Sunday, November 30, 2008

well, i got more than half of my shopping done! that usually doesn't happen. i guess i should say, i have more than half of my expected shopping done, because i always forget something or someone.
i went shopping on friday with my mom and sister. we had such a great time. i didn't buy much (just 3 regular sized shopping bags). between the two of them, let's just say it was a good thing i drove my big 12 passenger van. they needed the room!
my sis and i had a great time. we were funny and sarcastic, and i think my mom appreciated it. even if most of it was directed at her. she cracked up, and cut up, and it was really one of the best times i've had with them. mom teased me about being prepared and having a list...kate and i teased her about her taste in gifts.


i cleaned out the turtle tank (filter died and it smelled quite funky) and gave them some new plants and fish to clean the tank and some for them to eat. it looks lovely! i gotta say, i do like just watching them when it's clean of course. i bought 8 guppies, but actually came home with about 20 because they don't charge for the babies! how lucky is that? so i made sure i got enough plant material for the babes to hide in until they get bigger and procreate and then get eaten. does that sound callous?


i finished the book i had been reading. it was Queen by alex haley. very good book. it was the story of his grandma. she was born a slave and was freed during the civil war. it starts with her grandpas (her irish owner, and one of his slaves) and then her mom and dad, and then tells of her story to find herself. she could pass for white, but didn't fit in, and basically her story of finding where she belongs. it's a great read!

that was my weekend! poor hubby is stuck working 6 days (10 hour shifts) and i feel bad for him...but i'm not complaining! we know too many people out of work right now, and too many facing the possibility of losing their jobs!

hope everyone's thanksgiving was wonderful!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

after talking to my little brother and sister over the weekend, i'm not sure if i feel better or worse.

my sister is a year and a half younger than me, and my brother is two and a half years younger...and they have had gray hairs for a while.



seriously, my baby brother? he's like 27! so do i gloat because i just now started getting them, or do i feel worse because my kid sister and baby brother both have gray hairs too?

Monday, November 24, 2008

homemade gourmet trial #1

well, i tried my first item from my cache. we had a a table at a trivia night fundraiser so we all brought stuff to munch on. i decided to make the jalapeno bacon cheddar dip. i really liked it. so did everyone else at the table. but, it is spicy. so if you aren't into spicy foods, this may be one to skip. it is really really good...and addicting. i couldn't stop eating it.



jalapeno bacon cheddar dip=definite thumbs up!

miracle monday

today i want to tell you about my husband's aunt. she is one of the most remarkable people i have ever met. she has one of the biggest hearts and i want to be like her so much!

aunt "em" and her husband married and moved to another state. he was in the military. they tried for 5 or 6 years to start a family, then decided to adopt. they adopted a healthy little boy first, then when he was about 10 months old, they started the process again. this time they were adopting a little girl. when they were finalizing the paperwork, she found out she was pregnant. baby number three was born less than a year after adopting baby number 2! she had 3 little babies under the age of 3! and that was just the beginning! they moved back home to missouri where they went on to add babies numbers 4 through 10 in the years following. as hectic as life must have been, she always was there for everyone in the neighborhood and family. her home is a warm and loving place where all are always welcomed. she now has 30 grandkids, with one more on the way. her children are her children whether they were adopted or born to her...or just friends of her kids that needed a mom. i don't know if i have ever seen anyone so in love with her family. she sees most of her kids everyday. they stop by on their way home from work to see her. to see if she needs anything. just to be around her. they have one of the most special families i know. i see the love she brings to the world around her and well, she is truly a miracle.

for more miracles, visit beth at http://beth-amomslife.blogspot.com/.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

guess what i found today?





three gray hairs!!!!!!!!!!!

i had no idea i had one let alone 3! i was so depressed this morning (after i removed those offending hairs of course) and i just can't believe it.

i have (had) gray hair.

i know i am thirty now, and i will be getting more of them...but i really thought it wouldn't happen to me. i don't know why i thought this, i just did. (of course i thought the same thing about getting pregnant in high school...and look where that got me! ha) i teased my hubby quite a bit when he started getting them in his chest hair and and he took it in stride. i don't think i will be that easy with it. this is really bugging me!


