R's away...

Cleaned out my closet. Got rid of a lot of "stuff".

Cleaned out the car (minus the truck). We used to be good at cleaning out the car. Don't know what happened, but I think some of the gunk was holding it together. The cruise control doesn't work and the windows (except the driver's) won't go down. Hmmm...

Went to Cruces (hobby lobby) yesterday. And without cruise control, man you take things for granted until they are gone. Didn't find the material I wanted, will have to order online. I did find wall decor to finish off the bathroom. photo coming...

Last night the kids had new converts class. J didn't go. He had a slight fever (100 is not bad for him) and a headache. Sent him to bed with NyQuil...today he's fine.

Today, C has practice for something she and a few folks are doing for the children's church. Outreach and a concert.

Quick Update

I have a few (very few) minutes.

We took C to the orthopedics and got x-rays. The doc said probably exercises and therapy will work. She is borderline on needing a brace. So he referred us to a spine doc in E.P. Have appt for next month.

R is on TDY (away for work). We thought he was only going to be gone for a week. But turns out he'll be gone one more week. He was able to come home very briefly last night. That was nice.

It was sunny yesterday! I am actually liking the sun these days. We have had SO much snow/rain that it feels like New England. No joke.

Today, after we finish up school the kids and I are headed to Hobby Lobby. I have a list of things I want to redecorate our office, the hallway wall, etc.

Have a great day!

Sites and Tips

I have been blog surfing lately and loving the new decor that is out there. I have not been into decorating the house like I used to be, but golly, these blogs have my mind going.

I LOVE this site, and this.

Found this used coffee grounds tip.

snow again

one bathroom is half apart...plumber is here

we are starting to feel better

and my dad is ok

Leaks...

So we have a leak...where? We don't know.

We (he) thought he found it behind some paneling in the entryway...it was a mice hotel. He thought the "leaks" were mice pee...um, GROSS!

We (he) thought he found it when he found a leak in the sprinkler system next to the house.

Tonight we (she) hoped it was found when a leak under the main bathroom sink was found. (Note: everyone but me, saw the water on the floor and didn't say anything!!!)

Three (we 3 who ate the goat cheese from Mexico) have been "leaking" for the last two-three days.

We (both he and she) think we need to take out our tub or more in our bathroom and find the leak.

How Was Your Yesterday?

It's snowing, more of a wet snow.

J stepped on a rusty nail yesterday, got a tetnus (sp?) shot and antibiotics.

C's rash is back. Need to find out where she's getting it.

Just a Quick Post

Yesterday, we went for a follow up appt for C at the dermatologist. She's doing good. He thinks the rash that she had looked like ringworm (she is totally grossed out by this). Where and how'd she get it is the big question. You can get it from someone else, cats and dogs. We do have a dog. Who knows. He did say not to worry about it.

While there I did ask him about a spot (more like a dry patch) on my face. It looks like, maybe pre-cancerous blah, blah. I am going to have to go and get it frozen off. It's not a big deal and no need to hurry, said the way kick back Dr. I am not worried. One too many bad burns on this white woman's face...well.

Also, the Dr. has twice mentioned a dairy free diet to help with the acne, and multiple other things. C was more upset about that then having the z word. She does not want to go dairy free. I think I may have to sneak it in. I have heard from other sources as well, about the benefits of going non-dairy. I bought soy-milk (Dr. recommended) last night. Had it in my tea. Can't tell the difference. I am going to explore further with this!

So much for a quick post! Have a great day!

no creative title...sorry

This is how my day began...

Last night our toilet started to overflow. It's like half clogged. Will flush with no problems, thus far. It's when we shower that it leaks. Anyway, the shop vac is there to vacuum the water, until a plumber comes. To find out about this photo go to my Teaching in my Jammies blog.

OH! I was reading a blog (one of the ones I read) and the lady met the Pioneer Women! Did I not just write about her! Golly, lucky lady! I checked the PW's book tour and she isn't coming our way. Bummer! I would've liked to meet her! Small world!

Marlboro Man and The Pioneer Women

I have just found a new fave site. I found here through a digi friend. I went to her (The Pioneer Women) site and low and behold, I am visiting her everyday! She loves to cook, was a big city girl who married a rancher (aka The Marlboro Man) and homeschools! She takes beautiful photos, is funny and I think you'll love her too! One more plus...she owns a basset named Charlie!

Sat. I was making the grocery/menu list out for the next two weeks, going through her recipes and DH was looking on...his mouth was a waterin'!

Tonight I made Marlboro Man's favorite sandwich.

Overall, I would have to give this recipe 2 stars.
My main squeeze thought it was good.
I really liked it.
C said some of the meat was chewy. She got other pieces and ate them all.
J well, he said that it is NOT a keeper.

