We don't do a whole lotta tv watching around here but, for the last few weeks, we have had massive amounts of rain that have made outdoor activities impossible if not down right dangerous!
So we have been watching a few shows on tv. Now let me just throw this out there, I am impatient. I despise commercials so having a dvr is bliss for me! I record a show to watch later and then I get to fast forward through all the commercials.
How many of you have noticed the commercials, either for products or for other tv shows that seem to lack a bit of class? You know the ones. The erectile dysfunction ones, for example. Now I am sure ED is a problem for some men and probably not one that they want to talk about in public, so why is it necessary to show commercials for it? The channel that shows one at almost every commercial break is the History Channel!!! Really? They always have to put in the line about "If you have an erection lasting more than 4 hours, please seek medical help." You would think the History Channel would be safe for young viewers but not with this stuff. Don't be surprised when your young son comes and asks you how long an erection is supposed to last. If he's watching the History Channel, you will know why he is asking!
Now, I am not a prude so don't bother with the nasty comments. I just think that this is something that doesn't need to be on tv. Yes, I know. We could just turn the tv off but why does this stuff need to be on in the first place?
Other commercials that are a bit disturbing are the ones for the shows that they put out there for public consumption. Take Pregnant and Dating. Really? Do we need to see that? Seems that one should "date" before one becomes pregnant. Or even better, how about you MARRY before you get pregnant! I know, shocking idea isn't it.
Then there are the Teen Mom type shows. Do we really need to be glamorizing teen's sleeping around and getting pregnant? Their life isn't reality for the teen girls that actually do become pregnant because they made poor choices. No one is going to give the average pregnant 16 year old her own show but there are teens out there getting pregnant so they can be "famous". Don't believe me? Spend time in a high school.
They don't need a tv show. They need someone to parent them, mentor them, help them learn to make good choices. Not line their bank accounts with cash and reward them screwing up.
Just last night, we were watching something and this commercial comes on about Bridezilla's: Marriage Boot Camp. Here's a confession for you. I used to watch Bridezilla's years ago. It was funny to see how these women reacted to the stress of planning a wedding. Then it just got to be a cuss fest with these women behaving so badly I was embarrassed for them. So I stopped watching. Then I see the commercial for the new show coming on and it starts off with the couples being told that their homework is to go home and have sex. Then it cuts to a screen shot of a women telling the other women that their husbands need to wear this thing while they have sex so he becomes a human vibrator! These commercials are not just coming on at night. This was during a show that was recorded in the early afternoon!
Why do we have to accept the lie that "sex sells". Maybe because it isn't really a lie. If you compare shows from the 70's through to present time, women are wearing less and less clothing, the couples sexing it up all over the place aren't dating, much less married, the teens are behaving very badly and the parents are even worse. It seems if a show is to capture an audience, it has to abolish the limits of decency and cater to the prurient minded. Or at least that is what the producers think.
How do those producers explain the popularity of shows like Duck Dynasty? They regularly speak of their faith, no one is cheating on their spouse, no one is showing any boob or butt. Yet, it is one of A&E networks top rated shows.
I know that there are people out there that like watching this stuff but I have to ask "why"? What is it about the lifestyle these shows depict that you find entertaining? I am not judging you, I am just curious.
Last year, hubby and I made a conscious decision to not watch shows that our kids can't watch. Why? Well, it just didn't feel right making them leave the room while we watched a tv show that wasn't appropriate for them. If something is inappropriate for a 13 year old, why should it be appropriate for an adult. We cannot hold them to a higher standard than we hold ourselves to. Kids will do what we do much more than what we tell them to do!
I say us parents need to hold ourselves to a much higher standard than we are currently requiring of ourselves. We tell our kids not to do something, take cussing for instance, yet we let those same words fly when we are mad, irritated, excited or just at a loss for a better word. Sorry but you can't get mad at your kids for picking it up from you. If we are acting inappropriately in a situation, why would be expect a child to act differently?
I don't know about you but my kids make me want to be a much better version of myself each and every day. Am I successful? Ummm, no. Not all of the time. Probably not even most of the time but I am trying. Every day. For now, I think we will just turn off the tv.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Friday, July 5, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Disney...Without the Kids!
This week my precious babies have been on choir tour with the youth group from our church. They went to St. Louis, Mo. which is the farthest away from home they have ever been. It has been an adjustment for me. I can tell you right now, without a doubt, I am NOT ready for the empty nest!!!
The day after they left, my husband got a call from his home office in central Florida. They needed him to come down for an important meeting so he suggested I go with him and we stay at Disney. Girlfriend is NOT about to pass up a trip to Disney! Even if it is only for a couple of days. Since we are members of the Disney Vacation Club, we can pretty much stay when we want and not have to shell out any cash for our room. You can read more about this awesome deal here.
So here we are, kidless and on our way to Disney!!! When I told the kids we were going they were NOT very happy with me. However, their affections could be bought as long as I brought them back something! It also helps that we have a family trip to Disney already scheduled for September:) And the fact that they were several states away at the time!
We arrived very late on Tuesday, got checked in and made it to the room. The next morning, we had breakfast and hubby left to go to his meeting. My day was wide open because I knew I would be alone for most of it. So I decided to go to Downtown Disney and get my "forgive me" gifts purchased. For the past 13 years, I have never been to Downtown Disney by myself. I have always been accompanied by hubby, the kids, or my parents. Sometimes, I had ALL of them! So here I am, with the entire day to myself. I could walk past the candy shop that the kids always want to go into. I could pass right on by the toy shops. I actually walked into a clothing boutique that my husband and son would have rolled their eyes at if they had been there. Then I went in another. I was really getting the hang of it. I walked through Arribas Brothers which is a blown glass store. We NEVER take the kids through there because, well, lots of breakables! I smiled as I walked PAST the Lego store. I got to eat at a little stand that didn't have animatronic animals, a jungle or dinosaurs. Don't get me wrong, Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex are 2 of our favorites but they are no fun with just me. So I got a pretzel at Wetzel Pretzel and sat on a bench looking out at the water. Other than the wayward rain drops, it was perfect. I shopped a little more, bought a few things and then headed back to the room to wait for hubs.
Once he got back, we decided to eat at the resort. We could go a little "fancy" because it was just the 2 of us. We ate at the Turf Club and WOW!!! It was fantastic. We sat at a table for 2 next to a glass wall that looked out into the garden areas. If there is one thing Disney does exceptionally well is having beautiful landscapes. We got to eat "grown up" food. The lamb chops were insanely delicious! I even had a grown up drink. For those of you that know me, you know I very rarely drink. The main reason is that it only takes a very small amount of alcohol to make me stupid. Then sleepy. So drinking isn't something I do very often. However, I decided to have a Magical Cocktail. Boy, I don't know what was in it but is was sooooo tasty. And it came with a color changing glow cube in it so I was still able to "enhance" my goofy self.
Without kids there, hubby and I got to actually talk to each other about, you know, important stuff. Our future, our plans. Moms and dads need to get out once in awhile and be husband and wife, even if it is only for a few hours. It will make a world of difference in your relationship!
After that marvelous dinner, we went back to the room to just relax before we headed back home the next morning.
A short little trip that revived and refreshed us. There was no time and really no need to go to any of the parks. We'll save that for when the kids go but it was so nice to get away just the two of us, in a place we love that holds sooo many dear memories for our family.
We were on such a high that driving home through a tropical storm that dumped rain on us the ENTIRE way home couldn't ruin our mood.
The day after they left, my husband got a call from his home office in central Florida. They needed him to come down for an important meeting so he suggested I go with him and we stay at Disney. Girlfriend is NOT about to pass up a trip to Disney! Even if it is only for a couple of days. Since we are members of the Disney Vacation Club, we can pretty much stay when we want and not have to shell out any cash for our room. You can read more about this awesome deal here.
So here we are, kidless and on our way to Disney!!! When I told the kids we were going they were NOT very happy with me. However, their affections could be bought as long as I brought them back something! It also helps that we have a family trip to Disney already scheduled for September:) And the fact that they were several states away at the time!
We arrived very late on Tuesday, got checked in and made it to the room. The next morning, we had breakfast and hubby left to go to his meeting. My day was wide open because I knew I would be alone for most of it. So I decided to go to Downtown Disney and get my "forgive me" gifts purchased. For the past 13 years, I have never been to Downtown Disney by myself. I have always been accompanied by hubby, the kids, or my parents. Sometimes, I had ALL of them! So here I am, with the entire day to myself. I could walk past the candy shop that the kids always want to go into. I could pass right on by the toy shops. I actually walked into a clothing boutique that my husband and son would have rolled their eyes at if they had been there. Then I went in another. I was really getting the hang of it. I walked through Arribas Brothers which is a blown glass store. We NEVER take the kids through there because, well, lots of breakables! I smiled as I walked PAST the Lego store. I got to eat at a little stand that didn't have animatronic animals, a jungle or dinosaurs. Don't get me wrong, Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex are 2 of our favorites but they are no fun with just me. So I got a pretzel at Wetzel Pretzel and sat on a bench looking out at the water. Other than the wayward rain drops, it was perfect. I shopped a little more, bought a few things and then headed back to the room to wait for hubs.
Once he got back, we decided to eat at the resort. We could go a little "fancy" because it was just the 2 of us. We ate at the Turf Club and WOW!!! It was fantastic. We sat at a table for 2 next to a glass wall that looked out into the garden areas. If there is one thing Disney does exceptionally well is having beautiful landscapes. We got to eat "grown up" food. The lamb chops were insanely delicious! I even had a grown up drink. For those of you that know me, you know I very rarely drink. The main reason is that it only takes a very small amount of alcohol to make me stupid. Then sleepy. So drinking isn't something I do very often. However, I decided to have a Magical Cocktail. Boy, I don't know what was in it but is was sooooo tasty. And it came with a color changing glow cube in it so I was still able to "enhance" my goofy self.
Without kids there, hubby and I got to actually talk to each other about, you know, important stuff. Our future, our plans. Moms and dads need to get out once in awhile and be husband and wife, even if it is only for a few hours. It will make a world of difference in your relationship!
After that marvelous dinner, we went back to the room to just relax before we headed back home the next morning.
A short little trip that revived and refreshed us. There was no time and really no need to go to any of the parks. We'll save that for when the kids go but it was so nice to get away just the two of us, in a place we love that holds sooo many dear memories for our family.
We were on such a high that driving home through a tropical storm that dumped rain on us the ENTIRE way home couldn't ruin our mood.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Phone or What's Left of It
My husband has ALWAYS been the patient one whereas I tend to be a little teensy bit impatient and have been known to fly off the handle at a moments notice. It is something I am working on but there was a time in my life where I simply reacted to situations instead of thinking them through. Hubby was always laughing at my antics telling me how I needed to stop throwing my mini tantrums because the only one who suffered was me. I took his words to heart and, over the years, I believe that I have grown in the patience department.
