Hello 2014, I know you are going to be great

Well, life has been life and the blog seemed to not be in it for a while.

Life has been so different this past year.
Mike still looking for a job.
Me working more than one job.
Mike has been doing all the at home jobs. 
He seems to like laundry best.
Mopping is not his strongest area.
Or dusting.
But laundry, he's got that one down.
I've had to try to not complain about anything he does (or doesn't do) and try not to complain about me working so much.  
I've done pretty good I believe.  Minus the weight I've re-gained of course.
I have learned to let go of some things.
I've valued family time even more than I did before.

I've watched God be so faithful and provide in unexpected ways.
I've seen His hand in this whole "season".
I quit the part time job and we are praying Mike gets an offer in the next week. 
I'm looking at another part time job that would be much more flexible and not with the crazy environment I was in at the last one.
We are working on things like scholarship applications and talking of graduation for the big girl.

Life continues even if it looks a little different right now.

Here's to 2014 and all the new it brings.

 

 

 

Youth camp, at least I get to drive instead of ride the bus

We leave tomorrow for church youth camp.  I am going as a leader/nurse. 
Luckily I am paired with one of the interns for our family group.  This is good so the kids just don't have an old teacher but the main reason is that he will be waaaay more excited about "rec" than I will.
Camp is in San Angelo. 
With a five day forecast of high of 96 everyday and humidity of about the same. 
I prayed for cooler weather. 
Right now there is a fight going on in the other room over who is riding in the car with me rather than on the bus. 
At least I am not leading either of their groups.
If I was smart, I would have stayed home and had a week without kids. 

We spent a good Father's day doing anything (almost- he wanted to see a movie we vetoed) he wanted. 
My girls are lucky to have a sweet dad who loves them to pieces.  Even though he teases them and tortures them with threats of embarrassing them, he couldn't love them more.

He and dogs will be on their own this week.
Wonder how many naps that will involve?

And I leave you with an example...

 

Seventeen

 

17 years ago

I had a sweet baby girl

 

 Man time flies

 

and that makes me old

 

 

You always had good hair!

 

 

This was her 3rd birthday

 

 

I had to force her wear a dress for this picture.

It was her tomboy phase

I'm sure there were basketball shorts under there

(I miss bluebonnets)

 

And now you're almost all grown up

 

 

doing things on your own, even if it scares you

 

 

humoring your mother on occasion

 

 

loving life

 

 

loving family

 

And being so much more than I ever imagined in a daughter.

You are beautiful and I am so proud of you.

Happy 17 my sweet girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where I embrace being a "Pilgrim"

Tonight at church we are having a dessert auction.  Katie said I should make homemade butter (not exactly a dessert) but I had already planned that.
You see, my making the homemade butter five a couple of times along with jelly, etc. has made Katie feel like she knows that I think we are "Pilgrims".  Now, my being raised in Miss. with a mother and aunts that canned everything that would fit in the jar, put tons of shrimp in the freezer for the winter, had gardens, and never wasted anything is more where I got it.
 I feel like my mother would have said she had churned butter and her day and would just buy it....
But if doing those things makes me a Pilgrim, I'll own it.
You would think we were eating all natural and such, too bad it's butter and jelly I'm interested in making.

Let me get back to tonight's church auction.  All of the youth group knows about the butter.
So I made Zucchini Cinnamon Muffins and am putting a jar of homemade butter with them.

I also made Chocolate Whoopie pies with Marshmallow Butter Cream filling.

While I'm talking about cooking, let me tell you about my latest food obsessions...

                        Trader Joe's -- I have read of everyones love of it in the blog world and have now managed to visit the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area stores three times.  Each time I have found more treasures!  The first visit I googled what peoples favorite products were and went from there.  Yesterday I had a good friend text me "I've got about 10 min. to run in a Trader Joe's, what would you buy?"  I quickly gave her my favorites.

My very favorite, top of the list is their Croissant rolls.  They come frozen. 

The Almond are incredible and the plain are great too. 

They put the ones in a can to shame! 

aren't they beautiful?

 

 

I read on a blog recently about copying the Starbucks Passion Fruit Lemonade, bought the tea bags, played with the recipe and can't quit drinking it.

 

and it's pretty...

 

I put 3 tea bags in a large glass of hot water and let them sit a half hour or so.  I have made homemade lemonade and used country time from powder and both are good.

I put about a 1/3 of a glass of tea, fill with lemonade and you can add simple syrup or my favorite, a package of equal, all over ice... Yummy.  Trust me on this one.

 

What are you loving lately?

 

Be gentle with my cookies

Our life has been a little crazy lately. 
Let me catch you up.
Last weekend my best friend's daughter got married.  I feel really old when I say, I feel like she was just a baby. 
I was put in charge of making the favors for the guests. 
Otherwise known as 200 large sugar cookies.
That didn't sound bad until I realized I was flying and could either take 200 cookies on the plane or make them in one day there, not in my kitchen. 
After making test batches I decided I had to do the majority of them here.  I was very relieved that I had when I got to my sisters and the only mixer was 40ish years old and "on it's last leg".  I suggested we stop and buy a cheap one, she thought it could make it.  And if by "make it" you mean not be powerful enough for the dough and dust my white icing with ashes, then yes, it made it.

