Don't Miss Out!

Camp!

My big girl is heading off to camp today! Sniff, sniff! I'm excited for her, but I'm really gonna miss her a lot! She is going to have a blast and she is in incredible hands! Can't wait to see what God does in her life through camp! Yay!!

Crockpot Barbacoa Recipe

This is by far one of my new favorite recipes! Enjoy!


Crockpot Barbacoa Recipe

*Combine the following in a crockpot:
3 pound chuck or rump roast (or pork shoulder)
6 chopped garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 chopped onion
2-3 juice from limes
2 Tablespoons whole black pepper

Directions:

Cook for minimum of 6 hours on low, or until meat falls apart, adding water as necessary to keep covered. Cool meat and shred with a fork. Remove broth from crockpot. Strain out and discard solid ingredients. Add meat back to crockpot.

Add to crockpot:
1 large can tomato sauce
1 small can chopped green chilis
2-3 chipotle pepper w/adobo sauce
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
Ground cumin to taste

Return enough leftover broth to keep moist. Cook two more hours on low.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheese and roll them like burritos or tacos.

Question of the Day!

Come on over to: Question of the Day to check out my new blog!

I'll be posting (hopefully) a new question daily in hopes to spark interest, conversation, etc. Let's see what happens!

If you have any questions you would like for me to use, feel free to email me!

Dark Clouds

Have you ever experienced a time in your life where you felt like a dark cloud was like a shroud over your life? Where everything you said, did, acted and reacted was in direct relationship to the darkness you felt?

I have recently stepped away from a very dark period in my life. A period that lasted well over 6 months. A period of deep and penetrating fear, that at the height of it... had me virtually paralyzed - both emotionally and mentally... and to some degree physically.

I was tempted by fear and fell into the trap of despair and depression. Satan had his "way with me" and I allowed it. I allowed it, because I allowed Satan's fear, rather than God's love, to overwhelm me.

And the reality is... I can quote scripture after scripture from the Bible that deals with fear (2 Timothy 1:7) and grace (Hebrews 4:16). Heck, the scripture on the left side of my blog talks about "approaching the throne of grace... to find mercy and grace in our time of need." I KNOW ALL OF THAT! But, I didn't apply it.

Last week I finally landed in the place where God needed for me to be, to finally cry out to him in desperate need. And you know what happened once I prayed and asked God to get this fear out of my life? It left. The fear left.

I feel like God gave me a visual when I very nearly hit rock bottom. He showed me hanging by a tattered rope, with one hand, swinging around without any stability. He then impressed upon me that He had been waiting for me to reach the end and when was I going to realize I cannot save myself or the world around me? That saving the world is HIS job, not mine.

What freedom.

Since last week, I've been freed from the torment of fear. Oh sure, Satan is still coming around trying to tempt me with those old familiar fears, but I'm rejecting his plot this time. I will not succumb to his lying schemes anymore.

I write all of this in hope that someone, somewhere can relate to my trial. There is freedom waiting for you. HE is waiting for you! Seek God and pray his scripture.

Great Wolf Weekend!

We are back from our mini-family vacation and let me say... we had a blast!

We arrived late on Thursday night because we were getting a much needed A/C unit installed, so we did not arrive until 8:30 p.m. The water park closed at 9 p.m., so we took that time to walk around and get acquainted with the hotel.

It truly is a kid-resort hotel, with various restaurants, an arcade, a spa for both kids and adults, craft area for kids, gift store, and interactive "quest" game throughout the hotel. This place is made for kids!

We arrived in time to see a show geared toward little kids - with singing mechanical animals, etc. After about 5 minutes, the girls were done with it and wanted to move on, but this would have been cute for younger kids.

Our room was great! It had a microwave, a small fridge, coffee maker - all the necessities! Plus, our room had a sitting area with a pull out sofa bed. We did not get the fancy room with the bunk beds, etc., because we knew we'd be spending little time in our room and for the extra money, it was not worth it.

The water park opened at 9 a.m. and we were at the door waiting to be let in. The water park is awesome! There were 7 indoor water slides, an older kid playscape area, a young child play area, a wave pool, lazy river and open swim area with cool stuff like lily pads to jump across and basketball goals. There is also an outdoor area, with two slides and a water play area.

There is a height restriction on two of the slides (48" and up) and Elisan and Kyla were not able to ride those slides, but that did not stop them from having a ton of fun. (By the way, the slides they were not able to ride were so much fun, but I can see why they were not able to go on them... they were fast and kind of scary!)

Elisan and Kyla's favorite attraction was the wave pool. They loved crashing in the waves!

This was one vacation that I would definitely repeat!


