MrsJLW's Soundings from the Sandbar

Further Update

2012-01-21T13:44:00.002-05:00

Our Bible Bowl teams placed 5th and 4th! Some pretty fast triggers on the speed round did us in - almost 100% on multiple choice. Way to represent, Trek!

Scared the bejeebers out of Ty with my mask on. He was expecting me to come over and I was there about 30 minutes before he woke (even went in and touched him to check for fever and he never moved). I heard him stirring and pulled my mask up before I went in. His eyes got huge and he was so startled! I felt so badly!

Hopefully, I was able to keep the germs away. His Brown-Eyed Girl took all his laundry and decontaminated everything! He says he's feeling better today but staying home.

My Kelly is home today. =)

Update

2012-01-20T14:53:00.003-05:00

Things I love about cleaning the shower: The tiles are orderly and I can keep track of where I am, row by row.

Things I hate about cleaning the shower: Everything else.

More Flylady and Clean Team tips I've retained:

Have all your tools with you. You save time when you're not constantly leaving the project to go get something you need to do the job.

Wear an apron. This allows you to gather small items that don't belong and return them to their proper place LATER, so you don't stop the project you're on. I'm all about stopping distractions!

My son is sick and I'm off to make chicken broth and get him to drink some juice. Between me and his Brown-Eyed Girl, he should be well soon. I thought it would be hard to leave his care in someone else's hands, but I felt such peace knowing she was on her way over there. She loves him, too, and I knew he would be all right. She did everything I would have done - I'm so glad we're on the same team!

I'll be bringing mask and gloves. ;-) Glenna says it will confuse him, but I have a Bible Bowl team competing tomorrow and I can't afford to get sick!

Timer says get back to work!

Friday!

2012-01-20T12:53:00.001-05:00

I am in super conquer mode!

I finally have some energy. The one tip I've kept from Flylady is to set my timer for 15 minutes and get to work! Did you know that except for the shower and floor, I cleaned my entire bathroom in 15 minutes? Here I kept thinking of it as this overwhelming project, so I would put it off and put it off.

The other tip? Wear gloves. I bought a box of latex gloves at Costco and now no matter how unpleasant the chore, it's no big deal to tackle it. Actually, my work at the dentist office taught me that.

Timer is done, time to move on! Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I have photos and stories to tell.

Coming soon!

The One Where I Air Our Dirty Laundry

2012-01-06T06:02:00.001-05:00

The entire month of December, I worked every day at the dentist office. I also worked longer hours because Nancy Pants headed to Georgia early. (Can't blame the gal. She'd earned it!) The office is open on Fridays in December, so we can take the entire last week off.

I saw it as an opportunity to grab shifts at Space Mountain. They have a new requirement for seasonal cast members, like me. We now have to work at least 150 hours per year to keep our seasonal status. Most of my shifts were during the day, with one shift at night.

Needless to say, chores fell behind. Himself was involved in a project and the girls. . . well. . . the girls helped when I left a list. Let's just say they are taking advantage of the fact that they're on a break!

On New Year's Eve Day, I was knee deep in laundry and it just kept coming. I want you to take note of the basket that somehow made itself to the front of the laundry line.

How did Kelly word it? It's a . . . oh yeah . .. PRIORITY LOAD.

I'm already thinking of ways to use this terminology in the future.

Le Chef

2012-01-05T06:17:00.001-05:00

Glenna's gift to us this year was to make food on Christmas Day!

I told her we would be her sous chefs and do any chopping she needed, plus cleanup.She got up at 6:30 in the morning to start the Burgundy mushrooms (YUM).

She then proceeded to make cinnamon rolls and cheese grits for breakfast. What a champ! Everything smelled so yummy the entire day.

Then, I walked into the kitchen and found this:

And that was only breakfast.

I'm going to have to train that girl on how to clean as she goes. However; it was worth it! All recipes were from The Pioneer Woman's cook book, everyone ate a great meal, and cleanup wasn't that hard.

Thanks for the gift, Glen!

That Crazy, Radical Thing We Did

2012-01-04T05:54:00.002-05:00

A while back I had hinted that we did something crazy and radical, but the dogs were cool with it. Well, here it is!

I saw this idea on Pinterest, of course, where they built a kennel under the stairs of their home. We have an under-stairs closet that was full of BAGS (I'm so embarrassed at how many I had) and family photos. I cleaned out the closet and then Himself cut the hole.

Unfortunately, our alarm is plugged there and we can't move it. Still, it almost looks like a porch light, doesn't it?

The closet has a built in shelf when the door is opened. I was able to put their food, meds and dog stuff, plus their cleaning supplies all on the shelf. It's so great to have it all in one place instead of scattered all over the kitchen!

When we want them in, we put a child's safety gate over the hole and close the closet door. They have plenty of light, food, and water. Eventually, Himself will build a screen to place over the hole. In the future, I see a great play space/house for grandchildren, or for the occasional cutie-pie who comes to play.

It's much roomier than the kennels we were using. By the way; does anyone need a dog kennel or two? I have one large and one smallish. Free!

Waiting for a resident critter.

Here comes one now:

It's a little messy. Glenna needs to do a cleaning and straightening.

They love this little rug, half in and half out of their den. Doesn't Missy look so regal there?

There you go: something actually done from Pinterest instead of just dreamed about! We need a sign to hang over the hole.

Hole in the Wall Gang

Den Sweet Den

Closet Canines

Any ideas?

I Spy

2012-01-03T05:41:00.002-05:00

I keep my iPod in my pocket at all times. Lately, I've learned to keep it on the Camera option.

One never knows when I'll find something interesting to photograph. It could be while I'm walking in a store,

Or it could be while I'm driving down the street.

I had just left the previously mentioned cute little import store, when I spotted him. Now, I want to practice safe driving, so I grabbed my iPod and kept my eyes on the road and my hand on the steering wheel while taking a rapid series of photos, hoping to capture him. I can do that with the iPod!

Here he's barely seen, just to the left of that road reflector.

Got him!

Got him again!

I told my family that Santa rides a bmx bike. Now I have proof!

Why Shopping was Difficult

2012-01-02T05:24:00.002-05:00

I just about threw in the towel this year when it came to Christmas shopping. I had an idea to go to this cute import store and make up baskets for everyone with goodies and novelties.

Ever see this?

You're reading that correctly: chocolate bacon. I think Ty would eat it. He's the guy who wants meat salad - no greens, just meat - so this may have some appeal!

I thought this was kind of cute:

I never knew he had spares! I just thought he glowed and glowed. Learn something new every day.

I wonder who I was thinking of when I spotted this item?

Yes. You're correct. That would be me.

Then things began to get a little creepier:

Ack!

Ugh!

Eeeewwwww!!!

Of course, my dad would have laughed and laughed if I had sent him this stuff. Problem is, he has diabetes, and everyone knows yellow snow and reindeer pies are not good for his blood sugar.

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T13:07:00.003-05:00

Ty: Jessie wants sparklers, so she can run down the driveway with them. I told her not without safety goggles, and I'd bring them from work.

Me: I can still remember the pain of the burn on my foot when I stepped on one!

Ty: A sparkler?

Me: Yeah.

Ty: Back during Desert Storm?

Me: Har. Har.

Have a safe and Merry New Year, everyone!

Thursday?

2011-12-29T07:14:00.002-05:00

I'm still around! So much to write about, pictures to post, etc.

Fighting a killer ear infection and working shifts all week at Space.

Maybe tomorrow? Right now I need to eat my Wheaties and get to work!

The Park I work at alone is able to hold approx. 70,000 people. Yesterday, 3 of the 4 Parks were filled to capacity. Welcome to the winter wonderland. =)

Double

2011-12-16T06:19:00.001-05:00

Twice as happy . . . both girls are home!

Double trouble . .. still have to show the radical thing involving the dogs.

Double shift . . . working at the dentist office this morning, then Space tonight. Whoa!

Never Give Up!

2011-12-14T05:45:00.005-05:00

I received this from Kelly. She knew it would make me laugh (it did) and that I'd be cheering for her (I was). Plus, I simply have to give another shout out to Mrs. R!

From Kelly:

I know this is long, but you will find it funny. I wrote this to beg for an 80. My Math teacher has the kind of humor that will appreciate this, so I hope it works.

Dearest, most esteemed Dr. K, Holder of the mightiest mathematical powers,

I am writing not only to thank you for your time, service, and provision of humorous video clips (nay, though that is indeed reason enough), nor is my purpose solely to exalt your numeric skills (second only to our Hallowed Father of course). I am writing to implore upon your kindness and wisdom. Throughout my days I have struggled in a long and strenuous battle with arithmetic. I have fought, and taken two humbling classes beneath your most worthy Algebra class and attended many tutoring classes in my tender college years (last year). My spirits began to rise as my toil resulted in greater understanding, (even a softening of my heart towards it) of my long known nemesis:The beast of math. Perhaps I could win, perhaps I would not always speak the name of math with dark venom in my voice. Knowing this, immagine my dispair, my heart break, by utter sorrow at seeing a 79 sneering at me with garish vulgarity from my final grade column. I have attempted to do my best in this class, I have taken notes, studied, and prayed for success. I know it may not be in your power to change, but if there is any chance that your hand could be swayed to act in favor of what is my best work, I would be most joyous to have my grade elevated to the status of a B.

Thank you for your time if you read this whole thing.

With the utmost sincerity and respect,

Kelly

Ooooohhhh!!!! I prayed for it to work! Within an hour, Kelly told me that he had responded. Here it is:

Dear Kelly, possessor of the golden and most elegant tongue, well, fingers,

Yes, the gate keepers of the mathematical oasis for suffering math souls, have kept me abreast of your most adventurous journey (a sort of Pilgrim's Progress, if you will). I know you have been very diligent in many ways. Take solace when I say you could be a "poster child" for how to "work my system" to achieve a satisfying grade - in a course that stirs the dark regions of one's being. I would be most pleased with playing a small role in vanquishing the evil math dragon that has caused such trouble and despair in young maiden's life. Rest assured your cries do not fall on deaf or unsympathetic ears. Actually, I was very eager to award you the grade I truly believe you deserve, even before your most entertaining email. You will just have to trust my gracious heart that it is the one you seek.

