Happy Homemaker (Back on the Wagon!)

I am SO happy to be HOME today ... and hope to stay here ALL DAY except for picking the kids up from school later.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Ironically, where I live is nicked named "Lost-in-the-woods" ... (Ft. Leonard Wood, MO)!

Anyway ... trivia aside, it is really nice (IMO) lately - in the high 80s during the day - warm & sunny.

I know a lot of people are looking forward to fall - but NOT ME :(  I just really LOVE summer.

I dread the cool - and most of all the COLD of winter.  Blah.

Things that make me happpy:

Sleeping through the night!

healthy children (especially since 2 out of 3 of mine are not feeling well right now) :(

Book I'm reading:

I'm trying to catch up on magazines that have piled up since Miriam was born.

I have just a few subscriptions - but I am SO far behind on reading them:

Real Simple, Woman's Day, All You, First for Women, Family Circle

What's on my TV today:

Law & Order Criminal Intent re-runs

on USA

On the menu for dinner tonight:

maybe spaghetti - we haven't had that in FOREVER

On my To Do List:organize my ENTIRE house!!  ha!!

For today though, I may just clean my bathroom.

I also want to sell some stuff at my first ever consignment sale in a few weeks.

New Recipes I tried or want to try soon:

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread

mine didn't rise :(  I also don't have the suggested stand mixer...

Looking forward to this week:

Thursday ... our week slows down then.  hopefully.

Tips and Tricks:

the "Little"s line for babies is great - all natural products.

We are using Little Noses for Miriam's cold - it includes saline drops & a nose bulb thingy.

I've used Little Tummies in the past - and there's a lot more for ears, etc...

My favorite blog post this week:

Great Peace

Blog hopping (newly discovered blog):

my brother-in-law started a blog:

my niece begins college

no words needed:

(ok, a few words:  my mom's 65th bday was on Saturday - I made a photo collage of her life for her - and this is her at age 3 which happens to be one of my favorite ever pictures!

Lesson learned the past few days:

STAY FLEXIBLE ... don't hold too tightly to your plans because God may have other plans for you!

(I knew this ... but I needed a reminder)

On my mind:

Miriam's cold ... I hope she gets better and not worse!

Scripture:

Ps. 119:165

Great peace have they which love Thy law - and nothing shall offend them.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Miriam just got out of the tub!

Cleanliness is next to ... cuteness!

What You Get for $50

Two weeks ago, I won $50 (to be used at the CSN Stores) from Mrs. M's blog!! 
It has taken me 2 weeks to figure out WHAT I WANT!!  These people have everything from bedding to shoes to toys ... but of course, I wanted the best value for my money as well as something we more "needed" than what we just "wanted" ... (they have the CUTEST baby shoes!!  but Miss MiMi's feet are so "fluffy" that she doesn't fit into most shoes.)

I'd log on to the CSN stores website and browse, and log off.  I just couldn't decide.  I looked at umbrella strollers and curtains and outdoor toys ... but just didn't feel like any of that was right.  Andrew's been wanting a desk - but we found out we could get one basically for free from somewhere else if we'd just go pick it up.  So, no desk.  I was just at a Pampered Chef party and realized I have every kitchen contraption I could ever want - and a few I don't ever use!!  I really need NOTHING in the kitchen either. 

So, finally, today I asked my husband if there was anything we "needed" for about $50 ... and he actually came up with a great idea (albeit boring!!).  We are getting ....
DRUM ROLL PLEASE .... a new DESK CHAIR.  It's practically the same one we have now - but we got it over 7 years ago at Walmart.  It has been ripped, the arms are loose, and the back bends way back from Dan leaning back on it too far.  If we get another 7 years use out of this new one, it will have only set us back less than $1.50 per year for the next 7 years ... (seeing how we're paying $9 over $50 for this chair!).  

The CSN stores offer FREE SHIPPING on a lot of their things (maybe on all of them?!).  I always appreciate that too. 

Most of all I appreciate the opportunity to win this $$$  - Thanks again, Mrs. M!!  :)

5 Things on Friday

1.  We love Fridays because it is PIZZA DAY at school!!!  :)   After having sandwiches or left-overs for lunch all week, pizza is a welcome treat.  :) 

2.  We love Fridays because after a long week, we know that tomorrow we can (probably) sleep in or at least take a nap and maybe do some fun things!  Plus catch up on chores around the house.   Best of all, our family will be TOGETHER.