Here are few of my personal recommendations:

1. Bring your own food! The food at the hotel was expensive. We ate breakfast, lunch and snacks in our room and went out to eat in the evening. We found a great local restaurant via the GPS and thoroughly enjoyed it.
2. Go on a weekday! We spend all day Friday in the water park and it wasn't nearly as crowded as Saturday morning. I would assume most weekdays are not nearly as crowded as weekends.
3. 2 nights and/or 1.5 days is plenty of time at the park.
4. We did not buy into the "quest" interactive game. It was extra to purchase the quest game 'wand' and my kids didn't even notice that the ENTIRE population of kids were playing the quest game. They were more interested in the waterpark.
5. Next time we go, my girls will be 48" tall and a bit older. Because they were so young and not tall enough, Randy and I had to accompany them on all of the larger slides. That was fine and we had fun, but I would have preferred to have allowed them to go off on their own a time or two... I'm not as young and full of energy as they are! But, there is plenty of stuff to do for younger kids too! I'd just prefer next time we go, that they be old/tall enough to do everything!

So, there ya have it! I hope this helps anyone who is interested in booking a trip to Great Wolf Lodge!

A/C? Why has thou forsaken me?

Yep! You guessed it! Our A/C unit went out upstairs! But, thankfully our house has two units - one upstairs and one downstairs... so we all piled downstairs to sleep last night.

Randy brought down the girls mattresses and put them on the floor in his office area and he and I slept in the guest bedroom. The girls thought it was like a sleepover and were especially excited to be able to stay awake until 9 p.m. Oh, the little joys of life!

After calling 4 air conditioning repair places yesterday morning, I was able to get someone who could come in today. Thank goodness! The other places couldn't schedule an appointment until Monday! Apparently when you have temperatures topping 105 degrees, air conditioners tend to work on overdrive, thus break down more often... or so I'm told.

So, now I'm waiting for the a/c repair man. The hottest ticket in town!


UPDATE: We are getting a new a/c unit. Can you say $8K?

I've been a busy bee...er, um... frog!

Elisan finally settled on a birthday party theme for her August birthday sleepover party.

Frogs. Yep... that's my girl.

After scouring the internet for cute frog stuff, I decided I'd have to make all of the stuff myself, because seriously, most frog stuff is too boyish or the frogs have a silly crown on top (a.k.a. kissing the frog to find the prince...)

So, here's what I've been up to.

• Made pillow cases for each invitee
• Bookmarks for the goodie bags
• Ordered custom stickers from Walmart (very neat, but kind of pricey!)
• Ordered a custom stamp so I could stamp the napkins, envelopes, etc.
• Made a custom banner that says "Happy 8th Birthday Elisan"
• Made Kyla and Elisan frog glass tile pendants to wear for the part
• Made a custom game poster "Pin the Frog on the Lilly Pad"
  

It's been fun making all of this fun stuff. We don't go out and spend a fortune on their parties, so I don't mind going the "extra mile" to make it special for them.

A little bit of P.M.S. goes a long way

Are you the kind of blogger who writes your title first and then molds your blog entry to fit the title, or do you write up the entire entry and then decide on a title?

Me? I write the title first, but I am not necessarily apt to mold the story around the title. Hmmm, that's the way I roll I guess...

So, yeah... what is it about P.M.S. that makes me creative and contemplative AT THE SAME TIME? That's a weird combo, I suppose. Maybe it's a left brain/right brain thing? Maybe for at least 10 days out of the month I'm using my whole brain!


So, this month, it's been mainly contemplative. Wondering the who/what/where/why/when's of my life. Who am I? What am I doing with my life? Where do I want to go? Why does it matter? And when will it happen.

Lately, I've been so fickle with my life decisions. One minute I want to do _________ (fill in the blanks with something... anything) and the next minute, I'm changing my mind. I'm so fortunate I have a husband who puts up with me and supports my decision(s) whatever they may be that moment.

He does wonder though how/why I (can be/am) so fickle. I think that is a man thing. He lives and breathes black and white (..."yes or no") and doesn't see gray (..."maybe") like I do.

A few posts back, I ranted about how everyone's life seems so much more fabulous than mine... maybe I meant to say... everyone else seems to have figured it out, which in my mind, seems fabulous. Yes? I will readily admit I don't have it figured out and wonder if I ever will. I guess the only thing to offer is that I am a child of God first, a wife second and a mom third.

And while I can't do anything particularly well, except care for my family, I have been the most contented when they took priority in my life. Maybe it's time for a self-examination and realign my priorities back to what's important. What does that mean? I'm not sure. But, it most definitely means I need to be more thoughtful and reflective on what matters most to me.

