Let's Get This Party Started!

So it's official!!!!  Last week I registered for my first half marathon.  In case you were wondering, that is 13.1 MILES!!!  Yikes!  However, I'm more determined than ever, especially with my newly restored health, as if being a natural-born red head wasn't enough.  LOL!!!  But still, there are some days that I laugh at myself and wonder, "What in the world did I get myself into??"  The miracle wont be that I finish, the miracle is that I had the courage to start. Can I get an AMEN????   My goal is to run the whole thing and I'd like to finish under 2 & 1/2 hours, but as long as I cross that finish line I'll be proud.  Anything else is icing on the cake!

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the

mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give

up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the

mind is not tired."

I found this quote on a running website.  It's SO true!  After only about 4 months I've learned that running is about 20 % physical effort and 80% mental!  However, there should be an exclusion to this statement.  I think, actually I KNOW, there comes a time when you HAVE to listen to your body.  I speak from first-hand experience here.  I used to think I was weak when I'd get tired after a single mile -- little did I know I had 2 severe sinus infections brewing and my breathing was being severly compromised.  Or heaven forbid the time I was running and didn't wait long enough after I ate to run and ended up getting sick.  I pushed through that too - I just kept telling myself, "Just keep running!!!  It happens all the time on Biggest Loser." LOL!!!  Needless to say it takes a LOT for me to throw in the towel.   

So there you have it, running will inevitably be my LIFE for the next 8 & 1/2  weeks!  I'm not a natural athlete, never have been,  so I'm earning EVERY step out there!  PLEASE feel free to pass on any tips and tricks!

I imagine at some point I should alter my diet to maximize my energy level, running endurance, etc., but until then I'm going to stick to fixing what I know and what my family likes -- yummy southern food!!  And of course I know it's not Monday, but here you have it, Meal Plan Monday (on Tuesday!).

MEAL PLAN MONDAY!

MONDAY: Pan-Seared Steak, Baked Potato, Garden Salad

TUESDAY: Breakfast for Dinner (guess who's out-of-town???)- Pancakes, Bacon & Eggs

WEDNESDAY: Tacos, Marshmellow Orange-Pineapple Salad

THURSDAY: Bacon-Wrapped Maple Pork Loin, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Butter, Southwest Corn

FRIDAY: Grilled Hamburgers & Hot Dogs, Fried Pickles, Home-grown Yellow Watermelon

Have a blessed week!

Happy Trails! 

My Diamond in the Rough

I think I was 15 the first time I ever heard this phrase, "diamond in the rough". I was watching the movie Aladdin. I have an uncanny abilility to remember details with alarming accuracy -- just ask my husband! LOL! It's not one of those phrases that just rolls into conversation on a regular basis, so in case you're not familiar with it, it means "a valuable find in an unexpected location".


Last weekend we took the kids to Primetime again to celebrate the end of a great summer.  We had a great time as always, but I had an unexpected surprise and an extra special memory I'll always treasure on this particular day.  You see, Colby, our oldest, is about to turn 8... which in today's world translates to "pre teen".  Technically you'd think it'd be impossible for that to be true, but it seems kids are doing everything faster these days.  And the harder I try to hit the brakes, the more out-of-control and out of my "comfort zone" I feel.  So, if I can't stop time, the only thing left to do is ride "shot gun" to his life and take deep breaths! LOL!

Now when I say "pre teen" I just mean that MY "cool factor" is quickly fading.  Yes, on a rare occasion he'll hold my hand or climb in my lap, but for the most part... my baby boy is turning into a young man.  There are so many precious praises that come along with watching him grow up, but as I've mentioned before, the one I'm not enjoying so much is letting go.  Second to that is the changing role that I'm having to play in his life.  I've quickly learned that this stage is not so much about being a buddy or friend but more like parole officer.  The other truth I've come across is the more I think on HIS level, the easier it is for me to understand him.  It's SO much less frustrating and hey, it's actually pretty fun every once in a while!  I'd forgotten how fun being almost 8 can be!  LOL!!  However, nauturally we've butt heads a few times, and this past week was worse than most.  Nothing terrible of course, it's just "that issue" of when I ask for something, instead of doing it, he usually feels the need to comment and/or give his opinion of who or what should be done instead.  I try to be thankful he feels comfortable enough to voice his "opinion", but seriously.... enough is enough!  Ugh!  Needless to say we'd been a little on the "outs" as this momma doesn't tolerate attitude or unwanted commentary well, and various forms of restrictions had followed. 

