Trip Details....

We had a great trip to the UP last week. We just happened to be up there the same time that my dad was so we got to stay with him at the farm. If you don't know he doesn't live up there anymore, he lives in Fli*nt now where he works driving truck. He still owns the farm but only gets up there once every couple of months.

The kids had a blast at the farm. They found out quickly that if they ventured too far off the cut grass into the tall dead grass in the fields than they got a good dose of wood ticks...we hate those little creepy crawly things and I was really hoping we would get there before they arrived for the summer! :P I was sorely disappointed! Luke figured he could outsmart them or something by running fast through it but still failed...he couldn't figure out how he kept getting them because he had to be running at least 50 mph! LOL

My dad has a road that goes out behind the old chicken coop to the woods and the kids loved running back there with Ginger and seeing who could do it the fastest. It was wonderful to spend almost a whole week outdoors without even worrying about the TV and when they were going to watch cartoons! :) I tend to say no to that more often than not at home but they didn't even ask the whole time we were there! Miracles never cease! :)

I think Luke's highlight was getting to shoot Papa's .22 and pellet gun. Both kids got in quite a bit of target practice out behind the woodshed and also some gun safety. Luke mad the mistake of getting too close to the scope and luckily only got a small cut in the middle of his head when he was shooting the pellet gun. It was almost funny if he hadn't actually gotten hurt! He tried to hide the pain at first but then he saw the blood and it was all over. He cried and it was worse because he did it in front of Papa! Jozie didn't really care too much for the target practice but she turned out to be a pretty good shot when she took her time and aimed! I even got in on the fun and the kids were amazed at how good their mother was. I was in the shooting club in 4-H when I was in Junior High and took hunters safety when I was 12. So I have handled a few guns in my day! I think my dad was surprised to see that I still had it in me. :)

We spent a day at my grandparents house and I found them - with a bit of relief - pretty much the same. I was a little bit worried that I would find them old and decrepit and on their death beds for some reason...maybe because I haven't seen them for a couple of years. I pretty much grew up with them only miles away so it was strange to go so long and not see them. It felt good still have grandma still want to baby me after all these years and be able to baby her a little instead! :) I did end up needing her sewing expertise though because I started a project that I couldn't finish myself! I am a little embarrassed but I found what I thought looked to be an easy pattern for an apron for Jozie for her birthday. I cut it out and had my sewing machine out and ready to only take one look at the directions and dew a complete blank. So I luckily was taking this trip up north and decided to take it to Grandma. She did it. It took her most of the afternoon and into the evening but she said that I never would have gotten it on my own and she has never seen a pattern for an apron that hard! So much for my big head when it comes to sewing....I guess I need a little more practice! I will also have to take a picture of Jozie in it so you can see the final product. It is so cute! Grandma even put a little tag on it that says "Made with Love by Grandma". She's the best!

We didn't get to spend enough time with A. Darlene but that was my fault. We weren't sure we were going to end up going because of my other grandmas health so I didn't call her and let her know we were going to be there. She did stop by at my grandparents house on her way home from work but she was sick with a nasty cold and didn't want to stay long and spread it around. She stayed long enough to talk and play checkers with the kids. She beat Jozie (she's not the best checker player around) but I think Luke took her down. :) It was wonderful to see her even for a short time. :)

So that's my trip. It was hard to come back to the business of suburban life but we managed. Even Jozie noticed how quite things were while we were driving through the UP without even being prompted that we don't live in such a nice quite place now. It must be pretty bad if an 8-year-old notices!

I will post pictures tomorrow. Our Internet was down for most of the day here so I didn't have time to upload any pictures. I'm going to bed now! Goodnight! :)

**Thanks for the tip Jodie! I noticed the Edit Html tab and the compose tab before but never looked at them both so I didn't think to check and see if there was a difference...Duh, I feel really cool!!! 8)**

What's up With That?!?

We got back from our trip yesterday afternoon. We only had 2 close calls with the wilds of WI - one with THREE deer and one with a turkey who wanted to see our dinner table but never made it...

But, while traveling through Milwauke*e, WI we came across this billboard that made absolutely no sense...I guess it's like a tease and reveal technique of advertisement where some off the wall thing is put up to get attention and then the real ad is put up a couple of weeks later so it gets more attention...who knows. I just don't understand. Do you?

More to come about our trip and pics...I've got a headache tonight though and the ghetto Wa*lMart didn't have my brand of headache pills stocked...no surprise there...so I'm headed to bed early tonight to try and sleep it off. I will post more soon!

C-ya!

Welp, we are leaving for the UP today. We will be coming home on Thursday night so I will let you know how it went then!

Later!

Blogger Question...

I have noticed that for the last couple of weeks my blogger post editing place here is missing a couple of buttons. I no longer have all the buttons to change the font or the font size and color. I usually don't change it much but if I am writing a caption for a picture or even quoting things at times I did use it.

Does anybody else have these buttons missing? Maybe it's my template but if that's the case it should have been like that for months because it's been quite some time since I have changed that and I used different colors, fonts and font size several times since then. Any, just kind of frustrating, that's all. :P

I just noticed that where I used different fonts and colors and sizes in my archives, they are gone! Who is responsible for this? Did I do something to make it change? I haven't even looked at my template or changed things on it in months - except for the sidebar...how frustrating!

Packing - Again!

Well, I am packing to take a trip to the UP next week. We plan on leaving on Sun. after church and returning Thurs. morning. My dad is up at the farm so it will work out quite well to stay with him. The only problem is that we won't have a car. It's not such a huge deal but I'd like to visit some friends that live about an hour from my dads and probably won't get the chance to. That part is a bummer but we will get to spend plenty of time with my dad and grandparents and my aunt and uncle and that is really the whole point of going.

This trip comes at a pretty good time actually. I started making an apron for Jozie for her birthday and got the whole thing cut out yesterday only to get my sewing machine out today and I can't figure out step one of sewing it together. So, I will be taking it with me to have grandma help me, shes been sewing for YEARS so we should get it done in no time. I thought I'd be able to do it myself because I picked out the easiest pattern I could find for a child's apron but I guess I was wrong. Hopefully I can learn a lot and do the next project on my own!

Happy Birthday Belle!