Yesterday, the twins and I had some errands to run in town, so we were gone most of the afternoon. When I got home, hubby walked to the house from the office and told me I needed to order a new cell phone for our oldest son. Now, this kid (okay he's 25) and I have had some go arounds over his cell phones. He is so rough on them and is constantly having trouble with them because he doesn't take care of them. He has to have a cell phone for our business but it drives me nuts how reckless he is with them. Anyway, hubby let me carry on about how I was going to start deducting the cost from his paychecks and how he needed to have, yet another conversation with him about taking care of his phone. He listened to me very patiently and then told me the following story. Please keep in mind that my husband is patient to a fault and never over reacts to situations.
Our oldest son sometimes has a problem with not letting things go. He will talk about things we discuss in private concerning his finances with everyone in the office. Hubby has gotten on to him time and time again to keep those things to himself because, what we do for him, is no one else's business. Apparently, yesterday was one of those days. Son was talking about his cell phone and how it wouldn't keep a charge. Everytime he talked on it, it would die. Hubby told him that they would talk about it later because they were busy and needed to work. Son couldn't let it go so he started talking to the other 2 people in the office about his phone. This led to hubby being the only one working. He kept telling our son to knock it off and that they would talk about it later and for everyone to get back to work. Apparently, this went on for about an hour. Remember, I told you hubby is VERY patient. Finally, son was still bellyaching about his phone so hubby asked to see his phone. Son handed it to him and hubby proceeded to beat it to death with a stapler. He then handed it back to our son and said simply "Problem solved".
It pained him greatly to have to tell me this story because, like I said, he would tell me to not throw tantrums. I held back the laughing for as long as I could because the look on his face was so serious. Then I let loose. I thought I was going to vapor lock from laughing so hard. All the while, hubby just stared at me and patiently waited for me to stop. All those memories of me sweeping my arms across my desk and throwing everything on the floor because I couldn't find some little piece of paper that I desperately needed came flooding back. All those "honey, did that make you feel better?" comments that hubby would say to me afterwards came rushing back. I asked him if that "made him feel better" and he simply replied "Immensely. Now order him a phone." I was a bit worried that hubby was going to let our son use his phone which is an iPhone but he said that the other phone could still be used but the top had to be held together when you talk on it (it's a flip phone). Son had a smartphone once but after wracking up heavy duty data package overuse bills, he now sports a plain jane flip phone. Well, now it's a plain jane carefully-hold-it-together phone. He called us last night to let us know that the phone was now in 2 pieces and can't be used. Guess who has to talk to Verizon today?????
Yesterday, the twins and I had some errands to run in town, so we were gone most of the afternoon. When I got home, hubby walked to the house from the office and told me I needed to order a new cell phone for our oldest son. Now, this kid (okay he's 25) and I have had some go arounds over his cell phones. He is so rough on them and is constantly having trouble with them because he doesn't take care of them. He has to have a cell phone for our business but it drives me nuts how reckless he is with them. Anyway, hubby let me carry on about how I was going to start deducting the cost from his paychecks and how he needed to have, yet another conversation with him about taking care of his phone. He listened to me very patiently and then told me the following story. Please keep in mind that my husband is patient to a fault and never over reacts to situations.
Our oldest son sometimes has a problem with not letting things go. He will talk about things we discuss in private concerning his finances with everyone in the office. Hubby has gotten on to him time and time again to keep those things to himself because, what we do for him, is no one else's business. Apparently, yesterday was one of those days. Son was talking about his cell phone and how it wouldn't keep a charge. Everytime he talked on it, it would die. Hubby told him that they would talk about it later because they were busy and needed to work. Son couldn't let it go so he started talking to the other 2 people in the office about his phone. This led to hubby being the only one working. He kept telling our son to knock it off and that they would talk about it later and for everyone to get back to work. Apparently, this went on for about an hour. Remember, I told you hubby is VERY patient. Finally, son was still bellyaching about his phone so hubby asked to see his phone. Son handed it to him and hubby proceeded to beat it to death with a stapler. He then handed it back to our son and said simply "Problem solved".
It pained him greatly to have to tell me this story because, like I said, he would tell me to not throw tantrums. I held back the laughing for as long as I could because the look on his face was so serious. Then I let loose. I thought I was going to vapor lock from laughing so hard. All the while, hubby just stared at me and patiently waited for me to stop. All those memories of me sweeping my arms across my desk and throwing everything on the floor because I couldn't find some little piece of paper that I desperately needed came flooding back. All those "honey, did that make you feel better?" comments that hubby would say to me afterwards came rushing back. I asked him if that "made him feel better" and he simply replied "Immensely. Now order him a phone." I was a bit worried that hubby was going to let our son use his phone which is an iPhone but he said that the other phone could still be used but the top had to be held together when you talk on it (it's a flip phone). Son had a smartphone once but after wracking up heavy duty data package overuse bills, he now sports a plain jane flip phone. Well, now it's a plain jane carefully-hold-it-together phone. He called us last night to let us know that the phone was now in 2 pieces and can't be used. Guess who has to talk to Verizon today?????
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The Pastor's Tradition
My Pastor's wife has a blog and I, occasionally, pop over to it to check out the cute pictures she posts of their 2 kids, Hannah and Joseph. They are always up to something fun and the kids are absolutely adorable!
Yesterday, I read this post and thought what a wonderful little tradition for a (sometimes) forgotten about event. Epiphany. It kind of gets lost in all the Christmas hub bub but it should have importance in the lives of Christians, too.
I love their idea of putting out "hay" for the camels who are carrying the Wisemen to the baby Jesus.
I think this idea does a wonderful job of relating this event into something that a 3 and almost 2 year old can start comprehending.
I love these little traditions and wish that I had thought of this to do with my kids when they were younger. Unfortunately, my "walk" hadn't really started at that time and I was too caught up in the "societal idea of Christmas" to pay any attention to what came next. Another one of those live and learn moments!
Hope you enjoy!
Yesterday, I read this post and thought what a wonderful little tradition for a (sometimes) forgotten about event. Epiphany. It kind of gets lost in all the Christmas hub bub but it should have importance in the lives of Christians, too.
I love their idea of putting out "hay" for the camels who are carrying the Wisemen to the baby Jesus.
I think this idea does a wonderful job of relating this event into something that a 3 and almost 2 year old can start comprehending.
I love these little traditions and wish that I had thought of this to do with my kids when they were younger. Unfortunately, my "walk" hadn't really started at that time and I was too caught up in the "societal idea of Christmas" to pay any attention to what came next. Another one of those live and learn moments!
Hope you enjoy!
Friday, December 28, 2012
The Carnage
I hope that everyone had a Merry, SAFE, healthy Christmas! We had a wonderful time with family but as much as I love having a big shindig here, I really love getting back to my routine.
Christmas Eve brought our middle daughter and her family, a friend of theirs that is living with them, and my parents to our house. My father in law was sick so they couldn't make it :(
After a beautiful Christmas Eve service at church, tons of food and way too much wrapping paper, my living room looked like a warzone.
This was AFTER we picked up the paper!
There was much help in making the mess, especially by this little cutie!
Someone was a little grumpy:)
She was helping everyone open their presents and when my son opened one of his by himself, she looked at him, started clapping and said," You did it! Good job! High five!" Three is such a sweet age!
Hubby and I stayed up a little late because I still had one more gift to wrap for Christmas morning. Then we sat on the couch and talked for awhile. You know those kinds of talks. The ones where you have to wait until the kids are asleep to start them. Those deep conversations where you remember the year and all that you accomplished (and didn't). Anyway, we got to bed about 1 am and at 7am, my daughter was in our room shaking my arm yelling PRESENTS! PRESENTS!
So, presents it was (and lots of coffee).
This was the present that had to wrapped the night before. Pretty much, the only thing she asked for was a guitar. We were happy to oblige.
The only thing this guy asked for was a new Nintendo because his old one was completely worn out. And yes, his shirt is on inside out and backwards. It's kind of his signature!
And the warzone returned....
No, all those presents in the background weren't theirs. We did very good buying gifts this year. Each of them got the one thing they really wanted and couple things to go with it. Then they each got some books. We have found that the fewer the presents, the more joy is experienced. I felt kind of bad because my daughter ended up with a couple more presents than my son but I felt better when he said this, "Whoa, you got me exactly what I wanted. I don't feel slighted at all." Oh I LOVE this kid!
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and eating. Way too much of both! I was up all night with the most horrendous stomach ache ever. NEVER NEVER NEVER again! I could not believe all the junk that was eaten. Stuff I would NEVER eat, I stuffed myself on. Lesson learned!
Our best present wasn't under the tree, though. Even though we didn't have a party or a cake, we celebrated the birth of our Savior. We read devotionals and prayed and thanked God for sending us His son. THAT was the greatest gift ever! Everything else was just fluff. Nice fluff, but fluff none the less!
Christmas Eve brought our middle daughter and her family, a friend of theirs that is living with them, and my parents to our house. My father in law was sick so they couldn't make it :(
After a beautiful Christmas Eve service at church, tons of food and way too much wrapping paper, my living room looked like a warzone.
There was much help in making the mess, especially by this little cutie!
She was helping everyone open their presents and when my son opened one of his by himself, she looked at him, started clapping and said," You did it! Good job! High five!" Three is such a sweet age!
Hubby and I stayed up a little late because I still had one more gift to wrap for Christmas morning. Then we sat on the couch and talked for awhile. You know those kinds of talks. The ones where you have to wait until the kids are asleep to start them. Those deep conversations where you remember the year and all that you accomplished (and didn't). Anyway, we got to bed about 1 am and at 7am, my daughter was in our room shaking my arm yelling PRESENTS! PRESENTS!
So, presents it was (and lots of coffee).
No, all those presents in the background weren't theirs. We did very good buying gifts this year. Each of them got the one thing they really wanted and couple things to go with it. Then they each got some books. We have found that the fewer the presents, the more joy is experienced. I felt kind of bad because my daughter ended up with a couple more presents than my son but I felt better when he said this, "Whoa, you got me exactly what I wanted. I don't feel slighted at all." Oh I LOVE this kid!
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and eating. Way too much of both! I was up all night with the most horrendous stomach ache ever. NEVER NEVER NEVER again! I could not believe all the junk that was eaten. Stuff I would NEVER eat, I stuffed myself on. Lesson learned!
Our best present wasn't under the tree, though. Even though we didn't have a party or a cake, we celebrated the birth of our Savior. We read devotionals and prayed and thanked God for sending us His son. THAT was the greatest gift ever! Everything else was just fluff. Nice fluff, but fluff none the less!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Home
Such a wonderful word...h o m e. The one place I am always wanted. Mainly because the others here are hungry and want me to feed them. BUT, they want me. I'll take it when I can. Nothing makes me more grateful for home then when I am gone for a time. Doesn't have to be a long time, either. I am grateful for home whether I am gone for days or just a few minutes to check the mailbox. I love home. I love the people at home. I love the animals at home. I never want to leave again. Well, maybe for Disney...but not for awhile yet.
