Things that make you go.... HMMM.....

Have you ever taken one of those silly personality quizzes that you always find online and to your amazement, they are almost right on?  For my psychology class, we had to take a personality test online and I had that happen to me.  I read  my results and thought, " Wow, it's amazing how they can pinpoint so many things about my personality."  It really made me think of how my personality has been shaped.  My belief is that you really shape your own personality based on your past experiences and past behavior.  Other's believe that it's genetic and shaped by your environment, but I have brothers and sisters who are completely different from me, so I know that's not completely true.  One thing that my test told me ( and I knew all along) was that I am very quiet and reserved.  Now that's not the case in some situations, but I would say most times, I would prefer being in a quiet place,  being able to think to myself and be comfortable.  I began thinking about my past and what kind of experiences have molded me into a quiet, reserved person?   I feel like I may never know what exactly caused me to be like that.  You see, my past, especially when I was really young feels more like it was a dream, and not real.  I have memories where I remember a little bit of it, and even that is very fuzzy, but I also have memories and experiences that I really am not sure when they happened. My childhood was far from perfect, like many other peoples.  But alot of my young childhood, I would rather not remember.  That sounds bad, but it's true.  My life was headed in a bad spot until I was literally yanked from that place.  My wonderful dad, after praying about it for a long time, finally decided to get me out of that bad place.  He literally came to the door, walked in, and threw me over his shoulder and walked out of there.  It was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am who I am today because of my dad and what happened that day.  I remember that day as clearly as yesterday, and looking back, I feel like that is where my memory begins.  There is so much more I could talk about when it comes to my past, etc...; but that would take way too long.    Anyways, what I'm getting at in all of this is... If you knew the exact "thing" that created that personality trait you may not like so well, would you change that?  Would you be willing to sacrifice the person you are today for some small detail about yourself that may not even be that significant?  It's amazing how much thought I put into that and how much I realized that I would not change that for the world.  I may not be as outgoing as others, and not as outspoken, but I know I have a pretty good life , and I realized I am proud of my personality and who I am...  And people who know me would probably say I'm an alright guy.  I feel weird posting this because it's something I've never really talked about, but for some reason, some silly homework assignment turned into something much more valuable.  And I better get an A for my homework.  :)

Hook 'em

Matt.

Who you'd be today...

I love this blog.

I love that Matt and I can blog what we're feeling, blog about our day-to-day activities, blog about our sweet girls, or blog about whatever is going on around us.

I know most of you use it to catch up on our family and see how big the girls are growing, and that's great, but this is one of those blog posts that is a little different. I don't mean to get sentimental on all of our readers but here goes...

When I was younger I "stumbled" upon this song called, "Who You'd Be Today".
(It's on our playlist at the bottom of our blog, click on it, and listen to the words and you might get what I'm trying to say.)

It makes me think about my sister and "who she would be today".
If I'm right, she would be graduating in May. We'd look alike. She'd be smart, tall, and big-hearted. She'd be proud to have a niece named for her.

And beautiful.

 Everytime I think about my friends, my bestfriends, I wish I could name her..

...but I never got to know her.

Lately, I've really been struggling with the friends that I do have and am grateful for, and I sometimes wish I could just call her up and tell her my stories of the day, give her advice, have her as my Maid-of-Honor, be there when my babies are born, go shopping with, and just be sisters.

Be just like the bestfriends I have in my life, today, but a sister too.

Now that I'm getting older and I understand more of the things going on around me, I think I really long for a "sisterly" relationship. I have been so blessed to have two amazing cousins that have always been really close to me. And also, my three amazing sisters-in-law that treat me as if I've always been their sister. (Not to mention my two bestfriends that mean the world to me.)

But...it's not always the same.

Atleast I don't think so.

I'm also very blessed to see two very adorable little girls that have each other as sisters. I love the relationship that I already see forming between them. They may not always get along in life, but I believe and pray it will just bring them closer as they get older. I hope that they have the life-long relationship that I could've had with my sister and I'm SO thankful that they have each other.

I know that she was God's to begin with. And she's "in a better place". And I'll "see her again someday". But it's not always comforting.

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies." Psalm 18: 2-3

No matter how much I miss her or how bad of a day I've had, I can trust in God and know that my little sister is in perfect hands.

