The Coop is Done!! and other pictures ...

My chickens have a home! It is secure, it is cute, they have plenty of room, and it can be completely operated by the kids. But most importantly ... it is FINISHED!!!! This is a big deal. John started the coop over 4 months ago, and just hasn't had the motivation to get it finished out. So I figured out a way to fix that. I just bought chickens anyway, and they lived inside the house in a box until they had a home. :) Talk about motivation!!

Aww, look, here they are! How cute!! (Yes, that is a light saber in the chicken yard. We find light sabers to be surprisingly effective herding tools when the occasional jailbreak is discovered.)


David would really, really, really like to get into the chicken yard and play with 'the girls,' as we usually refer to them.


John had just finished patching a few holes in the wire when David crawled over to him, and they were too sweet together not to take a picture!! I tell you, this man still makes my tummy do flip flops and my knees a little weak!!


And speaking of making my tummy jump, this is a whole different ball game!! I cringe and have to walk away when I see how high John swings the kids ... I just can't watch most of the time.


Evie, always the little lady, doesn't swing quite as high yet, luckily.


What's that? You'd like another picture of that adorable baby you saw earlier? Well, ok. Since you're being so persuasive and all ...


(Notice how green the front of my back yard is?? All the plants around here have been loving all the rain we got this spring and summer after that awful drought we just came out of. But I digress.)

Now, you have to be careful with that cute little ball of energy. One minute, he's sitting there and grinning at you. The next thing you know, he's trying to attack you and lick your cheek!


With a giant booger in his nose.

Tell you what, people. I've done been bit by the Baby Bug. Although we're not planning or trying right now(like we've planned or tried to have any kids yet!!), I wouldn't be sad if I was able to make an announcement in the next five or six months. I'm just sayin.'

But don't tell my mom. She'll freak out.

Good grief!

First of all, that thing that we're not talking about is still hurting. I think they didn't put my temporary crowns on correctly, and they're killing me, but I don't want to go back, because I have to go back in two weeks anyway for my permanent crowns. And I'm a wuss, and I just don't want to go. What's a little pain, anyway?

I woke up in a truly foul mood this morning. This doesn't happen often, but by 8:45 I had all three kids playing upstairs while I was on my knees in prayer. I forget sometimes that I can't do anything apart from God, including (but not limited to):

-getting out of bed
-being in a good mood
-being a good wife (and mother, friend, daughter, sister, etc)
-getting anything done
-functioning.

There is a reason that Paul tells us in Philippians 4 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (KJV) Philippians 4 is one of my favorites to turn to when life gets kinds hard. I also love 1 Corinthians 13 and the entire book of James. It never ceases to amaze me that I continue to learn from verses I have read a million times already. I love that the Bible is the Living Word!!

When I'm in a bad mood, and feeling sorry for myself, I have found three no-fail ways to get out of it.

1) Prayer. Lots and lots of prayer.
2) Making a list of things I'm grateful for. The 'smaller' the things are, the better (ie: I woke up this morning. I have coffee in my pantry. I have money to make sure there is always coffee in my pantry. I have running water. I have a kitchen I love ... this is all just in the first 2 minutes or my morning!).
3) Doing something for someone else, especially if they will never know who did it. Try this sometime. It is amazing!! And it is a double edged sword: the person you do something for is blessed, and by following one of God's commandments (Matthew 6:1-4 and ), you are also blessed!

Just some food for thought. :)

I mopped my entire downstairs today. All of it. John helped me move the couch, coffee table, dining room stuff, etc, so I could get the entire floor clean. With all the work John and the kids have been doing on the chicken coop, the floor has been trashed for the last few weeks, so it feels so good to have all the floors looking so good!

John just put the kids to bed, and on that note, I'm going to get some ironing done so I can make bread with Evie when she wakes up!

Please tell your kids to take really good care of their teeth!

I sat in the chair at the dentist's office for over four hours this morning. My appointment was at 8, I got called back right away, and I didn't leave the office until almost 12:30. I had 4 teeth worked on, consisting of 3 fillings and two crowns. One of the fillings was on a wisdom tooth. It was all very fun. We will speak of this no more.

John is outside working on the coop for the chickens. My master plan to just buy chickens and force him to finish the coop has paid off, because the durned birds are driving both of us insane in the house. They are getting so big and so cute!! I love it.

David is almost 10 months old, and Evelyn will be 4 at the end of the month. It's all very depressing. And now, I still have a hangover-esque headache from that thing we're not going to speak of again, so I'm off to nap. Good day.

so many kids! ... and some thoughts on music

One thing I love about our church is the size of many of the families. We went for a play date to the Ellisons' house today, and there were 8 kids there. The Oliver and Guy families each have 6 kids, the Seales have 5, and there are some families even larger, with 10-12 kids. Talk about an inspiration! I love watching these families interact with each other; to watch the older children interact with the younger ones is truly a blessing.

After chatting with Kristie this morning, I just felt so blessed and encouraged. And she let me borrow a very cool book called Managers of Their Homes, about scheduling and other things Christian-homeschool related. I'm already on the fourth chapter!! The couple that wrote the book also have a website that looks really neat, but I haven't had the chance to really play yet.

Catherine had her baby a few weeks ago, a little boy names John David, whom they'll be calling David. I love it! And Sam and Evie are very amused that there are not one, but two Baby Davids. I'm taking their family a meal tomorrow, so I finally get to see the baby. Yay!!!

Ok, confession time. Ready to hear this one? The kids are playing in the loft behind me (with the baby gate at the op of the stairs, thank you very much, so he doesn't fall down the stairs ... again), and I've been doing stuff here at the computer for a while, and put a fun playlist of music on Windows Media Player, so we can have some tunes in the background. And Bohemian Rhapsody just came on. And I know pretty much all the words. Now, The Joker is on. Yeah, that one. By Steve Miller. At least my kids will grow up with a well rounded knowledge of music. :) And now, we have the Four Freshmen playing. Think early 50's jazz vocal group with very slicked-back hair.

It's my mom's fault, really. She listened to every kind of music under the sun (well, she did deprive me of punk and the Beatles, but we can talk about all the another day), and I love everything now!! Bluegrass to Queen to Steve Miller to the Supremes to Amy Grant to 2Pac to the Deftones and Ramones to Debussy... I love it all!! Thanks, Mom!! You and your taste in music totally rock!!

Except ... um, I don't know if I want to mention this one ... um ... R Kelly? Seriously? We may need to talk about that one...

But for the rest, thank you so much. I owe my love of all music to you!!

new pics!

Sorry, this week has been crazy. I've been busy around the house, starting back up with the school schedule, buying more chicks, and every day life with three kids under 6! It is still so strange to think that Sam is 5 now, and Evie will be 4 in a month. Oy!!

But anyway, here's some long overdue pictures.

Here's our chicks!! We have 10, all with names, of course! (Lucy2 & Ethel, Zsa Zsa, Thelma & Louise, Laverne & Shirley, and Paris, Nicky, & Britany) (oh, that's right, I named my chickens after the Hilton sisters!! Mwwaa hahahaha!!)


And Evie with Laverne and Shirley.


Here's some river pics.

Sam and Evie with a fish my brother Kevin caught.

Evie with a huge slice of watermelon and a Popsicle. Hey, some of us have a hard life, ok? Lighten up already, and stop judging. :)

Moi and my handsome, loving, strong, sweet, mmmm ... well, that's none of your business, is it? John and me. He still makes my tummy do flip-flops and makes my knees wobble a little. Or sometimes, a lot. He's the most wonderful man I've ever met.


This is David helping me in the kitchen, making supper the other night. Ain't he just the cutest? I want to eat him up!!


