Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
so stinken weird, it was 60 this weekend and this morning I started a fire and we may get ice on Wednesday.
Things that make me happy:

Book I'm reading:
I am not reading a book and fill bad. I am behind in my bible study and I need to get my act together
What's on my TV today:
nothing really, right this minute is wordworld. I love this show with my kids.


On the menu for dinner:
20 minutes ago it was pork roast but my husband just called and asked if I wanted to go on a date tonight. Want to know what we are doing. First, we are going grocery shopping then picking up fast food and going to get our taxes done.



On my To Do List: scrubbing my fridge this afternoon since It is super empty right now.



New Recipe I tried or want to try soon: last week at church they had chicken pot pie and my girls ate it up. So I want to make one for our home. I never dreamed they would love that.


In the craft basket: This weekend I made 2 pillow case dresses for the little girl I babysit. I love being able to make something as a gift. It was her birthday



Looking forward to this week: This Saturday my hero and I are going on a real date. We are going to a mystery theatre with friends. Honestly I do not know if I will love the show but it will be great to spend time with friends.


Tips and Tricks: clean your fridge the day before going grocery shopping because that is when it is the closest to being empty. Put a dry erase board on the outside of your deep freezer with a list of the food inside so you always know what you have



My favorite blog post this week: When I announced the winner of the Purex Crystals. I love giving things away and wish I could do it more often.


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers): this one I am going to leave blank because I want you to tell me about your blog and encourage me to visit it.



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):



Lesson learned the past few days:
That taking a parenting class is still a great idea even if you have older children and think there is nothing else to learn. After our first class I am amazed and excited to go back


On my mind:. A lot, we need to make some decisions as what we want our kids involved in, how we will spend our income tax and some other things.


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses Eph 6:4

No Mom talk Monday

This week I want to take a minute to stop and talk about my love of sewing. I think it started in middle school when we made aprons. Only then I did not take the time to learn. I actually flirted with a boy so he would thread my needle and do the work for me. So glad we serve a restoring God who has helped me not be that girl today.
Anyways for many years I wanted to learn to sew. I mentioned this to several of my friends. Several offered to help me but I never took them up on it. That was until this time last year. I was getting ready to move from AL to NC and my homeshcool mom’s gave me a amazing going away gift. They gave me money to buy a machine. One even took me shopping to buy the machine and the extra things I might need. She also had me over several times to teach me some basics. I think I fell in love and a couple of weeks later when the movers and my sewing machine got moved to the bathroom so that they did not pack it. It actually rode in the van with me.
I have not learned many new skills but have enjoyed what I do know. I have made countless amounts of pillowcase dresses and skirts and more camera strap covers than I will admit. I also made my first quilt this fall with my husband. That was probably my favorite thing and I cannot wait to make a second and third and fourth one. I love working on things with my husband. Rather it be re modeling a kitchen or painting a room. He is amazing and while we do not always get along on a daily basis when it comes to working together we ROCK!

Pray for me Monday

Today I have three wonderful ladies on my heart that in the next 3 weeks will all have babies. Two will be mom’s for the first time. One whose husband will leave with the military next month. I pray for safe deliveries. I pray for quick recoveries. I pray for rest after the baby and they will fill a peace about being a mommy. Do you remember those first few months when you second guess everything you do and everyone is telling you something different to do?
I want to pray for this father who will leave his newborn baby next month. My husband had to leave soon after Grace was born and it was hard.
This week another friend’s son graduated from the Marines and is home for a week and then will move onto his first duty station. I pray he finds wonderful friends who will be a positive influence in his life.
I also ask that you pray for my family. We have decisions to make out what we want for our children and rather we need to make some changes in things they are involved in. It is hard and I think it will be a while before we have peace about either situation.

Friend Making Monday

A Short Survey

1) What is your favorite household chore? And what is your least favorite?
Is cooking for your family a chore because if so then that would be my favorite chore. I also love cleaning out closets and organizing things. Deep cleaning is my least favorite. I hate cleaning floors because I know that 5 minutes later a animal or a child is going to mess it up again.

2) What is your favorite city?
I have not been to a ton of places but I would say I loved Williamsburg. We went 2 years ago and it was amazing. It was wonderful because my family stayed together the whole time. Everything was age appropriate for my family.