3.  We love Fridays because every day is a day the Lord has made!  He has plans for us every day - whether those plans include a lot of busy-ness or just some mundane tasks. 

4.  We love Fridays because basketball season will soon start for our school (well, ok, in October!) ... and we'll be having lots of ball games to attend on Fridays (and this year, Andrew will be helping to warm the bench!). 

5.  We will love THIS Friday because some friends have invited us over for dinner ... and I don't have to cook!!!  :)  Well, that and of course, fun times with friends!

HAPPY WEEKEND, everyone!

Great Peace

When God says that His ways are not our ways, He wasn't kidding.... (somehow that sounds like something I need to sell to those bill board people - you know, the ones who put up the signs like, "Don't make me come down there. -God" and "What part of 'Thou Shalt Not' did you not understand? -God"). 

Last night, after my day of trying to get ahead while getting further behind - well, I had my Thursday (today) all planned out.  I sure did.  It was going to be a GREAT day.  I was going to start off well rested and then balance my "to do" list with my "me first" list!  I had a nice, organized list in my head - and I was looking forward to a NEW DAY.  A better day.

Miriam slept well all night- and even though she got woke up when the kids were getting ready for school, she dozed right back to sleep this morning.  I snuggled back into my bed, thinking, "OH YEA, it's going to be a good day..."  I was even saying a prayer for my family as I was entering dreamland again ---- and then the phone rang!  And my day changed, my plans were immediately rearranged, and I was no longer feeling rested.  A friend needed me - and calmly, I said I'd help her out.  I hung up and felt very sorry for myself.

I have been somewhat  more aware of God's workings around me ever since like 1999 when I read Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God: Knowing And Doing The Will Of God.  Most recently, a book called Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream again made me aware of how selfish and comfortable we are here in America.  I wanted to be a Christian that reached out, that ministered willing, and who let God show me what I was to do --- except I guess I wanted it on MY time table.  I wanted to be the Christian who said, "Interruptions ARE my ministry."  But I didn't really want to be interrupted to do so...

Today I claimed a verse that Melanie reminded me of:  Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." 

This verse and I go way back ... in 1988 when I graduated high school, that was the verse my mom chose to put in my Senior yearbook ad.  I always thought it was kind of a strange choice of verses while most parents were choosing more of a Proverbs 3:5&6 variety of verse ("Trust in the Lord with all thing heart ...").  But I have thought of that verse often since I left high school - people & things & circumstances get in the way of plans and "offend" - but GOD can give a peace that overcomes that "offense". 

I also have claimed this verse for my husband.  In my prayer journal, beside his name, I have written Psalm 119:165.  Even working in a church and among Christians, offenses and disagreements and ugly situations can come up - and they do - more often than I imagined when I first entered into "ministry world."  At first, I was disappointed in my fellow Christians until I realized that sometimes I too could be part of the problem!!  :-O  As they say, "ministry would be great without the people."  ;)

Well, anyway, today didn't turn out like I planned ... and I'm not even beginning to hope anything for tomorrow ... but in the end, I am going to bed tonight in peace.  I did the right thing today - it wasn't fun and it wasn't easy and it wasn't what I planned.  But it was exactly what GOD had planned.  :)

Revisiting 10 Things

So, I had to come back & re-read my 10 things because I was still feeling grumpy!!  :)

OH, and you can scratch #5 off the 10 good things list ... so far Miriam only took a 20 minute morning nap ... and is now fighting the afternoon nap.  Oh goody, so we've stopped having to do the cry-it-out at night time, but now we need to do it for NAPS!!?   
It's church night & if she doesn't take a nap NOW, we're in for a BAD nursery night - and I don't want to do that to the sweet people who work in the nursery. 

Being strong, saying a prayer, and gonna get on with my day!!  :) 

PS  to my GRRRR list you can add:
1)  husband took the left-overs I was going to serve for dinner tonight to work with him for his lunch.  Now I still have to make dinner.

2)  walking through my son's room to get something, I found a HOLE in his closet door??!?!?  NO ONE has mentioned this to me....first of all, methinks someone is in trouble & second, now I have to add that repair to my ever-lengthening list. 

In the back of my head I hear my husband telling me none of this is major stuff ... no one is dead or dying (this from a man who lived that in a combat hospital in Iraq for a year).   It's all good.  And it is.  And most of all, GOD IS GOOD (can I get an "all the time"!!?).  :)

10 Things!

Unfortunately, for some reason, I tend to be negative too often.  My husband balances me beautifully (isn't it neat how GOD knows exactly who complements you?!) by being an eternal optimist.  I used to defend myself by saying I'm just being a REALIST ... I've learned life is HARD sometimes, things don't often go smoothly. 

