Wordless Wednesday

Only at my house would a well-pump house door say MEN....Muahahahah! I love the nonsense that IS my life!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today... April 26, my Internet Bestie's birthday....wub you, Jen!

Outside my window... Darkness envelopes the yard after the sun had gone to bed. Stars twinkle brightly in the night sky and a cool breeze rustles the leaves.
I am thankful for... cats that return home after being gone 3 whole months! Welcome back, Harley the 2nd!
I am thinking... that today felt like a Monday...LOL! Wish I could have found that DSi of Derek's...I. Can. Not. Find. Them....booooo!
I am wearing... my pj's. That's OK, since I'm headed to bed, right??
I am creating... chaos out of calm...no wait, that's not right! I better do better tomorrow. : )
I am going... to convince Dan into going to bed since he is sick and sleeping on the couch...silly man!
I am pondering... how boys that are 'too tired' to do their chores or school properly all day can now still be chatting and laughing an HOUR after I sent them to bed. LOL, Boys!
I am reading..."Why Don't Penguins Feet Freeze and 114 Other Questions" "A Bride Most Begrudging" and whatever I pick up next...possibly a "Woman After God's Own Heart" AGAIN...I must be stubborn
From the learning rooms... decimals, proportions, long division, grammar, My Father's World (still in Germany) and getting more library books at the library tomorrow.
From the kitchen... Dinner is over, dishes are soaking in the sink and the pantry and freezer are full of tasty ingredients to make filling meals. Meal plans are as follows:

• Monday~Breakfast for Dinner


• Tuesday~Mac and Cheese with smoked sausage and salad


• Wednesday~ Ham and beans


• Thursday~Baked Ham, stuffing and veggie sticks


• Friday~ Pizza...man, I love my own pizza : )


• Saturday~ Taquitos, Chips and salsa


• Sunday~To be Determined. Seems like each week, something comes up and I end up improving on dinner anyway, so why bother planning it, right??

Around the house... Derek's DSi is missing and I am upset! I've spent most of the day looking for it to no avail and I'm really annoyed. In the process, of course, I ended up making a rather large mess...so tomorrow I'll spend the day putting it BACK together. *sigh* Like I needed more to do, right?? LOL
I am hearing... The Myth Busters shouting excitedly about busting out of jail with some Tums and water...whatever : ) The boys are finally settling down and I'm ready to start the dryer for the last time today before I turn in.
A few plans for the rest of the week... school, school, school. Library, work 4 times, grocery store and possibly the park. Tracy's for paper play day and coffee with Karen and Dolli on Wednesday. It's good to have plans!
One of my favorite things... Blogging...I just LOVE making the jumbled thoughts in my head take shape on paper....err, computer screen. And I love all the wonderful people I've met through my blog. It's a thing of beauty.
A picture thought I am sharing... My backyard at sunset. It's so glorious, I can hardly stand it!!

If you enjoyed this post and want to take a peek into others' daybooks, head on over to Miss Peggy's site at http://www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

What a Weekend!

Hello friends, near and far, in person and in cyber-space! We had such an exciting weekend that I wanted to share while it was still *semi* fresh my mind. : )

~Thursday, which is weekend warm up for us, was filled with school, tidying here and there, gymnastics for D, and Dan came home with the new movie AVATAR which we watched on the big screen. The CG in the movie is fantastic, the special effects are superb and the cinematography is resplendent, but the story itself is a bit overdone. A good movie, nonetheless. Dan really enjoyed it!

~Friday always means game night and it was a doozie! 23 people filled our home with fun, laughter and games! 5 Meyer's, 3 Starnes', 2 Balding's, 2 Bruno's, 2 Myer's 3 McKinney's, 2 Bean's and 4 Chacon's. Holy 10 pizzas, Batman! Being my mother's daughter, I WAY over did it with the pizza, assuming that everyone eats like Dan, even the babies...LOL! It was nice not to cook all weekend as we munched, and munched, and MUNCHED on that leftover pizza. We played games, the kids played outside enjoying the gorgeous weather and the adults chatted and carried on famously.