Thank you for your faithfulness. It so pleases the Lord. Your email really cracked me up. What is your major again?

Merry Christmas!
Dr. K

Random Thoughts

2011-12-13T08:07:00.002-05:00

Heard from our Brown-Eyed Girl. She's safely with her sister. We're both counting down the days until The Day. ;-)

Christmas shopping? I think I'll skip it this year.

Once in a while I remember to play Words with Friends - and realize it's been almost a week since my last play. Sorry, friends!

Glenna is ALMOST to her Christmas break. Yes, we WILL be celebrating.

Kelly will be home this week for her break!

We did something radical, but the dogs are cool with it, so don't freak out. Photos to follow.

We still have the dogs.

Jack (the dog) was gassing out Himself this morning, so he kicked Jack out of his office. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Glenna has a fondue party at school today. Is this the 70's? We're bringing grape tomatoes. Hopefully, no one will eat them because they don't really go with cheese or chocolate dips.

It's so weird to say "Glenna has a fondue party at school" because we home school. I guess the one-day-per-week classes can be called a school. At least, they try to make it that way; they have fundraisers, yearbooks, meetings, class parties, and possibly a prom - all things I've been fortunate enough to avoid until now. (Except for teachers. Her teachers are GREAT, and we love Mrs. R and Mrs. S.!)

Speaking of Mrs. R - she's probably one of the few people I don't mind asking about pronunciation or word clarification. We're both life-long learners and I'm so glad she gets that about me. I certainly get that about her! I can now pronounce "quinoa."

That's all for now.

2011-12-09T06:00:00.008-05:00

All right, lets take your picture so we can show off the new haircut.

Thanks. Now, turn to the side.

Thank you. Aaaaaannnnnndddd. . . . .turn to the other side . . . .

Thank you.

Mom, what the heck? What are you doing?

Mom!

Mom, that's enough!

Paper or Plastic?

2011-12-08T05:41:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, I took Glenna to get her hair cut (pictures coming!). On the way home I knew we didn't have any food in the house, so I suggested we do something CRAZY - go to the Walmarts at 4:30 pm in December.

She looked at me like I was crazy. My smile stayed bright (maybe feverish) as I explained how great it would be to step into that world of Christmas chaos and try to grocery shop.

The Walmarts did not disappoint, though it wasn't nearly as crowded as the experience required. The two girls who were ringing up our groceries were apparently cousins. Their amusing conversation was a little hard to understand, but as nearly as I can figure out there's guy who asked if she was her cousin but Girl One actually has two cousins who work with her at the Walmarts and pretty soon, he and she were SKYPING.

Whatever.

The perplexing part was that Girl One was complained that she needed her break, so Girl Two came over to relieve her and Girl One just stood there talking the entire time anyway. Girl Two had been trying to get more bags and finally got some, and Girl One stood and talked and helped with bagging our groceries, interjecting her conversation with "We need more bags" on occasion.

On our receipt, we had purchased a total of 65 items.

I told Glenna to make sure we counted every bag.

For our 65 items, there was a total of 29 bags. That's 2.24 items per bag.

Not.

Kidding.

I felt like I should report it to the manager or something! When I go to my usual store and remember to bring my own reusable bags, I can fit all my groceries into four.

Really, though? The whole experience was hilarious. We had the best time just being together.

See what a new haircut can do?

Glenna and I signed to each other most of the time we were in the store - not because we thought anyone wouldn't be able to know what we were saying, but because we want to practice, practice, practice! It would thrill me to no end to have someone come up and start signing with us!

Looking

2011-12-06T21:01:00.002-05:00

I have lost a lovely item.

The Lord alone knows where it is!

I'm praying He would allow me to find it. It would be so sweet.

Meanwhile, here's something nice to look at.

She said . . .

2011-12-04T12:40:00.001-05:00

. . . yes!

I was waiting for Jessie to post something because I didn't want to steal any thunder, but it was announced at her church today and she told me yesterday that I could tell the world.

Hello, world. =)

Summer of 2012, his Brown-Eyed-Girl becomes OUR Brown-Eyed-Girl.

And there is great rejoicing!

Isn't This . . .

2011-12-03T00:21:00.000-05:00

. . . .a great photo?

Yeah, I thought so, too.

=)

Tuesday is Guest Star Day!

2011-11-29T05:07:00.001-05:00

I know she posted this a few days ago, but I could so relate.

Here's for the ones choosing to be tired. Hang in there! It's worth it!

Sunday News

2011-11-27T07:38:00.002-05:00

About to head home from TN. We have loved our time here so much! How refreshing, and now ready to head home and tackle the world.

Did you guys know I have ten million dollars waiting for me in a bank in Nigeria? It's true! I received an email just this morning, and all they need is all my personal information to verify who I am. Take a look:

JP MORGAN CHASE BANK
270 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10017

Attention.

We just received an information of approval from the Foreign Operation
Department of our correspondent Bank Central Bank Nigeria as instructed by
the Governor of the Central Bank. On how to credit your account through their
external reserve account with the JP Morgan chase bank new york.

Due to the high level of corruption in Nigeria, your fund has been deposited
in our bank. from now on do not respond to any email coming from the central
bank of Nigeria or other agent. if you have been contacted by anybody using
the name of central bank of Nigeria or other agent kindly forward the email
immediately to our bank for investigation by the cyber crime division,
because a lot of impostor has been using the name of central bank of Nigeria
and other agent to scam people. To avoid falling into the wrong hand please
direct all your inquiry through this office JP MORGAN CHASE BANK NEW YORK.

If you are receiving this notification for the first time, Note that the money
about to be transferred to you is Ten Million Seven Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars ($US10,700,000.00) which is on your name, can only be paid
upon our receipt of your beneficiary identification for clearance of the fund.
Send it immediately to us for instant accreditation of your fund as listed below.

1) Your full name.......................................
2) Phone, fax and mobile................................
3) Present country and current Home Address.............
4) Profession, age and marital status...................
5) Copy of your any valid ID card.......................

We expect your urgent response to this email to enable us disburse this
Payment effectively....

MR. JOHN MERCURY
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer
JP Morgan Chase Bank.
Email: johnmercury@chasebank-usn.com
Live: johnmercury-chasebnk@w.cn

I'm so glad they even warned me of other impostors who might want to rip me off. I think the first thing I'm going to do with the Ten Million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars is buy them some English and grammar lessons. I think it would be helpful if I went through this with my red pen and sent it back to them.

My urgent response was to report it as a phishing scam, of course. ;-)

Time to get moving! I think BA made pancakes! See you all back in FL soon.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T07:19:00.002-05:00

I'm writing this from BA's house in Tennessee! I'm so glad we made the drive up here to enjoy the beautiful weather, home, and friendship of her entire family. What a great day we had yesterday!

We don't have any plans to shop today. Thank God. While I was walking through Costco with Glenna the other day, I decided to take a look at their Christmas stuff. I looked and looked, but this was the ONLY representation of Christ in the entire store:

An overpriced lawn nativity.

Is it any wonder I resent the Christmas holiday so much? Bring on Easter!

Stay safe out there, and keep it in perspective, everyone!

Feeling Safer?

2011-11-21T06:16:00.002-05:00

This was an actual question on Glenna's Driver's Ed exam:

Glad we have that straightened out.

After Thanksgiving, I'll make an appointment for her to get her permit. We don't dare go to the DMV without an appointment these days. Plus, I've heard she could take it on line and then just go to the DMV with all her documents.

Two down, one to go!

Practically Cute

2011-11-19T07:21:00.003-05:00

Due to lack of counter space and questions on whether they do more harm than good, we decided to try and live without our microwave. I hauled it off to the school room and after a week of not missing it, I gave it to one of my JV'ers who was having a fundraising yard sale.

When we chose to eat more veggies, we discovered that we really weren't using the microwave, anyway. I also have a toaster oven, so it wasn't hard to choose which should stay and which should go.

Still, if we needed to heat up some leftovers, what to do? Before microwaves, you heated it on the stove or in the oven and waited patiently. Seriously, I feel that instant food and instant gratification have contributed to the epidemic of obesity in our country. How many times have we not wanted to make a salad because, sigh, we have to wash the lettuce first and then figure out what to add? Awww. . . skip it.

So, in case we did want to reheat leftovers, I decided that rather than heat up the oven we would just use the toaster oven. I found these cute little casserole dishes (orange in the above photo gives an idea of how small they are) and we'll cover them with foil while reheating.

The bonus, of course, are the polka dots.

Praise!

2011-11-04T08:22:00.001-04:00

Many congratulations to our youth pastor and his wife! Their precious baby girl has arrived!

We love you, Josh and Kim!

Acceptance

2011-10-31T05:42:00.002-04:00

I have come to accept that I will never be finished with the laundry.

When I think I'm finished, I discover Himself's unpacked suitcase. It refills the hamper completely.

I have come to accept that my socks will never be completely matched up.

When I think they're matched up, I discover that Missy stole a few from the laundry pile and put them in her bed when I wasn't looking.

I have come to accept that I will never be a size 3 again.

Thank God.

I have come to accept that my home will never be magazine perfect.

When I get it even close to this, I fuss to my family and make everyone uncomfortable instead of letting them live here.

I have come to accept that my family is not perfect.

When I turn my critical eye to them, I become thankful that they don't turn critical eyes to ME and I remember Grace.

I guess Grace is the key to all acceptance - letting everyone be exactly where God has them for the moment as He works HIS good and perfect will, not mine.

Grace on you.

At Our Farmer's Market . . .

2011-10-28T05:29:00.001-04:00

There's a small orchestra playing!
The local high school orchestra was out there playing to raise funds . .. for. . . something.

I have to say, I have become disillusioned with our Farmer's Market. The prices have become RIDICULOUS. My little Scottish Heart just flares up in outrage when I see what they want to charge me for a basket of green beans!

My friend Janet B told me a of a produce place near her home. We left the overpriced fruits and veggies and headed over there.

The minute I walked in the door, I was at home.

Now, the produce was not polished and pretty, but the prices were fantastic! I was willing to pick through the veggies to have affordable food. The place is run by Hispanics, so I saw all the foods that are so familiar from my Southern California upbringing. Instead of paying $2.50 for ONE avocado, I paid $1.00 for THREE!