3) Have you found real love yet? I have and sometimes I do not remind myself of it. I spent many years of my marriage wondering why this man would love me and not allowing myself to fall in love with him.

4) What's one thing you eat almost every day?
Sugar very sadly. Honestly I do not eat something daily but I do drink mountain dew daily. I think I should change my profile picture to a picture of a can of mountain dew because that is really what I am full of.

5) What was your last thought before falling asleep last night?
Why does my body shake when I relax enough to fall asleep, I use to think only I noticed it but my hero then informed me it shakes the bed. It is just one full body shake (okay sometimes twice) and then I am done.

6) What's the worst injury you had as a child?
When I was 17 I was on a school field trip and was in a van accident. I broke my collar bone, had to have fake skin put on one shoulder. Destroyed my left elbow and banged up my knee and back.

7) Will you/have you worked out today?
No, it has months since I worked out and even that was just walking around our subdivision.

8) Do you tweet? If so, what's your name?
Yes, I love it. Except the other night I was up at 2:30 am and entered a give away and tweeted about it. Forgetting that my husband get’s my tweets on his phone. From our bedroom I heard the familiar chirp chirp and felt bad. He slept through it. @trooppetrie

9) List three things you wouldn't want to live without:
My family, My Iphone and my pictures. Pictures mean everything to me. I have very few pictures of me growing up and I think I keep that in mind as I take triple the amount of pictures I need to.
10) Hold old were you when you had your first kiss?
It is crazy when I think about it now. At 13 I dated a 19 year old senior and went to his senior prom. When I think about my 14 year old son that thought sounds crazy.

Miscellany Monday

1. This week we are doing our tax return. Trying to figure out how to spend that money is always fun. We know that most of it will go to curriculum for next year.
2. In 2 months my husband’s truck will be paid off.
3. We paid off one bill last month.
4. I think we are getting somewhere with our debt but it is going to take a lot of work. We did not get in debt over night and will not get out over night. I think this is a reminder to us to be careful daily with our income. My husband makes too much money for us to be in debt. I think we need to use it in a better way and be more grateful for the blessing God has given us.
5. I think I have my husband convinced to take the kids to the mountains again this summer and let me have several days alone. This time I am looking forward to it.
6. Last week we had a cattle truck crash behind out home and while the kids got to see bulls up close and Hope got excited because there were cowboys she also sadly had to see them dump about 30 dead bulls into a dump truck.
Pamela

Military Monday

This week I thought I would just remind you that most military installations offer free tax services. We own a house that we lease out and until this year I have always babyset and included it on my taxes. It would cost us a fortune to have it done outside of post. We have never had any problems.

Crushed or Whole

I love homeschooling. I am just not good at doing things like science projects. Luckily for me we use Bob Jones and they do a lot of experiments with my children. Last week though there was a experiment that we could do. A very simple one. All I needed was peppermints and water. So I dug through the cabinet and found candy canes and thought they would work.
The question was does peppermint dissolve faster when it is crushed or whole. The crushed dissolved faster. It has something to do with the amount of air in it.
This was fun because we could just stop school for a few minutes and do a experiment and then we could eat the left over candy canes.
I would say being a homeschool mom is pretty great!

A day in my life

Do you have drama in your life, as in unwanted drama? I sometimes wonder how some people go through the day and have nothing to talk about. I always have a story to tell and the last 7 days have brought me a ton of stories.
Yesterday morning I woke up, had breakfast and started the kids on school. A few minutes later I heard what sounded like a 18 wheeler had slid on ice behind my house. I thought it was weird because I did not think there was ice on the roads. A few minutes later I heard fire engines so I looked out the window and saw one down the street from my house. A few minutes later I heard another one. Then just like that they were gone. So I thought it must have been a false alarm.
A couple of hours later a friend came by and asked what was going on behind my house. She said there was an 18 wheeler on its side. I looked out the kitchen window and saw tires sticking over top of my privacy fence.

