God, NyQuil and the weather...and not necessarily in that order

My house is quiet. Did you get that? Quiet...in the middle of the day. The only time that happens is if sweet hubby takes the children and leaves. I'm pretty sure he's still here, so I think they all must have succumbed to a nap. I did not give them NyQuil...really, I didn't.

Life continues at the speed of light. We are constantly amazed at God's provision as we look for a new job. The old adage "it is better to give than to receive" could be changed to "it is EASIER to give than to receive". Learning to lay pride aside and receive graciously is a pill best taken with prayer. I much prefer being on the giving end, but am incredibly grateful for how the Lord is providing for our needs.

The weather here in Texas is in a constant state of confusion. There are days I feel as if we're living in Portland...minus the beautiful scenery of course. The sun struggles to shine for a moment, only to quickly disappear behind an every present cloud. To say I am ready for warm weather and sunshine would be equivalent to saying "I like coffee"...both are a serious understatement.

Well, apparently the NyQuil is wearing off. Sigh...it was nice while it lasted.

Seasons of change

I am not the winter lovin' type. Growing up in the northwest there were numerous opportunities for winter sports. I skied some growing up, but when Mike and I met/married he had no interest. He played tennis...which is hard to do when the court is covered with snow. Needless to say neither of us care much for cold weather.

Though winter is not my favorite, I do enjoy the four distinct seasons. Watching for the first crocus to pop its little head through the snow. Seeing who can spot the first tree brandishing a fiery coat. While I may enjoy some seasons more than others, I love the fact that each is unique. Just when I begin to grow accustomed to one, its time to move on.

Life is a compilation of seasons. Some are short, others long. Some come in like a mighty blizzard, knocking us to the ground unexpectedly, while others enter quietly and without fanfare, like the tiny purple crocus. Each season brings with it an opportunity for growth and change. Though I thank God daily my season with depression is over, there was so much I learned through it all that I can't help but be thankful. We are currently facing a season of unemployment. While I hope it is a short one, I know there are lessons to be learned. My prayer is that by the power of the Holy Spirit we will grab hold of all He has to teach us, appreciating this season as a part of His master plan.

Random budget ramblings

I've always tried to be creative and frugal with our grocery budget. Feeding a family of six, including four kids who never seem to be full, can be quite a challenge. The whole unemployment thing has made me take a closer look at what we eat and how we use what we have.

One thing I've started doing is planning out our breakfasts and lunches. I've always done meal planning for dinner, knowing it saved us money to plan ahead. The other meals have usually been a grab what you want affair...not much planning involved. When breakfast and lunch are planned, it seems to stretch our food a bit farther and therefore our budget. Rather than grabbing the easy cold cereal, we're taking a few extra minutes to make a pot of oatmeal, or a batch of pancakes. These two things alone will feed our family for pennies.

I've been making granola cereal for quite awhile now. Half the family loves it and the other half...not so much. Since it wasn't their favorite, I continued to buy the expensive cold cereal for them. Not anymore. One day a week they get to eat the granola. Are they happy about it? Not so much. Is it going to kill them? No!

Another thing I've taken a hard look at is how we use up what's already in the fridge. I recently read that the average American family throws out at least a pound of food per person, per week! Yikes! Since the weather's been so nasty, a great way to use up bits of this and that is to make up a pot of soup. I've got a chicken stew in the crockpot right now made with bits of leftover veggies and some yummy, rich gravy. Oh, that will be so good with homemade cornbread tonight! Yesterday we used up the last of a bean and chili dip from our Superbowl party. It made delicious burritos for lunch. Normally, those things would probably have sat in the fridge for a week (or more!) and then ended up in the trash.

Hopefully the unemployment won't last too long, but I'm thankful for the lessons we're learning along the way.

...when Daddy gets a job

There's been a running joke around here the last few weeks. "We'll do that when Daddy gets a job."

Emma wants to paint her room. "We'll do that when Daddy gets a job."

The boys want to go to Six Flags. "We'll do that when Daddy gets a job."

We'd like to take a vacation. "We'll do that when Daddy gets a job."

The great thing is that all of the things we joke about are just wants...extras and fluff. Our needs are being supplied by our amazing God and that's all that matters. He really does take care of His kids.

But, Mommy really would like a pedicure. I believe that might fall under the "needs" category don't you think?

Oh well..."We'll do that when Daddy gets a job." Trust me, I got that one in writing.

In a galaxy far, far away

With one teen and one pre-teen in the house, there are times I shake my head and wonder if they will ever get it. Some say teens are in their own little world. I would venture to guess they are on their own planet...in another solar system...in a galaxy far, far away.