Anyway, so while we were at Primetime he won a bunch of tickets playing on the arcade games.  Due to his new found "independence" he cashed them in on his own and was quite secretive about what he had purchased.  (Jarred & I were occupied helping the girls "shop" with their tickets. LOL!) Honestly I wasn't concerned.... but I was intrigued.  This was one of those times I chose to respect his privacy... afterall the stakes were pretty low.  When we got home he finally asked me, "Mom, aren't you going to MAKE me tell you what I got with my tickets???"  I told him I would love to know, but he spent the tickets he earned and if he wanted me to know I was going to wait for him to tell me. 

And there it was... outstretched in his small hand, my diamond in the rough - literally!  He had bought me a "diamond" ring that was practically identical to my real wedding ring.  He came, put his arm around me and said, "Now you have one from Daddy and one from me!"  I was speechless!  This coming from a kid that loves and practically covets every plastic trinket, sticker, and bouncy ball he's ever owned!  He'd spent his whole "earnings" on something for me!  And after a week where we'd done everything BUT get along.  It brought tears to my eyes because I knew the sacrifice he'd made in his heart.  I was so thankful he made me laugh when he asked,  "So, which one is your favorite?  Mine or Daddy's?  The one I got you is bigger!"  LOL!  

He was so proud and so was I.  I am so thankful he knows that even though I may not always agree with him, allow him to do whatever his heart desires, and even punish him sometimes ... I'll ALWAYS love him!  He has asked me every day ever since which ring I'm going to wear.  It's so cute! 

The formation of a diamond requires very specific conditions, but the result is a precious gem, full of color, priceless value, and one of the strongest materials known to man.  In fact the word diamond comes from the Greek word "adámas", meaning unbreakable.   (In case you were wondering... No, I didn't just pull that off the top of my head - I heart Google! LOL!)   Much like the diamond, my relationship with Colby requires specific conditions - unconditional love and forgiveness being the forefront of that for BOTH of us, but the result has been a precious gem, full of color.  It's priceless!!!  And we have a bond that is absolutely unbreakable!  I look forward to polishing our relationship daily, and seeing it shine brighter and brighter as the years go by!

I'm Alive & Well!!!

"And today you know that's good enough for me

Breathing in and out's a blessing, can't you see?

Today's the first day of the rest of my life

Now I'm alive and well

Yeah, I'm alive and well"

Oh how I wish I knew how to add music to my blog.  I love this Kenny Chesney song.  It reminds me that I have so much to be thankful for and that life really can be about the simple things!  You see, I've been feeling pretty puny for a while now.  Acutally it's been months since I felt "good", but I just figured I was still adjusting and settling into our new life and our new home.  I'm sure you can relate when I say that sometimes life has a way of getting out of hand, and for the past several  months I've felt like I'm doing my best just to barely hang on for the ride.  I've been overcome with fatigue, dizziness, nasuea, and various other "symptoms" that finally progressed to the point that I knew it was well past time to get some medical consult.  After a week of appointments, blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds, etc. turns out I have severe sinus infections on boths sides that have been "brewing" for a LONG time.  To make a long story short I had to get 2 steroid shots AND be put on antibiotics for a considerable amount of time, as well as 2 other prescriptions to help maintain these symptoms.  My doctor is hoping he can have me back at 100% in the next 3 weeks, but said it could take as long as 6 MONTHS.  Not exactly what I wanted to hear -- especially since I registered for my half marathon this week (and happens to be 2 months away), but nevertheless, after just 24 hours I feel like a whole new person!  Honestly I had forgotten what it feels like to be healthy and to have energy!!!  To just be able to breathe!  What a blessing that I've taken for granted for far too long.  Seriously, I want to write my doctor a thank you note for helping me feel better! 
 