We got on the interstate to come home at 6:45 yesterday morning. It was a loooooong trip. I only got a few hours of sleep the night before so I was really struggling to wake up. Didn't help that the twins were in the back all cuddled up in blankets and pillows snoozing, or that my mom, in the passenger seat, was snoring THE ENTIRE WAY HOME!!!! The only time she woke up was when we stopped for potty breaks or food. Other than that she was snoring. Well, more like snortiling. It is a strange sound, I won't try and explain it.
We finally pulled in the drive at 4pm. I barely got the truck in park before I ran to the house and hugged my hubby. I swore to him I would never go ANYWHERE without him ever again. Then I asked him to accompany me to the bathroom so I wouldn't be without him. He declined. He did, however, have dinner waiting on us; Steak, rice, corn/peas and pumpkin pie. He was so proud of himself because he made the pies (yes, he made 3) all on his own. They were good, too! I didn't care what he made, I was just so happy to be where I could have my own food. For the last week, I have really struggled with the food. We had to eat out a lot (yuck!) and I know I gained weight. It was hard to try and eat like I normally do because everything in restaurants is so commercially prepared. They use processed salt in their shakers. They use hydrogenated oils in their cooking. Their meat isn't grass fed or pastured. Their fruits and veggies aren't grown locally OR organically. I really sound like a food snob, don't I? I hate eating out. I used to love it. Back when I didn't know or care where my food came from. Funny how, when you learn what happens to your food before it gets to your plate, you become very critical of anything you didn't prepare yourself. Not that I am a better cook than professionally trained chefs but I know where my beef came from. I visited the farm. I know where my eggs come from. They still have a feather or two on them from my coop. I know where my veggies come from. I picked off all kinds of nasty bug invaders from the vines and bushes myself.
Anyway, I survived and now I am back to my comfortable routine. Have you heard, Christmas is coming???!!!!!! Four weeks from today is Christmas Eve. FOUR WEEKS!!!!! There is decorating to do, food to make, gifts to buy....AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! Okay, take a breath.....ahhhhhhh. I can do this. I will do this. At least most of it. As soon as I figure out how to install the referral link, I will share with you my secret to getting paid for Christmas shopping. Yes, folks, I get paid to Christmas shop. Actually, any kind of online shopping I get paid to do. Sound intriguing? Stay tuned!
We got on the interstate to come home at 6:45 yesterday morning. It was a loooooong trip. I only got a few hours of sleep the night before so I was really struggling to wake up. Didn't help that the twins were in the back all cuddled up in blankets and pillows snoozing, or that my mom, in the passenger seat, was snoring THE ENTIRE WAY HOME!!!! The only time she woke up was when we stopped for potty breaks or food. Other than that she was snoring. Well, more like snortiling. It is a strange sound, I won't try and explain it.
We finally pulled in the drive at 4pm. I barely got the truck in park before I ran to the house and hugged my hubby. I swore to him I would never go ANYWHERE without him ever again. Then I asked him to accompany me to the bathroom so I wouldn't be without him. He declined. He did, however, have dinner waiting on us; Steak, rice, corn/peas and pumpkin pie. He was so proud of himself because he made the pies (yes, he made 3) all on his own. They were good, too! I didn't care what he made, I was just so happy to be where I could have my own food. For the last week, I have really struggled with the food. We had to eat out a lot (yuck!) and I know I gained weight. It was hard to try and eat like I normally do because everything in restaurants is so commercially prepared. They use processed salt in their shakers. They use hydrogenated oils in their cooking. Their meat isn't grass fed or pastured. Their fruits and veggies aren't grown locally OR organically. I really sound like a food snob, don't I? I hate eating out. I used to love it. Back when I didn't know or care where my food came from. Funny how, when you learn what happens to your food before it gets to your plate, you become very critical of anything you didn't prepare yourself. Not that I am a better cook than professionally trained chefs but I know where my beef came from. I visited the farm. I know where my eggs come from. They still have a feather or two on them from my coop. I know where my veggies come from. I picked off all kinds of nasty bug invaders from the vines and bushes myself.
Anyway, I survived and now I am back to my comfortable routine. Have you heard, Christmas is coming???!!!!!! Four weeks from today is Christmas Eve. FOUR WEEKS!!!!! There is decorating to do, food to make, gifts to buy....AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! Okay, take a breath.....ahhhhhhh. I can do this. I will do this. At least most of it. As soon as I figure out how to install the referral link, I will share with you my secret to getting paid for Christmas shopping. Yes, folks, I get paid to Christmas shop. Actually, any kind of online shopping I get paid to do. Sound intriguing? Stay tuned!
Friday, November 23, 2012
Florida Happenings
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and survived Black Friday. I surely enjoyed both days. Turkey Day dinner was held at my aunt Chris' house this year. I LOVE it when my mom's family all get together. We eat, we talk, we catch up on gossip, we laugh, we make innappropriate sounds at the funniest moments....That's how ya'll celebrate too, right? Right? No?
This is my cousin, Kevin, making his best pie ever, otherwise known as chocolate pie. Now, this isn't just any ordinary pie. No, Kevin takes the time to use REAL ingredients AND he made his own real whipped cream! Boy, it was good! This kid's got it all. He's a gentleman, he cooks and he's just about as cute as he can be. Sorry ladies, he's taken though. Just wanted to point him out so you single ladies know there are still young men being raised right!
Here is the finished creation. I didn't get my phone out quick enough to snap the pic before my uncle stole a piece.
The spread...need I say more? Oh my gosh! It was all soooooo good. I wait all year for my mom's cranberry salad. My aunt surprised us with my grandma's Taffy Apple Salad. Tastes just like eating a carmel apple. I'll be sharing the recipe for that soon. We had lots of drama with the turkey. Seems ole Tom decided to fake my aunt out about being done. She roasted him all morning and checked the temp and it showed he was done. She turned the roaster down to keep him warm and, when she went back to check on him, the meat temp had dropped like 15 degrees. After much conferring, we started roasting the sucker again. Luckily, he cooked completely in the next 45 minutes. Then it came time to carve that bad boy. All you could hear was crickets chirpping when she asked for volunteers. Not one male family member was brave enough, so yours truly was the official carver for the evening. Not much different than when I carve a chicken up, just way more meat! The turkey was perfect as was everything else. We ate until we couldn't eat anymore then we ate a bit more. We talked about the upcoming wedding, the upcoming births, the people who couldn't be there, the past, the future. We laughed until we were crying at the mishaps of my cousins and their pets. We compared notes on menopause (who's going through it, who's survived it and who's doing her best to just avoid it), men, birthing (the words vaginal and vagina were used more than any of the men would have liked), sore backs and aching knees.
Even though hubby and my dad couldn't be here, I wouldn't have changed one minute of it for the world. I got to spend some awesome time with people that I love so very much but hardly get to see anymore. They are the most amazing, loving, hilarious, kind hearted, goofy and wonderful people so here's my little tribute to them:
To Chris, Brad and Kevin-thank you for opening up your home to all of us and providing us with excellent grub and even better memories.
To Jimmy and Cindy-thank you for making the trek down from Gainesville and spending some wonderful time with all of us even though you are in the final stages of planning your daughter's wedding that will take place tomorrow!
To Angie and Steph-I love you two so incredibly much! Thank you for making sure we had a place to stay (and goodie bags in our room!), the free movie passes and the great pumpkin pie (which I never got a piece of!). But mostly for making me laugh so hard I was sure I was gonna pee myself at some point.
To Jan and Dennis-Thank you for the laughs (and that incredibly dry humor uncle D!)Those stories are the best remedies for ANYTHING that ails you.
To Kelsey-My other redneck Barbie. Thank you for being our nation's protector you bad a$$ Marine!
I love you, kid!
To Jennifer, AJ and Maddy-Thank you for being there and sharing that precious little girl with us. Cannot wait for baby number 2 to come along!
To Jason- You are almost (one more day) an official family member. You fit right in and we are glad you are here!
And last but not least to my grandpa- One of the most amazing people that will ever walk this earth. Thank you for providing this family for me. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Thank you for being you because no one can compare to you!
Enough mush!
Tomorrow is the big wedding day and then we leave EARLY Sunday morning to drive (UUUGGGHHHH!!!!)back home. I may take a few days off from blogging to spend a little time with the hubs:)
Even though hubby and my dad couldn't be here, I wouldn't have changed one minute of it for the world. I got to spend some awesome time with people that I love so very much but hardly get to see anymore. They are the most amazing, loving, hilarious, kind hearted, goofy and wonderful people so here's my little tribute to them:
To Chris, Brad and Kevin-thank you for opening up your home to all of us and providing us with excellent grub and even better memories.
To Jimmy and Cindy-thank you for making the trek down from Gainesville and spending some wonderful time with all of us even though you are in the final stages of planning your daughter's wedding that will take place tomorrow!
To Angie and Steph-I love you two so incredibly much! Thank you for making sure we had a place to stay (and goodie bags in our room!), the free movie passes and the great pumpkin pie (which I never got a piece of!). But mostly for making me laugh so hard I was sure I was gonna pee myself at some point.
To Jan and Dennis-Thank you for the laughs (and that incredibly dry humor uncle D!)Those stories are the best remedies for ANYTHING that ails you.
To Kelsey-My other redneck Barbie. Thank you for being our nation's protector you bad a$$ Marine!
I love you, kid!
To Jennifer, AJ and Maddy-Thank you for being there and sharing that precious little girl with us. Cannot wait for baby number 2 to come along!
To Jason- You are almost (one more day) an official family member. You fit right in and we are glad you are here!
And last but not least to my grandpa- One of the most amazing people that will ever walk this earth. Thank you for providing this family for me. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Thank you for being you because no one can compare to you!
Enough mush!
Tomorrow is the big wedding day and then we leave EARLY Sunday morning to drive (UUUGGGHHHH!!!!)back home. I may take a few days off from blogging to spend a little time with the hubs:)
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!
Thanksgiving has to be my favorite holiday. Okay, it's in the top 2! It involves two of my very favorite things, food and family. There is not much else that can top that combo. The only thing that could make this any better is if my hubby could be here. He couldn't come because he couldn't get away from work Friday and Saturday. So he has been at home taking care of the farm for us...and hunting. Lots and lots of uninterrupted hunting!
The trip down wasn't too bad until we got just south of Sarasota and there was an accident that brought traffic to a dead stop for an hour. Good thing we gassed up and emptied the bladders before that! However, I told hubby that anymore trips to SW Florida would be done on a plane! Ten hours trapped in a vehicle was more than enough!
Yesterday, we spent the day at my aunt's house getting some of the dinner prep done. My mom made 2 cottage cheese pies (It doesn't taste anything like cottage cheese once it is done!), cranberry salad (I wait all year for this stuff!) and stuffing. I showed my aunt how to make bread but I don't know how much she was able to absorb because we were kind of running her around asking where is this, where is that. Today, we are showing up a few hours before dinner to finish getting everything prepped and begin the massive cooking and eating fest! My Aunt Chris is very brave taking on the responsibility of feeding this crew. We know how to put away some grub!