~Saturday Dan went to work as did I and the boys enjoyed some open gym while I wrapped up the concession stand duties. Then I realized that I had missed my Angel Food Network pick up and that some OTHER needy family had gotten the order I placed. Well, that was disappointing, but God will provide for us this week. : ) I went and had a lovely chat with Lauren, then headed home to rest. Dan arrived home later with 'Shua and the boy invited me out to dinner....yeah! David had his gymnastics banquet that evening, so I dropped him and then met up with 'Shua and we spent 2.5 lovely hours chatting over dinner while David got awards and played with his friends. He got a small trophy, and 2 small awards for getting the best haircut, and for getting the most rips from the high bar. (Boys are so weird) Went home and watched Avatar...again. Dan had bought a high def cable and the colors were so much more vibrant. So pretty! When we headed to bed...we still had a surprise waiting. As we prepared for bed, we heard a scratch at the door and some loud meowing. To our shock, Harley had returned! He looks none the worse for being gone 3 months and came right in and settled right back in like he was never gone. He's even warmed up to Sophie...well, a little : )

~Sunday....Oh sweet Sunday! Happy 74th Birthday Dad...we LOVE YOU! I woke up feeling terrible, as if I'd pulled a muscle in my right shoulder. OUCH! So, we decided to stay home and have a movie day. We did a few quick chores and then settled in to watch movies. We watched "Fireproof" *which is excellent, by the way...we BOTH cried* "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" "Kate and Leopold" and "28 Days" We laughed, we cried, we played with the pets, we goofed with the boys and we just enjoyed being together. Dan spiked my morning smoothie, rubbed my back and attached me to the TENS unit to make my shoulder loosen up...he's the best. The boys watched some, watched a movie or two on their own while folding clothes and played outside. It was a a great day.And to make the day just about perfect, Dan caught the mouse that has been enjoying my pantry a little too much.

So, it's been a super great weekend. It means that I was ready for Monday when it arrived this morning. I didn't feel overwhelmed, behind or frustrated by it's arrival...and that's ALWAYS a good thing. Thanks for sharing our happy weekend with us!

**And the best part of the whole weekend is that Dolli and Ryan are in town...yeah!!**

Lost boys...I have been missing you so much! Dariel, Ricky, Tony and Alec...love you boys!

Mama K

For today... Earth Day April 22, 2010 (what are YOU doing to help the planet survive us??)

Outside my window... It is overcast and gloomy with a cool breeze, but since I've been wilting all week with the heat and the HOT breeze, that suits me just fine. : )
I am thankful for... books to read, to share, to learn from and to enjoy. At our house...books are friends.
I am thinking... that while I've enjoyed my day of no lists yesterday, I need to get mine back out and get busy today.
I am wearing... comfy, clean the house and play with the kiddos clothes
I am creating... A warm and cozy place of refuge for my kiddos and hubby...and my friends and extended family as well. I want my home to be a safe haven for those I love.
I am going... nowhere today and I'm pretty excited about that!
I am pondering... how it is that time seems to go by so much faster as we age. Wasn't it just yesterday or last week at most that I met and began to love Dan? How is it that we've been 13.5 years already and have children the ages that they are?? SLOW DOWN WORLD, I want to get off....LOL!
I am reading..."Why Don't Penguins Feet Freeze and 114 Other Questions"
From the learning rooms... for today, life lessons in doing chores without Mama nagging you. Later today, My Father's World...we are currently in Germany, learning about the people that live there and their culture. Guten Tag!
From the kitchen... Bread is rising on the counter, dishes are soaking and counters need wiped yet again. I'm enjoying my frozen coffee drink that I made using Dan's favorite kitchen tool, the Magic Bullet. Meal plans are as follows:

• Monday~BBQ pork (from the crock pot) sammies on fresh french bread.
  
• Tuesday~Chicken and rice casserole...worth every minute of the 3 hours it takes to bake
  
• Wednesday~ Crunchy taco Hamburger Helper, per Dan's request. Also serves with a huge salad...yummy!
  
• Thursday~Sauteed Shrimp, brown rice and steamed green beans
  
• Friday~ Pizza, of course, and we are having a HUGE crowd. I may have to make 10 pizzas
  
• Saturday~ Breakfast for dinner...scrambled eggs with cheese, fresh biscuits, bacon, sausage and OJ. Mmmmm
  
• Sunday~Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn ( I think I posted that one last week, but it got bumped by the pot roast)
  