I find myself making statements like, "NOTHING goes right for me!!" and "WHY does everything have to be so HARD!?".  Yesterday was a day like that:  apparently our new pool's ring has a hole in it :(  I had hoped for my kids to have a few more days to swim after school, but alas, I am NOT finding that hole so I can patch it :(  I didn't realize the pool ring had a hole until the ring collapsed, sending all the water flooding into our GARAGE (the pool sits to the side of our garage but for whatever reason, the water direction turned into the garage!!) ... The other down side to that is my WATER BILL is going to be huge again:

When we first got this pool, I had a hard time finding a flat area for it to be on. We had several failed attempts to fill it.  If the ground isn't exactly flat, the pool WILL collapse!  Our June water bill was $48.  Our July water bill (with no extra pool filling fiasco's) was $18!!!!  Our August water bill will probably be $128 at the rate we're going.  :(  GRRRRRR!!   Do you see why I'm cranky!? 

Then there's the wireless router that IS NOT working on our old, tired desktop anymore.  GRRRRRRR!!

Then when I went to pull the window shade down in the living room last night, it CRASHED DOWN.  Now I have to fix the window shade too. 

My whole day yesterday started with my coffee maker putting out SLUDGE instead of coffee ... no wonder my day went downhill from there!!!  Thankfully, I ran vinegar through the coffee maker - and it helped clean it out - but I'm thinking this 10 year old appliance needs to be replaced (I'm planning to use my amazon credit to buy a new one!!!!  THANK YOU, SWAG BUCKS!!).

Speaking of swagbucks, may I just say (on a positive note) that since March 2010 (when I signed up for swagbucks) that I've gotten $80 in amazon gift card credit!!!!!!  $80 for just using the swagbucks tool bar to search the internet, filling out a daily poll, finding a few swag codes, etc.  EASY MONEY, people!!!  Seriously.  If you don't use swagbucks, check out my little widget on the upper left side of this blog.   :) 

OK, to the POINT of this blog entry (and no, it wasn't to vent & whine), I thought today I'd list 10 things that are GOOD today:

1)  My baby girl is having a GREAT, happy morning.  She slept from 9 p.m. - 5:30 a.m  Then I nursed her , and she slept til 8 a.m.!  :) 

2)  My 2 older kids are old enough to get themselves ready for school so I just peek in on them to say good-bye and can go back to bed!  :) 

3)  My husband is a morning person and takes care of all the morning stuff like packing lunches, feeding the pets, taking out the trash.

4)  I love the quiet hours after my family goes to bed that are ALL MINE on most nights.  It suits my night owl personality so well.  I'm thankful my husband is so understanding about my inner clock and does not force me to conform to his morning person schedule.

5)  I love Miriam's NAP TIME when I can do housework or just putter around in a quiet house for 2 hours.

6)  I am excited that our church's Wednesday night kids' program is starting up again.  My husband and I have been helping with Patch the Pirate Club since we started it up in 2002 - this is our 8th year!  :)  We selfishly started it because our then 4 year old son didn't have anything to do during Wednesday night church - but now it has turned into a program that runs 30-40 kids each Wednesday, singing and learning Bible character lessons.

7)  My kids have had a GREAT start to school this year!!  My daughter LOVES her new (to the school) teacher - and I've gotten a sweet report already that Anna is doing well and being a good helper. :) 

8)  Andrew LOVES Junior High.  For our little school, 7th & 8th grade having 16 total students is HUGE!!  Having been the only boy - or only 1 of 2 boys in his class - Andrew is loving that he can now hang out with the 8th grade boys too.  He is excited to have his own LOCKER and to change classes.  Suddenly, he seems so GROWN UP!
9)  I'm thankful for my home - even though I look around & see so many fix-it projects and stacks of stuff that we need MORE STORAGE for or need to just GET RID OF.  My house isn't big or new - but it is ours & it is enough.  :) 

10)  I'm just thankful to be alive & healthy.  My family is healthy.  No one has cancer at this time; we haven't got any major health problems.  No one has been in an accident or gotten hurt.  I know that can change in an instant, in a blink of an eye:  a diagnosis of illness or a car wreck ... but right now, we are WELL.  Thank you, God.  We don't take it for granted.

8 Months!

What a difference 8 months makes!