This year, we have a little extra surprise. My sweet cousin Stephanie is getting married on Saturday. I love weddings! Steph and her older sister, Angie, are the closest things I have to sisters and I love them both so much! I am so glad Steph found someone who loves her and treats her so well. Now, we just need to find someone for Ang!
Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without remembering all that I have to be thankful for. I am thankful that I have a God who loves me as imperfect as I am. I am so thankful for my husband and children. My life would be so empty and lonely without them. I am thankful for the best family and friends a person could ever hope for. I am thankful that I get to live in the best country on Earth. I am thankful for my awesome church family. I am thankful for all of you that are reading. Life is so good. Not perfect, but really, really good!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The trip down wasn't too bad until we got just south of Sarasota and there was an accident that brought traffic to a dead stop for an hour. Good thing we gassed up and emptied the bladders before that! However, I told hubby that anymore trips to SW Florida would be done on a plane! Ten hours trapped in a vehicle was more than enough!
Yesterday, we spent the day at my aunt's house getting some of the dinner prep done. My mom made 2 cottage cheese pies (It doesn't taste anything like cottage cheese once it is done!), cranberry salad (I wait all year for this stuff!) and stuffing. I showed my aunt how to make bread but I don't know how much she was able to absorb because we were kind of running her around asking where is this, where is that. Today, we are showing up a few hours before dinner to finish getting everything prepped and begin the massive cooking and eating fest! My Aunt Chris is very brave taking on the responsibility of feeding this crew. We know how to put away some grub!
This year, we have a little extra surprise. My sweet cousin Stephanie is getting married on Saturday. I love weddings! Steph and her older sister, Angie, are the closest things I have to sisters and I love them both so much! I am so glad Steph found someone who loves her and treats her so well. Now, we just need to find someone for Ang!
Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without remembering all that I have to be thankful for. I am thankful that I have a God who loves me as imperfect as I am. I am so thankful for my husband and children. My life would be so empty and lonely without them. I am thankful for the best family and friends a person could ever hope for. I am thankful that I get to live in the best country on Earth. I am thankful for my awesome church family. I am thankful for all of you that are reading. Life is so good. Not perfect, but really, really good!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Sorry posts have been a little non existent light the last few weeks. We have been in the thick of pecan picking season. I tried very hard to get most of what has fallen picked up before the leaves started their annual migration to the ground but they are now all over the yard, making the nuts extremely hard to see. Hubs is looking into getting a walk behind harvester to pick up the nuts but, sheesh, those things aren't cheap! He reasons that we will pay for it in 2 years with the extra nuts we will be collecting. We should be getting about 1000 lbs. of nuts per tree but we collect far less than that handpicking.
The trees are positively LOADED this year! I was smart enough to get the grass mowed just before the nuts started falling. Last year, I didn't do so good. The nuts were all caught in the grass and it made picking even more tedious than it usually is. This year, the grass was mowed and lots of nuts fell before the leaves really started falling so the early picking wasn't too bad.
Speaking of leaves, my poor pool pump has been working overtime trying to keep the leaves skimmed and out of the pool. That, of course, means I am sticking my nice warm hand into frigid water to clean out the skimmer basket multiple times a day! Thank goodness the 2 trees next to the pool are almost bare. Next year, there will be a cover on that pool! Live and learn.
Next week, the kids, my mom and I head to Florida for Thanksgiving. My cousin is getting married the following Saturday so we will spend the holidays with my mom's family. Hubby doesn't think he will be able to get down there for Thanksgiving but he will be there for the wedding. I hate spending the holidays without him. His business is slow right before Thanksgiving but all you-know-what breaks loose that Friday and he doesn't want to leave our oldest son to handle it himself. I do miss Thanksgiving with that part of my family, though. We all lived so close together when we lived in Florida. We spent all holidays together and it was just wonderful. My in laws really don't make a Thanksgiving meal so hubby and my dad will probably go to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Isn't that sad??? If my aunt wasn't counting on me and mom to do a lot of the cooking, I would just spend the holiday at home and leave with hubby on Friday night to head to Florida. I REALLY am not looking forward to that drive. Nine hours! I am the WORST person to be cooped up in a car with. I am a bad rider. I get bored easily even though I bring books, magazines and craft projects, I am waaaayyyyy too antsy to sit still for that kind of time. I won't even get into how many times we have to stop because I have the tinest bladder! The fact that I am driving only improves it by a little. I don't like driving, either. I wish my family would all just move closer! But no. They all want to stay 550 miles away! Something about "they have always lived there" and "it's our home". Yada, yada, yada. I REALLY wanted to fly but we waited too long to try and do flight arrangements. Plus, 4 round trip tickets would have been out of the budget this month. However, and it's a big however, I will get to see my grandpa and my aunts, uncles and cousins that I desperately miss so, for them, I will make the journey.
These next few weeks will be soooooo busy! Once I get back from Florida, it is full on work to get our church prepared for Breakfast With Santa. It is a project that my UMW group does every Christmas for the children in the community. They come and have breakfast, get their picture taken with Santa and then they get to shop in our Secret Santa Shop and buy things for their family. Nothing costs over $5 so they can usually buy for everyone they want. Our ladies are so crafty and they really come up with beautiful items for the kids to purchase. Then we wrap them up for them so they can put them under the tree without having to do anything. The kids do all this shopping without their parents. Our youth help the kids pick things out and keep track of how much they have spent so moms and dads get a chance to shop in our Bake Shop. It is a lot of fun for the kids but it is a tremendous amount of work leading up to it. Then, right after that, we have our UMW Christmas dinner. After that, it is work, work, work in choir to get ready for our Christmas Program. There will be multiple EXTRA rehearsals on top of our regular Wednesday night rehearsals and, since the Youth Choir will be singing with the Adult Choir, my kids will be going to most of those rehearsals with me. That will probably mean multiple meals out....Yuck! Hopefully, I can minimize those. I DESPISE eating out in our tiny town. Once our main Christmas Program is done, we still have a secondary one on the Sunday before Christmas. We will have an orchestra playing with us so we will have some practices for that, too. Then, of course, there will be the mad dash to get the house all ready for Christmas, the presents bought and wrapped (emphasis on bought!). Plus, did I mention our remodeling will likely start right after Thanksgiving so it will be finished by Christmas? Yes, because all that other stuff wasn't enough, I will have my house destroyed for several weeks. For someone who is OCD like me when it comes to cleaning, this will be torture!
But you know what? I love it. I really do. I always get mad at myself for scheduling too much stuff but I have a serious problem with down time. I always feel that if I am just sitting around, I am not being productive and I just can't enjoy myself. I think, secretly, I like the busyness. It keeps me out of trouble, that's for sure. Maybe I am just weird. Yeah, we will go with weird.
On the chicken front, we had several girls go into full molt because someone didn't make provisions for artificial light in the coop. I won't mention who that was but she had a real good reason. There is no electricity anywhere near the coop. I checked into getting some solar lights but, at this time of year, that expense is out of the question. So my set up is this. Two very long extension cords, a light fixture and a timer. It ain't pretty by no means but it works for now. We were down to several days with no eggs and I finally realized that several chickens were looking a little "feather bare". Once we got the light up. We started getting 2 eggs each day. Then it went up to 4. I noticed, recently, that 2 of the hens were completely outfitted with new plumage and our egg production went up to 6 eggs a day. We are now up to 6-8 each day so that means that only 2 are yet to begin laying again. What a relief! I lost all my (very small) income from egg sales for months. I even had to resort to buying a supply of eggs from the store. GASP! Hopefully, we will get back on track really soon and be back up to full production. Chickens are really easy to manage but there are some things that will totally throw them off. Reduced daylight hours is a biggie. They really need 14-16 hours of daylight to keep laying so we set the timer to come on 3 hours before sunrise and, voila, eggs! If you have experienced a decrease in production, this could be a cause.
So what's happening on your homefront. Are you crazy busy (and loving every minute of it) or have you found the secret to getting it all done without pulling out your hair? I'd love to hear it!
The trees are positively LOADED this year! I was smart enough to get the grass mowed just before the nuts started falling. Last year, I didn't do so good. The nuts were all caught in the grass and it made picking even more tedious than it usually is. This year, the grass was mowed and lots of nuts fell before the leaves really started falling so the early picking wasn't too bad.
Speaking of leaves, my poor pool pump has been working overtime trying to keep the leaves skimmed and out of the pool. That, of course, means I am sticking my nice warm hand into frigid water to clean out the skimmer basket multiple times a day! Thank goodness the 2 trees next to the pool are almost bare. Next year, there will be a cover on that pool! Live and learn.
Next week, the kids, my mom and I head to Florida for Thanksgiving. My cousin is getting married the following Saturday so we will spend the holidays with my mom's family. Hubby doesn't think he will be able to get down there for Thanksgiving but he will be there for the wedding. I hate spending the holidays without him. His business is slow right before Thanksgiving but all you-know-what breaks loose that Friday and he doesn't want to leave our oldest son to handle it himself. I do miss Thanksgiving with that part of my family, though. We all lived so close together when we lived in Florida. We spent all holidays together and it was just wonderful. My in laws really don't make a Thanksgiving meal so hubby and my dad will probably go to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Isn't that sad??? If my aunt wasn't counting on me and mom to do a lot of the cooking, I would just spend the holiday at home and leave with hubby on Friday night to head to Florida. I REALLY am not looking forward to that drive. Nine hours! I am the WORST person to be cooped up in a car with. I am a bad rider. I get bored easily even though I bring books, magazines and craft projects, I am waaaayyyyy too antsy to sit still for that kind of time. I won't even get into how many times we have to stop because I have the tinest bladder! The fact that I am driving only improves it by a little. I don't like driving, either. I wish my family would all just move closer! But no. They all want to stay 550 miles away! Something about "they have always lived there" and "it's our home". Yada, yada, yada. I REALLY wanted to fly but we waited too long to try and do flight arrangements. Plus, 4 round trip tickets would have been out of the budget this month. However, and it's a big however, I will get to see my grandpa and my aunts, uncles and cousins that I desperately miss so, for them, I will make the journey.
These next few weeks will be soooooo busy! Once I get back from Florida, it is full on work to get our church prepared for Breakfast With Santa. It is a project that my UMW group does every Christmas for the children in the community. They come and have breakfast, get their picture taken with Santa and then they get to shop in our Secret Santa Shop and buy things for their family. Nothing costs over $5 so they can usually buy for everyone they want. Our ladies are so crafty and they really come up with beautiful items for the kids to purchase. Then we wrap them up for them so they can put them under the tree without having to do anything. The kids do all this shopping without their parents. Our youth help the kids pick things out and keep track of how much they have spent so moms and dads get a chance to shop in our Bake Shop. It is a lot of fun for the kids but it is a tremendous amount of work leading up to it. Then, right after that, we have our UMW Christmas dinner. After that, it is work, work, work in choir to get ready for our Christmas Program. There will be multiple EXTRA rehearsals on top of our regular Wednesday night rehearsals and, since the Youth Choir will be singing with the Adult Choir, my kids will be going to most of those rehearsals with me. That will probably mean multiple meals out....Yuck! Hopefully, I can minimize those. I DESPISE eating out in our tiny town. Once our main Christmas Program is done, we still have a secondary one on the Sunday before Christmas. We will have an orchestra playing with us so we will have some practices for that, too. Then, of course, there will be the mad dash to get the house all ready for Christmas, the presents bought and wrapped (emphasis on bought!). Plus, did I mention our remodeling will likely start right after Thanksgiving so it will be finished by Christmas? Yes, because all that other stuff wasn't enough, I will have my house destroyed for several weeks. For someone who is OCD like me when it comes to cleaning, this will be torture!
