No Pants April Day 13

 No Pants April Day 13:

Home again, Home again, Jiggety Jig!

Black and floral LuLaRoe maxi skirt, orange tee, and sensible shoes for traveling home today.

#NPA

#NPA21

#NoPantsApril

#NoPantsApril21

#MamaK

#100HappyDays2018: Day 4

Day 4: Traveling with these two monkeys is never dull. They are burning off steam after a gymnastics competition. (throw back Thursday post)
#Dastroyah
#DTStrong

No Pants April: Day 3

 No Pants April: Day 3
Long floral "Secret Garden" skirt (a Made By Kaber Original) a wine colored v-neck tee and tennies.

     Still in IL, still freezing, still chasing babies. As I posted on my FB page, sorry about the shoes. I'm trying to do better about making the shoes match the outfit and not always opting for comfort over style. However, today was my travel day home and I needed to be able to hustle through the airports, so comfort did win out over style today. Tomorrow is a new day ;)

#100HappyDays: Day 9

Day 9: Derek has been passed back and forth and around between The BIGS like a hot potato for what seems like months between gymnastics meets, Mama K needing to travel with his auntie Karen, work demands, Mama K going to meet Baby Caden in IL and Daddy and Mama K stealing away for a few days together.
He said sadly to me the other day that he was tired of me being away, and he wished I could be home Like I used to be...OUCH. So, today we played video games together, went out to dinner, made silly videos and fun photos on SnapChat, and I sang his bedtime story in my silliest, loudest voice. ''Twas a good day for us. 💚

Derek loves the white freckles, but not the heart shaped nose

If you like this challenge, head over to www.100happydays.com to sign up. You can choose a start date, your favorite photo posting platform and even a custom hashtag if you want to be more original. Do it, you might just decide you love it. 

A weekend in Albuquerque- October 28-30th

This past weekend, DT and I went to Abq for a quick mini-vacation with the B-Bunch. After Trunk or Treat was over, we quickly put our decorations away and threw our backpacks in the back of the Buick and took off for the northern part of the state. We picked up Z along the way from New Mexico Tech College.
     We arrived early in the morning of Saturday and just collapsed on the first beds we stumbled into. Later that morning, we awoke full of wonder at what the day would hold. G shared a room with DT and myself so we went down to breakfast together and enjoyed the delicious full breakfast they offer at the Hyatt Place Hotel in downtown Abq. We toured the hotel, enjoyed the views, played some board games and just relaxed the morning away. (poor BossLady had a conference all day) When lunch time rolled around, we walked to a restaurant I haven't been to in a decade, called Buca Di Beppo. Ridiculously delicious Italian food, served family style. LOVE IT! After a brisk walk back to the hotel, we enjoyed several hours of naps, quiet, reading, movies and more quiet. PERFECTION.
     When BossLady returned from her conference, we kicked it into high gear and dressed for dinner and entertainment. We ate dinner at a Cuban place where the food was very authentic and so very good. After that, we hopped a bus to the play house and saw The Lion King. Oh my word...stunning! DT, who hadn't been too excited at the idea of a musical, nearly fell off the edge of his seat because he was straining to see every little detail. I was totally floored by the excellence of the production. There isn't a word great enough to describe it. I am hoping to be able to purchase tickets to the theater again during gymnastics season, since we will already be up there.
     Sunday morning we all slept in, enjoyed another fabulous breakfast, packed up and checked out of the hotel and went shopping. After a stroll through the Apple Store, the GAP, and the Teavana Tea Store, we stuffed the purchases in the back and headed over to the Abq Aquarium and Botanical Gardens. Lovely! We spent several hours there, amazed at God's beautiful and impressive creations and then loaded up for the trip home. We dropped Z back off at college and headed for the not-so-bright lights of Las Cruces. We arrived home late, tired, sore...and full of great new memories! 
     Thanks to the B-Bunch family who sponsored this whole trip and gave us memories that we couldn't have afforded ourselves.

And Just Like That... {Week 11 Update}

Dan is gone.

