Favorite meals: tacos

One of our family favorites is tacos. We tend to be brand loyal when it comes to taco seasonings ... or we used to be. For a year or so it was one brand, then they stopped carrying it plus we moved so I was back to looking ... found another 'favorite' (that never quite measured up). Then one night, I found myself without any taco seasoning mix ... a pan full of browned hamburger ... yellow rice cooking on the back burner (our favorite taco side) ... and went browsing for recipes. I found a bunch, adapted a couple to suit our tastes, and this is the result ... a blend we actually like better than any of the mixes! Woohoo!

This amount is equivalent to one packet of taco seasoning mix. I usually stir this and 3/4 cup hot water into the browned hamburger and simmer gently until the liquid is gone (about 15 minutes).

Taco Seasoning Mix

1 tbsp chili powder
1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp ground red pepper (or less - I make it mild for the kids)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2-1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper (I eyeball this)

We like lettuce, taco sauce (that one is just me), cheese, sour cream, and sauteed onions on our tacos - we keep it pretty simple. And yes that's correct - no tomatoes. What do you like on yours?

Tuesday Ten: My favorite Adagio teas

I used to have two or three favorites. Now, I have countless favorites there, plus you have the added excitement of the signature blends which I think is really cool ... anyway, I don't work for them, I just love their products, and think they have some of the best customer service crews out there, not to mention some of the niftiest marketing strategies I've ever seen (and they don't stop ... they work to keep their customers coming back). I even really like the name. :)

I'm just a huge fan.

So, without further ado, my top ten Adagio favorites, in no particular order. (One or two might not be an actual tea - they might be tea related products.)

1. Valentine's

2. Irish Breakfast

3. Earl Grey Bravo

4. Peppermint

5. Lemon grass

6. Birthday This is one of the signature blends ... and I find it funny that I like it so much now ... I really did not think I was going to the first time I opened the tin, I found the scent off putting. But brewed ... it's yummy.

7. Candy Cane

8. Chestnut

9. Glass mug & infuser

10. IngeuiTEA

This list could probably easily go to 20, but I'm doing a Tuesday ten, so that won't work. LOL!

Simple Woman's Daybook 11/07/08

FOR TODAY November 17, 2008...

Outside my window... Well ... I'm in the basement ... all I can see out the window is darkness. (We had some lovely sunshine earlier.)

I am thinking... that I need to get supper going. Okay, I realize this is not terribly inspiring, but ... there you have it.

I am thankful for... Brendan's fantastic report card. I am soooo proud of him.

From the learning rooms... We are working on some things for church.

From the kitchen... Cookies (courtesy of Pillsbury), and tonight is sloppy joes. (Mom caught a virus from the - as of yet - two sick kids and is taking it easy tonight.)

I am wearing... Jeans, aqua blue 3/4 length sleeve t-shirt, socks, sneaks, and my favorite earrings. :)

I am creating... granny square slippers for dd, made from some pretty aqua & lavendar yarn that was my mother's.

I am going... to go to bed as soon as the kids are in bed.

I am reading... At the Corner of East and Now

I am hoping... that the kids are all healthy tomorrow (and the remainder of the week)

I am hearing... Ghostbusters. No thanks ...

Around the house... there's laundry waiting to be folded (that's the most pressing)

One of my favorite things... when the kids co-exist peacefully

A few plans for the rest of the week: All the normal stuff, plus Andrew's birthday part at Monster Mini Golf on Saturday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

That's what was found when the shingles were pulled off our roof this summer. It's been on my mind again with all the rain we got this past weekend - I'm so thankful we have a secure roof over our heads again!

Please visit The Simple Woman's Daybook!

Shameless proud mom brag

Brendan came home with his report card today ... straight A's from his first ever middle school report card! His average is 94.875 ... I am so incredibly proud of him ... just a month ago two of those grades were below 90 ... he pulled one up 5 points and the other, 3. He had a really rough first month (starting middle school was a struggle, and he got braces) but is doing well now.

A little late, but Happy Birthday ...