But you know what? I love it. I really do. I always get mad at myself for scheduling too much stuff but I have a serious problem with down time. I always feel that if I am just sitting around, I am not being productive and I just can't enjoy myself. I think, secretly, I like the busyness. It keeps me out of trouble, that's for sure. Maybe I am just weird. Yeah, we will go with weird.
On the chicken front, we had several girls go into full molt because someone didn't make provisions for artificial light in the coop. I won't mention who that was but she had a real good reason. There is no electricity anywhere near the coop. I checked into getting some solar lights but, at this time of year, that expense is out of the question. So my set up is this. Two very long extension cords, a light fixture and a timer. It ain't pretty by no means but it works for now. We were down to several days with no eggs and I finally realized that several chickens were looking a little "feather bare". Once we got the light up. We started getting 2 eggs each day. Then it went up to 4. I noticed, recently, that 2 of the hens were completely outfitted with new plumage and our egg production went up to 6 eggs a day. We are now up to 6-8 each day so that means that only 2 are yet to begin laying again. What a relief! I lost all my (very small) income from egg sales for months. I even had to resort to buying a supply of eggs from the store. GASP! Hopefully, we will get back on track really soon and be back up to full production. Chickens are really easy to manage but there are some things that will totally throw them off. Reduced daylight hours is a biggie. They really need 14-16 hours of daylight to keep laying so we set the timer to come on 3 hours before sunrise and, voila, eggs! If you have experienced a decrease in production, this could be a cause.
So what's happening on your homefront. Are you crazy busy (and loving every minute of it) or have you found the secret to getting it all done without pulling out your hair? I'd love to hear it!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Post Election
I love America. I love that I am an American. I love that I had the right to go to the polls yesterday and cast my ballot. My voice was able to be heard. That is something that a great many people on this planet are unable to do. So, this morning, I was so disheartened to hear of a post on Facebook made by my husband's cousin's wife. I do not have Facebook any longer specifically because people will post the dumbest things and I was tired of seeing it. This person chose to make a few statements that have really ticked me off the longer I think about them.
Her first statement was "I am embarrassed to be an American." WHAT??? I have a cousin in the Marines, a grandfather who was in the Navy and numerous uncles who were in the Army. They sacrificed so that we all could have the freedoms we take for granted. I am NEVER embarrassed to be an American and I am appalled at anyone who would say they are. My immediate response to her was that if she doesn't like our political process, maybe she should find a country more to her liking...say Cuba. I'll will bet she would just LOVE dictators! I did refrain from actually typing that response on Facebook (my daughter has an account and she was the one pointing it out to me). I only voiced my opinion to those near me in the kitchen!
Her 2nd moment of stupidity came in this post- "Anyone who voted for Obama, let me know so I can delete you as a friend. You are all terrorists as far as I am concerned."
Yeah, I know. Who anyone votes for is no one else's business but their own. I have many friends (and family members) who have political views that differ from my own but I respect their right to their own opinion. My daughter typed a response to her- "You can go ahead and delete me and I think ur crazy for posting this stuff on Facebook." Yes, she is her mother's daughter. She was much nicer than I ever would have been. (she gets that from her dad, thank goodness!)
Her 3rd moment of stupidity came in response to my daughter's comment. "You have no right to an opinion. You are like, 12." I heard my daughter furiously typing on her computer the following response "I have my opinion just like you have yours. I am not going to change it to make anyone happy. BTW-I'm 13." Yep, I let her post it. She was respectful, correct and courageous as far as I am concerned. She stood up to a family member and defended her beliefs just as she has been raised to.
I guess I should be grateful because this provided an opportunity for one of those "teachable moments" everyone talks about. We talked about tolerance and respect. We talked about our political process and how a democracy really works. We also talked about how some things shouldn't be posted on Facebook or the internet period because you can't take it back. It will always be there for the world to see.
I read a beautiful post from Shaye over at The Elliot Homestead, reminding us all that our true leader is God, not a politician. Our salvation and rescue will come from Him, not Washington, DC. While we must respect the office of the President of the United States, we must also remember who it is we truly serve." A nation divided against itself cannot stand." (I think I got the jist of that quote!)How true that is!
Peace to you all and let the healing begin.....
Her first statement was "I am embarrassed to be an American." WHAT??? I have a cousin in the Marines, a grandfather who was in the Navy and numerous uncles who were in the Army. They sacrificed so that we all could have the freedoms we take for granted. I am NEVER embarrassed to be an American and I am appalled at anyone who would say they are. My immediate response to her was that if she doesn't like our political process, maybe she should find a country more to her liking...say Cuba. I'll will bet she would just LOVE dictators! I did refrain from actually typing that response on Facebook (my daughter has an account and she was the one pointing it out to me). I only voiced my opinion to those near me in the kitchen!
Her 2nd moment of stupidity came in this post- "Anyone who voted for Obama, let me know so I can delete you as a friend. You are all terrorists as far as I am concerned."
Yeah, I know. Who anyone votes for is no one else's business but their own. I have many friends (and family members) who have political views that differ from my own but I respect their right to their own opinion. My daughter typed a response to her- "You can go ahead and delete me and I think ur crazy for posting this stuff on Facebook." Yes, she is her mother's daughter. She was much nicer than I ever would have been. (she gets that from her dad, thank goodness!)
Her 3rd moment of stupidity came in response to my daughter's comment. "You have no right to an opinion. You are like, 12." I heard my daughter furiously typing on her computer the following response "I have my opinion just like you have yours. I am not going to change it to make anyone happy. BTW-I'm 13." Yep, I let her post it. She was respectful, correct and courageous as far as I am concerned. She stood up to a family member and defended her beliefs just as she has been raised to.
I guess I should be grateful because this provided an opportunity for one of those "teachable moments" everyone talks about. We talked about tolerance and respect. We talked about our political process and how a democracy really works. We also talked about how some things shouldn't be posted on Facebook or the internet period because you can't take it back. It will always be there for the world to see.
I read a beautiful post from Shaye over at The Elliot Homestead, reminding us all that our true leader is God, not a politician. Our salvation and rescue will come from Him, not Washington, DC. While we must respect the office of the President of the United States, we must also remember who it is we truly serve." A nation divided against itself cannot stand." (I think I got the jist of that quote!)How true that is!
Peace to you all and let the healing begin.....
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Happy Birthday Twins!!!
Today is the 13th anniversary of one of the best days of my life. My twins are officially teenagers today!!! At this time, 13 years ago, I was on my way to the doctor's office with what I was positive was gas. My husband wasn't convinced of the whole gas explanation as the "gas pains" were coming every 2 minutes! We weren't expecting it to be labor as I was only 26 weeks along. But labor it was.
After trying to stop the labor for 7 hours, my little girl decided that she had had enough womb time and was ready for the world. At 8:38 pm, my precious little girl was born weighing 1 lb. 9.5 oz. and was 13 1/4 inches long. At 8:39, her brother followed (to this day he doesn't like her going anywhere without him!) He was a hefty 1 lb. 14 oz. and was 13 3/4 inches long. Thankfully, the Lord blessed us with 2 children who, for the most part, only needed to grow a bit before they came home. After 70 days, a few blood transfusions and very few touch-and-go situations, our babies came home weighing 4.5 lbs (my boy) and 4 lbs. They were supposed to stay in the NICU until they reached 5 lbs. but the doctor's all said that they were doing very well and could come home. After 70 days of having to see an empty nursery, it was finally filled with two very small, squirmy babies...and life has never been the same since!
We never planned for them to be our last children, but God had other plans for us. While sometimes I am blue for the children we may have had, I will always be grateful for the 2 we got to have.
Life with twins is hectic, noisy, busy, messy, tiring, uplifting and fun. There is no place I would rather be than right here on our farm with the 2 best kids in the world.
So, in honor of their birthday, here are some random facts about them.
MY GIRL
1. She is a redneck Barbie-Loves to wear dresses and climb trees...at the same time!
2. She loves ALL animals. She saved a baby mouse from the cats and nursed it back to health.
3. She is a "meatatarian". She loves any and all meat, especially bacon. Her other nickname is the baconnator!
4. She hates shellfish.
5. She loves to sing and wants to be a singer when she grows up.
6. She's a leftie.
7. She doesn't like to read.
8. She loves to bake anything sweet.
9. She loves that she is "older" than her brother...even if it is only by a minute!
10. She is the most exquisite little girl, in my opinion, and I love her dearly!
MY BOY
1. Is a video game champion player.
2. Is incredibly smart.
3. Says the funniest things with a dead pan face. He has quite a sense of humor.
4. Loves to read...anything!
5. Has a wonderful imagination.
6. He makes the best spaghetti sauce.
7. Loves to drink coffee in the morning.
8. Eats all.the.time.
9. Is almost as tall as his daddy.
10. Is the most amazing little man I have ever known, and I love him more than life itself.
So, there are just a few things that make them...THEM.
Because we usually don't make a huge deal out of birthdays, we decided that we would get them something very special for their 13th birthday gifts.
They first gift, they got a few weeks before their birthdays. Mainly because daddy couldn't wait to get them and wanted to use them.
Here is present #1;
Daddy reasons that they can use these on the farm. I think daddy just wanted them and needed an excuse to buy them! I do have to say, they are pretty fun to ride. I told hubs that next year, we needed to get some for us!
Present # 2 isn't as big and flashy but I think it will get more of a work out than the 4 wheelers. We bought them their own iPhones. They have been sharing a little basic flip phone and it just wasn't working. My girl ALWAYS has the phone because she is the one who texts everybody. My boy is unhappy with that arrangement, not because he wants to use the phone, he just likes having it in his pocket. Go figure...
Here are a few pictures of them:
After trying to stop the labor for 7 hours, my little girl decided that she had had enough womb time and was ready for the world. At 8:38 pm, my precious little girl was born weighing 1 lb. 9.5 oz. and was 13 1/4 inches long. At 8:39, her brother followed (to this day he doesn't like her going anywhere without him!) He was a hefty 1 lb. 14 oz. and was 13 3/4 inches long. Thankfully, the Lord blessed us with 2 children who, for the most part, only needed to grow a bit before they came home. After 70 days, a few blood transfusions and very few touch-and-go situations, our babies came home weighing 4.5 lbs (my boy) and 4 lbs. They were supposed to stay in the NICU until they reached 5 lbs. but the doctor's all said that they were doing very well and could come home. After 70 days of having to see an empty nursery, it was finally filled with two very small, squirmy babies...and life has never been the same since!