Our baby girl is sitting up so nicely these days ... busy with her toys ...

best of all saying "ma-ma" all the time!!  :)

She's feeding herself ... well, ok, not really well - but she would LIKE TO!

Her favorite "food" right now is peach-mango yogurt juice.  We also LOVE baby mum-mums which I have recently discovered at Wal-mart.  They are "rice rusks" which I have no idea what that means, but apparently, it's healthy?!

I think Miriam weighs around 19 lbs ... she won't have a check up until 9 months.

She's still in size 3 diapers but growing out of 6-9 month size clothes.  :(

Finally Miriam is starting to (somewhat) sleep through the night though it has taken MANY nights of times of "crying it out" ... even now, Miriam usually wakes up for a few minutes & cries (sometimes at 11:30 p.m., sometimes at 2:30 a.m.) - but I just go in & turn on her lullaby CD and she's out again in a few minutes (as opposed to the 30-45 minutes of "crying it out" that was KILLING ME).

Miriam is in Anna's room ... but Anna is in Andrew's room for now because I want Anna to sleep well since school has started.  Anna's been sweet to give up her bed for a little while for a mattress on the floor.  Hopefully Miriam will be completely sleeping through the night consistently SOON.

These days are so fun, watching Miriam learn & pick up more and more things!!

She is still pretty lazy, but now that her "staff" is all off to school each weekday, she'll have to start rolling more on her own - and moving herself around a little more instead of hollering for help.  Otherwise, she isn't really mobile - except for, of course, her NEW RIDE!!  :) (hand-me-down from a sweet 4 year old friend)

Pay Backs are ... FUNNY!!

So, the other day I shared my latest misadventures in opening my mouth & inserting my foot ... or exchanging feet, whichever the case may be!  Calling my own pastor an "old dog" has to be the "cream in my corn" (as my dear friend so recently misquoted - she meant, of course, cream of the crop + something akin to icing on the cake).  

That story actually goes like this - 2 of my friends (who I visited in Tennessee) were talking about the one's recent visit to Liquid Lumberdators (Lumber Liquidators!) ... and the other friend said that statement was the cream of her corn ... I'm glad I will not be alone in the senility ward of Knoxville's Senility Home for the Brainless. 

Anyway, like I reported, I spent the first two days of school working in the office again as a substitute secretary.  One afternoon, it was a little quiet, finally ... and the pastor came by.  He was chatting with me and a few others near the office when his cell phone rang.  He picked it up to answer it, looked directly at me, and said to the caller, "This is the old dog."  I guess I am forgiven.   

Walk Away from the Mommy Guilt

For six years, I worked at the office of a church and its Christian school until I had Miriam and began to work from home.  The last two days, as school has started again and the main secretary is away, I have been working at the office again, filling in where needed.  I was reminded of an issue that plagues many moms and is something I've dealt with a lot in the past as well:  Mommy Guilt. 

On the first day of school, an active duty Army mom came in around 9:30 a.m.  She looked a little stressed, a little out of breath ... With a timid voice, she asked, "I know this is an unusual request, but I had 24 hour duty and just got off work.  Ummm, could I just peek in at my daughter.  This is her first school experience, and I don't want to miss it."  As I walked with her to the classroom, she explained with a shaky voice and teary eyes how badly she felt that she couldn't be the one to drop off her daughter for the big first day of school ... how much she sometimes contemplated if her career was really worth missing these moments.  I studied her as she smiled and her face transformed when she glimpsed her daughter through the narrow glass in the door of the kindergarten classroom.  She didn't even want her daughter to see her in case she'd be sad or want to go home with her ... she just needed that little reassurance that her daughter was ok (and of course, she was) ... the mom just needed to BE THERE for herself more so than for her daughter's sake. 

Many times it is like that:  we worry, fret, imagine the worst, feel like we've lost control ... and our kids are just fine.  They are usually the well-adjusted, smart child that we trained them to be - and other adults, teachers, child care providers, family or friends are there for them as well.  And it's ok, but as a mom we just need that reassurance that they are okay.  

As I've grown older, I find myself much more self-assured that my kids are going to be OK *despite* my flawed parenting; however, I still struggle some days with knowing what is the right thing.  Mainly, I'm learning that if it is the RIGHT THING for our family, it doesn't really matter if anyone else thinks or does.  I have goals for my children that are admirable and spiritual ... and I trust God with the outcome.  I make mistakes, and I pray my children will learn forgiveness and moving onward because of my own example of acknowledging my inadequacies.  I hope they will learn how dependent we all are on the Lord for guidance because no one is perfect. 