Jozie turned 8 today! We didn't do much celebrating - with AWANA and church on Wednesday nights we don't have a whole lot of extra time. We had popcorn cake after dinner of homemade chicken noodle soup.

I can't believe how much she has changed and grown over the years. Here are 8 things about her:

1. Jozie is a very loving and compassionate child. She is always ready to give a hug or hold someones hand.

2. She is the most forgiving person that I have every met. Her brother does normal mean brother stuff to her on a daily basis and still she quick to forgive and ready to call him "friend".

3. Jozie is always ready to help. She loves to help clean the house, help with dinner - whether it be setting the table, making a salad, or cleaning off the table and doing the dishes - she likes to garden - even pulling the weeds, she will even help her brother clean his "room" (the space by his bed that he keeps his stuff in)! The only time she will complain about doing something she is asked to do is when she has to clean her own mess up!

4. Jozie loves babies. When I was her age I never gave babies a second thought but she loves to go into the nursery at church and hug and help with the babies. That and with her willingness to be such a good homemaker-in-the-making, hopefully she will be a great mother and wife someday.

5. Animals are special to her - and not just her stuffed ones! She really likes horses but hasn't had much of an opportunity to get up and close with them. She says she wants to a vet someday. She isn't even scared of the things that most girls are afraid of like bugs and snakes and other creepy crawlies! :)

6. She likes to tell me that she wants to be just like me when she grows up! Lord, help her! LOL

7. She isn't fond of school work but when she works hard and doesn't complain she can do it without many problems.

8. She is a gift not only to our family but to everyone she comes in contact with. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I believe that she will grow to be a woman of great faith in her Lord, a wonderful mother, and a loving and supportive wife. I believe that she will bless many people as a result of these things that God has birthed in her at this young age.

I don't know what we would do without her!

Happy Birthday Beautiful!

Busy Saturday

Yesterday was the Youth Olympic Night at our church. It was a night of games for the kids where teams of 3 competed for cash prizes - first place got $50, second place got $25 and third place got $10 - with a big obstacle course as the final game. There was all kinds of food - hotdogs, corndogs, nachos, chips, candy bars, pizza and pop - it was all only a quarter.

It wasn't as well planned out as it should have been so I ended up running around all afternoon looking for a place to get change at but since it was Saturday afternoon none of the banks were open. I ended up going to WalM*art where I got a candy bar with a $100 just to get change.

I was the photographer for the evening with my camera and the churches digital video camera. The video camera had a dead battery so I didn't get much with that but I took almost 300 pictures with my camera so hopefully they will have enough to put a slide show together or something.

Luke donated his bike to the occasion because they needed a small bike for the obstacle course and they couldn't find a trike. I'm glad I brought it because it kept him occupied riding around the parking lot of the church, going "100 miles per hour" as he said, while the other games were going on. And thankfully they didn't wreck his bike because although he needs a new one badly - this one is too small, the back wheel is slightly bent, the chain is completely rusted, and he has had it since he turned 3 - we don't currently have the money to replace it! :)

The games were made up by some of the teens and leaders so the fine details and rules were sometimes questioned. One of the games was taken out because by the end they didn't really understand what to do and there were a few disgruntled kids when it cames to the rules of some of the others.

It was an exhausting day for everyone involved but I think the youth group kids enjoyed it and I'm sure there will be another one sometime in the future - although more planning is greatly needed!

Why? II

***This post is in no way meant to upset or offend anybody, it's just the way things are in my family. I'm sorry if it does.



Why does the family of a divorced man have to suffer because of the sins of his ex-wife? Because she left him with 3 children - ages 0 to 5 - only to come back a year later and reclaim them and let them never have a relationship with him again? Why does a man have to work like a dog only to bring home barely minimum wage because half his income goes to child support? Why does nobody else but me care? Why does the state of M@ine have the right to take his income tax return when he is almost $700 OVER paid on his child support? Why is it when he calls to get it back they tell him that they will send out a check on Monday only to find out SEVERAL weeks later that THEY haven't received the money from the Fe*dera*l Gov*ernm*ent? Is it just me or does that sound a little funny? And they can't answer when you ask if the $700 over payment will be included with the money they owe us for the tax return that they have STOLEN from us! I get so SICK of hearing how EVERY man who pays child support is a "de*ad be*at d*ad" because my husband is anything BUT that and still he is treated like crap JUST BECAUSE HE IS THE DAD! Why is he told that he "should have thought about that BEFORE he got married again" when he asks how he is supposed to support his wife and 2 kids on minimum wage? Why is his ex-wife deemed unable to pay child support when she goes back to school but when my husband goes back to school he will have to pay in through the nose JUST BECAUSE HE IS TRYING TO BETTER HIMSELF to make a better life for his family - INCLUDING ALL 5 OF HIS CHILDREN?! So not only will we have to start a new job with college loans he will most likely be behind in child support payments as well, what a life! Will it ever end? What do they want next? His blood? Oh, wait, they already have that! They have his 3 children that want nothing to do with him because of the lies of a crazy woman!

So when people blog about how perfect life is or can be, it makes me want to comment on their blogs about how reality is and how life could NEVER be perfect until we are dead and in heaven!

Why?

Why can't life be easy?

Today I read a lady's blog who seems to have it all together. She has beautiful children, a beautiful home, the ability to stay at home and homeschool her children, even the the pictures on her blog are perfect and the words she used are so idyllic. She is the perfect Christian mother and wife and can juggle 5 children, a part time job (she is an attorney), running a household (she bakes bread on a weekly basis - and it's HOMEMADE - not just the frozen dough), and she homeschools and sews her children's clothes. Looking at her blog made me long for something that I don't feel like I can ever have or accomplish. I only have 2 children and I'm hard pressed to make dinner everyday because I always have something to do and the days are never long enough. My kids are never prefect (don't get me wrong, I love my kids and wouldn't change them for ANYTHING) and I don't have any time to do the things that I want to do more often, like sew, or scrapbook, or even get outside and hike or Rollerblade. I always seem to be yelling at my kids about something and they are always fighting about something, even if the get the great idea to play TOGETHER they still can't agree on what to do or how to do it. The lady both inspired me to try and do better with my time but at the same time it was a bit depressing because it seemed that she had endless time and energy and resources to do what she wanted to do and she does it all with perfection! It kind of irritated me because I wondered if she was even being completely honest.

