our mini vacation

our mini vacation
view from the top of Jockey's Ridge

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Cars and Teens....


So....evidently...I am a bad mom. Our oldest daughter will be turning 16 this coming summer....GASP....where did the time go? How in the world is she driving already??? I mean, to me, she is only 3!! or so I wish!
Her dad and I have been discussing a vehicle for her to drive. Our idea of a car is NOT her idea of a car...go figure! Mom and Dad's idea of a car is one that has air bags, auto locks, good tires, good on gas mileage, 4 doors- big enough for safety.....on and on....oops, forgot the most important thing...under....UNDER $10,000. Daughter's idea of a car is the one you see in the picture....ACK! We have had numerous discussions about this....daughter swears she will be safe, pay attention, not go over the speed limit, not let anyone else drive it...especially any cute boys that thinks she has a 'cool car'! Uh....no.....
Friday, the family went out 'car shopping'...well, actually, 'car looking'....ended up at our local nissan dealer....Father Bear saw a car that automatically drew him over...a 2003 nissan altima...white, 4 doors...everything Father wanted....Daughter looked at it, looked at me and said, 'uh, it looks too 'grand-maw-ish''! To which I reply....you have to try it on! GET IN.... (do I sound like I am losing patience? yeah, pretty much!) so, she gets in...I ask the sales agent to let her crank it and position the seat as if she were going to drive it (which we couldn't do because of time) once she positioned the seat...a look came over her face that said, 'this is ALRIGHT'...I then tell her to sit in the back seat to see how her 'girls' (her friends) will feel riding back there (just trying to get her to think in reality and forget the mustang!!) she then decides that this car is cool! Oh...those teenagers! We haven't purchased a car yet....still shopping...and probably will be for awhile....but I am sure that our teen has this vision in her head: that she will wake up on the morning of her 16th birthday, look out into the driveway and see a shiny, black, convertible, mustang with unlimited gas in the tank! Ok...time to wake up! Uh, sorry oldest daughter of mine....I think Mom and Dad are gonna win this battle!!!! Sorry!!!
on the other hand...couldn't we just go to walmart and purchase that shiny blue 10 speed like we did when she was 10? ~And she thought it was the greatest thing??

Thursday, January 29, 2009

French dip sandwich



French Dip Sandwiches

or Rachel Ray would call it, "Samich"

1 (3 lb) beef chuch roast

1 can condensed french onion soup

1 can condensed beef consumme'

1 can condensed beef broth

1 tsp beef bouillon granules

*Half the roast and put into the slow cooker. Pour soups over roast. Cover and cook 6-8 hours on high. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred meat. Skim any fat from cooking juices and use juices as dipping sauce. Put meat on french or Italian rolls, top with Swiss cheese and melt under broiler in oven. **I added onion, salt, pepper, some red pepper flakes and a can of stewed tomatoes to slow cooker and cooked with roast.

This was delicious and got good reviews by my entire family!

Friday, January 16, 2009

What DO I need to wear??


If you have a Khol's Department store credit card, they send you coupons all the time (well, not ALL the time, but at regular intervals) I usually only use these when I receive the 30% off coupons. The other day in the mail I received one...decided to do inventory and see what or if anyone needed anything. I desperately needed a new pair of tennis shoes for walking...mine were so old and worn. So...off we go to Khol's. Once there, I discovered that there was a temedous sale going on! Wow...somethings up to 70% off! On top of my 30 %...you can't get any better than that!!!! Found the tennis shoes that fit like a glove....then move on and start poking around the store....and I realize something...I have ABSOLUTELY no idea of what I am doing! I find a skirt that I remembered seeing a young lady wear to church on Sunday...on her, it was fabulous....of course, this young woman is gorgeous and could make a burlap sack look good...my teen daughter told me that the skirt would look good on me...I look at it and ponder...but then realize...I wouldn't know what to put with it!!!! YIKES....I look down at my arms and I have my usual-favorite....a cotton shirt......sigh......I have become boring! A cotton-wearing-boring-homeschool mom!!!! I have traded my denims in for cotton....another sigh. I really could have gotten a couple of cute outfits and been considered 'in style' or at least 'not boring' if I had only known what to do!!!! Maybe I should watch these two on TLC a little more often!!! or maybe they will show up one day and teach me 'what not to wear!' better yet....what to wear!!! In the mean time...I will just continue to be my old-boring-cotton-wearing-homeschool-mom!