I can't believe it's already been 11 weeks; 5 more than Dan has ever been gone for work, and 4 more than our time apart when we moved here. We are adjusting...slowly (especially me). But, things are improving. I am learning to set my boundaries without being a jerk about them. (In times past, I just let Dan set the boundaries and without him around I spent several weeks being a spineless sap) I am remembering skills I used to have that have been out of practice for 20 years. And I"m learning new skills, like how to trim the rose bushes that have been intimidating me since Dan left. I've trimmed them 3 times, and I think (I HOPE) I'm getting the hang of it. Pat and I have several 'successful' chats a week now, shoot, sometimes we have more than one a day. *grins* I am sleeping through the night on a regular basis, even though I'm still staying up later than I should. However, I think part of that is just to carve out some time for just me, since I"m the only one parenting these days and I NEED some child free time each evening. Overall, I think we are getting the hang of it. Dan has a roommate as of this week and I think he's not as lonely, at least that is why I'm telling myself he isn't calling quite as often. I am setting up some 'Daddy's Gone Traditions" like the boys and I go out to dinner on Thursday night, so that we all get to the table together once a week. We're still doing our pizza and movies on Sundays but that is pretty flexible and sometimes it just doesn't happen. So we're enjoying Thursday nights out to laugh and talk over a delicious dinner made my someone besides me. Having hilarious, handsome dinner dates every week doesn't hurt my feelings at all.
The biggest highlight of this week concerning Dan was we bought his plane ticket home for Thanksgiving so that is a FOR SURE visit coming up. Woot!
Biggest bummer concerning Dan this week is that today is David's birthday. His 18th birthday. Now, in case you don't know, David hates any attention that he doesn't intentionally invite, and birthdays are a HUGE no-no in the attention department. There is no celebration, no singing of the birthday song, no balloons, no gifts and in fact, he's working 11 hours today, so it's not so much that Dan being away will affect David's day so much. But our first child is becoming an adult today, and I can't share that with Dan. So boo to that.
Thanks for taking this journey with me. I'm growing so much it seems and blogging about it feels like the right choice.

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today... April 8, 2015

Outside my window...the sun is just beginning to peek over the mountains, the air is cool and calm and the birds are chirping from the bushes outside the door. The weatherman predicts a high of 84* and partly cloudy today. Sounds like a lovely day to me.

I am thinking...that I really have so much to accomplish today that I shouldn't be doing this right now. But I am going to anyway. LOL!

I am thankful... for sunshine on my back, healthy boys that keep me hopping, and a handsome hubby that loves me...in SPITE of me.

I am wearing... my pjs still. Shh, don't tell! Later I'll be donning a skirt in honor of No Pants April, as started by my good friend Kim. My posts about it can be found here and Kim shares here.

I am creating...plans for the weekend trip to Colorado Springs for David, Karen and myself, while the rest of the Man Crew stays home (this is the part that scares me)

I am wondering...what to take along for entertainment. The 3 of us have very different tastes in music, movies, books and games. So this may get tricky :)

I am reading..."Interrupted" by Jen Hatmaker. It's moving me.

I am hoping...that David qualifies for the National Competition while we are at the Regional Competition this weekend. (David is a competitive gymnast)

I am learning...that while I am their sole teacher for school, everything my boys DO or DO NOT know is not necessarily a reflection on me. I haven't decided how I feel about that yet.

In my garden...The roses are about to explode with blooms! They are COVERED in buds and the rose bushes are taller than me. I can't wait for my mom to see them when she gets home. Derek's lettuce sprouts are growing quite well and he is very pleased.

In my kitchen...is a mess. I wasn't home last night and the Man Crew had to fend for themselves. *sigh* Someday, the lessons I've taught about cleaning up after themselves will sink in, right? At least all the dishes made it back to the kitchen, I should be grateful for small improvements :) On the meal planning side of life:

• Monday was leftover buffet
• Tuesday was Chicken and mashed potatoes (but the men opted to skip that for more leftovers)
• Jambalaya (we are learning about Louisiana in our homeschool lessons this week)
• Nacho Bar
• Game Night: veggies, chips and dip
• Saturday and Sunday: Freezer Food Fest as Mama will be out of town and the men have to fend for themselves for a few days.