And since I didn't feel like I posted enough pictures of the darling Evelyn Grace, here's the little troublemaker before church last week.

That's what I know for now. More in a few days on a new thing in my life. And no, its not a lover. I am very boring, and raaawther happy in my marriage. Sorry.

We're back!

We are back, and we had a fabulous time. We didn't get back until laaaate on Tuesday, because we stayed in Fredericksburg on Monday night; kind a spur of a moment thing. Everything was amazing, I had a blast with my family and Wes' friends, and my legs are less white then when we left. We took some great pictures, so I'll try to post those tomorrow when I have a little bit of time.

We got our chicks this week, too!! We have 6. I'll tell you their awesome names and what kinds they are tomorrow.

And now, I have to get off the computer because a) I'm not supposed to be on the computer on Sundays, and b) there's a thunderstorm coming. Again. Surprise, surprise.

going, going, gone!

We leave for the river in the morning, if we haven't been washed away before then. We should get there around lunch Friday, and be home by supper on Monday. I am so looking forward to this ... I need a break!!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, and I'll take lots of pics and post 'em for y'all when I get back!!

And then there were none ...

None that missed the awful stomach bug, that is. John got sick Saturday night. I talked to him at work around 10:30 that evening, and he was fine, in a good mood. He called me around 12:45, and the kids and I had to go pick him up from work. That was fun, by the way. Nothing makes my night a little better than waking all the kids up from a dead sleep and loading them up in the car. And sitting in the Chili's parking lot for 40 minutes. And driving home with a very sick husband. And finally getting back to bed at 2:45. And then getting up 4 more times with the kids, before the baby wakes up early for the bad at 6:45. Wow, that was one of the worst nights I've had in many a year.

But enough grousing. I finished Great Expectations, very sad and wonderful book, and am about to start The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I haven't read anything by Hugo before, but I'm looking forward to it.

David is trying to pull himself up on things, and thinks he can talk. Maybe we just don't speak his language ... who knows? But he is darling, and I just want to eat him.

Evie and I had a date this afternoon, and had a blast. We went to Starbucks, and then up to Bastrop Gardens. The gal that owns the place, Deena, is a doll, and I just love her. The kids think she's pretty great, too, and she likes them. She gave me a few free plants (I love knowing people, and bringing them cookies and coffee from time to time!) that I'll put in tomorrow, and gave me some really good advice on some of the things I've got growing.

We leave for the river Friday morning, early, and I'm starting to get ready for that tomorrow. So little to pack, so much time ... Wait! Strike that. Reverse it.

And I'm still lacking on sleep, so I'm off to bed raawther soon.

Better now

Well, I think I'm going to pull through. I think I might just make it to see another day. I feel like a completely different person! I finished my entry yesterday and went to bed before 9. I think I fell asleep before Evelyn did. I kind of made up for it today, though.

I woke up; made the wonderful coffee I can't live without, let alone start my morning without; swept all the downstairs floors; nursed the baby (and read out of Hebrews, the book I'm currently working on for my morning Scripture study ... and can I just say WOW?!? but more on that another day ...); harassed the kids into getting dressed, getting the paper, feeding the cats, emptying the dryer, and unloading the dishwasher; made breakfast and got the kids and the baby fed; then I sat down to eat while the kids played outside and David snacked on Cheerios. Then I washed a load of clothes; folded another; went out and picked tomatoes, green beans, and basil, and, and proceeded to spend the better part of an hour messing with my sprayer and taking care of a bug problem that is effecting my tomatoes.

Then it was about 10:30, and I woke John up. Poor baby, he didn't get home until 4 last night. And by 'last night', I actually mean 'this morning.' He got up, had breakfast and coffee, and then mowed the lawn for me. Sweet man. I was having trouble walking in the back yard, because the grass was almost up to my knees. I was ok with that, until I stepped on the end of one of my pumpkin vines because I couldn't see it. It was hiding in the grass.

We had lunch, my mom and Wesley came by on their way back from Camp Peniel, and then the whole family napped. Except moi, because I had some very important things to do. Like finish Great Expectations. Wonderful book. Go find it, and A Tale of Two Cities. Read them this afternoon. Now. Why are you still here?? GO!!

Kill. Me. Now.

Please!!

It all started Monday night/Tuesday morning, about 1:45, when Sam threw up. He kept throwing up until Tuesday night, around midnight. (7 times. He counted.) Then Evie threw up Wednesday night, but only once, and has just been a little puny since then. But then ... Oh, but then. Then came Thursday afternoon. I started to feel a little 'off,' but thought it was just because I was tired from being up three nights with vomiting kids and not eating enough. By 7pm, I had sent Sam and Evie upstairs to play, and David crawled laps around the coffee table while I had to lie, completely miserable, on the couch. I sent everyone to bed early, around 8:15, and stumbled back to the couch. And then I started throwing up.

As a general rule, I don't get sick. I have had only one minor cough since last Thanksgiving, and that only lasted about 12 hours. My sweet husband was able to go by the store on the way home from work (at 1:30 in the morning) and pick up some Instant Breakfast and PediaPops. I admit it, I love them ... Then he didn't have to be at work today until 4, so all I really had to do was nurse the baby a few times. I tried to be good, and still get some stuff done. I washed a load of clothes, and folded what was in the dryer (while I was in bed, of course), and I ironed John's work clothes. He took the older kids to the park and to run some errands, so I could catch up on some important things ... like reading some great Dickens in the bath tub ... and sleeping. And eating PediaPops. And sleeping some more.

The baby is sick, too, but not near as bad at I am. He threw up a few times last night, probably after I did, but he never cried, so I had no idea until John brought him to me this morning, and we had to change all his blankets. He has still been in a surprisingly good mood (unlike certain other people who are writing this blog entry ...), just a little milder. More inclined to snuggle, which he rarely does when he's wide awake.

Praise God, John hasn't been sick yet. I love him, but I don't like him as much when he gets sick. He has been so wonderful at taking care of me, and has called a few times to check on me. Wonderful man. I sure do love him something fierce!!

Chicken and Pine Nut Couscous

I just made this for lunch, and we all stuffed ourselves silly. Mmmm ...

Chicken and Pine Nut Couscous
by Brea!

2 c whole grain couscous (you can find this in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)
4 c fat free chicken stock or water
1 c finely cubed cooked chicken
1/3 c lightly toasted pine nuts
3 heaping T chopped herbs (I liked basil, flat leaf parsley, and some rosemary)
2 heaping T minced leeks (onions or shallots would work fine, too)
4 cloves garlic, diced
olive oil, salt, and pepper

Pour at least 1/4 c olive oil into the bottom of a sauce pan, and bring to medium high heat. Add garlic, leeks, and herbs, and a generous pinch of salt. Sautee until onion is just soft, and add stock or water. Bring to a boil, then add pine nuts and couscous. Remove from heat and cover immediately. Let stand for 5 minutes, until couscous has absorbed all the liquid, and fluff with a fork. Add chicken and stir. Garnish with chives if desired.

This is great served with a nice mixed greens salad, and cooks up super fast. Including all the picking of herbs, and chopping of herbs and veggies, this whole thing took me about 10 minutes from start to finish. What's not to love about that?? And it's super healthy, too. My kids scarfed it, and had seconds. Sam and John and thirds, and David just sat there like a little bird, waiting for each bite. (He doesn't get the chicken or pine nuts yet, of course ...)

You could also make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a day or two and reheat it. Just be sure that you reheat it covered, and add a little extra water to keep it from drying out.

So, go make this. Tomorrow. And enjoy!

I'm so excited and proud of myself!!