There are about ten million case scenarios that a mom can beat herself up for.  There are that many more situations that we can wonder if we are doing the right thing, making the right choice.  There are moms out there who appear to have it all together - but we don't live at their house and see that they too probably don't.  Working moms and stay-at-home moms and work-from-home moms and all moms share this burden of mommy guilt for their own reasons.

I'm thankful to have a few friends who support me as we journey through motherhood together, even when our ways go separately or differently.  I'm thankful for those who have already raised great kids who I can go to for advice and encouragement.  And there is my Heavenly Father who IS perfect ... who wants us to give up our guilt and trust HIM to do a work in our children.  He entrusts us with these precious gifts ... and He can work even when we make a bad decision or something bad does happen. 

As a self-declared control freak, it is hard to realize that ultimately my children will grow up and make their own choices and be responsible for themselves.  I want the VERY BEST for them ... and I tend to think I know what that is. Of course, I will have to one day let go ... and be just an observer and supporter.  But right now my responsibility is  to do my best, pray a lot, and let go of the mommy guilt. 

MiMi Speaks: The Food Critic is Back

MiMi Speaks - the part of the blog where the baby sets the record straight.

Self-Feeding:

Applesauce and Oatmeal

In the last days and weeks, I have really gotten this solid food thing down better.  Rice cereal was a horrid introduction ... but oatmeal, now there's a baby food with taste and texture.  I prefer it with applesauce or green beans - but I'll take it with carrots, peas, pears, bananas, or sweet potatoes. 

Applesauce and oatmeal is best eaten with your fingers ... the spoon is kind of hard to control.  It gets a little out of hand (HA - spoon - in the hand - out of hand ... get it!!?)...

Yeah, ok, so anyway ... my mom doesn't usually let me eat by myself ... I just don't see why not.  It's SO MUCH FUN!!!!

All done?

Ok, well, gotta go.  I hear the bath water running.

School Days! Golden Rule Days!

All the people from the HutchHaus went to school today!  

The first day of school is always exciting, especially when you have a new teacher!!

Anna is in 5th grade, & this is her teacher's first year with us although she has many years of teaching experience under her belt already.

Andrew is in 7th grade ... that's considered Junior High at our school!!

There are several things that distinguish the Junior Highers from the elementary kids at our school:

1)  tennis shoes are no longer a part of your dress code.

2)  you get a LOCKER of your very own - hopefully one that doesn't stick and that closes properly

3)  You get YOUR DAD as your teacher ... well, ok, only a very few students get to experience that - but Andrew does this year (though actually, Dan's taught elementary history & math before so this isn't technically the FIRST EVER time).

Each year I say, "I can't believe my kids are in .... grade!!" ... and yeah, this year, I can't believe it again.

Pretty soon I'll be taking a picture of them standing in front of a college dorm and then maybe at a wedding altar and then in a hospital room with my baby grandchildren ...

BUT until then, I am going to enjoy THIS school year - while they are in 5th & 7th grades.

Me & My Big Mouth!

The last few days have been very busy ... school is about to begin, and I've been helping with organizing a few things for the teachers as well.  I'm in charge of textbooks - getting textbooks ordered, sorted, and distributed for over 190 students isn't an easy task when you factor in some students receive used books and some students withdraw so they don't need books, and there's always students who enroll at the last minute! 
Something inside me though loves those spreadsheets and inventory counts that this task involves.  I'm guessing someone could probably do this job more efficiently than I am doing it ... however, they might not enjoy it more than I do!! 

So, I've been spending a lot of time with our school staff and some of the school parents - and for the most part, I am enjoying the adult interaction again.  There are many things I don't miss about my old job as church/school secretary, but I do miss bantering and joking with the staff members and being able to discuss issues with like-minded people.  I don't miss making a fool of myself, which I tend to be very good at!!  I think my husband is probably relieved that I don't work full-time there any more - among people who we are supposed to be a good testimony to ... among people who are entrusting us with their children and education.  I don't even want to recount how many STUPID things I've said over the years ... although I continue to do so without any excuse of having a full-time job:

Monday night I embarrassed myself by telling someone that their child must have taken after them in a physical trait (being tall) - and then remembering that the child was adopted!!  I should know better because my step-dad adopted me, and sometimes someone would say something about - for example - that I must have gotten my blue eyes from my dad.  We usually just smiled and let it go without explaining that my biological father indeed had BROWN eyes, and I actually got my blue eyes from my mom's dad (my mom has brown eyes too!!  I'm an anomaly!!).  But anyway ... me & my big mouth had to continue the adopted child conversation by saying, "OH, I just realized your son was adopted ... I guess he got his height from someone else."  To which the person replied - with a very puzzled expression, "But my son ISN'T adopted."  Oh my!!!  Yeah, I need to learn when to SHUT UP!   Thankfully this person was very gracious to me (and I've known this person for years now!!) ... I'm going to KILL my husband who was originally the one who told me that this kid WAS adopted ... thankfully, I had sense enough to NOT reveal that part of the story to the already confused parent I was talking to!! 

But that wasn't so bad in comparison to tonight ... leave it to me ... the woman who can't remember her own baby's name half the time (which, by the way, what makes me feel a little better is that my husband has called me Anna twice in the last few days --- and we've been married over 17 years now!  He used to always call me Kay when we were first married - thankfully that was his sister's name & not a former girlfriend's!!).  So, yeah, me again - tonight - I called my own pastor an old dog ... You say, "YOU DID NOT!!"  Well, yes, I did ... I really did. 

Our pastor was telling a story about his grandkids making him "play school" and how they were trying to teach him things ... and I said, "Like teaching an old dog new tricks?"  And he looked at me and said, "OLD DOG!!!?"  Thankfully, he has a sense of humor.  Unfortunately, this conversation took place in front of like 5 other people ... *sigh*  Some day I will learn to SHUT UP ...

Until then, you'll find me holed back up in my nice, safe home - where I can say nonsensical, ridiculous things to my baby girl all day long and no one will ever know!!!  Unless she tells ... and so far, she ain't talkin'!

Do You Really Trust HIM?

I have been sharing just a little of our journey to living CASH ONLY and staying out of debt.   It has totally opened my eyes to God's provision for us in even the little things.  We have had so many wants and needs provided in ways I couldn't have planned.  My kids have gotten a new 15x3 foot pool; I got a new digital camera; and the baby has not one but two exersaucer/jump toys.  And I could go on ... These were items NOT in the budget - and yet, God blessed our family and provided even our desires. 

Just this last week God has yet again shown Himself able to supplement our income in unexpected ways!  It turns out that when we re-financed our home in April and changed our homeowners insurance to the same bank (USAA), the old homeowners insurance wasn't canceled. 

Just this week, I got a refund check for several months' worth of homeowners insurance funds paid to the old company!  It came right at the time when we'd just taken our trip to Tennessee and somewhat overspent our eating-out budget for the month of August.  What a blessing that we didn't have to skimp on our grocery budget for the last few weeks of August due to our trip. 

And today - just today - I won $50 to the CSN stores where I can buy just about anything !!  I am dreaming, searching on-line, and trying to figure out what I want to buy!!  :)  Thank you, Mrs. M!!!  :)  God has used YOU to provide for MY FAMILY yet again.  :)

MiMi Speaks About Portion Control

Welcome to another edition of MiMi Speaks ...

where the baby sets the record straight.

So, I was reading the NUTRITION INFORMATION on the side of the yummy "Monkey Puffs" I was eating ...

I love all the variety of Puffs that is out there these days:  banana-strawberry, blueberry, peach, and sweet potato!  Melt in your mouth goodness (and way tastier than any old Cheerio could ever be!).

Anyway, it said one serving was about 90 puffs.

Yeah, I'd say this is about 90 ... wouldn't you?

Going Green / A Review

Ok, I'm putting it all out there:  here's my kitchen sink from this morning.  Quite a variety of STUFF - dirty STUFF - there ... from cutting boards to cookie sheets and baby food containers of various sorts ....

I have been using a product from the Ecostore USA to hand wash my dishes lately - and I must say - IT DOES THE JOB - without the nasty chemicals, which is a HUGE bonus ... although I will admit I'm not the "greenest" person on the planet.  ;)  I do care about the health of my family, and I am glad when "green" products are affordable and accessible.

I have been using the Ecostore DISHWASH LIQUID which sells on the website for $9 for 32 oz or $5.50 for 16 oz.  I had to get used to have fewer SUDS - but just because you have SUDS doesn't mean your dishes are getting clean.  I especially like to think that something with NO NASTY CHEMICALS is touching the containers that I use for my baby's food!  Oh, and all that dirty stuff in the picture above is now SQUEAKY CLEAN. 

