Just A Little Break In My Schedule...

I have not been that regular about posting this week. I cooked the Wednesday evening meal last week for our church meal and fed about 80 people Macaroni AlForno, salad, Italian garlic bread and fresh sugar cookies. Yum, yum...

I have also been watching another girl all week for the parents plus the other young girl that I routinely watch on Fridays and Mondays, so I have been a little busy. I also cooked the Lions Club meal today, baked pork chops, mashed potatoes, pork gravy, peas and carrots, salad and a double layer german chocolate sheet cake, yum, yum...

In addition, I am working to get the enchilada dinner organized for our band booster fundraiser. It is happening on the 23rd and we routinely feed 350, we have a goal of feeding 400 this year, so a little hectic lately for me. But that will probably be my routine for the next couple of months, hectic...

Fall Afternoon Of Fun

While dad was remodeling in the kitchen, littlest and I spent alot of time outside enjoying the beautiful Fall weather. He mastered tossing of the mulch, stuffing of the knothole, sliding down the slide face first and eating of bark. He favorite word this afternoon, was 'whee' as he threw around leaves, dirt, etc. He had a ball and we were outside for 1 1/2 hours!!! It truly was perfect, wish you could have been there, check out some more really cute photos from our adventure.

Fall Afternoon of Fun 2008

Kitchen Remodeling

It's amazing what one can accomplish under extreme pressure!!!

My DH is thoroughly remodeling our home. We purchased a ranch style tract home circa 1960's which needed alot of work done to it. As we said, it has good bones and the original owner really put quality products in the home, so we have a pretty good foundation to work with. Unfortunately, there was an owner in the late 1990's who probably watched one too many home remodeling shows and had no skills, so there is alot of painting projects that were done in a very poor manner. The saddest part is that they spent quite abit of money on a kitchen remodel project that was done at a very poor quality level and was incomplete. Whoever did the project for them didn't finish with the wallpapering, finishing out the wood trim around the baseboards, etc. The greatest frustration is that they put in new tile counters that didn't hold up to any intense use, the mortar was a very cheap and poor quality and would just powder up, so there are loose, broken, dislodged tiles all over the place. So a little frustrating for us.

What can I say, we got the house at a really good price. The house couldn't sell in a town where houses were being snatched up right and left at the time. So that says a little about the condition of the property. My DH is a remodeling expert, or is becoming one over all of the years of my and his mother's honey do's. We were planning to complete the kitchen remodel as the last room on our list, since it would be the most expensive, but he started tackling the project last week. This is going to be a pretty major remodel when it is all said and done, at least for us. He is tearing out my oversize pantry that was too awkward. The cabinets were over 2 1/2 feet deep, I called it the great abyss, things would get lost for years in there. He is building me a larger but not as deep pantry off to the side wall, I am thrilled, it will be so much more functional. That will allow us to then tear out the current pantry, a cabinet and shelves around the sink area thereby opening up the kitchen to look out over our greatroom, therefore making it a more traditional great room. We then will have a long counter by our sink and he will have about a six foot bar area looking out to the greatroom, which will be excellent for so many things!!!

Can you tell that I am thrilled?

The timecrunch is that the holidays are upon us and we hope to be hosting several family members during the Xmas season. So a little bit of pressure to my husband's remodeling!!!

It is exciting and I am thrilled that my DH has the skills, he really does do excellent work when it is all said and done. We will have new texturing, new repaint of the cabinets, new trim on top of the cabinets, new light fixture, new laminate counters, new lineoleum floors, etc.

A newly refurbished kitchen is my Xmas present, Birthday present, Anniversary present, etc!!! I couldn't have asked for anything better!!!

Check out some more pictures. Kitchen Remodeling 2008

Angel Food Ministries

Our church is a new host site for the Angel Food Ministries. My entire family is thrilled!!! My mother got us hooked onto the ministry over a year ago and our family has purchased several times and feel it is a tremendous benefit to families. Also, if you are looking to minimize your food budget in order to contribute more to benefit others, this will help your family accomplish that goal.

Check out the ministry...

About Angel Food Ministries - Angel Food Ministries

What Is It All About?

It's getting near to that time of year, when we all need to be reminded about what Christmas is all about.

Family Holiday Priorities
Sharing Our Faith
Fellowship with Family and Friends
Good Food, and
Making Memories

Our family reviewed and discussed what our priorities are and we work to affirm them during the holiday season. It just helps to keep all of the demands you face on your time, talents and resources in the right priority and perspective.

I hope you enjoy this reminder about....

True Meaning of Christmas

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out next to the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement . . .

"TEACH THE CHILDREN!" I was puzzled. What did he mean? He anticipated my question and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children!

Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten. "Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. "Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise."

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."