I'M ALIVE and WELL!!!!
 
I have so many fun things to catch you up on ... we've had an exciting week with school starting, summer ending, and fall just around the corner.  The only problem is I have so much energy that I have a hard time sitting still to blog about it all! LOL!

Sweeper OR Keeper: Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

I've decided to start a new "segment" to my blog entitled "Sweeper or Keeper".  The concept is that whenever we try out a new recipe it will be judged by the family and either swept into the garbage "sweeper" or kept on file for future use "keeper".  I know, I'm so witty.  LOL!  The first defendent recipe on "trial" was Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas.  I wont hold you in suspense - it was a unanimous vote for KEEPER!  But honestly can you really go wrong with heavy cream, butter, cheese, tortillas & chicken??? No, I think not!  LOL!  I had a feeling it'd be a keeper so I took the liberty of posting the recipe below and documenting the process with a few pictures!

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken

2 cups Chicken Broth
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
12 whole Corn Tortillas
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ cups Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
2-½ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation:

(You can use canned chicken, cook your own, or do what I did and take a little store bought help!  So much easier and since you don't use the whole chicken, you can use the leftovers for LOTS of other things.  I used my extra chicken to make chicken quesadillas & chicken salad for lunch.)

Okay, now on to the recipe...

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.

(I skipped this step.  I just microwaved the tortillas for about 30 seconds - or until they were soft.  It saved me an extra dish AND extra calories!!!)

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.  YUM!

This dish is SO good, and surprisingly even better leftover!!! Don't worry about it being too spicy either, even with the jalepeno the kids gobbled it up and asked for it again the next day!  Just be sure to clean out the seeds and veins of the jalepeno to avoid getting it too spicy.

A Few New Favorites!!!

Yes oh Yes!!!  Despite the heat, our zucchini is STILL producing!  Crazy right?!?!  Although I've gotten used to having my "daily dose" of zucchini, we are well over-due for something new!  A friend of mine had mentioned that she used hers to make chocolate cake with.  I thought it sounded a little odd at first, but this versatile squash has yet to let me down so I "googled" and found the recipe with the most consistent reviews and highest ratings.  I settled on one (it was rated 5 of 5 stars, with over 1000 positive reviews!) and since I had all the ingredients on hand, I whipped it up this afternoon.  The kids have all given it two HUGE thumbs up, and honestly I've caught all of them sneaking pieces thoughout the day!  (if they only knew they were eating veggies too! Ha!) 

So here you have it, one of my newest favorite recipes...

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 & 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup "sour milk" - add 2 tsp. lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk and let sit for 10 minutes (can substitute plain or vanilla yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 & 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (you're going to need at least 2 "regular" size or 1 medium-large, also don't drain the zucchini - this helps the cake stay moist)

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Grease & flour a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Cream together butter, oil, and sugar. 

Add eggs one at a time, stirring inbetween.

Add sour milk & vanilla.  Blend well.

In a seperate bowl sift flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, & cocoa. 

Add flour mixture to butter mixture.  Stir in zucchini. 

Spread batter into prepared pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 45 minutes.

**Can be stored in a freezer for up to 6 months!

My own personal review of this YUM!  However, the next time I might try it without the cloves.  I saw that one review used nutmeg instead.  Hmmm, I'll think on that one.  Either way, it's moist like a brownie and you get about 1/3 serving of vegetables with every piece!  Cool huh!?!  Bet your veggies never tasted this good!  LOL!

I thought I'd share some other new favorites that I've come up with this summer.  With grilled chicken and these next two recipes, this is my "go to" meal when I want something on the lighter side or dinner super fast!  It's the best of both worlds and a regular on the "meal rotation" in our house.