Around the house... this morning it was a full on disaster, but now after several rounds of chores, it's downright decent. A bit more sweeping to do, some clothes to put away and a touch of dusting...after that, perfection! That will last for exactly 3.2 seconds...ha ha ha
I am hearing... The Gathier Vocal Band filling the air with praise, boys chatting excitedly while playing games together after a morning filled with chores, the dogs nails clicking on the tile, and myself typing away. A few birds are chirping in the background, but not as many as yesterday.
I am hoping... to finish my chores BEFORE Jodi arrives with James for afternoon school, which means I better stop blogging and get busy! I'm also hoping to get dinner on the table in a more timely fashion tonight than yesterday. And to be DONE with everything in time to watch Avatar, which I'm SURE Dan will arrive home with tonight...LOL!
A few plans for the rest of the week... grocery shopping tomorrow morning, HUGE game night tomorrow night, working Saturday morning and finding a new church to visit Sunday morning...and LOST of visiting with Dolli and Ryan anywhere I can squeeze it in.
One of my favorite things... FAMILY. Blood relations, family by marriage, and those we have adopted as family.
A picture thought I am sharing... 3 generations! Ryan, Dolli and Uncle Dan. Make that GREAT UNCLE Dan...love it!!

If you enjoyed this post and want to take a peek into others' daybooks, head on over to Miss Peggy's site at http://www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Oops, time to punch down the bread and get it in loaf pans...time to go!

Wordless Wednesday

Meet the twinkies...Dan and 'Shua. They accidentally wore the same shirt to work the other day. Ya know, I've heard that husbands and wives start to look more alike as they age, but I just don't understand this pair...hee hee!

PS. Just a side note for those who don't get the joke...'Shua is adopted and isn't related by blood to either Dan or I...so it always cracks us up that they look so similar : )

Coolest Lunch Boxes EVER!!

I was catching up on some of my blogging buddies and found this neat idea. A compartmentalized metal lunch box that is durable, fun and NEVER lets the food touch! : ) Check it out here and let me know what you think! You can even enter to win one in their contest.

http://simpleorganic.net/make-week-make-food/

That's all for once...hee hee!

Just Sayin'

I added this neat~o feature at the bottom of my posts, it recommends some others that you might like. I don't know about anyone else...but I'm really enjoying reading through some of my older posts. : ) Just sayin'
~K~

Simple Woman's Daybook~ Evening Edition

FOR TODAY... April 13, 2010
Outside my window... the sun is setting as I type this and it's been a glorious day in southern NM. Warm, super sunny, the birds have been cheerfully talking to each other all day and they are saying their good nights now.
I am thinking... that balancing homeschooling, work, family and LIFE is harder than it looks sometimes. Struggling to find BALANCE this week.
I am thankful for...Dan, in all of his radiant glory. That man loves me....why, I don't know! He is always up for a new challenge, being it trying new my new recipes, to fixing everything I manage to break all day, to bringing laughter and joy into our home, where I would fall into a boring routine and never vary from it. Dan is a rock star ; )
From the learning rooms... Struggling, struggling, struggling....it's like I can't recover from spring break or something. Life keeps getting in the way of school. We didn't take an 'OFFICIAL" break, and I'm wondering if that's part of it. We didn't plan to take a break and it just kinda happened while we weren't paying attention...so it doesn't FEEL like we took a break. Does that even make sense?? Ugh...school is getting the best of me this week. We did have a productive day this week and for now, I'll take it! *winks* Off to the library we go tomorrow.
From the kitchen... Dinner still smells good : ) I like the Monday to Sunday list, so I'm going to stick with that format if that's OK : )

• Monday~Tuna casserole (*out of a BOX*) I can hear the horrified gasps right now...LOL!
  
• Tuesday~Baked 'fried' chicken breasts and brown rice with veggie sticks
  
• Wednesday~Soup and Grilled cheese
  
• Thursday~Sauteed Shrimp, Buttered Egg Noodles and green beans
  
• Friday~Pizza
  
• Saturday~Pot Roast in the Crock Pot
  
• Sunday~Roast Chicken, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and rolls

I am wearing... Brown knit capris, a mint green tee and tennies, but it's TIME to take those shoes OFF!
I am creating... a clean, tidy well-maintained house to impress the landlord with when he comes next weekend. And for us to relax in when we actually all get home each day : )
I am going...to the library and work tomorrow, grocery shopping on Friday and working at the gym on Saturday.
I am reading...E-Books that I've downloaded for school use, Galatians, and Learning to Love When Loving Isn't Easy
Pondering these words...Love without truth is hypocrisy, and truth without love is brutality. Hmmmmm.....I may have to change some of my relationships with that one.
I am hoping...that we can come to an agreement with the landlord about buying this house. We are PRAYING about this, too!
I am hearing... Boys chattering to each other as they play, The Princess Bride in the background that NO ONE is watching and the tapping of the keyboard.
Around the house... it's looking good for once...hurray!! I NEED to get the LR swept and mopped after the doggies did their damage last night, but the rest of the house is looking pretty good.
One of my favorite things...A sweet afternoon snuggle with Derek and a pile of books. He's getting old enough that snuggling isn't as welcomed as it used to be. We had such a lovely snuggle today and I enjoyed it immensely.
A few plans for the rest of the week: To rebalance the scales that are my life. Homeschooling, serving my family, serving the Lord in ways outside of my home, cleaning this home, finances...they all need to come into balance. That's my big plan....nothing else takes precedence over that, so nothing else will be a priority until that is settled.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...Dan tearin' it up last year in the dune buggy. He was so excited to get it going. We bought it after Dan drove by it for month...he walked up, knocked on the door, offered them money and brought it home. Such a scavenger he is...it's one of my favorite qualities about him. : )