... for a few reasons. First, we're going to visit my mom this afternoon, which is always fun. Also, today is Friday, which means it is Farmers' Market Day. We love that! But, here's the real reason: I and rocking out on my budget this pay period!!

After paying $60 for part of my new bike and new shoes, that leaves me with $170 for the next two weeks. $25 goes to my IRA, and $25 goes into my savings account, leaving me with $120 for groceries for the next two weeks. I bought all my WalMart groceries for just under $30, and all my HEB groceries for just under $30. My total is now at $60. I took $40 in cash for the Farmer's Market, so that leaves me with $20 extra, in case I want to get a cup of coffee (have I mentioned that we have a Starbuck's finally??) or some Taco Bell.

That means that I'll be feeding our whole family on $50 per week, including meat and dairy. This has been my goal for quite a while, and I hope I can keep it up. I really am completely excited that I was able to do it!!

Well ...

I'm still here, but busy as usual. Sam's party went swimmingly. We only had about 35 people out here (more than half were kids), which was nice, because I was expecting more like45-50. I have fajita meat coming out of my ears, and am totally loving it!! We start thank you notes this evening, and should finish tomorrow.

The kids are more than halfway through their reading curriculum, and we have started back up with math and signing. I have the best signing course. Ever. We learned a new song today.

My big tomatoes are finally turning red, as are my peppers. I love green bells, but John hates them, so I don't mind letting them turn red.

We're driving to Katy for a little day trip, coming back Saturday, maybe early afternoon.

I got some new running shoes, and a new bike, and I am veeery excited about both. However, I got them on Tuesday and have yet to use either (for their intended purpose, at least ...), so I should be able to run or bike tomorrow morning.

Now, off to make supper, and hopefully get some good sleep this evening ... something which has been eluding me lately. Hmm.

What I Grow to Eat

Since I've been having so much fun with my camera and new lens lately, I thought I'd share a little of my world with y'all. Today, a small sample of the things I grow that we consume.

My swiss chard. I don't grow enough (this year) to be on my own, so I still buy some from Erica at the Farmer's Market.


My strawberries! I didn't have any success last year with these guys (sequoias, I think?), so I made a few changes, like growing them in a container. I have a lot less bug problems, and these things have grown so much since I got them! I was very pleasantly surprised. They taste great, too. I'll have many more next year.


Green beans. Climbing Kentucky Wonder, to be precise. One of my favorites. We'll have about four times this many next year. Mmmmm ... the kids and I love to eat 'em right off the vine.


My Husky Cherry Reds. Since I took this picture last week, they've started turning red. Just off this plant, we're getting 2-4 tomatoes each morning.


Pumpkins ... we think. I wasn't going to plant pumpkins again this year, because while I think they're beautiful, I just didn't have much luck with them last year. But as it turns out, a lot of the seeds got mixed into the compost so late in the winter that they never ... well, composted. So when we put the compost down, all these pumpkin plants started coming up in the middle of the tomatoes! So I transplanted four plants, and three have made it, so far. Which brings me to my next picture ...


A baby pumpkin! Ain't he cuuute?? I love him. I named him Steve. Yes, I sometimes name my produce. We won't be eating this one, if he makes it that far.


This is a new one, too. Kentucky (something) Spearmint. Not as tasty as the regular, which I also grow, but its awful purty, don't 'ya think?


And last, but not least, the reason my grandmother loves me. Red tomatoes. These babies are Sweet 100's, a great patio plant for those of you who can't garden for various reasons. They are so easy to grow. We have three this year.


I have several other herbs I grow and dry throughout the year, and some other veggies, too. I'm getting to plant a new crop of something in the next few weeks, because I have a huge space available in my garden. Because of all the rain, my garlic and onions all died. Happened to a lot of people this year, apparently. I'll let you know what I decide on ...

Things to come ...

Coming soon, hopefully Monday, I'm taking a page out of the Pioneer Woman's book and doing a step-by-step picture recipe. One of my new favorites, stuffed squash! This stuff is good, and Sam just can't get enough of it ... Its a fun recipe, one I just really enjoy making. Here's to hoping I get my act together and get it posted. I think Sarah might quit loving me if I don't ... and I'll tell y'all what her husband, Scott, got Sarah for her birthday ... :)

David, or The Cutest Baby Ever.

Here's some pictures of my sweet baby. Enjoy!


Here he is in the wagon, one of his new favorite things. Basically, we just fold a huge blanket in half a few times, stuff it in the wagon, then add the baby. He just sits there like a little angel, unless we try to take his picture, in which case, he hams it up like always.


Here's his first sink bath. He probably won't have many more, because my life is so much easier when I bathe all three in the tub at the same time. And I don't have to worry about him trying to escape while I'm taking pictures.


Like this. It took two adults to keep that slippery little tree frog in the sink. Bad baby. :)



And last, but not least, a hug for you!!

I'll put teeth pics up as soon as I get them.

Busy!

Just wanted to pop in and let you know I'm still here. The last few weeks have been crazy busy (although, lately, when have we not been??), and will continue for a little while. Sam's birthday party is on Saturday, and there should be at least 40 people here, maybe (probably) more, and although I'm looking forward to it, and know I will be ready on time, I'm just a little freaked out.

David is crawling, and has two teeth. But here's the funny thing. Most babies get the two bottom middle teeth, one at a time, then the top two teeth in the middle. My crazy little rebel, though, has decided to get one bottom tooth, then one top tooth. Here's the great part: they're not even on the same side! The one on the bottom is on his right, and the one on the top is on his left! He looks like a little country boy from Bastrop. Which he is. But does he really need to look that way??? I'll put a picture up as soon as I get a good one that really catches the teeth.

I'll try to do another update in a few days. Karin and her daughter are coming over tomorrow, and I have to go to the post office and mail a bunch of cd's I sold on Amazon. I have a dentist appointment Wednesday. And we have to go to the library. Thursday is my big work day, and on Friday I have to make a gazillion cupcakes and finish getting ready. Did I mention there's going to be more than 40 people here on Saturday??

So now, I'm off to get some much needed sleep, because I have to be up at 5:30 to run in the morning!

Laughter

I cannot comprehend life without laughter. For all the issues my crazy family has (or has had), my house was filled with it when I was growing up. And not just the man,-that-was-a-good-joke kind of laughter. The kind where you-pee-in-your-pants (especially my mom) (sorry, Mom, if you're reading this), can't-even-stand-up, can't-catch-your-breath, and just-might-be-sore-the-next-morning laughter. Not just on special rare occasions, but all the time. Now I've grown up, and guess what? There's laughter in my house, too! I love it!

I have a friend who says she doesn't remember much laughter in her home as a kid. Not that her home was unhappy, but I think that comes with the territory with no siblings, and both parents working. One of the reasons I love having three kids and want many, many more is because there is just that much more joy! The more people you have in an immediate family, the more personalities start coming together and interacting, and that is almost always interesting at the very least, and really funny and a joy to be around, at the most.

God loves laughter and joy, too!

Psalm 126:2 'Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.'

Genesis 21: 6 'And Sarah said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me."'

Luke 6:21 'Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.'

Nehemiah 8:10 'Then he said unto them, "Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength."'

Nehemiah 12:43 ' Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.'

Psalm 5:11 'But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.'

Luke 15:10 'Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.'

III John 1:4 'I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.'

Joy is even listed as a fruit of the spirit!! Galatians 5:22-23 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.'

If you go to Bible Gateway and search 'joy,' you will get 187 results, just from the King James Version!! Take a few minutes to think about this today, or for the next few days. Yes, we all have our issues, and we all have bad days, but if I talked to your spouse, or your kids, or a close friend, would they say that you are a person who is filled with joy? Or a person who laughs long and often?

