck in a cycle of keeping up until you decide to be thankful for what you already have. 

We can't go on raising our children to be entitled or that they're always going to get what they want without even working for it. That doesn't teach them the real world, and then when they become adults what are they going to think? My husband and I have put much thought into this, and though we don't have children right now, we know that when we do, how we ideally want to raise them. I know things don't always go as planned and monkey wrenches do get thrown into plans, but if you raise your children to care for one another, and if you teach them hardwork and discipline, then there's a chance they'll teach their children that, too. Then without even thinking about it, we've created a whole new and better cycle. We could potentially raise a generation of people who are grateful for what they have, people who aren't entitled, people who just want to see good things happen in the world. 

I know some of you are saying, you don't have children, you don't know what it's like. You'll understand when you have children, but no, I get it now. We have to break out of these cycles. We have to help one another out, we can't be petty or selfish. The world doesn't help those who only help themselves. 

I don't know, this probably sounds like a bunch of rambling, and it probably doesn't make sense. I just had to get my thoughts out and share my beliefs. What this world needs is a lot more Jesus and a lot less entitlement.

XoXo,

Tia

What's Cooking?

Once upon a time I used to love to cook. Every aspect of it. From the shopping to cleaning up, everything thrilled me. I loved to throw ingredients together and see what the outcome was. I loved having people over to taste my cooking. Culinary school was well worth it to me. It taught me valuable experience, however I quickly learned that restaurant cooking wasn't for me. I didn't like the hours, and I didn't like not being able to dictate what I cooked. I was given orders and made to cook what the guests demanded. Restaurant and Assisted Living Facility cooking quickly killed my high for cooking.

 My passion and flair is still there, I can feel it, but I don't have the drive anymore. I want so much to come home from work and cook my husband the most delicious of foods, but 9 times out of 10 we eat the same meals routinely. I have a plethora of cookbooks and knowledge, but after I work all day (whether at work or around the house) the last thing I want to do is stand in the kitchen for 2+ hours cooking. Cooking deserves time. Sure, there are crock pot recipes, which are Heaven sent; and then there are recipes that take 30 minutes or less to cook, and those are wonderful, too.

I just want to cook something that when you walk in the door your mouth begins watering and your stomach growling, and by the time you take your first bite your thinking, "There's no way this will taste as good as it smells," but then your mouth is undergoing an explosion of flavor and you close your eyes in ecstasy. In that moment you know this is what food should always taste like. My mouth is watering now envisioning the most savory of dishes washing over my palate.

I don't know the point of writing all of this, maybe trying to get myself back in the mood of cooking something extravagant. Whatever it is I am going to go find something to cook with what I have in the house. If it turns out good there may be pictures. In the words of the famous Julia Child Bon Appétit!

XoXo,
Tia

Things are Changing

Good afternoon readers! Today in Carrollton, GA I believe we have record breaking cold weather, it's the coldest it's been on this day. Before today, the record was held in 2000. That's just a random fact for you.

Last Wednesday was an emotional day, and it hasn't gotten much easier since then, but I am coming to terms with the inevitable. There comes a time where you will lose people close to you, and while it will never be easy, you have to learn to accept that they will be in a better place, no longer sick or in pain. That's where I'm keeping my mind right now. Soon, their suffering will end. That in itself is an answered prayer. I pray that the Lord's will will be done and that peace will settle on the minds of those I care about. 

So, now that I've put into words how my heart is feeling, I think I will tell y'all about mine and Chris's way of life.

Let's start in February. Every February we begin cleaning and getting together all of our fishing gear and we begin fishing in February. The fish we catch we clean and eat or freeze, or sometimes we throw them back. We continue fishing until about September. We fish from the bank and a boat. Though, personally, I've never had much luck from a boat.

In March, we plow the garden and plant our seeds. We have corn, okra, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, peas, cantaloupe, and watermelons  that we plant every year. We also have perennials like strawberries and blue berries and grapes. We work the field from March-October. We eat some, but we mostly can and freeze it all. 