Maybe by this time next month, when my brain is working as an entire unit, I'll have it all figured out!

By the way, if you have it figured out and want to share the secret of your success, please do us all a favor and share the wealth!

Hello Blog

How are you? I haven't seen you in a while!

The girls have been gone for an entire week, and although I wish I could say that Randy and I have been going out every night, eating out and having a blast, sadly I cannot.

My week has been filled with a dental appointment (refilling old silver [or mercury...whatever!] fillings, an appointment to the eye doctor and general business.

I am happy to report that Randy and I did go out to eat on Wednesday night and then did a little shopping, but that is hardly what I would call having a blast!

My trip to Houston was great last week. I was so excited to see my friend Cyndi (and family)! We always pick up where we left off - no matter how much time between visits - and I think we barely stopped talking the entire time I was there. It was so much fun and I sorely miss having a friend like Cyndi that lives close by.

On Saturday, I brought the girls to Orange and later that day, we went to visit my brother and his family. We had pounds and pounds of crawfish to eat and it was so yummy! Tim and his family are moving to Boerne (today!) and it was good getting to see them again. They will actually be closer to us now - about 90 miles - versus the 280 miles they were previously, so hopefully we'll see more of them! I hope so!

(BTW, That's a picture of my 15 year old nephew, Brandon. He's 6'4", wears a size 15 shoe! That's crazy! He sleeps all the time - probably so his body can catch up to all of that growing he's doing. At this rate, he could be 6'8" by the time he stops growing! Amazing! )




My folks are meeting me "half-way" tomorrow with the girls. I miss them and can't wait to see them. I think Kyla is missing me a lot more than Elisan because she calls me every day... sometimes twice a day! I'll be glad to have our family back together again!

And finally, this week I made a HUGE first step in accomplishing something for myself that I have gone back and forth with for at least a year or more. I am not ready to give the details away yet... that is, unless you want to call me, THEN, I'll tell you... But, I am excited, scared and excited. I am not sure what will come of it, but at least I made the first intentional step. For that, I'm proud of myself!

Okay, so that's all for now!

P.S. - Crazy about Michael Jackson. I have to say that I really liked his early music. I'm sad that his life turned out the way it did and ultimately his untimely death.

Mummy Made

I wanted to take a moment to tell you about my good friend Agnes who makes these incredible crochet creations!

Agnes is a fellow soccer mom friend with two sweet boys and one sweet girl. She is from Australia and is one of the sweetest ladies I know.

Agnes opened up an Etsy shop called Mummy Made to showcase her beautiful items. Take a moment to peek into her shop and if you feel inclined... buy one of her one of a kind items!

She's located right here in Georgetown for all you locals!

Do you ever wonder?

Do you ever wonder if other people are living fabulous lives and you are the only one who is not?

Maybe it's the "are you braggin?' or "are you bloggin'?" philosophy that keeps me second guessing my own fabulous-ness.

Whatever the case may be... I'm convinced that my life ain't nearly as fascinating as yours.

Convince me otherwise before I crawl into a hole.

Summer Staple - The Tank Top!

So, I downloaded this coupon online from JC Penney's. It's a $10.00 off a $25.00 or more purchase.

I had tank tops on the brain... b/c you just can't have enough tank tops in 100+ degree weather. It's a necessity.

What a surprise to find these tanks on sale for $4.99/each. I bought five of them and used my nifty coupon! (I threw in a pair of earrings that were on sale for good measure!) I walked out of the store with 5 summer tanks and a pair of hoops for less than $21.00!

The coupon ends today, so if you can, run into JCP and cash in on this deal!

Who am I raising?

In true Texas fashion, we had early evening (severe) thunderstorms pop up over the hill country on Thursday night. In fact, Randy instructed me to clear out the closet underneathe the stairs, just in case we needed to take shelter from any tornadoes. That's just how we roll here in Central Texas... ready for inclement weather at the drop of the hat.

So, anyway, because of the impending weather moving our way, the girls stayed up with us to watch the news. No use putting them to bed with the off-chance that we'd be getting them up again to take cover.

One particularly close lightening bolt scared Elisan so much so, that she bolted off the couch ready to take cover... but not before she hollered out this phrase... "I better go get my money!"

Not only was she afraid of the storm, she was afraid a tornado would blow in and sweep up her $7.00 profit from last week's garage sale.

I said, "Who are you? Mr. Crabs?" (And if you are familiar with Spongebob Squarepants... you know what I'm talking about!)

Anyway, Randy and I got a good chuckle out of that one!

BTW, this is my 700th post! Yippee for me!

Sprouting Tomato!

Anyone want to plant some tomato spouts?