Joy and laughter are such gifts. Not just to us, which they really are!, but to the people around us, too. It is very hard to stay in a bad mood when someone near you is laughing with unabandoned glee. It is hard to be cranky when the person you interact with the most is filled with pure joy. Bless those who are around you today. Laugh, smile, and praise the Lord for all your blessings!!!

Sauteed Swiss Chard over Pasta

This one is a new fav around here. Packed with all kinds of yummy, healthy goodness, and a ton of veggies, this has become one of Sam's most requested meals.

Swiss chard is a big, leafy green that looks a lot like mustard or collard greens. I get mine fresh every Friday from our wonderful Farmer's Market here in town, and now refuse to buy it from the store after having eaten it so fresh. It's very, very easy to grow, also. It is called 'summer spinach' and tastes like spinach, only slightly sweeter, and a little sturdier. The more ingredients you can find fresh, the better this meal will turn out. This also doubles well for a big family. As written below, this feeds all 4 of us, plus leftovers for at least one grown up lunch, or two kid lunches.

Sauteed Swiss Chard over Penne Pasta
by Brea!

1 large bunch swiss chard, well rinsed, well dried, and very roughly chopped, stems removed
2 raw strips good bacon, diced (optional)
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
white and light green of one leek, minced (you can also do 1/4 cup minced yellow onion)
one large head broccoli, cut into small florets
one large red bell pepper, diced
2/3 c diced or shredded chicken breast (optional)
good quality cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
one pound whole wheat penne pasta, cooked al dente

In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat. When bacon is almost done, add leeks (or onions), garlic, a lot of olive oil, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. (The leeks cook very fast, so you might want to wait a few seconds to add them if your garlic isn't finely minced.) As soon as your garlic starts to look soft, add all the swiss chard to the pan. Pour on more olive oil and add more salt to help bring out all the water from the chard, and carefully turn chard several times, making sure to move the garlic mix, too.

Add broccoli after chard has been cooking for about 2 minutes. Cook until chard is completely wilted, then add bell pepper and chicken. Cook 30 seconds more, adjust seasoning as needed, then pour over the pasta. Generously grate fresh Parmesan over the top, and serve immediately. Enjoy with a good garlic bread!

**This is a good meatless meal, and we sometimes add other veggies at the same time as the broccoli, like sugar snap peas or fresh green beans.

TAG!

Well, I done got myself tagged by Candi. Eight random or little know things about me ...

1. I love bad movies. I stayed up the other night until 2 in the bleeping morning watching the Breakfast Club. (Don't you, forget about me. Don't you, no, no, no, no ... Come on, you know you remember the song and are now singing it!!)

2. I hate people touching my feet. Or being in the same general vicinity of them. Or looking at them. Even John knows not to touch my feet. Other people's feet don't bother me, but heaven help the person who gets too close to mine. You might lose an eye.

3. I want to be a cowgirl when I grow up. I want a cattle ranch, maybe about 50,000 acres somewhere in Texas, with a river, and I want to get up every morning at 5 and go work my cows with my big ole' family (of course, in this dream, I have at least 7 kids, and extended family lives on the other side of the ranch). My horse would be the prettiest and the nicest, and everyone would envy me, and I could cry when she got really old and died.

4. I listen to music when I'm alone that would not be found in most homeschool moms' cars. I am extremely fond of punk and ska (I have the Deftones, Less Than Jake, the Clash, and AFI, to name a few), and some other random stuff (like the latest Justin Timberlake ... haven't you heard? He's bringing sexy back. For real, yo!) (and who could pass up the Garden State soundtrack? Also, Nick Drake, and some Toadies thrown in for good measure. Sometimes you just need to listen to some really loud stalker songs.). All of that is just what's in my car right now.

5. The real reason I run is because it's the only thing that is mine. All mine. No one goes with me, no one can talk to me, no one can ask me for milk or a snack or a video or where-are-my-clean-work-pants or mom-the-baby-wants-something-to-eat or anything else. I am all by myself, and love it! Of course, staying healthy and looking decent in a bathing suit don't hurt ...

6. I love to cook for people. I love to have people over, just so I can cook for them. I don't enjoy going out to eat more than once a month, and I'm not crazy about going to other people's houses because that means that I'm not the one doing the cooking.

7. I absolutely cannot follow a recipe. Everything I cooked is always tweaked, to a certain extent. Just ask John. It drives him nuts.

8. Babies make me stoopid. When I am around them, I can no longer form sentences, I drool, I grin like an idiot ... Doesn't matter whose baby it is, and even if I am holding my own baby, I still act a fool. I just want to eat them all up!!!

So, there's me. Any questions? :)

This is not going to be good for my housework ...

Something bad has happened. Since our internet got fixed (got fixed? That sounded raawwwther Southern ...), I have discovered something the rest of the world has known about for a while. Something wonderful, something informative ... I am so happy!

Want to know what it is?

YOU TUBE!! Did you know they have cooking videos? I haven't had Food Network since we moved out here, and I can watch Alton Brown for the first time in almost 2 years!! My new favorite that I stumbled on is Cooking Up a Story. Love it!

And now, seeing how the baby is asleep, and the kids are outside with John cutting things down with machetes and the newly fixed chainsaw, I am going to watch and learn about artisan cheeses!!!

I am just so very happy!!!

Clowns in WHERE???

Amy, thank you so much for the comment! It's nice to meet you, too! :)

Candi, I saw your tag. I'll do that (hopefully!) tomorrow, or Monday.

Don't have much time, but here's something to chew on: clowns in church! I'm not kidding. And I'm not talking about entertainment for kids at a church fair. I'm talking about ministers dressing as clowns (face paint, horns, floppy shoes, and all!) and blessing Communion. Got the original link from Amy at Humble Musings, and Googled my way from there. I think I may sit down and cry in a minute. Check out these links, and please leave me some comments as to your thoughts ...

Amy's post
Todd Friel's thoughts
great blog post
Are you kidding me?

I know that God loves us, regardless of out appearance. However, we should still seek to honor Him with our appearance when we are in His home. Can you imagine sitting down to an actual supper with Our King, dressed like this? What kind of impression would this make on a family of unbelievers, visiting a church for the first time? Is this the way that Christ wants His Bride to act? What Bride in her right mind would want to look like this? I'm not kidding, I want to sit down and weep and the disrespect and dishonor shown here.

There are so many thoughts in my head about this, but the rest of the words kinda fail me. And those of you who know me, know what a big deal that is!!

Whew!!

Sorry about the MIA. We've been insane ... up to The Woodlands for a day trip last Saturday, then church Sunday, lots of errands Monday, library Tuesday, then we left for Katy Tuesday when John got home from work. Stayed at Mom's Tuesday night.

We woke up early and met Papa at the Town and Country Starbucks (mmm ... vanilla latte, how do I love the? Let me count the ways ...), then to Galveston! Went to the WWII airplane museum, then Fish Tails for lunch, then the Moody fish pyramid and rain forest pyramid, then supper with the Cauthens.

Went to the beach with the Cauthens Thursday morning, lunch on the road, visited my dad for a while, then over to Mom's to see Nanny and have Lasagna House for supper, then finally got home around 11:30m last night, only to find out the bio-wheel on the fish tank wasn't working, and the motor was making a funny sound and smell, and we have no idea how long it was out ... but it works now, and we all had a good night's sleep last night.

So. Pics later, when I can function on a higher level. Right now, I'm going to seek coffee.

And Candi is coming to visit me tomorrow!!! Yay!!!!!!!

Thought ...