In the homeschool room...DT and I are a bit behind on our bookwork as we got caught up in our science experiments and hands on 'work', but I'm going to call that a hard earned victory after years of worrying excessively about staying on schedule, to the detriment of my boys' love of learning. So, for today we are learning how to make jambalaya since we are studying the history of Louisiana. 

A favorite quote for today...
“I'm going to bed tonight grateful for warmth, an advantage so expected it barely registers. May my privileges continue to drive me downward to my brothers and sisters without. Greater yet, I'm tired of calling the suffering "brothers and sisters" when I'd never allow my biological siblings to suffer likewise. That's just hypocrisy veiled in altruism. I won't defile my blessings by imagining that I deserve them. Until every human receives the dignity I casually enjoy, I pray my heart aches with tension and my belly rumbles for injustice.”
― Jen Hatmaker, 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

A peek into one of my days...Oh goodness, don't look! My life is a huge pile of what I like to call *organized chaos* and that pretty well sums it up. However, if you choose to wade into the fray, you'll find me running around like a headless chicken, laughing all through the days filled with homeschooling, teenagers, horse riding lessons, a naughty 4 year old, piano lessons, a silly 9 year old, gymnastics every single day, a hubby that answers to Hercules, and way too much driving in circles behind the wheel of the Mama Taxi. Something always smells good in the kitchen, the TV is always on (sigh) and one of the animals is needing to be fed. Life isn't boring, that's for sure :)

Me, at the end of a day spent mothering this band of boys I call mine, and living the dream.

One of my favorite things...my life.

****************************

If you've enjoyed this post and would like to find more of the same, or to play along, head on over to Miss Peggy's page and join the fun!

Alone Again

...and just like that, I'm back to living alone in the land of men.
 
*le sigh*

Have a safe and enjoyable trip, Mom. I'll be waiting when you return to us!
     

     ~K~

Simple Woman's Daybook~ Vacation Edition

For Today...April 13, 2012
Outside my window...I see the highway, a Cracker Barrel and gray skies outside my hotel room.
I am thinking...that vacation is the best idea ever.
I am thankful...for the chance to take a break from the hectic pace of our 'regular' life.
In the kitchen...nothing! Eating out all weekend sounds fun (if a little pricey) So nothing is in the fridge but a few sad leftovers that didn't get eaten up before we left yesterday.
I am wearing...Jean capris, a sage green t-shirt and new socks. *I love me some new socks*
I am creating...this blog and some fun memories.
I am going...to dinner with friends, sleep in tomorrow, watch David compete in the regional gymnastics meet, and have dinner with family tomorrow evening. Life is good.
I am wondering...why sitting in the car is so tiring ; )
I am reading...1 Corinthians this month
I am hoping...that David does well tomorrow and doesn't get too nervous.
I am looking forward to...time with friends and family, extra sleep and fun photo opportunities.
I am learning...that you can't live at 125% all the time.
Around the house...it is dark and quiet with just the animals at home.
I am pondering...how it is that I came to be so extraordinarily blessed.
A quote for today..."Vacations are the best idea ever" by me
One of my favorite things...being bored with my family.
A few plans for the rest of the week...vacay, too much driving, cheering on David, and being a whole lotta lazy.
A peek into my day...

Vacay~ Regionals 2012

Just a quick post to say that we are having too much fun here in Co Springs waiting for David's regional gymnastics meet tomorrow.
How much fun are we having?? This much................