Sat night I made her Monkey Muffins. Which was a keeper. Four Stars! We added walnuts and didn't have cinnamon so I used pumpkin pie spice. They would've all been gone that night, but I said no!

I have about 5 more recipes on my list. She gives great step by step photos for us right brainers (or those who need proof while disagreeing with a cooking spouse.)

Go check her out and let me know what you think.

WOW!

Jared couldn't have gotten the elk any sooner...
Weather report:
We left Mon., late at night...that morning 6:30 the winds came.
Yesterday VERY high winds, High Rolls clocked up to 85 MPH! Here 50+, El Paso 91!!
The whole mountain is without power, for probably a week!
They are advising everyone who lives in the mountains to come down here.
Trees down, they got more snow, etc.
Thurs./Friday, another snow storm in the forecast!
Everything (even the gas stations) are closed up there!

Yikes!

Thank God for His protection again!

Thanksgiving Menu

Here's the scoop: we were honestly waiting to be invited to someone else's Thanksgiving festivities. But no invites came. We did not want to spend the holiday without friends again (once is enough). So we invited people here. Most everyone was already taken.

You know what I am actually excited to cook and clean this year!!
We are having:
3 families and a single lady

Turkey (R is making that)
Sweet Potato Casserole (the bomb)
Mrs. Aulson's mashed potatoes
Eilene's Bacon Green Bean Casserole
Steph's Spinach Salad (The best)
rolls and drinks
Pecan Pie with homemade crust
Messer's Jello Dessert
and I am going to make another dessert with pumpkin pie with almond spiced whipped cream, lemon ice box pie, or pecan shortbread cookies (I may just save these for Christmas.)

Have a great Thanksgiving!!

After that we are going to cut our tree on Friday!

Then the following week my mom will be here for a really quick visit. Then R & J are off to hunt elk. One of R bosses has a cabin near where they are going to hunt. He is letting us use it for free! So C and I are going to be mountain mommas for a few days!! Funny little story...R told me that maybe C and I could walk to the country store while we were up there. We drove to try and find the cabin (couldn't) Sat. The country store...was about 15 or so miles from where the cabin's supposed to be. Um...C and I are NOT walking thank you!

See you soon!

Flexible

I remember as a young girl I would walk to and from school. After some storms I noticed that some trees had broken limbs. I would wonder why it was always the big sturdy trees that would be broken and not the young saplings. I figured surely it would be so much easier to break a little tree than one that has been there for years.

I asked my mom about it. She explained that the younger trees can bend much easier then the older trees. The older trees get dried out.

It still took me awhile to fully understand that.

Today, as life keeps throwing me curves balls. I am reminded of the young trees I'd see bending in the wind and the old trees with some branches in the ground.

God, help me to keep flexible like the young tress!

Snow...And A Visit

Updated...view from just outside of our dining room window! LOVE it!

I don't have any photos, yet, but I do have a few minutes to post!

It snowed last night! Didn't stick here, but the view of the snowy mountains from our kitchen window is very nice! Really put me in the Christmas spirit, so I changed the music. (You're welcome Michele!)

Yesterday the kids and I went to Cruces to see a dermatologist. C has been fighting a rash on her neck for some time. Our Dr. here prescribed two different creams. The second made it worse! Long story short, she has a kind of fungus. Yay! He gave us some samples of a different cream...free!! The creams our doc was giving us actually feed the fungus! Thanks! I am seriously thinking it's time to find a new doctor. But that's another story.

I tell you we bring J along to these appointments for entertainment. We had to wait awhile in the room, there was only one seat, the examining table and the Dr.'s chair. The kids finally sat in one of these. But every time they heard someone coming they hurried back to my seat in the corner. After doing this several times J said, "Places everyone!" He was very funny.

On the way to the app. we saw one of the most beautiful rainbows. It went from ground to ground, was a double, and actually started having more colors. Nope no camera!

Oh, Dolly. We took her to get her shots and to get her bumps checked out. Now the bumps are more like cysts, some are the bigger then marbles. They tested her and she's fine. It's common for bassets to get these.

I am excited. Tonight Nancy will be in El P. We are going down to maybe get her from the airport and have dinner with her!

I will try to take a photo of the mtns when the sun is better!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Downloaded the pictures off of the camera today and this was one of them. A side story, We LOVE Dolly and the Basset Hound in her makes her very mellow. She is very affectionate and wishes she could be a lap dog. R ran into people selling basset puppies the other night. Ugh! If we were to get another "big" dog we would get a basset, but not at the asking price. Bummer!

As you know we had a garden this year. Honestly, we just put seeds in the ground and watered. No working the soil, adding food, etc. So we were lucky to get what we got. (The neighborhood squirrel vandal help himself to much of our produce.) We planted pumpkins and got many flowers, but one lone pumpkin. We bought the small ones, for baking. This one became a yummy pie!

