Keep Pushin' On!

Today has just been one of "those" days.  Nothing terrible... just stuff I'd much rather not do.  It started off with me waking up with my body SCREAMING at me!  You see, today is also 50 days away from when we leave for our week in paradise (aka Playa del Carmen) so I've been working out every day.  I ran 3+ miles on Sunday, did something called "body combat" (martial arts/kickboxing) on Monday, RPM (spin/cycling class) on Tuesday, "body combat" again on Wednesday and "body pump" (barbell weights class) today!  Thankfully I've enlisted in this "fun" with a good friend... nevermind that she's almost 10 years younger than me!  I'm not sure if doing this with her makes me feel older or younger.  Nevertheless, I'm back into a regular workout routine... I'm just looking forward to my body to catch up with my head because I sure think I can do more than my body wants to!  LOL!!!  Anyway, today's class was at 8:15 which meant I had to have everyone (including Chloe & myself) dressed, fed and out the door by the 7:33 deadline to get the kids to school, stop and get gas (one of my least favorite things to do!!!) and get to the gym.  We made it, with just a few minutes to spare!  Whew!

So on the way home Jarred wanted me to stop by and get my car washed (it was looking a little "country-fied"  with mud & bugs on the tires, sides, etc) and then a super fun trip to Discount Tire was in store to do something called "balancing" because apparently I had a vibration in the car.  And all this time I thought it was from the jammin' bass from the Hannah Montana soundtrack Chloe and I rock out to EVERY day! LOL!  I had EVERY intention of skipping the trip to Discount Tire, except fate would have it differently.  On my way home from the gym a truck had managed to spill an entire bucket of what I thought looked like nails or giant staples. (they were actually allen wreches or something like that.. some kind of GIANT "L" shaped nail thingy)  It was in the middle of a major intersection and I had no where to go (as did about 100 other cars) except straight through.  Turns out one punctured my right rear tire.  While at the car wash, the girl taking my "order" says, "Ma'am. (I absolutely HATE being called that... makes me feel old! Booo!)  Your right rear tire looks low."  Sigh... GREAT!  Now I have to go to the tire store!!!  Grrr!  So I pull up to go through the car wash and the guy directing me in tells me to roll down my window, (here we go again...) "Uh, Ma'am (Grr), you have a low tire back there!"  "Oh yes, thank you!  I'm going to get that changed as soon as I'm done here."  And then oh yes, the tire shine guy provides me the same courtesy of pointing it out.  I mean yes, I guess they were helping, but it's like finger nails on a chalkboard to keep reminding me that indeed yes, I have to go do something I know absolutely nothing about and really don't want to do. 

So, Chloe and I made it.... 2 hours later of "entertaining" a very chatty and curious 3 yr old in a store that smells like rubber with only tires and "manly" magazines to look at.  Good times!   I did however manage to teach her how to make a "fishy" face!  LOL!   At least I can scratch that off my list of things I've done now... technically I've "changed a tire".  Check!  Unfortunately now I still have to clean the house and do some laundry/ironing.  Time to keep pushin' on!  The light at the end of my tunnel is that tonight is Girls Night Out and tomorrow is date night with my hubby!!!!  That's enough motivation for me sore muscles and all!!! 

Mow, Mow, Mow the Yard...

Well all the rain from 2 weeks ago and the sun from last week really spurred the "yard" on and it was time to mow the green stuff around our house.  I wouldn't go so far as to say "mow the grass" because well, it's really just tall weeds.  Oh, and did I mention the next door neighbor actually drove over a snake while mowing his yard this week!!!!  Ummm.... yikes!  I've had an eagle eye out ever since.  I sat the kids down and gave them another serious reminder that we are no longer living in the comforts of the city.. (to which they cheered excessively for) and that we needed to be aware of our surroundings and to NOT stick your hands, feet, legs, siblings, etc. into any dark holes, etc.  I'm afraid I only gave them ideas.  Aaah, to have the ignorance, oh I mean innocence, of a child again. LOL! 

Anyway, I figured my best "line of defense" was to be riding the mower... that way I could take care of the slimy creatures versus having them take care of me! Ugh!  And honestly it was either that or shovel clay into the trenches for the sprinkler system -- I chose the one with the least physical labor involved. LOL!   So, off I went.. I hopped right up in the drivers seat with ZERO experience in "yard maintenence".  Jarred gave me the quick 411 on where the gas was, how to go forward, reverse, what not to drive over, etc.  Piece of cake right????  Well, not exactly.  Shortly after I started I was flagged down for my first (of many) safety pointers.  Turns out there is more to it than the "riding a bike" analogy I was associating with it.  During one of my many citations by my husband he told me that we would have a "lawnmower safety session" later that evening.  LOL!!!!  Turns out parade waving and driving with no hands are not "acceptable" while operating a large piece of machinery. Who knew!???!

And I can't believe I forgot to include this in yesterday's post, but we have BIG news!!!  No, I'm not pregnant... you all can lay that idea to rest for GOOD!  Our family is just right the way it is!  However, Madeline lost her first AND second tooth this weekend!!!  She's thrilled!  She held on to her teeth until Monday so she could take them to school to show them off and the tooth fairy visited her that evening.  The race is on for who will loose the third tooth first!  My kids are very competitive!!!  I have NO idea where they get that from.  Ha! Ha!  Anyway, here's a picture of our big girl missing her two front teeth!

It's kind of hard to tell since her new teeth are already half-way in, but nevertheless have you ever seen a bigger smile!!!  So sweet!

Country Livin' at its Finest!

We had another busy but wonderful weekend.  I spent all of yesterday in meetings, running errands, and attempting to restore "order" to the house... AND I cleaned "green" again.  Well, here are some hi-lights from the past week...

We had some "hairy" moments....

Colby before (not sure if he's EVER had this much hair on his head in his entire life!)

Colby after (Apparently this is his new big kid "tough smile". LOL!)