Anyway, this is a little disjointed and cranky (at this moment Jozie is having a crying fit because she HATES math and doesn't want to do her schoolwork so her crying in my ear isn't helping) but I needed to vent and all I really want to do is curl up in my bed and read my book so I don't need to think about reality right now!

But laundry beckons...

My Heart.

There is a song that has been playing lately on our local Christian radio station that has captured my heart and I wanted to share it. It's called "Praise and Adore" by Wavorly

what i have to say is obvious
and knowledge free,
for all of us are
you're word leaves us with no excuse
the paths we choose make us who we are

there's a breeze blowing through
here tonight

so i praise and adore you
lay it all down before you
in every way you're beautiful
from my heart
i praise and adore you
made the world beautiful
and i cannot sit and deny you created life
and some live without it

wake up morning sunrise in my eyes
at night the moon lights all the skies
the sound of hope that's in the air
and everything that's everywhere

there's a breeze blowing through
here tonight

so i praise and adore you
lay it all down before you
in every way you're beautiful
from my heart
i praise and adore you
made the world beautiful
and i cannot stand and deny you created life
and some live without it

and it's true
its for you

so i praise and adore you
lay it all down before you
in every way you're beautiful
from my heart
and i every breath i take
there's no way
outside you created this place

prise and adore you
lay it all down before you
in every way you're beautiful
from my heart
i praise and adore you
made the world so beautiful
i cannot stand and deny you created life
and some live without it
and some live without it

A Little Boy in Mourning.

Well, today we found a new home for Buster. It will be with a single man who has his older children visit him every other weekend and he has 10 acres where Buster can run. We think he will be much happier there because if he wasn't in the house here he was on his leash outside and really couldn't run freely, except for the couple of times we tried to let him run and he just ran away...so there is no longer any more fear that the dog will attack my children. He was also a very aggressive dog and since we got him as a fully grown 2 yr old dog, it was hard to break him of that. He played VERY rough, biting hard even in play. There was a couple of times that he cornered the kids in the bedroom and would snap and growl at them for no reason. He also bit me once and had I not had a sweatshirt on I'm sure he would have broke the skin. He didn't like having the door on his crate shut either. He would roll his lips back and bear his teeth and grown and snap if anybody attempted to close him in there. The worst part is that he was unpredictable in his moods an it was hard to trust him. He was a sweet and wonderful dog when he wasn't all those things but an untrustworthy dog isn't worth much and we had to make that decision to get rid him for the safety of not only Jozie and Luke but for Sami too, since he slept in her bed at night.

Anyway, Luke was pretty upset that we had to say goodbye to Buster, he cried for quite a while. I guess every little boy needs a dog but this wasn't the time and it wasn't the dog. He seems to be OK now but we were having breakfast this morning and talking about one of us having "issues" and Luke said, "I'll tell you what MY issue is, my issue is that I want to get Buster back!" I'm sure it will be some time before he gets over it.

So, here's to Buster. He made my little boy happy and that means a lot to me. Because of that I will miss him also. I hope you are happier in your new home, Buster, and have lots of room to play and chase those squirrels you so much wanted to chase in our yard! :)

PS Jozie didn't really care too much that the dog is gone!

Blah!

I am paying our taxes today to the state of IN. Normally we would be getting a big refund but Bob was basically self employed for his bus driving job so we have to pay taxes for that. It didn't exactly work out for the positive for the state of IN. I can't wait to get to South Dakota, they don't have state income taxes!

Pictures I've Neglected to Post.

Mondaine Monday.

Today was a same old, same old nothing new Monday. My Aunt Karen and Uncle Gene from MI came to visit on their way home from Arizona, where they spend a few months every winter. A. Karen said that they hit the cold and she was temped to turn around and go back! :) But they made it this far and they only had about 6 hours home from here. They spoiled the kids and brought home some outside toys for them Luke got a Ball and Bat and was thrilled with it! He has been using a rather heavy large stick and a tennis ball in the yard, I am rather embarrassed to say. I guess I should have taken that as a hint to get him one as a good mother, he's never had one of his own but I've never had the occasion to spend money on him and I hate just spending money on the kids just because. Not that's a bad thing I just don't want to spoil them. Anyway, they slept in the fifth wheel last night with A. Karen and U. Gene and were up by about 7 and Luke was ready to play ball before he had his breakfast! So he had U. Gene outside in the freezing morning sunlight playing ball before 8! Last night we had dinner and he filled up but as we were cleaning off the table he was helping himself to whatever he could get a little piece of here and there because he said he was still hungry. When I questioned him, because he was full when he left the table, he said, "Hello, I'm a baseball player and baseball players have big appetites!" - as he patted his stomach! What a kid!

Jozie got one of those Velcro toss the ball things that you catch it with the paddles and sidewalk chalk to share with Sami (for those of you who don't know, I remember being asked once in a comment, Sami is my 14-year-old step-sister that lives here with my mom and her dad). She likes to color on her hands and put it on her cheeks like blush. She is a girlie girl!

So I took some pictures that I will post here in a second. It was nice visiting with them and playing cards last night. The have friends where we are moving to in SD so we look forward having them visit us there.

Other than that our day went downhill. We went out to breakfast at Cra*cker Barre*ll for breakfast but I was feeling rather sick by the time I got home and spent most of the day on the couch, blah! I did go out for a little while to help in the garden by pulling grass and weeds but all that bending over and standing up again got my stomach feeling not so good again so I was back to the couch after about 30 minutes. I'm feeling a little better now again so as soon as I get the kids in bed I am going to watch a little TV and then go to bed myself!

Welp, I'd better get those kids off to bed, they were just playing a sibling rivalry game of checkers only to have it end in tears as Jozie was sent to her bed for having a poor attitude about not getting her way with the rules.

April is Sexual Assult and Child Abuse Awareness Month

I intended to do this earlier but couldn't find the ribbon that I wanted to put up. The one I found is the closest thing to it. I guess if I wait much longer than April will have come and gone before I get it done. :) Anyway, I am "wearing" the teal ribbon my blog in honor of my friend who stood strong when her son and niece were sexually abused by a close family member.

I love you Sarah and I am so glad that God is healing your son and your family. I am proud to call such a strong woman of faith my friend.

The Joys of Left Overs!