ANDREW! He's 8!

Here's a picture ...

Time flies ...

I'm never sure how to start these "I've been gone for awhile" posts. I mean, in all honesty, have I had "time" to blog? Sure. Have I made time to do so? No. Why? Laziness perhaps? Who knows. It doesn't really matter. Do I even know what prompted me to post today? Yes and no. I've been perusing lots of frugal living blogs lately - so maybe that's part of it. Another bit is my trying to overcome my tendency to procrastinate and put things off (this is definitely one thing that tends to be put off).

Anyway ...

Seriously. Time does fly. I have a first grader, second grader, fifth grader, and sixth grader ... it seems that the sixth grader was just starting kindergarten yesterday and my "baby" was - well, still a 3 week old baby. And I can only imagine that as I get older, time will seem to go all the faster. I sometimes wish I could slow things down - although others, not so much. (We recently went through a bit of a scare - I had some thyroid nodules that had to be biopsied and went through one of the scariest months of my life waiting for the results - praise God, they were all benign, so now we just deal with managing my Hashimoto's.)

I wanted to share a favorite "mix" of ours - teriyaki sauce. We could never find one we really 'loved,' plus it was expensive, so I went browsing for one I could make from scratch. This one has become a family favorite - I usually broil filleted boneless, skinless chicken breast with this mix, then serve over rice with some duck sauce and a colored veggie (my favorite is broccoli, or if my crew would eat it, an oriental mix).

This is plenty for both marinating and cooking 3 pounds of filleted chicken breast. I marinate the chicken in it for 10-15 minutes then pour about half (discard the remainder) over the chicken while it broils, turning once. I pour whatever sauce is in the pan into a bowl to serve with our meal.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium is fine)
2 tbsp rice, white or cider vinegar (preference in that order)
1 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 clove minced garlic (I use the minced jarred, about a tsp)

Combine (I like to make it a little ahead and let it sit so the sugar can dissolve better). I'm sure you could make a big batch and keep it in the fridge but I've never bothered, I just make it on an as needed basis (it's so easy and quick to make anyway).

Can be used on anything you would use teriyaki sauce for.

Now if only I could convince Justin he doesn't need to eat it (and every other protein) with ketchup. Oh, to be six again ...

Halfway through the summer!

I'm not even going to look at the previous post to see how long it's been since I last blogged. I know it's been a while. I seem to blog in fits and spurts. It's too bad it isn't Tuesday, I could to a Tuesday ten about what we've been up to. Okay, i looked, was it really January?? There's even more than I realized.

Why not, I'll do a 'ten' anyway. What we've been up to the last couple months.

1. Took a trip to visit my family in Syracuse. That was a wonderful trip:

Howe Caverns on the way there, which is the first place I remember going with the four children where they were all engaged and interested - I mean a place that isn't obviously geared towards children, like the zoo or - oiy - something like Six Flags.

Then two lovely days with family (even though Andrew got sick - and of course this started a trickle effect where all four kids ended up sick) - a Fourth of July concert by the SSO. I got to celebrate my birthday with "my" extended family (think mine as opposed to dh's), which is always extra special for me - birthdays are never quite as birthday-ey as they are when I can spend some of it with my dad.

The trip home saw us at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I found it significantely more interesting than I expected (I am not a sports person, although I definitely have my team loyalties) ... unfortunately we also spent so long there that we had to find a hotel rather than finishing the drive home. Neither Mike nor I were all that enamored with the hotel, but the kids found it to be quite the adventure, as this is only the second time they've ever stayed in one.

2. Been sick. Annoying viruses - we had Fifths (including Mike and I - it is not fun for adults) and at least one other virus that caused a fever and a wicked sore throat. This spring was awful for being sick, I think we had someone sick almost non-stop for 3 or 4 months.

3. Band camp. That would be Brendan. Ms. M permitted him to give percussion a go, and he loves it - I hear tappety tappety non-stop. Oh, maybe that's the roofers. More about that later. Band camp was cool.