And then one day I tried my hand at french braiding.  Chloe was so engrossed in her movie that I decided to give it a try.  I definitely KNOW I have a LOT of practice ahead of me, but it's not terrible for a first attempt. (Right???)  However, I think it's going to be a while before I try it again.  My fingers were so cramped and tangled... there is bound to be an easier way!  I am definitely open to suggestions!

Although it was a bit breezy, we had wonderful weather this weekend.  We decided to make the most of it and try out the new kite the kids got for Easter.  Boy, did I completely forget how hard it is to fly a kite!!  I was exhausted after 30 minutes of trying to get it to stay in the air so I let the kids have a whirl at it.  They had so much fun!

However, the "fun" was taken to a completly different level the next day when Jarred & I started working on the sprinkler system.  What started out as digging in the dirt, quickly turned to this....

Which causes children to look like this....

(Note: This is AFTER Daddy had been attempting to wash them off for about 10 minutes!!!)  Let me tell you I was THRILLED about this.  My poor, poor washing machine.  I have added it to my prayer list for strength & endurance so that it wont quit on me!  As you can tell, the kids were completely miserable and absolutely "devastated" too.

I suppose I should get used to this.  I have a feeling this is going to be a regular thing living out here.  I guess it will warrant an excuse to go to Target this week to buy "play" clothes to save us all some grief!  See, there really IS a silver lining to every rain cloud! LOL!

 

After getting cleaned up it was time to "hunt" for bugs and other yucky creepy crawlys.  Needless to say I'm now required to "save" all plastic containers for future homes for these little critters.  Ugh!   However, I personally love that they wear their rubber boots everywhere!!!  Apparently it's a Country Kid Club "thing".  They crack me up! 

However, the really great news is after a LOT of hard work, the sprinker system works!!!  Yeah!  And yes, look real hard and you'll see... guess who.. yup, that's right, my kids out in the middle of the yard getting wet and muddy all over again.  I think they averaged 4 outfits a day this weekend! Geez! 

This weekend also marked the end of another soccer season for Colby.  We really enjoyed getting to know all the families on his team and look forward to another season together in the fall.  Way to go Avengers!!!

And, even though it's technically Tuesday, here is Meal Plan Monday (one day late). LOL!

Monday: Grilled Chicken, Garlic Rice Pilaf, Snow Peas with Almonds (we didn't have this last week and it was super yummy!!!)

Tuesday:  Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Salad, Broccoli & Cheese

Wednesday: we're supposed to have a date night... so I'm thinking fish sticks are on the menu for the kids

Thursday: something with ground beef... trying to figure out something new, we'll see.. I have spaghetti as a back up plan. 

Friday: Grilled Sausage, Cheesy Corn Casserole, Green Beans

Pictures are Worth 1,000 Words

Nothing really exciting to write about, but I realized I had some fun pictures of the girls I hadn't posted. 

This is what happens when a 3 year old finds some markers while Mommy is on the phone.  Look close and you'll see that yes, her entire face is covered in orange.  Thank goodness it was washable!!!

I wish I looked this cute in hats!

The first of many "pets".  Oh yes, that's a grasshopper she's holding!  Yuck!  I've made a deal with them that if it lives outside, it STAYS outside! 

Does It Work????

I love those little "Does it work?" news segments!  In fact,with the exception of the weather, it's about the only thing I enjoy watching on the news.  Everything on there is so negative as if we as a society only want to hear about all the sins people commit, and the tragedy we endure.  Wonder what would happen if they actually showed positive stories? 

Speaking of positive stories... Chloe and I made it to the grocery store WITH our green bags... this is actually my 4th or 5th consecutive time to remember them so I'm on a roll!  Chloe even brought her special reusable tote I made her at a mom's meeting a couple of weeks ago.  She LOVES how big it is and she calls it her "purse", (because "it's big and I can fit lots of stuff in it just like Momma's".) LOL!

And yesterday was my "big day" of spring "green" cleaning!  Chloe totally cracked me up in the grocery store.  I had to buy some spray bottles to put the liquids in and she was telling EVERYONE, "My momma is going to make potions in these!"  LOL!  Needless to say I got a LOT of strange looks and especially after I got tired of explaining it to everyone.  It was actually really funny to watch people's reactions to her and me.  Too funny!

So, back to the cleaning... Does it work????   I have one thing to say... Y-E-S!!!  Oh my goodness I'm still amazed and pretty much speechless of how great everything worked!  All this time I've had everything I've needed in my pantry to clean my house 10 TIMES better and about 99% cheaper!!!  It was super easy and I think it might have cost me about $1 or at the most $2 to clean everything!  Here's the breakdown of what I used and how I "made" it!

For the granite counters in the kitchen & bath I used a mixture of 1 part rubbing alcohol and 1 part water in a spray bottle.  We have black granite in the powder bath and I've NEVER been able to get that streak free and really clean... until yesterday!  The granite in our kitchen is really dark too, but after I wiped the spray off I could actually see myself in it.  I tried to "smudge" the counter afterwards... something that has always happened with the other cleaners I used... and because there was no "film" you couldn't even see the millions of finger prints that almost instantly show up from the kids!  Needless to say I'm sold!

For the bathrooms I used vinegar.  Yup, that's it, vinegar!  You pour 1/2 cup of vinegar in the potty after you flush it (while it's re-filling) and let it sit for a few minutes.  Then you mix a 1 part vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle and you use it for everything else.  You even mop with a vinegar/water mix!  The part that amazed me the most was how great it cleaned the mirrors and the glass shower door!  It dries completely streak free!  One of the things I read was that you can use newspaper to clean mirrors & windows with, but I opted for my typical burp rags transformed into cleaning rags!  Those cloth diapers make the BEST cleaning rags.  I've used them for years!  Completely lint free! 

The only other product I actually used yesterday was baking soda.  You can use it with a little bit of water to make a paste to clean your glass cooktop and sinks!  Whoo Hoo!