We never planned for them to be our last children, but God had other plans for us. While sometimes I am blue for the children we may have had, I will always be grateful for the 2 we got to have.
Life with twins is hectic, noisy, busy, messy, tiring, uplifting and fun. There is no place I would rather be than right here on our farm with the 2 best kids in the world.
So, in honor of their birthday, here are some random facts about them.
MY GIRL
1. She is a redneck Barbie-Loves to wear dresses and climb trees...at the same time!
2. She loves ALL animals. She saved a baby mouse from the cats and nursed it back to health.
3. She is a "meatatarian". She loves any and all meat, especially bacon. Her other nickname is the baconnator!
4. She hates shellfish.
5. She loves to sing and wants to be a singer when she grows up.
6. She's a leftie.
7. She doesn't like to read.
8. She loves to bake anything sweet.
9. She loves that she is "older" than her brother...even if it is only by a minute!
10. She is the most exquisite little girl, in my opinion, and I love her dearly!
MY BOY
1. Is a video game champion player.
2. Is incredibly smart.
3. Says the funniest things with a dead pan face. He has quite a sense of humor.
4. Loves to read...anything!
5. Has a wonderful imagination.
6. He makes the best spaghetti sauce.
7. Loves to drink coffee in the morning.
8. Eats all.the.time.
9. Is almost as tall as his daddy.
10. Is the most amazing little man I have ever known, and I love him more than life itself.
So, there are just a few things that make them...THEM.
Because we usually don't make a huge deal out of birthdays, we decided that we would get them something very special for their 13th birthday gifts.
They first gift, they got a few weeks before their birthdays. Mainly because daddy couldn't wait to get them and wanted to use them.
Here is present #1;
 |
| Looks pretty excited doesn't he? |
 |
| Redneck Barbie rides again!
|
Present # 2 isn't as big and flashy but I think it will get more of a work out than the 4 wheelers. We bought them their own iPhones. They have been sharing a little basic flip phone and it just wasn't working. My girl ALWAYS has the phone because she is the one who texts everybody. My boy is unhappy with that arrangement, not because he wants to use the phone, he just likes having it in his pocket. Go figure...
Here are a few pictures of them:
 |
| Wearing daddy's socks and boots. She was a daddy's girl from the beginning. |
 |
| Baby boy was a water baby from the beginning |
 |
| Angel Baby |
 |
| First summer in GA |
 |
| Loving on Chelsea |
 |
| First fishing lesson with Daddy |
 |
Their first camo  |
They sure have come along way in 13 years!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Only In The Country
Reason #384 I love living in the country....
You don't get scenes like this in the city! Don't quote me on this but I think these are peanut harvesters. We were heading down this last paved road before you get to our dirt road and had to pull over to let these big machines go by. As you can see, they take up the entire road! I love this! A few days before this, on this same road, we had to stop while they moved cattle from the pasture on the right side of the road to one down the road to the left. They just opened the cattle gates and the cows mosied on down the road to where they had the road blocked and they just sauntered into the new pasture. This rural living is exactly the kind of life for me. I love seeing the farmers working the land that provides us with food and materials. I love seeing a rancher carefully tending to his livestock so that they may one day feed my family. I love that my kids are learning, not only where their food comes from, but what steps are taken to get it to us. I love the peace and quiet out "here in the country". Sure, occacionally you hear a tractor plowing or a cow mooing or a rooster crowing, but these are the sounds of LIFE! Those noises are providing food, clothing and other life necessities for all of us. Load car engines, blaring stereos, people shouting, horns honking...what do they provide? Noise. Distraction. STRESS! I will take a 3 tractor backup over a traffic jam ANY day of the week!
Since hunting season has started, the sound of gunshots can be heard at dusk and dawn. Hubby and I lived in a city where you heard those sounds and you ducked to save your life! Now, these sounds are reminding us that some sweet animal has given its life to feed someone. Although, judging by the sounds of those shots, it is more likely that some sweet animal has narrowly escaped being dinner for the time being!
Since hunting season has started, the sound of gunshots can be heard at dusk and dawn. Hubby and I lived in a city where you heard those sounds and you ducked to save your life! Now, these sounds are reminding us that some sweet animal has given its life to feed someone. Although, judging by the sounds of those shots, it is more likely that some sweet animal has narrowly escaped being dinner for the time being!
Monday, October 22, 2012
A Word From the President....
Awhile back, my daughter wrote a letter to President Obama. It was not prompted by me or any homeschool assignment. She just wanted to let him know that she was praying for him and his family and that she thought he was doing a good job inspite of what "the other political party" thinks. Yes, it brings tears to my eyes when I think about how profoundly sweet this act was. She was not expecting anything in return, only to share her feelings. A few months ago, I was checking the mail and I found a large envelope addressed to her from....THE WHITE HOUSE! I stood in front of the mailbox with my mouth entirely open, catching flies. I ran into the house yelling for her to hurry up and get out here. She came flying out of her room, iPod earbuds hanging around her neck, sure that she was in trouble for something. I handed her the envelope and she stood there, almost afraid to open it.
This is what she found inside:
It isn't everyday that someone receives a letter from the President. She was so excited (we were ALL excited). As her mom, I felt tremendous gratitude that my baby's letter was acknowledged and answered. No matter how you feel about this President, you can't deny that this is an awesome thing for anyone to receive.
She is framing this and hanging it on her bedroom wall. A keepsake that she will be able to share with her future children. How cool is that?!
This is what she found inside:
It isn't everyday that someone receives a letter from the President. She was so excited (we were ALL excited). As her mom, I felt tremendous gratitude that my baby's letter was acknowledged and answered. No matter how you feel about this President, you can't deny that this is an awesome thing for anyone to receive.
She is framing this and hanging it on her bedroom wall. A keepsake that she will be able to share with her future children. How cool is that?!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
GA National Fair
last weekend we went to Perry, Ga for the GA National Fair. I love fairs and this one is no exception! The fairgrounds in Perry are beautiful and well maintained. HOWEVER.....Most years, we go during the week when there is hardly anyone there. The weather is usually much cooler at this time. This year, hubby decided he wanted to go with us because he has never been so we went on a Saturday. BIG MISTAKE!!! I don't know how many people were there but it felt like millions! And it was HOT!!! There was very little shade so it was funny to see most of the people huddled under the awnings of the food places just to escape the burning rays of Mr. Sun. Let's just say we all got REALLY close!
We did have a good time in spite of the crowds and the heat. We first looked at all the animals. This is my favorite part of the fair. There were cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs and chickens. There was probably more but that was all we could see. As soon as we got inside where the cows were, my daughter stepped into a huge cow pie...IN HER BRAND NEW SHOES!!!! It's always something isn't it??? That's okay because by the time we finished walking around the goats, we had all stepped in something gross!
We saved the chickens for last and I was really disappointed with their set up. So much of the information and pictures that they provided were of commercial chicken farms which are NOT humane...or clean! The practices they preached just weren't how you would want to raise meat that your family will eat. I was a little sad. Then I noticed the names of the corporate info donors and Perdue was on there. Now it makes sense.
They did have a bunch of little chicks there that you could hold so my girl, of course, had to hold one.
Then it was on to the ride section. This is the twins favorite part. However, I think it was a little of a let down for them. We just got back from Disney 3 weeks ago where the rides are AWESOME and these rides were just so-so. They really didn't enjoy many of them. I think they are at that age where the "baby" rides are just ridiculous but the "adult" rides still scare the bejeebus out of them. There isn't much in the middle!
My favorite part was seeing just how crazy the food items were. Yes, we are in the south where we fry everything, but Oreos? Cheesecake?
The weirdest one? Deep fried chocolate chip cookie dough. Seriously...
I had my carmel apple that I always have and ate only the carmel and nuts like I always do. I figure if I only have it once a year, I can toss the apple without any guilt.
Once we had had enough fair stuff, we headed about 30 miles away to Bass Pro Shops. I.Love.This.Store! Since it is almost 2 hours from our house, we don't go very often. The first time I went, I told hubby I would rather just sit in the truck and wait for him because I was sure there was nothing in there I would want...3 hours and $400 later, we left. Hubs had a box of ammo and I had a cart full of stuff!!! I couldn't believe how awesome this place is. They have EVERYTHING! House wares, furniture, home decor, food, clothes, hunting stuff, boats, 4 wheelers. You name it, they got it. Plus the store is just beautiful.
This shot is just after you pass through the entrance area. The entrance is like a hunting lodge. A really nice hunting lodge!
Where else can you scare a bear....
...into submission.
Or commune with a beaver....
My daughter was convinced this was a porcupine!
Little man was pooped....
This is the view at the checkout stations.
Did I tell you how much I love this store????
It was a long night but a lot of fun with the people I love most in the world. What more could a mama ask for?!
We did have a good time in spite of the crowds and the heat. We first looked at all the animals. This is my favorite part of the fair. There were cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs and chickens. There was probably more but that was all we could see. As soon as we got inside where the cows were, my daughter stepped into a huge cow pie...IN HER BRAND NEW SHOES!!!! It's always something isn't it??? That's okay because by the time we finished walking around the goats, we had all stepped in something gross!
We saved the chickens for last and I was really disappointed with their set up. So much of the information and pictures that they provided were of commercial chicken farms which are NOT humane...or clean! The practices they preached just weren't how you would want to raise meat that your family will eat. I was a little sad. Then I noticed the names of the corporate info donors and Perdue was on there. Now it makes sense.
They did have a bunch of little chicks there that you could hold so my girl, of course, had to hold one.
Then it was on to the ride section. This is the twins favorite part. However, I think it was a little of a let down for them. We just got back from Disney 3 weeks ago where the rides are AWESOME and these rides were just so-so. They really didn't enjoy many of them. I think they are at that age where the "baby" rides are just ridiculous but the "adult" rides still scare the bejeebus out of them. There isn't much in the middle!
My favorite part was seeing just how crazy the food items were. Yes, we are in the south where we fry everything, but Oreos? Cheesecake?
I had my carmel apple that I always have and ate only the carmel and nuts like I always do. I figure if I only have it once a year, I can toss the apple without any guilt.
Once we had had enough fair stuff, we headed about 30 miles away to Bass Pro Shops. I.Love.This.Store! Since it is almost 2 hours from our house, we don't go very often. The first time I went, I told hubby I would rather just sit in the truck and wait for him because I was sure there was nothing in there I would want...3 hours and $400 later, we left. Hubs had a box of ammo and I had a cart full of stuff!!! I couldn't believe how awesome this place is. They have EVERYTHING! House wares, furniture, home decor, food, clothes, hunting stuff, boats, 4 wheelers. You name it, they got it. Plus the store is just beautiful.
My daughter was convinced this was a porcupine!
Did I tell you how much I love this store????
It was a long night but a lot of fun with the people I love most in the world. What more could a mama ask for?!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Did I Just Hear What I Think I Heard????