4. Heritage Days at our church. (Think along the lines of VBS.) It was only three days, but they were a fantastic experience for the kids. Bren was at band camp the first two, but joined the rest of the kids on Saturday.

Which leads us to 5. We found a church. God is good.

6. Brendan needs braces. (Seems like a lot of these are Brendan related. It is indeed a 'growing' summer for him, though ... next summer will likely see 'Brendan & Betsy' stuff.) That whole process officially starts the middle of next month. He's very annoyed - he does NOT want braces in middle school. He's coming around to being resigned, but the day we found out I heard, "Mommy, I'm not going to be able to eat ANYTHING for two years!" on the way home in the car. Yeah. Tweens ...

7. Betsy turned 10!!! That boggles the mind a bit. We had two birthday parties, one for family and one with her friends. She's actually had an eventful summer, too, although hers has been more along the lines of "Oh boy let's call the pediatrician type" excitement. One trip for a shard of glass in her foot (I wish corelle didn't shatter quite so well), and another when she whacked her head open on the corner of the bathroom sink. Dr. T told her she doesn't want to see her other than her well visits for the next year, lol, she's used up all her visits.

8. All 6 of us have bikes now. This may not seem like a huge deal, but me - well, lets just say I hadn't been on a bike since I was 11. It's been a blast taking them out as a family. I'm still working on being comfortable (it's true you never forget, but that doesn't mean it's easy) on mine, but it's been good to get out and be active as a group.

9. Speaking of bikes, Justin no longer has training wheels. He turns 6 next month. He got a new bike, too (early birthday) and Mike forgot to have them put the training wheels on ... got it home and Justin was willing to give it a try. He's now riding around, using hand brakes and everything, like a champ. He's also had a little 'medical' excitement - he sheered a 3x3.5 section of skin off the back of his leg jumping through a homemade obstacle course (NO, this is not permitted - he waited until I was busy to do this).

10. We're getting a new roof, even as I type this. I actually need to go out and take some more pictures (I've been going out every hour or two) as things progress. It's been ... interesting. Definitely a roller coaster. I"ll devote a whole post to it when the job is done.

11. Okay, I had to add another one. All the kids advanced to the next grade ... I now have a first, second, and fifth grader, as well as a sixth grade who is a (gasp) middle schooler. YIKES.

Baseball also took over April & May. All four kids were in Little League.

There's more but I think those are the big things. I have to be done for now anyway ...

Treats

Over the holidays, I did manage to find a new recipe to add to my recipe box - Jam Filled Butter Cookies. These are a huge hit at our house - just as written (I almost never make a recipe exactly as written, even when baking), and they never last more than 24 hours. I know this is a classic but it can be a challenge finding "your" favorite recipe, even so. :)

Jam Filled Butter Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fruit preserves, any flavor

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use your finger or an instrument of similar size to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of preserves.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.



From left to right, we have boysenberry, mango, and strawberry jam - all seedless. We all seem to be anti-seed here lol.

Ponderings

Somedays .... do you ever look back, at the pieces of who you were then, and wish a few pieces of then had managed to stick around for now?

No, I haven't lost my mind. Mike is out of town on business, and I find myself, as usual, up, 100% awake, and musing (although at the moment I am thankful to find myself here at 10 PM instead of 2 AM ... this has been known to happen). This musing started when Brendan, while practicing (have I mentioned he started band this fall? flute?) started doing all sorts of doodlings and overtones, and then I heard, "Moooooommmy I am tiiiiiirrrreeeeed of "Oh, Susanna! Do I haaaaave to keep practicing?"

I can't say I blame him. I've been hearing it for the last few weeks. I can totally see how he would be tired of it. Oy.

