Teddy Roosevelt

And my kids very favorite cousin of all:

Walt Disney

Of course, Ancestry is very careful to say that they aren't promising you are related to these people, but according to their records--it could be true. In a way it's not completely believable--You wouldn't believe the number of people we are related to when you take into account both sides of our family. There were many, many more. Wow--it's fun to think about anyway! Aren't you proud you know me?

Labels: Family

• Monday-Homemade sloppy joes, homemade spicy potato wedges, corn (from this month's taste of home magazine)
• Tuesday-Baked Bar-B-Q Chicken, steamed broccoli, fruit
• Wednesday-Chicken and Dumplings at church
• Thursday-Stuffed pasta shells, green beans, garlic bread
• Friday-Breakfast for supper--eggs, sausage, biscuits
• Saturday-Chicken and rice soup, bread, apple pie (B. will be home late on this night-Yay-I want plenty of leftovers of this for Sunday after church. He will be tired and wanting home-cooking. This is his favorite of all I make.)

We had a great time in Memphis--the kids loved Graceland. The mall was wonderful--we only get to a big mall once or twice a year, so it was a treat. We spent too much. K. and I both got new swimsuits. We also enjoyed the time with grandparents-- and the food was great. B.'s dad grilled rib eye steaks for us. We had a blast at the zoo on Saturday--it was the best to be with my sister and her family. We haven't seen them since Thanksgiving. The place was packed, but it wasn't too hot. We even got to see some of those African elephants that my hubby is seeing out in the wild. B. called at 4 AM on Sunday morning--and I was never so thrilled to get a phone call. My heart was racing forever because of the wake-up call, but it was wonderful to hear his voice and to know all was well. No luck with the elephant yet. I have pictures from the weekend to share, but they are in my daughter's camera--and she is off babysitting today. Have a great week everyone.

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

Well, B. left this morning--dark and early--330 AM. He called at 430 pm Central and was getting ready to take off for South Africa. The flight is 15 hours long--so I am assuming he will be there around 730 AM central--what a very long flight. I hate that I won't be able to speak with him for 10 days. That is a very long time! Hopefully, he will have some access to email--that would be great. Anyway, the kids and I are headed out the door early in the morning to spend a couple days in Memphis--we are excited and ready to go! Graceland and the Zoo--with a side trip to the mall and a day at the in-laws. It will be a nice diversion and will pass the time in a fun way until Daddy gets home. Before I leave, though, I wanted to get this Meme out that Annie tagged me for simply ages ago! Where do you eat out? Here are the rules:

1. Link to name of person that tagged you.
2. Include state and country you live in.
3. List top five favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged.

OK--we live in a small town--Mississippi in the United States--so I am not going to list local places--I am also going to list all time favorites from other locations we have lived--I hope you don't mind. I'm such a rebel--like someone else I know!!

1. Lambert's in Sikeston, Missouri--Home of the Throwed Rolls. If you ever get a chance to go here, you should really take it. Yum. Good home cooking--and something called "Norm's Pass-Arounds" that come free of charge and are brought around to the tables and they will dip you some if you want--these include things like fried okra, macaroni with tomatoes, fried potatoes and onions, etc. They also have locations in Ozark, Missouri and Foley, Alabama. The atmosphere here can't be compared. A blast.
2. Tomato Street in Spokane, Washington--I have dreamed of going back here since we left Spokane 7 years ago--it's the first place I would head if we ever get to go back for a visit. This is a wonderful Italian restaurant with the best Baked Spaghetti. I also learned what Spumoni was here! Delightful! Oh, and I almost forgot about the Strawberry Lemonade--to die for.
3. Ruby Tuesdays--I love, love, love the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday. Supposedly, our town is going to get one of these--it's been the rumor for a good year now. Oh, how I wish this would happen. The closest to us right now is over a half hour away. This makes me sad. No MSG here, which makes it a fave for hubby.
4. Jason's Deli--Nothing beats this place--great deli sandwiches and a salad bar that closely rivals Ruby Tuesday. They have a lot of organic foods here. Plus, everyone gets free ice cream. We have to travel over an hour to get to one of these. Also no MSG--big points for this family.
5. Cracker Barrel--My favorite thing in the world to eat here is the Chicken and Dumpling's, Fried Okra, and the green beans. Yum--I may just have to stop by a Cracker Barrel in Memphis this weekend. The closest one to us is an hour away.

