I am so glad that the weekend is here, and that it will be a long one. My hubby and kids will be home for three days straight. I am hoping for a nice movie night--with pizza--tonight. We will be working on Bug Collections tomorrow--got to get them finished up for Science class. Sunday, we only have service in the morning, and then we are having lunch with the Grace and Hope family. Monday, there are no plans--except B plans to do a little golfing with Mr. Coach J. (that's funny--how'd you like that, Jenny's dh?) The weather looks to be wonderful, and I am just going to enjoy it. I hope you all have a great weekend. Oh, I almost forgot--I never did divulge my personality from my personality post a little while back. I meant to--and never got around to it. I just know you've been hanging on to the edge of your seats waiting! So, I am about 65 % Phlegmatic (peaceful), 33% Melancholy (perfect), and 2% Sanguine (popular). I don't have a choleric (powerful) bone in my body. Which is funny, because B--who is highly choleric, doesn't have a phlegmatic bone! I just think it's so interesting how opposites attract! Anyway--I'll be back on Monday! Have fun.

Labels: Just Me

We were driving home from church last night, listening to some good music, and talking about what had happened in classes that evening, when a nice white pickup truck pulled up beside us in the passing lane. I didn't think much of it at first, but the truck stayed even with us, so I looked over--no one else was paying attention. What I found was a truck full of guys waving and honking. You know, like they were flirting or something. Whatever. Anyway, I smiled and waved and they went on. My youngest asked what those guys were doing so I told her that they must have seen something they liked--(my teenage daughter was up front too--by the way) . She said, " What? Were they blind? Can't they see you're old and married?" And that, my friends, says it all, don't you think?

Labels: Kids

Another week-they seem to fly by so quickly. Here's the plan for this week:

• Monday- Leftover Lasagna from life groups last night
• Tuesday-Crock pot chicken and veggies
• Wednesday-Deer (summer) sausage, cheese and crackers (and whatever is leftover in the fridge)
• Thursday- Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread
• Friday-We'll eat at the football game.
• Saturday- Grilled chicken, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, and German chocolate cake

And here's the link to my recipe for the week over at my food blog.

Visit Laura for more great menu plans.

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

I have a cold. No one else in my family has a cold. I stay home all day. By myself. They are gone all day. With people. Why, then, am I the one who's sick? They are nothing more than a bunch of germ-carriers--and something is just wrong with that. For some reason, my not being able to breathe seems to be directly linked to my ability to blog. I'll be back next week, y'all, and hopefully, I will be a better bloggy friend, and actually, you know--comment! ***On a side note, I can't tell you how excited I am about seeing our local Y's play performance tonight. They are doing, "Back to Mayberry", and since I will know several people in it--it's going to be fun. My family is not participating for the first time in over two years--that's kind of sad, but couldn't be helped because of school. ****On another side note, I am taking my oldest to get her driver's permit in just a few minutes. PRAY!

Labels: Just Me

The kids have finished their first week of school, and they all seem to be pretty stinkin' excited about the weekend. We went to the first football game Friday night. Let me just say that my knowledge about the wonderful, revered game of football is pretty limited. Here is what I can gather from the game. 1. Everybody runs down the field; one of them with the ball. 2. Everybody slams into the one with the ball and they all fall down. 3. Everybody gets up and does the first two steps all over again. 4. The crowd claps and cheers. So, as you can see, I know all I need to know. I have told my friends and family that any game that always has an ambulance in attendance is no game for MY son. And I'm quite serious. I am praying that my hubby won't over rule me, because my son so wants to play. And so does my youngest daughter--you can start administering oxygen now--just thinking about THAT makes me hyper-ventilate. Anyway, after the game, my oldest went to a "High School Musical II" party, so we had to kill time until midnight. Thankfully, our good friends had already asked us to come play Farkle. We had a good time, even though it was my bedtime when we arrived at Jenny's house. I'm so glad we introduced the game to them! We had a great time. And enjoyed good food. *I started this post last weekend, so the kids are about to finish their second week of school. It has been quite the adjustment--especially dealing with the homework. I even cried one day this week at lunch time because I missed them so much--of course, that was probably closely linked to hormonal fluctuations!! :0)

Labels: Family

Tell me this is not the cutest thing...