So, being the good mom I endeavor to be, while attempting at the same time to be good and not get him too too far ahead (Brendan seems to have some of the same musical gifts his parents - families - are blessed with, and Mrs. P has him demonstrate and all sorts of fun things to help prevent him getting bored), I went to dig through my piles of music, looking for beginner "stuff" in the key of E flat. They (collective they, as in all the 5th grade bandees) haven't done 3/4 time, or dotted notes yet, or anything in any other key, so it limits the options. However, I stumble on an appropriate version of "America" and bring that upstairs. He knows the tune, so I figured it was a decent way to introduce both factors, as he has sounded out many things on his own at this point. (You should hear him doodle his way through some vocal warm-ups Mike taught the kids. It's eye opening - it would make a fantastic instrumental warm-up!) Should be the end of the story, since now he's happy he has something familiar, something more interesting to do, and something cool he can show Mrs. P next Tuesday at his lesson, right?

Not so much; it got me thinking. I wonder if I can get some suggestions from a former teacher? So I go and dig up my college professor, which got me browsing the school website, and I ran across a video of an ensemble I used to be part of. That also sent me to the website for the youth orchestra I was in in high school, since said professor now conducts that youth orchestra (and has for several years). That, in turn, sent me looking through the parent orchestra, which unearthed a picture of the flute teacher I had in high school, who I loved dearly (and wish, very much, that I had kept in better contact with).

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip. That was a piece of my heart just ripping open again. Apparently the scar never quite healed.

The vast majority of the time, it isn't so bad; in fact, I don't even think about it much. But when I find myself confronted with reminders of who I was, what I was able to do, the joy involved, it is painful. There's a kind of grief there - when I left college, I dropped it all, not realizing I was ripping out a piece of who I am, much less how big that piece was. Maybe I'm overdramatizing it, I don't know. I don't know that I could ever get back what I had - my priorities are different than they were, although I'm not sure I was every as motivated as I should have been, even then. But I do miss playing and being a part of the classical music world. Maybe someday a door will open again there.

All that said ... I realize how incredibly blessed I am. I am a pretty contented creature overall. I just wish I hadn't pushed that part of me quite so far into the background.

Has it really been a month?

Wow ... things have been pretty hairy around here. I think I'll do a Tuesday Ten that has 10 things that have happened in that month!

1. Kids' school chorus concert. This is Brendan's second year doing this, Betsy's first. Here they are, still excited, afterwards.



2. eBay. Lots and lots of eBay selling.

3. Crocheting. Alas, I didn't get Andrew's blanket done, but it's still in the works. My arms couldn't handle the marathon crocheting needed to get it done in time, so I'm not sure when he'll get it now - I don't know that I want to wait for next Christmas to give it to him. We'll see. I'm actually debating putting this one away for Justin and making an entirely different one for Andrew - same pattern - only with his favorite colors instead of the blacks/greys/whites. Justin has been fascinated with it - watching me work on it - Andrew has been ambivalent (yes, I've worked on it when he's around). Hmmm.

4. We travelled to visit my family for Christmas. Well - the weekend before Christmas. It's always handy when Christmas falls on Tuesday or Friday - Mike gets a long weekend and doesn't have to take time off work for travel.

5. MIL visited. That's always wonderful - we all hate to see her go back home.

6. Being sick. Unfortunately it seemed to hit Mike worst, but we all had some element of being sick over the holidays. I'm afraid to say we're finally better for fear the phone will ring and it will be school nurse ... "Mrs. A, can you come pick up ______?" S/he is sick ..." LOL

7. We got a Wii. That is such a cool system ...

8. Brendan turned 11 (on the fourth). Happy Birthday to my oldest baby! It's always an extra special day because I can remember my mom. She would have been 60. I miss her, but am still thankful that she is well now.





9. We bought an artificial Christmas tree. Despite me discovering that they are really not so good for the environment after all (thanks to my friends for helping me uncover that little tidbit). They are so much easier to care for, put up, and even take down - and the bonus of not having all those little needles to clean up for months afterwards. Next year I will definitely need to get a candle or something - I very much miss the scent.

10. All the regular nuts and bolts that make up daily life. I'm sure I don't need to make a list of those. :)

Tuesday Ten: Things I look forward to over the Christmas Season

1. Remembering what it means. Celebrating Jesus' birth is something that can happen any time, should be remembered more, but it is wonderful to have it even more at the forefront of our lives during December.