Looks like I have a new Saturday shopping place. =)

Speaking of Food

2011-10-27T05:25:00.001-04:00

Himself was out with Ty on Sunday night, so here's a little meal I threw together. This would fit solidly in the category of "Things Himself Will Not Eat so Don't Even Bother."

Salmon Patties and peas.

I figured out how to make them correctly and they came out great! The first time, the salmon wasn't pre-cooked. I found canned, fully cooked salmon at Costco and bought some. I mixed one can with saltine crackers, two eggs, salt and pepper, then I sauteed them in olive oil.

Mom, they tasted just like yours! At last!

The Day I Stopped Hating Wal-Mart

2011-10-26T14:04:00.003-04:00

I received this email from my Mom. The woman having treatment, plus her husband, were with my Mom when Dad died.

J left this morning, we had a good visit and Monday we took W for her second Chemo treatment. Afterwards we took her to Wal-Mart to the Salon and had her hair buzzed. It had been falling out and her head was so sore, it was time. I couldn't believe the operators there. I went in and told them what was going on and we needed someone to cut and buzz her hair off. The operators, three of them surrounded her, one held her hand, other one worked on her and the third one prayed. The customers were so gracious about the operators stopping their working on them, they too surrounded us and after it was over, everyone hugged W (customers too) and then they clapped for her. They wouldn't take a dime either, said that is what they do. They sure moved up a notch or two in my book.

Mine too, Mom. At least the one in a little town in New Mexico.

She's Pretty Handy

2011-10-26T05:54:00.007-04:00

When I married Himself, I didn't know how to cook.

I knew how to make a salad and set the table. Those were my jobs at home at supper time! When I married Himself, I didn't know a thing about cooking dinner and, may I just say it? The man liked to eat cooked food.

I mean, when it would get too hot outside to fire up the stove or the oven, my Mom would place one of my favorite meals on the table - lunch meats, cheeses, liverwurst, crackers, olives, pickles, and radishes or green onions. We'd smear the crackers with mayo and sit and chat while assembling our light dinners.

When I married Himself, I put the same spread before him and he devoured it. Then he folded his hands and asked, "So, what's for supper?"

The one thing that saved me was the recipe cards my Mom ordered for me. Each month I would receive a variety of recipes, complete with pictures, ranging from salads to desserts to main courses. I learned how to cook from these cards, which means I cooked with all fresh ingredients.

About two years into our marriage I was at the store one day and spotted a box of Hamburger Helper. I remembered my Mom making it once or twice and it was REALLY easy, so I brought some home and made it for supper.

He.

Flipped.

Out.

The way he tells it, his mother made it all the time and I was to never let it cross our threshold again (I still haven't to this day). His Mom tells him that his memory is exaggerated because she really didn't make it that often. I believe her!

All this to say, I wanted to make sure Ty, Kelly, and Glenna knew how to cook before they left our home.

I knew that I could never ingrain hundreds of recipes into their brains, so I taught them basic cooking skills and a few family favorites, then I taught them how to correctly follow a recipe.

These are photos from a little something Glenna threw together the other night, known as Chicken Picata. It has fresh lemon slices, capers, and fresh chopped parsley in a wine sauce.

Fresh asparagus, sauteed lightly in olive oil with salt and pepper.

Here, she got a craving and made some pico de gallo from the Pioneer Woman's book:
Oh, I'm loving this. I can leave dinner plans with her and it turns out so well!

As my dearly departed Dad would say, "She's as handy as a knob on a door."

Yum!

My Mama Loves Me

2011-10-25T05:49:00.004-04:00

After a couple of years of fighting with a broken one and then not having one at all, my Mama called me on my birthday and said she wanted me to have this:
Kenmore. Elite. With Ultra Wash.

We once again cannot walk through the kitchen when the dishwasher door is open, nor can we open the freezer.
Who cares!

Here I am, listening to the purr . . .
It's such a beautiful sound, and my counters have been cleared and clean every moment since it arrived.

Thank you, Mama!

Sometimes

2011-10-24T05:46:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, when Himself is out of town and you decide to be spontaneous by eating out with a Glenna, you just may see something like this:

It's definitely worth a change of plans.

Random Leftover Photos

2011-10-14T06:01:00.001-04:00

I was clearing out my iPod and found a bunch of random photos that I meant to post. Some go back to August.

Glenna's first day of school!

I have pictures of her siblings on their first school days. They're also wearing back packs and school uniforms! Only difference is that they're 5, not 15. =D Yay homeschool!

Kelly wanted to try on my glasses:

This is her with first cute haircut. Her hair is even shorter now!

I think she looks like my Mom in the 60's. I have a photo of Mom in a bathing suit wearing dark glasses like these. Because she's in a bathing suit, I won't post it. I can hear Mom's sigh of relief all the way from New Mexico.

Brothers are the best source of cool t-shirts. No lie.

Dinner date with friends! Ended at a frozen yogurt place for dessert:

Funny egg chairs. They're the complete opposite of anything I would ever want in my house!

The daughter who was supposed to be doing school was doing this:
I bought those to clean with around the house. I came home and found this. Hardee har har, Glennaviere.

Did I already post this?

Well, too bad! It bears repeating! GO BOLTS!!!!!

Thanks again, friend Jim!

It's Kind of a Big Deal

2011-10-13T05:52:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, all my children and a certain Brown-Eyed Girl gathered to watch a momentous occasion:

Glenna's baptism!

It had been raining for two days but we were determined to continue with the baptismal service. The rain stopped for the service, then continued after!

Glenna understands that baptism does not cleanse her sins or bring her salvation; only the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is able to do that. Rather, she chose to identify herself publicly as a Christian, through baptism, and will strive to follow Him all the days of her life.

Glenna with Pastor Ron H., who has now baptized all three of my children. =)

Baptism is kind of a big deal, which is why I was fully prepared to record it with my iPod. The problem was, I had taken video of the Country Bear Jamboree and the Tiki Room, so my disk space was too full! This is all I was able to capture:

Yeah, not really on my game there.

I love you, sweet Glenna, and I'm so grateful to know you are choosing to serve the One who loves you even more than I do!

Marvelous

2011-10-12T05:45:00.001-04:00

The weekend after my birthday, Kelly went on the Women's Retreat with me for the first time!

Here's us:

We have a woman who goes around snapping candid photos of everyone. I told her she could take a photo, but on my terms! This was actually taken with my iPod. Still waiting for Mary Ann B. to mail the good ones to me.

This was taken after we had gone swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, showered, and fixed our hair. Hah!

Ok, Kelly no longer has to fix her hair. She has this adorable haircut and she just shakes it out after the shower and it's fabulous. If my hair was that short and I just shook it out at the shower, it would frighten young children.

The retreat was wonderful and the speaker was excellent. I loved that Kelly was able to connect with so many women at our church! I think it really helped the transition from high school to college. Every time I looked around the room to see where she was, she was chatting with someone else. I love the ladies at my church!

Looking forward to Glenna's first retreat in a couple of years!

My Birthday

2011-10-11T05:23:00.001-04:00

Himself went to paint for some friends of ours and took Glenna with him. Rather then stay at home with laundry and chores on my birthday, I decided to head to the Park!

It's so great being a cast member. I packed a lunch and put it in the Space Mountain Break room. I ended up eating there and chatting with my friends. =)

Here's my Mom moment:

I was trying to click a photo of me on the rocket, but the camera was reversed on my iPod and I clicked a photo of myself instead. I laughed so hard when I did this!

Now you can see what I look like when I'm trying to see something up close. I have to peer over the top of my glasses.

I took my time to wander in and out of shops, and also to see things I don't normally see when I'm with a group.

These two ladies were campaigning for Women's Suffrage:

If only women's lib could have stopped there, huh? ;-) Right to vote, equal work for equal pay. The End.

This sweet guest was meeting Aladdin and Jasmine for the first time, and she brought her Duffy with her:

I didn't need to stand in line to meet them, so I grabbed this photo as I was walking by. I heard Aladdin ask the girl where she was from and when she said Tokyo, he exclaimed, "Ah! Tokyo! We fly there all the time by magic carpet. We love it there!"

Next, I had to see this:

Birds, birds, everywhere!

The Enchanted Tiki Room. After the movie Aladdin came out, they refurbished this to include Iago, the obnoxious parrot from the movie. I am happy to say they made it over once again and it's now exactly as it always was! You can hear the beaks and wings clicking, and the flowers still sing. Ah, nostalgia!

I absolutely loved this when I was a little girl:

The Country Bear Jamboree! More specifically, it's the big fat bear singing, "There's [twang!] blood on the saddle, and [twang!] blood on the ground! And [twang!] blood all around . . . " My Mom remembered the time when I was a little girl and we were going to see the Country Bear Jamboree. I was just the right height that my elbow caught in the turnstile as we were walking in. I cried! She claims it ruined my elbow ever since (I can hold it out at a most disturbing angle). Actually, Mom, it was the other elbow that got caught.

Speaking of my Mom, the best part of my birthday was when she called me. We talked for a long time and I didn't care who was around me or where I was! I miss you Mom, and I loved chatting with you in the middle of Disney. I wish you were with me! I love you! The signal started to poop out and we hand to end our conversation too soon.

I also got a sweet voice mail from my Sister-in-Love, Mary Ann, who sang to me and called me beautiful.

And my son called.

And my daughter sent a message and said she'd call me later.

And it was wonderful.

After this, I met up with my co-worker, Lindsey, and her husband. I managed to secure some fast passes and we went on a few rides together before I headed home for my date.

My date!

Himself took me out to dinner, to Season's 52. We had this chile relleno appetizer that was to die for (scraped the plate clean) and then I had a shrimp dish. I also had the little dessert shooter - pumpkin pie. Delish!

Not a normal birthday, but a good one!

Stats

2011-10-10T19:19:00.001-04:00

Name: MrsJLW

Age: 40-something

Event: Made and ate lamb chops for the first time ever

Result: Now will fearlessly order lamb chops at a restaurant.

Conclusion: YUM.

=/

2011-10-04T18:04:00.003-04:00

A text message rips through my sound afternoon slumber.

Himself: Who's going to drive you home tonight?

Me: From where?

H: No. The song. From the 80

M: I was napping. Who's gonna plug your ears when you scream?

H: Who sang that

M: I don't care. It's an 80's song.