We have been eating leftovers the last couple of days and today I think we polished off the rest of them...except for maybe a little German Potato Salad. Yesterday Luke went straight for the polish sausage and sauerkraut at supper time and ate quite a bit - with a big drink of water between each bite! It was so funny watching him! He said it was good, but a little strong! Jozie, of course, couldn't get enough of the mashed potatoes, German Potato Salad, or the rolls...my carboholic!

And all those 2 dozen eggs that all of you must have been thinking "what was she thinking?"...there are only 4 left and I promise you they won't make it to lunch tomorrow! And I'm sure that with a little suggestion I can have the German Potato Salad gone by then too. :) Nobody in our house will say that they like leftovers but when there are 8 people in the house there aren't always too many other options if you want to eat!

Erin

My childhood friend, Erin, has a new website I wanted to mention. It is www.erinjoycole.com. She is a missionary in Guatemala at an orphanage and school. Check it out and consider sponsoring her and her mission and keeping her in your prayers. She has also been updating her blog so check that out as well! :)

Happy Easter!

We did end up having Spring Break last week. We didn't do much all week, which was actually wonderful. Except for the normal cleaning and cooking. Friday I had a day full of grocery shopping for Easter Dinner. Fun. :)

Saturday morning the kids and I got up early and dyed eggs. They had a great time and asked for more....after a mere 2 dozen! We used food coloring so there was an abundance of colors - we had the regular colors plus neon and fall colors, which included Luke's favorite - orange. :) The one thing I forgot was the camera. :(

We took the kids to an Easter egg hunt at our church which ended up being held inside because of the cold...yes, Chicagoland has been quite abundant with that this week, including the snow flakes in the air this morning! They didn't find the prize eggs but they had a great time with their friends and we even got some video of it with our "new" video camera from Bob's brother.

The rest of the afternoon and evening I spent cooking with Kristin and Matt came over to visit a little while. My mom put him to work after she got home. She made him start the grill (we did the turkey on it) and take us to WalMart (we need a meat injection needle for the turkey because I forgot that the last time we used hers we threw it i the trash because it wasn't working right) but they didn't have what we needed there so he took us (me and Kristin) to Lowe's where we found what we were looking for. After we got home she had him fixing the lazy Susan cabinet in the corner of the kitchen because the screws came out of the top of it. We laughed and told him that would probably be the last time he called asking for something to do because he was bored! He's a single young man from our church that is in our young adult group so when he's not gone during the week for work he gets bored at home by himself.

Anyway, I took the kids to the early service for church on Sunday morning (Bob had to work a double for work yesterday - 8am to 12 midnight - so the kids didn't even get to see him). I was in the nursery for the second service and I didn't get home until almost 2. My mom and I finished making dinner for our family of 8 plus Matt plus a family of 5 from church we invited over. The kids had a blast with their friends and they have a baby who is adorable. She reminds me of Jozie when she was that age with all her curly hair but Abby's is blond, not red.

So we had a very full weekend. I was more than ready for bed last night and Luke slept until about 10 this morning! He must have been extremely tired! They are usually up by 8 or 8:30 at the latest!

The only thing I regret about the whole weekend is that I didn't take more than a couple of pictures. And I didn't even get the kids in their cute Easter attire! I need to get my camera out more often again. I know I will regret it in a couple of years, especially because we have a digital camera and I have no excuse not to use it. I don't even need to "develop" pictures if I don't want to!

Yah, We Had Spring Break This Week!... :P

As you can tell from my lack of posts that not much new has been happening since our big trip west. That is until this last week...

It all started with Sami a week from last Sun. when she suddenly became sick with a horrible cold and ended up staying home from school for 3 days, 2 of them with a temp. well over 100 degrees. I was a little concerned about getting it but when the weekend came and all was well and Sami was on the mend I figured we had dodged the bullet...Boy was I wrong! Jozie started us off on Fri. night and by Sat morn. had a temp. of 104 point something or other. I was a little concerned but gave her some Advil and within an hour it was down to normal so I took them out to a movie (we went to see Over the Hedge with some friends from our homeschool group) and then to Michaels for a craft day they had that was free for the kids. Well, by the time we got home both kids had raging fevers and were dead to the world laying on the couch in all their snot and coughing. Fun. I didn't take them to church on Sun. so I could prevent farther infecting other peoples children and we had Mon. off from school. Tues. morning I woke up in pain. Pain in my head and sinuses and just aching all over my body. I laid on the couch all day. We didn't have school on Tues. either. Wed. I was feeling a little better and so was Joz but Luke seemed to have taken a turn for the worse when he was feeling better the day before. So, we ended up not having school Wed. either. Today, for the first time all week, we seem to all be feeling better but because of the lack of laundry and housework that happened over the last week we haven't gotten any school work done because I have been cleaning, laundering, and packing for a trip that I am going on tomorrow with the ladies from the church. So, I guess we had our spring break this week and next week while Sami is out of school we will be continuing our education in regular fashion.

What a great Spring Break! :)

Love my Rocket Dogs!

I did get to do a bit of shopping in Omaha. Lisa and I always have a great time bargain hunting while I am there and this time we hunted out the Goodwill's and other thrift stores in the area. My favorite one was the Goodwill Outlet in "South O". I guess it was in the ghetto, it wasn't much different than being in Gary! :) Anyway, everything there was on it's way out so you paid by the pound for it! I could have went nuts in that store! My theory is that if you had like $50 - $100 dollars as a clothing budget to go in there and get clothes for your family for the year! There were a lot of really nice things in there, even some with tags still on them. I did read a review of one in Illinois - because I was looking for one around here - that wasn't too good. I guess it must just be like all other stores. We must have lucked out and got to a good one. The clothes were all thrown into these huge plywood bins that you had to sort through - I had a gallon of hand sanitizer! It was actually kinda fun. Jozie and Sara ran around finding things they thought were cute and throwing them into their own cart. It was cute to see Jozie with another girl for a few days in a row. I don't think they fought at all the whole time we were there! I knew I didn't have a whole lot of room in the trunk of our car so I didn't go hog wild - but could have gotten more along the lines of things the kids could grow into if we had the room!

I got my Rocket Dogs finally! My loving husband gave me some money for valentines day because he knew I would be shopping in Omaha with Lisa (my sister-in-law) and I found the perfect gift from him to me...LOL :) I got the Jigsaw model. I love them and I have a hard time not picking out my clothes to match them! LOL At least they go good with jeans so it's not that hard to do. :)

We're back!