2. Putting up the Christmas tree. A real one, of course; I'm afraid that is one thing that I haven't yet given up in the conservation effort.

3. Time with family.

4. Christmas morning in our home. This is a new one since we bought our house a few years ago, and it is becoming a family tradion.

5. The baked goods. Spritz cookies and eggnog ... mmmmm.

6. Finding things I know people will be excited to receive.

7. Making gifts. I still have several people I want to give things I've made to but I procrastinate too much. I will get to them, I promise.

8. The kids' school Christmas concerts. This is a relatively new occurance in our lives but I cannot wait for this year's! It's so exciting to have them involved in that stuff.

9. Opening my Christmas stocking. One of my favorite parts of Christmas day itself - my mom used to hang the stockings weeks in advance and stick a things in the bottom to tease me, so Christmas morning I was always excited to find out what those things were. I haven't done that for my kids (I don't think they are big enough to not give in to temptation and peek!) but hope to down the road.

10. Being done with the wrapping. I never truly understood how time consuming this was until I had kids ... every year I end up with an aching back. I really need to switch over to gift bags for more of our gifts!!!

Tuesday Ten: Ten of my favorite foods

Today is a zoo so I picked something that doesn't require very much pondering time.

1. Amaretto fudge

2. Pineapple

3. "Doctored" Kraft spirals and cheese (I make it "my" way)

4. Clear soups - cheddar and broccoli doesn't fall into that category but that's another big favorite

5. Homemade tacos & yellow rice

6. Grilled hamburgers - either with blue cheese dressing or cheese, pickles, ketchup and mustard

7. NY style pizza with pepperoni or vegetarian

8. Teriyaki chicken

9. Chicken patty grinders

10. Oatmeal or oat bran cereal with brown sugar, dates, and milk

Granted that is only the tip of the iceburg ... but these are the things that if stranded on an island I could very cheerfully eat for a fairly long duration. How sad that I just looked and my list is awfully fruit and veggie free. LOL!

Faith's Beef Stew

I have a couple of beef stew recipes that I've thrown together that have become hits in our family. This is the one that ended up in the crockpot yesterday. You can also simply simmer it on the stove until the veggies are tender, but I prefer the ease of the crockpot, especially on a busy night.

Faith's Beef Stew

2 pounds stew beef*
2 medium white or yellow onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped fairly small (it's okay to use some leaves in this)
3 tsp jarred minced garlic (or 3 cloves, minced fine)
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
6-8 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut up into bite sized pieces
6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into 1/4" rounds
1/4-1/2 cup blackberry red wine (use whatever red you like - if you don't care to use wine, deglaze with some beef broth)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4-6 cups beef broth (add enough to just cover the veggies and meat)
8 oz. tomato sauce (you can use tomato puree or an 8 oz can of diced tomatoes - whatever liquid type tomato you have on hand and like)
scant tsp molasses or unpacked brown sugar
3 tbsp melted margarine or butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour

Peel and cut up the potatoes and carrots. Place in crockpot. Sear beef on all sides; place in crockpot. In same pan, saute onion and celery in olive oil until translucent (if they start to brown, it's no big deal). Toss in garlic for about 30 seconds (or just until you can smell it). Put sauteed veggies in crockpot. Deglaze the pan with the wine, then pour that into the crockpot. Put broth, tomato sauce, molasses, salt and pepper in pot. Stir. Cover and let cook on low for about 6-8 hours, until 15-20 minutes before serving. Combine melted butter and flour in a separate bowl; stir in a few spoonfuls of the stew liquid, then (gently) stir the flour mixture into the pot. Turn the crockpot to high, leave the cover off, and in 15-20 minutes you'll have a lightly thickened beef stew.

Serve in shallow bowls with fresh buttered Italian bread.

*I never, ever by stew beef - it is usually unevenly cut and riddled with fat. I buy cheap steaks or roasts which I trim and cube myself. It's an extra step but (IMO) well worth it.