And He knows what He's doing.


Xoxo,
Tanna

Weekly Recipe

We had our friends over the other night for supper and this is what I made, they loved it and it's so easy!

Chicken Spaghetti

Spaghetti noodles (I do a handful for each person eating.)
Chicken Breasts (I usually do one breast for each person eating.)
1 can of Cheddar Cheese soup
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 can of Rotel


Dice and cube your chicken breasts and cook in frying pan. Boil your spaghetti noodles. When your noodles and chicken are cooked, mix them together and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Place it in a baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

So yummy!

Xoxo,
Tanna

School, Sports, and My Girls.. These are a few of my favorite things. :)

Hello all..  Matt here again...  Once again, my life begins getting busy with the start of a new semester.  I am taking 12 hours again this semester, not a whole lot, but still full time.  This semester, I am taking two classes that I  am really looking foward to.  Both classes are sports related.  One class is SO315-society and sports, where we will be looking at how sports shape our society and what roles it plays in certain societal situations.  The other class is PE300-sports and excercise psychology.  In this class, we are studying how psychological factors influence involvement and performance in sport, exercise, and physical education settings.  So far , I have been enjoying both and looking foward to what I can learn from each class.  These classes are really touching on a part of me that is really important: sports.  I have been struggling lately with the idea of what I really want to do in life, and sports has always come to mind. Not necessarily playing sports, but still being involved in them.  I think that is why teaching has been a good option for me, because it combines two of my loves, learning about history, and being involved with sports(coaching). I thank God every day that I have a wonderful wife who supports my sports addiction.  She puts up with watching alot of sports and sometimes she enjoys it ( Texas Longhorns Football), and sometimes she doesn't. I hope over the years, she will grow to love watching sports especially if her girls are in the sports. ( I know she will.)  I could not have asked for a better person to raise my daughters with.  She recently wrote a paper on our High School homecoming and it was neat looking back on those memories with her.  I am glad that she will be with me for so many more memories.  I cannot wait to celebrate life with all of my girls.  I am excited  to be able to coach my girls in whatever sports they choose to participate in.  I want to be that dad that is constantly involved, but not over the top.  If I could have the opportunity to coach my girls years down the road, sign me up, because I would do it in a heartbeat.  To be there and watch them succeed is something that I look foward to every day.  I love them so much and hope they will succeed in every aspect of thier life.  I know God has great things in store for them..

(1 Timothy 4:8) For bodily training is beneficial for a little; but godly devotion is beneficial for all things, as it holds promise of the life now and that which is to come.


 
Hook 'em!!
Matt

Michaela

March is approaching us fast which also means Spring Break will be here before we know it.

This year, Michaela (Matt's little sister, for those of you who have no idea who I'm talking about...) will be taking a mission trip to Nicaragua. That's right, leaving the states at 15-years-old, and going to Nicaragua. I'm starting to get a little nervous for her-even though she'll be around familiar faces, which helps.
It's a different place, away from home.

But guess what?

She'll be doing what God made her to do, which makes me smile to the end of the earth. This girl has already found her calling, is following God's direction, and being the best example she can be to those around her.
Not a lot of teenagers can say they do that.

I met Michaela when she was 6 or 7 years old. I've watched her grow up. I've watched her get her heart broken. And I've watched her blossom into the beautiful girl that she has become.

God's girl, definitely.

Maybe I'm just her sister-in-law, but I am more proud of this girl than I can even express. Her morals and values and her beliefs. Not only that, but she lets it shine through her.

Beautifully.

Love you, sister.

The main reason for this post is to help Michaela raise the rest of the money that she needs to get to go to Nicaragua. Instead of just wishing her well and handing her money, I wanted to do a little more than that. Many of you have seen my photography work. From now until Michaela leaves for her trip, I will be selling my photo calendars for $8 each. All profits from these calendars will be going to Michaela and the funds that she needs to be able to go on her trip. Many of you have already been very gracious and donated towards her trip and you're truly a blessing..but why not get a calendar from the deal as well? She's almost there and I wanted to do my part to help her do what she was made to do. If you'd like to be a part of helping Michaela, comment on this post or e-mail me at tl_pollock@hotmail.com.

