Keeping it Real

(source?  If you know please let me know)

 

You know how a new year is. 

You want to change a few thing.

You want to set a goal or two.

 

I see other bloggers choosing a word for the year to inspire them.

That didn't really work for me. 

Mainly because I didn't choose a word, but I really don't think it would have made much difference.

 

What I found to be a better way to go at the new year was to be honest with myself.

 

Q- When did I become so lazy?

A - When all my children went to school.

Q - Why?

A - Sad story really.  I had a lot of plans for when that day came.  Awesome plans.  There was quilting, shopping all by myself, temple going, etc. in the plans.  Then I was shocked to find myself pretty much depressed and lonely.  I really don't like to say the "I didn't know myself any more after the kids grew up" because that isn't how I feel, but I did loose my sense of routine and a realization that I may have a mild form of ADD.  Self-diagnosed, of course. 

 

My solution?  Get better routines.  Any routines.  Something I could focus on.

So here it is, January 22, 2013 and here are a few things that have preoccupied my time these past couple of weeks:

Homemade marshmallows. 

Josie gave me an electric kettle for Christmas.  Something I've wanted for a long time.  It is so nice to use when cooking and even more fun for hot cider and hot chocolate in a flash.

 

Just good food in general, although this fried rice was yum.

 

 

Caramel Puff Corn

aka: crack corn

(you can't stay our of this stuff)

 

 

Putting pretty butterflies on my fingernails.

I've never worried about my fingernails.

Never. Ever.

So this one is proof that I'm looking for ANYTHING to get out of what I ought to be doing.

 

 

Actually, I am a really busy person.

My calendar is always pretty full.  Seems like I'm always running here or there.

But, I've lost any sense of routine and I feel like I am always just barely pulling it off.

 

I think if I was able to pull together a routine that I stuck with, it would make a difference in all the other areas in my life that I'm not really thrilled about.

 

Tell me about your routines.  Do you have specific days that you do things?

Monday, laundry? Tuesday, bathrooms?

Exercise first thing?  Scripture study early or later in the day?

 

What works for you?  I'd love to know.

 

I've got to pull it together cause these guys are growing up fast and I might miss it.

 

 

 

 

You may want need this recipe.

 

Caramel Corn Puffs

 

2 sticks of butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup (light)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 packages butter flavored corn puffs (the popcorn in bags without kernels)

 

Boil butter, brown sugar, & syrup together for five minutes.  Take off heat and stir in vanilla and soda.  (watch out, it will bubble up)  Put both bags of corn puffs in large bowl and pour caramel over the top, stirring till well coated.  Spread on large cookie sheet (or two if needed) and bake at 250°F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Let cool.  Sometimes we leave it in the big Tupperware bowl.  Sometimes it ends up in baggies.  It never lasts very long around here.  Ü

 

Introducing...Crash & Eddie

(source)

 

My sister Geri & her hubby Jason came to spend Christmas with us.

(it was awesome)

We may have scared them a little and hope they will still come see us again someday.

 

It only took Geri being here for about 25 minutes when she made the most observant statement I think I've ever heard in my 38 years of life.

 

"Those two remind me of Crash & Eddie from Ice Age."

 

Those two, meaning Mitch & Justin, and HOLY COW did she hit the nail on the head or what?!

 

They are best pals one minute playing with their dog Jimmer, baseball, football, shooting their guns, or whatever it is they do, and then before you can blink an eye, they are out for blood and the race is on. (and I'd advise getting out of the way)

 

 

 

They come up with the craziest ideas, that usually involves making their sister scream.

They are the rough and tumble type and there is a constant giggle, that keeps the rest of us suspicious at all times.

 

They play hard and they fight hard ....

 

 

they are Crash & Eddie.

And we love them.

 

(Crash is in black.  Eddie is in red.)

We had visitors!

The last few days of September were super fun and super busy. 

My mom and dad flew in to celebrate Justin's baptism and so we packed those three days they were here full full full.

*Ate yummy pizza and salad at 600°F.
*Dad slipped in a little antique shopping while mom and I picked up a few birthday items at Wal-Mart.
*Had a mini birthday party for Judd.
*Watched the Benjamin Logan Marching Band, with Josie as Field Commander.
*Watched the Benjamin Logan Homecoming football game, with Todd as a corner. (It was a close game and we won!)
*Watched a soccer game, played by Mitch and his Zanesfield Black team.
*Attended Justin's baptism. 
*Grandma helped get Josie ready for the homecoming dance.
*Ate yucky Chinese food. Used to be a great place. New owners...now not so much.
*Went to church.
*Got mom & dad to the airport to head to North Carolina.

Whew. 

 

Josie and Logan Glauner

2012 Homecoming Dance

 

The kids leaving for school w/ a quick pic with Grandma Lucy.

 

The best clock story.

Here is one of my favorite clocks.  One of my oldest ones too.

She hasn't kept time in a long time.  Like, nearly a year.  I don't know how many times Layne and I tried to fix her.  She would get to seven o'clock and then stay somewhere in that hour all of the time.

 

I mentioned the problem to my dad cause my dad can fix anything, but even this I wasn't sure about.  He took it off the wall, did something for about one minute and she has kept time ever since. 

 

My father, from this time forth, will be known as The Clock Whisperer.