Glass Tile Pendants

Oooh, my inner crafty self is longing to try my hand at these nifty little glass tile pendants!

Anyone made these before? Do you have some wisdom to impart?

I found this blog entry from thehybridchick.com with steps on how to make these little cuties!

Anyone up for it?

They survived!

Monday was the first day with the nanny... AND, they survived. And, they loved having her here... AND, they can't wait to see her today!

Whew.

And you know what? Work wasn't as bad as I envisioned it being knowing my girls were at home enjoying their summer break without me.

I think hiring a nanny was the THE BEST choice for our family this summer. Thank you Lord for your wisdom!

Just in case you're wondering...

This is what we'll be doing all summer!

Just say no!

I just have to shout it to the rooftops! I said "No." And it felt good!

In my quest to be super mom, I rarely say "No". In fact, I usually say, "Sure. I'll do it (bring it, provide it, pay for it, volunteer for it, etc.)"

Oh, sure, I say no to my kids all of the time. In fact, my first answer is usually no, then I stop... think about it, then sometimes change my answer to a yes or 'what does your daddy say?'.

Sometimes when I am asked to do something that I don't want to do, I sometimes take the passive approach and allow others the opportunity to step up. It doesn't always work out... but I tell myself in the end that if no one offers, I'll step in and help out. It's my little way of helping others say yes some of the time. Wish it worked more.

Some people don't have any problems at all saying no. I am not one of them.

Recently I was asked to do something that I did not want to do. I had no desire to do it! And you know what? I straight up said "No." I was not "No WAY, forget it!" I just politely said, "You know what, that just doesn't work out for me and my family." And you know what? It felt good! Oh, baby, it felt good!

So, my question is... are you a yes'er or a no'er?

So close...

I can feel it coming... we're almost there... 3.5 more days til school is out! What a relief it will be.

• No more 12 mile = 30 minutes commuting in horrendous traffic... and that's just one way!
• No more out the door at 7:25 a.m. and not returning home until 4:00 p.m.
• No more homework!
• No more emails from the room moms (although, the room moms so totally rocked this year!).
• No more school related events to try to keep up with.
• No more lunches to make, backpacks to keep up with and school uniforms to wash!
  

Can you tell I'm so excited to finally catch a break? Ahhh, I can't wait!

Of course, with me working this summer, we'll have to adjust to a new summer schedule, but working 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Thursday will be a cinch. Plus, the girls will have a nanny this summer, so I'm relieved that they will only have to spend a nominal amount of time in childcare this summer!

So, aside from giving 1/2 of my paycheck to the nanny... I think it will be a great summer!

End of School Teacher Gift

Who doesn't love personalized note cards? I know I do!

Sunday, I began looking around for ideas for notecards. This is "inspiration" note card that I found on the world wide web...

Here's my version:

I'm going to format 4/page and bring them to Kinko's. It costs $1.25/page (or .$32/each). I'll probably make 16 note cards for each teacher.

I'll then wrap them in a pretty cellophane bag w/matching ribbon, enclose the gift card and there ya go... simple, pretty and fun!

Running!

I'm so proud of myself! I actually left the confines of my home and ran around the neighborhood as my form of exercise. And, I did it twice!

For those who don't know me... I loathe running! But, I loathe more the fact that my jeans are snug... so, I've hit the pavement to try to slim down a bit.

The first time I ran, it was for 25 minutes (or 2.2 miles). I burned 200 calories. The second time I ran, I ran another 25 minutes (a different route - I need to calculate the miles) and burned 260 calories! I kicked it up a notch on the second run and only walked to recover my heart rate down to 160 bpm and then I would start running again. My friend Cyndi would be proud!

Since my gym membership expires at the end of this month and I won't be renewing my membership until September, I'm needing find alternatives to working out, aside from lifting weights - which I can still do at home.

I've also purchased Jillian Michaels "30 Day Shred". However, after looking at the DVD, I'll be honest... I've done all of those exercises before in gym classes and I wonder if the level three format will challenge me. (I know... roll your eyes Anna...) But, I'm still going to do the 30 day workout. I mean, it won't hurt and at least it will give me something to do each day. (I haven't tried it yet... I plan on doing that today... I'll keep you posted, Anna!)

The girls have 7 school days remaining. They are getting excited to be off for the summer. We've hired a nanny to come everyday to care for the girls while I'm at work. She has babysat for us on various occassions and my girls love her! I work with her mom too. She comes from a great family and is heading to Texas A&M in the fall to study pre-med. She wants to be a criminal pathologist. I think what sold her on the idea of working for us this summer was this comment from me, "Seriously, all we want you to do this summer with them is feed them, make sure they don't burn the house down and take them to the pool every day." What 18 year old could resist that? Making money AND laying by the pool?