Thank you!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Sleepy Time Photo's

I just love taking photo's of the girls when they are sleeping. They seem so precious and innocent..and they truly are. Jaelyn had fallen asleep in her carseat which rarely happens anymore. And while waiting for lunch, Finlee fell asleep in her highchair. Enjoy these photo's!

Xoxo,

Tanna

Jaelyn's Funny Face

A few days ago, Jaelyn showed me her "funny face". I asked her where she learned it and she put all of the blame on her Aunt Michaela...so cute! I think I can live with this funny face for awhile considering it probably won't always be this happy and precious! Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Tanna

Photo Booth Friday

TGIF! Friday brings my favorite photo of the week and here it is!

We were getting ready to make stew one day and Finlee fit perfectly into our pot! So cute, smiley, and FUN! Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Tanna

Weekly Recipe

It's time again for another weekly recipe!


Grandma's Bread Dough
This bread recipe can be used for bierocks, pizza or ham and cheese pockets, cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, or anything you can imagine! It's quick and easy to remember too!

2 c. flour
1 cup warm water
1 pkg. Rapid-rise yeast
1/4 c. oil
salt and sugar-to taste

Place 2 cups of flour into a large bowl. Add the pkg. of yeast, 1 cup of warm (almost hot) water, oil, and sugar and salt. (I add about a tablespoon or two of each.) Mix well until dough forms. If you need to, add more flour and knead a little to get it all together. Let sit, covered with a towel, until it doubles in size. From there, knead with flour for a minute. Roll out the dough. Add your "stuffing" and form into a pocket. If making cinnamon rolls, top the rolled dough with sugar and cinnamon. Roll it, cut the roll, and place in pan. Bake at 350 degrees.
Yummy!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Haircut for Jaelyn

For awhile now, I've been pondering the idea of taking Jaelyn to get her hair cut. It was getting kind of long and seemed messy and I decided it needed a trim.

Before

She has had many Grandma's trim her bangs but I wanted her to experience going to a salon. She has never been fond of having her hair cut, infact she says it hurts and she screams the whole time.
Even though I was nervous, I took her today. I bribed her with pop and a trip to Toys 'R Us and prepared her ahead of time by talking to her about it.

When we got there, she was more than willing to go.

And she did great until the lady pulled out the scissors; she got a little fidgety. Even then, I held her hand and told her that it would be fine and she surprisingly made it through without shedding a single tear.

After

She chose a lollipop and out the door we went to Toys 'R Us. So mark this "first hair cut" experience down in her book! It's still a little messy since she's always on the go, but it's very cute as well! Enjoy the pictures!

Xoxo,

Tanna

Finlee

I wanted to share these pictures because they're two of my favorites. I've always thought Finlee has looked a little like Matt but now it's obvious to me that she looks just like me. There are days when I look at her and only see myself and I love that. Isn't she adorable? Enjoy!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Photo Booth Friday

Happy Friday everyone!
I got this idea from another blogger. I love reading her blog and love this cute idea, so I decided to start using it myself. Every Friday, I will be posting my favorite photo from the week. This will be hard for me, since I take so many!
Jaelyn is always busy and always fun to just watch when she's playing, so for this Friday, here is a fun picture of her driving her car in style with her shades! Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Tanna

Weekly Recipe

As you can tell by reading our blog, we're using it as more than a way to share what our family is up to and a way to post pictures of our girls. We love to share our thoughts and stories on it as well. I recently decided to start posting a weekly recipe on it as well to share with my family and friends. I only use easy recipes so I thought it would be a nice addition to our blog to share my favorite quick and easy recipes with my readers.

So here's my first easy recipe, a favorite in our family. (Not to mention it's my Grandma's recipe!)

Chicken Enchiladas
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast for each person eating
flour tortillas
1 can of mild red enchilada sauce
1 can of cream of chicken soup
sour cream
shredded cheese

Cube each chicken breast. Fry it until cooked. Add can of cream of chicken soup and half can of the enchilada sauce to the chicken and heat, mixing well. Add a scoop of sour cream and mix well again. Add a large scoop of the chicken mixture into the middle of a tortilla and fold like a burrito. Place in a greased casserole dish. Repeat until all of the chicken mixture is used. Top the enchiladas with the rest of the enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Each chicken breast will usually make two enchiladas, depending on size. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts. Top with your favorite salsa and enjoy!