I couldn't be happier.

Thanks dad.

September 28th

Here's the birthday boy.

He still has his attachment to Curious George.

But who doesn't love Curious George?

 

He wore this jersey to school three days last week.

Guess I got the right one.

This jersey and that camo hat in a couple pics above. 

Grandpa & ma gave that to him and it hasn't come off either.

 

He said all of his dreams came true.

 

Eight is Great!

 

And this is what Judd had been anxiously waiting for.

His baptism.

September 29, 2012

(don't  you love the awkward smile stage?)

 

The other thing he is SO excited about is that he is now a Cub Scout.

I can't believe I don't have a picture of him in his uniform.  That is amazing because he has been trying it on for weeks in anticipation of the big day.  His first den meeting was this past Wednesday.  He said it was awesome.

 

We love having Justin in our family.

He's my sweetie pie.

 

A fun project and other yummy stuff

For about a year I've had this little project in my mind.  It all started when our then seven year old was trying to figure out why it was 8:00 p.m. at our house (in Ohio) but only 5:00 p.m. at his Aunt Geri's house (in California).

Am I so lazy that it took me a whole year to pull it off?

Well, kind of, but honestly, I was waiting to find the perfect clocks.  About eight months ago I did fall in love with a clock at Penney's, but she was pricey, and I needed four of them.  Then a few weeks ago I was running though Dollar General to pick up some toilet bowl cleaner, and there they were.  On sale too!  $4.00 a clock!  It was time to start the Time Zone Project.

 

My sweet hubby (who freaks out when I show up with a hammer and nails) measured everything out and got those cute, red time keepers hung for me.

 

 

Then my awesome friend Becky cut my vinyl words for me.

Don't they look so cute?

 

 

Justin loves to show people the clock wall and I love to hear him explain all about times zones.  I don't think he really gets it yet, but he thinks he does and that is fine.

What do you think?  Go find a wall in your house for the Time Zone Project!


It is time for the sweet potato update!

The verdict is...........................

 

We can grow them! 

and we are happy about that

 

 

Look how big! 

 

 

I cooked up that smaller one and it fed us as a side dish for dinner and left overs.

 

 

My most favorite is cut in cubes and roasted in the oven with olive oil, honey, and salt & pepper.

But on this day I couldn't wait, and dinner was nearly ready, so I just boiled them up and put some butter, s & p, cinnamon and a tiny bit of brown sugar.  Yummmmmo.

 

We put some plants in the normal garden and we put some in our garden boxes.  They did great in both locations.  The ones in the ground and a little shorter and fatter.  The ones in the boxes are longer and skinner because the soil is nice & loose.

 

 

And just a side note -

 

Last year the deer ate all of our pepper plants.  :o(

So this year I bought eight, thinking that maybe we could end up with a couple of them.

 

Well guess what.  Layne found an awesome place in the garden that the deer didn't find the pepper plants.  YIKES 

 

 

This is just a single picking.  It isn't unusual for Layne to come in the house with over 30 peppers at a time.  I've given away SO many peppers this year.  The best way to get rid of them is to put them in a cute basket with a little pile brown paper lunch bags and take them to church.  (It's all in the presentation, you know.)  Every time I do this I leave with an empty basket.  YES!

 

 

Can you say AWESOME?

I we love grape juice and we love our friend George that is always so good to share with us.

 

 

Looks like we were also making a snack at the same time.

The kids were so excited.  We ran out of juice a few months ago and have been anxiously waiting for the grapes to be ready. 

 

I love this time of year.  Don't you?

Pondering Nineteen

I was thinking about the number 19.  Not too much glam goes with it.  There aren't even any traditional gifts that are attached to it for something like an anniversary.  It is one more than 18 or one less than 20.  See what I mean?

BUT, Nineteen is the last of the 'teen' years, so I guess that is kind of cool.  The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote, so that is pretty awesome.  The 19th U.S. President was Rutherford B. Hayes.  He was born about an hour from where I live and his wife's name was Lucy, so that is nice.  I got married at age 19, had a baby on the 19th, and got married on the 19th.   
I guess there is more to the number 19 than I originally considered. 

So today I'll proclaim that the official 19th Anniversary Gift is a Fresh Peach Pie (if you have a summer anniversary, like we do).  Layne is going to be so excited.  It's his fave.

Happy Anniversary Layne! 
Our 19th year married on the 19th of August!

xxoo

confessions

I'm afraid I may have looked a lot like this yesterday.

Don't you hate the next day, when the stress of yesterday has simmered down, the BIG things have shrunk down to their actual size, and you now realize what kind of crazy person you must have looked and sounded like?

I had a party set to be at our house last night.  One thing after another kept getting in the way of me being able to get everything ready and pulled together.  But, as always, somehow things worked themselves out.  Josie left work early to get my car keys to me (the #1 reason I lost my mind...my car keys were in the car she had) and she took half the list and I the other and we were able to get it all done and home in time to pull it all off.  I was sweating like a pig, but hey, everything was ready within minutes of the first arrival.

Don't you hate it when you act like someone you aren't? It makes me so mad when I let stress get the best of me.

So, today started out with repenting and apologizing.

Thankfully I have a new day to try to be better.

  On to better things....

like these beauties.

YUMMMMMMM