Labels: Fun

• Monday-Chicken and Broccoli casserole. I didn't get to this last week. I doubled the recipe for tomorrow
• Tuesday-Leftovers
• Wednesday- Taco salad at church
• Thursday- Roast, potatoes, and carrots
• Friday- Mexican Soup
• Saturday- leftover soup--we will be at the lake all day, so the leftover's will work out nicely

Hope you all have a great week.

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

Everyone has been talking about sending their kids off to school this week. I'm going to have to get on that boat, because my kids going to school this year marks such a tremendous change for our household. K has only attended school for K4 and 3rd grade--both years were at the school she is going to this year for 10th grade. The twins have never been before and just entered 5th grade. I felt a little like it must feel when a mom drops off her child for kindergarten. I was sad when I pulled up to the school. It didn't even occur to me to cry the first or second day, but by Wednesday afternoon, I thought maybe a few tears wouldn't hurt. I never did cry, but, let me just say, that adjusting to my new normal isn't as easy as I thought it would be. I knew I would miss them, but I wasn't quite ready for the quietness that is my house right now. The creaks of this house, that I would otherwise not hear because of their constant chatter, have even spooked me a couple times. Sad, but true. But, I am so glad that the kids seem to be learning what it is to be a school student, and they are starting to make some friends. (They already knew a lot of people there.) They like their teachers, and they aren't complaining about their homework either--even the night it took A an hour and a half to do his work. He just got up from the table and said, "Well, that wasn't so bad.", and took off to play. And no one asked if they could stay home from school until today!!! :)

Labels: Family

The third award I have received came from Michelle. She is so sweet to give me this award--I thank her. This award's description:According to the rules this is to be awarded to "Those bloggers who are battling, or have battled, with physical or mental illness, those who are survivors of abuse, poverty, or who have overcome other challenges in life. Those who serve in the military, or work/volunteer in dangerous situations in order to provide a service, or to help others. This award is for the strong, brave, and courageous." Thank you all so much for thinking of me. I am truly humbled, and appreciate it beyond words.

Labels: Awards

• Monday-We had leftover Pioneer Woman's lasagna. This is absolutely delicious. We discovered that it is just as good if you use all ground beef and no sausage. I made two pans--one with sausage and one without. Sausage has MSG in it and hubby is allergic, so I made one just for him. We were split about half and half as to which one was the best.
• Tuesday- Homemade Chicken and Rice soup. This is a staple around here. We have it quite often.
• Wednesday- Fried chicken at church- that is always a treat.
• Thursday- Tacos
• Friday- Chicken and Broccoli casserole. This is one of my favorite meals--probably because of the curry in it. I will post this recipe at my food blog. If you haven't visited, drop on by. I'm only posting one new recipe a week.
• Saturday- TBQ (Teen Bible Quiz) kickoff swim party. We will be eating there. B and I are in charge of the quizzing team this year. Fun.

Hope you all have a great week. Thanks to Laura for hosting.

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

I have a ridiculous interest in the Four Personalities. I have been completely intrigued by the study of them for years, so I thought I would give just a little mini-lesson. Annie mentioned to me the other day that they were studying them at her new church and that sparked a little "behind the scenes" conversation between the two of us. I had fun guessing her personality. Maybe you'll have fun figuring out which of the 4 personalities you are. The descriptions I am writing are reflective of women with these personalities. Not every person is going to exhibit each one of the strengths or weaknesses in her category. This is because we are all at different maturity and spiritual levels. The goal is to develop the strengths and to prayerfully rid yourself of the weaknesses. Read the list and see which one of them describes you and let me know. You can even guess which one you think I am--even if you know me in real life and already know. I'm about 60 percent of one and 40 percent of the other (everyone has a secondary personality as well), though, so it could be a little hard to tell my primary personality type.