Homeschooling Update *Copied from Homeschooled Hooligans*

Back to School, Back to Posting, Back to
Something....or at least I Hope!
Hi everyone. It's been a long break, a long winter, and a long travelling season for gymnastics. Add in a last minute move (so that my parents can live with us) and it's no wonder I've lost my mind, my computer's flash drive, and my lesson planner. HA! At any rate, all is not lost. David (the gymnast) has been kicking some heiny at the competitions. Patrick is finding his groove again after the move (this normally takes MUCH longer then 2 weeks) and I think I found my lesson planner today. I do, however, make no promises about ever finding my sanity again ; ) As for school, we managed to get several weeks worth of school done between the middle of January and mid-March. Then we did 2 weeks of "inde" schooling while I packed like crazy and then got a week of almost spring break the week of the move while David's best friend spent the week with us while he was on spring break. In case you are wondering, inde school is what I call all lessons/activities that do not need adult help. So, things like CD Rom math lessons with the lectures pre-recorded, online videos about the Constitution, quiet reading time each day, educational videos, lots of games and lots of outdoor play. Also things like "how many boxes fit in the truck?" - "Where did Mama put her purse?" - "If I fill this box to the top, can I still
pick it up?" These all count as life skills, quite useful in the 'real' world after school. ; )We are now back to school, David is REALLY loving his math studies this year and is doing quite well in his pre-algebra class and has even already asked if he finishes it early, would I order him another. Why YES, yes I will! Patrick still struggles with 'wanting' to do school, but is putting forth
a good effort most days. I do still need to find his math disc, and then get back to curriculum studies. We've been doing some random worksheets I've found in the move, so all is not lost : ) Derek is getting back to his studies as well, although he's got Grma snowed into believing that if he says he doesn't want to do school, he doesn't have to do anything. Oops. I haven't brought his curriculum back out yet either, just so he and Patrick can stay together in their lessons, but I have enough K-1st grade workbooks, manipulatives, games and such to fill at least one whole 5 shelf bookshelf, so he is moving right along. I'm almost worried that he will be ahead once we get back to actual My Father's World studies. But a nice little repeat never hurt anyone anyway, right? Overall, all is well again in the MeYeR Man Crew Homeschool. I love, love, love homeschooling, even on the tough days. And hopefully, those are over for this year. Travelling is nearly over for the year, the move is over, and we are settled. Life is good.

Gymnastics Season 2: Level 8

David wins EVERYTHING at the State Meet.
David skipped level 7 this year and went straight to competing at level 8. It's been an interesting change for him and he worried that he wouldn't do well this year as he tried to get a handle on the changes from compulsory gymnastics to optionals gymnastics. Well, in true David form, he's done quite well for himself. The coach is pleased with his advancement, and I'd have to say, so are we.
Sorry that I haven't posted tons of pictures like any proud parent should do, but between the travelling for meets, the 4 part time jobs, homeschooling and the move, I just haven't kept up like I should. (My apologies David, I took pictures, I just need to post them) Anywho, blah blah blah...get to the good stuff, right? Well, suffice it to say that we are the proud parents of THE Level 8 (ages 11-14) NM State Champ. 1st in every event. Yeah, that feels good to say. *winks*
Regionals is in Colorado Springs, CO in the middle of April. He is already tweaking his routine so that he does well there. He's pretty excited as we are also. David, in case you haven't noticed, we are SO proud of you.
OK, now I need to go find the buttons that popped off my shirt from being so proud :D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David won the handstand contest at the Las Cruces Invitational and got to do that cool trick with the Cruces Gym coach.

So So Behind

Alright people it's official. I'm so far behind on this here blog that I don't even know where to start. A *brief* overview follows.

April~ family trip to Co Springs for Gymnastics Regionals (Utah, NM, CO and WY). David took a place in every event and the all around. We also got to spend a weekend with my niece and her beautiful family. After the regionals, Dan went home to get back to work and I drove with the boys to IL and spent 6 glorious weeks hanging out with friends and family, and helping my Dad recoop from a health issue. (Homeschooling is wonderfully flexible, have I ever mentioned that?) Dad turns 75. Big party for him, which he enjoyed.







May~ First 1/2 of May spent in IL. We arrived home and went back to school. Dan was VERY glad to see us and I was glad that the laptop fairy had visited him while I was gone, LOL! Tyler (nephew) graduated from high school. Said nephew also turned 18 *yippee* Spent most of the rest of May just trying to get settled back in and back to *normal* whatever that is.




June~ More school. Back to work for me. Dan gets laid off from his beloved Wooten job. Joined local CSA, very excited about that : ) Dan refabricates engine for dune buggy. She lives!





July~ Independance Day! School finished for the year during the last week of July. Prepared for niece coming for 2 weeks. Dan gets hired by company called Les File. Really likes it. Dan puts final touches on dune buggy like decals, painted muffler tips, etc.