Sarah,

You are my dearest friend. I don't know what I would do without you. You make me laugh, and you make me think when I get too upset about things and call to rant ot you. But we may have an issue soon. If I'm not allowed to have four kids before you have any, there is a very simple solution to our not-existant-as-of-yet problem:

HAVE SOME FRICKIN KIDS ALREADY!!!

Seriously, I want to play with them.

Love,
~Brea

WOOOOHOOOO!!!

It looks like I have internet again!!! I am so happy!!!! My very, very nice cable man Mike came out today, and gave me a new cable router, and free HBO and Cinemax (yeah, like I'm going to watch those. Are the 'Stros on HBO? No? Why bother ...), and then clicked on a lot of things on the computer, and said, 'Hmmm,' a lot of times, and said that David is really cute, and now my internet works!! I don't have to hit the refresh button 87 times to get a page to load!! It took me over an hour to get that last blog post up, which made me rather cranky, and now I don't have to do that anymore!! YAYYYYYYY!!!!

So, an update ... John graduated from his Dale Carinage class. I'm so proud of you, baby!! I know you really didn't want to do this, but I'm so glad you did, and I know you got a lot out of it. Congrats!! Also, when you accidentally mostly shaved your head, I found that very, very hot. I'm loving the short hair, you sexy beast. Seriously. I almost jumped on you when I first saw it, but I probably would have dropped the baby, not to mention the fact that Sam and Evie were still awake and standing right beside us, and that would have all just been very damaging to their little minds ...

Sorry, I got a little distracted there. But his short hair really does look great.

Sam and Evie are doing really well with their reading, and we're probably starting math next month. They rule!! Sam is slowly starting to grasp money, because he's my Money Man at the Farmer's Market. Sweet boy.

David is still perfect, and has mastered intentional forward motion. Not quite what I'd call crawling, but it will happen oh so soon ... oy!

And I'm ready for another baby!! Well, I know I'm not allowed to get pregnant right now, because 1) Candi has laid claim to all my maternity clothes (congrats, dear!!), and 2) something about a skiing trip next January, and I am going to be forced to go ... blah, blah, family vacation, blah, snow, blah, blah. I don't like snow, or being cold, or the idea of skiing (maybe snowboarding ... we'll see). But maybe I can just make to cocoa and be the food gal. Hmm ..

And now, I'm off to veg with a good book and hot cup of my fab tea that I mix. I love tea ...

More Issues ... and Prayer Requests

Still having tech problems. But I do have a few prayer requests ...

My dear friend, Melanie, lost her mom in a car accident two weeks ago today. Her mom, Nancy, was a dear, wonderful, sweet, funny person, who I'm told didn't have an enemy in the world. She was part of the book club I'm (occasionally) part of, and she was always a delight to be around. Melanie was very close to her mom, so please pray the the Lord would help her to properly grieve, and that He would give her peace and rest in Him.

My bro is going to a camp in Missouri (or somewhere not Texas, I don't remember ...) and is very excited. Pray that he can would get into one of the carpools going up there, so my mom doesn't have to take too much time off from work.

PLEASE pray for the staffing situation at John's store. They are having an awful time keeping people there for more than a month, let alone longer term! That's not because it's a bad place to work; that's just the nature of a small town with no anchor (like a college or something like that). John has been very stressed about that, which brings me to my fourth request ...

Pray that I can get my act together around the house!! I do so well sometimes, but then I just get lazy for a little while, then I'm overwhelmed by everything that has piled up, and instead of deciding to work hard and get everything knocked out, I panic and do nothing. Which really doesn't help the mess, and it really stresses John out, then I feel guilty, because I know it's just pure laziness ... OY!! Are you seeing the cycle I get myself into?!?!?

And I still have no email, so call me if you need to get a hold of me.

Thank you all!!

pics, while I can!

Well, I thought I'd try to get some pics up while I can ... if I can ...

Trying to take pictures with all three kids is like pulling teeth! Here they are with my Papa on Easter.

Here's Sam at the Round Rock game a while back, on the climbing wall. Maybe it's in his blood?

David at the table. Right after this pic, he tried (frantically) to eat the actual table. Have you ever seen anything so cute???? I spend most of my days trying not to eat him, he's so durned cute!!
All in all, I would just like to say how much I love my babies!!!

All is (mostly) well on the homefront!

Hello! Still here, but having major computer issues. Apparently, my dear desktop has decided to grace me with a small window of working internet this evening. After frantically paying all the bills (we don't even get paper statements for most things anymore!), and checking my email (there were only like 500), it appears I still have a few minutes left before it all goes to hell. So I thought I'd pop in here. :)

We started having computer issues right after Easter. Easter went wonderfully! Had a lovely time with everyone. On Wednesday (a week ago), I drove to Katy with the critters. We got to see the lovely Mrs Lyon, also known as Sarah or Molly, Wendnesday evening, and then went to lunch with Papa Thursday. We had a great time with him!! I pretty much have the best grandfather, ever. He's just peachy!! Then, I left the big critters and came back home with David. I watched the Astros game with John Thursday night, and then we had coffee and breakfast the next morning. At 9:00!! Just because we could! (I should add that breakfast is very rarely eaten after 7:30 around here ...) Ha!! So this is how the other half lives ...

We had a great few days of not doing much of anything, and I picked the kids up late Saturday evening. I missed them, and have had a great week so far with them. Sam and John went fishing yesterday, and Sam caught a fish!! It was a bass. I forgot what kind (because I don't care what kind!), but both boys were very excited. Evie is going with John tomorrow. Should be fun!

I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities right now, and forgot how wonderful it is!! Everyone, buy this book right away, and start reading.

Hopefully, this post will stick, and I'll be able to post again soon and let y'all know my new schedule ...

Checkin' in!

Happy Easter to everyone!!!! We're fixing to have all kinds of craziness around here, so I'll be back Monday for an update. If I'm not curled up at the foot of my bed in the fetal position, sucking my thumb, and cursing my whole family, blood or not ...

:)

Jesus has risen!!! REJOICE!!!

NOT yay. And an apron.

Stoopid Astros. (grumble, grumble, curse word, grumble) Frickin' baseball. I hate how much I love this sport. Roy O pitched an amazing 8 innings last night, then Brad Lidge got himself on my hitlist. So not cool. (Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.)

Anyway, I have a thought for you all. Let's talk about aprons! I got one yesterday, and I just love it. It's purple, too. :) Do we realy have a need for aprons in the modern era we live in? We have all kinds of things now, like multiple sets of clothes, washing machines and dryers, laundry detergent that doesn't have to be made by hand from lye, and wonderful things to treat stains. Aprons were originally intended to keep you one weekday work dress looking decent in case someone came visiting. In the age of cell phones, email, and cheap long distance, people don't really visit anymore, and we don't really have to worry about keeping our only skirt clean, because we've got more than one. So I pose the question again: Do we really need aprons?

Yes!!! I don't know about your apron, but mine has magic powers. I talked to Candi last night, and so does hers. There is something very satisfying about tying those strings around your back and getting to work. I'll probably use my apron for everything except cooking, because I make such a mess in my kitchen that no apron could ever save me. But I find myself wanting to do more when I wear the apron, and sitting down or stopping less. (Read the newspaper in my apron? E gads!! Never!)

I struggle with being lazy. It's probably something that I will never 'fix,' but at least I know its there and can work actively to beat it. Proverbs 31 tells of the wife of noble character, also known as the virtuous wife. Her husband lacks nothing, she rises before the rest of her house, and she does not eat the bread of idleness. Every time I read this passage, I think 'uh oh.' Am I able to say that my hands are never idle? Am I able to say that my hands are only occasionally idle? Would John ever tell me 'Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all'?