another thing that's bugging me is that i got those three hairs...but i can't see the back of my head well enough to see if i have any back there.





well, i guess a few gray hairs aren't that bad.

at least they were where they are supposed to be...unlike the stray eyebrows i've had to pluck from my chin!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

WFMW

well, the last time i posted on a WFMW, it was about how i was using baking soda as a facial scrub. it worked great. it still works great.
but i have dry skin. i needed a moisturizer. i have very sensitive dry skin. i break out in rashes if my skin doesn't like what i use. or i just break out. so i was having a tough time finding something.
i've always had this problem. i've used everything from special salon type moisturizers to clinique to hand lotion...and nothing really ever worked well.
and then i found it...

in my pantry...


olive oil.




that's what i use. i scrub my face (or just wash it) and put on olive oil after i dry my face. i also use it on my hands and any other rough spots. my face isn't oily. my lips aren't chapped anymore. my hands are better than they have been in a long time. i used it on my 6 year old last night. my girls hands get so chapped in the winter they hurt and crack and bleed. i put some on her after her shower last night and her hands were so soft and smooth this morning! i need to put some on my 9 year old after hers tonight.

i change lots of diapers...from 7 to 5, i am changing diapers. as a result, i wash my hands a lot. almost constantly. they are usually so rough, i don't touch the babies faces because my skin actually scratches them. yeah, it's that bad. since i started with the olive oil, my hands are smooth. i don't have them crying from me accidentally scratching them with the pads of my fingers!

that's what works for me, just plain old olive oil. rub it in after a shower/bath. it works like you wouldn't believe!

for more tips and tricks check out http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

so far so good! the hubby still is likin' the new job. i mean, if the man can get out of bed and be at work by 6:30 in the morning (this includes a 45 minute commute), well he must REALLY like the new job. that or he's living off a "new job" high. probably the latter. this week he's working 6 days...at 10 hours a day he's making some good money.

sunday we went to visit my mom and grandparents...my two aunts...and my uncle and his little girl...and my sister and her husband and their 3 girls. we had a pretty good time. i love my family. they are a little off their rockers, but i love them anyway. my mom asked me if we were really thinking about getting a bulldog.
me: no. no dogs.
her: well i thought i heard you guys were looking and i thought i might get one for santa to give to the kids.
me: santa would be taking it back with him. i don't want another dog. it hasn't even been a year since we got rid of the last dog. no way.
her: well haley really misses having a dog.
me: she can have all the dogs she wants when she has her own house. i am tired of being the only one that takes care of it. i don't have time and i have too many little ones in my house. no way.
her: yeah i guess you guys are pretty busy.

i am glad we had this discussion when i wasn't PMSing. i might have been a little more ummm pissy(?). i don't want any more dogs. i am tired of neighbors complaining about dogs. i am tired of cleaning up after dogs. i am tired of petting dogs. i am tired of dogs. i have too many kids to deal with...that want and need my attention, i don't need a dog wanting and needing attention too.

that being said, tiger, our cat disappeared last week. i thought he went up to the in-laws, but they hadn't seen him either. no one has seen him. i am hoping someone found him, thought he was a sweet little stray and kept him. i am totally fine with that. he's a sweetheart. he wants lots of love and attention. i think he was getting tired of all the little guys' attention (perhaps being worn as a hat didn't suit him?) and he left for greener pastures. i hope that's the case. i think some of the local toms were giving him some trouble too. he was coming of age, and i guess they didn't want the competition. well, we still have smokey. he's got his little house on our front porch and he's loving life. he is a gorgeous gray with green eyes. he's smaller boned. i'm thinking about getting him fixed...but it seems that as soon as i put money into a cat they die...so i'm not so sure i want to do that. so far he's doing good. but i think he's a little lonely. maybe he needs another friend.

hubby would kill me if i bring home another cat.

still have 16 chickens. they have grown more, and i haven't noticed as much fighting. that may be because the crests are starting to cover their eyes more. i hope that the other roosters don't start picking on them. i need them looking good for the fair.