August~Derek turns 6. Niece comes and spends 2 weeks. MANY adventures (whole blog post about that later) Dan gets laid off by Les File. Jodi spends weekend in Chicago and nephews stay here, much to our boys' delight. Dan busiest unemployed man I know. *amused* Dan buys me a dehydrator and I learn to make beef jerky. Dan repairs damage to dune buggy done by neice, oops *grins* Nephew James turns 9.

Phew. I think that's all the BIG stuff. Coming up is our 15th anniversary, Sister moving closer to us and Dan looking for work, and of course, the start of school in early Sept. Good times!

Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 13

Still behind. Gotta catch up, hold on, here we go~
Today I want to just quickly mention something that bring me JOY. Taking these trips with the family for David's gymnastics has just been wonderful. We rarely go anywhere outside of our town, as we're all basically homebodies, but we do like an occasional adventure and these have provided just the right amount of excitement. We plan it all out, we pack up and head out. We get to watch David enJOY his new found sport and that brings us JOY. It also prevents us from wasting the whole weekend in front of the TV, running errands or just wasting time in some other fashion. It also makes us appreciate how much we enJOY being home. (see previous post) We've been to Rio Rancho, to Albuquerque twice, we're heading to Phoenix this weekend and before the season is done, we will have been to Albuquerque again, had a meet here in town and possibly even Colorado Springs for Regionals. Along the way, we've visited with old friends, made some new friends, squeezed in some family fun like putt putt golf and our first visit to a tapan grill restaurant, and had several delightful conversations that only seem to happen in the car on a long ride. Such a blessing this has turned out to be! Thanks you Jodi for helping us get started. : )

The BIG Trip~Days 3 and 4

Call me corny, I LOVE Illinois! : )


Here we go again! Tuesday night as I approached exhaustion and driving fatigue, I decided to just sleep for a bit in the van and then press on, but my parents who remember well the joys of travelling across the country with small children in tow, called ahead of me and reserved a hotel room for us. What a wonderful sight that little hotel was...and a blessing! After getting a good night's sleep, 'coincidentally' we were across the hall was the hotel laundry room and I used it with JOY and Praising! Then we headed out for yet another day of driving...and within a few hours we were where things were sounding familiar and an hour after that, they were LOOKING familiar and by mid-afternoon, we were THERE!! David jumped out of the van, flopped down on the grass and started making "grass angels" instead of snow angels. He was just so happy to see a large expanse of grass that was NOT in a park! : ) Dad, Mom, Pat, Jodi and her boys and all the Hanna's were there to greet us and what a wonderful reunion we had! Hugs all around and much laughter!! I stopped on the way into town to see Liz and then she came later in the day to visit for a bit as did Candy. The next day was filled with Kelly's visit, Lauren came and brought the delightful Miss Zoe over to play and a game of Scrabble...and MANY of Farkle. Oh the laughs we had and the delightful chatter of dear friends!! It did my heart good! I don't think I actually have any pics of these two days of travel...but they were sweet indeed! A special OOPS to Dave and Margaret whom I managed to miss seeing...I am sooooo sorry about the confusion! It was NOT my intent to miss seeing you both. Humble apologies! As for the rest, that I DID see...thank you sooo much for your kind welcome and visits...it's wonderful to be reminded of just how much a good visit can lift your spirits!


Thanks again for reading about our travelling adventures!


Blessings,


Kristy and the Man Crew
PS. Funny story of the day on Wednesday was this...after Derek announcing yet again that he needed to potty on the way into town, I pulled off on a ramp to find a bathroom and David was reading the signs...and when he saw that we were in El Paso...he FREAKED out! Of course it was El Paso IL, but he thought we had driven for 3 days only to arrive in El Paso, TX, which is only 45 minutes from our home! And by the time I realized what was going on...I was laughing too hard to correct him. He nearly worked himself into a tizzy before I could explain! OH my, good times!

The BIG Trip~Days 1 and 2

The BIG Trip, the Great Adventure, or a Walk on the Wild Side; whatever you want to call it, we began our journey on Monday September 14...at the bright and early time of 5:30 AM. I packed the car, tucked in Dave and Derek, filled up the gas tank and away we went. We had gone all of 31 miles when Derek announced that PaPa and Grma lived far away and he wished we would hurry up and get there...LOL! I learned several things that first few days and here they are in NO particular order...