He then pulled from his bag an ORNAMENT of himself. "Teach the children that I, Santa Claus, symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."

He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him.

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that he gave his begotten son." Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. "Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL,. "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.

Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship him, our LORD, our GOD."

Thanks for a reminder about the 'True Meaning Of Christmas'.

Trick or Treat 2008

Well the season for Trick or Treating sure came up really fast this year. This was our first year to go out and about with our littlest. We were able to go to the local 'Trunk or Treat' event at a local church. My DH and I have never participated, so we were a little shocked to see a line of over 200 kids at least to go through the trunk or treat, they probably had over 400 kids when it was all said and done. The church backs up about 15 cars in their parking lot and they hand out candy to the little kids, good idea and alot safer if you don't know which houses to go to, plus it was a really good opportunity to visit with parents and see alot of really neat costumes.

Needless to say our littlest was a little overwhelmed by it all!!! But he got the hang of it pretty fast. Also, he has never eaten candy before, so this was a night for alot of firsts.... Amazingly, he zeroed in on the lollipops in his goodie bag and by the time we left he had eaten over 3 lollipops!!! Sugar on a stick!!! I think we might have created a new candy monster...

He went as a race car driver, I think he was really cute and he didn't fuss over wearing any part of it and kept the hat on, once he saw all of the kids dressed up. Plus he loved to swing and run around with his pumpkin candy holder. Then we went back home and he helped dad hand out candy. Sorry I don't have any photos, but momma had to go the HS football game and work the concession stand as a band booster. From what I hear, he had a ball running to give out candy, he was running to meet the kids when they got to our driveway regardless of how scarey some of their costumes were and was handing out hugs as well as candy and had a ball waving to everyone as they left. He is 'Mr. Social'.

His usual bedtime is about 9:00pm and that night my DH was lucky to get him in bed by 10:30 and apparently he didn't put up a fight at all, he must have been exhausted. So I think he got into the swing of things and probably can't wait until next year!!!

Check out the rest of the photos!!!

Trick or Treat 2008

My Littlest, Another Day, Another Word!!!

I have not written about this until now, but I have been a little bit intense about my littlest DS not really embracing speaking. He is now 27 months old and still is very much into his own language.

I guess I am feeling a little like it might be a reflection of something that I have done wrong or not done enough of, I am taking it personally.

My DH says not to worry, but I have still been worried...

Our littlest suffers from allergies, and I have learned not to take him to the doctor for routine antibiotics and have learned to work through the occasional three day period of ear inflammation, sore throat, drippy nose, etc.

You see when my teenage DS was little he suffered with allergies also. There were numerous nights when he was having earaches and his sister would place him on her chest and sleep with him in the recliner, she couldn't bear to hear him cry because the pressure on his eardrums was hurting him. I routinely had him on antibiotics, talked with doctors on whether or not he needed tubes in his ears, etc. An ENT surgeon that I worked with, even though he routinely was putting tubes in kids ears everyday, so he would never put his own child through the procedure, too much risk with anesthesia. Plus all of the teachings about our children developing into antibiotic resistant individuals because of our inappropriate and misuse of routine antibiotics when they are of no benefit to the healing process, especially with allergies and ear infections.

So some of the reasoning behind our decisions against antibiotics and surgical intervention, but sometimes you wonder if you might have a child with a hearing loss.

Our teenage DS lived through the experiences, had no speech impediment and only shows minor hearing damage from the first three years of his allergy struggles.

So I have some history with being fearful re: possible hearing loss.

With our littlest, he said the obligatory mama, dada at the right stages and then stopped after about one week, really haven't heard it since. He developed his own language at about 11 months old and hasn't demonstrated too much interest in acquiring any of our language. So when you might be expecting him to say cup, cow, ear, no, yes, etc. He doesn't... But, it is weird, he has said multi-word statments out of the blue, here and there...i.e. what are you doing?, etc. He just is not into single word statments.

So my intensity has gotten a little worse over the past few weeks. I have been reading and researching the subject quite abit. Do I need to get him into an Early Childhood Intervention Program, do we need to get his hearing tested, etc?

My DH has remained calm throughout my ramblings and said that there is nothing wrong with our littlest, he doesn't have a hearing loss, chooses not to speak when prompted and not to worry!

Well, it seems that within the last week, when my intesity for worry has increased, now all of a sudden his latest statement is 'what's that?' and making 'duhduhduh' and 'buhbuhbuh' phrases all of the time.

He still laughs extremely hard at me when I am reading to him, he wants to look at books himself and doesn't want mom around, laughs when I say his numbers, colors, letters, etc. and runs away.

So I guess I need to take a 'chill pill' as my DH says and just trust my littlest and the Lord for helping him to learn and develop his skills at the pace and rate that he chooses and not according to what I think he should be doing!!!