Last night, we all went to my inlaws to visit. We got onto the topic of meat and we were telling them how we were going to order meat chickens soon and butcher them ourselves for the freezer. They asked why we were going to all that trouble when we could just buy it at the store so we told them that there were two basic reasons why: We know what our chickens will be eating and how they are cared for while they are alive and butchered. We don't know what has been fed to those chickens in the store (okay, we have a pretty good idea it wasn't healthy!), they are shot full of harmful antibiotics and the treatment of them is inhumane and we will NOT spend our money to support commercial chicken operations. We told them that we care what we put into our bodies because we want to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Want to know the response? "I am 66. Eating that stuff now isn't going to help me." (gasp!) I know. I still have a bruise on my chin when it fell to the floor.
Unfortunately, that is the mindset of many in that generation.
I was at my UMW meeting and, except for my daughter and me, all the women are late 50's and older. One of them was praising the Splenda Brown Sugar product. She was happy because diabetics can use it and it doesn't hurt them....Yet again, chin on floor, much bruising. Telling them that artificial sweetners are satan's invention doesn't really help, either. They just give me a blank stare and continue talking about how great it is.
It surprises me because this generation was raised by people that did NOT eat this way. They milked their own cows or bought milk from a farmer. They raised chickens for eggs and meat, grew gardens and ate grass fed, pastured meat. They ate real butter and cooked in lard or tallow. Heart disease and diabetes were not common among their parents. Now, they eat processed food, use artificial sweetners, eat mystery meat from the grocery store and eat veggies and fruit grown in other countries and shipped in containers to the US. They are more sick than any generation so far and it is only getting worse. Yet, they don't make the connection that what they eat is killing them.
For this, I am infinitely sad. If they don't change, I will lose the people I love dearly very soon. My parents have diabetes and heart disease yet they refuse to make the necessary changes to keep them not only alive but to allow them to thrive. They are both very overweight and get very little exercise because "it hurts". My inlaws have various health problems but continue to do as they have always done. They are in a little better shape because they get some exercise every day but it isn't enough.
My grandfather is in his mid 80's. He has been active all of his life and continues to be. Sure, he has to take medicines. He had heart bypass surgery years ago but has been pretty healthy ever since. He is very fit for a man his age. He doesn't sit around all day long. He gardens, he builds things (like houses!) and he takes care of his house and yard by himself. And he is healthier than my folks and my husband's who are a generation younger!
I wish I knew what the answer was. Really I do. The thought of my parents or my inlaws dying so young brings tears to my eyes. I am not through with them! My kids have too much to learn from them. My kids' kid's need to know them. I do not understand why they think their health is so trivial.
I can remember when I was around 7, we had a picture taken when I was visiting my great grandma. In it was me, my mom, my mom's mom, my mom's mom's mom, and my mom's mom's mom's mom. 5 generations, all healthy. My great grandmother didn't pass away until I was in my teens and she was in her 90's. Healthy and active till the end. My grandma died at 79 from cancer. Up until 7 months before she died, she was quite healthy and active. I don't know if my mom will even make it to 79. She just turned 64 and is falling apart. She is limited in what she can do because of her weight, back problems, diabetes and fluid around her heart. This isn't what I pictured her senior years to look like.
Hubs and I made a vow to our kids. We promise to do everything in our power to stay healthy, active and productive for our entire lives. I don't want the fun to end at 66. I want to be like my grandpa, still going strong at 84 and beyond!
Just a little funny that I heard on the radio yesterday:
In Japan, they eat very little red meat and drink very little red wine. They have very little heart disease compared to Americans and British.
In Italy, they eat a lot of red meat and drink a lot of red wine. They have very little heart disease compared to Americans and British.
They take away from this? Eat and drink whatever you like. It's speaking English that will kill you!
Unfortunately, that is the mindset of many in that generation.
I was at my UMW meeting and, except for my daughter and me, all the women are late 50's and older. One of them was praising the Splenda Brown Sugar product. She was happy because diabetics can use it and it doesn't hurt them....Yet again, chin on floor, much bruising. Telling them that artificial sweetners are satan's invention doesn't really help, either. They just give me a blank stare and continue talking about how great it is.
It surprises me because this generation was raised by people that did NOT eat this way. They milked their own cows or bought milk from a farmer. They raised chickens for eggs and meat, grew gardens and ate grass fed, pastured meat. They ate real butter and cooked in lard or tallow. Heart disease and diabetes were not common among their parents. Now, they eat processed food, use artificial sweetners, eat mystery meat from the grocery store and eat veggies and fruit grown in other countries and shipped in containers to the US. They are more sick than any generation so far and it is only getting worse. Yet, they don't make the connection that what they eat is killing them.
For this, I am infinitely sad. If they don't change, I will lose the people I love dearly very soon. My parents have diabetes and heart disease yet they refuse to make the necessary changes to keep them not only alive but to allow them to thrive. They are both very overweight and get very little exercise because "it hurts". My inlaws have various health problems but continue to do as they have always done. They are in a little better shape because they get some exercise every day but it isn't enough.
My grandfather is in his mid 80's. He has been active all of his life and continues to be. Sure, he has to take medicines. He had heart bypass surgery years ago but has been pretty healthy ever since. He is very fit for a man his age. He doesn't sit around all day long. He gardens, he builds things (like houses!) and he takes care of his house and yard by himself. And he is healthier than my folks and my husband's who are a generation younger!
I wish I knew what the answer was. Really I do. The thought of my parents or my inlaws dying so young brings tears to my eyes. I am not through with them! My kids have too much to learn from them. My kids' kid's need to know them. I do not understand why they think their health is so trivial.
I can remember when I was around 7, we had a picture taken when I was visiting my great grandma. In it was me, my mom, my mom's mom, my mom's mom's mom, and my mom's mom's mom's mom. 5 generations, all healthy. My great grandmother didn't pass away until I was in my teens and she was in her 90's. Healthy and active till the end. My grandma died at 79 from cancer. Up until 7 months before she died, she was quite healthy and active. I don't know if my mom will even make it to 79. She just turned 64 and is falling apart. She is limited in what she can do because of her weight, back problems, diabetes and fluid around her heart. This isn't what I pictured her senior years to look like.
Hubs and I made a vow to our kids. We promise to do everything in our power to stay healthy, active and productive for our entire lives. I don't want the fun to end at 66. I want to be like my grandpa, still going strong at 84 and beyond!
Just a little funny that I heard on the radio yesterday:
In Japan, they eat very little red meat and drink very little red wine. They have very little heart disease compared to Americans and British.
In Italy, they eat a lot of red meat and drink a lot of red wine. They have very little heart disease compared to Americans and British.
They take away from this? Eat and drink whatever you like. It's speaking English that will kill you!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Just a Quick Little Check In
Our room and dining reservations are made. With Disney, you can make dining arrangements 180 BEFORE your trip so that you can pretty much guarantee you get a spot where you want it, when you want it. Since we are going during value season, I didn't have to make them so early. I did it last week and got almost every restaurant and dining event that I wanted.
It feels good to have everything planned out and done. I know many are a "leave the details up in the air" kind of people but I am not a member of that group! I try to be spontaneous but it just doesn't work for me. Besides, my husband and kids always look to me to have everything planned out so they don't have to make any decisions.
I did have to do some last minute switching around, though. I typed up our itinerary (believe it or not, the twins request that I do this and give them a copy!) and was all proud of myself for fitting in everything we wanted to do. Well, almost everything. Hubs looked at it and the only thing he said was "When are we doing the waterpark? You promised the kids we would go this year." Huh? Dang it! There was no room for it in our plans but I promised them because the last couple of times, something has come up and we couldn't get to the waterparks. So we added a day to our vacation. We are now leaving a day earlier. But the kids don't know it! THEN hubs realized he needed to go to his corporate office (located an hour away from Disney) for a meeting and he decided to add yet another day to our vacation. So, even though the "surprise" vacation is no longer a surprise, the duration of it is. The kids have been doing a countdown to when we leave and it has been so hard not to tell them!
Anyway, we have been in full prep mode. Cleaning house, doing laundry, getting the animals care while we are gone taken care of and...cooking! Over the last year, I have really tried hard to transform our way of eating and, for the most part, have been successful. Even though the bulk of our dining will be done out, we will still be eating breakfast and snacks in the condo. I have made big batches of pancakes and pumpkin waffles and have smoothie ingredients all ready to go. My son only had 3 food requests and, against my better judgement, I agreed to them. He wanted soda, froot loops and pizza rolls. These are not things that are usually found in our house but it's vacation so I was told I needed to relax the rules a little bit! I did make some homemade pizza rolls to take along just to show him that we don't need to buy garbage at the grocery store in order to have some fun vacation food. I made them yesterday and froze most of them for the trip (I'll include the recipe once we get back) but I baked a few just to make sure we all liked them. SUCCESS!!! They were really good, much better than the ones in the frozen food section. Even my son had to concede that they were better than the ones we bought!
I plan on doing some blog posts from our vacation, if I get time. If not, I will be back soon with some new recipes and a letter from President Obama!
It feels good to have everything planned out and done. I know many are a "leave the details up in the air" kind of people but I am not a member of that group! I try to be spontaneous but it just doesn't work for me. Besides, my husband and kids always look to me to have everything planned out so they don't have to make any decisions.
I did have to do some last minute switching around, though. I typed up our itinerary (believe it or not, the twins request that I do this and give them a copy!) and was all proud of myself for fitting in everything we wanted to do. Well, almost everything. Hubs looked at it and the only thing he said was "When are we doing the waterpark? You promised the kids we would go this year." Huh? Dang it! There was no room for it in our plans but I promised them because the last couple of times, something has come up and we couldn't get to the waterparks. So we added a day to our vacation. We are now leaving a day earlier. But the kids don't know it! THEN hubs realized he needed to go to his corporate office (located an hour away from Disney) for a meeting and he decided to add yet another day to our vacation. So, even though the "surprise" vacation is no longer a surprise, the duration of it is. The kids have been doing a countdown to when we leave and it has been so hard not to tell them!
Anyway, we have been in full prep mode. Cleaning house, doing laundry, getting the animals care while we are gone taken care of and...cooking! Over the last year, I have really tried hard to transform our way of eating and, for the most part, have been successful. Even though the bulk of our dining will be done out, we will still be eating breakfast and snacks in the condo. I have made big batches of pancakes and pumpkin waffles and have smoothie ingredients all ready to go. My son only had 3 food requests and, against my better judgement, I agreed to them. He wanted soda, froot loops and pizza rolls. These are not things that are usually found in our house but it's vacation so I was told I needed to relax the rules a little bit! I did make some homemade pizza rolls to take along just to show him that we don't need to buy garbage at the grocery store in order to have some fun vacation food. I made them yesterday and froze most of them for the trip (I'll include the recipe once we get back) but I baked a few just to make sure we all liked them. SUCCESS!!! They were really good, much better than the ones in the frozen food section. Even my son had to concede that they were better than the ones we bought!
I plan on doing some blog posts from our vacation, if I get time. If not, I will be back soon with some new recipes and a letter from President Obama!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Food, Inc.