In talking with the different women I admire and look up to, I am learning that no one, if they are truly honest, will ever tell you that they have it all together. Every woman has her strengths, and some days are definately better than others. We all have days that we're just 'on.' It's how you handle the off days, and how you face and deal with your weaknesses, that sets some peole apart from the rest.

I wake up every morning and say a prayer. I thank God that I woke up, and I thank Him for the day, and I ask Him to give me strength, grace, and wisdom. Strength to face whatever comes my way, grace that not too many things will come my way at once, and wisdom to know how to handle the things that are laid at my feet.

And patience, for not yelling at my television when my fav baseball team blows a game. :)

Yay!!

Something wonderful happens today. Something I have been looking forward to for a very long time. Something I have dearly missed over the last few months. Something that breaks my heart every single time I get involved, but something I still will always come back to, no matter how tough things get.

Any guesses??

BASEBALL IS BACK!!!!!! I've missed the Astros so much the past few months. We went to the game that they played against the Round Rock Express (one of the 'Stros' farm teams) last week, and Brad 'Lights Out' Lidge looked at me!! Then he smiled!! (Insert swoon here!!) Their season opener is this evening, against the Pirates.

Oh baseball, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways ...

Brad Ausmus loves me. He just doesn't know it yet.

I'm just so happy ...

My Dad

My dad is a wonderful guy. I am crazy about him, and I will always be Daddy's Little Girl to him. He loves my kids, is fond of my husband, and loves the heck out of my brothers and me.

Now that we've established that, let me throw this in there: my dad is a little crazy. And unpredictable. And he does things that nobody understands. When my brother Kevin was three or four, and I was seven or eight, Dad decided that we needed the experience of riding public transportation. So he took us to the bus station, the ride the bus that went to downtown Houston. Doesn't sound so bad, you say? Well, he didn't ride with us! Nope, he followed the bus in the car so we could leave downtown at our leisure. A small kink was thrown into the plans when the bus got onto the HOV lane, and Dad couldn't follow. So he's the kind of guy who can roll with the flow, and he drives beside the bus. There was no traffic at that point.

But then ...

The bus broke down. In the HOV lane. Where Dad couldn't get to us. Yeah. Kevin got really upset and cried a lot, it took them at least a few hours to fix the bus, and a very nice lady looked out for us. Totally not kidding about this.

Then one time, Dad met a lady online through Yahoo!Chat, and went to visit her , and the next thing you know, they're getting married. That's great for him, you say? Well, I wouldn't have had any problem, either, except that the lady was from Russia. And didn't speak English all that well. (Well, she could write it, but wasn't so great at the verbal part.) Her driving was awful, she wasn't very nice to us, and her daughter was a borderline major bee-otch. Seriously. And she kept sending money back to her family, and then she went home to visit and just never came back. So they got a divorce. And Dad missed my 18th birthday because he was in stoopid Russia, so yeah, I have some issues.

Then Dad met another lady online, and surprisingly enough, she was from Russia! But this time they didn't get married. She just visited a few times and Dad visited her, and it was over when he offended her (or figured out her game) by saying that he wasn't going to pay for her to visit anymore. Haven't heard from her since them.

Then one time Dad dated a girl that was abut 10 months older than me, and that was just really strange.

And this is all just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe I'll post one of the funnier stories another time.

I'm reminded of all of this because he just came to visit, which was great. We had a wonderful time, and chatted a lot because John is on a retreat right now, and he's jsut a character. I love him. He's my Dad!! :)

Action/Reaction

We all learned about cause and effect in school, right? Same general principal as 'every action has an equal, if not greater, reaction.'

Action: hand 4-year-old a camera, and teach him how to take pictures. Make sure this is a digital camera, so as to not waste all film ever made. Also, teach him how to check the picture right after he takes it.

Reaction: 4-year-old takes picture of Dad when Dad isn't looking and really isn't all that awake yet and is picking his teeth.(Ladies, now you understand why I have a problem keeping my hands to myself!! What's not to love about this sexy beast??)

Action: Above-mentioned adorable kid keeps practicing with the camera.

Reaction: Camera skills drastically improve!
If this was a slightly larger picture, you could see that I have on a very cute toe ring (which I haven't taken off in over 3 years) and fabulously painted toenails. Light pink. Works very well on my feet.

Action: Just ignore the amature photog, and pretend like you are looking each and every time he takes a picture, flips the function over, and shows you the picure on the screen.

Reaction: You are really surprised when you realize that he hit the money shot of the baby, his favorite subject!
Awwww!! Ain't that the cutest little critter you'd ever seen?? He looks as surprised to see me as I am to see him.

Action: You are very, very attracted to the man that will one day become your husband.

Reaction: Babies!!!! Yay!!!!!!
Sam really is reading to David; this time its out of his favorite Calvin and Hobbes book. Both Sam and Evie love to read and sing to David, as often as possible.

Well, the garden is done. I had to pull out all the spinach, because I planted it a little too late this year, then the rain came and killed all the seeds that had just started to grow. I can live with that, because we need the rain!! I had to replant all but two of my garlic, but that takes so long to grow anyway that a few weeks won't make a difference. Pepper plants are in, as are all the herbs. I'm growing two kinds od spearmint, peppermint, lemon balm, lavander, lots of rosemary, stevia, orageno, parsley, and cilantro. And lots of basil. And probably others that I forgot.

We've got most of the flowers in, too. All the verbena and lantana is starting to come back, and some others we didn't expect, like the daisies and dianthus. And of course, it's wildflower time!! Yay!!! I'll try to post some pics from around this place soon ... and now, I need to take a nap to sleep off the huge Mexican lunch I had!

my organic aunt would get a kick out of this

We went to the Farmers' Market this afternoon when we were in town, and got some great stuff! I can't wait for supper this evening. Swiss chard, a salad mix, fresh garlic (you have not lived until you've cooked with real fresh garlic!) a thing for the birds, eggs, asparagus, some goodies for the kids, and spinach. However, I am much lighter on spinach now than when we first bought it. We were walking to another booth, when I heard people laughing. I thought, 'Great, what have my kids done now??' I tunred around, and they were following behind me, polite as could be, eating spinach straight out of the bag.

Oh, well. At least I don't have to worry about chemicals on the food ...

Only my children, I tell you that. I'm just glad David isn't any bigger, cause I know I wouldn't have made it home with anything!

the things we take for granted ...

The Pioneer Woman has inspired me to write down my thankfulness for something I used to really take for granted ... RAIN!! She is thankful for rain because she and her husband have a cattle ranch, and need rain to keep things alive. We love it when we get rain for vegatation around here, like all the veggies we grow, our flowers, our grass, and our trees. Because of the prolonged drought in Central Texas, we've lost several oaks and pines since we've been here, and we've only been here a little over a year!

When we lived in Austin, I was kind of aware when we needed rain, but my think was more along the lines of, 'Man, I wish it would hurry up and rain, because Bull Creek is starting to smell funny and it needs a good washing out.' Things like that. I'm sorry to say, it really never had crossed my mind before that there are a lot of things out there that need rain to survive. Many of the local farms out here (like a good little gal, I shop at the farmers' market and know most of the vendors pretty well) are really getting into a bind because of the drought, and this year has been predicted to be just as dry as the last!

But here's the real, deep down reason I was so glad when we got almost 10 inches last week: fires. We live in the middle of a LOT of pine trees, with the accumulation of years' worth of pine needles under them. Add in the oaks out here (mostly live oaks that drop their many, many leaves every year) and various other things, and this is a dangerous place to live in a drought. We've been under a burn ban longer, much longer, than we've been allowed to burn since we moved, and we have had several scares. Three times we've had to toss what we could in the cars, try to remember the kids, and high-tail it out of here beause the fires have been so close. The most recent one was started by my next door neighbor, the Bird Lady. We were all lucky with that one, because the fire department out here is so great. Only 10 acres was burned up, and there was no structural damage on anyone's property. We really do live in a tinderbox.