1. Phlegmatic (Peaceful) (introvert)- lives to take life easy and live in peace. Strengths: Comforting, Thoughtful, Attentive, Loyal, Peacemaker, Dependable, Protective, Takes time for the children, Patient, Faithful, Devoted Caregiver. Weaknesses: Unenthusiastic, Uninvolved, Fearful, Sluggish, Compromising, Enabler.
2. Melancholy (Perfect) (introvert)-lives to bring perfection to an imperfect world. Strengths: Meticulous housekeeper, organized, perfectly groomed, wonderful hostess, detail oriented, thoughtful, frugal, careful decision maker, gifted, sophisticated. Weaknesses: Perfectionist (which they usually have a hard time seeing as a fault), unpopular, rigid, prone to the blues, unforgiving, cheapskate.
3. Sanguine (Popular) (extrovert)-likes to have fun and be loved. Strengths: Popular, talkative, life of the party, motivator, creative, accepting, optimistic, refreshing. Weaknesses: Permissive, forgetful, unreliable, fussy, messy housekeeper, overwhelming, seems phony.
4. Choleric (Powerful) (extrovert)-lives to control as much of their world as possible. Strengths: Take-charge woman, courageous, determined, crusader, productive, open and honest, effective disciplinarian. Weaknesses: unpopular, mean, self-centered, uses people, impulsive, bossy, usually right, but often rejected.

Labels: All in Your Head

5 pounds. That's how much my weight is up since last month--Yikes. How did that happen? Perhaps the extra Coke I've been drinking everyday for the past couple weeks--or maybe the extra trips to Sonic--or maybe the ice cream sundaes at 9 o'clock at night. Blue bell is evil and sensational all at the same time, you know. The truth is, I am actually over my "I'll never weigh that much" limit at this moment--so it is time to get serious. My mom always said, "Lose it while there's little to lose," so I am getting in gear to drop a few. You may--or you may not--remember that I had joined the May Weight Loss Challenge--well, I quit. Big mistake (pun intended). So, the way I see it, I have a month or thereabouts to get my weight back into my "comfort zone" before the challenge actually ends. Pray for me because the Coke--she's a callin', and we won't even talk about the Blue Bell (or was that Coach J calling about the Blue Bell?--inside joke). I am so glad the kids are starting school, and we will be able to get on a good schedule. My exercise habits should get back to normal then! Pray hard. **A side note: A funny and interesting incident happened between Annie, Coach J, and I recently. I think Annie will be telling about it soon. **Another side note: I enjoyed tirl-ing with you today, Annie--even if I had trouble hearing you half the time because of all the planes flying over my house. Hope your lunch was great.

Labels: Just Me

Ok--I really don't mean to be all gloomy and doomy on this blog o' mine, but you just won't believe what's happened now! Our downstairs AC unit went out last night. Yes, it's true. It would be absolutely disastrous in this 467 degree heat if we didn't have an upstairs unit that's "bustin' it's tail" right now to semi-cool this house. So far, it's working pretty good, but it's only made it to 92 degrees outside at this hour. Who knows what will happen when it's noon and 382 degrees. Spontaneous combustion, I'm guessing. The repair man will be here "sometime today", and while I am not thrilled about the huge bill he will give me for this, I am thankful that he can be here "sometime today". I am also very thankful that we have a second unit. On a much cooler note, today is my friend Annie's birthday. Please be sure to go by and wish her a happy, happy day! She is an incredible lady, and I love her dearly. Go by and get to know her if you haven't already. I think you will be impressed. 'Cause she's somethin'! Happy Birthday, Annie.