I have been wanting to see this dvd for quite some time and I got a chance to the other night. WOW!
This documentary is a must see for everyone who has the least bit of concern about where their food comes from and what's in it. I made the twins watch it with me because I feel that they need to know this stuff in order to make wise decisions when they are older.
This documentary "lifts the veil" so to speak, on the secret world of commercial farming. Folks, it ain't pretty. It's downright disturbing that our government allows these big conglomerates to poison us simply because they throw lots and lots of money towards political campaigns and such. One of the farmers interviewed was a woman who raises chickens for Purdue. It was disgusting how her chickens have to live in order for her to retain her contract with Purdue. These companies get the farmer so much in debt that they are no longer able to do the right thing where their livestock is concerned. She hated the way she was forced to raise these animals but if she complained or refused, the company would threaten with canceling her contract, leaving her hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and no way to get a contract with anyone else.
Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms was interviewed and the more I hear about him and from him, the more I respect him. He isn't interested in having the big contracts or selling in national grocery store chains. He simply wants to cultivate the healthiest animal which in turn will help keep the consumer (us!) healthy. He raises only enough animals that his land will support and no more. He treats them well and allows them to be the animal that God created them to be. His chickens aren't force fed to make them grow 300% faster. His cows aren't fed a diet of corn to fatten them up and contaminate them with E.coli. Yes, I learned that some strains of E.coli are produced in the cows stomach when it is fed a diet of corn (unnatural for a cow) instead of grass (how God intended). Who in the world decided that cows should eat corn when they have always been herbivores??? I'll tell you. Companies like Monsanto! Corn is cheap to produce (thanks to subsidies)and, when fed to animals as feed, makes them grow fat quickly. This all makes for more money for these big companies because animals can be sent to slaughter quicker therefore more animals can be raised and killed in a shorter amount of time. Let us not confuse who is getting rich here. It's not the farmer! It is these huge companies like Tyson, BPI, Cargill, Purdue, etc. who contract with these farmers and promise lots of money but never deliver on their end of the bargain. The farmer gets very little for his work and the American public is used as guinea pigs for these companies. How many people have to get sick and die before we wake up and realize that we need to know where our food comes from? We need to get to know farmers who produce our food. Better yet, we need to get back to having a family farm that produces what we need to feed not only our own family but our community as well. We certainly can't rely on the government to feed us because they are doing a crappy job at it!
My kids were apalled at how animals are treated and slaughtered and then marketed as if they are safe and healthy for us to eat. They now see why I will NOT buy meat from the grocery store! The stuff is poison and I will NOT allow my family to be treated that way.
I cannot recommend this dvd enough. You need to see it. Your family needs to see it. I am going to make my parents and inlaws watch it. Then I am going to donate it to our local library so the community has access to it. We have to quit hiding our head under the covers and take charge of our food system. Your family's life may very well depend on it!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
A Warning About ParaNorman
Yesterday, we took the kids to see the movie ParaNorman. Big mistake. Not that the movie was terrible or anything (ok, it wasn't superb either), just NOT a movie for kids. Which I find a bit weird since it is a stop motion animated movie geared towards kids, rated PG and marketed towards kids. My kids will be 13 soon and I was cringing through quite a bit of the movie. The premise is that there is this kid, Norman, who sees and talks to dead people. That part was cute and funny. The not so cute and funny part? The humor contained A LOT of innuendo that I am uncomfortable with my kids seeing and hearing.
In one scene, there is a restaurant in the town called Witchy Weiners (the town is famous for executing a witch during the 1700's). Towards the end of the movie, when the zombies and townspeople are fighting, the "W" is no longer lit up on the sign so it reads Itchy Weiners. I was hoping the kids didn't notice it but my son elbowed me in the ribs about it.
In another scene, the school bully complains to Norman about being stuck in the Town Hall Records room when there is an Adult Video Store just down the street.
The most shocking scene to me was at the end when Norman's scantily clad sister was making a move on the jock by trying to get him to take her on a date and he responds with "You'll love my boyfriend. He's into chick flicks." Really?
A gay teenager in a kids movie? It was so out of place and uncalled for.
The movie had some funny parts but I was completely irritated at the bad choices that were made concerning the content of this film. In another scene, grandma calls her son a "jackass". IN A KID'S MOVIE!!!!
I wish someone had told me these things before I took my kids because I NEVER would have taken them. The movie trailer that has been showing in the theaters didn't show any inappropriateness at all. I was surprised by the things in this film and I don't shock or surprise easily. Save yourself the money, time and your children's innocence and forget about this one!
UPDATE
Due to the fact that a few people have left some very nasty comments about this particular post, I will no longer be allowing comments on it. I completely understand if my view of this movie is not yours. We all have our own opinions but, because this is MY blog, MY opinions are the ones that I will write about. I welcome any discussion as long as the commentors can act like an adult.
In one scene, there is a restaurant in the town called Witchy Weiners (the town is famous for executing a witch during the 1700's). Towards the end of the movie, when the zombies and townspeople are fighting, the "W" is no longer lit up on the sign so it reads Itchy Weiners. I was hoping the kids didn't notice it but my son elbowed me in the ribs about it.
In another scene, the school bully complains to Norman about being stuck in the Town Hall Records room when there is an Adult Video Store just down the street.
The most shocking scene to me was at the end when Norman's scantily clad sister was making a move on the jock by trying to get him to take her on a date and he responds with "You'll love my boyfriend. He's into chick flicks." Really?
A gay teenager in a kids movie? It was so out of place and uncalled for.
The movie had some funny parts but I was completely irritated at the bad choices that were made concerning the content of this film. In another scene, grandma calls her son a "jackass". IN A KID'S MOVIE!!!!
I wish someone had told me these things before I took my kids because I NEVER would have taken them. The movie trailer that has been showing in the theaters didn't show any inappropriateness at all. I was surprised by the things in this film and I don't shock or surprise easily. Save yourself the money, time and your children's innocence and forget about this one!
UPDATE
Due to the fact that a few people have left some very nasty comments about this particular post, I will no longer be allowing comments on it. I completely understand if my view of this movie is not yours. We all have our own opinions but, because this is MY blog, MY opinions are the ones that I will write about. I welcome any discussion as long as the commentors can act like an adult.
Monday, August 20, 2012
It's Almost Vacation Time
Yes, my dear friends, it is almost vacation time for our family. One BIG perk of homeschooling is being able to pick up and go when it is convenient for hubby and his business instead of during the summer break when EVERYBODY is trying to get away. September is hubby's slow month so it is the best time for us to go somewhere. Our favorite family vacation getaway is Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. Growing up in Florida, only 3 hours south of Disney, meant we spent A LOT of time there. There were some years that we went 3-4 times but we always went at least 1-2 times a year once hubby and I got married. When we moved to GA and the trip became 7 hours instead of 3, our Disney trips became a bit more infrequent. On my 40th birthday, we spent a week at Disney and bought into the Disney Vacation Club. We had previously belonged to it when we lived in FL but sold out when we moved to GA. If you do not know what the DVC is, it is kind of like a time share but you don't have a specific time each year that you have to use it. You can go whenever you want and the resorts that are used for the DVC accomodations are outstanding. We usually stay at the Old Key West resort and almost always get a 2 bedroom condo (unless I am taking the kids by myself and we make do with a 1 bedroom). These DVC resorts are all on the Disney property so you can take advantage of all the goodies you get when you stay on property as opposed to staying in a non-Disney hotel. The condos all come with a full kitchen and laundry room which is great for us because we always eat at least one meal in the room and I HATE bringing home dirty laundry!
This trip was supposed to be a surprise for the twins but my mom accidentally gave it away. She was so upset about it because I had been planning it since February and had kept everything a complete secret from the twins. That is a big deal for me because I am lousy with secrets! I couldn't be too mad at her, though. I do still have some surprises for them concerning the trip.
The biggest surprise is that we will be seeing the Cirque Du Soleil show "La Nouba". I have wanted to take them to it for many years but we have never had the money for tickets until this year. Hubby and I went once, when I was pregnant with the twins, and were completely blown away by the show. It is amazing what the human body can do with proper training! If you have never seen this show, I cannot stress to you enough how awesome it is. You will NOT be disappointed!
Since Disney is the "Happiest Place on Earth" and my favorite place to be, I will be doing some posts on Disney Must Sees, Disney on a Dime and the benefits of the Disney Vacation Club.
Stay tuned!!!
This trip was supposed to be a surprise for the twins but my mom accidentally gave it away. She was so upset about it because I had been planning it since February and had kept everything a complete secret from the twins. That is a big deal for me because I am lousy with secrets! I couldn't be too mad at her, though. I do still have some surprises for them concerning the trip.
The biggest surprise is that we will be seeing the Cirque Du Soleil show "La Nouba". I have wanted to take them to it for many years but we have never had the money for tickets until this year. Hubby and I went once, when I was pregnant with the twins, and were completely blown away by the show. It is amazing what the human body can do with proper training! If you have never seen this show, I cannot stress to you enough how awesome it is. You will NOT be disappointed!
Since Disney is the "Happiest Place on Earth" and my favorite place to be, I will be doing some posts on Disney Must Sees, Disney on a Dime and the benefits of the Disney Vacation Club.
Stay tuned!!!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Our School Schedule
It is almost that time again. Yes, we will be starting our homeschooling again next Monday, the 13th. What is it about the beginning of school that gets me all into my organizational mode?? I love all the planning and the schedule making. Sometimes, we even FOLLOW the schedule! I thought I would post our TENTATIVE school schedule so you could see how we do it here.
7 am Twin's wake up, get dressed. Take dogs out and feed them, feed cats and let chickens out of
the coop and take care of personal hygiene (brush teeth, hair, etc)
8 am Start personal chores such as making beds, bringing dirty clothes to laundry room,
straighten up rooms. Eat breakfast.
9-9:30 Bible Time-they read independently the whole time.
9:30-
11:30 School Lessons
11:30-
1 pm Lunch, clean up, quiet time
1-3 Finish Lessons
3-4 Each one practices piano for 30 minutes while the other finishes projects or has free time
4-6:30 Afternoon chores (Not many now but will increase once we get more farm animals)
Free time.
6:30-
7:30 Dinner and dishes
7:30-8 Showers
8-9 Family tv time (will probably be family swim time until it gets cool out so showers will
get done afterwards)
9 pm Bed time
Now, will our days look like this all the time? Uh, no. I am hoping that they will loosely resemble this schedule more often than not. As we actually get going, we will alter the schedule and change things that don't work but isn't that one of the great things about homeschooling? Our schedule is configured for OUR family, not a whole school district! We can change things to suit what we are doing at the time without having to get permission from anyone. I love that!!!! Not to mention that I know exactly what my kids are learning because I am right there teaching them. I really don't know why I didn't start homeschooling from the beginning but I have done it since 4th grade (they are starting 7th this year) and I would highly recommend this to ALL parents. Plus, look at how much time I get to spend with my kids. This is time that I will never have again so I am taking full advantage of it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)