Well, after 2 days of being snowed in and the third day of the expressway still closed, we finally were able to make it home on Sunday. There were tons of cars in the ditches along with several semi trucks and tankers rolled over, smashed, and on their sides. The roads were dry though and the sun shining so it was a good trip overall.

We spent a day in Watertown - the kids stayed with Grandpa and Grandma - and we toured the hanger where Bob will be taking classes and he liked it a lot. There were quite a few airplanes there that they actually get to work on and classes are from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mon. through Fri. with no homework unless he has a test to study for. They do all of the FAA testing right there at the school so once you are done with the classes and testing you are ready to go straight to work. They have a great job placement program with more jobs available than graduates each year. So basically, if you are good, you get the pick of where you want to go or what you want to do. Even if you aren't that great you are almost guaranteed a job when you graduate. That is a wonderful thing!

We looked at apartments that we applied for and are waiting for results from our applications on them. I wasn't exactly thrilled about one, it was really small but pretty clean. Which is rare for income based housing. The second one that we applied for was a townhouse style apartment. It had a fairly large living/dining area, a small kitchen (sorta galley style), and a half bath down stairs and then three bedrooms and a full bath upstairs. Not a whole lot of storage. We ended up applying at income based housing because we don't expect to have jobs immediately when we move there. Bob will also not really be able to work full time while he goes to school full time...probably. We will have to see once he gets started. We also applied for a Section 8 grant but that takes about 4 months to get and we want to be out of here as soon as possible. We've been kicked out again and told we need to be gone by the first of April. Happy Spring...

It was nice to see Bob's family. The kids loved spending time there with their grandparents and cousins. We had Christmas Dinner with Bob's sister and her family and his mom. Excellent food and a great time with family. That was the day that it started snowing like crazy in SD. When we got to his sisters at about 10 that morning there was no snow and by the time we left around 4 in the afternoon there had to be almost a foot of snow on the ground. We ended up staying at Bob's dad's house an extra night because the roads were terrible and it snowed all the way through Iowa where we needed to drive. So we didn't get to Omaha until Mon. at about noon.

We had a wonderfully relaxing time in Omaha but unfortunately because of the weather we weren't able to see the school there that we wanted to. The kids had so much fun with their cousins they didn't want to leave. Poor Jozie had a stomach ache for the next 2 days because she just didn't want to be in the basement with only her brother again.

We are finally starting to repack our stuff to move again. Where too, we really aren't sure yet. The plan is Watertown or bust but sometimes our plans don't happen the way we want them to. In that event we may be forced to go and live with Bob's brother until we can find a place of our own but we REALLY hesitate to do that because as we look around us here that was what this was supposed to do and here we are "temporarily" two years later still looking for a place of our own. I don't want the same thing to happen with his brother too. Though the house across the street is for rent to own. $1050 / mo. $3000 down would include the first months rent. The only problem is we have never had that big of a commitment to anything and we aren't sure we could do it. It's more than we could imagine at this point, especially since we don't have jobs in the area. I guess it's one of those wishful thinking situations...

Our big problem is our credit. We have one major credit card that is our problem, but nothing major, it's under $10,000 (which is way too much for us but from what I understand it's not that great as far as debt is concerned). There are a few other small dental bills and a phone bill that has been in dispute since before we were married because Bob's roommate took advantage of the fact that the bill wasn't in his name...So, my question is, what would bankruptcy do to our already horrible credit? I don't know anything about it but I do know that some friends in Michigan were in way over their heads - to the point that their house was repoed by the bank and sold under their noses to the guy down the street before they had moved out. They declared bankruptcy and within months they were buying another house and a used car. How is this possible? The first question that these people ask you is if you have had a bankruptcy and I have always assumed that was a bad thing but how does that make my friends situation make sense? I don't understand. I am at the point that I know it's not right but if it would help us get out of the mess we are in - I am desperate. We need to get in a good place for our family and we believe that Bob going back to school would be the break we need. We lived here for 2 years in a basement, I can certainly live in a small apartment for 2 years if it meant something better for our future.

Snow, snow, and more snow...

Just wanted to give a short update about our trip. We won't be home today. This is the second major storm that we have been through on our trip. The first one was in SD last weekend and we were unable to leave for Omaha until the roads were cleared on Monday. There was no snow when we got there and when we left there was about a foot. Today we planned on going home this afternoon but again, the snow came. It started last night with rain, then freezing rain, and this morning when we woke up there was about 6 inches of snow with ice under it. The schools and day cares are all closed and the interstate, which we need to take to go home, is closed both west and east. So, here we sit. I'm using the kids computer in the basement just waiting to be able to go home. But we probably won't be able to leave until tomorrow...at the earliest! So, when I get home I will give more details on our trip.

Jamie, I tried to comment on your blog earlier this week and couldn't so I just wanted you to know that I am thinking about you and praying for you still.

Bloggy Break!

We are taking the kids and going to SD to see Bob's family and check out the school that he wants to go to in the fall so I will be on a bloggy break until March 1. I will update you when we get back from our trip.

Later! :)

Fun Monday

Something to brighten your not-so-exciting-Monday! I found this while surfing today and thought I would share it with all my fellow blogging flautists! :) This guy, Greg Pattillo, does the beatbox while he is playing his flute! Makes me want to pull out my flute, dust it off, and try this out! Although it's been so long since I have actually played my flute, I doubt I could come close! :) I wonder if he plays the piccolo also...that would be cool to see too! Anna, wouldn't that have been fun for Solo and Ensemble?! I wonder what the judges would have thought! LOL

Peanut Butter and Paper Hats

We have been eating Peanut Butter from the number starting "2111"! I heard about the peanut butter recall a few days ago but didn't worry too much about it because we get our peanut butter from Sam's Club in the huge economy size container and they weren't mentioned in the recall. With so many people in the house it is a staple! The kids even had peanut butter and banana sandwiches yesterday for lunch and I didn't think much of it until today when I figured what would it hurt to check the number. Sure enough, there on the side in hardly distinguishable numbers was "2111...". I called ConAgra to find out what I should do and they said I still have to send in the lid with the number on a piece of paper. So, we throw out what little is left in the 6 lb. container and hopefully get a full refund. I doubt anyone will be getting sick anytime soon because nobody got sick through the first 5 lbs. but just to be on the safe side, we will be getting new peanut butter the next time we get groceries! :)

Now, on to the paper hats! :) Luke has been folding a lot of paper airplanes lately with Daddy. They got a book of them for Christmas and Luke just loves to do anything with paper, from folding, to painting, to drawing. So, in his paper folding craze this week, he has discovered - all on his own - how to fold a paper hat! He's been making hats for the dog, and for Papa John, and for Daddy and all his and Jozie's dolls and stuffed animals. This morning I mentioned that he could make a bigger one out of old newspaper so now his fingers are black from folding them! What a kid, at least he is content to fold old newspapers and doesn't require special colored paper - yet!