Introducing...

"Who didn't flush the toilet?"

"It wasn't me!"

"It wasn't me!"

"Who vacuumed up this plastic piece?"

"AND a whole colored pencil?

"It wasn't me!"

"It wasn't me!"

You get the idea. Mr. or Misses It Wasn't Me has been staying here lately. I wish that he/she would do something good and not take the credit! heehee

In Need of a New Post

My dear husband reads this blog (HI HONEY!!).
I didn't really know that.

Anyway, last night during dinner, he looks at me and says (you have to know him to get this) "Back From the Dead".
After a second, just a second, I said, "Why didn't you leave a comment! ?"
"I was at work and didn't have time."
"Did you click on my ads?"
"Yes!"

Well, that's good enough for me.

We are truly getting back into the swing of things. I am almost all better! We have made it through Thursday (which tend to be hard day for us).

We are taking Dolly to the vet today. She needs her rabies shot. She also has bumps on her that need to be checked out.

While on the subject of Dolly, she is such a funny dog. She is by far the most well behaved, calmest dog that we have had. She will do anything for food. We have (More R and Dolly have) this ritual at night. He gets a dog biscuit and to get her into her crate for the night.

Here's how it goes (more or less). Usually after we are done praying (which is knows her treat is coming), R asks her, "Are you ready for your treat?"
No joke, she starts licking her chops!
Depending on were we are in the house, she then proceeds to go to her crate as R points with his arm and says, "Crate."
Sometimes she will wait to make sure he gets a treat before she moves.
She will open her crate door with her nose and even her paw. She is truly on a mission at that point.

Back From the Dead

Everyone in the house has been sick for about two weeks.

Coughing, running/stuffed noses, fever, body aches.

Doctor said it was the flu. He didn't say the swine flu.

Everyone is pretty much better. I am still sniffling as I type.


Hope you all are doing good!

Those Days...

You know those days when you REALLY need to get out of the house, because you've been with sickies for what feels like weeks.

Those days when your hubby is off and wants to go for a "drive".

Those days when hubby's drive has extra purposes...get you out of the house, give the kids some fresh air AND scope out hunting sites.

Those days where the road to see the "foliage" feels more like bull riding on a full bladder.

Those days when there seems to be extra laundry.

Those days, where you are extra thankful to have those days with the people you love.

Today was one of those days.

Ramble, ramble

I don't intend on not writing anything for days at a time. I often find myself thinking..."I should blog about this." Other times, I think, "Gosh, I haven't blogged in a long time. What do I say?"

"I just ate a bean (homemade) burrito for lunch, the kids are laughing in the background, and Dolly, well she's whining, the kids must have food (that dog loves people food). " I am sure you don't want to read this everyday.

Or, our washer has a mysterious leak, R is going to have to take off the back and find it. Our toilet seems to not be "sucking" as much. Hence, continues our toilet troubles. I have a fear of it backing up when I use it now...wait...this is too much information.

Or, J's tire is fixed. Dad also bought him a bell. I think the neighbors are probably getting tired of the ring.

Or, Tomorrow the guys are going hunting, dove. C and I are going to paint the dining room. I have had such a hard time picking a color. But I am going with Cottonwood. Which is a shade darker than Antique Lace.

Or, the weather is a bit chilly today. I made whole wheat pancakes for breakfast. There's only two left. J eats a LOT. He has been on an egg kick, especially since he can cook them himself. Tonight's dinner will hopefully be better then last night's (an ok beef and broccoli, I threw the recipe away...sorry Michele.) Slow cooked Peppered Pork Chops.

Wait...this is what I read on other people's blogs.

Crazy Busy

When life goes at such a pace, you really enjoy the moment when you can sit for a minute before the ride starts again.

Here's a brief run done of our lives right now.
We (the church) is getting ready for our 30 ann. And lots of our people are coming back for that. We have been practing for special music for about a month. Tonight will be our last practice.
There has been LOTS of behind the scene prep that has been going on.
Sat. a bunch of the church folks got together at the church and touched up, fixed up the church pretty much all day. I really felt my age after 8 hours of physical labor! The kids did really good! Worked hard!
Homeschool has been going good. Everyone's brains worked today! Which is always helpful! C is going through math like nothing. We have science experiments at least 3 times a week more like 4. Plus all of the other subjects.
R is down at the church right now, song service practice.
C has been down there since 4:30. She's helping out in the children's church for the harvester's.
Cleaning the house for our company! Can't wait!
I have a new kit coming out this Friday! Can't wait!
Harvesters is going to be jam packed, but fun.
R has been working like crazy!
Our dog had fleas! YUCK!
I know I am forgetting something. But, I need to get going to band practice!

Here is a layout I made about homeschooling.

One of the couples in church just had a baby. I made this for them for her shower.