Garlic Butter Rice Pilaf

I've never been a huge fan of things that come out of a box.  But you can definitely jazz this dish up with adding 2 simple ingredients, butter & fresh garlic!!!

This "recipe" is fairly simple.  In your pan melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1 large chopped clove of garlic.  Heat through (about 2 minutes), then add the water, seasoning packet, etc. and follow the box directions!  Amazing the difference adding a little something extra gives this dish!  It's my kids' favorite rice, and they appropriately call it "yummy rice". LOL!

Another one of my favorite quick sides --- Garlic Snow Peas!!!!  (I guess it's pretty obvious I kinda like garlic!  LOL!)  Hey, I like to carry a "theme" though throughout dinner!  I imagine someone on a cooking show would say something like, "it's all about layering and building complex flavors"  Whatever... I like to maximize my grocery purchases! LOL! 

Garlic Snow Peas

You gotta love a recipe that uses the microwave, is only a handful of ingredients, AND can be ready under 5 minutes.

Microwave the snow peas according to package directions (4-5 minutes).

In a skillet over medium-high heat toast about 1/4 cup nuts of your choice (I prefer sliced almonds or pecans) for about 2-3 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 large clove of chopped garlic.  Toss and heat through - about more 2 minutes.  By this time your peas should be nuked.  Cut a small hole in the corner, drain off any water, and then add the peas to the skillet.  Salt & pepper (I prefer kosher salt).  Toss to combine and coat, and enjoy!  My kids love "popping" the peas out of the shells. 

Hope you enjoy these new favorites!  I know we do!  I'm looking forward to adding more favorites to our collection soon... as a matter of fact, I was busy looking for new recipes this afternoon!

And speaking of recipes.... here's what we're having this week!  Whoo Hoo, I'm makin' it happen - yes, it's Meal Plan Monday on Monday!!!!  LOL!

MONDAY:  Grilled Chicken, Garlic Butter Rice Pilaf, Garlic Snow Peas & Chocolate Zucchini Cake

TUESDAY:  Make-Your-Own Pizza Night, Garden Salad, Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Chip Cookies

WEDNESDAY: Chicken Enchiladas (one of the new recipes I found today!) & Spanish Rice   

THURSDAY: probably eating out or leftovers... it's "Meet the Teacher" night.   

FRIDAY: Something grilled... I know, pretty specific right! LOL!  Jarred is on vacation this Thursday & Friday so I'm sure he'll be firin' up the pit plenty!

Have a BLESSED week friends!

The Family Fun Box!!

Last summer we took the kids to family camp.  Actually it's something we've done with the kids for the past 3 years.  It's such a great way to reinforce methods of spending intentional time with your kids and passing on your faith and God's love for them too!  It's amazing!  Last year one of the acitivites we did was to create a family fun box.  After we "decorated" it, we filled it with strips of paper that we all wrote fun things to do as a family on.  The concept was that when you have time to spend as a family you pull something out.  So fun and yet so simple!!  The great surprise is that since everyone contributed to the box, you never know what you're going to get!

Well, we've been pretty bad about taking advantage of it so we decided to make the most of the last few weeks of our summer and do as many as possible.  It's been a BLAST!!  We've been VERY busy, but the box is almost empty so the kids are busy thinking of new things to add!  Here's a peek at what we've been up to the past few days!

SWIMMING

The kids were in swimming lessons the past week so we've been at the pool EVERY day for over a week!  They love it, and now that they are all much better swimmers I can finally relax and enjoy some fun in the sun too!  This picture is of Chloe diving for rings in 4 foot water!  She's absolutely FEARLESS!  She gets about 4 rings at a time!  She can almost "swim", but right now it's more of a treading water/doggy paddle.  Still, it's leaps and bounds better than the straight sinking she did just a few short weeks ago when she jumped in the lap pool without a floatie on.

WATER BALLOON FIGHTS

 I wish I had pictures of the kids doing the balloon fights (but I didn't want to risk getting my phone & camera wet... I was a popular "target"! LOL!).  It has defnitely been a summer hi-light for us!  We've had about 4 "balloon battles", and almost every time the whole street gets in on it.  We may live out in the country, but thankfully we still live close enough to others to have neighbors!  And oh my have we been blessed to live on a fun street filled with young families!  These long summer nights have finally given us the opportunity to meet most of them.