Because I wanted to know what was going on but I did not want to walk out there so I sent Faith out to jump on the trampoline so I could see what was going on. She came back in and confirmed that there was a big truck on its side.
Okay I know the story is getting long but stick with me. After my friend left I did what every homeschooling, scrapbooking, nosey mom would do. I sent my son out to take pictures then decided I was not happy with them so I went out myself. I was amazed at how many vehicles were out there. I came back in the house and got back to school. That was until Hope came running inside telling me about a dead animal. So back outside I went and sure enough there was a HUGE cow dead in the road. I was wondering why they had a livestock truck out there. At first I assumed it was part of the accident.

A few minutes later Hope came in and said there was a wild animal in a cage. When I asked what kind of animal, she said you know the kind that says Toro Toro. I said do you mean a bull and she said yes. So back out we went again with my trusting camera in hand. I snapped a few pictures feeling like Dee as I saw ranchers in cowboy hats. Then I saw the bulls and snapped a few more pictures. That was until a state trooper came over and told us that we had to get off our fence and if I wanted to take pictures I had to go down the street. UMM HELLO! This is my yard. No I did not say that. Because, well I am a wimp, and since I had already used the phrase rent a cop in front of my kids before I thought I should be respectful and come in. A few minutes later I saw a dump truck come in. For the next several hours and by several I mean7 hours we saw them loading up dead bulls. They would fork lift them up and into the back of the dump truck. It was sad to watch. They ended up filling the dump truck so full that you could see hooves sticking out the top. It was a sad day for us and I am sure it was a sad day for the ranchers who were working with the cows. I know really think that the state trooper was trying to protect my children.
I wonder what makes you a rancher, does it just mean you work with cattle and wear a cowboy hat.
So how was your day? Did you learn anything fun today?

Winner Winner

The winner of the Purex Crystals is ArmyWife Blogger. I am so excited for you to try this out. Send me your information and I will send out you coupon.

Fill in the blank Friday

1. If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things I would, my bible, my hard drive of pictures and I guess my children. Just teasing on the children part.

2. A smell I really like is blueberry cheesecake from scentsy, bread baking, homemade laundry soap. And I love the smell of gasoline and a good cigar. I hate smoking but love to smell someone smoking a good cigar

3. something you might not know about me is I was anorexic for part of my life.

4. Some of my favorite websites to putter about on are all recipes, pioneer women and I hate to admit it but I enjoy looking at people of wal mart.
5. This weekend I am going to be busy. I am hoping to go out with my hubby tonight, then tomorrow we have pine wood derby race then horseback riding with scouts, then a birthday party. I also need to make a gift to take to the birthday party.

6. Nothing makes me happier than watching my children learn. When that like clicks on and they get it I just smile and feel like I am accomplish something.
7. A bad habit I have is, sorry I am not telling you. Okay a bad habit I have is wearing the same 3 t-shirts everyday and they are stained and gross. But they fit great (as in 2 sizes too big). I do not wear them out of the house but I love them

Welcome to Trooppetrie. This is my personal journal although recently I have found it harder to tell my secrets. I love to write about our military life. I love to write about my children and what we are doing while we homeschool. I love to cook and bake and sew when time allows.

Sometimes I cannot believe that we have been in the military for 15 years active. Our first duty station was Fort Campbell. I could sing a song about how much I love Fort Campbell. We were only there 9 months before we took our 8 week old baby boy and moved to Illeishem Germany. I honestly can say those 3 years were amazing and I would not change it for anything. We left Germany and went back to Fort Campbell, bought our first house and had a great life for 3 years. Then we were moved to Redstone Arsenal AL. A wonderful five years. I think we grew as a family in a way that only God could have written. Those five years were the hardest of our lives but I believe with healing we will look back at how this has helped our family. Last February we moved from AL to Fort Bragg NC. Or as my baby girl says we moved to Fort Ragg and most days I tend to agree.

I love the military; I love the security of knowing we have a pay check. I love the security of knowing I will always be able to get the medical care we needed. I hope one day the dental insurance will be better. I love that I do not have one home but many. If I had to choose I would want to live in Fort Campbell for my church family. I would want to live in AL for my homeschool family.

The military teaches you to grow up, to be independent. It also teaches us to help one another even when it is not convenient for ourselves.