H: I don't care either

Uh Oh. . . .

2011-09-30T08:13:00.001-04:00

You may never hear from me again. Kelly has shown me Pinterest.

Lord, have mercy.

In other news, Kelly is going on the Women's retreat with me this weekend! I can't wait to spend an entire weekend with my girl!

A New Level of Depravity

2011-09-21T07:14:00.002-04:00

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Scriptures tell us not to expect those in darkness to act like those who are in the light. Still, when I come across something that should be obvious to all that it's not a good idea, it still shocks me a little.

There's an entirely new category of books at the book store titled, "Teen Paranormal Romance." I'd like to say it's a wee section with a few books, but it's pretty large. Thank goodness Glenna rolled her eyes when she saw it.

Speaking of Glenna, she's required to read Edgar Allen Poe for her Literature class. This is the first time she's read about things like murder and ghosts and supernatural happenings, other than in the Bible. ;-) She absolutely loves his writing style, and who can blame her? Still, the sooner we move out of that mind, the better!

Ah, homeschooling. Gone are the days of The Little House books! We can only read the Narnia series so many times, too. I'm so thankful that she loves to talk about the things she's reading so we can dialogue.

Peeking out from under the rock a little today.

Psssttt. . . .

2011-09-20T08:29:00.003-04:00

I love secrets.

When I was younger, not so very long ago, I couldn't wait to find someone to share a secret with! I couldn't wait to see their eyes light up, hear them gasp in disbelief, or just REACT. I would of course swear THEM to secrecy before I told them everything, but I did, indeed, tell them everything.

Then I found out that Gossip is a cruel mistress.

Years ago, I kicked her to the curb.

Now, I have been trusted with sweet secrets that will be revealed in their good time. Instead of storming my brain for someone to tell, God has done an amazing work in me. Himself was astounded and would say, "You KNEW? Wow! You didn't even tell ME!"

I can't wait for the secret to be revealed by the Secret Holder. I can't wait to see people's eyes light up, hear their gasps of disbelief/delight, and watch them just REACT. I am already in the know, and it is enough to love and pray for the Secret Holder. It's a delight to realize that this is not my tale to tell. It is my joy to be given the small, bit part, or the walk-on role that barely shows up in the credits.

It's such an honor to KNOW; there's no need to TELL.

I love secrets, but I love the Secret Holders more.

Building a Better Mousetrap . . . Car

2011-09-19T05:13:00.001-04:00

For quite a few days, my dining room table looked like this:

Plastic tubes and pots and pans, bits and pieces and the magic from my hands will make . . .weird science. . ..

Glenna's assignment from her physics class was to build a mousetrap car.

The car had to function through Newton's 3rd Law: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Boy was I thankful that Himself wasn't out of town this week.

Mousetrap, styrofoam, string, dowels, washers, CDs, string, and balloons stretched around the CDs for traction.

The end result was a fantastic car that while not aesthetically pleasing, it worked!

Here's a video of the initial test run. Note that I forgot I was filming with my little iPod, and then Missy had to check it out in the end.

The hard work paid off! She was one of only two who scored 100% on their cars! Her teacher asked if she could take the car to show the class at the other campus.

Way to go Glenna!!!

Announcement. . .

2011-09-17T16:10:00.000-04:00

That is all.

The Result of The Reward

2011-09-15T05:52:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I posted the beautiful sunrise that I enjoyed because I get up so early for work.

The downfall, of course, is that I'm very, very tired by the end of the day. I get excited when it's 8 0'clock not because there's some prime time television that I've looked forward to viewing, but because I know that bedtime is that. Much. Closer.

Most days, I crash around mid-afternoon and have to take a nap. I'm about ready to give up this habit, though, but mainly when Himself is in town.

Like Pavlov's dog trained to salivate when a bell is rung, I believe Himself has been wired to open and shut our carport door 40 bazillion times the second I fall asleep for a nap. This wouldn't be so bad and I would probably continue sleeping if it weren't for one detail:

The Alarm.

Since our break-in last year, we have had an alarm system installed. It gives me some degree of peace when I'm at work and Glenna is home, knowing she has a panic button that will bring help immediately.

The Alarm system also alerts us each time any door is opened. In a cheerful, slightly British voice it announces, "Back Door" or "Front Door," and then loudly beeps. Twice.

"Back Door." Beep Beep!

"Front Door." Beep beep!

So, this it what it looks like when you're up early enough to see the sunrise and your husband continually wakes you from any attempted nap:

I'm just keepin' it real, folks. Just keepin' it real.

Beep beep!

The Reward

2011-09-14T16:50:00.001-04:00

This is how the Lord rewarded me for getting up so early for work:

I'll take it.

A Quiet Evening

2011-09-07T06:19:00.002-04:00

Ty had us over for dinner last night.

We brought the dinner. =D

Unfortunately, his Brown-Eyed Girl was neck deep in piano performances this week and she was unable to join us. (Miss you!)

It was a nice, relaxing evening in a nice, uncluttered apartment. My Mama-Heart loved listening to brother and sister banter back and forth, or discuss physics and Newton's 3rd Law.

What I wish I had photographed, however, were the patches on Ty's counter (that he says he probably won't put on his uniforms any time soon), or the name plate for his tool box, or the certificate that came with both of those items. What's important are the two words on all three:

MASTER TECHNICIAN

I wonder if he's the youngest at his shop to ever get Master status for Mack? We joked that he should sew the patches on his T-shirts instead, or use them for coasters to impress guests.

He's almost finished getting his degree, and his ASE and Volvo Master certifications are right around the corner.

Go.

Ty!

The Remedy

2011-09-06T06:13:00.002-04:00

This time, it's different.

When Kelly went off to college last year, I was comforted with the fact that she was only two hours away (compared to her brother being in Tennessee). I was able to take her, help set up her room, do last minute shopping needs, then cry briefly on the way home. It was comforting to have her brother finish school a few weeks later and then move back home.

This year, the house is so, so empty. Glenna has the entire upstairs to herself now that Ty's out on his own. I didn't get to take Kelly and move her back into her dorm. It was rough, to say the least.

On Friday, Himself threw my bags into the car and said, "Go." He set up a hotel room for me and Kelly in her college town and we spent a wonderful weekend together! I was only able to stay one night, but at last I got to see the details of her dorm, smooth the duvet cover, and buy a rug that was just right. We went to dinner and a movie, then watched TV all night.

It was perfect.

Thank you, Darlin'. It was exactly what I needed.

A Dark Hour

2011-09-01T06:10:00.004-04:00

Gone are the shelves and bins overflowing:

Empty are the drawers. A lone egg wobbles to the back of the fridge.

Crisp apples once filled the emptiness of our bellies:

What, exactly, could I make with cheese, a stick of butter, and cream cheese?

Man, do I need to go to the store. I have had meetings every day after work, and tonight I am starting a MOST EXCITING language class (one that I've wanted to take forever!). I can't wait!

I stopped at the health food store on the way home and picked up a few things. There were halleluias, I'm pretty sure. I seriously need to do some meal and grocery research! We've got to stick to a budget so we can pay for college and continue paying down our debt.

So, anyone care to share how to healthfully feed three people on $20 per day?

A Picture of Excellence

2011-08-31T05:29:00.000-04:00

I began teaching AWANA JV his 8th grade year.

I sat and watched him play basketball for a local home school covering school. We called him Superman. Players who thought they could charge over him found themselves running head on into a brick wall.

I watched him make hard choices, find peace, and grow spiritually.

He was in youth group with my son, and a student leader for the same group.

I went to his wedding.

Thursday, I watched him graduate from the police academy, with honors.

This is Tim W., now an officer for the town I live in! His father, in law enforcement for 30 years (now retired), pinned his badge on him.

To say we're all proud of him is a huge understatement!

Tuesday is Guest Star Day!

2011-08-30T05:50:00.002-04:00

"Spousal resistance anchors you to reality, a reality in which God calls you to love your actual spouse, not your preferred one." -Jeremy Pierre

Thank you to my Kelly for sending me this excellent post!

Our Fridge

2011-08-29T08:55:00.011-04:00

Remember in this post where I had these bins and put all the ingredients for each meal in them? I felt so organized! It really did work out well, and anyone could grab a bin and start dinner.

Now that we're eating more plants, I discovered that veggies don't stay fresh very long. It was so discouraging to see things wilt and have to be thrown out. Eating healthful foods is not cheap, by any means.

That's when I remembered the bins:

Now, I've been able to group like-items together, all scrubbed and ready to go! The top shelf has a bin full of red and green peppers. On top of that is a bin with washed grapes, cherries and blackberries. Next to that, without a lid, is a bin with peaches, lemons, and kiwi.

One bin full of scrubbed carrots, ready for juicing!

Below the carrots are beets and something else I can't remember. Fennel and cauliflower next to that.

I'm still working out some of the kinks in the system, but it worked beautifully!

Ok, I'll bet all you seasoned moms out there knew this, but I just discovered it:

I took the crisper drawer, washed it out, then lined it with paper towels. I washed all my leafy greens such as lettuce, cilantro, and parsley, then put them in the drawer. I adjusted the setting and voila! My lettuce stayed crisp and didn't wilt!

Who.

Knew.

The drawer next to it has a broken lid, so I put veggies in that didn't need as much attention:

Cucumbers, mushrooms, radishes, and celery.

This is a TON of food! People open our fridge and can't find a space for anything. Yet, somehow, we still run into the "There's nothing to eat!" syndrome.

Yeah, we saw that coming, too.

Here's a simple solution to Himself wanting something RIGHT NOW:

The ingredients look ok, but honestly you can't beat fresh juice. I know there's stuff in this that I shouldn't have because of migraine triggers.

Lastly, here's proof that we're still eating meat:

But the deli drawer is a great place for bulky apples and pears, too!

I still buy milk for Glenna, but I liked this stuff with my cereal and in smoothies long before we did the Reboot:

Being the only one who likes it means there's more for me. Right?

Organizing the fridge made prep time go more quickly, foods last longer, and less waste with hidden foods rotting away.

Now to figure out a way to eat healthful foods affordably. I'm open to suggestions!

The Call

2011-08-27T05:24:00.002-04:00

This is me.

This is me at work.

This is me at work trying to upgrade our software on our server.