MAKING SMORES

Once again we had lots of neighbor kids over!  I'm beginning to think we're the only parents that let our kids have sugar! LOL!

YUM!

HAVING A PARTY!

Well when Daddy takes vacation, a hot Thursday night in August is a good enough reason to set off fireworks and have a little party!  I don't think this is really what the kids had in mind when they put this suggestion in, but on such short notice it worked!   Fireworks make any ol' night feel like a party!!! (and they got to stay up really late and play with friends...riding their bikes in the dark!)

GO ON A FAMILY BIKE RIDE

This one has been tricky because neither Jarred nor I had bikes - that was until yesterday!  We decided to take some of our garage sale money and buy mountain bikes.  The kids love to ride, and especially way out here where everyone lives on at least an acre - you need a bike to get around!  We all went out and made it a little over 2 miles!  Even Chloe!  Can't wait to do it again!   I see this becoming a regular thing pretty quick!

GO BOWLING

Yesterday afternoon we loaded up the family and headed to PrimeTime.  It's like the mecca of family fun... putt putt, bowling, arcade, bumper cars, go karts, NASCAR simulators, laser tag, you name it!!!

Look at that form!  This kid can bowl!

Chloe wanted to do it "all by herself"!!!  LOL!  They even had the ramps that little kids can use, but she wasn't having it!  She's definitely our little "Miss Independent"!

Our total after 2 games.  I will pathetially admit I was the biggest loser!  Bowling is NOT my thing, but it's a small sacrifice to make in the name of family fun!  I did however reach a new personal best... I shattered my previous record of 21 with a whopping 50 in my first game!!!  Whoo Hoo!  (I know, in case you're wondering, YES, that was my actual score after all 10 frames!!! LOL!)  I was however once again humbled back to a measly 35 on game 2 AND I broke a nail! Ugh!

PLAY GAMES

After bowling we decided to venture into the arcade!  Can you say money pit????  Those games can get so addictive, especially when you're competitive like we are!  LOL!  But it was fun and bonus, now we have about 25 more tiny plastic "treasures" scattered all over the house!  LOL!

Trying to get the bonus tickets!

Showing off all their "loot"!  LOL!

HAVE A FAMILY CAMPOUT/SLUMBER PARTY

  I had to combine these two "suggestions" because we were running out of days.  We were going to try to take the kids out to the Abilene State Park to go camping, but with the high temperatures being in the 100's with no end in sight we decided to cut our losses and have a backyard campout.  In my opinion it was just as much fun!

SUCCESS!!!

  This tent has all kinds of fun surprises, a "doggy door" (which the kids use as their own secret door), and even a closet!!!  Whoo Hoo!

All the "comforts" of home!  Not sure they've ever been allowed to play video games before bed, but it was a special night!

Chloe was perfectly content to play with her Zhu Zhu pet and a flashlight.  She was obsessed with all the  shadows!

 

Well, that's about all we could squeeze into 3 days and Jarred is leaving town this afternoon.  We have done a few other activites from the box in the past few months: "make your own pizza night", "banana split party", "getting ice cream", "going to the park", "having a picnic", "go fishing", "family movie night", "family game night", etc.  The possibilites are endless!!  I'm so looking forward to filling the box back up!  All this time as a family has made me crave doing things together that much more!  I feel so blessed!  However, these past few days have worn me out.  I'm thinking I'm going to add "take a family nap" in the box! LOL!

My FAVORITE Cookie!!!

I can't believe I'm doing this - sharing something so yummy and close to my heart.  You should consider yourself priviledged that I'm disclosing such a precious family "secret".  LOL!  I can guarantee that if "Mama K's Bakery" ever makes it into existence - expect to find these on the menu.  These cookies remind me of summers spent baking in the kitchen with my granny when I was a little girl. And they remind me of my dad - they were his favorite too (we shared a love of food!).