Snow Angels and Buster

Well, today was another snow day for the local schools and since Sami was home, it was pointless to get the kids to do any amount of school work. Yesterday I told the kids we would do something fun for school and Luke says, "Fun? I'll tell you what would be fun! It would be fun to throw all of our school work in the trash!" So, I skipped school work for the day, hoping that tomorrow will bring a better attitude with the new snow! :)

We spent some time outside this morning shoveling out, here are a few pictures of the kids in the snow...

Luke thought it would be a good idea to bury his sister in the snow, so did she until he decided to bury her face too!

Here's my Snow Angel :)

Luke doing "man's work"! - Bob is way in the background with his favorite toy, his snow blower!

Jozie and Buster playing tug in the kitchen.

Buster. He is freaked out by things in front of your face - even the camera - so he gets this look on his face and starts getting crazy. He is a Boxer but his ears and tail were not cut as a baby. His other parts were though so there will be no little Busters for this family!

Bullets:

Things have been rather slow around here so I don't have much to say. Here's a few bullets about what's been up lately...

• We are planning a trip west to visit Watertown, SD and see what the town is like and some apartments we are applying at. That way if one becomes available we can say if we want it or not. We will be visiting Bob's family in Springfield, SD and in Omaha, NE. Whatever we do it will be nice to get out of here for a while! :)
• John got a dog. I haven't taken pictures of it yet but the kids adore it. It's a boxer named Buster and he's 2 yrs old. I can't say I am that thrilled with him, hence the lack of pictures. It plays pretty rough and chews on your hand if you get it to close to his mouth when you are playing - I have 2 bruises on my fingers from where he bit me while he was playing. It's even growled and snapped at me a couple of times which really makes me not want the kids around it. He seems to be pretty good with them so far but can also get rough with them.
  
• I went ice skating again but this time without my kids with the young adults group at church. Of course there were only 6 of us that showed up and 3 of them were an hour late but at least the ice wasn't half melted like the last time. This time I actually skated but wasn't thrilled with the condition of the ice being that it was full of gouges and it almost made your teeth rattle while you skated across it, I almost tripped a couple of times because of them! I think they need to invest in a Zamboni...Isaac said he was going to skate backwards and pe*e (so some weirdo doesn't google that word and come here, eew...) but then decided that would leave too much of a yellowish streak so he didn't. He's quite a character!
• We are supposed to get a lot of snow over the next couple of days...great. I guess I do remember saying I WANTED snow a time or two but now that it's here I want it to go away...what ever happened to Phil's prediction of an early spring!??!
• Kristin and I started a Tae Bo class at our church last week. We had 2 other ladies show up with more promising to come this week. I have to do it alone this week because Kristin went to the UP for a week. It's fun but neither of us have actually done Tae Bo before. We are starting out with the foundations video that teaches you to do all the kicks and punches then we will work our way up from there.
• I'm thinking of redoing my blog because of this blog post from Rocks in My Dryer that I read recently. I may just end this one and start a new one with all new names for my kids and no pictures of faces....we'll see. I'm still thinking about it because it's not like my blog generates that much traffic that I worry about who reads it. I do have Site Meter and I check it on a regular basis and find very few strange lurkers.
• We are going to a Valentines Day party with our homeschool group on Thursday. There are 65 kids on the list - that equals a lot of valentines! The kids are excited about it, they had a ton of fun last year.
  

Which Jane Austin Heroine Are You?

You scored as Fanny Price. You're Fanny Price from Mansfield Park! You are quiet and feel alone most of the time, and you don't usually speak out. Because of your quiet, sweet nature, you are sometimes used as a most unfortunate scapegoat. Fanny Price 85% Elinor Dashwood 70% Marianne Dashwood 70% Elizabeth Bennet 65% Catherine Morland 65% Anne Elliot 60% Emma Woodhouse 55% Which Jane Austen heroine are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Amie, who are you?

Here's the website, I don't think blogger likes the code that this one is published in...
http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=84984

Fun Contest! Free Stuff!

There's a contest going on at Five Minutes for Mom! Enter here for a chance to win a be-u-ti-ful piece of jewelry from Ali's Originals! Good luck! :)

EARLY SPRING IS ON IT'S WAY!!!

For the first time since 1999 Phil has seen his shadow! Not that I put much stock in this old German superstition, but just the thought of early spring gets me excited! Go Phil! Hooray for early spring!

"Phil Says Spring is Right Around the Corner!

Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/07 at 7:28 a.m. at Gobbler's Knob:

El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.

Global warming has caused a great debate.
This mild winter makes it seem just great.

On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing.
Will we have winter or will we have spring?

On Gobbler's Knob I see no shadow today.
I predict that early spring is on the way."

*From the official site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

*UPDATED*

I am tagging Kristin because I noticed she updated her blog this week and SHE HAS NEVER BEEN TAGGED! :)

I am Weird.

I was tagged...

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with 7 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 7 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 7 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I am a germaphobic...I give my kids vitamin C EVERY day, we use hand sanitizer whenever we leave a public place, I HATE McDonald's play areas because they are germ pits! and I really don't want to work at a day care because most of the kids there are sick most of the time.
2. I like asparagus. And most other green veggies, even brussel sprouts.
3. I hate basements. I'm NOT afraid of them, I'm just so sick of living in one I never want one in a house that I may own.
4. I don't remember the last time I had a candy bar. I like them a lot I just don't usually eat them. Thinking about it makes me want one though.... :P
   
5. I only get my hair cut about once or twice a year. Not that I couldn't use a haircut more often, I just don't take the time to do it.
6. My kids say there's nothing weird about me, that I'm perfect! They must want something or THEY are weird! :)
7. I pack rat craft supplies. I find things that I want to do or have an idea and go out and get it or I find things on sale or clearance that I can't possibly live without so I buy them. I end up with a bunch of things that I really don't need or will never really use but I can't get rid of them because I might need them SOME day.