Mil Spouse fill in Friday

1. If you were a famous movie star, what types of movies would you star in?
Just about any show on Hallmark, I love those movies.
2. What is a vacation you would like to take if money were no object?
I would give anything to take my mom to Australia. It has been a lifelong dream for her and I would love to share that with her and give it to her.
3. Did you have pets growing up?
We had cats, cats and did I say cats. I do not remember having anything but cats.
4. What do you do for exercise?
Drink mountain dew and eat little debbie cakes, is that what you mean. Seriously when I met with the Endo doctor for my thyroid issues she asked if I had trouble losing weight. I said I am sorry I would not know since I eat little debbie cakes and a mountain dew for breakfast. I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She said she has never had anyone be so honest.
5. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a MilSpouse? Enjoy the ride; look forward to every move as if it is a adventure. Take time each day to hug your spouse and be grateful he is there. Surround yourself with positive uplifting women. That way when things are rough you have someone to lean on. Do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. We have all been there at some time or another.

This is the last day to enter my Purex Crystal giveaway right here.

5 Question Friday

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?
This would be hard, I would either donate it to continue work with soldiers who have PTSD or I would want it to go to work with help with premature
2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?
If I have a fully stocked pantry and plenty of wood for the fireplace then I say bring on the snow days. This may be because they do not happen to us often.
3. What talent did you wish you had and why? To sing, I would love to be able to sing and others enjoy it. I am not saying I would want to be famous. But I would love to not worry about the person in front of me leaving with a headache.

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie? Neither, no desire to be involved in celebrity gossip and I honestly stay away from politics. I know I should be more involved I just cannot seem to get there.

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...don’t hafta be alcoholic!) Nothing with alcohol, I love a good, cold, stiff mountain dew with ice. And my favorite place to get this is from taco Bell.


***Today is the last day to enter my Purex Crystal give away right here. I will be picking the winner tonight.

Thursday 5

Patient
Joyful
Marvelous
Grateful
Wonderful


Today I will be patient when my child tries to talk to me about a cartoon instead of doing their mouth.
Today I am joyful because it is almost Friday and I love weekends when my husband is home.
I think my husband is marvelous and wonder how I got so lucky to have him in my life. Even when he leaves his stinky workout clothes in the back of his truck.
I am grateful for real friends who have helped me make some important decisions over the last week and did not judge me on my thoughts.
I feel wonderful today, I have been sleeping better and I cannot tell you how good it feels to wake up after 7 hours of sleep.

***It is not too late to enter the Purex Crystals giveaway right here.

For the Joy of it

For the Joy of it, I will take a moment to relax; I will enjoy my babies being babies. I will eat a krispy kreme donut from a gas station just because I know it will taste good.
I will spend a few extra seconds thanking God for allowing me to see the pride in my daughter’s eyes as she learns to read.
For the joy of it I will hug my husband for no reason, I will tell my teenager he is loved even if he back talks. I will remind my girls of how beautiful they are.
I will stay up late for no reason. I will sleep in without guilt. I will drink an extra glass of mountain dew because I like the taste.
And I will turn my praise and worship music up load in my car and not worry about who is driving by and might here.
For the Joy of it I will remind you that you still have time to enter my Purex Crystals give away right here.

Wordless Wednesday

***It is not too late to enter my Purex Crystals giveaway right here.

Facebook Updates

Are you on facebook, I love facebook. Really I just love updating it a million times a day with all the quirky things that happen in my life. I thought maybe once a week I would give you a look into my facebook life. I really think I live in a zoo sometimes. So here are some of my updates.
Yes I said it is snowing at the beach

Just took my 2nd walk of the day on the beach only in the snow

I am setting in a beach house looking at the beach, hearing the waves and reading Proverbs, this is sweat peace. Going for a walk as soon as the sun comes up all the way.

Hope is mad at me, she asked if I was going to be a good girl at the beach and I said NO
She made me promise if I get sick I would eat any yucky food they made me

Brownies baking, chocolate cheese ball chilling, subs in fridge, I am almost ready to leave tomorrow. I still should pack something and put away laundry and vacuum the house and oh wait maybe I am nowhere near ready.

