Cleaning Poem

Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'computering',
And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick...
I was just admiring my work...
I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site.
That I got SO way into.
I was into it all night
Nothing's changed except my mouse
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess...
While I sit here on my hiney.

** For the record, my house isn't a mess, it needs to be vacuumed, but it's not a mess. I just thought the poem was cute. LOL.

A Must See Movie: Fireproof

We just returned home from a wonderful evening with friends. My mother in law called a couple of days ago and said she would be coming down today to see the movie Fireproof in our local theaters, as it wasn't playing in any of the surrounding theaters where she lives. She offered to come hang out with the girls so that we could see a movie, grab dinner, or both. As appreciative as I am to have had the offer, honestly, after all the running I did this week and as busy as I was, not to mention now I have the start of a cold, I was looking forward to not leaving the house at all today. Lounging about, doing nothing, nadda, not a single thing, except maybe reading. :)

And then Plan B came to mind. Earlier this afternoon, the thought crossed my mind to ask if Carol wouldn't mind watching Keith and Amy's daughter so that we could go on a double date together and you know, talk uninterrupted without any kids, etc. I knew she'd be more than happy to and that's exactly what we did this evening. We went and saw Fireproof, and then had a wonderfully yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. We had a great time and it was nice to get out with our friends and no kids!

This is a MUST SEE movie for any married couple. Whether you have marital problems or not. It'll minister to you and show you how, or remind you, how to love your spouse unselfishly and unconditionally, the way Christ loves. I wouldn't mind seeing this movie again, it was THAT good. For more information, visit the website Fireproofmymarriage.com.

An Awesome Concert!

We had a great time last night at the Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay concert! Got home at a rather late hour, or should I say a very early hour of the morning?? LOL. Four bands total played. In between each band there was a 20-25 minute break while they set the stage for the next band, etc. Jars of Clay was the opening act. We missed all but two of their songs because we were hoping to get to Meet and Greet with some of the bands, but unfortunately the company putting on the show didn't come through for those of us in our group from Air 1. The band that played second, none of us had ever heard of them, The Robert Randolph Family Band. They were okay. They basically took up time we'd have rather seen more of Third Day and Switchfoot.Switchfoot was the third act and they were awesome! Steven and I first saw them over ten years ago when they participated in one of the Harvest Crusade Outreaches held at Disneyland! They played some of my favorite songs, including the song they wrote for Prince Caspian. The fourth and final band was Third Day and they were even better than when Amy and I saw them at the House of Blues in February. They definitely could have played a lot of longer, although it was getting late and way beyond when I normally to sleep. LOL.

Wahooo!

Wahoo! It's finally Friday, and after the busy, busy week I've had with all the running around I've done, I'm looking forward to the weekend being here and not leaving the house on Saturday and resting, and catching up on some reading. :) But first, there's tonight!!!

Amy and I are leaving early afternoon and getting into stalker mode and will venture early to our concert venue where tonight we will see Third Day, Switchfoot, and Jars of Clay! We already have a backstage meet and greet to attend, but Amy's hoping to get in on some of the sound checks, etc. It's going to be a night of great, great music!!

And what's even better about the night...we're getting in totally FREE!!! Thanks to Amy's hard work volunteering at Spirit West Coast in May! Thanks Amy for taking me!! And thanks Keith for giving up being a good sport about Amy giving away your ticket.

Book Study with Friends

Tomorrow night begins the Women's Bible Fellowship at our church. Our church has a lot of working women therefore the Bible Fellowship meets in the evenings. I gave it a try last year and enjoyed the fellowship, but for me personally, I don't like evening studies. Because I am a stay at home mom, I prefer to do things in the day, where I am still available for my family in the evenings, before the busyness of the day sets in with homework, making dinner, baths, etc.

I was excited when a Mommy friend from school and church called a couple weeks ago and shared with me her idea of gathering some women and doing a book study together. She is also a stay at home mom with the same idea of wanting to be home in the evenings with her family, etc.

We begin this morning and we'll be going through Elizabeth George's book The Remarkable Women of the Bible. We will meet every other Wednesday morning in her home to discuss the book and have a time of fellowship. There are a couple of us from our church, and a couple women from the school she has invited to join us. It's informal, and I can take Rachel with me. I am so looking forward to this starting and getting to know a few of the other ladies better!

Not Like I Had Planned

So today didn't turn out like I had planned, with picking up the new Karen Kingsbury book and having five kid free hours this morning. Having time to read, perhaps dragging out my Fall decorations, etc.