I was also given the Baby Body Wash - and I had the same experience as with my dishes for my baby's body.  :) 

The above products are plant based - which is better for your health and better for the planet.  Again, I'm not a huge "greenie" but I do appreciate the fact that these products are CHEMICAL FREE.

My one slightly negative thought about the products are just the cost.  As a person on a budget - a tight budget - I'm not sure how willing I am to buy these products at a slightly higher cost than my regular grocery store products that I get on sale and using coupons.  Also, there is the convenience factor of having to order on-line - however, my experience with the company was they shipped fast (and with recycled packaging which is to be expected!).  :)

I do think if being "green" and chemical free is important to you - or say, you had special health needs such as sensitive skin or eczema, then these products are WELL WORTH putting into your budget to purchase.

Want to learn more about the Ecostore and its products, check out their fun blog or their website.

This is a MamaBuzz review.  All products were provided at no cost to me by the Ecostore USA.

JAWS!

Last Thursday, my older 2 children and I were able to go to Gatlinburg with my brother, his wife, and their son while our parents watched the 2 babies (my brother's daughter is 7 weeks older than Miriam!).

We went to the Aquarium of the Smokies.

We'd actually been there before with Dan back in 2001!  Anna was half a year old and Andrew was a little over 2 years old...so they don't really remember it at all.

My favorite part is the see-through tunnel you travel through on a moving sidewalk.  It goes on for a long time - but there are SO MANY various sea creatures to see.

Above is my brother's least favorite, the sting ray.  He was stung by one just a few months after a sting ray killed Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter!

Usually sting rays don't attack, but my brother thinks he stepped on one, which made it sting him.  He was holding his son's hand at the time, and they are still so very thankful that Ethan was spared the sting.

It's just such a cool feeling to have fish beside and ABOVE you as you go through (that's my son's head & my brother looking back at me here).

My cutie nephew Ethan liked petting all the creatures like the horseshoe crab here.  He did tell me to NOT pet the sharks that had snuck into the sting ray pool ...

Smart boy!

If my scanner were working, I have a picture of Dan in this very same diver suit from 2001 ... however, my scanner is NOT working. 

The saw-nose shark critters (above) were pretty interesting up close. 

God's creatures are just SO amazing!!

I Lost It!

Some people lose their hearts in San Francisco ... well, I lost my mind in Knoxville, Tennessee ...

After driving 620 miles last Saturday with 3 children, I was pretty tired when I arrived in Knoxville.  Miriam did NOT sleep well the whole time we were away, so the first night there was NOT restful (nor was any night to follow!).  Ironically, she slept 9 hours straight the first night we were back home here in Missouri for which I am and was eternally thankful!?!

So, I was pretty groggy when we went to church on last Sunday morning - and I was really, really tired by the time we drove another 60 miles to visit my aunt & uncle as well as attend a church that evening in their town, a church pastored by a friend of my parents. 

This pastor has a 3 year old daughter named Miriam.  I've found that Miriam is not really a common name.  In fact, we get a lot of questions if it is "Marion" or "Marian" (and in Robin Hood's Maid) ... and other variations as well.  Sometimes, when someone asks what my baby's name is, even I pause.  I am not sure if it is my "elder maternal age" or the fact that I've only had this child a few months, but I just somehow can't remember her name all the time.  Maybe it is because it doesn't really flow with the "Andrew and Anna" of my first two children - or maybe I've just plain ol' lost my mind.  I'm tending towards the last thought!

So, anyway, 3 year-old Miriam has been anxious to meet 7 1/2 month old Miriam ever since my dad told her about my daughter being born.  In fact, 3 year-old Miriam has pictures of my Miriam that she keeps in her little Bible. 

When I met this pastor friend of my parents', I immediately said, "OH!  I'm so excited that Naomi gets to meet Naomi", a statement that was met by a blank stare.  Yeah, our kids' names are NOT Naomi.  I knew that.  (Naomi was one of the 3 names we'd considered before my husband chose Miriam though). 

I don't know - I can't explain it really.  I like the name Miriam; I think it is a perfectly lovely name ... I just can't remember it! :-O

Road Trip Re-Cap

It is 620 miles from my house to Knoxville, Tennessee - the city I call "home".

It takes about 12 hours to get there with an 11 year old, a 9 year old, and a 7 1/2 month old!

This trip, there was a lot of sleeping (thankfully!) on behalf of the 7 1/2 month old.