There is a GREAT debate going on in our classroom this morning. I am afraid no one will work if I do not find the answer. Will you help? Is it all around the merry go ROUND or BUSH?
TMI: Grace just came in the living room doing I poo poo'd in the potty dance. Then she said it did hurt but not like make me cry hurt. I said well it should not hurt. She said I need that medicine that does not make you go, it just makes it not hurt when you go. TOO MANY COMMERCIALS.

Heading to small group with my hero, I love setting next to him

How do you spell tattoo past tense? I want to have a flower tattoo?? on my head.

What is a good dad bible verse to have engraved on a bracelet?

Grace just ran into the table and said "oh I was not watching where I was going, but it only hurt my chest" then she continues to run in circles.

So sad, I typed in all around the merry go round into YouTube and it came up with 3 naked men playing drums. Glad my kids were not watching

Yesterday we made cupcakes, today we filled them with a pudding/cool whip combo and iced with chocolate icing. YUMMY!!

Grace told us to be quiet and then said I have the power and pointed at us and said MUTE, MUTE, MUTE

Watching wipe out makes my back hurt

Can I just say that Netflix has totally let me down, every movie I want is not available, but anything Rob wants is there.

I'm going to tell the judge you have to get better to be crazy!
Why is it at 5pm I cannot keep my eyes open but at 10pm I am wide awake

Why did we put a mini trampoline in our livingroom
So we are watching an old Don Knott’s show. Don Knott’s is Robert’s great uncle (or something like that). Grace said so dad why was he not visiting your house. She is crying because he is not visiting us on TV

Pamela
***It is not too late to enter my Purex Crystals giveaway right here.

Gratitude Tuesday

This week I am grateful for the sunset. I had never seen a sunset before this weekend and honestly when I saw the other ladies going outside I was not excited. That was until I saw it coming over the horizen. Then I could not stop looking at it, until my eyes started burning. Then I kept walking outside to see how high it was.
Pamela
***It is not too late to enter my Purex Crystal give away right here.

True Story Tuesday

I have told you the story of how my hero and I got together. One of the first things we did was go to Ocean City. We walked the board walk and stopped for fries. It was funny because we asked if they had ketchup and they almost laughed at us. Did you know that some people actually do not eat ketchup with French fries? I do not know how that is possible.
On another date (many years before that) my hero took me to play miniature golf. I had never been. When we got there they were full so he said let’s hit a bucket of balls. So he taught me how to hit the balls. Then we went to play miniature golf. I asked him if I played the same way and he said yes. So I step up to the little ball and WHACK!!!
As the ball flies through the air over the fence and pings off a car he asks me why I hit the ball so hard. I said because you said I should hit it the same way.
We have had many more fun dates. Like a couple of years ago when we had a sword fight in the middle of an amusement park.
Pamela
***It is not too late to enter the Purex Crystal give away here.

Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Saturday I was walking on the beach in sleet and on Sunday the sun was shinning, currently it is 26 degrees.
Things that make me happy:
Friends I can trust, the smile on our chaplains face.


Book I'm reading:
Proverbs daily. Francine Rivers, Leota’s Garden.


What's on my TV today:
Today show now and then lots of word world and Sid the Science guy.
On the menu for dinner:
No clue, need to check the freezer.



On my To Do List:
A couple of loads of laundry, school with the kids and getting prizes ready to be mailed out.
New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
I made a chocolate chip cheeseball for the first time in a long time and it will be my new favorite.


In the craft basket:
Nothing currently, I would like to start a new quilt but need to buy the fabric

Looking forward to this week:
Being with my children.


Tips and Tricks:
I learned about a go girl this week. I may have to order on just for emergencies.

My favorite blog post this week:
Did I tell you about the chocolate chip cheeseball, actually this weekend I took the time to move a bunch of my recipes to my recipe blog to make them easier to find.
Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):.
Trenches of Motherhood

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):



Lesson learned the past few days:
Things are not always what they seem.

On my mind:
How I need to change a few things in my life, what do I really want my life to stand for.
Devotionals, Scripture Reading:
Proverbs
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight

Pamela
***It is not too late to enter my Purex Crystals Give away right here.

Friend Making Monday

Answer each question using only one word...