Once I arrived to preschool this morning, they needed me to substitute. I was SO bummed. I could have said I couldn't, but truthfully, I didn't have anything pressing to do. LOL. So it was a busy morning, supervising on the playgrounds and accompanying some of the classes on their "hikes" around the preschool/church grounds. Rachel already had her heart set on staying for lunch and had her lunch packed so she stayed and I ran a couple errands until it was time to pick her up at 2:00 and then hightailed it to the other end of town to pick up Hannah at 2:15. And then it was home to do our afternoon routine of homework, dinner preparations, etc, etc.

**********************************************In other news, today marks my Dad's 40th anniversary with the company he works for. How awesome it that!?!?! He and my mom had a big celebratory dinner with the company in June, but today is his actual anniversary date. Forty years is very impressive and not many people can say they've been with the same company that long! Congrats Dad!

I will no longer get paid when I work at the preschool. Instead, what I would have earned in monetary value will now be applied to Rachel's tuition! So I'll get the full value and no taxes will be taken out! Yahoo! That's pretty cool! And considering that I worked today and last Thursday, next month's tuition is already almost half paid for! LOL.

Time to put the girls to bed, go put up my aching feet, and settle in for The Biggest Loser or Dancing with the Stars and get rested up for tomorrow!

The End of a Series

As a reader of Karen Kingsbury books, I've been waiting for this day for months!

Hitting the shelves today is the final book in the Baxter Drama series (Redemption, Firstborn, Sunrise series). This has been a series of thirteen books all following members of the same family, and sadly today, the last book, book fourteen, is being released.

I'm happy to have a book to read and pick up where the last one left off, but at the same time, I'm sad to see the stories and happenings of this family come to an end.

Rachel has asked to stay for Lunch Bunch at school today, which lasts two hours longer than her normal preschool day...which gives me plenty of uninterrupted reading time! :)

Starting to Redecorate

As you can see, I've started decorating for Fall and I started with my Blog!

I'm still in the process of tweaking it. If the font color is hard to read or see, please leave a comment, letting me know, etc. Thanks!

First Day of Fall!

While the leaves on the trees here in Southern California don't show it, the calendar sure does! Today is the first day of Fall, my favorite season!

The days are already becoming shorter, as it's getting dark shortly after seven. Soon, we'll be faced with warm days and Santa Ana winds. It's tIme to be thinking about the upcoming holidays, that will soon be here as well. And on a not so nice note, we've officially entered into the "fire season" as things are dry after a hot summer. The season is changing and it sure is welcomed after our long hot summer.

As I take stuff down and decorate for Fall, this will be the last that some of my things will be seen until after the New Year, for once Fall is done, then it's time to decorate for Christmas. Which is only 3 months away this week!! :::Gasp!:::

Peanut Butter Anyone??

We go through a lot of peanut butter in our house between PB&J sandwiches, PB and crackers, PB on toast, and the girls like PB on their frozen pancakes. We can go through a small jar in about 2 weeks. So when I got the local grocery store mailer ad last week, I was excited to see the three day special going on until supplies last, on Skippy Peanut Butter.

The special is a 15 oz jar for just .99 cents!! With a limit of four. The regular price of the Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter is $3.29 at this store normally, but I usually can find it at Target or Walmart for $2.29.

We hit one store on our way to church, me in one line with my four, Hannah in another line with her four. Then we hit another store after church on our way home, again, me and Hannah each with separate orders. I have sixteen jars, yes you read that right, sixteen jars of peanut butter!!!

If you go by the price this store normally sells this at, sixteen jars at 3.29 each would have cost me $52.64. Or if I had bought it at Target or Walmart for $2.29 each, sixteen jars would have cost me $36.64. But instead, because of this sale, I only spent $15.84!!! Pretty good savings on something we will definitely be using!!!


Incase you're wondering why I have two jars of regular Skippy, I bought those to make some peanut butter balls that my mother in law has a recipe for. And I'm not sure how the recipe would do with the all natural PB.

Route 66

My brothers band, The Riverside Blues Club, was the opening act last night at Route 66. They did an awesome job! The lighting, the sound, the lead vocals, all the instruments, all awesome. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed seeing my brother up there playing and having a good time. Proud of ya man. :)

What was even more funnier was the people that came out of the crowd. At first it was this one lady. She didn't just dance one song, she danced the entire set, right up until the band took a break! And then she never came back. She was funny to watch and even ended her final dance with the splits! She told us she was 65!