i found out i have 4 kids in my swine group. i am kind of nervous about having a meeting. i don't really know anything about pigs. add the fact that one of the kids has a dad that was a pig farmer...well, yeah, i'm a tad nervous.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

well, i'm sorry i haven't been keeping up with my posts...i guess i've been a little down lately. that and having a house full o'children most of the time doesn't help much either.
the hubby's enjoying the new job. he couldn't get over the fact that even when he was just standing around and doing nothing...he was still making money. very exciting! especially when you are coming from a job where you could be working for hours and hours on a deal...and make nothing on it because it fell through. so this is pretty exciting for him. the hours? well, I was cracking up when he told me he had to be in at 6:30 in the morning for the next 2 days. why? well, i have a hard time getting him up before noon, so having him up in time to drive 45 minutes to work and be there on time at 6:30? yeah, i was laughing pretty hard. he did it though. all on his own. i was so proud of him.

oh, does anyone remember the bloggy carnival? no, i didn't give anything away...although i probably should...seeing as i've won yet again!!! i don't know if i posted about the earrings i won at the last one. they were really cute and i gave them to haley (my ears aren't pierced but hers are) and she LOVES them. cute little dragonfly earrings. this time i won a big box of homemade gourmet food. check them out at http://www.homemadegourmet.com/HG-redesign-index.aspx. i was thinking that i may start posting on the things we try from my new treasure trove of goodies. what all did i get?
well, i have the creamy italian casserole mix, cranberry almond pasta salad mix, chicken enchilada soup mix, italian mozzarella meatloaf mix, skillet burrito mix, white chicken chili mix, apple pecan vinaigrette mix, grandmothers sunday roast seasoning mix, jalapeno bacon cheddar dip mix, mock spinach dip mix, maria's salsa mix, season and steam broccoli beef mix, awesome oatmeal cookie mix, texas cornbread mix, texas cobbler mix, basic sweet bread mix,basic cheesecake mix, and mini pecan pie muffin mix. more than $100 worth of stuff!
that's one heck of a list! i am really excited to try the cranberry almond pasta salad mix, and i don't even like pasta salad! it just looks and sounds that good! what else...um the jalapeno bacon cheddar dip mix sounds really good too. but honestly, it all sounds really good. i can't wait to try something!
so i guess if i was a good bloggy-winner, i should return the favor by hosting my own giveaway next time...but what could i give? how about a whiny 6 year old? hmmmmm, no probably not. who in there right mind would want that? i don't know i guess i have to think about it...

Monday, November 10, 2008

winter is finally here!

haley and alex had their last soccer games of the season on saturday.
haley's was at 8 am. yeah, that's right...8 flippin' o clock in the morning. and it was about 35 degrees. i was freezing!
my little goalie girl. she didn't get in goal the entire game. they had her as a forward in the beginning...and she scored her first (and last) goal of the season! she was so excited. i was so excited. i love love love watching her play any sport...but especially soccer. she has this natural grace and athleticism that is just poetry in motion. not to mention the girl is beautiful. that's not just the proud mom in me saying this...she is really just, well, beautiful. i think the word may lose some of the meaning when we talk about anything and everything under the sun as being beautiful...but in the truest meaning of the word...well, that's my oldest* daughter. anyway, they ended up winning the game, and going undefeated in the season. they were so proud! they deserve to be proud, they worked hard...2 practices a week, 2 hours each practice, not to mention the games! they ran their little tushies off! laps around the field before and after practice, and wind-sprints...they really worked hard!