This is me at work trying to upgrade our software on our server while on the phone with the software company.

This is me at work trying to upgrade our software on our server while on the phone with the software company for an hour and 30 minutes.

This is me at work trying to upgrade our software on our server while on the phone with the software company for an hour and 30 minutes and failing.

This is me.

Mad Mom

2011-08-26T05:19:00.001-04:00

Oh my goodness, look at these beets I'm chopping! They're totally turning everything red!

Ewww, gross, Mom! You're going to eat that?

Of course I'm going to eat it! I'm putting it in juice.

It looks like blood!

Ewww, you're right! You should totally take my picture.

Ha ha! Right!

No. Seriously. Take my picture.

Beets. It's what's for dinner.

*Note to Gafut: I know you think God made them for garment tinting alone, but they're actually pretty good in juice! It also makes the juice a lovely red.

July 29th

2011-08-25T06:16:00.001-04:00

Do I even need to say what happened on July 29th?

Unfortunately, one event was that we had to take Cloé to the airport so she could return to France. Sad day.

The other, of course, is that Glenna turned 15! Her brother bought her a cake and we sang to her.

Now she's taking Driver's Ed.

Sigh.

July 22nd

2011-08-24T05:59:00.002-04:00

On July 22nd, Paul's sister, Sarita, got married! I was the director for the wedding.

I love doing that.

I love Sarita. She taught Spanish and Algebra to both Tyler and Kelly. She was a high school leader when Ty and Kelly were in youth group. She's this amazing, beautiful girl and we're so happy for her and Nathan, her husband!

We had Cloé with us, so she got to see what a wedding in America was like.

Here's some decorations.

During the photo session before the wedding, one of the groomsmen found this tiki left over from a church play. There were two of them, actually, and I can't wait to see the hilarious photos that came about with them!

What was really funny was that when I wandered out from the reception to see how the car was coming, I found this:

That's two tiki heads and a ton of balloons in the get-away car.

We all laughed so hard!

The reception had lots of food and dancing. It was so much fun! Now, I have to give a little background story to these next photos:

A couple of years ago, I let the girls watch the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise. There are so many cultural references to this movie, so I watched it with them and censored out the rough spots.

Seeing the movie through their eyes was pretty funny. One of the things they noticed was that whenever Tom's character was anywhere near the Kelly McGillis character, some part of the song Take My Breath Away would be playing.

It was almost like a stalker theme, it was so bad!

Ba da ba DA DA . . . Take my breath awaaaaaaayyyy!!!!

After seeing the movie, one of the girls would start singing it to the other, or they would text it to each other. It was quite the joke around here.

Well lo and behold, during the reception the song came on! Glenna immediately ran to find her sister, who was running to find her. They simply had to dance!

See Kelly's cool new haircut?

I wish I had recorded this on video. They're dancing so dramatically and singing the song to each other.

I hate blurry pictures.

But . . .

I love sisters!

The Game Master

2011-08-23T19:45:00.004-04:00

Continuing my recap of the summer, I bring you to an evening at home. Paul was over. So was Ty.

Not many people know that Tyler is a pretty spontaneous cat. At the spur of the moment, he comes up with a game for everyone to play.

In this instance, Paul was idly strumming his guitar.

Ok, you keep playing, and I'm going to try to throw these playing cards into the hole of the guitar. We'll see how many cards it takes before I can do that.

Paul is amused and agreeable. The game begins.

You can see Himself sitting in the background, in his chair. Kelly bought the chair for her room but we can't get it up the stairs. Chair is 29" wide, stairway is 27.5". She was heartbroken.

Anyway . . ..

See the one flying up by Paul's head? No one said all of Ty's spontaneous games were safe.

I think the count was 15 before he got one in. He then did a series of rapid-fire cards and made a mess. No one said Ty's spontaneous games were tidy, either.

My Girl

2011-08-22T19:27:00.003-04:00

. . . and her new roommate!

Every room in her unit has only two girls per room, so once again Kelly doesn't have to have three in a room! God is certainly granting her favor in this.

Abby, from last year, did not return to Kelly's school this year. Kelly's roommate, however, is named Abby! She's a freshman and as you can see, she's adorable.

I was unable to drive down and settle Kelly in. I'm going to make the trip as soon as possible, though. Maybe this weekend?

I love you, Kelly!

Looking carefully past Kelly, you can see Snowflake is in his proper place. Hopefully, there won't be more adventures for him this year!

The Magic that Wasn't

2011-08-20T05:15:00.001-04:00

Enter in a most embarrassing moment.

On Friday, July 15th, I brought Glenna, Cloé, another French student named Justine, and a girl from her host family named Tori to Magic Kingdom.

After 30 minutes on hold, it was discovered that my pass was all used up for the year and we couldn't get into the park.

So sad, but true! Because I'm now a seasonal cast member, I am only allowed 6 entries per year. Previously, each time I've been issued a new main gate pass it has meant that my count started over. I was so excited when I got a new main gate pass in June.

Alas, it was not to be.

The other embarrassing part was that I had signed up for a Space shift that afternoon, thinking we'd enjoy the park in the morning, I'd do my shift, then we'd watch fireworks and head home. Instead we did the only thing we could do; we rode the monorail to the Contemporary and the Polynesian, got some Dole Whip, then rode the monorail back to parking. I had just enough time to take them all the way back home, drive all the way back to Disney, then work my shift.

Here's the very understanding gang in the gift shop at the Contemporary:

Pick a hat, everyone! I love that Cloé is wearing a chipmunk hat.

The dude everyone poses with at the Polynesian:

They did manage to buy some souvenirs, and from our many monorail rides I was able to teach Justine to say, "Por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas."

Time well spent.

July 12

2011-08-19T05:47:00.000-04:00

After work, I stopped by a house and picked up the French chaperone. We invited her to go with us to Epcot for 1/2 a day. Cloé and Glenna were ready to go and we loaded up the Jetta for the trip.

We tried to go on Soarin' because I love to visit my home state, but the wait was 80 minutes and the fast passes were sold out. So, we headed over to Test Track:

Hands gotta be in the air, right? That's the French chaperone, Sima, sitting in front of me.

Disney tip: Use the single rider line and you'll barely wait in line. It's more than likely that you won't be in the same car, but who cares? Meet up at the end.

I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of Cloé zipping by, but here's Glenna:

Back seat, great expression. That's my girl!

I really should have taken more photos while we were there. I did take pictures of the important things, like this:

I was in line, ready to get in and have my picture taken, but the rest of my party had moved on without me! Next time.

Click on this photo to make it larger and check out this way cool backpack:
See it? It's a turtle shell! I saw a couple of them, but I didn't see any worn by children. Are the Ninja Turtles making a comeback or remake?

Shortly after we spotted the backpack, the skies opened up. Lightning was directly over our heads in the America section of Epcot! The Sima and I were concerned for our safety as we waited for Cloé and Glenna. I think it was her first big thunderstorm and it was gnarly. I pointed out the lightning rods on every building and she felt a little better.

It poured rain and we were so hungry. We didn't wait for it to stop completely before heading to Japan - Glenna was craving some Asian food!

Afterward, in Morrocco, I caught Glenna trying to get a creative photograph.

So that's how she does it!

We loved going through the French section this time! Boy students don't chat much, but Cloé and Sima had so much to say about that section. We were relieved to hear the perfume was way overpriced there; we would never spend so much on perfume, and neither would they! Sima treated us to a dessert (a tart, yum!).

We stayed to watch the fireworks but ended up being in a poor spot. They say at Epcot, you can stand anywhere in the World Showcase and see the fireworks. Well, where we were standing (between France and the UK) there were trees from the island blocking it a bit, and the speakers were either not working or not there.

We really enjoyed Epcot, even if we didn't get to see or do everything. I think they enjoyed it, too!

July 11

2011-08-18T06:37:00.001-04:00

I had a million people in my house. Or, so it seemed.

It was marvelous.

Kelly had her friends Aleah and Kate stay over. Her bedroom looked like this:

Wall to wall beds, anyone?

The upstairs guest room looked like this:

Guest bed, futon, and sleep mats housed Cloé, Bekah, Maria, and Glenna.

If you've lost count, that's seven girls upstairs! All was made possible because of the remodel we did.

Still sunshiney and wonderful!

July 8th

2011-08-17T06:35:00.001-04:00

On this day, we took Cloé to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. These two parks are smaller (meaning fewer attractions), so it's easier to do them on one day.

Here's a park tip: If you're going to Hollywood Studios, go directly to the Toy Story Midway Mania and get your fast pass. The fast passes for this place go quickly (as in by 11:30 am!) and the line is always long!

Kelly and Cloé in line for Toy Story. We got fast passes and then hopped in line since it was only 30 minutes (actually took less time).

Here's Cloé, a monkey, and a Drama Queen:

All three girls next to Mr. Potato Head:

It was kind of funny, because this robotic Potato Head can reach up and pull out his ear.

On this occasion, however, he dropped it! Cast members had to come out and put his ear back in.

I'm so glad Cloé was here for that.

This was the first time we chose a female French Student. I'm so glad we did! I have loved each and every student who has come to our home. With Cloé, however, I was able to see things I'd never seen at the Parks, such as:

Beauty and the Beast! We also saw Little Mermaid! I didn't even know what they were about!

Here's an awful and blurry photo of a screamin' good time:

Kelly and I on the Tower of Terror, minus Glenna and Cloé, front row, right side. See my flowery shirt?

Kelly and I have been on this before, but we had forgotten how intense and scary it is! She thought I looked so calm and collected in the photo. I think the camera simple caught me on an inhale before the screams.

We weren't able to convince Chloé to go on a roller coaster. I think she may have gone on Expedition Everest, but it wasn't running any of the times we were nearby. We also had the thrill of Florida thunderstorms and rain ponchos. What's not to love?

Catching Up

2011-08-16T06:16:00.001-04:00

Because I'm all about current events, I wanted to post these photos from July 3rd. In fact, the next few days I'll be posting photos from last month.

You're welcome.

For July 3rd, we attended our town's celebration of our independence. We had Cloé, our French Student, with us. In fact, we had only picked her up from the airport a few days before this, so we were still kind of new to each other.

Look at this beautiful photograph of Glenna!

Heh, heh. Moms can get away with this.