So, what do you think???? Pretty nifty (& thrifty) if I do say so myself!  I'm so glad I tried this.  The only "downer" was the slight smell of vinegar & alcohol but you know, that's why I have a bazillion candles!  Another really cool thing was that Chloe "helped" me the entire time!  It's completely safe.  Something to consider for all you out there that have little babies, curious toddlers, and/or are pregnant.  It also "saved" me on laundry because I didn't have to change into special cleaning clothes for fear of getting bleach on them and I didn't have to wash the rags seperately! 

Okay, okay, I'll stop now.  I'm not trying to run an infomercial on how to "clean green"... I'm just excited!

Well, the sun is FINALLY shining here today after being gone for over a week!  Chloe and I have big plans of heading out to the park and having a picnic! (However, at this moment we're both still in our jammies snuggled in my bed. LOL!)  Guess it's time to get our day started...it's 9:15.  

Putting Kermit in His Place!

Here I go "dating" myself again, but I'd like to think the Muppets are legendary enough that we can all remember Kermit the Frog!  One of the only things I remember about the Muppets, other than my brief obsession with Miss Piggy, was when Kermit professed, "It's not easy being green."  Well, Kermit, you may not have had the same thing in mind, but in this day and time it actually IS easy to be "green" or environmentally friendly.  Seeing as this Thursday is Earth Day, I'm going to do my best to try and be aware of ways that I can become more "earth friendly".  No, I'm not going to become an overnight "tree hugger", but really, we should all be more aware of the "carbon footprint" we leave with all these conveniences we have. 

I personally LOVE the green bags for the grocery store... now if they would just come out with some cute blingy animal print ones that would be AWESOME!!!  Hmmm... that's actually not a bad idea-- something to consider. LOL!   Chloe and I have some grocery shopping to do this morning so I'll be extra sure the bags actually make it INTO the store this time and not just sit in the back of my car.  I know that's probably NEVER happened to any of you! Ha!

On top of using my "green bags", I plan to clean green today too!  Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was this excited to clean my house!!!  I mean yes, I have to confess, I do like to clean -- a dreadful side-effect of my "Type A" personality.  But that excitement is just fed off of the "rush" I get from seeing everything in it's place and with a "smile on it's bright shiny face".  LOL!  This is different, not only is it a novelty of trying something new, it's actually a better, safer, and MUCH cheaper alternative for the earth and our family.  I've researched a couple of sites and I actually found EVERYTHING I need to clean our entire house in our pantry (just like the articles said I would... Huh!  Who knew???).

So here you have it.... everything you need to "clean green"!!!  Looks more like supplies for a science experiement huh?  That's what I thought anyway. 

I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow with "recipes".  Should be interesting if nothing else!  Chloe is really excited about "helping" me and has already pulled out all her mops, brooms, and other cleaning utensils.  LOL!  I must say, I do feel a sense of comfort in knowing that I wont have to worry about what she's getting in (with the exception of the rubbing alcohol) while we're enjoying this time together. 

And while I'm on the topic of green, here's an update of the garden.  It's really coming along.  I think once the sun decides to finally show up it will really take off!  We're going to expand it a little already.... see, I told you! LOL!  My mom brought up some seed for yellow & white squash so we're going to plant that this week!  YUM!

If you look close you can see the new faucet Jarred & Darryl installed as part of the sprinker line this past weekend.  That will make watering so much easier!!!  Those boys did a great job thinking of everything!  Oh, and in case you didn't believe me on the muddy mess... I took a picture of that too!  LOL!

Obviously I have a lot to clean, so I'd better get going!  Have a blessed day!  

Hellloooo World!

Geez it's only been a few days, but it feels like months have gone by since I've been "connected" to the world via the internet.  While digging trenches for the sprinkler system on Friday, our telephone/DSL line was sliced in half.  Despite AT&T's "commitment" (their words, not mine!) of being here to fix it before 7pm on Saturday, they just got us reconnected this morning.  Nothing brings light to the impatience and demands of my "microwave" generation then when you're without the internet.  It was kind of a nice "detox" if you will, but nevertheless, I'm so glad to be back!!!

We had a very productive weekend!  The sprinkler system is 85% done.  Jarred just has to finish wiring, testing, and a few other odds & ends, and then the REAL "fun" starts -- covering ALL the pipes back up with the heeps of mud that are in the yard.  However, never fear... the kids are THRILLED with the idea of getting muddy and "helping Daddy".  I'm seriously considering investing in an old fashioined wash board & tub to start doing the laundry in! LOL!  On top of that every sidewalk, driveway, porch, garage, is literally covered in globs of mud.... so much so that Madeline said it looked like a "cattle trailer" this morning!  Ha!  Thank heavens it doesn't smell like one!  My "contribution" to the project will be pressure washing the mud back into the yard this week.  Oh boy, can't wait!  (can you tell my words are dripping in sarcasm. LOL!)

We also mananged to get the posts and support beams of the pergola up last night.   I was cautiously (and slightly frantically) waiting for one of our neighbors to drive over to complain about the hammering, drilling, sawing, etc. going on well after dark and bedtimes, but thankfully all is still well.  Here's a quick picture of the progress so far! 

Here are some other "quick hi-lights" of our weekend:

• I survived another 5K on Saturday morning!!!  I improved my time by about 1 minute, despite having shin splints and doing it in the cold & RAIN! 
• Colby had a GREAT soccer game Saturday afternoon (also in the cold rain) - he scored 7 goals in just 2 & 1/2 quarters before his pulled groin started to hurt.  Thankfully we have a friend that is a physical therapist. He is giving us pointers now to help him heal!  Poor guy is such a trooper! 
• The one huge blessing from all the rain was how much it has helped our garden to flourish!  Yeah!

And now it's time for

MEAL PLAN Monday!