Before I give you the recipe, I feel like I need to explain WHY this is the perfect cookie.  It's sweet but buttery, crunchy and yet still chewy -- I could go on & on... it's just well.. PERFECT!  And I'm not the only one who thinks so... I gave my nephew this recipe to enter in his 4-H competition and he won 1st place!  How 'bout THEM cookies!?!?  LOL! 

Okay, okay... here you go. I'll quit stalling.

Orange Gumdrop Candy Cookies

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 pound orange sliced candy (diced & mixed with 1/2 cup flour)

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup nuts (chopped)

1/2 cup oats

Preheat oven to 325.

Preparing the gumdrops & nuts!

Chloe is an expert "gumdrop tosser". LOL! 

Cream sugar and shortening until light fluffy. 

Beat in eggs 1 at a time. 

Sift flour, soda, powder & salt.  Blend into creamed mixture.

Fold in candy, coconut, nuts & oatmeal until mixed well.

Roll into 1" balls.  Place on greased cookie sheet and press down with the tines of a fork. 

Bake for about 12-13 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

I like to store these cookies in the freezer in a plastic bag or container.  It helps maintain the crispy & chewy textures.  Caution: Thaw slightly before eating, because the gumdrops may chip your teeth!

Beautiful Boring!

Life has been anything BUT boring for me lately!  My lack of frequency in posting has been a direct result of that.  It all started this past weekend when we decided to have a garage sale.  Actually the neighborhood was sponsoring it so the timing was perfect - it didn't cost us a penny, and we made a cool $1,000 dollars!!!  Um yeah!  I'll never question the value of doing a garage sale again!  We didn't even have any "big ticket" items.  We sold my son's electric gator for $50, and a John Deere wagon for $50, and the rest of the stuff was toys, books, clothes, and household items we didn't need or use anymore!  Crazy right!  We sold almost everything - except 3 small boxes of miscellaneous stuff that we'll take to goodwill.  We even sold vegetables from our garden and one of my friend's made chocolate chip cookies.  We had a blast!  So much fun visiting with people, cleaning out the house, and making money!  I'm definitely going to keep that in mind for next year.  The neighborhood does it every summer!

Needless to say with the heat and being out in the garage we were in desperate need of cooling off Saturday afternoon so we decided to take the kids to the pool.  We had the best time ever!  The kids have really gotten independent in their swimming - except they still want one of us in the water when they go down the slides or diving boards - just in case!  The slides are not that bad since the water there is just  5 & 1/2 feet, so I can stand on my tippy toes if I need a break from treading water - the diving pool is a totally different story though.  The country club has 3 different pools - a youth pool that's only 18 inches, a lap pool that goes from 3 ft and then down to 6 foot in the middle and back up to 3 foot, and the diving pool is a 12 ft circular pool.  This was the first time we ventured over to the diving pool.  Chloe went first - she's so fearless!  Colby was next, and finally Madeline gave in.  She reminds me so much of myself at her age - so shy and timid.  After an HOUR, yes HOUR, of treading water "catching kids", Momma had all I could handle and we called it quits.  I wish I could print out the pictures I have in my head of seeing the HUGE grins on the kids faces as they jumped to me.  Priceless!  We ate dinner at the pool and headed home to relax after a long day.  I remember thinking my legs felt like jell-o. 

We got home, got the kids ice cream and I went in to get cleaned up.  The next thing I know, Colby comes running in screaming that Madeline is crying because she got a bite.  After we calm her down, she tells us it was from a black spider.  Jarred quickly pulled up the pictures of the black widows and other spiders we've taught the kids about on the internet and she points to the black widow.  We went back out to where she was sitting and sure enough there was a black widow in her web right by where she was.  UGH!  My heart broke.  By this time Madeline's knee had turned bright red and was swollen.  My next door neighbors are both nurses and we're having a party (of which Jarred and I were getting ready to go to) where a lot of doctors and other medical professionals were at.  I sent her a text and the next thing I know there is about 6 people standing with us in my driveway "assessing" Madeline.  Talk about a blessing!!!  They all decided we should take her to the emergency room.  Keep in mind Jarred and I had been up since 5:30 am, had a garage sale all day, and gone swimming for 2 hours - can you say EXHAUSTED!?!?!?  Amazing though how when one of your babies is in trouble you get an extraordinary amount of energy! 