Friday, January 9, 2009

So...we aren't so strange afterall....

Not that I enjoy other people's sufferings...I do not...but lately, I have a few friends that are experiencing some circumstances similar to things that I have gone through. One friend had to take her daughter to the E.R., because her younger son hit the daughter in the neck with a golf club...one day they will laugh about it...but right now, it isn't funny. I just read on a message board that I am a member of that a friend on there had to make an E.R. visit because the 3 year old swallowed the 7 year old's diary key.....now that one WILL be funny in future years....however, now....NOT so funny! I had to make the emergency visit to the dr one evening (fortunately the pediatrician let me come to her office for stitches instead of the E.R.) my children were in our garage playing (it was cold and rainy outside-they needed SPACE to play and burn up some energy!) Things had gone well ALL afternoon....all of a sudden I heard a blood curdling scream....my son had swung the garage broom (those big push brooms) around and my smallest daughter just happened to put her face in the line of fire...BAM...right on the cheek...screaming, blood and VERY scared children is what I had on hand! Luckily, the pediatrician was able to 'glue' my daughter's cut....all that remains today is a small line...and the memory...which we now can laugh and remind my daughter that her brother gave her that battle wound! Then there was the case of a very small little girl...probably 2 years old at the time....swallowing a penny.....yeah, NOW we laugh about it...but at the time all Mom could do was panic and say "oh, NO...oh, NO".....yep, luckily the pediatrician said, "meet me at the office"...however, that trip was just a lay over for the hospital X-rays that would be needed....and as soon as they X-rayed her.....you could see that penny clear as day....just about to go into the stomach....so, Mom (that is me!) was given the instructions to 'fish' through the poop diapers...and if penny didn't appear in about a day or two-we would need more X-rays.....so, for the next while...mom (that is me) 'fished' through poop diapers....no penny appeared...so off we go again for more X-rays....now the penny is seen in the intestines....so, Mom (that is me again)

is told to keep fishing! So, a fishing I go...AGAIN....still no penny...off we go again to the doctor's office for more X-rays....now penny is gone....where did the penny go you ask....whoknows....mom never did 'fish' that penny out!!

This past summer, one of my sons actually put his hand in a MOVING tread mill...yes, let's talk about FREAKING out...yeah, that is what I did!!! TOTALLY freak out....then we head off to the E.R. ....we didn't know what for since there was only shreds of skin left on his hand. Now, that is a story within itself....and we aren't to the point to laugh about that one yet...it is STILL just too new... We spent the entire summer (this accident happened on Father's Day) going to the many doctor visits.....so many doctors....so many bandages...

This past December we finally had our last doctor visit for my son's hand. Luckily, he will not need surgery and he was released until he may have trouble with this hand. The doctor doesn't foresee any problems in the future.....but, like I said, this is still too new for us to laugh at right now....maybe one day...then again, maybe not!

I really don't enjoy other's sufferings...but it is nice to know that there are other moms out there who are/is going through some of the same issues as I.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

New Year, New Me...

So, the new year has started...resolutions made...most have already been scrapped or abandoned...or dare I say, failed.....I mean, after all...we are HUMAN.

For the last several weeks I have been meditating, praying, and counciling with my christian friends....and have come to this conclusion....in life, there are some things and/or people that you just have to let go. Anything that is going to hold you back or harm you in some way is only going to do damage to you....as an example: if you had a toxic item in your home and you found out that it was toxic and causing you potential harm...you would get it out of your home ASAP...right? So, that is what I have had to do...let things go....I have let certain people in my life go....I have been cleaning out the house (though it may be little by little) and getting rid of 'stuff'...because most of it is just taking up room anyway, so good-by junk....I am always removing the cobwebs from my head...and thanking God for showing me what is important. I have a wonderful, Godly husband-who supports me in everyway. 5 of the most beautiful, wonderful, energetic, lively, smart, brilliant kids in the world. ~and surprisingly, I have a circle of girlfriends that are probably some of the Godliest women I know....just spending time with them makes you automatically know that God is present in their lives and they live their life for God...they don't have to tell you-you just KNOW.

Lately, I have learned some really hard lessons....lessons that have really cut into me...but, I can honestly say now, "Thank you God for showing me....I needed that"....you know, some lessons just have to be learned the hard way. For me, the lesson was learned.

Followers