OK, I am supposed to tag five people. This is hard--I think I will tag

Mandalyn --the south, Laura--east coast for now, Christy--the south, Kittyhox the Pacific Northwest (which is where my beloved Tomato Street is), and Military Mommy--California, for now!

Labels: Meme

I was tagged again for the Random 7. Sweet Sara at The Estrogen Files is the culprit--actually, I am only to glad to comply! Here we go:

1. My first car was a 1976 yellow Ford pinto. Ugly as sin.
2. I love to watch Little House on the Prairie.
3. I was not allowed to go to movies or school dances when I was growing up. The first movie I saw was, "The Gremlins" when I was in 7th grade. I had gone to my cousin's house in St. Louis for the week and they went. My parents never knew about that.
4. I have a floating kidney. I can't believe I forgot that one. ( This means that it is not attached as it should be and flops forward in my stomach when I am standing or sitting. It is in its right place only when I am lying down. I was born this way--apparently.--I didn't know about it until after my first pregnancy caused it to shift or something.)
5. I do not wear sun glasses--I don't like them. I read once that your eyes soak up good things from the sun and it keeps you healthy.
6. Have I said before that I'm not a water person? I would like to be--it really does look like fun--sort of... I usually sit on the sidelines and watch. Waterslides are fun, but once is enough for me. I make myself go for the kids.
7. When I have to sleep away from home, I usually can't fall asleep until around 3 am. When we are on vacation as a family, we do not schedule early activities. I just about "die" when we have to get up before 8 or 9. We are getting ready to go to the Chicago area for JBQ Nationals, and I am already dreading the wake up calls! I've tried sleeping pills for trips, but they make me feel worse than if I hadn't slept.

And there you have it-7 totally random and boring things about me!

Have a wonderful day.

Labels: Meme

• Monday-Fried Venison (from last week), leftover corn casserole and noodles with tomatoes
• Tuesday- Chicken and Dumplins
• Wednesday- Church
• Thursday--Going to Graceland and the mall (packing a picnic of egg salad sandwiches and junk for lunch)
• Friday--at in-laws--don't know what we are eating, but I know it will be yummy!
• Saturday--the Zoo
• Sunday--out to eat, I'm sure

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

My hubby has had a few health issues the past couple of years--nothing life threatening, by any means--but they have been a nuisance--and painful, to say the least. He's had two shoulder surgeries, an elbow surgery, another minor surgery- ahem..., and he may be having knee surgery in a few weeks (after Africa, of course). Yesterday, B. came home from the dentist and they had told him that his gums have receded, and they need to do something about it. (This is the military, they own him, and won't let him do nothing.) Apparently, it's pretty bad. Only one thing they can do-- Yep--SURGERY! I have to say that this did not shock me in the least. I've gotten pretty used to my husband and his surgical ways. What we can't get over is how they are wanting to fix this problem. When the dentist told him what they wanted to do, B. immediately said, "Second opinion, please." Can you believe that they want to use the gums of a cadaver to fix B.'s problem? A dead person's gums? UGH. I'm afraid B. just wasn't able to stomach that--and I just don't know if I am able to either--after all, I'm the one kissing him! So, he is off to another doctor today to see what else they might do. I can almost guarantee that he will choose anything but that. We don't have a thing against dead people, mind you. We are so thankful for medical advances that make us able to use the organs of the dead in order to save lives--the liver, kidneys, eyes---a miraculous gift--but gums? Strange gums in my husband's mouth--it will be like kissing two for the price of one! **The second dentist completely agrees with the base dentist. I was totally surprised. Let me just say that neither of us is very happy about it. Eww! I'll be sure to let you know what happens.**

Labels: Family, Health/Fitness

I have been asked for these recipes a couple of times--I forgot to post them when I said I would. So sorry for that.