Much better! She's wearing her new favorite shirt - Captain America! How appropriate.

Here's Cloé!
We sure miss this girl. She's hoping to come back next summer, and we're hoping and praying that she'll be able to as well!

Ok, ignore the dork in the front of the photo and check out Himself's new hat!
It has been a long search to find a hat big enough to fit his melon. Seriously - we must have tried on every hat in the county.

Mother daughter portrait:
Niicccceeee!

Finally, the sun is beginning to go down.
I should have posted a crowd shot. This place was so packed, it took some people three hours to get out of the parking lot. We parked at Ty's apartment and walked over! It was a better plan and we arrived home much sooner.

Wait, what were we there for?

Oh yeah!

Fireworks set to cheesy rock and roll music = Party!

Hey, It Works!

2011-08-15T06:21:00.000-04:00

I was driving with my Kelly somewhere, and we spotted this resourceful worker airing his dirty laundry:

I meant that literally!

Good for you, dirty laundry airing man!

Home Schooling - Take 14 - Action!

2011-08-13T06:48:00.004-04:00

Thursday night, Glenna and I attended her convocation for her new school. We listened to the headmaster, met her teachers, picked up her uniform shirts, and left.

We are both so very, very excited.

Her teachers seem great and were so happy to meet us! I'm sure they're this way with every family, but I'm thankful they were this way with us.

So, Glenna will have her core classes on Tuesdays, then Thursdays she will have her Algebra 2 class. The rest of the week she will be doing her work at home. It was fun to note the other high school students at the convocation and wonder which ones will be in her same Track.

I had a good belly laugh, because Glenna just found out that all her classes are Honors classes. (They were previously, too. She just didn't know it!) Yes, Glenna; I am fully confident you can do the work.

I thought I would be more upset about not choosing her curriculum. I thought I'd be upset at not being her only teacher (except for the FABULOUS Mrs. R , English, and Mrs. S, science teacher). The strongest emotion I'm feeling, however, is relief.

At last help has arrived. At last guilt over my poor job of home schooling Glenna last year will be lessened. At last, someone has thrown me a lifeline.

Glenna's first day is Tuesday. For the first time in a long time, she's excited that summer is over and school has begun!

I know this honeymoon period will end for both of us, but we're going to hold on to it as long as possible. With college expenses, my staying home is no longer an option. Since I am the one responsible for the educations of my daughters, it is my responsibility to provide it for them as much as I can. I do this joyfully!

Come fall, our son will be the first in our immediate family to earn a degree.

Wow!

Fakers

2011-08-12T13:53:00.002-04:00

I'm trying to figure out how to shop and plan for a healthier eating lifestyle. I certainly don't want to just buy a bunch of fruits and veggies and then have them rot in the fridge because I don't have a plan!

I started out so productive today.

I took care of school business and paid all our personal bills. I was going to clear out the fridge and take inventory.

The counter was full of dirty dishes.

I threw in some laundry, made Glenna help me in the kitchen, then felt a headache coming on and needed to rest.

Every single person in my family came knocking on my door. Tyler didn't, but he's safe at work and he doesn't really live here anymore.

I was expecting the dogs to knock next.

I gave up on my nap and went into the kitchen to start dealing with the fridge again.

There were dirty dishes all over the counter.

Could. Not. Believe. It.

How long had I actually been gone? 20 minutes? Keep in mind that we no longer have a dishwasher, so dishes must be washed and dried BY HAND.

I washed the dishes and went into the bathroom.

The sink is backed up.

Not kidding.

I am trying so hard to get out of this funky mood! The internet doesn't work when I'm trying to find menus or grocery lists; it just goes on and on. Then, of course, everyone is talking about the droughts in Africa and I HAVE SO MUCH.

When will we be free from our sin natures? Could it be now, please?

ANYWAY . . .

In my research, I'm finding that if you don't want to eat meat (which is not me), you're supposed to eat FAKE MEAT.

And that's somehow BETTER for you?

I want REAL FOOD, not too much, mostly plants. I don't want anything that has chicken misspelled and quotations around it, like "chikn" strips. I don't even want to know what's in them! I don't think soy is a good idea, either, from the research I've done.

It's one hot, confusing mess, and I'm one hot, irritated woman.

There. I said it.

Tuesday is Guest Star Day!

2011-08-09T06:07:00.000-04:00

Jess at Making Home has done it again.

I just didn't realize she's been sitting in the living room, observing us!

Day Four

2011-08-08T15:24:00.003-04:00

Before I get to that, here's a hilarious game Ty and his Brown-Eyed Girl invented!

Day Four is going pretty well. The juice I made today was crazy . . . who knew? You can juice a sweet potato!

Youth group is meeting here tonight.

Laundry

Laundry

Laundry.

My Mom's birthday was Saturday and I didn't call her. [Hanging head]

I love you, Mom. You're the best Mom I ever had.

Day Three

2011-08-07T13:46:00.002-04:00

Once again, you can go here for more details.

We had a better game plan yesterday so it was a better day. Today has gone pretty smoothly, even with church! Himself is finding ideas about what to eat while he's on the road, which is his most difficult challenge.

We've both lost weight! Woo hoo!

Tyler invited us for dinner tonight. I laughed so hard when he texted, "Making taco stuff. I don't know if you want to just take some of your slush to go. :)" I laughed, but I also appreciated his support! He didn't mock us or try to convince us otherwise.

Both girls have been great. Glenna is eating more salads, and there was a time in her life where she wouldn't go anywhere near lettuce.

While walking through the grocery store, it was funny how excited we became over the idea of adding all natural trail mix, or some black beans, or some sunflower seeds to our diets. Himself, however, briefly fantasized about leaping over the deli counter and mauling a roasted chicken.

I'd like to get that on video. Maybe it would go viral on YouTube and we'd make some money!

We also realized that if we're not eating meat as often, then our budget could handle better quality meats. I love, love, love, grass-fed beef, but who can pay almost $8 per pound for ground? I'm usually paying around $2.50 at Costco!

I still have to work out a grocery schedule. Right now I'm trying to only buy two days at a time. Himself gets to where he needs something to munch and he'll grab a whatever veggie or fruit from the fridge and throw off a recipe. We're starting to talk about what we're feeling when we want to eat, and that has been interesting and enlightening! Today, Himself was chopping the vegetables so furiously. Why? He was also angry before we sat down to eat. Again, why? He didn't even realize what was going on.

Short nap time!

Day Two

2011-08-06T11:27:00.002-04:00

I posted most of the details here.

The poor man I married is putting up with a bear. He was reaching for pita chips and the bear bit his head off. He just came in with the tortillas and said, "Did you say these are all right?"

For the last time, vegetables and fruit only! growled the bear.

We're also still dealing with air conditioning issues. I'm locked up in my room with a little wall unit. I don't know how Kelly can stand being upstairs without air on!

The food itself hasn't been the problem. The prep and the planning and the heat (my kitchen doesn't have any air vents in the first place, and this makes it that much worse).

Could I just sleep through this?

Day One

2011-08-05T20:34:00.002-04:00

Day One is over, and I'm singing hallelujah.

That it's over.

I'm so off kilter, I used a fragmented sentence.

The day did NOT start off well. I didn't have all the groceries I needed to start the day properly (I had been testing the recipes ahead of time and used up ingredients, plus veggies go bad! Imagine that!). I slept in a little and the barking dog with a full bladder woke me. After buzzing Glenna to take them out, I surfed the internet for too long and when I went out into the living room, the dogs had eliminated all over the rug. Not the terrazzo, but the rug.

There I go, fragmenting again.

Where were the girls? They were upstairs, reading or sleeping or whatever. It's summer break, after all.

Kelly and I went to the health food store for ingredients, but they didn't have everything we needed. Dinner was delayed until 8:00 pm. I was ravenous!

Himself also struggled. He left the house without packing fruit or snacks. I had told him where to stop and what to buy but, and I quote, "I didn't do that."

It's the end of the first day, and we have a better game plan for the rest of the week.

The good news is, I didn't eat anything I wasn't supposed to and neither did he.

One down, four to go!

The Latest

2011-08-04T05:47:00.001-04:00

So, here's what happening at the office and home.

Is it any wonder I'm cranky?

I've discovered that I can't do my bulk shopping like I normally. Veggies, especially organic veggies not treated with anything, don't last more than a few days in the fridge. I guess this means I'll have to visit my grocer every few days.

Someone, quickly! Move me to an Italian village with a fresh produce market within walking distance of my house.

Thankyouverymuch.

The Man

2011-08-03T06:14:00.003-04:00

There are only two consistent occasions where I wish I were a man:

1. Using a public restroom.

2. Getting ready at the crack of dawn.

Himself has interrupted my morning for some crazy reason (like having to drive to Tampa today)! I usually shower, slather on the layer of lotion, then grab some coffee before dealing with my hair. This morning, he slipped into the bathroom during my coffee break!

To my team members at work, I apologize for the way my hair looks today.

Tuesday is Guest Star Day!

2011-08-02T06:04:00.002-04:00

I'm so glad Jess at Making Home is writing again! She's a busy mom with 5 children, but she has this excellent word about "me Time."

There's also a Brown-Eyed Girl winging her way home right now!

Happy Birthday Glenna

2011-07-29T07:11:00.002-04:00

What do you have to look forward to when you're 15?

Sophomore Year
Driver's Permit
New School (One day per week. We're still home schooling!)
NOT BOYS. ;-)
One step closer to no more braces
The unconditional love of your Mom and Dad

I love you, Sweetheart! Have a fabulous day!

(Clearing Throat. . . )

2011-07-25T18:55:00.002-04:00

"Sounds great! Sorry I'll have to miss it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but no."

"Gee I wish I could, but I can't!"

"No. Sorry."

Just practicing.

Dear Jessie

2011-07-21T07:28:00.001-04:00

I heard the final sonic boom this morning.

Wish you were here!

Dear Jessie

2011-07-20T05:03:00.001-04:00

For a clue to the craziness, click here.

=)

Don't worry, there will be plenty to do when you return!

Yesterday, we started decorating the church for the wedding. Getting so excited!

Kelly got her hair cut and it's FABULOUS.

Cloé has told us that it's "never too early or too late" for chocolate. I wish you could hear her pronounce "chocolate." It's like "Choc - o - layte." =) I want to say it that way all the time now! The girl has it bad on the Moose Tracks.