Monday:  Pot Roast & Gravy with Carrots & Potatoes and Homemade Bread.  I'm doing a roast in the crock pot for the first time today!  The house already smells yummy & I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Tuesday: Creamed Chicken "Pockets" & Fruit Salad  (Jarred is going to Dallas this week from Tuesday- Thursday so I let the kids "pick".  This was Colby's suggestion)

Wednesday:  Fish Sticks with Mararoni & Cheese (Chloe wanted this!  Obviously Mommy will be having salad, but YEAH for easy dinners!)

Thursday: Grilled Pork Chops, Pea Salad, Hashbrown Casserole

Friday: Sauteed Chicken Breasts, Garlic Rice Pilaf, Snow Peas

 

Rainy Day FUN!

The house "projects" are coming along, but the weather is really putting a "damper" on things.  Just looking out the window makes me gloomy.  It's overcast, drizzly, and just plain yuck.  Poor Jarred & Darryl have been out in the rain for the past 2 days trying to dig trenches for the sprinkler system.  I suppose there is a blessing in the fact that the moisture is keeping the dirt from creating a dust cloud around them, but I think it's actually become a bigger headache with the "trencher" (sorry, that's about as technical of a term as I can come up with! LOL!) because it keeps getting stuck in the mud. 

The kids couldn't help themselves yesterday, and I was still feeling gracious, so I let them play outside in the rain for a while.  They had a blast!!!   (Now I'm just praying they don't get sick from it.)

Daddy put poor Colby to work in "cleaning out" the trenches.  He gladly accepted the challenge.  Well, at least he had fun!  I'm off to do laundry.  I've got a small mountain again and it's only from the past 2 days!  I guess it's time for my "rainy day fun" to begin!

Another funny side note!

Just a side note from my post earlier today.  As luck would have it Jarred happened to be at Lowes (which is just down the street) around the same time that I was leaving Target for the second time.  We both had lots of errands to do today.  As he was walking to his truck, the same lady I bought the food for flashed a "hook 'em" sign at him and laughed... he was wearning an A&M shirt.  Too funny!  What are the odds! LOL!

Paying it Forward!

Today started like any other "normal" day, with the exception that we have company AND I actually COOKED a hot breakfast this morning (instead of the usual granola bar, pop tart, microwave "buffet". Ha!)!  Jarred's mom & Darryl came for the week last night to help us get some of the bigger projects done around the house (i.e. putting together the pergola & the sprinkler system).  The wood for the pergola was delivered yesterday (3 days ahead of schedule!!!).  How cool is that!

There it is... all 1,600 pounds of cedar!

Well, over the years I've outgrown my love for breakfast... probably has everything to do with the fact that I'm in NO WAY a morning person.  I munched on my usual granola bar and set out for a morning run.  The wind has FINALLY stopped blowing!  Yipee!  No more "virtual hills" to run.  My spirits were high and the temperatures were perfectly cool so I had high hopes of setting a new personal best today.  AND then came the rain!!!  About a mile into my run it started sprinkling, then drizzling, then rain!  Ugh.  I'm definitely NOT a "seasoned" enough runner to do that, so I headed back home and cut my morning run in half. 

I was disappointed, but after a shower I headed to town and decided to stop at Starbucks to cheer me up!  I pulled up to the window and the cashier just handed me my coffee and said, "It's already been taken care of!  The lady in front paid for your coffee!"  How awesome is that???!!!! I've heard of this happening to people before, but I've never been blessed like that!  I was in shock and drove off feeling like I was living in a bubble of how God had originally designed life to be!  Then it hit me!  I didn't "pay it forward".  I couldn't let this good deed stop with me.  So it was time to get creative.  My next stop was Target.  Now you're talking my ULTIMATE good morning!!  I had my "happy juice" (grande mocha) in hand, heading into in my favorite store, ALONE!  I kept looking for ways to bless someone in Target.  Nothing was jumping out at me, so I just prayed for God to give me an opportunity.  After an hour and acquiring MUCH more than I intended, I headed on. In my defense everything not on my list was marked with a little red "clearance" sticker! LOL!!! 

Walking out of the store, I saw it!  Clear as day, the "opportunity" I'd prayed for!  There was a lady, whom I've seen many times, digging in the trash cans in front of Target.  Walking to my car I dug through my purse to find some cash.  I had none!  Ugh Great!  Here I was, I asked for someone to bless, she literally walked in front of me, and what was I going to do?  Just use my "lack of resources" as an excuse??? NO!  Not this time!  I'm all about confessions (In my blog anyway.  So much easier to not do it to someone directly! LOL!)  I've been convicted of helping a homeless person before, but I've NEVER acted on it... EVER!  I've refrained from eye contact, walked out of my way to not cross paths.  I am ashamed, but I have always been skeptical.  You know, you hear the stories of the people that stand on the corners and make hundreds of dollars a day.  Anyway, that was then, this is now.  I got in my car, looked at the clock and it was noon.  I headed across the street and ordered some popcorn chicken, fries and a large lemonade, drove back across to Target and pulled up alongside the lady.  Shaking I got out.  I placed the food in the stroller she was pushing.  She said, "I don't want your food."  I told her, "This is not my food.  I bought it for you!  God bless you!"  I turned and walked away but she wanted to talk.  I can't imagine how lonely a homeless life must be.  We chatted for a bit, she thanked me, and I left. 

Well, that's it.  Probably nothing out of the ordinary for most of you.  But today is another day I'll always remember.  I laid another prejudice to rest in my life.  I pushed past my pride again and it feels just as wonderful as it did on Monday!  Thank you Lord for showing me your grace, and for the lady in the blue car (who bought my coffee) that inspired me to continue to walk with the Spirit that lives inside me!

Have a blessed day!

Creepy Crawlies & Other yucky things!