So, there it is...not exactly that weird but its done. My tag ends here because I think everybody else I know has been tagged.

Ice Skating at Deep River Waterpark

So, moving on to more interesting things... :)

We got to use our new skates last week! :) We went early in the afternoon with some friends from our homeschool group only to be told we couldn't skate because the ice was melting - something about the cooler malfunctioning. But we could come back after 4 when they had the problem fixed. The kids were all pretty disappointed but that was short lived because we ended up going to their friends house for a couple of hours just to play.

I decided to take advantage of the free passes that they gave us and took Sami with us at around 7 that night. The ice was pretty full but the kids had a great time anyway. Sami and I didn't skate long because our skates were hurting our feet and I didn't really feel like falling on my camera. I had it with me in the bag because I didn't want to set it down and have it stolen. The kids skated for about an hour and a half and made a few new "friends" among the other other children. Luke even did this time but he made sure to get his "friends" name, unlike Jozie who just likes to have someone to socialize with, never mind what her name is! :) I guess that's just a small detail that can be covered some other time!

Jozie saying hi!

Jozie with the "skater" - instead of walker...

Luke with the sakter.

A rare moment...

For Jamie and Jodie...And Amie :)

A couple of weeks ago Jamie wrote about our "younger days" with a picture that she doesn't remember why she had labeled "Steve". I told her that I knew the answer to her conundrum and since then, her and Jodie have been waiting for that answer. Today the much anticipated explanation has arrived! Just a couple of words...Lake Ellen Youth Camp 1992...

No more words should be necessary - they would only bring further sickness! LOL

I also found a picture for Amie. We were so young and beautiful...and THIN! Not that Amie looks much different, still as fit and trim and beautiful as ever! But Look how skinny I was! And I always thought I was FAT! I NEVER wore - or even owned - a swimming suit my whole high school or college career...if only I had known then what my kids would do to me!

National Honor Society induction ceremony, Spring '95.

The Museum of Science and Industry

Yesterday we took the kids to the free day at the museum. It was wonderfully uncrowded - we must have went on the right day! We saw most of the sights but missed a couple that I know the kids would have loved. There just wasn't enough time in the day to see it all.

I was pretty impressed with the U-505 Submarine exhibit. There was an atmosphere of respect when you went into the exhibit hall where the submarine actually was. It was filled with history on how the sub was captured and was dedicated to all of the men and women who fought in WWI and WWII. We took the inside tour of the sub and I was awed by the conditions that the men spent 90 to 100 days in. Unfortunately, they didn't allow pictures of the inside of the U-505. Jozie took a pretty nice picture of the rest of us right before we left though!

Jozie liked the chick hatchery where she was filmed by some foreign TV crew. They had this huge camera on a tripod which they moved just to get a better shot of her watching the baby chicks emerge from their shells. Both kids were fascinated by them and there were quite a few eggs in there that were in the process of hatching. There was another incubator with new chicks in it too. The hatchery was a part of an exhibit on genetics and cloning. We didn't spend a whole lot of time explaining it to the kids seeing that we don't believe in cloning or genetic engineering anyway.

Luke liked the Zephyr. It was a train that we got to tour and take a "ride" in. The whole thing swayed slightly and vibrated while the tour was going on and we got to sit with other passengers and listen to their conversations about the history of the train. Of course the history bit was more than he really cared for but he had fun anyway.

We took the coal mine tour and ended up with a private tour! The tour in front of us was full so we had to stay behind and wait for the next one. We were a little disappointed because we had to wait longer but when we ended up being the only ones it was pretty cool. Luke liked this exhibit too because we rode the underground train in the mine.

The one thing that I really wanted to see was Body Worlds 2 but it was $12 each! I could see spending almost $50 to see one exhibit, especially when the kids wouldn't have appreciated it that much. I was a little afraid that Jozie would get freaked out by it anyway so maybe we can get my mom to watch the kids one day and go just the 2 of us.

Oh, I almost forgot the Toy Works. It was an actual robotic toy factory inside the museum. The kids decided that the souvenir that they wanted was a toy so we spent the $5 and they got to see their toys assembled from beginning to end and they also had their names and the date laser engraved on them. They are "Gravatrons" which is basically a high-end top. They were fascinated with all the things that the robots did and when the last robot put their toy into the slot that they took it out of it waved good-bye to them. So cool! :)

My sweet husband let me order Chinese take-out for supper because it was my birthday and I didn't want the pizza everyone else was having. Nobody else really likes Chinese anyway so I don't get it that often. Thanks, Honey! :)

Waiting in line...

The Gravitron factory.

Luke with the Zephyr.

Jozie with the Zephyr.

*Sorry about the bad pictures, our camera doesn't like poor lighting... :( We didn't get many good pictures this time around.

The One Flaw in Women

By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a
broken heart
-and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."

"But I won't," the Lord protested.
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my
own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," the Lord agreed,
"but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied,
"Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak,"
the Lord corrected,
"that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."

And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

Anonymous

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

So, the real message here is:

· Women know how amazing you are!

· Value yourself as a woman - today, tomorrow and
always!

* I got this as an email from friend.

A Homeschool Resource Meme

It's been some time since I have been tagged so here goes:

1. One Homeschooling book you have enjoyed: So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It by Lisa Welchel. She was the speaker at the last women's convention I went to with my church in MI. She was not only very funny but a great inspiration to continue my homeschooling endeavors.
2. One homeschooling resource you wouldn't be without: Our local library. There are so many things that I have gotten there that have convinced me that you don't need to buy it all when it's there for free. Especially when there is something that I am considering buying and want to check it out first.
   