Self Discipline

Self discipline is something I struggle with. A lot. You can see it in the condition of my house, the piles of "stuff" floating around, unfinished projects, the way I handle finances, in all honesty, the list is long enough it makes me cringe. I believe that it - or the lack of it - is one of the biggest problems in my marriage. So, I'm on a mission to develop some for myself. I found myself reading The Book of Virtues for Young People - granted, I'm not particularly "young people" anymore, but I find that - sometimes - books on a younger level sometimes get the point across better than adult books. I bought this book for my kids but ended up reading it myself.

"Self-discipline is the virtue we use to manage ourselves and the different parts of our our lives. It involves controlling our tempers ... controlling our wishes ... controlling our appetites ... and even controlling our egos. ... Self-discipline also requires recognizing your limites, not wanting too much too soon, and not reaching so far beyond your abilities that you're asking for trouble.

"In short, self-discipline means saying yes to the right things and no to the wrong things. It means taking charge of yourself. (italics mine)

"... The bottom line is that learning self-discipline is very much a do-it-yourself project. [Other people] can help, but in the end, it takes lots of practice, and no one can do that for you. It takes time and it takes patience. Use the virtue of perseverance to learn self-discipline. You'll find yourself a happier, healthier, better person." pp. 7 and 8

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." Proverbs 25:28

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

Holiday insanity strikes again

I decided - yesterday - that I want to make something for Andrew for Christmas. I have made blankets for the other three kids, but not Andrew - granted, Justin's blanket is kid sized, but it's still a something. So, I took myself off on a wild pattern hunt, found one I liked, and took off. Unfortunately, the pattern itself has flaws - some major ones, starting with the wrong amounts of yarn, an inaccurate starting chain, and a first row that has three stitches that don't belong. So, I frogged almost 45 minutes of my time, pieced together a schematic, and will start fresh today.

Cross your fingers I can do this in - umm - 16 days, as I can't work on it on weekends. A twin bed sized blanket. Oh, I have indeed lost my mind.

Here's a teaser - some of you may be able to figure out what the pattern is - note Frodo in the picture. He's a clue. :) I did change one thing - I added a light grey and the variegated white, grey and black yarn. The original calls for black, the heather-y grey, and white.



I am going to have to conquer my hatred of weaving in ends for this project. It's so cute though I couldn't resist. I dragged Betsy with me to get yarn yesterday and I think she's a little jealous that I'm making it for him instead of her.

Tuesday Ten: Things that get me up at night

As I find myself sitting at the computer at 2 AM on Wednesday morning, this seemed appropriate.


1. A sick child (this is what has me up tonight - Justin has croup)


2. A trip to the bathroom


3. A cramp in my leg or back (usually caused by a feline laying on that part)


4. Need for a drink


5. "Moooooooooooooommmmmmmmmyyyyyyyy!"


6. A loud noise


7. "Meee-oooooow" (Frodo asking to come in after galavanting outside all night - he loves to wake me up around 5 or 5:30, but will sometimes ask to come in earlier)


8. Overactive brain - this usually doesn't wake me up, but it will keep me up, and potentially get me out of bed.


9. Coughing. I'm prone to it, particularly once we hit autumn or winter, and will get out of bed rather than wake up Mike.

10. It bears repeating - a trip to the bathroom. Having children has destroyed my capacity to go more than 6 hours without said trip. Very annoying. This is the number one reason I find myself awake during the night - every night.

Bonsoir!

Tuesday Ten: Things I'm Thankful For

It's probably a little bit cliche given Thanksgiving is in two days, but that's okay. It's always a good thing to look over your life and count your blessings. And - the good news - ten things is really just a drop in the bucket.

1. My faith. Life would be nothing without it.

2. My family. From dh to the kids, my dad, my mil, extended family, "adopted" family - they all make up pieces of who I am, and I am thankful to have had them all play a vital role in my life.