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join in or read more posts like it, check out the link below and take a peek into other's daybooks.

PS. Miss Peggy, I am so sorry. I goofed up last week and didn't put in the link to your site. Please accept my humble apologies and know that I will make sure to put it here in the future. : (

It's the Little Things

I've discovered as I make this journey through life that it's not the HUGE things that make or break your day, week, month or life. It's the little things. So in celebration of those little things, list a few things that made your day, week, month or LIFE sweeter or brighter.

• Sophie, our new kitten has brought loads of JOY to our home. The boys love to play with her, feed her and carry her around. Dan is enchanted with her and plays with her as often as he can.


• We are not moving...and while in theory housing is a BIG deal, it's honestly just a house, we COULD find shelter elsewhere...but are pleased that we don't have to at this exact moment.


• Dan's unemployment finally came through. Yes, he's back to work, but that money still will come in handy.


• My parents are coming SOMETIME this summer, and I'm looking forward to it already.

I like the idea of this kind of post. If you do too, post a few of YOUR little things. I'm making it a goal to be more positive this year...join me!

~K~

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY... April 7, 2010...ALREADY? Wow~
Outside my window... the sun burns bright and warms the Earth. The winds BLOWS since it is spring and I wonder when the wind will settle down. The trees are budding and the birds are chirping cheerfully.
I am thinking... that I probably should be doing something more productive than blogging with my time. Don't tell on me, OK? *winks*
I am thankful for...many things, but at the top of my list right now is that we don't have to move right now...hurray!
From the learning rooms... Letters to loved ones, fractions and decimals, We are in FRANCE for MFW and the boys are reading TONS of good books. School is going well this week and I'm glad after a few weeks where we missed school more often than we worked on it.
From the kitchen... it's time to bake bread, but the kitchen is so nice and shiny, I don't want to make a mess in there...ha ha ha! This week's menu is like so...

• Monday~Easter leftovers, of course
• Tuesday~Chicken tacos from the crock pot
• Wednesday~Mac and cheese with smoked sausage and salad
• Thursday~Fish, Brown rice and cauliflower
• Friday~Pizza
• Saturday~Breakfast for dinner
• Sunday~Roast Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls

I am wearing... Brown knit capris, (am I wearing these EVERY week or is that my imagination??) a coral polo and polka dot tennies
I am creating... a clean, clutter free house to please the hubbs and give us a place to relax.
I am going...to work tonight, the library and work tomorrow, grocery shopping on Friday and working at the gym on Saturday. Nowhere else unless Dan decided to take me motorcycle riding on the weekend.
I am reading...Eat Drink and Be From Mississippi, Be Careful What You Pray For, Galatians, and Planned Spontaneity
I am hoping...that we can come to an agreement with the landlord about buying this house. We are PRAYING about this, too!
I am hearing... Game boys with excited boys whispering, the kitty calling, Lauren arriving, and the dryer tumbling.
Around the house... it's looking good for once...hurray!!
One of my favorite things... Dan being silly. It's one of those glorious things that doesn't happen often, but is so worth waiting for : )
A few plans for the rest of the week: Dan and 'Shua are building a kitty tower for Jake, ('Shua and Lauren's cat) I am working a few more nights this week, GAME NIGHT...wheeee! Church hunting again, and some house cleaning projects.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...(add your picture here)
New kitty!! She got into the catnip or SOMETHING!