How do you know?

"God did not make me a mother to fail as a mother." - Christine Caine

Ever since I found out I was pregnant with Elisan, I questioned God about his choice to give me a little girl. I have not always been the ideal daughter and wondered what God saw in me, to give me a girl. Then, Kyla came along and I really thought, "Wow, God must really be trying to show me something here!"

It's no secret that I feel incredibly blessed to be the mother of two beautiful little girls. Yet, there are times when I wonder if I am the mother that God set me out to be. Am I making the right decisions... Am I making the most of my time with them... What kind of role model am I for them?

Just like most moms, I am so in love with my children, it hurts! It hurts me because I hope I am doing 'right by them' and oft times wonder if I will ever know. It hurts me because I wonder if I am equipped to raise them up to be Godly women, because truth be told, I haven't always been such a Godly woman myself. It hurts because I fear my choices today, will affect their forever. It hurts because time is quickly slipping away and I know that I will never get this time back.

And honestly, will we ever know? I seek God for the answers, but sometimes His voice just isn't clear enough for me. I do know that God has equipped me with wisdom. James 1:5 says that all we have to do is ask for wisdom and God will freely give it to us. And I do know that God doesn't intend for us to fail.

As I am heading into (nearly my eighth year of motherhood) I realize, that yes! God did know what He was doing by giving me girls. My prayer is, that as I navigate this life, God will be alongside of me, imparting spiritual wisdom and understanding. That He will pick me up when (not if...) I fail. That He will give me the energy to be the mother (wife, friend, daughter, sister, volunteer, employee) that He intends for me to be, because it is not with my strength, but with His strength.

God did not make me a mother to fail. Thank you God, for trusting me with your daughters.

Mother's Day Tea!

My girl and me!

Look at the sweet smile!

A moment to brag...

I have to brag on Elisan today!

On Monday, she ran up to me after school wearing two medals! She could hardly contain her excitement when she told me why.

She won a 1st place medal for "best story" for a book that she wrote at school. She also won a 2nd place ribbon for best illustration of the same book.

(I say book, because it actually is a book. The school had a fund raiser event where they sent the stories to a publisher to be published in a hard bound book. The parents had the option to purchase books, etc.)

She is also in an advanced class called "Discovery" and they wrote a story in this class as well. In this class, she won a first place medal for the illustration of the her story (which is also now a book!)

I could not believe my eyes! She won two first place medals and a second place ribbon for her work. I'm so proud of her!

I'll post pictures of the books when I get them. The first place book for "story" will be on display until the end of school. I haven't even read the story yet! I can't wait!

Ever had one of those days... weeks?

I am in a bit of a funk... slump... whatever you want to call it. And it's been going on for days now... perhaps even a week by now.

It's not PMS... well, it isn't PMS this week...

Anyone know how to get out of funk that doesn't require working out (I'm already doing that), eating ice cream or spending money?

Um, Yeah.

And so, it begins...

Sibling rivalry. I am surprised it is coming on so soon.

The story? Read on...

I am proud to say that Kyla Mae is now a full-fledged reader! Randy and I could not be more proud of her. Her, and the fact that her PreK teacher is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! She is a fabulous teacher and we could not be more pleased with how Kyla has progressed this year, much in part to the efforts of her teacher Mrs. Fleming.

She is reading so well, that I brought out Elisan's kindergarten (Abeka) books to give to Kyla to begin reading. She is doing well with them. So, I got out Elisan's first grade (Abeka) books for Kyla. She is able to sound out a lot of the words and is doing really well, considering the amount of time that she has been reading.

Well, Elisan is NOT happy at all. She is upset that Kyla is reading her first grade books because according to Elisan, "Kyla hasn't learned all of the phonic's rules yet!" I can't help but giggle just writing that sentence!

And to add injury to insult, Randy and I began teasing Elisan by saying that we thought Kyla Mae should skip kindergarten all together head straight into first grade! Elisan about had a cow! Seriously! And because we are cruel parents, we began teasing her even more telling her that we thought she should begin sharing her current collection of Junie B. Jones books with Kyla. Elisan said, "Mom, there are words in there like 'appropriate'! She can't read the word 'appropriate!'".

Randy and I backed off. Seeing how much it upset her. But, it was just too good to pass up.

See? The deal with Elisan is that she is a rule follower. To the 'nth' degree! She can't even play a made up game with bouncy balls unless she incorporates so many rules and regulations that it isn't even fun anymore. We have to tell her, "Okay, no more rules, let's just play the game" more often than we care to. She is a black and white thinker. No gray area allowed. (She is soooo like her daddy it is just wrong, wrong, wrong!)