Enjoy this delicious meal!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Green Sheep Photography Giveaway REMINDER!

Hello family and friends!
I wanted to take an opportunity to remind you to enter into my giveaway if you want to have a chance to win some of my very own stationary made from my very own photo's! I will be drawing a name on February 1st, so you have to be entered before then. Anyone is allowed to enter! To do so click on the following link and comment on the blog post that it leads you to!

http://pollockfamilyfour.blogspot.com/2009/12/green-sheep-photography-giveaway.html



Xoxo,
Tanna

A life lesson from one of my heroes.....

It's not often, as a fan of college football, to be able to say you watched your beloved team play in the national championship game.   Out of hundreds of teams, only two emerge from the rest each year with a chance at playing for the title.  I have the honor of saying I have watched my team, the Texas Longhorns, play in two national championship games so far in my short lifetime, one of which was a victorious effort.  But tonight my Texas Longhorns lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide 37-21.   On the fifth play of Texas' first offensive series, Colt McCoy was pulled from the game with an injury.  The most succesfull college quarterback in the history of the game had to watch his team battle against Alabama from the sidelines.   For anybody watching that game, it was heartbreaking to see him out of the game for his last game in a Longhorns uniform.   Now fast foward with me to the end of the game; The clock showed zero.... Alabama had won... Texas had lost... What a heartbreaker for any Longhorn player,  but in a post game interview, Colt says something that in my mind, is inspirational for anybody's life,  no matter who you are.  He was asked the question of what it was like to have to watch this game from the sidelines.  He responded by saying ,

" .....I always give God the glory.  I never question why things happen the way they do.  God is in control of my life and I know that, if nothing else, I'm standing on the rock....."  

.......WOW!  What an awesome statement. I have to say, those words are  something to live by, no matter who you are.  His words in that interview are why I look up to him so much and his relationship with God is something to be admired.   I know I have never felt disapointment quite like I'm sure he has tonight, but his faith in God has kept him solid.  No matter what kind of disapointment you have in your life, just remember that God is always in control, and things happen for a reason.  This is a lesson I have learned from one of my heroes that I look up to because of his relationship with God.   Keep your faith no matter what happens in your life because God is in control, he knows what he's doing, and he is always.. ALWAYS and awesome God.    


Here is the link if you would like to see the interview.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyyZq6NJgaU
 Hook 'em Horns!!!

Matthew

Austin-Bound

Lately, I've been planning our first ever family vacation-over Spring Break! We've traveled ourselves, but have never taken the girls with us. We are excited to experience traveling to a fun location with our girls and letting them experience life outside of Kansas. Our main destination is Austin, Texas. We're going to visit the different taping locations from our favorite show, Friday Night Lights, and also tour UT, the University of Texas!

We're going to stop a long the way in Oklahoma City, Borger-my Aunt's house, San Antonio-we're going to Sea World!, Red River-can't go that far without seeing Auntie Shelbey, and Denver! We're excited to see many new places and have a lot of fun. And the best part? It's on Matt and I's birthday week, so we'll be traveling on our birthday's! We're so excited, we can hardly wait!

Enjoy this beautiful picture of the Austin Skyline!

Xoxo,
Tanna

More of My Bucket List

I want to adopt a baby from a foreign country. I think it would be such a life-changing experience. I hear it's a lot of work, stress, and emotions all put into a major decision. Not only do I want to change the life of a unfortunate child, I'd love to experience it myself as well.

I want to appear on a game show. I think it would be fun to travel to New York or California, where most of the game shows are filmed, and actually get to play the game. Who cares what you win, the experience would be enough for me!

More to come at a later day!

Xoxo,
Tanna

Finlee turns 10 months old!

Where has the time gone? Finlee turned 10 months old on the second of this month! It seems like yesterday that Allison and Matt were walking me to the hospital to deliver our sweet baby girl. She brightens our day with her big smile, contagious laugh, and cuddles everyday. I can't imagine life without her but I'm sad that she's getting close to walking and all of those many milestones that happen when a baby turns a year old. I hope time slows down soon, but we all know how that works! Enjoy the pictures!!

Xoxo,

Tanna