So excuse me when I might post about my being thrilled when my littlest says a new word or phrase!!!

I guess we all still have a lot to learn?!?

Encouraging Your Child

I guess you could call me a mom who can put on some pressure?!?

I have strongly encouraged my darling teenage son to step up to some challenges. I thought this year academically would be too easy for my son, but it has surprisingly turned out to be pretty intense. He is now practicing his alto sax about 1 to 2 hours per day in preparation for the All Region Band tryouts Dec 3. In addition to that he is active with the NHS and their activities re: the National Election. Plus he is working on his homework about 1 to 3 hours per day depending on the course.

I have been speaking with him trying to see if he might be interested in attending a prestigious christian college in Illinois? (NO) possibly applying for a military academy, you know the tuition would be free and they are the top ranked universities in the country for science and engineering majors? (NO) applying for Harvard, Yale, etc. (NO) So as you can see I am narrowing down the field of choices or directions to investigate based on my extensive questioning...

So I just had to find another opportunity for him in the field of science/engineering/math, possbily an experience that might be of benefit and allow him to narrow down his possible career/major choices and something prestigious to apply for...

This time he didn't exactly say no!!! Whoo Hoo!!! The Texas Aerospace Scholars program!!! He just said he is filling overwhelmed with keeping up with all of his coursework, classes, practices, etc and didn't see how he could add in another set of deadlines, so he was willing to try but just didn't see how...

So I asked him if he would would be willing to try if I acted as secretary. He agreed so I filled out as much of the paperwork as I could, higlighted where he needed to sign, made sure he accomplished the deadlines as outlined, got copies made, itemized his responsibilities of work to complete and broke down the steps so he didn't feel overwhelmed, one letter here, another there(letter to State senator requesting nomination, letter to Principal requesting nomination, etc.) and mailed it off. And he completed everything within the timeframe, and didn't complain, now just the waiting...

It looks like an interesting program, so check it out. Texas Aerospace Scholars Program If selected he will hear by Dec 19th, he will be assigned online work every two weeks to be completed during the year and then he will hear if he is chosen to participate in a 1 week internship at Johnson Space Center this summer, all expenses paid. The other great thing, is that if he is nominated to participate and chooses to continue with this program, there is a possibility for being an intern at Johnson Space Center during his college career!!!

Okay, I will back off and try to calm down. I am just thrilled he agreed to apply!!! I think it would be a tremendous opportunity for him and hope that he is selected, I also think it would help him to understand whether or not, he is interested in being a possible science/egineering major.

It was also interesting to my DS to see how the staff at the high school was jumping through hoops and scrambling to get his transcripts and his letter from the principal just right...An opportunity for a local high school student to be offered a position in this program, would be of importance to the entire community, just one of the items of interest in living in a small town. So he was kinda' surprised about their extreme willingness to help once they knew what it was for...a source of community pride.

The other thing my DS has said is 'no way am I going to be an astronaut and fly in space, mom!'.

I guess we will see, as far as I am concerned 'the sky is not the limit for my DS!'.

Updated Band Photos

Some more photos from a recent HS football game, note to review pictures #65 and #69, not the greatest photos, but they highlight a really cute teenage DS.

Friona Star Floydada game photos

Of note, boy we have to put in alot of hours as band booster parents! Not only do we make sure that all of the band kids receive a snack at all home games, plus drink but we provide the meals and also snacks and drinks at all away games. We have raised over $2000 this year alone and that is before we cook our 15th annual Enchilada dinner the Sunday before Thanksgiving! That should bring in another $1500 after expenses. I also need to say that we don't take out any of the band funds to provide the food for the kids at their events, we have the parents contribute or cook it all as a donation. We typically feed 55 kids each game and tomorrow night we are hosting the 7th and 8th graders for the game as well. So we will be feeding over 85 kids for that game!!! Tomorrow night, I get the priviledge to work the football concession stand with some other band parents. We are able to make $250 for working the stand and this will be our second time this season. What we won't do for money! All for assisting our kids with their expenses if they make the state level for solo/ensemble (pays for Fiesta Texas entry fees, dinners and other fun events) and to offset their trip which occurs every other year. This is not our year to travel but we are full steam ahead for our fundraising efforts. They hope to travel to the Ozarks for their trip next year, now that would be fun!!!

Operation Christmas Child

It's that special time of year!!! Christmas is upon us, but I must share one of our families special ways to kick off the holiday season. If you have never participated I encourage you and your family to contribute to this special ministry. Our family has been blessed to be a part of Operation Christmas Child for the past 5 years.

It is a special way to provide some much needed items for children around the world and to share the gospel and plan of salvation.

We have been saving up gift items throughout the year and we typically fill up and send two to four boxes per year.

Click on the link and see how to participate.