Anyway, back to the reading... Elisan began reading in kindergarten. When she entered kindergarten, she had just turned five in August. Kyla turned five in October, a month into PreK. So, you see? They both learned to read at the same exact time in their lives... The difference is that Kyla was in Prek and Elisan was in kindergarten.

Of course, you can't tell that to Elisan. It makes no difference to her. She only knows that Kyla will soon be encroaching on her territory. -sigh-

(At least Elisan hasn't figured out that Kyla is better than her at soccer!)

Red Poppy - more pictures!

Here are our super cool motorcycle riders! I love this!

Red Poppy Festival!

This past weekend was the 10th Annual Georgetown Red Poppy Festival! Our church had a booth set up at the festival giving away candy, nylon backpacks, and of course balloons!

We had such a great time!


Here's our booth at the beginning of the festival! I love the balloon arch! Which, by the way, I learned how to do a balloon arch, if anyone is needing one!

Here's Kyla Mae ready for the parade!

Still waiting for the festivities to begin...

Here's our group! The Celebration Church Motorcyle Connect Group!

Because I'm so cute...

Last Friday, I picked up Kyla Mae from school and I needed to go into work to finish up some last minute stuff before the weekend.

She was greeted by all those who she came into contact with and everyone was very nice and excited to meet her.

As we were gathering our things to leave, she said, "Mommy, everyone is very nice to me at your work." And I said, "They sure are nice to you, aren't they?"

And she said, "It's because I'm so cute."

I kid you not.

So, I am going mobile all the way! Now blogging on the go. How cool is that? As long as I don't text/type while driving, i am good to go. Right?

So...

So... I'm sitting here thinking, 'I really need to blog' but really... what is there to say?

I have A LOT to complain about... and that would be taking the 'low-road', so I'll stick to the high road and not complain.

I mean, why would I complain that I can't seem to budge the scale? That my clothes are not fitting properly. That I have been nearly starving myself to lose weight, only to be mocked when I step on the scale. Okay, okay... that is a little drastic, I'm not starving myself, but I am keeping my caloric intake to 1500 calories a day, which 'feels' like I'm starving myself. That is not anything you really care about, now is it?

Or, why would I complain that I began a new stage in my weight lifting program that has my fanny on fire right now? I mean, why in the world would you want to know that?

Or, why would I complain that I'm so dogged tired all of the time. That going to bed at 9:00ish just isn't early enough for my delicate sensibilities. That would be ridiculous because everyone knows that 7 hours of sleep is plenty for the average normal person.

Or really... why would you care that I'm behind in my reading homework for my small group at church? Or that I have just been getting by in the laundry department. Or that my house just isn't as clean as it used to be. Or, that my kids don't have toothpaste. I mean, really... that's not any of your business!

So, now that I've decided to take the high-road, I'll tell you about the cool stuff that is happening in my life! My girls are happy and healthy! My husband is happy and healthy! And me? I'm happy and healthy too... tired, but happy and healthy!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Easter Fun!

Hallelujah!

The Thrill of the Grill

I fired up the grill last night for dinner, but that is not the only thing that got fired up!

Unfortunately, Randy was running late from work so we were waiting on him to get home so I could grill the chicken. About 40 minutes after I had lit the grill, Elisan hollered at me and said, "Mommy, something is crazy with the grill!" and when I looked outside, there was a big column of smoke and fire coming from the grill. I ran outside to rescue our (gross, but functional) green plastic chair and this is what was left of it.

The top? Completely melted in the fire.

The wind had blown it over into the side of the grill, which is a charcoal grill (luckily). I can't imagine if it was a electric or gas grill. I don't think Randy would have been too happy with me ruining a nice grill with melted green chair.

For Sale: Cheap Green Chair!

Springtime!

Who am I?

Last night I had an epiphany. Easter is this weekend! And, while Easter weekend has not escaped me this year... I mean, I DO work at a church and Easter is on everyone's mind... the idea of Easter baskets HAS escaped me. Who am I? I honestly don't know anymore!

I guess in the back of my mind, I kept thinking I'll have my day off this week to take care of their Easter basket goodies this year, but lo and behold... they have Friday off too... And, why wouldn't they? It's Good Friday, for goodness sakes!

So, here I am, wondering when I'll get a chance to gather up Easter basket stuff. I guess I will have to do it tonight after the girls go to bed. Not ideal, but I'm desperate here.