Catchin' Up with Us MeYeR's

~This post has been a long time in coming so it seems. So much has happened in the past few weeks. Where to start, what to share, well, as they say, let's just start at the beginning. : )

~The past few weeks have been really busy, busy, busy. Dan has been hired on again with Wooten, (not that we thought he wouldn't be, just that it might be a long wait) and as a double bonus, Joshua has been hired back as well. I think I already shared that, but it's so wonderful, it bears repeating : ) They are riding together, and working together which is good for both of them. Dan gets to help Josh with the things he's not quite sure of yet and keep him motivated, and Josh gets to spend time with Dan all day long and he seems to really like that. They are working out of town, but driving back and forth every day so the boys and I get to see him each day, and we are back to 3 day weekends...yeah! The side job is at a standstill right now, due to one guy getting fired so once it gets going again, Dan will be back to that, but for now, he's getting some extra rest, fixing up some things around the house and enjoying being home more.

~I have been working odd days at Kohls and it's been throwing me off a bit, I will admit. I'll long been of the opinion that your body/mind can get used to anything IF there is a routine...but since my work schedule has different each week for the last month, I find myself overtired and a tad cranky and out of sorts. But that's neither here nor there. When IS here and there is that I'm struggling with school most days because I am having trouble being motivated. But I gave myself a stern 'pull yourself up by the bootstraps/find your big girl panties' lecture about a week ago and it's been going much better this week. : ) The house is looking better than it has in a while and Dan is pleased...and that always makes me happy.
~The house issue gave us some worry over the past few weeks as our lease end date came and we could NOT get in contact with the landlord. We know that he wants to sell the house since he has moved out of state...but are not sure if we can afford to buy this place or not. We all LOVE this house...it's THE house that everyone spends 1/2 their life looking for. It's just right!! SO, of course, we don't want to move and as the end date grew closer and closer, we fretted and worried and PRAYED more and more, started looking for alternate housing, such as the 189 a week hotel if we had to move on a few days notice. The housing costs in NM have gone up this year considerably, and we were having issue with finding a house that had enough space that was in our price range and in a decent neighborhood. SOoooooo.....long story short (ish) he finally called back, we can stay at least for now, and next time he comes to town, he will come to see us and we will see if we can come to an agreement about a rent to own option. PRAISE the LORD and Hallelujah!!! We are patching dings in the wall, pulling weeds, and cleaning everything so that when he comes, he will know how much we love this house and will take care of it. Pray with us about it, please! We don't want to be selfish because we WANT this house so much and take on too much to handle. On the other hand, we want to keep this house and use it to minister to friends, family and strangers alike due to the space allowances we have here, and want to trust God to provide if He wants us to stay.

~In other news....wait for it...David CUT his hair! He looks like a boy again, and it actually makes him look a bit younger, which I'm fine with...LOL! It's quite dashing and now he's talking about black tips...oh my gravy! I'm going to end up with a boy that spends more time on his hair than I do...LOL! Dan already does...hee hee! Could be why he always looks better than me...hmmm, I may have to ponder that one. His gymnastics coach is THRILLED about the new cut also and he is excelling at that as well. The coach may move him up another level soon.

~Patrick is growing his hair out....and it's to the crazy stage...not all laying down, not all standing up, just insane looking all the time. Oh my, life with him is never dull! He's been working on his writing skills and they are coming along nicely. His penmanship is coming along as well, and if I could JUST convince him to look words up instead of guessing how to spell them, I'd be very happy indeed! : )~Derek is just happy to be 4 AND a Half! He tells everyone he meets that he is 4...and a HALF! Not sure if he even knows what that means, but he sure is proud of it...LOL! His letter recognition is coming along nicely and he loves to spell words on the fridge. He LOVES the new webcam and can't wait to call people and then talk their ears off...LOL!
~'Shua and Lauren are doing well. They are both working many hours and enjoying the great weather here in Cruces. Rusty and Jake (the dog and cat) bring them many hours of joy and we LOVE having them here right by us. ~Speaking of cats, we have a new one...her name is Sophie and she's just the sweetest little scrap of fluff ever. She's only 6 weeks old and 1.5 pounds but she's bringing fun to our house and Dan is just ga-ga over her which cracks me up. He tells everyone how she's learning to eat by herself and use the cat box...he gets so excited. He built her a kitty castle/tower thing and she spends HOURS a day playing in it. So cute!

~Anywho, now that this is SOOOOOOOOO long and you are all bored to tears, I'll hush. : ) we love you all and miss you bunches...especially all of you in IL that we haven't seen in ages. Lost boys, Mama K loves you and wishes you were all here, too!

Blessings and MUCH love,

Kristy and the Man Crew

Wordless Wednesday

The Three Amigos...looking JUST Like themselves...LOL~

**Some of my blogging pals do this and I just wanted to try it and see if I liked doing it or not. So here is my first WORDLESS post. And no smarty-pants comments about how these are words...I know, I know!