In October, after those crops are finished we plant our winter vegetables, collard greens, cabbage, lettuce, mustard greens, turnip greens, and peas. We once again, eat some around Christmas time, but we fresh freeze them, to have at a later time. These come up around the end of December to the beginning or middle of January. It just depends on when we get them in the ground. 

Now, in October/November we hunt for one deer because it will feed us until the next year. For example, we have around 50 pounds of deer alone in the freezer right now. 

We don't hunt to just kill and we don't garden to let it go to waste. All year long we work to provide for our house. If you sit in the woods long enough, you will see that it could supply you with everything you need, if you know where to look. You may not have everything you want, but you'd have everything you need. The Lord is good like that, he will supply you with what you need, all you have to do is let your needs be known. It's important to not confuse your wants as needs. 

For everything that we have, we give thanks to the Heavenly Father. When we have food and heat. When we wake up next to each other every morning. When we have all of our needs met, we give thanks. When we are struggling, we turn to Him, when we need help, we turn to Him. We lift our voices up to the Lord when we need him and when we just want to talk with Him. He is the most perfect listener. I guess, that's the point of this blog. It took me a while to get to it, but there it is. When in doubt, pray it out. It's not a "one step, quicker picker upper," you may need to continuously pray, but the Lord's greatest gifts sometimes are unanswered prayers.

XoXo,
Tia

Family Memories

First off, I want to say a HUGE thank you to all of our past, present, and future military. Without you, we  wouldn't live in the greatest country on our planet! You make it easier for all of us to lay our heads down at night. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Happy Veteran's Day!

Last week, my husband's aunt, Kathy, brought over some pictures she took at the wedding. The pictures are brilliant, but that wasn't the best part of her visit. She also brought me a huge 3-ring binder of their family recipes. As I flip through the pages and read these recipes, I can't help but feel the love and strength of these women who made these recipes. I feel them in every page, especially the pages at the end that have Chris's grandmother's hand written recipes. One of her recipes had a date of 6/22/44, so that makes that recipe 2 years older than my own grandmother. Each and every recipe means so much to me, I feel like a true member of the family with these recipes. I love having the recipes that my husband grew up eating, I love that every time I make one of these meals or side dishes he'll combine his old memories with the ones he and I are creating evey day. It may be my favorite gift I've ever received. Thank you, Aunt Kathy for such a meaningful gift!

Speaking of making memories, last weekend I went hunting for the first time ever. I went with Chris and his cousin Carl, who is 14. That day we didn't see a deer at all. The next morning Chris and I got up and went to try our luck again. As soon as we parked the truck on the land, we saw them! Two does and a buck further back from us. The girls were huge! So we quietly climbed out of the truck and waited. We arrived at 7:35 and at 7:55 pow! Chris shot and down she fell. He shot her from 60 yards, and when he walked up she wasn't completely gone, so he fired off one more shot to take her out of her misery. She was a beautiful deer that will feed us all winter. Her death wasn't for fun or sport, it was to feed us. We're going out this weekend to hopefully take one down for my parents, but that'll be the only ones we kill this year. We don't take more than we need, and we thank the Lord for what we do get; we don't like taking the life of something so innocent and beautiful, so we let the Lord know we don't intend to waste what he gives. It was hard for me to see her die, but chris and my dad explained to me about them being over populated, and breeding with their siblings now. With them being over populated, they're starving because there's more of them then there is food. We're doing them a justice as they are doing one for us. Also, every one of us is alive because our ancestors had to hunt to survive. Every person's ancestors did what we're doing, so we're just carrying on tradition. (and you can bet we'll teach our child how to hunt.) Plus, deer is a wonderfully tasty, healthy meat. (Genesis 27:3 "Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison.") (Genesis 1:29-30, Genesis 9:3, Acts 10:13, Proverbs 12:27, Leviticus 17:13)    

Until next time!

XoXo,

Tia 

We're Married!

Well, the most magical day of my life has came and gone, and now I am officially married to my best friend! I am officially Tia Parson!!!! 💗I am trying to figure out how to describe how our lives/life have changed in 45 days since we've been married.