3. One resource you wish you had never bought: ABeka Kindergarten 5. I started Jozie with K4 when she was 4 and thought the natural progression would be K5...I was wrong. K5 was almost the same as K4 but it went a little faster and added some more "meat" into it. Had I realized this at the beginning, before I got it, I would have gotten first grade instead!
4. One resource you enjoyed last year: My homeschool group, HSLife. We went on so many field trips that we never would have thought about doing on our own and had a great time learning new things with them. We have also made a few friends that we are sure to have for a lifetime.
5. One resource you will be using next year: Well, if we do end up being able to homeschool next year, we will be changing our curriculum - again! I have decided to be eclectic in my approach next year and I have found a new history curriculum that I am really looking forward to called Truth Quest History. It looks like a lot of fun for the kids and pretty easy for me. I just didn't think what they were doing this year has enough and want them to get more out of it.
6. One resource you would like to buy: I'd like to have a laptop computer for each of the kids so they can work online and not have to fight over the computer with each other and me! :)
7. One resource you wish existed: I'd like to have a free pass to travel for homeschooling! Where everything you need from gas to lodging to entrance fees are waived because what you are doing is for the education for your children. Hey, nobody said that I can't dream! :)
8. One homeschooling catalog you enjoy reading: does the library catalog count? :)
9. One homeschooling website you use regularly: ebay! I find most everything I am looking for, even though I don't always buy them. :)
10. Tag other homeschoolers: Ok, Jamie tagged me and she tagged the only other homeschooler, Amie, that I would have tagged so if you are a homeschooler and you are reading this than you are tagged and leave me a comment so I can see your Homeschool Resources! :)
    

Not Much New Here.

I haven't actually posted a "real" post in some time. I guess we just haven't had much new. We are keeping busy with school. The kids are as crazy as ever since Christmas break and we STILL haven't gotten back to "things as usual". We wonderful weather for Christmas break so they were outside almost every day and now that it has finally snowed we are all itching to be out in it! I even got a couple pairs of ice skates at the local thrift shop that looked brand new for only $5 a piece! that will save us the rental fee for when we do go skating - now I just have to set a date and do it! Maybe tomorrow...

We did have a birthday party for Kristin and I a couple of weekends ago. Kristin turned 21 and I will be...um...25? :) Well, anyway, the age is irrelevant here, we had a bunch of our friends over and used a birthday party as an excuse. We had a GREAT time with our new friends from SLWC. Though we did take quite a few pictures, Risa isn't in any of them. I HATE pictures of myself so I try to be the one behind the camera, not in front of it! So There isn't really a point to posting any of them since you wouldn't know any of them anyways. John didn't really want us to have the party to begin with and almost left the house because he didn't want to be there but later told us that he was glad we did it and that he stayed because he got 3 new guys for his cell group at church and he really enjoyed their company...so much so that Isaac - one of the young adult "bachelors" - has been here quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. It's nice to see that the "older" men in the church are taking interest in the younger ones. Thanks John!

Oh, Bob did install the scanner yesterday so as soon as I find the pictures that I want I will post the promised "steve" explanation... :)

The Muppets

I came across this while I was taking a different quiz that ended up being sorta goofy but I LOVE the Muppets so I thought this one would be fun to take. When Levi and I were younger we used to watch them all the time and argue about who was our favorite! So here I am...

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...?

Better late than never I suppose.

The weather has been beautiful lately. Some rain but other than that it's been in the 50's and I can't even tell you the last time that I had on my winter coat. I usually wear a light SPRING jacket! :) But, it seems that this week I will have to dust off the old Columbia because it is finally snowing! The kids have missed the snow quite a bit since we moved from the U.P. but I haven't - much. I like snow as long as I can ski and snowshoe, but if I can't do those things than I don't have much use for it. I don't like shoveling it and I definitely don't like the cold that it brings. I haven't let the kids go out and play because it's a really wet snow and I would be surprised if it even stays very long - thank goodness!

And it all has to come in January, the time of the year that I start to get spring fever! I have been daydreaming about flowers and gardens and working at the greenhouse again. I guess I will have to just keep on dreaming!

Works-For-Me-Wednesday!

This is my first attempt at a "carnival" so please bear with me! :)

This week we are to post "healty" recipes. One of my families favorite thing to eat is Chili! So, I have figured out a way to make it some what better for everyone without them even noticing it! :)

I don't really have a recipt for chili because it's kind of a "What works for me" kind of a soup and I thorw in what I have but lately I have been replacing the ground beef for ground turkey and then I add a can of pumpkin. It makes it less juicy (my family likes chunkey chili) and it adds more vitiamins that they don't normally get. I know it sounds wierd but you really don't even taste the pumpkin. Just don't use the pre-seasoned pumpkin like pumpkin pie filling, that might not go over so well! I usually don't use canned pumpkin, I use pumpkin that I got last fall and cooked and froze. I don't care for store baught pumpkin so this works good too.

That's it, it's pretty easy and if you use the right spices when you cook the turkey they never notice that either.

For more healthier recipe tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

Museums Fever

I'm pretty excited! Our local paper has been running some articles about the Museums in Chicago and I am itching to go.

First, The Field Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Art Institute of Chicago, and Shedd Aquarium are having FREE - Yes, I said FREE - days in January and February! Every Monday and Tuesday and a full week each! I have told Bob to get at LEAST one Mon. or Tues. off this month and next so we can pay a visit to these exciting places!

Second, The Field Museum is having a night at the museum called "Dozin' with the Dinos" where, for a fee, you can stay the night at the museum and explore with a guide and a flashlight! The kids, Luke especially, would LOVE to have such an experience. Unfortunately, our budget doesn't include a $47 per person column for entertainment. I could see it as a "field trip" but still, the budget isn't there. So, I guess we will have to dream about it and think, "maybe next year..." :)

Happy Birthday Kristin!

Today Kristin turned 21! Her big brother John's birthday is the same day. What a great birthday gift! :)

Happy Birthday to you both! :)

Happy New Year!

We spent last night at church for the New Years Worship Explosion! I wasn't really wanting to go because it didn't start until 8pm and that's when my kids are usually in bed. But we went and I'm really glad we did. Praise and Worship lasted until about 11pm then we had fellowship time in the chapel with games and food. We left about 11:45pm because Luke was feeling sick and I didn't want to have to clean up vomit in the middle of the new year celebration. Thankfully, I think he was just totally exhausted because he woke up this morning fine. They both fell asleep in church and they weren't happy to be woken. They slept through the fireworks which made me think of Uncle Kimmy and his usual New Years gun firing! :) We used to love that part of New Years as kids! :)