1. Where is your cell phone? priceless

2. Your most significant other? hero

3. Your hair? red

4. Your mother? friend

5. Your father? gone

6. Your favorite? hugs

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your favorite drink? Mountain dew

9. Your dream/goal? Friends

10. What room you are in? living

11. Your hobby? baking

12. Your fear? unknown

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? free

14. Where were you last night? bed

15. Something that you aren't? stupid

16. Muffins? pumpkin

17. Wish list item? fabric

18. Where you grew up? WV
19. Last thing you did? beach
20. What are you wearing? pajamas
21. Your TV? on

22. Your pets? stinky

23. Friends? forever

24. Your life? confused

25. Your mood? tired

26. Missing someone? Always

27. One place that I go to over and over? kitchen

28. Something you want: food processor

29. Your favorite store? Joanne’s

30. Your favorite color? purple

Want to link up with us, head over to All the weigh.
***There is still time to enter my Purex crystals give away right here.

Purex review and give away!

I was recently contacted by Purex to review their new Purex Complete Crystal Softener. I was thrilled to try something new. When the box arrived I felt like I was receiving a very special gift. It came in several different boxes. I was honestly impressed with the ease of this product. No worrying about spills.
They enclosed information about fabric softener and I could not believe some of what I read. Did you know traditional fabric softeners:
1. Are oil based which means they coat your fabrics in oil
2. Purex crystals are 92% natural not oil based and work by penetrating the fabric and infusing fibers with freshness that last week’s not days.
3. Using traditional fabric softener will decrease your towels ability to absorb water

Purex not only sent me crystals to try, they sent you some to. I am giving away one coupon for a 28oz bottle of Purex Complete Crystals Softener. I will pick one random comment on Friday night. You may enter once daily.

Pray for me Monday

Today I come to you with a heavy heart. I have learned some things this week that break my heart and make me grieve for a way things could have been.
I am working on myself and trying to looking closer at myself and not at others.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
I am reading these verses and wondering how I apply them to my life. I guess I really know the answer but am I willing to do it? It is so easy to say to read this verse and think okay I do not have to understand why things are the way they are. But then when something is put in front of you, you second guess why it would be allowed or why it happened. This week my goal is to concentrate on these verses and not get so caught up in the extras. Please pray that I will be able to do this. That I will remember that we are on this earth a short time and we do not have to understand everything or be in control of everything.
Please join with me and Home Grown Families to pray for one another. If you have something I could pray for you about please leave it in the comment section.
Pamela
***It is not to late to enter the Purex Crystal give away right here.

Miscellany Monday

1. This week I learned about the go girl and wonder where this when my husband made me go fishing with him.
2. I learned that a sunset is a beautiful thing, how had I never seen the sunset before.
3. I learned I really want to learn how to use my camera because this weekend I was at the beach with beautiful views and I did not know how to take pictures of them.
4. This week I have some decisions to make that are going to be hard and I do not want to make them.
5. This week I made a chocolate chip cheese ball and I may have to finish eating it before I go to bed tonight.
6. This weekend I went to a fish restraint and at a double cheeseburger.
7. This weekend I updated my recipe blog and made it easier for you to find a recipe. Just click on the recipe button at the top of the page.
There is still time to enter my Purex Crystal give away right here.

Military Monday

No new Army news this week. I will say I am missing home. You know I never say home because I do not feel like we have a home. But I miss my home school mom’s from Alabama and I miss my church from Kentucky.
How blessed we are that I do not have to consider one place my home. I thank God that he has put the right people in my life everywhere we go. He knows exactly what I need and when I need it.
Pamela
****There is still time to enter my Purex crystal give away right here.

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

Have you ever heard of chocolate chip cheeseball. If not you are in for a amazing treat. The pictures do not do it justice. I normally make this into a ball but I knew I would be traveling. So I just put it in a bowl. The recipe is:
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

1 pkg. 8oz. Philly cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. brown sugar
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
graham crackers, chocolate graham crackers, vanilla wafers or animal crackers.

Beat softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until creamy. Add sugars until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 -2 hours. Place into a ball and roll in cookie crumbs or pecans or grahm cracker crumbs. Serve on graham crackers.
I always double this recipe.
***It is not too late to enter the Purex crystal give away right here.