Daddy & Madeline passing the time in the ER with a little "electronic entertainment".  Madeline was a little dazed from the pain medication.

For those of you who have black widows in your area - just in case you want to know - here's what you look for:

• 
  
  redness, and a "pusle-sating" at the bite site
• 
  
  stomach cramps or vomitting & diarreah
• 
  
  trouble breathing
• 
  
  fever

We'll never be 100% sure what bit Madeline because we didn't see it.  She only experienced the redness & swelling, but they were able to give her antibiotics within 30 minutes of the bite so that may have helped the symptoms from progressing.  Madeline also said the spider was smaller so I'm not sure if it was fully mature and if that had any impact on how much venom it was able to inject - the doctors thought it might have been a brown recluse from her description and bite presentation too.  She had an allergic reaction to whatever it was because her whole leg flared up in a rash as well.  She's doing much better now, and we got home a little after 1 am - they admitted her at 9 pm.  She's on antibiotics for the next 10 days to help prevent further infection too.  Madeline was so brave the whole time.  She  did everything they asked of her and took all the medicines - even the nasty ones - without complaining.  She completely surprised me too when she said, "Mommy, I'm not even mad at God for making spiders either, because they eat other nasty bugs."  So cute!

The absolute sweetest thing was Colby's concern during the whole ordeal.  Every time we'd call the house for an update (Jarred's mom & Darryl were thankfully visiting us this past weekend so they stayed home with Colby & Chloe), Colby would answer the phone.  He was so cute.  He'd say things like, "Ok, and be careful - especially if you get stuck in traffic."  LOL!  Sweet boy!  I think we saw one other car the whole way to the hospital and back - Abilene is far from a "metroplex"! LOL!  But the most priceless thing was when we finally got home and found him asleep on the couch holding Madeline's blanket and pjs.  He told Jarred's mom he wanted to wait up for us.  Precious!  Brought tears to my eyes!  Those two are so close!!!  I LOVE IT!!   All Madeline wanted to do was hug Colby and tell him all about her hospital visit.  Times like these make every hard moment surviving that difficult toddler/infant stage when they were younger.  18 months apart CAN be a beautiful thing!  They are the best of friends!

Sunday we were all exhausted and Jarred left for a meeting for the week.  The girls & I napped and Colby went and played with the neighbor boys.  It was beautifully boring!  Yesterday - not so much!  I had the worst migraine of my life!!!!  I've had a handful in the past 10 years, but none have ever been this bad.  At one point I was holding the phone considering calling 911.  Seriously ... it was THAT bad!  But then I was wondering what would happen to the kids and set the phone back down.  I kept thinking of friends to come and sit with the kids, but just thinking of the logistics of all that made it worse.  I think it's just cruel that you can have a headache so painful you can't see straight and then throw up too.  It's just not fair!  Jarred happened to call and check in and all I could do was cry and hand the phone to the kids.  I guess he gave them a "pep talk" because they left me alone most of the day/night.  Thankfully we've raised the kids to be "independent"  (age appropriately of course! LOL!).  I'm pretty sure I drifted in and out of consciousness and when it finally subsided about 10:15 last night I got up to find that the kids were all in their beds sleeping, and they had made themselves peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for dinner right there on the table.  I suppose the sweet things were trying to save me dishes as plates and napkins were apparently "optional"!  I cleaned up only what was necessary - took more aleve and went back to bed.  I woke up this morning feeling ok - still had a headache, but it was managable.  This afternoon I feel fantastic!  It's amazing how good "normal" feels after you've felt that bad!  I'm praying the rest of our week is just plain ol' beautifully boring!!!  