Labels: Family, Our Home

We found out this week, much to B's dismay, that in order to get the retirement package that we thought we were already getting, B is going to have to go back to school for his Master's degree. This hit us pretty hard--I haven't seen B so stressed in a long time--even when you take into consideration that he has had 5 surgeries in the past year. I feel bad for him because pursuing a Master's degree was probably on his list of "Things I Never Want To Do." The reason why he has to do this is a very long and complicated story, so I'll not bore you with it. I'll just give you the tiny condensed version of it. First, B is a full time reservist so it doesn't work exactly like it would with the Active Duty. Let's just say that he needs to make the rank of Lt Col in order to get the retirement that we thought he would be able to get as a Major. This is the difference between getting his retirement checks as soon as he gets out of the service in five or so years, or getting out of the service in 5 or so years and having to wait until he's 60 to draw the checks. It's a very big deal. So, he is finishing up an AF class that needs to be done by the end of the year, and he will most likely start his Master's in January. Fun--he said to expect him to be pretty much non-existent for the next two years. It is going to be tough--but we will adjust--and every thing will be fine. Jeremiah 29:11--that's what I keep quoting to B.--that and "Who, by worrying can add one inch to his stature" and "Consider the lilies of the field..." I'm probably pretty annoying with all the quotations! He'd better get used to it, because that's all I know to say right now. Bless his heart. He's had a tough week.

Labels: Family

With B not able to eat solid foods yet, I am not overly enthusiastic about making up this week's menu. (If you're new around here, B is my husband who just had gum surgery--not my infant. Thankfully, I have not had one of those for a very long time.)

So, I am not really doing much.

• Monday--We're having scrambled eggs (maybe B will feel like eating those), sausage and biscuits
• Tuesday--Grilled Teriyaki Chicken--I didn't get to it last week because of B's surgery.
• Wednesday--Spaghetti at church
• Thursday--Orientation Night at school--They are having a cook out there.
• Friday--I'm thinking of making Pioneer Woman's Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
• Saturday--Leftovers
• Sunday--Probably out to eat.

Labels: Menu Plan Mondays

Labels: Family

We rented a wonderful movie the other night, and I wanted to tell you about it. The movie was "Miss Potter", and I think it's my new favorite. The movie is set in the early 1900s and is the story of Beatrix Potter, famous children's book author. Renee Zelwegger is the star of the movie, and she does a most stupendous job of portraying Miss Potter. I will say that even though B watched this movie with me, it is a chick-flick, and it is a little sad in places. However, if you are a fan of this time period, I think you will love it. It is clean and wholesome, but children under 10 or 11 probably would not enjoy it so very much. It is for rent exclusively at Blockbuster, so if you are looking for something to watch tonight, I highly recommend that you head over and pick it up. They are likely to have it, as I had never heard of it--and there was no mad rush to get it--- unlike the "The Astronaut Farmer", which is never on the shelf when I go in. I'm not bitter.

Labels: Movies/Books

We arrived home around noon today. All went well. B slept until nearly 5 and finally got up. He doesn't seem to be in too much pain, but he does have the cutest little chubby cheeks you ever did see. Can you believe the stitches must stay in for 3 weeks? I was shocked. B can't fly while he has stitches in his mouth, so he was very upset to find that out. He will be getting a lot of that piled up paperwork done though. That's a good thing. I was able to stop in for lunch for a few minutes with my irl friends, Jenny and Mandalyn, to celebrate Jenny's birthday. I wasn't there very long, though, before my daughter called and said that daddy wanted me to stop gallivanting around and come home to take care of him. So I did. I enjoyed my time with the girls very much--even if it was only a half an hour. I'm sorry it was so rushed, but I was ever so glad to stop "gallivanting" and go take care of my hubby. He' so cute when he's drugged. Thanks so much for all your sweet comments today. I appreciate hearing from you so much-- It looks like my computer problems may be over--we found a bit of a tiny virus, but it has all been cleared up. I hope to get around to every one's blog tomorrow and finally get caught up. Blessings.

Labels: Family

Well, we are just about to head out so that B can have that lovely gum surgery I mentioned awhile back. I tried to link to the specific post, but the whole page came up. I will link to the page and you can scroll down the the post titled Stranger in my House--if it doesn't come up correctly this time. Go here to try. We were supposed to have this done on the 9th, but they called and asked if B wanted to get it done early--and he did. So, if you think to, say a little prayer for my man as he has his gums repaired today. I was supposed to have lunch with Mandalyn and Jenny today to celebrate Jenny's birthday, but it may be cancelled (most likely) for the surgery! I hope you all have a wonderful day. And we're still a little grossed out by this whole cadaver surgery thingy! Ugh!

Labels: Family