First off, I have to admit that I didn't think anything would change because we've lived together 4 years. I know him inside out, as he does me. However, since the blissful day of September 20th I feel more connected, a deeper sense of love and belonging, a better camaraderie. I know without a doubt I have found my soul mate. Call me cheesy or cliche, but I know without a doubt in my mind that this is a FOREVER kind of love. I look at Chris and I see the man I am going to grow old with, the man I will eventually have a child with, the man who knows all my secrets and flaws and yet still falls more and more in love with me daily. He is who I didn't know I was praying for. God knew my needs before I did. 

Everyday I wake up and feel more whole, more loved. I never knew I could love someone the way I love him. I find myself throughout the day counting down until I get to see him. I've never felt like I belonged anywhere before Chris came into my life, and now I know this is where I have always belonged; wherever he is is where I belong. 

Chris is such a funny, charismatic, understanding man. He is the Ricky to my Lucy, though I'm far from that ditzy! 😜 I constantly find myself daydreaming or staring at him. He's so handsome, even when he's sleeping or working. I love the little line that develops between his eyebrows when he's thinking. I love that even after being together 5 years he's still opening my eyes to new experiences. For example, last weekend he took me hunting for the first time in my life.  Every night when we lie down to go to bed, I put my head on his shoulder and I say this is the best part of my day. The connection I have with him is unbreakable and I know he's my one and only. 

But now it is bed time for The Parson's.

XoXo,

Tia💋

38 Days

Chris and I are getting MARRIED in 38 days! What? Holy Crap! This is real! We've already had our wedding showers and our bachelor/bachelorette parties are this weekend! Oh my goodness! How did I get so lucky to be marrying my best friend? 10 years worth of friendship, 5 years of dating, 10 months of being engaged and we're finally almost there! I can see everything coming together, I can see our marriage being official. I know I still have a good deal on my to do list, but I know it will all be accomplished. The wedding is not as important as the marriage, so even if stuff doesn't get finished, the wedding will still go on. Our marriage will last longer than our wedding.

Stuff off of our list:

• Vows written
• Met with Father David
• Brides maids dresses back in town
• Wedding Shoes
• Wedding Dress
• Invitations Sent
• Thank You Cards sent
• Honeymoon Booked
• Bridal Showers
• Gifts for Flower Girls/Ring Bearers
• Signs for wedding
• Florist Booked
• Deejay Booked
• Venue Booked
• Catering Booked
• Wedding Cakes ordered
• Wedding bands bought
• Wedding Ceremony Order Typed 
• Music During Wedding Picked out
• First Dace
• Father Daughter Dance
• Mother Son Dance
• Trial Hair Date Set

This is all off of the top of my head. I've gotten a lot accomplished, but my to do list is just about as long.

• Gifts for bridesmaids/groomsmen
• Pick up bridesmaids dresses
• Get groomsmen sized
• Get mother of the bride and mother of the groom gifts
• Pay remaining balance of florist
• Confirm price of cake and determine if the cakes will be delivered or if they need to be picked up
• Print Signing Picture
• Print family wedding pictures for down the aisle
• Buy mints for restrooms
• Buy pen to sign signing picture
• Confirm RSVP's
• Finish Wedding Slide Show
• Get pictures of my grandparents to Elaine
• Decide on rehearsal dinner outfit
• Decide on going away outfit
• Get gift for my groom
• Find animal sitter
• Clean out refrigerator
• Paint house
• Clean house (deep clean)
• Stock up on animal food
• Get rings cleaned
• Make Wedding favors
• Buy hugs and kisses for wedding favors
• Type thank you note for wedding favors
• Get dress hemmed and new string for corset

Once again, this is just off the top of my head. I have a lot to do, but luckily the things I have left to do are not big, there's just a lot to do. I will finish everything, and I will do it with a smile on my face. I am aware that this is not a very informative blog, but it helped me to see my lists written down and so I can see what will take more time than others.

Goodnight.

XoXo, 
Tia