alex's team didn't play until 3 o'clock. it had warmed up quite a bit...it was like 37 degrees. hubby went to the game with me and the boys and grace. haley ended up going with my mom to help watch my nieces. they had no subs. none. which isn't a bad thing when it's that cold. if you are sitting on the bench, you are freezing and asking to go back in so you can run and warm up. poor alex. his team has won maybe 2 or 3 games. he's pretty competitive (with his sisters) so he hates that they have a losing record. but honestly? well, they've had maybe 4 practices all season. they have a couple of kids that just joined the team this year, and we lost a couple of pretty strong players. they haven't had time to work out the "kinks" of the new team dynamic. it's not their fault...and yet it is. they could be out in the yard working on ball skills, but they don't. they could ask their coaches to have more practices...but they don't. so instead they started tearing down their teammates. not cool. not cool at all. there are some kids that have some major talent on the team...and some that are not as strong as they could be ~my kid is in this group~...so the ones with the talent and the drive are getting frustrated. i can totally understand that. i get frustrated with them too. i think we will still have enough to play soccer next year...i sure hope we do. alex really isn't that into soccer. he does it to hang with his friends. that's fine with me. it keeps him active and that's fine with me. i told him if he doesn't want to play, that's fine, but he's only got 2 more years of playing with all these guys so he better make the most of it. after 8th grade, they'll all split up into different schools. some will go to the local public and some will go to the local catholic high school.
anyway, they lost their last game too. it didn't dampen their spirits though.

*i say my oldest girl is beautiful because she is. inside and out. i don't mean to take away from my youngest girl, but she's 6. she's cute, and in time will be just as beautiful as her sister is...but at 6...well, kids are cute not beautiful.

Friday, November 7, 2008

looking back...

ok, the complaining about my hubby being home too much, i probably shouldn't have done that. i am really blessed with a loving caring hubby that not only loves our kids...but loves me too.

why the change?

well, yesterday, jessica lost her battle with cancer. this young mom, young wife is no longer with her family. i feel like such crap for saying my hubby was around too much. i can't imagine being in the same spot as her husband.

the day before yesterday, hubby found out someone he knew died in a car accident. he had sold the man a car, knew him well, and the night before last, someone hit him head on in the car the hubby sold him. this man took pictures of our kids at the fair, was very nice and had a wife and 2 kids. a daughter in her early twenties and a son about 15. it's so sad.

and here i was, complaining.

yes the man sleeps a lot, and likes things kept neat and tidy, and has "his" way of doing things. those things can get annoying. but i love him like no one else, and even the thought of him not being around is enough to bring me to tears. i can't imagine what these poor families are going through right now.

please pray for them!
jessica and her family
bruce and his family

Thursday, November 6, 2008

so far, so good

well, the hubby starts his new job on monday. so he's been off all week (that's why i've been away).

he's been home...all...week. i love him, and i love when he's home for a few days...but really? a whole week?

anyway, his former boss told him he could come back anytime. that's always nice to hear. he also had a few other nice things to say. some of the guys he was working with showed up at the bonfire we had last weekend. they also had some really cool things to say. some guys he had worked with a long time ago also showed up...like from about 5 years ago. it's always nice to see some faces from the past.

anyway, the bonfire was a hit.

we moved the chickens outside finally. oh, did i not say anything about them living in the basement for the past month and a half? uh, well they are in the coop now. i also believe i have about 4 or 5 roosters...out of 16 chickens. they're already fighting some. i'm hoping when the crests are a little more poofy, well, that they won't fight as much. it's hard to fight someone you can't see.

well, i have to go get some sleep. the public school is out tomorrow, and my kids are out early. so that means there will be tons of kiddos running around at the "zoo". yeah, i really really really hope the day is nice! i don't want them hanging out in the house all day!!!

Monday, November 3, 2008

change is happening...

no i don't mean obama...(i really hope that change doesn't happen)




the hubby, as of tomorrow, will no longer be a car salesman.

he's no longer at the dealership starting tomorrow.

he is going into the Firestone family...and management training. hopefully someday soon, he will have his own store. he's really excited. he's sad to go, he really enjoys helping people find the right car, but well, this is a great opportunity. that's really hard to pass up.

we don't know what his schedule will be. he starts next monday.


oh, and today is his 33 birthday.

miracle monday

i have shared with you the story of jessica. she is the wife of a man i knew in high school...and has cancer.

unfortunately, the news has not been good as of late.



please take some time to visit her caring bridge site http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jessicainchiostro and leave some words of encouragement for her and her family.


please pray for her husband and son, and her mother and sister. jessica is an amazing woman and will truly be missed...when that time comes. until that happens, please pray for her. pray for her comfort and strength.

thank you to all who have kept her in your thoughts and prayers.