Labels: Food

My computer had to go to the hospital yesterday, and I have been forced to use the laptop. I am not a big fan--I know everyone else seems to like them. I just don't. Perhaps it's because my hubby bought the biggest one he could find--huge--like a big screen television or something--Not the lightest or easiest to tote around. I may like this thing better, though, when I can move it to different locations--I'll build up some muscle tone too.You see, we don't have wi-fi yet, so the laptop must sit on the desk. We did manage to hook it up to Internet--which I am thankful for. Woo Hoo--I didn't have to go three days without my beloved bloggy friends! (We are hoping to get the wi-fi set up very soon--maybe tomorrow. We shall see.) Now to the reason for this post: I got bit by the organizing bug this week. I went all crazy and tackled several different things. First, I went through my closet and cleaned out three trash bags full of clothes--my clothes only. I could have filled three bags with hubby's clothes too, if I had had permission. I was relentless in my pursuit of unworn clothing. You see, back in February, I took some advice from Laura, and hung all our hangers backwards on the rod. After something was worn--and cleaned, of course, we hung it back up with the hanger turned the right way. My plan was to get rid of everything that hadn't been turned back around by the next February. I couldn't wait. I got rid of every single sweater on my shelf that I didn't wear this past winter--jeans and other pants too. That hurt. What's with my emotional attachment to clothes anyway? You should see all the space I have, though! So worth it. No, I'm not taking pictures--I don't have any before pictures--so it wouldn't be very dramatic anyway. And I know I should have done this for a Tackle It Tuesday, but that would have required me to remember. Anyhoo, I also bought some new hanging shoe bags and got rid of the broken shoe racks on the floor. All my "church" shoes are now hanging--along with the other shoes I don't wear as often--on the rod. My most worn shoes are on the floor. This must have made a huge change in our closet, because B. actually noticed. And that is something. And that's not all I did, my friends. There's more. I also completely cleaned out my home school cabinet. Another trash bag or two filled with trash, and two huge boxes of books to sell. I just need to find someone who wants 4th and 9th grade Bob Jones books. Let me know if you are interested or know of someone who might be. I will sell them cheap--dirt cheap. If that wasn't enough, I went through all my jewelry--threw away the broken stuff, gave away (to my youngest daughter) the stuff I haven't worn in years, and organized everything. I have to say that I found some things I had forgotten about. Fun! And now I'm off to find something else to organize--hope this bug bite wears off soon!

Labels: Just Me

I wanted to show a picture of my little southern belle. NOT! When my little girl is home, she usually looks just like this--what you can't see is the DIRT! She always wears the military hat outside and is barefoot when possible.

Labels: Kids

I have three things to update you on today.

• First, we have decided to cancel the summer vacation in Gatlinburg and have re-scheduled for the first week of October. The kids will be on Fall Break then, and will only have to miss a couple days of school. I feel good about the decision, and have already made plans to do a couple things with the kids that are semi-local. I am looking forward to us all being together for vacation in the fall.
• Secondly, we got the kids achievement test scores back on Wednesday. Yay! My kids all did well. Sometimes, I wonder what in the world I worry so much about! There were some minor gaps in a couple subjects for one of my children, but we have devised a plan to take care of that this summer! I'm excited about that. They will be ready when August comes and it's time to head off to school--ahem...for the very first time.

• And thirdly, it is time to discuss the past week's successes and failures in the May Day Weight Challenge. Start weight: 137.9 This week: 137.1

I am not completely sure about my weight loss, but think it is down 1/2 pound. My new scales aren't as great as I thought they would be. I was very good this past week with my eating--in spite of a special Mother's Day German chocolate cake and my husband's birthday key lime pie. I stayed under my calorie goal except for 2 days--and I had exercised on one of those. I was able to exercise 4 times. I am running/walking and going to Curves.