In the last 14 months, there have been 5 fires that the department has responded to on our street alone. It can kind of get to you, especially on the very dry, very windy days. John used to tease me about my tendancy to be over-prepared for emergencies, but he now understands why I always have three things in easy reach in my closet: 1) a box with copies of all our important documents (birth certificates, marriage license, house paperwork, insurance info, etc), 2) a bag with a change of clothes (day clothes and jammies) for eveyone, and 3) a bag with kid things like the kids' fav stuffed animals (yes, we originally bought three of each animal in case one got lost), some toys that will keep them occupied if need be, etc. This last bag also has several bottles of water and lots of munchies. Both bags have $100 in cash.

Ok, I know I can replace almost everything in my house, and I can certianly buy everything in each of the two bags at WalMart. But if my house burns down, do I really want to go to the store that night?? If we have to go stay with someone, or at a hotel, do I want to be worrying about what everyone will wear to bed? No, I don't think so. And the snacks are there because we live an hour from Austin, which is where we'd probably end up, and I just don't like ot be hungry in the car. I've found that you can gt through just about anything if you have a few good snacks. Stress on an empty stomach is hard.

Have I gone a little overboard? Probably, and I pray that John is right, and that we'll never have to use any of this stuff. But it doesn't hurt, that's for sure ...

All that to say, I now have a new appreciation of rain, and a new love for it. Here's to the chance of more this weekend!

I love babies!!!

Congrats to Ralph and Becky Garcia on the birth of their beautiful new little boy, Ari!!!! I saw this little critter this morning, and he is just too adorable. And you wouldn't believe the hair on this kid!!!

So congrats, and may God bless this new little angel!

Zzzzzz ...

Oh! Sorry! I was asleep there for a minute. Won't happen again. Sorry.

I am sleepy, though. But, to make up for lack of posts, I present to you something special, wonderful, that I love with all my heart. My babies!!! First, we have Evie and David with Evie's bear, Emily:

Here's Sam and David before church a few weeks ago. You can't see all of it, but both of them have on khakis and long-sleeved button downs, Sam has on a sweater, and David has on a sweater vest. I wanted to eat both of them right then and there.

Here's just David, my ever-so-sad and discontent baby.

Sam and David really do get along well. Sam thinks his little brother is the bee's knees, and David already looks up to Sam. How sweet are they? Right after John took this picture, David reached out and pinched Sam's nise, which made Sam laugh really hard!

For those who were skeptical about the idea of potty-training infants, HA on you. :) David thinks it's funny when he has an audience to do his thing.

And last, but certianly not least, this is what happens when you give Sam a camera and teach him how to take pictures.
Actually, Sam really is becoming quite the little photographer. He brings a very interesting perspective to things. I'll post some of his stuff when I can get the camera working again.

And now, seeing how it's Monday, I am off to mop my floors!! New post tomorrow.

I know my mom is laughing right now ...

... because my daughter is so much like ME!! Grandchildren really are a parent's best revenge. I tell you what, that girl is killing me. She is just such a fireball, with so much energy, and she wears every emotion on her sleeve!! She amazes me every day. She can go from belly laughing, to sobbing, back to laughing, all in the space of about 2 minutes. And each emotion is genuine ... she very rarely fakes anything! Although, she did come up to me the other day, telling me her throat hurt. I asked her why it hurt, and she looked me square in the eye and said, 'Because Dr Conally took my tonsils out, and he told me I could have ice cream.' I said, 'Are you sure that Sam didn't have his out? Because I thought is was him in the hospital, not you.' She would not be persuaded, and tried for several more minutes to convince me that she was lacking tonsils. Finally, she just gave up and said, 'Well, maybe it was Sam. But could I have some ice cream anyway?'

How can you say no to that???

She shot John a look the other day, and he actually had to leave the room because he was laughing so hard. I asked him what was so funny, and he informed me that Evie had just given him the hundred-yard stare that I give him occasionally. (Me? What hundred-yard stare? I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea of what he's talking about, really ...) She really is like a Little Brea in some ways.

And I'll tell you what, I love every single minute of it. Praise God for His blessings ... I have four of the best ones He's ever given out right here under my roof as I type this!!

Mexican Rice Cassarole

This is a wonderful dish, because it freezes as well as anything I've ever frozen before, and it tastes great! It's also pretty good for ya, and it doubles very well. A good way to clean out your fridge, and it can feed a lot of people for not a whole lot of money.

Mexican Rice Casserole
by Brea!

3 cups uncooked brown rice
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can flavored diced tomatoes
cheese
meat (cold, however much, whatever kind; I use leftover fajitas, or two cooked, shredded, seasoned chicken breasts)
tortilla chips

Cook rice according to package directions (add 1 teaspoon salt), and set aside to cool. Heat oven to 350. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, and meat in a large mixing bowl, reserving the liquid from the corn for possible later use. Mix together and add a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, if you want. When the rice is cool, mix into the mixing bowl. Combine well, adding the reserved corn liquid if needed to form a very thick but slightly wet mix.

Layer the bottom of a baking pan with lightly crushed tortilla chips. Spoon half of the mix into the pan, sprinkle the top with cheese, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted.

Put the remaining mix into a heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze up to three months. Place it in the fridge two days before you want to cook it, then follow the directions from the above paragraph.

Note: I use the HEB brand Chipotle diced tomatoes, which give a great smoky flavor without adding too much ‘heat.’ My kids can eat it, but if you're real sensitive to heat, just pour a little of the liquid down the drain before you add the tomatoes. Also, I don’t to add any additional seasoning when I use those tomatoes … which I love!

Oops!

Forgot to add that Amy's post from today was really good. You should check is out. I enjoyed it.

Still tired.

I really am. I don't know what's up with me. Maybe its an iron thing. I dunno.

I'm about to hop in the shower, after playing on eBay and buying a cute new stamp. :) Yay cute stamps! Dad and Mrs Akins (his neighbor across the street- the sweetest lady you'll ever meet, she's lived there since we moved 23 years ago) came over for lunch today, and we had a really nice time. The kids were excited to see their Grandpa. I made Mexican Rice Casserole this evening, which is awesome; I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

That's all for now. I need to get to bed before I fall over.

Tired!

I am super tired! We're taking a break from school right now, and I'm about to fall asleep!

A note on our schedule: We do our Bible reading over breakfast at 8, then clean up the kitchen. The kids have free time from whenever the kitchen is done until 9:30. We have math or science from 9:30-10, then I feed David. Depending on the weather, I either read outloud to the kids while I nurse, or I kick them out of the house. From 10:30-12, we play, do chores, put clothes on the line (or put away the ones that are there), and plan what's for supper. Then we have lunch from 12-12:30, and David goes down after that. Sam and Evie help me clean up the kitchen, then we do school (learning to read) for one lesson, however long that takes. Usually 20-ish minutes, although it can be longer if either of the kids is extra crabby. :) Not that that ever happens around here ... Then I feed David at 1:30, and everyone goes down for a nap from 2:30-4:30. We usually do another reading lesson before David gets up at 5, then I start supper at 5:30. So that's our day. This is our general schedule, but we rarely stick to everything on it everyday. Life happens.

So back to the part where I'M ABOUT TO FALL ASLEEP!! I don't know why I'm so tired right now, but I am going to completely pass out when the kids go down.

Oh, look, I rambled to keep myself awake long enough to feed the baby. Yay!

A new To Your Health coming on Friday or Saturday.