Watching one of my sons (who will remain nameless) preparing his lunch today went something like this - while preparing his baked potato, he dropped butter on the floor. I watched to see what he would do. Surely this son whom I've raised from birth would know just how to clean up such a mess. No, apparently he has been raised by wolves. Looking down, he picked up the butter and PUT IT BACK IN THE CONTAINER! Of course that left his fingers covered in butter as well, which he promptly wiped on his shirt. He then proceeded to grab the clean dishrag to wipe up the remaining mess and then put the now dirty rag back in the sink, covered in butter and whatever else happened to be on the floor. Do I need to run down all the things wrong here or are you getting an accurate picture?

Right now they are suppose to be doing their "quiet" reading time. Hmmm...must be why I hear screaming coming from the other room. Quiet reading time has absolutely nothing to do with their education and absolutely everything to do with my sanity.

Party time!

Patty over at Blessed Moon is throwin' herself a party...a "I'm not at Blissdom Blog Hoppin' party". Since A) I love a good party and B) I'm sitting here in Texas and NOT at Blissdom it looks like I qualified for an invite. Yeah!

Want to come to the party with me? Hop on over to Patty's and add your note to "Mr. Linky" (what is up with that name anyway?), then post a little intro about yourself on your blog. That's all it takes to get the party started.

Hmmm...a bit about me. As you can see from my intro on the right, I'm a Starbucks loving, homeschool mom of four. Married 18 years to the most amazing man in the world, life is certainly never dull. I've been blogging in my spare time (whatever that is!) for about four years. While some blogs are subject oriented (decorating, devotional, family life, etc.), mine tends to be a mishmash of whatever is rolling around in my head at any given moment...a reflection of real life I guess.

That's it for me. I've got my dancin' shoes on and I'm headed out the door! Care to join me?

Latest DIY project

Seeing as how I am not the most patient person, I love easy smeasy decorating ideas. I recently ran across a cute burlap wreath at Where the Heart Is and knew it had to be next on my list. Check out her easy to follow tutorial...it's got pictures...I like that.

Here's my version.


I've been wanting to find some way to incorporate that cute little "S"...fits perfectly don't you think? Depending on the holiday, you could add ribbon of any color, extra little decorations, whatever you have around the house. L-O-V-E I-T! And the best part? The cost!

burlap - found it in my attic - FREE
wire coat hanger - FREE
small black ribbon - from my stash - FREE (yes, technically I did purchase it at some point, but it was so long ago that it counts as FREE!)
large black ribbon - $1.50 at Hobby Lobby
"S" - $2.00 at Hobby Lobby
black spray paint - from my stash
TOTAL COST (including the coat hanger I begged off the dry cleaners) = $3.50

Next on the list? The door is going red! Yes ma'am it is! Red makes me happy...almost as happy as free projects.

Free food...sort of

Superbowl Sunday is a bittersweet day around our house. Regardless of who's playing, the game marks the official end of the football season. While we are die hard college football fans (GO BRONCOS!), the "I get paid entirely too much money to play a game" pros certainly hold our attention as well. Hey, in a house with this many boys what choice do I have?

Me? I could care less who wins on Sunday. Heck, I don't even care who's playing...just bring on the food! Honestly, isn't that what the Superbowl is really all about? That and the commercials, which unfortunately have been considerably less than stellar over the past several years. And since it's certainly not known for it's amazing half-time show (yikes!), it's got to be the food right? Just give me a reason to have a party and I'm all over it.

Check out this link to download your F.R.E.E (oh how I love that word!) 60 page appetizer cookbook. L-O-V-E I-T! I've got my old stand-by appetizers, but I'm always on the prowl for something new.

So, what football fare are you serving up this weekend?

Unemployment perks

Unemployment is unfortunately something many people are dealing with right now. Though we've been through several job changes over our 18 years of marriage, we always had something waiting in the wings. This is the first time we've found ourselves officially "unemployed". Not where I would have chosen to be, but we continue trusting in God's perfect plan for our family.

Mike's full-time job right now is looking for a job. Some people warned that having Daddy home would be a huge adjustment to our homeschool schedule. Not so much. The biggest adjustment is sharing the computer. Six people and one computer is proving to be a challenge. The kids use the computer daily for school, but obviously Dad finding a job takes precedent...so we adjust. For me it just means less time to check e-mail, blog and Facebook...probably a good thing anyway.

We are enjoying having him home during the day. In between applications, he takes time to join us for history or help the kids with math. Thank goodness for that. Hearing Austin say, "Mom, I need some help with Algebra." makes me break into a cold sweat! Glad my hubby is a math wiz. So having Mike home sort of feels like a nice, long vacation...except for the whole "paycheck" thing, but I'm trying not to dampen my little party.

We're watching and waiting to see how the Lord will provide and thanking Him in the midst of it all.