I found the largest carry on in the house

I was very careful with them.  They had a special security search.  I offered up a cookie if she would be gentle....

and all but three arrived safely

 

not enough time with the friend

 

Too much time with the mother in law

Jennifer went with me (thank goodness) and sent the above message to her friend who apparently has the same type of mother in law...

 

But the night  wasn't about any one but the sweet bride!  She's dancing with her dad here.

It was a beautiful wedding!

It was a sweet night!

 

 

Throwing the biggest change into our life right now is that Mike lost his job a couple of weeks ago.

A job he has hated every day of.

So, as much as we are worried and concerned, he feels some relief.

He is happier and more relaxed than I've seen him in years.

He is spending more time with us than he has in years.

He is doing things around the house and as I started to do the dishes tonight he said words I've never heard before "I can do that".  I'm still a little confused by that but I've never been happier with him!

 

We promised Katie we would find a way to stay put for at least one more year till she graduates.  I never thought I would agree to not try to go back to Dallas but for now, it's what's best. 

 

So as hard as the waiting and praying for a job is, we are enjoying some time together. 

I know that it was what was best for him. 

My prayer is that he gets a job fast  that he loves. 

I know God is in control of this.  I know there is a reason for this.  I have to remind myself everyday that I need to leave it to Him and not worry.  Actually, I have to remind myself of that many times a day. 

 

Writing this all down, I see that I needed to make those cookies.  I always bake when I'm stressed.  I needed that day away and time with friends. 

I'm baking for a fundraiser this weekend.  After that, let me know what type of baked goods you need.  Just don't say heart shaped sugar cookies.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner and a show

Last week was Spring Break.  My cousin Gina flew in from Mississippi and met me in Dallas.

We had the best time!
We slept in, laid in bed drinking coffee and watching the news, and laughing and talking the whole time.
Jennifer did all the fun stuff with us and my sister even spent more time with us than I would have predicted.

We started the week with a little time shopping and lunch in a wonderful little bakery...

 

We went out to dinner and when we walked out of the restaurant there were police men trying to arrest a girl and get her in the car. 

 

She was very concerned about her pink fur purse and apparently "hadn't done anything".  I know that because she yelled it the whole time.  It was quite the show!

 

We all went to "You can Paint" and spent the evening having fun

 

Katie flew alone for the first time and joined me in Dallas

 

 

We spent a little time at the Arboretum

 

you can't take those two anywhere...

 

though the did spend some quality time together taking something to Kellie ( she was on a mission trip not far from us)

I went to see her for a few minutes while they were at the mall and ice skating.  She wasn't interested in me...

I ran into one of my sweet friends when we were out shopping one day.  What a nice surprise!

We went to the Farmers Market.  Katie was really really excited about that!

We stood in line for some wonderful BBQ.  It was a great time!

I didn't get to go visit any of my local friends but think we may be going back soon.  We put Gina on a plane and drove home.  It was good to spend cousin, sister, niece time.

I'm glad for all of us to be back in one place! 

 

 

 

 

Blizzard 2013

Well, we sure got the snow I wanted.  I think it's the first "blizzard" we've seen in Lubbock.
Yesterday when it was a gorgeous 70 degree spring like day we were already under the blizzard warning. 

 

 

crazy.

When I looked outside during the night I was pretty sure it would be a snow day.  Of course I woke up at 5 as usual to check and then was wide awake...

lying in bed drinking coffee and watching the news was a wonderful morning!!!

I used to just like a snow day because I like snow and staying home.  A snow day now is even better now.  It means we are all at home.  That doesn't happen very often these days. 

 

There has been some fighting over spots on the couch but that's not a big surprise.  Elvis takes up a spot and then the girls are left to fight over who is taking up to much space...

Kellie ventured out for a few minutes.  The snow is so powdery that it won't stick together to play with. 

                

                            the wind chill is below zero so I only enjoyed it from the door

                                          We adopted a new friend this week... meet Koala

We thought Kitty needed company and a friend had a guinea pig she wanted to re home.
She is like a stuffed animal.  She doesn't move when you hold her.  Not a muscle.  She sits where ever you put her and does.not.move!

 

see.

The girls got out American Girl furniture for them.  This is about the time Mike told us we should have gone to school...

 

The only downside to the snow day is that I have a Mon. night Bible study that I love.  And I had made a cake to take tonight.  A yellow cake with lemon curd filling and sour cream icing.

That is in the fridge calling my name. 

                                                         and I have jars of Lemon Curd for the girls.
It was so easy and it tastes so good I think I'll be making this again.  I'm having a hard time giving away the cute little jars but I will... I hope I can find more of them.

Off to do more laundry, drink hot chocolate, try not to eat the cake and enjoy the snow day