• Derek has a bladder approximately the size of a large thimble and could be counted on every 45 minutes (give or take 3) to demand the need for a potty break...right NOW!


• David is a great traveller....doesn't complain, helps Derek stay entertained and plays quietly in the back...hurray!


• Each state we went through seemed to get exponentially larger...Texas looks like it will take about an hour to cross, but in reality takes 3 days longer than eternity...LOL

The Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere...in TX, of course!!


• Oklahoma is the worst state to drive across....ever! It doesn't have asphalt highways...it has concrete block roads! So, remember if you can, riding your big wheel down a sidewalk....ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk.....for HUNDREDS of MILES...and for this pleasure, I got the privilege of paying 16 dollars! Yeah ME!


• Missouri takes a really long time because every SINGLE mile of highway is under construction. I'm sure this is a great thing in the long run, but since I just wanted to get across right then....not so much.


• Derek slept in on Tuesday morning...until 10 AM, something he's pretty much NEVER done in his whole life, so that's why we didn't make it in to town on Tuesday, but that was OK with me...he must have needed the rest. I'm sure it helped him be a bit more pleasant for the rest of the trip.


• Did I mention Derek needing to pee every 45 minutes...I'm sure I did, but it does bear repeating.


• No matter how many games, toys and educational activities you bring along...you always forget something that the kids deem really important.


• Along the same lines, no matter how many snacks, drinks and treats you bring, you find yourself buying JUNK at inflated convenience store prices....highway robbery at it's finest.


• Whoever invented the portable DVD player is a genius and should be given a medal of some kind...seriously!

Horton Hears a Who...for the 3rd time....can I get earplugs, please?


• I discovered that having a semi pass me at 85 plus in the dark on an unlit, under construction, unmarked highway makes me want to cry for Hercules and pee my pants...I've become such a baby!


• Getting there is NOT half the fun...whoever said that is a LIAR and if I ever catch up with him in a dark alley, he MIGHT live long enough to be sorry he said it...LOL

The truth is that the first two days, although LONG....were quite pleasant. The boys did great at getting along, I didn't get lost, I didn't lose my temper or my mind and things went along swimmingly. Friends and family alike were praying for our safe travel and it was great! Thanks for reading about our BIG trip~

Kristy and the Man Crew

I'm Back and I'm Blogging Again...well, soon I will be

To all who think I must have fallen off of the planet; DO NOT DESPAIR! We have returned home safely after our adventurous road trip and I will soon be blogging regularly again. I am awaiting wedding pictures before I delve into the whole 2 week tale. So for now, a quick few snapshots and then, we wait : )

Blessings,

Kristy and the Man Crew

Dave and Derek were such great travellers...it was great! I am sooo proud of them!

Sleeping in feels SOOOOOO good! We need to vacation a bit more often, it was super!

Goodness, but the scenery on this trip took my breath away. God is an amazing Creator!! I LOVE the NM sky!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY August 17, 2009...

Outside my window...huge fluffy clouds dot the bright blue skies...I'm appreciating them today since Patrick mentioned to me that the clouds are much more animated in NM than IL...ha ha

I am thinking...that it's only 4 weeks until I leave for IL! I am so excited to see the rest of my family, catch up with all of my dear friends and watch my oldest son get married to the love of his life! Wooo HOOOOO!!

I am thankful for...Jodi's safe departure for her long awaited road trip to IL...have fun, little sister!

From the learning rooms...Mama has been very busy this morning: planning, organizing and prepping for the start of the new school year, even though it won't start until our return from our trip. Home school downloads organized and uploaded to zip drives by category~check! ABeka books shelved and at the ready according to grade and subject~check! Other supplies ready to be ordered~check! Homeschooling Mom's enthusiasm at an all time high~CHECK!!

From the kitchen...I am trying to remember how to cook for 3 people since the men are at work all week, Jodi is out of the state for the next 3 months and Pat is in IL with Dad and Mom...hmmm, how much hamburger to use again? I can't remember the last time I didn't double (or TRIPLE) a recipe...it's automatic these days. We MAY be eating tacos all week! IF not, here are the meal plans...