Ty's truck is parked here. Makes me smile to see it when I come home each day.

I'm trying to find time and a good excuse to go see Julia! If she's speaking anywhere, I want to know about it. I'll text your Mom.

I'll hug your mom, too. I'm sure she wouldn't mind!

The dental office was crazy yesterday. You'll have to hear the details when you get home since I don't want broadcast it on the internet! I'm so proud of our Team and the way they handled everything!

Oh, and someone we both love whose initials are AG bought a house! Aaaahhhh!!! So happy!

That's all for now!

PS Glenna took Cloé to the W's and they watched Anne of Green Gables. And ate ice cream. With peanutbutter. Life is good!

Dear Jessie

2011-07-19T06:36:00.002-04:00

You're right, I need to blog! Many times I am having to share my computer with our French student, Cloe, though. In fact, I came in early to work so I could write this to you before clocking in!

We are all preparing for Sarita and Nathan's wedding. Wish you were here!

Kelly got her bottom braces on yesterday. Wish you were here!

Glenna still loves her room. Wish you could see it!

Himself was in Cleveland all week, and we're about to do something crazy and radical. Wish you were here, as I know you'd approve!

My Disney pass was expired and I couldn't get into the Park. That was embarrassing. I had used them all. Glad you weren't here for that one.

I don't know what news Ty has told you, so if he has any as surprises, I won't say anything to ruin anything that may be ruined!

Much love and hugs,
Mrs

PS I hope your food is holding out!

My Favorite So Far!

2011-07-05T06:22:00.002-04:00

Glenna week continues! =)

Before leaving for camp, Glenna was taking a creative writing class with Mrs. R. Since she'll be schooling differently next year, I was so thankful that Glenna had one more chance for instruction with Mrs. R! I love her assignments!

While this is undeniably my favorite poem, the following is, hands-down, my favorite paraphrased story. I'm sure you'll recognize this familiar tale, though it has a very unfamiliar setting!

Rightly Different
by Glenna W.

It was 1848, and the West was as harsh as it was giving. Although she proved herself as a brutal mistress, my pa squeezed out of her a wealthy living of cattle and had more success than any sheep herder could ever get even if he lived in a coat factory. But who cares about any wool-pokers; this here's about my little brother, Mick. The fool was never where he shoulda been and was lazy from his red head to his sixth toe. When I thought he couldn't get any dumber, he got it in his hollow head that he'd just up and skip all the work and ask Pa for all the money he was gonna get when Pa bit the dust, which turned out to be a lot of loot for one guy. Oddly enough, Pa gave it to him. Off Mick went with his crooked grin and fat pockets, leaving behind a distressed Pa and one angry brother.

As a year passed by, I became the best dang cow herder around. Not that it mattered or nuthin', I was too fed-up with that good-for-nuthin' brother that I'd snarl at the ranch hands 'til I had about as many friends as a grizzly. Pa never noticed. He was too busy hiking up a hill to check for that no-good cheat. On one particular day, the Swede man on the ranch gave me a letter with Mick's chicken scratch all over it. It said:

Jedd,

Wall, here I is in Californy lookin' for some gold. I'm puttin' Pa's money into some tools for siftin' and mebbe I'll use 'em one day. But the water's real cold and I hear the wimmin' like it better when ya got all yer toes on the end of yer foot. But heck! I got an extry one of those to spare! The other day a sheep man told me that if I don't get no gold I could mebbee work for him. He done said that if I can't handle the sheep he got ducks I can poke 'round. Little does he know I was the best hand on Pa's place! But I'll never need his help, that's for shore! The gals down at the saloon be callin' me, and who am I to refuse? I'd hate to be ya, Jedd!

~ Mick

With disgust, I tossed the letter like a dead rattler to the corner of the room and spat in its honor. I tipped back in my chair moodily and took my sweet time in brooding. My sulk was cut short with cries coming from outside. If it wasn't the hands shoutin', "He's back! He's home!" I bolted to the window to see none other than my brother swingin' home with my proud Pa's arm around his shoulder!

Limping out to where the action was, (them dumb cattle never can put their hooves where they should), I heard Pa ordering up a feast in honor of the rat. That did it. "Pa!" I exploded, "What are you thinking? Don't you know I have practically been running this place by myself because of the holes this kid left? Why on earth are you givin' him a party, let alone letting him step a foot on this ranch?"

Pa chuckled and roped me under his arm saying, "Jedd, you should know by now that all I got here is yours. As for your brother, he's been gone, but now he's back, and whatever he done is did and I'll forgive it. Because by Jove I love 'im! And I love you, too, so quit workin' so hard!"

With another hearty laugh, Pa walked off to see to the party. Looking at Mick critically, I grinned as a duck feather floated down from his coat. "Sheep get the best of ya?" I joked. He scowled at me. Then things seemed right again, but somehow I knew it was all going to be different.

The Other Room

2011-07-02T07:13:00.011-04:00

These are the photos of Ty's former room. It was the first room Himself painted when we moved into this house, seven years ago. The paint still looked great, but we had to clear out Ty's leftover "stuff" and get it ready for our guest! Glenna was able to help with this before she left for camp.

I really need to invest in a camera! This is a futon in the corner. We covered it with a slate grey sheet from Ikea.

When I picked Cloé up from the airport, I was explaining to her the surprise we had waiting for Glenna. She saw these photographs and asked if Glenna liked horses. When I told her that this was actually HER room, she was so delighted!

White duvet and sheets with slate grey pillowcases.

In hindsight, I would not have chosen such a patterned curtain for the closet area. It really limited our choices on bedding.

I left this photo in there. It's the little boy who used to occupy this room. ;-) So cute!

I'm glad Cloé was here for Glenna's surprise! She was understandably exhausted and we all went to bed early.

Except for Glenna. I could hear her exploring her new room all night. =)

For Glenna (and a ton of photos!)

2011-07-01T22:20:00.036-04:00

While Glenna was at Youth Camp with her church youth group, I decided we'd do an Extreme Makeover on her room. It was time! Her bed was one we had from California and it was horrible. The boards had broken on the box spring and it sagged in the middle. It also smelled badly and I'm sure it wasn't good for her back!

Kelly and Glenna were having some sister time, browsing on the computer, so Kelly was able to spy out what her sister would like for a new bedroom. Glenna left on Monday and we got to work! Himself was supposed to be out of town from Tuesday to Thursday and I agonized over that since it meant he'd have to paint and then we'd decorate, all in one day. Thankfully, he came home Wednesday night! He did one coat of yellow on Wednesday night, then he would head upstairs to paint a coat in between his calls and work. The painting was completely finished by Thursday!

We were also trying to prepare Ty's former room for our visiting student, Cloé. I could not have done everything I did without the tremendous help of my Kelly! She braved Ikea with me, still recovering from having her wisdom teeth removed. I was so thankful to have her to help me focus, make decisions, and do the labor. Paul H also came and helped move things up and down these stairs, which is a story itself!

We had already taken out the top mattress and a lot of stuff from the floor before I realized I needed some "before" photos!

The room is 7' by 9' and there really wasn't room for this dresser. We put it in Ty's old closet for guests. I decided to get bins for her clothing that would fit under her bed.

We gutted the room completely and then the painting began.
This is actually something he enjoys on occasion. He says it's therapeutic.

First coat. It would take three to cover.

Re-arranging her tiny closet.

We had to take apart her school desk in order to get it up the stairs.

Kelly and I sat in the room once the painting was finished and agonized for quite a while on where we would place everything. It looks like she's about to film an action shot in front of a green screen!

The next morning, the assembly work begins!

First Branch.

"Yikes!"

They peel and stick easily. It will be interesting to see the durability!

We originally wanted to place these next to the bird picture, below, but we decided they were a more delightful surprise hiding on the side of the desk where she could only see them when she was in bed.

I just loved this squatty little lamp at Ikea!

Finished tree! We deliberately left some frames empty for Glenna to fill with her photography.

This is the quilt that started the entire thing. She fell in love with it in a Pottery Barn for Teens catalog quite a while ago. I think she had her fingers crossed when it went on sale!

Navy blue Jersey sheet, Target. Yellow Polka-Dot duvet from Ikea. Accent pillows from Target.

She really needed a central place for books and study. No school books yet, because she's FINISHED for the summer!

The next series of photos were taken as I stood in the corner of her room, waiting for her to come in. I apologize for the blurriness, but all I had was my iPod!

Talking to Kelly. . . .

. . . .beginning to register. . . .

. . . she sees The Quilt!

My Desk!

"I can't believe it!"

What's this???

She sees the tree. . .

It's so pretty!

One Happy Girl

Another fun Poll!

2011-06-29T10:36:00.001-04:00

I made a poll about going to the dentist.

Heh heh.

Have fun!

A Chance to Practice Hospitality!

2011-06-27T23:08:00.002-04:00

There are still 2 boys and 2 girls who need host families (all aged 16), and the students arrive on Friday!

If you are able, PLEASE consider hosting for 29 days or even 2 weeks! We'd be happy to walk you through this process. It's an amazing experience that your entire family will treasure!

Please contact me with any questions.

Our New Addiction

2011-06-24T05:57:00.001-04:00

It's well worth the process!

Himself on the phone to a friend:

The wife's making some kind of hooch in the kitchen that she's straining through a sock!

Hooch? That's funny! I haven't heard that term since prison!

No, it wasn't a sock. It was cheesecloth.

Yes, he knows someone who was in prison. Doesn't everyone?

;-)

Eight Days. . .

2011-06-23T06:44:00.001-04:00

. . . until we meet our newest French Student!

This time, for the first time, we are getting a girl. We've making the upstairs Teen Girl Central since Ty's room is empty. She will have her 16th birthday here with us.

We're so excited!

We have a million things planned (well, ok, at least SEVEN), so if you live nearby, prepare for adventure!,

Eye See You!

2011-06-22T06:41:00.001-04:00

Isn't this the creepiest and funniest thing you've ever seen?

Someone stuck this google-eye on the mannequin. A little girl was going to pick it off and I freaked her out by saying, "Wait! I want a picture and then you can have it!"

She looked at me like I was nuts and hurried over to her mother's side.

Imagine that.