There were others who came out to dance as well. Some were good and were fun to watch, and then there were some ones that were bad and even funnier to watch!!! Like this lady, she was funny, but we were afraid she might break into a strip tease and not leave anyone teased but would really take stuff off!! And then there was this guy, who as my brother put it "was angry at the ground or something".

That was all fun. But you know, outside that stage area, that place gave me the creeps. We had to park about six blocks away from the stage and walk through the streets lined with vendors and beer gardens. People smoking and playing loud music. The area of town isn't good and the type of people that came out after dark were downright creepy and scary, obviously, cause some of them came to show off their moves. LOL. But seriously, if it weren't for the band playing there, we wouldn't have gone. But we left with some good laughs from the evening, that's for sure!

Prayer Requests

It seems like everytime you turn on TV or the radio, you hear of tragedies - the devastation of Hurricane Ike, Metrolink crashes, as well as things that hit a little closer to home, such as friends and family members being diagnosed with cancer.

In recent days, I've received news of two new prayer requests, one for a newly diagnosed cancer, and one for a return of cancer. Won't you please join in prayer for these friends and family members:

My Friend Diana - Stage 4 lung cancer. Metasized to the bones, her pelvis, spots on her liver, her kidney. Currently home with a home health nurse visiting daily. Had appointment to discuss chemo options, plan of care, etc. Essentially has days to months left. She knows the Lord.

Keith's Dad, Bob - Has esophageal cancer. Currently receiving chemo and soon to begin radiation.

Keith's Twin Sister, Stacey - Diagnosed this week with Breast Cancer. Seeking second opinions and planning out care.

Keith's Nephew, Noah - This sweet little boy is just four years old (the same age as our Rachel) and in early 2007 was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. Over the course of the last year, he's had chemo, radiation, bone marrow transplant, and numerous other medical things done to him. The middle of August marked his one year milestone of being in remission. Sadly, this last week, after numerous body scans, Noah's cancer has come back in four spots and it came back fast and hard. He begins chemo next Monday. Please pray for his parents, Scott and Diane as they are recently divorced and facing their son battling cancer once again.

Remembering Grandpa

It's hard to believe, but today marks five years since my Grandfather passed away.

He was a smart man, and a very good steward with money. He was quiet, which was often take as him being grumpy, but he wasn't. A lot of the family misunderstood him and kept their distance.

It's been five years, and he is missed, our family isn't the same without Grandpa.

Funny Quote

On the main road to Disneyland, we pass by a lumber company that always has the best quotes and sayings listed on the marquee out front. The quote on the marquee on Saturday had both Amy and I laughing so hard, because it's so true:

"In forty years, there will thousands of old women
running around with tattoos. Ewww".

Fall TV Season Beginning Soon

In just two weeks, the Fall TV season will start up. And these are some things I'm looking forward to:

Amazing Race
Suvivor:Gabon
CSI
Dancing with the Stars
Grey's Anatomy
ER
The Biggest Loser

Are there any shows you're particularly looking forward to?

Friendship is a Gift

Over a year ago, the closest girlfriend I had packed up her house and moved. She moved far away, to the other side of the country to be exact. She was the closet friend I'd had in years, figuratively and physically, she lived right next door!!!

The Lord knew how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to Christy. And that's why, on July 21 of last year, He allowed us to run into a familiar family at a church function being held at the local mini amusement park. We spent the entire day with Keith and Amy and their daughter Bethany. Their boys were off doing their own thing. It was from that day on, that we started doing more and more and more things together. We've gotten to know each other really well over the last year and I know that their friendship was a gift from the Lord.

Amy's friendship didn't replace what I had with Christy. It's a special friendship all on its own and I'm so thankful for her.

This past weekend, Amy and I were talking about cleaning solutions and what works and how she'd hit the jackpot in a cleaner that made her kitchen linoleum look like new.

To make a long story of how we went back and forth on Monday about how I wouldn't let her come clean my floor, she came and cleaned my floor on Monday night!! LOL. After her long day at work, after getting her kids home from three different schools, etc. She was so jazzed about this cleaner she came over and I literally sat and watched her mop my kitchen floor. Now THAT's a friend for you!

Thanks again, Amy! You're a special friend!Amy wouldn't let me take a picture of her mopping my floor,
and while I thought it wasn't all that bad,
it wasn't until she started mopping that I could see
that my floor was just a very even shade of grey!

9-11 Anniversary

It's the 7th anniversary of 9-11.

Where were you when you heard the devastating news?

We were home. It was early when we heard the news, before 6:30 am. My mom called to tell us to turn the news on. And from that point on, we were glued to the television for days....