Labels: Homeschool, Just Me, Kids

1. He is a great husband. He would do anything for me. I know that.
2. He is a wonderful father. He is very involved in their activities--Bible Quiz, drama, basketball, etc. He coached two basketball teams this year so that he could coach both of his kids.
3. He was born in a very small town in Missouri. Very.
4. He is a preacher's kid.
5. He is the oldest of three.
6. He was Salutatorian of his Senior class.
7. He loves all things hunting.--especially bow-hunting.
8. He is a pilot in the Air Force.
9. He once got knocked out by a softball at 2nd base while playing for our church team.
10. He can not stop in the middle of anything.
11. He hates to be late.
12. He thinks Mountain Dew is the dew of Heaven. Mocha comes in next.
13. He has been all over the world--Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa...and many more.
14. He enjoys reading, but never takes the time to do it. He will listen to audio books in the truck. He does manage, however, to do a Sudoku puzzle every day.
15. If he sees a need, he tries to meet it. He is well known for his phone calls to check on people.
16. He is a cameraman for a TV show.
17. He always holds me when I need him too.
18. He is severely MSG intolerant.
19. He has a beautiful singing voice.
20. He has totalled two motorcycles. He will not be owning another.
21. He has always made me laugh.
22. He is a man of integrity--he is always the same.
23. He likes for me to have the things I want, and will make sure I get them--within monetary reason.
24. He sings in the shower. The Star Spangled Banner.
25. He admits when he is wrong, but you'd better have proof. !!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby! I love you higher than the sky!

Labels: Family

What shall we eat this week? I have a bit of a plan--we'll just have to see how it goes.

• Monday-Today is my hubby's 39th birthday. I have been making the same meal for his birthday for the past 18 years. His mother made the same meal all the years before that. We will be having Ham Pie, green beans, applesauce, and key lime pie.
• Tuesday- Parmesan chicken, rice, lima beans
• Wednesday- Meatloaf at church
• Thursday-Scrambled eggs and Overnight Apple French Toast (new for us--will post recipe if we like it)
• Friday-Grilled marinated chicken, baked potatoes, broccoli
• Saturday-Fried venison tenderloin, corn casserole, garden salad, jello salad
• Sunday--probably Pizza Hut!

Go visit Laura for other menu plans and have a wonderful week. http://orgjunkie.blogspot.com/2007/05/menu-plan-monday-may-14th.html

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

Labels: Family, Just Me

Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, I wanted to link to something that I found linked to at Laura's place. It may help to keep things in perspective come Sunday. It spoke to me--since I was one who had run a bath and cried my eyes out over disappointments this week. (I'm all better now!) I hope it speaks to you. You can find it here at Faith Lifts.

Labels: Blogging Info.

Ok, here's the scoop! My hubby has the distinct pleasure of being a part of a television show on the Sportsman Channel called Broadside Adventures. (The picture below is a link to their website --you should really go there and watch the little film clip they have--it's cute.) My cousin's husband is the host of this show, and they are in their second season. My hubby is National Marketing Director and a cameraman for them, and has loved every minute of it. B. has been able to go on several hunts with the show--he usually films the hunts, but he has hunted and had his hunts aired before. Last year, he was able to go to Canada with them and get his first black bear. It was very cool to watch that on TV. Anyway... Recently, Rocky called and asked B. is he would be able to go with him to Zimbabwe, Africa (all expenses paid) for an elephant hunt. Rocky has been asked to kill a nuisance elephant that has been bothering villages there (if I understood correctly). Anyway, he will be using a bow for this hunt, and has been getting ready physically for this for the past couple weeks or so. B. is thrilled to be going--even though he won't be hunting, and I am glad that he has this opportunity--truly, I am. Of course, this means that our family will not get to have a summer vacation this year. B. gets 30 days a year with the military, and he has used a great deal of them to hunt. We had a trip to Gatlinburg planned the very week of this African hunt--so we had to decide as a family what to do. We all voted that daddy should go to Africa--sort of. He owes us BIG, though---and he knows it. Boy, does he know it. Let me just add that I wasn't overly happy about this at first--and I shed a lot of tears before I came to terms with it. I could never take this away from him, but, darn it, I wanted to go to Gatlinburg. And let me say that when my real life friends heard about it, they were none too happy with B. Mandalyn was shooting daggers with her eyes on Wednesday night!! So, I am left with a dilemma--do I pack up the kids and take them to Gatlinburg myself, or do I wait until my hubby can go, and postpone it until October? I truly can't decide. Help!!!