So I have to confess, I've been living in denial the past few months.  For some crazy reason I had convinced myself that the occasional unpleasant smell of "livestock" was going to be the worst obstacle I was going to have to overcome from living out here.  Um NO!!  My stomach is still churning as I write this.  I was having a casual conversation with my neighbor the other day that brought to light some of my WORST fears

Apparently there is a thriving population of black widows, scorpions, and all other kinds of hideous creepy crawlies out here!  I suddenly feel the need to dress my kids in head-to-toe wet suits with built-in rubber boots and gloves!  They have all inherited their dad's sense of adventure and LOVE for the outdoors, hence the "Country Kids Club".  Me, not so much.  I actually saw a black spider in the garage yesterday and came screaming & running in the house like a lunatic!  (Did I mention it was about 10 feet away from me and near the ceiling... so obviously I was in "immediate" danger and my actions were completely warrented! LOL!!)  The kids thought it was COOL and Jarred tried to keep himself composed & refrain from laughing at me too much (to my face at least) when he confirmed that it was a harmless house spider.  I'm still shuddering.  Ewww!

I now find myself walking around on my tippy toes and carefully inspecting my surroundings prior to every move... not to mention pulling back the sheets before climbing into bed!  I'm hopeful my phobia will subside with time.  Of course my husband wont have much to do with that.  His "comforting" words yesterday, "Well baby, at least all the construction next door will probably scare the rattlesnakes away."  Ugh!  (Shudder)


  

Pride & Prejudice

So I wont be quoting any of Jane Austen's novel today, although she is my ALL time favorite novelist and I LOVE the movie Pride & Prejudice. I had a revelation yesterday.  I was convicted to think on this a moment, "What we feel as parents may honestly originate as pride, but how do we keep it from spiraling into prejudice?" We all think our kids are the smartest, the most physcially advanced, talented, etc. and to some degree it is vitally important to provide that source of encouragement for them. However, I've come to the conclusion that we must silmutaneously keep that sense of pride in check so that we don't develop a prejudice (i.e. preconceived judgment or opinion ) and a burden of pressure on our kids. 

We got a wonderful phone call yesterday afternoon!  Turns out Colby actually won 1st Place in his age group for the coloring contest at the John Deere days event we went to a couple of weeks ago!!!  For over a week he has been praying for the outcome in his favor, but a couple of days ago he confessed that, "Well, I guess I didn't win because they haven't called yet."  He moped for a bit, but I was pleasantly surprised at how his attitude bounced right back when he said, "Well, I guess I'll just have to try harder next year!  Maybe I'll add in 2 cows!" LOL!  I knew he had tried his hardest and I must say I was "prejudice"  that his indeed was the best, yet it was not mine to judge, nor did I have the priviledge of seeing the other entrants.   

Here's my prize winning artist!!!  He can't wait to drive to the dealership this weekend with Jarred to pick up his loot!

As a matter of fact, I had another run-in with "pride" yesterday.  The Lord must be working on me with this.  Anyway, early Monday morning a house in our neighborhood was destroyed by a fire that started in the garage.  It was obvious they lost mostly everything.  All day long visions of that poor family (whom I'd never seen) played through my head.  Were they elderly, young??? Did they have kids???  I prayed for them throughout the day.  I felt the need to help in some way, but I am ashamed to admit I was scared to approach a stanger.  Would they think I was being offensive?  Could I even help them?  Would my efforts take me farther than I intended???  So many unknowns!!!  I'm a planner, a self-proclaimed "type A" person, so this was a big challenge for me.  I look back now and think I was just too proud to take a risk.  The house is on the other side of my neighborhood, but on my way home from picking the kids up from school I found myself driving over there.  If nothing else, I convinced myself I would use this as a teachable moment for the kids to be grateful for what they had and to bring home the point that "stuff" doesn't matter.  (We're in the process of trying to "declutter".)  The owners appeared to be outside, and the next thing I knew I was parking the car and getting out!!   Turns out they are a young couple with 4 daughters ages, 3 mo, 3 yrs, 6 yrs, and 14 yrs.  The dad had been in Flordia and the mom said only one fire alarm went off.  She barely heard it, but the dog woke her up!  She got all the kids out of the house, and called 911.  Because we live outside the city limits, we have a volunteer fire department that services this area.  Due to the logistics, I guess it takes longer to get everyone where they need to be and for over 30 minutes she helplessly watched her house, cars & belongings go up in flames.  How devastating!!! 

My heart just breaks for them.  Thankfully we were able to offer them a few neccesaties (a car seat, stroller, high chair, diaper bag, etc) to get them started.  When I delivered the items I had the girls with me and Madeline's eyes lit up when she realized there was a little girl her age that she recognized from school in this family!  It was an answer to her prayer!!!  Since Christmas Eve she has prayed for a little girl in our neighborhood that she could play with.   Their 3 yr. old and Chloe hit it off too, and in just the few short minutes we were there!  Kids are so amazing!  So bold in their actions and feelings.  They just instantly started playing, and we're looking forward to having them over for dinner soon, and to many playdates in the near future!  

I was so grateful I was able to overcome my pride in that moment and be a blessing to this sweet family.  However, the biggest surprise was the blessing I felt to show God's love to someone in need.  It was the most intoxicating, wonderful, feeling that I can barely find words to describe.  However, I KNOW I want to feel it again & again!  This is what we were created for!  I'm looking forward to more opportunities in my life when I can lay down my pride, open my eyes to look past prejudice, and be a blessing to others in need!  

Family Pictures (on the way to church????)

Well, living out in the country definitely has it's benefits.  My windows are open with the suprising "fresh" breeze coming in and all I can hear is birds chirping and the occasional dog bark.  Wonderful!  So relaxing.  Speaking of birds chirping.... our neighbors had brought the kids over about a week ago to show them a tiny nest in one of the spruce trees in their flowerbeds.  There were 5 tiny eggs inside it (literally about the size of a jelly bean!)  Anyway, they started hatching on Saturday.  We were able to see the baby bird just hours after it was born.  I think most baby things are adorable, but birds have a totally different thing goin' on.  That little baby was UGGGGGggLy! Poor little guy, well, just take a look for yourself.  (He's the sqirmy red thing in the middle. LOL!)