A Great, Great Day

Picture taken on Autopia.

Rachel and I went to Disneyland today. We had a great, great time.

For months, we've met family or have gone with friends. Every time we've gone has been go, go, go. Hitting this ride, on to the next, etc, etc. There's nothing wrong with that, it's been a long time since I've just gone and strolled. Taken it easy. Took in the sights, the smells, and 'magic'.

Today was a great day. The weather was in the mid 80s, the crowds were few, and Rachel and I did what we wanted, including sitting on a bench! And soon, we will officially enter what is my most favorite time of the year at Disneyland...the holidays!!

Mom's Taxi - Back in Service!

Preschool started today. Therefore my Tuesdays and Thursdays are crazy with running back and forth to the girls schools.

Hannah gets dropped off at 8:00. Take Rachel to school at 9:00. Pick Rachel up from school at 12:00. Pick Hannah up from school at 2:15.

Yeah, that's a lot of running on these two days. I'm considering painting the van yellow....

Skimping

When we first got married, it was agreed upon that there are two things you just don't skimp on:

Toliet Paper
and
Macaroni & Cheese

I discovered something else to be added to that list:

Tampons

Enough Said. LOL. Do you have a list of items you absolutely won't skimp on by buying generic, or an off brand??

YUMMY Cheese Muffins

Last week on Pioneer Woman's website, she had a recipe for cheese muffins. I thought they looked yummy and would be the perfect compliment to last nights dinner, lasagna casserole. I made these muffins and WOW! These were awesome!

They almost resemble the yummy biscuits/muffins you get when you go to Red Lobster. I highly endorse this recipe!! This recipe most definitely gets printed on a recipe card and put in the box to keep!

Picture taken from Pioneer Women's website.

Fig’s Cheese Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (I used salted)

Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together.
Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.

Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12

Prayers for My Friend

Two months ago, as some of you are aware, my friend Diana was admitted to the hospital. I wrote a post about it then. Her lung was filled with fluid, they placed a drain, and after a week and a half in the hospital, she was released.

Long story short, her lung filled up again. And last week, I got the call from her as she was literally heading back to the hospital to be admitted because a lung biopsy had diagnosed her with lung cancer.

I finally was able to get ahold of one of Diana's long time friends this morning. And Diana's condition is VERY grave.

Diana has stage 4 cancer. The cancer is not only in her lungs, but it has spread throughout her entire body - her bones, her liver, her kidney, her pelvis. Her cancer is so bad that chemo isn't even an option, chemo would literally kill her. They've given her anywhere from days to months to live.

They are working on getting her released to go home on Hospice. There are complications and things that need to be in place before that is done. Diana's family is not being supportive, nor are they being helpful in making decisions, etc. They are basically leaving her alone, not wanting to deal with her, etc.

Please keep Diana in your prayers.

For peace.

For strength.

For her family to 'get a grip'.

Middle of the Week Ramblings

It's Wednesday evening and I can't believe we're in the middle of another week. We are three days into September and soon, the holidays will be upon us. Soon we'll be on the brink of a new year.

Our weekend was busy.

Hannah's karate tournament on Saturday went well, and if you follow her blog, you know that she did well and even placed in her sparring competition.

Rachel's birthday has now come and gone. Her party was a huge success and it was nice to have friends and family join us for the occasion. It's hard to believe she's four years old.

On Monday, we lazed about the better part of the morning and then headed to my brother and sister-in-law's house for a Labor Day gathering. Sitting pool side, and then later relaxing in the comforts of the air conditioning, it was a nice way to end the busy, busy weekend.

Things around here are about to change again. Next Tuesday, Rachel starts preschool two days a week. And that means my Tuesdays and Thursdays will be busy ones with a lot running the girls to and from school. I'm looking forward to having a few hours a week to myself. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but at the end of the school year last Spring, I was asked to be on the preschool board. I'm excited about participating in that this year. More than likely, this will be our last year in the preschool setting and it'll be fun to participate in a little bit of the decision making.

I'm looking forward to Fall. Despite not really having a change in seasons here in Southern California, it's my favorite season. There are some days when it's so hot, and it's dry, that it feels like a Fall day and I look forward to bringing out my fall decor, and making a trip to Oak Glen, and to our pumpkin patch, and other activities I associate with the season. And once Fall is here, it'll be official, the holidays will practically be upon us. Again, where does the time go?

I think I've rambled enough this fine Wednesday evening. It is now time to go listen to Governor Sarah Palin make her speech at the Republican National Convention. Have a great rest of the week!