3. My home. I'm so thankful for this home that my dh has worked his heart out to get and keep for us.

4. Four beds made every morning, without a word from me. This represents more than a made bed - it represents four children who are learning to be responsible for themselves. Likewise, the empty dishwasher means that one of them - without prompting from me - decided to empty it because they know having it empty and waiting is a bit help for me (with 6 people there is always something waiting to go in it!)

5. Mike's job. It represents a lot of things for me. It is stability, it is hard work, it is a gift, it is the financial backbone (and really, the entire skeletal system, lol) of our family, since we are a one income household. As an added bonus, the company itself is family oriented and a positive, healthy work environment. It's a good fit, not just for Mike, but for our family.

6. Food, and enough of it. I sometimes complain that I would like this ingredient or that ingredient (I've mentioned I love to cook?!) but when it comes down to it, we don't go hungry, we have plenty of food, and there are lots of opportunities for me to cook. I can't say that I have ever been in a situation where I have not had enough to eat - God has always provided for us, even when things were at their worst - and I can only be thankful for that.

7. Good friends. I am sometimes baffled, and overwhelmed, by the sheer volume of friends that I have amassed along the way. For a girl who had only a couple of friends and was often very lonely in high school and my brief venture into college, I can't help but be continually aware of it. They span a wide age range and geographical distance, different ways of thinking and contrasting life situations, both in my daily life and online. And they're people with whom I know I can trust anything, they are true, genuine, real friends. What a gift that is.

8. Books. I don't remember a time when I couldn't (didn't) read. I would rather have my books than all my yarn, my pots and pans, a tv. A well read book is a friend, and a good book can sometimes put a world that seems off kilter back into its proper perspective. At least for me.

9. My cats. All that adoration and disdain wrapped up in such a gorgeous, cuddlable little package. There is nothing like having a friendly cat (or three) on your lap, or waking up on a cold morning with a warm, purring weight curled up on the small of your back.

10. Changing seasons. I can't imagine living somewhere I couldn't enjoy the stark beauty of snow, the pale green budding beauty of spring, the vivid colors and scents of autumn, even the shimmering heat of summer (although I am thankful that summer is only a few short months here). They are all beautiful.

Locks of Love

I've been wanting to do it for several years now and finally managed it ... this time I stuck to my guns and didn't get a wretched haircut when I'd almost reached the 10 inch goal that sent me back to square one, lol. I went in yesterday to get a simple trim and ended up deciding - while I was there - to just go for it. The salon we went to isn't a participating salon, but they knew about it, were very nice, and followed the rules to cut the ponytail for me. All that's left now is to mail off the tail.

Check out Locks of Love to find out more about what they do.



I normally can't stand having short hair - I despise it, I don't like having "bits" of hair around my face - but being able to do something like this makes it worthwhile for me. Other than being a little shell shocked at the initial "chop" and getting too much shampoo in the shower this morning, much to my surprise, I've actually not been bothered by it and am enjoying the lightness. I am so glad to have finally fulfilled this goal! It's taken 4 years (5?) to get it done.

And now - I get the fun of doing it all over again. :)

Tuesday Ten: Movies we enjoy as a family

Yes, I know it's Friday. I started it on Tuesday, my computer crashed, and I never got back to it. Can I also say that I am SO THANKFUL that it is Friday??

1. Star Wars (any of them - this is more Mike and the kids than me, but they all really enjoy those)

2. Night at the Museum

3. Shrek (any of them)

4. Toy Story 2

5. Nanny McPhee

6. The Wizard of Oz

7. The Grinch That Stole Christmas (either the old class or the Jim Carrey version)

8. Polar Express - we watch this every year the day after Thanksgiving. Kind of a way of welcoming in the Christmas seasons.

9. The Incredibles

10. The Spongebob Squarepants movie - okay, okay, I know that's sad, but we love Spongebob here. LOL!

Happy 7th Birthday Andrew!!!

I can't believe my boy is seven!

Newborn ...


One ...


Two ...


Three ...


Four ...


Five ...


Six ...


SEVEN!!!


Happy Birthday Andrew!!! I love you!