Last night 2 more had hatched.  Pretty cool to be able to show the kids! 

Anyway, one of the other things I love about living out here is the drive we have to "town".  LOL!  No really!  It's beautiful and peaceful.  So many things I've taken for granted living in a city. God designed such an amazing canvas of color on this earth.  We are blessed with this beautiful field of solid bluebonnets near our house.  We drive by this field at LEAST 4 times a day!  Finally on the way to church yesterday I had a huge "a ha" moment that since my mom and aunt & uncle were leaving town at the same time, that we should ask them to take our family picture there.   It was SUPER windy, but I think these amatuer photos turned out pretty cute!

And my aunt also came across this rare "albino bonnet".  What a special treat!

(Not a bad picture Eh??  Excuse me while I pat myself on the back! LOL!)

And well, it's "that" day again..... drumroll please!!!!!!!!!!  Here we go!

MEAL PLAN MONDAY!

MONDAY:  To be honest I have NO clue what we're having tonight.  I was hoping sitting down to "blog" would inspire me, but it hasn't.  Tonight is soccer practice and I have mounds of laundry to catch up on so I really don't want to squeeze in a trip to the grocery store too.  My thoughts are just consumed elsewhere I guess.  It'll probably be sandwhiches for the kids and salads for us grown ups!  I'm sure Jarred will be tickled pink... NOT!  All the more reason why it's important for me to do this... if I don't have a plan, we don't eat "real" food! Ha!

TUESDAY: Beef fajitas, spanish rice, guacamole & chips & queso

WEDNESDAY:  Chicken Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread, & Banana Splits (YUM!) 

THURSDAY: Cheese-stuffed Salisbury Steak with Sauteed Potatoes, Ranch Style Beans & Strawberry Shortcake

FRIDAY: Rotisserie Chicken, Strawberry & Spinach Salad, Grilled Corn on the Cob

Happy Monday everybody!!!

The Weekend "Review".....

I can't ever remember weekends being this consistently busy, but here we are.  I must say we were blessed with beautiful weather and lots of fun new surprises!  It started with the patio extension, and the lawn mower edition (at the rate we're accumulating those we're going to need another garage.  Who ever thought 3 wouldn't be enough, and we STILL only park ONE vehicle in the garages!! LOL!) My mom and aunt & uncle came up for a visit too.  My mom had to be out of her house this weekend because she closes on it tomorrow, and she needed a place for her cat to be until she can move into her new home in June.  So for the next few months, we have adopted Molly.  

She's a fiesty little thing, but she seems to be coming around and adjusting to the hustle and bustle of the kids and our busy lifestyle.  She's a siamese himalayian and this picture doesn't even begin to show how pretty she really is.  (I might be slightly biased based on the fact that 12 years ago she was orignially my cat, but she and my dad bonded when I came home from college for spring break and the 2 of them just couldn't be seperated.  So sweet!)  Anyway, she makes no secret about her "siamese" heritage and has quite the attitude.  The kids are desperate to "win her over" and to also prove to us they can care for an animal in hopes they can get one of their own someday.  I guess we'll have to wait and see on that.

The kids really enjoyed having the company too!  Nana got to read them a bedtime story on Friday.

 

We all laughed at the fact that the girls picked Sharks for a bedtime story.  Not exactly "sweet dreams" material with statistics of how to defend yourself and your odds of being a victim of a shark attack.  Nevertheless, they LOVED cuddling and special time with Nana!

Saturday was a big day for me as I ran my first race of the year and in the series that will eventually lead me to my goal of a half-marathon in the fall!  This one was just a 5K (3.1 miles).  I didn't run my best.  Guess a half-pound cheeseburger with an iced browine & ice cream the night before wasn't exactly the best idea! LOL!  We did have a "brush with greatness" at the race as Melissa from the Biggest Loser (red team) was there to help promote the race.  Woo Wee!  I can just feel how jealous you must be! LOL!  I'm going to run another 5K this weekend.  It's a good way to keep me accountable and to track my progress.  Anyway, here's a picture of me and my running buddies!

Way to go ladies!  We did it!

We BLEED Green!!!

So this afternoon I thought the excitement of our day was going to be the patio extension finally getting started!  They poured our concrete today!  Whoo Hoo!!!  I had no idea it involved so many people and steps.  It probably didn't help the situation that I sat at the patio door in our bedroom and watched them work the entire time, taking several pictures along the way of course.  I don't think they enjoyed that too much!  I've spared you the many pictures I took and limited it to just one.  LOL! 

The wood for the pergola should arrive on Friday.  I can't wait for this project to be done!  It's so exciting to finally make this house look and feel like OUR home! 

However, the real shocker was when I had to run "to town" this afternoon to pick up my race kit (for my 5k tomorrow) and Jarred told me to hurry home because he needed to run an "errand" too.  Little did I know that he had purchased a John Deere riding lawn mower and was anxiously awaiting bringing it home.  Normally we discuss such large purchases, but I suppose this was a reasonable exception.  As if there was a chance we would get anything else!  Afterall, our family "theme song" is Big Green Tractor by Jason Aldean.  The kids were as excited as Jarred, and I must admit I surprised myself with the amount of pleasure I took in seeing him offload it.  Actually I guess I had a "moment" and hopped on and believe it or not took it for it's inaugral ride!  (Jarred was noticably jealous, but seeing as the purchase was a total surprise to me, it was a small concession to win me over! Ha! Ha!)  Guess my man is rubbing off on me after all these years.  There's no doubt about it... in this house WE BLEED GREEN!!! (and maroon too! LOL!)

Putting a "Spring" in my Step!

