Pictures by Auntie M.

Home Again

1200 miles, 21 hours of travel (round trip), and 1 sick kid, we are finally home. Thank you for your prayers - it was a difficult but very good trip. More later.

The Passing of a Saint

I will likely be absent from here for a few days. We got word this morning that Andrew's grandmother unexpectedly passed away. We will be headed out of town when we know the details. Please keep Andrew and his family in your prayers - especially his grandfather. She was an amazing lady and we will all miss her.

Doors & Locks

I stepped out the back door to make sure the dog was taking care of business. The door shut behind me and when I turned to go back inside, it was locked. Two little boys peered out the window as I rattled the door and instructed Patrick to unlock it. He smiled and acted like he would but instead I heard the bolt slide into the locked position. I started to feel a little panicky - okay maybe more than a little. I did NOT want to run to the neighbors and ask for the key for many reasons; mainly, I did not want to leave them in the house alone. I tried unsuccessfully to break in all the while telling Patrick to unlock it. His eyes twinkled as he giggled, kind of rattled the door, and smiled. (He does know how - he is obssessed with doors and locks ALL the time.) I must have told him 10 or more times to unlock the door before it finally swung open. He thought it was funny, I did not. He went down for a nap.

I should have known better - it was bound to happen one of these days. He is constantly locking and unlocking the doors all over the house. He has been instructed not to play with the doors and locks many times but the attraction is strong and obviously we need to keep working on that area. :)

So yes, today I was locked out of the house by a 2 1/2 year old. Thankfully it wasn't long and both boys stayed at the door. It could have been much worse. I can't help but laugh a little at the absurdity of the situation - though it was absolutely not funny at the time.

Lesson learned: Never walk out of the house without a way to get back in.

I'm Just Wondering...

What do you wish you were brave enough to try?
And what is something you've tried that you thought you never would?

For me, the answer to the 1st is parasailing. I think it would be awesome if I could get past the slight fear of heights and the greater fear of the ropes breaking. Maybe one of these days...it has to be gorgeous to fly like that.

I'm sure I have lots of answers to the 2nd question but two things come to mind so I'll share both. The first is raw oysters (which I discovered I'm allergic to) and various other raw fish. For the record, the only thing I've really liked in that category is ahi tuna.

The other thing is flying in a 5 seater airplane over the ocean to the Bahamas (we were going on a small mission trip). I would NEVER choose to do that again. I was terrified as we were being tossed like a toy by the wind - especially on the return trip. Really, it was scary! The plane was sooo tiny and we could see out all windows. I was horrifed to learn a few weeks later about a similar plane, similar route going down. [Just as a random side note, customs on the island we flew to was in a trailer at the "local airport" which was only one runway in the midst of vegetation.]

Anyway, I'm just wondering what your answers would be!

A Day in Numbers

Sometimes I think Mondays should be skipped, though I'm well aware that Tuesday would become the new Monday. :) Today was a full, crazy, and unexpected day. Sometimes lists are best:

1 mama wakes up not feeling the best - pesky monthly visitor
1 hot shower, thank goodness!
1 big mess of toys
1 aunt comes to stay with
2 boys
1 mama heads to work
1 sad boy cries
1 diet pepsi - too bad no diet coke
1 desperate phone call from the babysitting aunt due to
1 fall off a chair
1 forehead hitting table very hard
1 huge goose egg
1 mama waits to see if home instead of work will be the final destination
1 nana goes to check
1 boy okay
1 relieved mama
2 boys nap
1 friend's mom calls and brings friend over
3 boys 3 and under
1 mama comes home from work
6 hours of crazy chaos
3 boys having lots fun
1 mama still not feeling the best
1 wonderful aunt that fixed dinner and stayed for awhile
1 first floor vacuumed
1 daddy home late
1 upstairs cleaned up
1 Cars movie partially watched
1 friend picked up
2 boys not happy to go to bed
1 daddy taking care of them
1 tired mama thinks its Tuesday
1 mama in bed catching up on the day
2 parents watching a movie

Will they stay awake? Unlikely. :)

Menu Plan Monday

I'm going to have a couple repeats from last week! This coming week is going to be super busy so I'm going to use the crockpot a couple of times and I'm also doing breakfast food (which we all love!) a couple of days!

Monday - Chili (crockpot), Cornbread, Applesauce (Mommy & the boys!)

Tuesday - Eggs w/cheese, Toast or English Muffin, Yogurt, Strawberries

Wednesday - Leftover chili (Daddy & the boys!)

Thursday - Tomato Gorgonzola Soup, Tuna Melts, Cantaloupe

Friday - Pizza (or Calzones - same recipe just different presentation :)), Chips, Carrots, Strawberries

Saturday - Corn & Potato Chowder (crockpot), Broccoli Salad, Brownies or Cookies

Sunday - Biscuits & Sausage Gravy, Fruit Salad or Yogurt

I guess this is soup week - it's been cold, so we'll enjoy it! Saturday night I'm hosting a ladies pitch-in farewell dinner for a friend - a couple of us are providing the soups, my mom is making rolls, and everyone else is bringing a salad or dessert to share. I'll probably make a salad and/or dessert depending on how many people etc.

Thanks to orgjunkie for hosting MPM every week! Happy cooking everyone!

Celebrating 6 Years!

Six years ago today, I married my wonderful husband. He is not only my best friend but my rock. Our love has only grown deeper since that day we said, "I do." God has richly blessed us with two amazing children and we are so thankful!

Our Wedding Day - it was much warmer than the 22 degrees today!

6 Years Later

We celebrated with a matinee movie and a great dinner at an Italian restaurant downtown. It was so relaxing! Our favorite memory from six years ago today is when he first saw me in my dress and the few moments we shared before pictures and the ceremony. It was perfect!

Visiting Grandma J.

Here are a few pictures from visiting my Grandma J. We had a wonderful time but the boys weren't too cooperative for pictures. :) They were so excited that she had Sheriff and Mater for them!