• Monday: Tacos and chips with salsa
  
• Tuesday: Chicken, stuffing and peas from the crock pot
  
• Wednesday: Hummus with Pita bread, cheese sticks, and fresh fruit
  
• Thursday: Tilapia, brown rice and broccoli (yes, we love this meal and have it every week)
  
• Friday: Pizza...yes, this one too : )
  
• Saturday: Tuna Casserole, the "easy peasy cheater" meal of the week...LOL
  
• Sunday: Roast Chicken, Mashed potatoes, Green Bean Casserole and Fresh bread

I am wearing...olive drab cargos, navy t-shirt with fireworks on it and bare feet, of course

I am creating...quiet inside of my head. With the men, Jodi and her boys, and Pat all gone, it's downright quiet around here. I have a few projects that I am working on, but some are secrets as I'm already creating for Christmas.

I am going...anywhere I want! With only 2 kiddos, it'll be a snap! I'm thinking Farmer's Market on Wednesday AM followed the the library, I'll probably take the boys out to lunch once this week and maybe even a movie if the checkbook allows. WHEEEEE

I am reading...curriculum catalogs, other daybook entries, my Bible and I think it's time to read Woman After God's Own Heart again...plus at the library, some good historical fiction. And, of course, Derek's new alphabet books that he got for his birthday.

I am hoping...that Jodi's actual trip is far LESS eventful than the planning of it was : ) And that my travel plans will be smooth and easy to put together.

I am hearing...the TV entertaining the boys, the dryer and the ceiling fans...that's IT!

Around the house...as always much to do, but for today, just wrapping up the laundry and dinner. I'm taking today off, yippee

One of my favorite things...a LONG hot bath after a long day. Scented bubbles, a few yummy candles and a good book.....life is good!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Errands, going OUT with the boys : ) working Wednesday night, races on Sat, game night on Fri, church on Sun, many little projects like re-arranging shelves, mending, and some extra baking.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...Dan and I's engagement pic. I've been doing some pondering, wondering and reminiscing over the 'good old days' lately and I was digging through some old pics...this one tickled me, so here it is. This is June of '96, I believe...so young we were!

This post is in response to the call to simplicity by the delightful Miss Peggy over at www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com Come on over and check her out, plus you can find out how to join the daybookers, or just enjoy some of their posts! Hope to see you there!

Greetings from sunny New Mexico

Hello to our friends and family, near and far!
We are having a great week...just hanging around together, playing with neighbors, and hosting game night. Not much is going on, we're just enjoying the last lazy days of summer. Dan is working a side job this weekend, I'm working almost all of next week and then the fun stuff starts! Jodi is headed here on Thursday, Dan is flying to Chicago on Friday, Jodi arrives here on Saturday (HURRAY) and Dan will be back sometime Sunday afternoon. I am staying home to keep the home fires burning and keep up with the kiddos and new housemates. Karen and company are well, as are Charlie and Devin...they all love our game nights and we have such fun! SO, again a short note...(yeah, me!) and I'll add a picture or two from this week. Love to all and we are missing you always! Lost Boys, Mama K misses you, too!
Blessings,
Kristy
PS. Pics aren't working right now...I'll add some later!



As you can see, Baby Ryan is a big hit with the boys!


Who says that dogs don't smile?? Bubba loves to have his tummy rubbed!


I about choked when Derek found these...thank you AWANA store...LOL!


Awww, Uncle Dan loves little Ryan! She's so sweet!

Travel for Business

Hello to all our friends and family!

Dan has been travelling for work the past two weeks (Mon-Thurs only) and has at least one to go, maybe two. He is restoring a library at a higschool that got flooded when the pipes froze and then burst. Anywho, he wanted me to post some of the pictures he took up there...it is breathtakingly beautiful in Cloudcroft, NM. The days without him are hard, but a three day weekend every weekend is something I could get used to quickly. The boys, too, since it means a 4 day school week! Lost Boys, when are you coming? We miss you all!

Blessings,

Kristy and the Man Crew

PS...Dolli update...she will be here in the next few weeks to stay until the baby comes and until after John gets reassigned in Dec. She has two Uteresses and also has placenta previa..please pray for her as keeping her still is like trying to keep Pat quiet...LOL!