Well the more "committed" I get to this running gig, the more I realize I still have so much to learn.  Today I was educated all about fitness shoes and how wrong I've been doing things for all these years.  I actually went to a running store where they assessed my stride, foot placement, etc.   Turns out you're supposed to buy running shoes considerably bigger than your "normal" shoe size to give your toes plenty of room and avoid some dreadful thing called "black toe".  Ewwww!  Anyway, case in point.... I normally wear a size 7; however, the running shoes I bought today are a size 9!!!  Um yeah!  Took me a while to get over feeling like I have clown shoes on, but honestly the lady was right!   I ended up getting Brooks running shoes with glycerine cushions.  I tested them out this evening and I felt like I could have gone for another 3 miles!  (Now if I can convince the rest of my body of that! LOL!)  I'm proud to say I've set a new personal record for distance run this week....12 miles!  However, I'm sad to say I'm going to have to go even further than that in ONE run when October rolls around.  A half marathon is just over 13 miles.  I'll get there... it's just going to take a while.

On a similar topic... the garden is starting to "spring" up.  Today we could see beans and snow peas popping up!  Yea!  I'm really excited!  I'd better get to researching new recipes to make good use of all these goodies we'll have soon!  Unfortunately the weeds are springing up too.  I'm guessing you know your yard is an "eye sore" when you get grass samples left on your front porch! LOL!!  Only a few more weeks and they'll be able to spray the hydromulch.  I'll be so thankful for the reduction of muddy foot prints in the house!

The other "news" we have is that our patio extension is finally going to happen.  They're coming tomorrow to frame and pour the concrete.  We decided on 16' x 18' and we're going to be putting a red cedar stained pergola over it.  I'll be so glad when our back porch doesn't look like the grill section of Lowe's or Home Depot. Ha!  Seriously, Jarred has 4 grills out there! (and he swears he needs them ALL! LOL!)  What I'm more excited about is that it'll be done just in time for "grilling season"!  One thing I LOVE about living in this part of Texas is the beautiful evenings.  We are blessed with the most amazing sunsets here.  Oh how I long for the lazy days of summer.  Only 6 more Mondays until school is out!  I think I can.... I think I can!!!  Geez! I'm as bad as the kids!  Thank goodness tomorrow is the weekend!

A few of my favorite things....

A Few of My "FAVORITE" Things!
(to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music)

Smell of fresh coffee
and time with my hubby
Sweeper marks in carpet

and Red stickers at Target!

Warm weather with windows open to feel the fresh breeze!
These are a few of my favorite things....
 
When the kids scream,
when they wont eat
after I slave on dinner all day....
 
I simply remember my favorite things,
and all the yucky feelings go away!!!
 
I am pleased to say I am sitting in my favorite chair with a  yummy cup of coffee to my right.  The windows are open and I see sweeper marks and a trip to Target in my near furture this afternoon!  Jarred's work demands have been fairly flexible this week so we've managed to get to spend lots of quality time together.  I am a HAPPY GIRL!!! 
 
Last night, not so much!  My "southern surprise" was a flop for everyone but Daddy.  For some reason the kids were disappointed and only picked at their dinners.  For those of you who don't know, fried chicken is a fairly high maintenance meal because it takes a long time and you have to stay close so it doesn't burn.  I was not thrilled that my efforts were less than appreciated.  Add to that the fact that I gave the kids push up pops for a fun snack yesterday and they in turn decided to use them as BODY PAINT in a contest where they were trying to see who could get the messiest, and you have a grumpy Mamma!  I mean seriously, I know kids can be kids, but what child in their right mind thinks that rubbing ice cream on their face, hair, hands, legs, and arms is a GOOD idea!  Ugh!  Fortunately they were outside and I hosed them down from head to toe; however, we still have no grass so that lead to muddy tracks in the house.  Boooo!  Guess I'll be mopping today.  Oh well, now that I look back it was kind of funny, but in the moment... not so much!
 
I went for a run again last night.  I had a great running buddy with me too!  Unfortunately I learned that running with a tummy full of fried food is not a great idea.  Whoever said waiting an hour after eating was enough time before doing physical activity obviously didn't eat fried chicken when they made that statement.  Blah!  I enjoy morning runs on a fairly empty stomach MUCH more!  The first 2 miles were brutal, but I finally hit my stride in the 3rd.  I decided not to overdue it and end on a good note.  I'm thinking of taking the day off today or doing a spin class to change it up a bit.  Who knows.  I do love the fact that I'm finally getting back into the habit of exercise on a regular basis... something that's been lacking since we moved. 
 
Well, my coffee is getting cold so I'm going to go enjoy what's left of this morning!  Hope you have a blessed day!

Southern Style Surprise!

Well because we had people over for Easter dinner, the house is clean.  Yesterday I managed to get the laundry done AND put away, and I went "to town"  to run the few errands I had left to get done this week.  Soooo, what to do, what to do???  Ironing keeps coming to the top of the list.  I HATE ironing; however, I like the way pressed clothes looks.  Who knows, maybe it'll grow on me... some day. Ha!

With all my normal "jobs" done, I'm lost as to what to do with my day.  Trust me, this is a rare occurance.  Unfortunately tt's cRaZy windy outside so that takes a lot of options for Chloe and I out. When all else fails my mind always wonders to food.  According to "the menu", we're supposed to have BBQ chip chicken tonight.  It's one of the kids FAVORITES, but not Jarred's.  Sooo, I came up with a suprise compromise.  Homemade Fried Chicken!!!  MMmmm!  I haven't made that in forever!!!  I think I'll do green beans and mashed potatoes & gravy, and Oohhh Strawberry Shortcake. I had it on the "menu" last week, but I haven't made it yet because we kept eating the strawberries.  Ha! I bought more yesterday.  I have this great recipe where you make a light shortcake and then bake a meriguine on top.  You layer it with strawberries and fresh whipped cream and (in the words of Rachel Ray)... Yum -O!!!