A Good Day

2011-06-21T06:16:00.002-04:00

Just before Kelly left for Ukraine, this typical scene . . .

. . . would become the atypical scene. This blurry photo captured the last night all three of my children lived under the same roof.

The first week of June, Ty moved into his own apartment!

The pile of items continued to grow in the family room.
In fact, now that they're gone, Jessie remarked that our room looks so spacious!

Unlike his brief move to Tennessee, however, this time I was able to be fully involved. I was able to shop to my heart's content (and wallet's limit) to bless him one more time.
I was able to hang the towels and straighten them on the towel bar.

We watched as he assembled his new dining chairs.

We planned furniture placement and kitchen arrangement.
Jessie's sitting near where the couch would be.

The next day, we moved the large items up three flights of stairs (and I use the term "we" very, very loosely), fluffed pillows, made the bed, filled the fridge, and went home.

Without him.

And God saw that it was good.

And it is.

An Orphan No More

2011-06-20T06:13:00.001-04:00

Over a year ago, I wrote about a little girl waiting in Rwanda for her family.

Saturday night, I embarrassed myself with the ugly cry when I met her and touched her and couldn't stop looking at her.

Her name is Laina.

She's 11 months old.

She's precious and beautiful and wonderful, and she's HOME.

This says it all

2011-06-17T08:19:00.001-04:00

Any questions?

This was taken at the park downtown, and there were vagrants all over the place. None of them were on the benches, and none of them were in the bushes.

Good thing!

A Fun Poll!

2011-06-15T10:31:00.002-04:00

Hey all, stop over here and take a quick poll, will you?

Thanks!

Last night, all three kids were once again at the table for supper, plus his Brown-Eyed Girl. I was sooooo sleepy, but I loved it.

Can't wait to hear more of Kelly's Ukraine visit! She's been trying to adjust her clock back to the USA.

In other news, we're receiving a French Student again! This will be our first year with a girl and we can't wait to meet her!

Tuesday is Guest Star Day!

2011-06-14T07:33:00.001-04:00

Yes, we're still alive.

Yes, Kelly's home from Ukraine.

We got home at 2 am.

I want you all to go over to Dr.'s blog and meet our newest team member, Denise!

I hope to be working with her for a long time. =)

Be sure and leave some comment love!

Blog posts to come . . . so much happening!

Yes!

2011-06-09T06:40:00.002-04:00

It looks like all these years of blogging has paid off!

I have been asked to start a blog for our office. Sorry I haven't blogged here this week! I do have a lot of posts I need to put up.

Anyway, go check out those fabulous teammates of mine! But sure to leave some comments, too!

Alive

2011-05-27T05:59:00.003-04:00

See this?

I refuse to touch it, because if I do, it will die.

Kelly brought these flowers home from school and transplanted them into this pot.

They are thriving!

I'm staying away from them.

Tools for Tots

2011-05-26T05:48:00.002-04:00

I love this family!

I love how this former high school student, who welded together an amazing contraption with three wheels and a motor, now has this:

A sippy cup in his back pocket.

And he likes it.

Did I mention I love this family?

Get to Work!

2011-05-25T05:54:00.001-04:00

Last month, there was "Bring Your Child to Work Day."

So, with Dr. D's permission, I did!

Miss Nancy had a ton of little projects for her to do.

I had a ton of filing for her to do.

I also brought her into the back and had her do some of the sterilization, but I didn't let her touch anything sharp.

The next day, Miss Nancy and I were wishing she was still there! She was so helpful!

Fragile

2011-05-24T05:35:00.004-04:00

I bought Himself a new wedding band for our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

I talked extensively with the sales person about the best ring to purchase.

I told him how Himself is very rough with his hands, that he's always pounding on things (drummer) and he fidgets with his hands and ring quite a bit.

The sales person told me that Tungsten is the ring for him. He said it was the most scratch resistant of all the metals. He told me that stainless would discolor.

What he did NOT tell me, however, was that if it were dropped on a terrazzo floor, it would do this:

90 Days to the DAY of the purchase, we took it back to the jewelry store. My original sales person wasn't there so we we talked to someone else. I can't fully convey the ridiculousness of our conversation. She tried to convince me that ANYTHING dropped on a floor would break. She actually said, "If I were to drop my glasses or my phone on the floor, I know they would break." She even told me that she had a customer hit his with a hammer and complain when it broke.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Evidently, this ring is made of Tungsten CARBIDE. This makes it like ceramic, not steel. Tungsten Carbide will, indeed, shatter if dropped on a hard surface.

Had I known this, and knowing his habits, I would have walked away from this ring immediately.

New sales person told us we would have to pay $20 to ship the broken ring to the manufacture so they could send us a new one. I told her SHE could pay the $20 and give us a new ring. She said I was outside my 90 day exchange limit. I told her it was 90 days to the DAY and had the receipt to prove it. She told us she couldn't pay $20 for every person who came in with a broken ring. I shut up at this point, but Himself told her this was unacceptable.

She gave us a new ring.

I will be shopping for another ring, one made out of REAL metal and that will last for another 25 years.

Disappointment.

Snapshot

2011-05-23T05:51:00.007-04:00

Have you ever had a completely innocuous event happen, but then when you look back at the photos, you realize it was actually momentous?

Sometimes I forget how much Ty hates for me to take his picture. I have countless photos of a scowling teen peering/glaring through his long hair, indicating that if I didn't put the camera down immediately I would be in big trouble.

Then he had a heart change. It seems as though he realized that it would take only a few seconds and history could be documented and he could move on with life. I now have photos of a smiling, adult son! (I'm thinking his Brown-Eyed Girl may have had something to do with it.) I'm so thankful for this!

Once in a while, though, he has simply had enough.

The night before Easter, when they were all coloring eggs, I was happily snapping away for documentation. They finished the eggs and cleaned up, and we had all gathered onto the big red couch (AKA Red Mammoth). I was still taking pictures when Ty stuck his hand out like he hasn't done in a while:

"Will you stop taking pictures? Please?"

This next shot shows me in Mama Rebellion, stubbornly taking his photo again with the thought of, "Don't tell me what to do, young man! I'll take your picture if I darn well please!"

And there it is. There's the momentous occasion.

In the first photo, his other hand is beginning to reach for his ringing cell phone. In the second photo, he's walking away from the noisy women with his phone to his ear, answering it.

It was the call he had been waiting for, the call telling him he could lease the apartment he'd been asking about, and when could they meet?

My firstborn now has a Landlord and will be moving out June 1st, a month earlier than originally planned. We are SO excited for him!

Since then, there have been arrivals of furniture.
He borrowed a co-worker's truck so he could bring home his new couch.

Of course, we all had to test it, and then he covered it back up with the plastic to keep the dogs from it. Actually, I think he'd prefer concertina wire and laser beams with an alarm system to keep them from three feet of the couch!

Bed frame, coffee table, all are gathering in anticipation of his move. He has a place to sit, a place to sleep (once he gets the mattress) and a plan for table and chairs.

He: Get furniture for apartment.

Me: What's his color scheme?!?

He: Do laundry at Mom's.

Me: Do laundry at Mom's!

He: I could eat some meals at Mom's.

Me: Eat meals at Mom's!

He: Plans for Mega Media Setup.

Me: Eat meals at Mom's!

Himself and I could not be more proud of our son. He has done all we have asked him to do, and he has done it well. We have done all we could to prepare him for his future and he has a great job, great plans, and a great God. The time is so right for this milestone! Once again, I'm experiencing the pains of the season I'm in, but it's not in a wailing and weeping kind of way.

This is good and right and wonderful, but my firstborn is leaving forever. There are centuries, millennia of parents who have walked this path, and now I am one of them. Bittersweet, I look forward with great anticipation to all that comes next!

When the Cat's Away . . .

2011-05-20T05:20:00.002-04:00

. . . at a dental convention in Chicago . . .

. . . and there are no patients on the schedule. . .

. . . and there are no hygienists scheduled that same day . . .

. . . .the mice. . ..

. . . wear colors!!!!

Our normal scrubs are black and khaki. The first time I went into the office on a doctor-out-of-town-and-no-hygiene-day, I couldn't believe the bright colors everyone was wearing to do their work! I planned and plotted and found these bright scrubs, then waited for my moment.

Tabitha didn't disappoint, either!

Tomatoes

2011-05-19T05:12:00.002-04:00

We, along with several other families, each have a 10x10 garden plot at our church. There's also a few plots planted for those in need.

It's been a wonderful experiment!

I think we were the first family to get plants in the ground. A dear friend (and wise farmer) warned us that we may have been planting too early as there was still a frost to come.

The frost did indeed come and I thought my tomato plants were a goner. Surprisingly, they survived their pitiful, wilted state and came back stronger than ever!

Right now, until I can get Glenna and Kelly out there to plant more seeds, the tomatoes are the only thing left in our plot that yielded broccoli, cabbage and lettuce. The problem was the bugs were eating the tomatoes before we could! Since we only went out there once per week, I'd see one starting to ripen and think I would pick it the next week, but it'd be half eaten when I saw it again.

The solution was to pick then when they were still slightly green and let them ripen on our window sill.

Now I think of my Mom every time I walk into the kitchen. She always planted tomatoes, and there were always tomatoes ripening on the back of the sink.

Delicious!

Ink Blot Test?

2011-05-18T15:35:00.002-04:00

I just got home from work, had kicked off my shoes, and was scanning blogs and emails.

I half listened as Kelly came into my room and said, "Mom, I'm going to hold up some items. I want you to tell me what you see. Do you see trash, or do you see something else?"

Thinking she was going to show me some modern art work, I slowly dragged my gaze to the foot of my bed where she was sitting. This is the sight that greeted me:

Rather than ink blots and modern art, Kelly was holding up each item of mail and papers that I had left on the table.

=/

=D

Where We Feel Appreciated!

2011-05-13T05:05:00.002-04:00

For Administrator Appreciation Day, we were surprised by Dr. and Mrs. D with a basketful of goodies!

After our Morning Huddle, Neb asked Dr. D, "Is it time?" I was new to this, so I didn't know what she meant.

"Yes," he replied. "It's time."

That's when Neb started digging in to her basket. He didn't have to tell me twice!

Thank you, Dr. and Mrs. D! We certainly felt appreciated, and still do!