Although occasionally she was required to take the wheel! ;)

We had such a great time with my family:

(above:  Andrew, Miriam, and Anna with my parents)

(above:  Me and my girls with my parents)

(above:  my kids and parents with my aunt & uncle)

On a side note, this is my Aunt Louise ... she was a Paula Deen BEFORE there was a Paula Deen.  Her chicken divan has been tested & tried & loved by many!

I also got to see a lot of friends.  Sadly, I did not get pictures with all the friends I was able to visit with - but the memories of our time together is sweet!

(above:  reunion of a few "girls" from the Class of '88!  )

We don't look too bad for a bunch of 40 and almost-40 year olds, do we??!  ;) 

That's me in the middle. 

(above:  my kids swimming at one of my friend's house)

It was so neat to see my kids interact with a few of my friends' children.

I was so encouraged to see my friends are raising their children well - and I got to see kids from age 16 all the way down to age 4 (Miriam was the youngest of the bunch!).

None of us have perfect kids - but we are trying our best to rear well-behaved, kind, respectful, godly, courteous, kind (etc!) kids - and my friends are succeeding!

We were also able to spend a lot of time with my cutie nephew (age 4) and my adorable niece (age 9 months) - and their parents, my brother David & his wife. 

It was great to spend some one-on-one time with them as well and catch up.

It had been far too long since we last saw each other.

Because my parents were so anxious and willing to watch my children (what a treat for me!!), I was able to enjoy some adult-time with friends as well as some window-shopping trips by myself.

I was able to go downtown Knoxville and eat with 2 girlfriends (no pics) on Monday night at Cafe 4 where I enjoyed a "Tennessee Cheesesteak" that was INCREDIBLE!!!

 I was also able to just take Andrew & Anna to the Aquarium in Gatlinburg with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew while my parents watched the babies.

My parents sure spoiled us with good food and lots of attention!

On the way home, I also met up with some friends at our first "pit stop" near Nashville (again, no pics - my camera battery was dead by this time!) - where my sweet friend Amy, her husband, and son met us at Chick-Fil-A (which I was eating at - happily! - for the 3rd time on this Tennessee trip!!).  Our husbands were deployed to Iraq together from 2003-04, and she was then and continues to be such a positive, encouraging friend!  She is also one of my friends who is raising GREAT kids (though I'd say Emily, a college Sophomore, is probably not really a "kid" any more!?!) ...
 
It was such a sweet visit "home" and I think I waited far too long to make the trip!  Home is really where my husband and family is - but somehow I am just a little more "home sick" for Tennessee now! 

Bakin' Bacon

I really want to find time to write down & remember my WONDERFUL week in Tennessee soon!!!  It was just an encouraging, refreshing, fun week - except for ONE THING :(  I wish my husband could have come!!  It seemed he called to check in each night while we were all out somewhere having fun or eating - and he'd have just worked a 12 hour day and eaten canned chili or something pitiful like that :(  It doesn't seem fair ... but I'm thankful he let us go. 

Anyway, I don't have time right now ... so I will just tell you about my newest experiment this morning with BACON!   There are a few people on this planet who do not like bacon - the poor vegetarians and my own mother (she doesn't like anything too "greasy").  My immediate family - well, we love us some bacon!! 

My neighbor gave us some amazing garden-grown tomatoes - and for those who LOVE fresh produce, you know there isn't anything better.  My kids eat tomatoes as if they were apples ... except they dump a little salt on them too. 

So, I'm thinking BLTs for lunch today - though we usually make them without the lettuce, which I guess makes them BTs?!  But anyway ... in the past, I just fried my bacon in a pan - and sometimes I microwave it ... but I've heard a lot about baking bacon, so I decided to try it.

My camera battery died (and it's rechargeable so I'm recharging it - no pictures), so use your imagination if you have never baked bacon.  You get a cookie sheet & put a rack on it (I just used my cookie-cooling-rack).  Heat your oven to 375.  Put the bacon strips on the rack ... bake 10 minutes.  Turn.  Bake 10 more minutes.  Perfect, lying-flat/not-curled-up bacon strips.  Now, you do have a bit more of a mess to clean up - but the bacon hasn't been setting in the grease so it is just about perfect IMO (I still put the strips on paper towels to blot them though - guess I'm not big on grease either). 

Is it lunch time yet?!

Rocky Top, Tennessee

The kids & I are so enjoying our time in Tennessee with my family and friends here.

More later ...

Just wanted to say HELLO to my bloggy friends!