Banana Nut Bread

Just for my wonderful Candi!! This is a recipe from my grandmother that, as usual, I have modified and made healthier. This is a fav breakfast bread around here. It slices much easier when it is cold, out of the fridge, and freezes wonderfully. I always make mini loaves or muffins, because the smaller things bake more evenly.

Banana Nut Bread
by Brea!

2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 c butter
1/4 c olive oil or canola oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3-4 very ripe bananas
1 c chopped nuts
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Cream bananas, butter, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients, then fold in nuts (I like walnuts or pecans!).

Pour into greased mini-loaf or muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until brown on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!!

Oh, to follow my own advice ...

Sometimes, I find myself talking with different friends about kids. Ha! Sometimes ... like I have other things to talk about. Nope, just kids. That's about it ... but I digress ... Anyway, I was talking to a friend the other day; she has been having trouble with her almost-five-year-old and nutrition. (Who doesn't have trouble with their kids and nutrition from time to time? It seems to be a 'seasons of life' kind of thing!) She was asking me for some advice, and being the shrinking violet that I am, I had no problem telling her what I thought. I got off the phone and thought, 'Wow, that was great advice I just gave. I should try that sometime ...'

Don't we all do that? We have these great ideas of how things are supposed to work, and we can tell others exactly how we want to do something, or how they should do something, but we often neglect to heed our own words. Oy! This is one thing I need to work on, in a big way. :)

In other news: I have decided to quit using my dryer. I have a clothesline that I am mostly pretty good about using, but my goal is to not use my dryer for the next 6 months unless we have more than three days in a row of rain. Lord, please let us have more than three days in a row of rain!! Sorry, again with the digression ...

Hannah came over this morning, and we went and had coffee at the Green Chai Cafe. (Come visit me, and I'll take you there! This place is great.) I had a lovely time with her! She is such a doll, and when I talk to her, I am always reminded of one of my favorite verses, Proverbs 16:24, 'Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.' She always has kind and pleasant things to say. It's nice to have a female friend, who is near my age, who lives within 2 hours of me!

Tonight is one of our meatless nights, so I'm doing pasta (whole wheat, of course!) with tomato sauce, romaine and Swiss Chard salad, and steamed veggies. Aaannnnnnd ice cream for dessert. Mmmm. :)

More later of how my attitude changes have been affecting my life in my home ...

thoughts about husbands and attitude ...

Man! I cannot dscribe the relief I am feeling today!!! Sam slept through the night for the first time last night since his surgery. I was beginning to think I had another newborn in the house. John came home last night with a raging headache, and stayed on the couch from the minute he changed clothes, until I woke him up at 11 to go to bed. My poor baby! He's much better today, after getting 12 (much needed!) hours of sleep. He left for work around 10, and should be back tonight around 11, because his Dale Carnige class is this evening, in Austin.

Working around John's schedule can really be a challenge sometimes. On the days he opens, he leaves at 7:10 and usually gets home between 6 and 7:30, depending on the kind of day he had. On the days he closes, he leaves here around 3:40, and gets home between midnight and 2, depending on what day of the week it is. Then we try to let him sleep in the next morning, until 9 or so. I know he feels bad on the days that he gets home so late from an open shift, because we always wait for him to get home before we eat supper (we rarely sit down to eat before 7 around here). I don't mind, though. I'm always so happy to see him when he gets home, no matter what time it is!

He also doesn't ever know when it's going to be an early evening or a late evening. There have been times when he's called to let me know he's getting out early (at 5:30!), and I don't hear from him again until 7:30, when he's in the car and calling me on his cell. Things come up ... 'it is what it is' is a favorite phrase around here. A friend of mine asked me a while ago why I don't get upset, because it makes it so hard to plan anything, even something as simple as supper. Here's my answer to that: My reaction isn't going to make any difference as to the time John gets home!! Which is going to bless him more? A) getting home late after a long, hard, stressful day at work and being greeted at the door with a smile, a hug, and a kiss, or B) getting home late after a long, hard, stressful day at work and being greeted at the door with angry glances, a sullen attitude, and guilt being placed on him? Which example is going to set a better example for my children as to how marriage should work? If we had a guest staying with us (my mom, a friend, the pastor's wife, God, or a neighbor) who was there to to watch my reaction, would that change the way I react?

Or how about this question: Let's pretend that John was able to avoid doing some of the things at the end of his shift, give some of his responsibilities to someone else, and rush home. Would I want him to do that? Do I want my husband, the man I am Biblically commanded to respect, reverence, and obey, to be afraid of my attitude, to be afraid of what is waiting behind the door for him when he gets home? May God strike me down first!!

Blessing our husbands can happen in so many different ways. I have a friend whose husband wouldn't notice if she didn't mop her floors for 6 months, but likes the bed to be made every morning. I have another friend whose husband doesn't notice what is for supper every night, but who really likes to have a big breakfast on Saturday mornings. Another husband doesn't care what the house looks like, but hates too much loud noise when he comes home from work because of his very hectic job. John couldn't care less about noise, but loves to come home to an orderly house. And he likes good quality coffee. So each morning, I get up before him to make a great cup of coffee that he can take to work. Each afternoon around 4, I try to start straightening up the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen; take the clothes off the clothesline and put them away; and sweep the floors. Around 5:30, I light a few candles or put something yummy-smelling on the back of the stove to simmer so things will smell nice when John walks in the door. Now, this is a best-case senario situation. I have crazy days where the house falls down around my ears and it looks like a bomb went off by the time John gets home. But I now it's important to him, so it has become important to me.

What are 2 things you can do this week to bless your husband, things you don't normally do that would delight him?

Ouch!

Could I be more sore? I don't think so ...

I didn't get much done yesterday morning, just a load of laundry, and I cleaned the kitchen. The kids and I had lunch outside on the deck, and then I made up for my lack of motivation yesterday morning. I tilled the entire garden (and the extension) by hand; planted spinach, Kentucky climbing green beans, spinach, and garlic; tilled and then extended my herb bed (which is in the driest part of our yard-it was like digging rocks!!); transplanted peppermint and planted basil; transplanted spearmint; then after watering everything and getting the garden prepped for tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and peppers (being planted today), I came inside, cleaned up so everything look decent when John got home, and started supper.

Seriously! I am very tired! But I feel so good. I don't think there's any better feeling than being really sore after a good, hard day of working outside with your hands. And I managed to get sunburned, too. Oy! The kids helped me with all the garden stuff, and got to spread the seeds for the spinach, beans, and basil. We had a blast. Luckily, they weren't in the sun as much as I was, so they didn't get burned.

I just finished reading Marriage to a Difficult Man, the book with the world's most misleading title. It's about Sarah Edwards, wife of Jonathan Edwards (the preacher in colonial New England who started the First Great Awakening ... truly an amazing man!). This book has blown me away. I highly reccomend that everyone get it, NOW, and read it. This family had 11 children, Jonathan was frequently gone for long periods, and still Sarah was known throughout New England as a wonderful wife, housekeeper, and host. I have been evaluating my job lately, and some of the things I do, and the way I act, and this book has served to confirm some of the area I need to work on, and some of the opportunities I have to serve the Lord that I'm not doing so well in! It has also opened my eyes to ways I can bless John.

However, the biggest thing I have taken away for this book is the legacy that Sarah Edwards left! Her example to her children, the way she treated and acted towards her husband, and her relationship with God was stunning, and the effects of that, are still being felt today in her descendants. A study done in 1905 tracked 1400 of the Edwards' descendants and the things they had done to that point, and I was just floored. Get this book.

And on that note, I'm off to do a little bit of school, the clean upstairs, feed the baby, and go out and buy my tomato and pepper plants. Hope everyone's day is very blessed!!