In other news, work is going well. I really enjoy the work and the hours are great. But, I'm still struggling with balancing everything. Even working 20 hours a week, I find that I am having great difficulty getting everything done. And, then there is the guilt that kicks in when I realize I can't participate in the girls' class parties and school events, especially as the last six weeks of school are the busiest for end of school activities and trips. -Sigh- But, I try to remember all of the times I was able to devote to their school stuff and I can't let guilt get the best of me.

I've adjusted my work schedule so that I have time to get to the gym in the a.m. So, from 8:00 a.m.-9:15 a.m., I am at the gym. 30 minutes of cardio and 45 mins of weight lifting. Admittedly, I've only taken off two pounds from the five I gained last month, which makes me sad, because I'm working really hard and I'm not seeing the weight loss results I am accustomed to seeing. Oh well, it's not a race, it's a marathon... blah, blah, blah... I know!

And finally, I'm sooo tired. I am most assuredly not getting enough sleep. We are in bed at 9:00 - 9:30 p.m. and I wake up at 5:15 a.m. (give or take 5-10 minutes). But, honestly, I have been known to fall asleep on the sofa at 7 p.m. Seriously, I could go to bed at 8:30 p.m. and have no regrets about it, other than the fact that it shows I'm old and soooo not cool for staying up in the wee hours futzing around on Facebook or watching mindless TV, because that is what I'd be doing if I were up past 10:00 p.m. So, the question is... what time do you go to bed; what time do you wake up; and on average how much sleep do you need to feel human? Do you use the weekends to 'catch-up' on sleep? I need some sleep help!

Headache

This week, Kyla came to me with her hand on her forehead saying her head hurt.

Then she said, "Mommy, my brain has stopped thinking."

I just love my little five year old!

My poor pitiful blog {sigh}

I feared this would happen. My blogging would take a backseat to my job.

{sigh}

Truth be told, I have a lot I want to say, but not a lot of time to sit down and thoughtfully put it into comprehensible text. So, I neglect.

I know... I KNOW! I have put a lot of time, effort and energy into this blog and to see it dwindle down to 1-2 posts a week... well, quite frankly, it breaks my heart. It is like a clock that is slowly winding down... tick, tick, tick, until finally it stops. Frozen in time.

I will say, I do not want that for my beloved blog. But, truthfully, I just can't keep it up like I used to. So, don't "unsubscribe" to my blog simply because I am not updating as often. Rather instead, keep on subscribing to my blog to help me celebrate the small victories I call "create a post".

Much love,
Erica

Another tooth?

The toothfairy strikes again!

Look what we had!

At least there is an upside to spring storms!

50 days

Oh my... Elisan came home from school today and informed me that she has 50 days of school left until the end of the year.

Wha? Already? I'm JUST now getting into the groove of school and the nerve of it all... it is almost over.

I don't know about you, but 10 weeks is just around the corner. Please someone make time slow down... for goodness sakes!

Coming Clean

I know most of you will probably have one of two reactions to my update:

1.) Really? I'm surprised...
2.) It was only a matter of time...

The news is that I have gained about 5 pounds. Yes, it is true. Five pounds and it is all in my butt.

I can blame it on several things... since working I've lost the luxury of spending 1.5 hours in the gym every day. Or, the fact that I scaled back my cardio in lieu of weight lifting, thus lowering my metabolism... of course, if I had been weight lifting consistently, my metabolism would probably still be up there. Or, I could blame it on my winter evening snack which consisted of a big ol mug of steaming homemade hot chocolate... don't forget the mountain of whipped cream I would occassionally add (oh, who am I kidding... it was more than occassional) AND the tablespoon of choc. syrup I'd add as a finishing touch.

Honestly, I blame my weight gain on the hot chocolate. Furthermore, I blame Elisan's school for it. See? The reason is that they had a Valentine's Ice Cream party and I signed up to bring 2 cans of whipped cream and 2 bottles chocolate syrup. But, they didn't use it all, so I brought it back home. Rather than seeing it go to waste here, began (slowly) adding a smidgen here and a smidgen there. Then, it was so yummy, I could hardly control myself. Soon, I was piling on mountains of the yummy whipped cream! I even bought another can once I polished off the leftover cans from the party!

I quickly snapped to my senses (when all of my homemade hot chocolate mix was gone) and have repented. And what do I have to show for it? Five pounds of stubborn weight that is not budging!

There is a lesson in all of this... stay away from the whipped cream.

Impending Dread

About this time each year I get that feeling in the pit of my stomach of dread.

I dread the upcoming 7 months of excruciating heat. Yeah, that's right... April through October. And don't say I'm exaggerating either... you Texan's know good and well that most Halloween nights your kids are sweating in their costumes.