Growin' Like Weeds!

It's been a while since I've posted about the kids - well pictures anyway.  I'm amazed at all the ways they find to entertain themselves out here.  I'd almost be bold enough to say my kids could have just as much fun playing with a solo cup in our backyard than with a $100 toy (which is yet another reason why we had a garage sale this weekend!).  Thank and praise the Lord for active imaginations!!!!

Recently they've taken up an interest in geology.  Now I actually took geology in college and I can assure you they get none of their interest in it from me... it was hands down the most boring class of my college career, but I suppose my interests at that time in my life were FAR from studying rocks. LOL!  Anyway, they all spend HOURS scouring the yard for rocks (aka "precious jewels") and then the real fun starts!!!

Finding "lost diamonds and hidden treasures"!

Cracking it open to reveal all the layers inside!

Even the girls get in on the fun... thankfully we have enough safety goggles to go around - and so far no one has smashed a finger!

SO CUTE!

  I can't tell you how many "diamonds" they've given me.  I like to tell them that we should pretend to be pirates and hide or bury them outside.  (That way I don't end up with a thousand crushed rocks in our house! LOL!)   And they get to work on their arts & craft and directional skills when they draw "treasure maps"!

Looking at these pictures and thinking back on these fun memories yet again reminds me of how fast the kids are growing up.  Long gone are the sleepless nights of nursing newborns - they've since been replaced by late nights filled with endless giggling and pillow fights of sleepovers.  I find myself having to work a little harder as a parent every day - "Praise Baby" or "Baby Einstein" dvds no longer hold their attention - now I am challenged with making up games, treasure hunts, and crafts.  I wouldn't change the quality time I spend with them for ANYTHING!  It truly is priceless - but being a parent is WORK!!!  I feel my kids are a reflection of what Jarred & I invest in them, with a little God given grace thrown in.   

Something else that is a lot of work is a garden!!!  Man oh Man has it taken on a life of it's own!  But oh the rewards are so tasty!

Back

  Front

(the corn rows have been replaced and all my new seedlings are thriving - well, except the carrots.  Guess I planted them too late, too early or too deep.  Oh well!)

Whoa baby!!!  Look at those watermelons!

We were able to successfully grow two melons.  They're the size of a small bowling ball right now.   They're more round than oval - not really sure why that is???  Hmmm.  Anyway, the kids are SO excited and we check on them every day!

And just so we can feed the garden a little better next year, we've started composting!!!  Pretty cool huh!?!?

Yeah, I only used a small portion of that gianormous zuchinni.  Obviously I took this picture a while back! LOL!  It's amazing how much we can reduce our trash when we reuse things in a new way and recycle!!! 

And that reminds me, I need to go and pick the garden later today - wonder what yummy surprises are waiting for me!   I know there will be lots of okra & green beans - I could see them when I was watering last night.  I actually sold all the stuff I picked this weekend at the garage sale so I'm looking forward to some home-grown veggies.  I was surprised, we sold out of zuchinni & okra in less than an hour!  (Note to self: Maybe I should get that farmer's market thing a try afterall!)  I will however be wearing my rubber boots, rubber gloves and a long-sleeved shirt when picking the garden from now on - especially after this weekend!  But I'll post more about that later.  And oh... it's Monday... yes friends, it's your favorite time & mine! Put your hands in the air for MEAL PLAN MONDAY!!!! 

MEAL PLAN MONDAY

Monday:  Breakfast for dinner (Jarred is out of town this week, so following tradition, we always do this at least once while he's gone).  Blueberry Muffins, Pigs in the Blanket, Scrambled Eggs & Cheese, and Yellow Watermelon

Tuesday:  Spaghetti, Garden Green Beans, Garlic Bread, Cheese Sticks

Wednesday: Taco Nachos

Thursday: Fried Chicken Strips, Macaroni & Cheese, Okra

Friday: DADDY'S HOME!!!  Grilled Burgers, Homemade Onion Rings, Stuffed Jalepenos, something chocolate!