Labels: Family

Here's a tiny little hint of where my Hubby is going in 12 days.

Labels: Family

Ok--I've decided to go for it and try to lose those pesky few pounds I've been wanting to lose. I know I don't have too much to lose--but my mom always told me to lose it while there's not much. I never had any problems with my weight until I hit my thirties. Since then, I have had to continually watch what I eat and I started exercising very regularly in the last year and a half (I'm almost 39.) I had no choice but to start the exercising (by going to Curves and running) as my weight was going up in spite of my careful eating. I want to lose 6-8 pounds. I have gone to a calorie counter website and have calculated how many calories I can eat every day in order to lose this amount by September 18th. I can also keep my food and exercise log there. I have to say that I am pretty weak in the whole junk food area--I won't be able to give up that Coke at lunch, --something else will have to go!! My plan of attack is to cut way back on desserts. So, pray for me and all the others who have entered this challenge. I'm excited! I guess I had better go out and buy me some scales--weigh-in's are on Tuesdays.

Labels: Just Me

First, let me apologize for being what Annie called "MIA" the past few days. There has been a lot going on around here, and I am trying to deal with it all. I have been reading every one's posts--just haven't had the energy to do any commenting. I am going to start fresh tomorrow, and I promise you will see me around your place again soon. I did want to take a few minutes to post a couple pictures from the play. This particular play was copyrighted, so I have precious few pictures. We were not supposed to take pictures or video-tape during the play performance--so I took a bunch of pictures during the dress rehearsal. A technicality, I'm sure. I also don't want to post any close up or full front pictures of anyone without their permission. So, here's a couple that I felt ok about posting.

Labels: Family

I just can't tell you how glad I am that last week is over. Our family is finally going to be able to slow down a little and recover from "Annie". My extended family was not able to come after all--which we were sad about--but understood. The play was just wonderful--I will post about it tomorrow-hopefully. For now, I need to get this week's meals planned. Here's what I've got for now.

• Monday- My mentor is making dinner for all her "mentee's" tonight--and then we are having a scavenger hunt--with my mentor,there is no telling what this will involve. This is our last meeting before our summer break. I don't know what I will be having (I know it will be good) and the rest of my family is eating left-over stuffed pasta shells, green beans, and corn.
• Tuesday-Chicken stir-fry over rice-- I enjoyed this so much last week that I planned for it again.
• Wednesday-Fried Chicken at church.
• Thursday-Hamburger casserole, green peas, green salad
• Friday-Burgers on the grill, corn on cob, french fries or maybe potato salad. (We didn't get to the burgers last week.)
• Saturday-leftovers
• Sunday-Out to eat and I'm making a German chocolate cake and something Mexican to take to Life groups.

Nice and Simple. I am looking forward to having some time to plan out my meals a little better--get a little creative with some recipes--just as soon as school is out. Have a great week everyone and head over to Laura's for more menu plans.

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

Marcia tagged me for this meme last week. It's been so crazy that I am just now getting around to it. I pretty much try to keep things simple around here. I have one book that I use--it lives on my kitchen counter. I don't generally take it with me when I go out--it's so big. Here are a few pictures and then I'll tell you what I keep in it. (It is one of the cheapies from Wal*Mart.) The weekly planner pages below are where I write all the daily things I have to do--errands, appt., housecleaning chores, JBQ study, etc., - go on the left page. The right page is where I keep track of my daily water drinking and my menu plan for the week. I have a separate notepad for my grocery list. The monthly planning page is where I see the big picture. The month below is August--the only thing on the calendar so far is my hair appt. (I keep my hair appts. 6 months in advance--it is necessary with my hairdresser--and I would just about have to be on my death bed to miss an appointment because there's usually no getting another appt. until your next scheduled-- just ask Mandalyn --our hairdresser is extremely sought after-to say the least.) And that about does it for me--I would really love to have a palm pilot--nothing fancy--it would be a lot easier to carry with me. I would especially like to have the menu-grocery program they have for palms. I doubt I would stop using this, though. I'm a pencil and paper kind of gal!

Labels: Meme

or maybe this:

Labels: Just Me