So, the dread part... yeah, that is sad isn't it? Don't get me wrong, I love Spring. LOVE IT. I love the promise that Spring brings... new life, green grass, budding flowers, etc., etc. Oh sure, that's all great! But, what I don't like is the drastic end to winter we always seem to have around here.

There is not 'easing' into Spring. Nope. It's cold one week, then BAM! it's 80+ the next week and there ain't no looking back.

I know there are some of you out there that love the heat and say, "Bring it on!", and yes, to some teeny-tiny part of me agrees, because I don't do winter well either...but man, it is already hot outside.

So, now the dilemma is: since we are experiencing 80+ temps, is it okay for flip-flops? How about sandals? Tank tops? Bright Spring-y colors? Summery handbags?

What's the protocol here? Because really, I don't know how much black I can wear in the blazing sun.

Okay, that's all on the matter...

Dirty Little Secret

If I had more time, I'd submit a weekly blog post called "Dirty Little Secrets", but I don't have time anymore since I began a job and since I've turned off the computer.

But, here is today's dirty little secret...

Did you know that you can pop whole kernel popcorn in a brown paper sack in the microwave? Ummm, yeah. I didn't know either until I can across an article somewhere about it. Honestly, the idea escaped me until last week when I was cruising the popcorn section looking for those 100 calorie mini-bags of popcorn. Then I saw the price - and then I remembered the cheap version of microwave popcorn.

So, I cruised on over to the paper good aisle, bought 100 brown paper sacks for $1.50 and never looked back at the popcorn aisle again!

So, how do you do it? Well, it is a trial and error kind of thing, since everyone's microwave is different. But, I'll tell you what worked for me.

1/4 cup popcorn
1 brown bag
2 mins in the microwave on High.

There ya go... Easy enough! I am sure you could add a drop or two of oil and salt, etc. before you pop it, but since I wanted plain 'ole non-flavored popcorn, I just added a smidgen of popcorn salt at the end.

So, go on... try out this dirty little secret!

When I think about my childhood

When I think about my childhood friends, my first thought is about Amy and Amanda, my two oldest friends.

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to get together and visit. Amy, who lives in Dallas drove down to Austin to see a friend who's husband is stationed in Germany. Her college friend was in town for a couple of days and Amy was able to sneak away to come for a visit.

While she was down in Austin, we all made plans to meet at Amanda's house (who also lives in Austin) for a visit!

It was just like old times and before we knew it, THREE hours had passed and we were still talking and catching up. We even broke out the old high school annual and talked about all of the people we've reconnected with through Facebook. It was such a great time and I wish we could get together more often.

It is a good reminder about what having a GOOD friend is all about! Someone who knows you... (from the time I was 8/9 years old) who has seen you have failures and triumphs, yet, still loves you. Someone who accepts you... knows the basis of your beliefs... and at the end of the day, understands you completely.

Thanks Amanda and Amy for such a great time yesterday. LOVE YOU!

Sans Kids

We are without our kids again this week! This week makes 3 weeks we have been without our kids since July!

We have gone from zero time together since having kids to lots of time together. I'll admit, it has been nice.

But, of course, I miss my girls. They are having fun and being well cared for... so that is all I can ask for. Heck, they must be having fun, because they haven't checked in with us today.

Hmmmm, perhaps I need to call them and make sure they are not having too much fun. Uh oh... too late... they are already in bed Randy just found out. Oh well... maybe tomorrow...

Until then, Randy and I will have a nice quiet (or maybe not - hint! - hint!) evening to ourselves!

Musical!

The second graders put on a musical last week! It was so cute!
Elisan also had a musical, but I was busy video recording it,
that I didn't get pictures of her singing at the microphone.
But, rest assured, it was very sweet and made my heart proud!

How do you... (edited)

... handle a question of integrity? When a person you respect acts in a way that is unbecoming... or, you simply question their integrity behind their decision and/or action (even if it doesn't affect you)...

I ask because recently Randy presented a situation to me that happened to him and I was amazed at his lack of response. My initial reaction was "getting all emotional" about it... But, he was... "Why even waste my energy..."

So...how do you respond?

Do you:

1.) Get all emotional?
2.) Vent to anyone who will listen?
3.) Bottle it up inside?
4.) Ask God to help you get over it?
5.) Never get upset over other people's actions/decisions that don't affect you?

I'm curious.

Me? I think I am #1-4 (in that order...)

First Game

Saturday marked the first soccer games for both girls!
It was a good day... although very windy and cool outside.

Here is Randy congratulating Elisan after she scored a goal.
I think this is my new favorite picture!

Here's Kyla and her teammate celebrating a score for their team!

Here's Kyla and me snuggling to keep warm!