I am sooo excited about the warmer weather finally here to stay!!!  Even though we're supposed to have a cold front come in today, the highs tomorrow will still be in the low 70s.  I'm just a happier person this time of year!!  There is something to be said for the freedom of enjoying the outdoors and the fresh air!  Not to mention the much cuter clothes! LOL!!! 

Well I'd better get moving.  All this thinking about food is making me hungry, and I have lots to get done if I'm going to pull off this yummy "southern" dinner, do some dreaded ironing, and make the obligatory trip to the gym. 

Easter Weekend! (& Meal Plan Monday)

WOW!  We had an amazing weekend, but man was it jammed pack with stuff!  I'll try to just hit the hi-lights 

Jarred had the day off on Friday, but the kids still had school, so after he played a round of golf we headed into town and bought the first of many loads of shrubs and flowers.  Apparently THIS was the weekend for us to landscape/garden.  Friday night we got all the shrubs planted and that alone made such a difference that I LOVE our house even more now!  It's amazing how it changes the look!  We even had people driving by and stopping to watch us so hard at work. LOL!  Saturday evening we finished up by adding a few HUNDRED annuals.... no exaggeration here.  My fingers are blistered from all the digging.  The kids all "helped" too, and we had some really great family time.  We're all anxiously awaiting when the flowers start to mature a little and really start blooming! Here's a before and after look at the house.

BEFORE

AFTER

We still need to have curbing done on the left side, but at least the plants are there.  The "after" picture really doesn't do all our hard work justice... the flower beds go along the entire front of the house and for some reason my aching fingers need you all to know the extent of suffering they endured. LOL!

In addition to the flowerbeds, we finished the herb garden.

AND... we finished leveling and planting the vegetable garden! However, because it's just a a box full of dirt I didn't take any pictures of that. Ha!  I'm really looking forward to harvesting all our goodies.  We planted 2 rows of sweet corn, lots of okra, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, jalepenos, green beans, zuchinni, snow peas, spinnach, carrots, and yellow watermelon!  YUM!

Saturday morning the family all went to work with Daddy to a John Deere days event.  They had bounce houses, train rides, face painting, a coloring contest, and all kids of yummy food!  Of course all my lovely children wanted to do was shop for "souveniers"  (Mamma has raised my kiddos right! LOL!), however, as the morning went by they enjoyed all the festivities.

And of course then Sunday was Easter!  We had a wonderful day!  We started the day off making "sticky rolls" but using it as a "teachable moment".  I got the idea from a friend.  Basically you take a marshmellow, roll it in buttter & cinnamon sugar and roll it up in a crescent roll.  We told the kids the marshmellow was like Jesus, the sweet part of Easter and white to symbolize the purity of His death washing our sins clean.  The roll was like the tomb.  While the rolls bake the marshmellow melts and the "tomb" is empty.  It was fun and yummy! 

While breakfast was baking we let the kids hunt Easter eggs. 

After breakfast we headed to church.  The service was amazing as usual.  The kids had a great time too.  When we were driving home, Colby said, "Man mom, church was so great today I felt like Jesus was dancing in my heart!"  I love it!  Brings tears to my eyes.  Madeline then said she knew what it felt like to be hugged by Jesus.  She said, "It's like when you're about to do something that you don't want to do and your tummy feels funny, but then you feel all warm inside."  I am truly in awe that my kids have learned to know and FEEL God's love for them at such a young age.  What a blessing! 

 

Meal Plan MONDAY!!!

Monday:  Left overs.  (We have lots of goodies left over from our Easter feast with our life group last night!  I haven't been this excited about left overs in a long time! LOL!)

Tuesday:  BBQ Chip Chicken, Pea Salad, Sauteed Potatoes

Wednesday:  Steak, baked potatoes, salad

Thursday:  Chicken Kiev, Parmeasan noodles, roasted asparagus, salad (I'm hoping we finally get to eat this this week! LOL!)

Friday: leftovers

Well, after all this talk of food and thinking of all the yummy stuff I ate this weekend, I need to take advantage of this great weather and go for a run.  I have a 5K on Saturday... the first of many races leading up to the half marathon this fall!  Whoo Hoo!

April Fool's Food Fun!!!

So the kids are finally old enough to understand a joke, so I decided to have a little fun with them last night for dinner!  We had meatloaf "cupcakes" with mashed potato "icing."  Then I put cherry jello in their cups for a drink (so it was solid when they tried to drink) and I finished the meal off with dirt cake!  It was so fun and was definitely a night I think we'll all remember for a really long time!!  It was surprisingly tasty too!  I was really sneaky because I had made and cleaned up everything while they were at school. I even lit a candle that smelled like cake as soon as we got home so they wouldn't be able to smell the meat cooking.  I'm such a trickster! LOL!  Anyway, here are some pictures of the evening... hope you enjoy!

Here are the "cupcakes"  before they're cooked.  I kind of just made up the recipe here.

After I cooked them for 15 minutes I added the "icing" mashed potatoes to reheat them.  I piped it on for an added touch, and I even used white pepper so they couldn't see the seasoning. LOL!

You can't have a cupcake with out a "cherry" (grape tomato) on top!

Here are the kids trying to "drink" the jello juice.  These crack me up!!!  Totally priceless!

"Mama, my straw is broken.  It not working."  Chloe was NOT a fan of the jokes and didn't understand why her cupcake tasted like mashed potatoes... "Mama, I don't WANT potatoes on my cupcake."  I laughed so hard all through dinner my sides hurt.

Colby thought it was the BEST dinner ever!  He's the little prankster in our house and he just kept saying, "Mom, I can't believe you got me!" LOL!

Then it was time for dessert!!!  YUM!

So cute!  (If I do say so myself)  I had put them in the outside refridgerator so they wouldn't see them.  They all got a little concerned when I said I had to go "dig up" dessert outside!  Ha!

Can I eat this???

Even Daddy enjoyed the surprise! LOL!

I think this will definitely be a new tradition in our house.  My brain is already thinking of ideas for next year.